ONLINE NEWS
Playtech links with La Gazetta dello Sport
O
nline gaming software giant Playtech has linked up with the RCS MediaGroup, parent company of Italian daily sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, to launch GazzaBet, a new online sports betting
portal and mobile offering. To support the launch, the two firms have signed a five-year deal, which will begin immediately and run until 2019. Under this deal, Playtech will manage the gaming platform and provide RCS with its online and mobile sports betting and gaming software, products and marketing services under the brand
GazzaBet.it.
Kalixa in joint venture with Millicom
K The new service will cover various sports such as club and international
football, basketball, volleyball, Formula 1 motor-racing and cycling races. The online and mobile sportsbook will also offer other features such as sports betting news, detailed statistics and tips provided by a betting content specialist. The move will not only mark RCS’s first entry into sports betting, but also Playtech’s debut partnership in the Italian sports betting sector. “We are extremely pleased to be in a position to offer such a new service – within a regulated market – to our passionate readers, many of whom have been waiting for a sophisticated sports betting website for a long time,” RCS’s media division’s general manager, Alessandro Bompieri, said. “GazzaBet is a further step in our pipeline of sports entertainment digital products and services and follows the successful recent releases of the Gazzetta Gold app and the new Gazzetta website.”
UK bookmakers unveil self-regulation
L
eading bookmakers Ladbrokes, William Hill, Gala Coral and Paddy Power have announced the establishment of a new
voluntary self-regulation scheme as part of a commitment to ensure more responsible advertising. The four bookmakers said in an open
letter that they would sign up to a set of rules and establish a watchdog in response to concerns over the number of gambling advertisements in the UK. Under the plans, a new watchdog will be established in order to
oversee the operators’ pledge to fund a new advertising campaign on responsible gambling and to ensure that television advertising carries more responsible gambling measures. Although the new
campaign is not due to start until next year, the bookmakers will make a number of other changes to their advertising strategies prior to this. From October 1st, each of the bookmakers said they would remove advertising
of fixed odds betting terminals from shop windows, introduce an advertising ban on promotional offers before 9pm and commit 20% of advertising in shop windows to responsible gambling messages. Although the initiative has so far only attracted the support of the four bookmakers, other operators are invited to join.
alixa, the payment service provider wholly owned by online gaming operator
bwin.party, has
established a joint venture with Millicom, a telecommunications and media company dedicated to emerging markets in Latin America and Africa. The two companies will work together to develop a payments service provider for Africa and Latin America. Operations are due to begin in Brazil and Colombia later this year, with Kalixa and Millicom both making an initial investment of $4 million (€3.1 million) and appointing two directors each to the joint venture’s board. Payment acceptance services will be offered for both businesses and consumers, including payment gateway and point-of-sale solutions for merchants, as well as a one-click payment and eWallet provision for online customers. The solution will also offer cross- platform, multi-devices services. The joint venture will also benefit from Millicom’s existing reach across Africa and Latin America through its Tigo infrastructures in 14 countries and its online partnerships in 33 countries. In addition, the joint venture will draw on Kalixa’s experience of providing payment services such as issuing, acquiring and acceptance solutions to around 8,000 merchants across 100 markets. “This joint venture is part of our three-year plan to grow the Kalixa group and
leverage its strong technology and payment processing capabilities to increase shareholder value,” Kalixa chief executive officer Ed Chandler said. “As developing markets, Latin America and Africa represent a combined $1.78 trillion opportunity for the payments industry.”
Scientific Games agrees four-year extension with TIPOS in Slovakia
G
aming solutions provider Scientific Games has agreed a four-year extension to its partnership with TIPOS, operator of
the National Lottery of Slovakia. The extended deal will run until January 2018. Under the deal, Scientific Games will provide instant games and consulting services to the country’s National Lottery. The new agreement extends an existing relationship between the two parties that began in 2005.
“Our relationship with Scientific Games has significantly contributed to the
growth of the instant product category in Slovakia,” TIPOS’s chairman of the board and general director, Ladislav Kriska, said.“Our work together increased instant game sales more than 35% over the last three years.” John Schulz, senior vice-president instant products for Scientific Games, added: “Our selection as the instant game provider for TIPOS ensures the continuation of innovative game design and instant product portfolio management that have helped drive consecutive years of instant product growth for the National Lottery of Slovakia. We are delighted to build upon on our success in Slovakia, as we see significant opportunity for instant category growth there and with lotteries across Europe.”
56 OCTOBER 2014
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