Launches and sign-ups 2 January 2013
Launches and sign-ups from the egaming industry in the last 14 days (20 December 2012 to 2 January 2013).
Hills-GVC to acquire Sportingbet
Sportingbet board approves joint acquisition of the business for total cash consideration of £454m.
The boards of William Hill, GVC Holdings and Sportingbet have reached an agreement on the terms of a recommended offer which will see GVC acquire the Alderney-licensed operator’s share capital, and Hills take ownership of its Australian business, with a call option on its Spanish operations.
The deal, which values Sportingbet at 56.1p per share, is worth a total cash consideration of £454m and has been sealed around 24 hours ahead of the December 21 deadline “ the fourth time the final deadline had been pushed back.
Commenting on the completion of the deal William Hill CEO Ralph Topping (pictured) said in a statement: “We are pleased to reach agreement with the Board of Sportingbet, who unanimously recommend our joint offer. This acquisition not only highlights William Hill’s commitment to grow further internationally into regulated, high growth markets such as Australia, but also supports our strategic aim to diversify revenue sources into new territories and through greater multi-channel usage.
“Our unique combination with GVC provides a complete solution for Sportingbet and its shareholders and we look forward to working with the management and employees of Sportingbet in Australia and Spain to combine our joint experience and expertise to create additional value for our customers and shareholders,” Topping added.
Timeline: How the Hills-GVC takeover of Sportingbet played out
After news first broke in September, the acquisition of Sportingbet by William Hill and GVC has been an eventful one. Here’s how it played out…
Seven days in launches and sign-ups:
Bwin and PartyPoker complete liquidity merger
Bwin.com has completed the transfer of its poker players from Ongame onto the PartyGaming platform, with the latter now surpassing Full Tilt Poker in terms of traffic.
The operator announced its plans to merge liquidity across the two platforms in August, when it set out a four-point plan to reverse declining poker revenues and plans to become the “clear number two” in the poker market.
According to PokerScout, the move has seen the PartyPoker network overtake Full Tilt Poker in player numbers, with a current 24-hour peak of 6,532 compared to FTP’s 5,938. It cash player total is now 2,799 compared to FTP’s 2603.
Sportech acquires US horse racing platform eBet
Sportech has acquired horseracing betting company eBet Online for up to £7.8m in a move which CEO Ian Penrose says “significantly enlarges” the operator’s North American customer base.
eBet is one of the largest online B2B horserace wagering operators in the US, processing more than $100m of bets on behalf of racetrack operators each year.
For the year ended 30 June 2012, eBet reported turnover of US$4.3m producing an EBITDA of $1.6m and a profit before tax of $1.4m.
IGT to supply games portfolio to Ladbrokes
IGT has announced it is to supply Ladbroke’s with its entire portfolio of over 120 online and mobile games.
Branded titles including Star Trek Against All Odds, Monopoly Plus and Elvis’ A Little More Action will be launched on Ladbrokes.com, integrated via the supplier’s remote gaming server. Lads will also launch popular games such as Da Vinci Diamonds, with the operator taking delivery of all new IGT content as and when it is released.
PartyPoker launches Android app
PartyPoker has launched an Android app allowing users to play Texas Hold’em and FastForward Poker on smartphones and tablets.
Available to install from the PartyPoker website, the app allows customers to join freeplay and real-money tables, although the FastForward variant is only available as a real-money game, following a successful beta freeplay trial period for the product.
Bodog to launch Anonymous Poker Series
Bodog has announced it will launch a year-long poker series made up of online and offline events in 2013, to celebrate the launch of the Bodog Poker Network (BPN), the first poker network “made in Asia for Asia”.
The Anonymous Poker Series will launch in January next year, with a number of new B2B partners joining the network to be announced simultaneously. The event will run for the entire year, culminating in a grand final with a US$100,000 prize, to be held in Manila in January 2014.
Intralot and Roma sign casino advertising deal
Intralot Italia and Rome-based football club AS Roma have agreed a partnership which will see Intralot’s casino product promoted on advertising hoardings surrounding the pitch in the club’s Olympic Stadium.
The deal covers the team’s Serie A and Coppa Italia matches, and is designed to promote the operator’s casino offering, which includes online blackjack and roulette, as well as live dealer variants of the games.
Net Entertainment launches new mobile slot game
Net Entertainment has launched a new slot game to add to its Touch mobile portfolio.
Starburst Touch has been made available on both iOS and Android, after the Swedish company made all of its mobile games available to Android users in August. Other slot games added this year to its Touch portfolio include Gonzo’s Quest and Victorious Touch.
Paddy Power launches 40 Shades of Santa
Paddy Power has announced the launch of a new festive mobile slot, 40 Shades of Santa, which has been developed exclusively for the operator by mobile gaming specialist Probability.
Based on the erotic bestseller 50 Shades of Grey, the fastest-selling paperback of all time, the 5-reel, 50-line slot features what Paddys describes as “saucy” icons including a blushing Santa, handcuffs, blindfolds and a sexy Mrs Claus, allowing players to win up to £25,000 from just 5p per spin.