GAMING FOR AFRICA
Sisal Obtains Morocco’s Sportsbetting Concession
Flutter Entertainment-owned Sisal has been awarded Morocco’s sports betting concession licence for an eight-year term. The Italy-facing online operator, which
launched Morocco’s lotteries licence in 2019, obtained the betting concession from La Marocaine des Jeux et des Sports (MDJS). The deal, which sees Sisal replace Intralot from January 2024, also includes the possibility of a two-year extension. The offering, which includes fi xed-odds and
mutual betting, will be exclusively distributed by Sisal Jeux Maroc through a network of retail outlets and online. Sisal Jeux Maroc is a joint venture between Sisal and Paddy Power, another Flutter division. The award comes a year after the beginning of
the tender process, and six months after Sisal was acquired by Flutter in a €1.91bn deal. Marco Caccavale, chief executive of Sisal Jeux
Maroc and international managing director of Sisal, said: “We are extremely pleased to announce the consolidation of our offering in Morocco. The decision by MDJS is testament to the quality of our work and how much we have achieved in the last three years, in a country with a strong growth trajectory and great potential. “This is our fourth successful international
tender, all of which have been highly competitive, recognising the commitment, investment and know-how that make us unique in the market. Being part of Flutter enhances our value proposition and enables us to develop joint products and services for different market segments.” The licence in Morocco is part of the business’
strategy for international expansion into emerging markets. It comes soon after Sisal’s contract win in neighbouring Tunisia with Sisal having also been awarded licences in Spain and Turkey. Younes El Mechrafi , director-general of the MDJS, said: “We are delighted to have been able
to conclude with Sisal Jeux Maroc, the winner of our call for tenders on sports betting, an agreement which puts in place a highly responsible and forward-looking framework and which offers the National Fund for the Development of Sport (FNDS) growing resources. This agreement marks a real quantum leap for the MDJS, and strengthens its position in a constantly evolving sector.” Intralot announced in 2021 that its eight-year
betting licence, signed in 2019, would instead end in December 2022. The expiry of the contract was later extended to December 2023.
Marco Caccavale
Sun International Extends Sportsbook Deal with Kambi
Sports betting supplier Kambi Group has signed an extension to its multi-channel sportsbook partnership with South African operator Sun International. Under the multi-year deal, Kambi will
continue to provide Sun International with its sports betting technology and services across online and retail. Kambi and Sun International have been
working together across both channels in the South African market since November 2017. Listed on the Johannesburg stock
exchange, Sun International operates online betting brand SunBet and also owns a number of major casinos and hotel resorts. “Sun International is delighted to continue
its successful sports betting partnership with Kambi and to continue leveraging the company’s award-winning technology and services,” SunBet chief executive Simon Gregory said. “We have ambitious plans for the SunBet
brand over the coming years and I am thrilled we will continue to do this with the support of a world-leading B2B sportsbook like Kambi.” Kambi chief executive Kristian Nylén
added: “We are pleased to have extended our sportsbook partnership with Sun International, one of the continent’s premier gaming and hospitality groups. “Since we fi rst partnered in 2017, Sun
International has become a valuable partner to Kambi and we look forward to seeing the company’s SunBet online betting brand continue to go from strength to strength.”
Slot Machine Manufacturer Aruze Gaming fi les for Chapter II Bankruptcy Protection in the US
The shock news followed just one day after the departure of its US subsidiary president, Robert Ziems. The company fi led a voluntary petition in the
US Bankruptcy Court for Nevada last week and said in a news release that the fi ling was part of its efforts to restructure fi nancially following “a recent garnishment judgement against Aruze resulting from a separate judgement against Aruze’s shareholder.”
24 MARCH 2023 Global CEO Yugo Kinoshita said in a statement:
“This fi ling was a critical business strategy we were forced to make due to external factors outside our control. “We fully understand the implications associated
with this action, but we believe this is the best way for Aruze to maintain the overall health of our business. “This restructuring has no refl ection on the health
of Aruze. We’re proud of the advances we have made to establish Aruze as a casino mainstay.
“We are highly confi dent this action will protect
our brand, our legacy and our suite of games. As we progress through this process, we are assured that Aruze will emerge as an even stronger company.” Kinoshita will take over the day-to-day running
of the company, which will operate normally, from March 1, while the board seeks a replacement for Ziems.
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