888AFRICA becomes an official partner of Benfica in Mozambique and Angola
Part-evoke-owned startup secures deal with the Portuguese football giants that is expected to provide a significant boost in the Portuguese-speaking markets
888AFRICA has been unveiled as the official sports betting and gaming partner of Sport Lisboa e Benfica for Mozambique and Angola.
The agreement means the bookmaker, which is part-owned by evoke plc and operates the 888bets and BetLion brands in Africa, will see 888bets branding feature at the Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica for all of Portugal’s most successful football club’s home fixtures.
888AFRICA already boast a strong market presence in both Portuguese-speaking Mozambique and Angola, two nations that have plenty of Benfica supporters, but is looking to strengthen its position there and is hopeful this deal will have a significant impact.
The firm will also work closely with Benfica to produce “unique and engaging content” as well as a series of competitions and giveaways that include signed shirts and match tickets.
888AFRICA was founded in 2022 as part of a joint venture with evoke and five industry veterans in ex-The Stars Group trio Christopher Coyne, Andrew Lee and Ian Marmion, as well as Helen Scott-Allen, former chief financial officer (CFO) of Premier Bet and ex-William Hill head of product Alex Rutherford.
Reflecting on the partnership with Benfica, Coyne, who serves as CEO, talked up the deal as he explained: “Benfica is one of the world’s most prestigious football clubs with a particularly strong following in Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa and is the perfect partner for 888AFRICA.
“In Mozambique and Angola – two key markets for us – Benfica is one of the best-followed clubs and we are confident this partnership will unlock further growth opportunities for us.
“We look forward to creating unique and engaging Benfica-led content while introducing more fans in Africa to our market-leading betting and gaming propositions. We look forward to playing our role in supporting what will no doubt be another successful season for the club.”
Miguel Bento, chief commercial and marketing officer of SL Benfica Group, echoed a similar sentiment.
He added: “We are pleased to announce this partnership with 888AFRICA, a prominent player in the betting industry across key markets like Mozambique and Angola.
“These regions represent an important part of our global strategy, as Benfica continues to expand its reach beyond Europe.
“This collaboration not only strengthens our presence in Africa but also brings us closer to our passionate fanbase there. We believe this partnership will offer exciting new opportunities for engagement in Africa, and we look forward to achieving great things together.”
The bookmaker has lofty ambitions for the continent and is looking to establish itself as a market leader across selected regulated African markets.
Within the two years since its launch, 888AFRICA and BetLion have hit three million first-time depositors in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Evoke has a minority stake of just under 20% in 888AFRICA, with the option to increase this to take control and ultimately own up to 100% of the venture in the future.