Ladbrokes to launch South Africa sportsbook, Africa marketing 18/02/2010
LADBROKES has signed a deal to launch an online sportsbook targeting the South African market.
The 60:40 joint-venture with African casino group KaiRo will also see the latter act as Ladbrokes’ marketing partner throughout the rest of the continent.
Subject to licence approval from the Western Cape Province of South Africa, Ladbrokes to advertise freely across South Africa on TV, radio, print and the internet, and hopes to have its Ladbrokes.co.za site up and running ahead of this summer’s football World Cup, which begins in June.
Approval would see Ladbrokes follow bookmaker Victor Chandler, the first foreign operator licenced to operate online in South Africa, which will soft launch its South Africa-facing sportsbook on 1 March with the intention of taking cash bets before the Cup.
In May 2009, 888 business-to-business arm Dragonfish also signed a deal to supply Phumelela Gold Enterprises (PGE), the South African pari mutuel operator, with a sportsbook product.
Ladbrokes chief executive Christopher Bell said: “This is an opportunity to capitalise on a developing market.”
According to data business H2 Gambling Capital, 2009 saw the South Africa online gaming market (onshore and offshore) generate total gross win of approximately ZAR320m (£29.6m). The company estimates this could double in 2010 with more companies moving onshore and the World Cup taking place there.
Other sportsbooks gearing up for the World Cup include Betsson, whose chief executive Pontus Lindwall revealed that the company is likely to find a new partner with which to promote the product ahead of the event last week, and French monopoly Francaise des Jeux (FDJ), which signed an online gaming and sponsorship agreement deal with TF1, France’s largest commercial TV channel, ahead of the liberalisation of the French egaming market expected in June in time for the event.
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Posted: 18/02/2010
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