CherryCasino hails success of new sportsbook
Operator reports increased gaming volumes since February launch and plans new lottery product
CherryCasino has reported major boosts in time on-site and gaming volumes, just one month after the online casino launched its new sportsbook.
The chief executive of Cherry’s online division, Jonas W?hlander, told EGR the SBTech-powered sportsbook had exceeded early expectations, but would remain an add-on to the site rather than a central focus.
“About 20-30% of everyone signing into the site is converting to sportsbook, so it’s a really good number” W?hlander said.
“We’ve also seen that the activity time on the site has extended significantly which we think is also down to the sportsbook.”
W?hlander added that overall gaming volume on the site had increased by 30%-40% month-on month, a figure which will be received with great interest by other casino-first operators planning to launch sportsbooks, such as Mr Green and LeoVegas.
However W?hlander reiterated the company line on the sportsbook being an add-on product.
“It goes without saying that sportsbook is a really good acquisition tool for us,” W?hlander said. “It is helping us reach a wider audience but we are not thinking of bringing a new angle to the site. CherryCasino is still very much a casino site.”
The sportsbook will be joined next month by a new lottery proposition on CherryCasino, as the operator looks to offer a variety of “entertainment services” to engage customers.
“We won’t just wait for things to happen,” W?hlander said. “We are ready to move forward at a high pace.”
However, the company will have to wait a while longer before its entry to the UK market. W?hlander said Cherry had filed its licence application with the Gambling Commission and was waiting to hear back.
“I would be a little bit disappointed if we weren’t able to close that within about a month,” he said. “But how long it takes [the Gambling Commission] to review the paperwork, I wouldn’t really have a clue.”
The chief executive of Cherry, Fredrik Burvall, previously told EGR the Swedish operator was eyeing up a number of options to help its entry into the UK market, including the potential acquisition of sites which are already established in the market.