Launches and sign-ups 19 April 2017
Launches and sign-ups from the egaming industry in the last seven days (13 April 2017 to 19 April 2017)
TopBetta makes customer grab with Mad Bookie acquisition
TopBetta will pay a potential $400,000 for Aussie bookmaker and 15,000 punters, intends to make “similar deals” in the future
TopBetta has bought Australian racing and sports betting operator Mad Bookie, a deal the operator’s CEO said made “a lot of sense” in an industry of high CPAs.
Sydney-listed TopBetta has agreed to pay an initial AU$100,000 cash instalment for the bookmaker, with the final purchase price to be calculated as the greater of 24x Mad Bookie’s average monthly revenue over the next 12 months, or $400,000 less specified expenses.
TopBetta will acquire a database of more than 15,000 Mad Bookie customers, a company which was founded two years ago and has grown to post annual turnover of approximately $80m.
And TopBetta CEO, Todd Buckingham, said following the completion of the deal, the operator would look to complete further acquisitions in the future.
Unibet seals Derby Festival betting partnership
Kindred Group’s Unibet brand has struck a deal to sponsor the Investec Derby Festival, a move which indicates the operator will continue to pursue a dual-brand strategy in the UK sportsbook market.
The operator has struck a three-year deal with Epsom Downs Racecourse to become the betting partner for the two-day flat racing festival, which includes the famous Investec Derby.
Ed Nicholson, head of racing communications and sponsorship at Kindred Group said: “The Investec Derby remains the most prestigious flat race in the world.
Seven days in launches and sign-ups:
Cherry increases stake in Germany-focused Almor brand
Cherry has acquired an additional 7.5% stake in Germany-focused online casino and sportsbook brand Almor, as the Swedish operator looks to extend its reach further into Europe.
The operator upped its overall stake in Almor to 82.5%, based on a price of either €1.21m (£1.03m) or SEK 11.71m (£1.37m) in Cherry shares, which is based on a multiple of 5x adjusted EBIT.
In June 2015 the Swedish operator purchased 75% of Almor and Cherry still has the right to buy the remaining 17.5% available shares within three years.
Paddy Power makes quirky Amazon Echo debut
Paddy Power has become the first bookmaker to launch a ‘skill’ on Amazon’s voice-activated devices using the ecommerce giant’s Alexa service.
Punters can request betting tips and Paddy Power-esque sports news, which is read aloud when Alexa is asked for the day’s Flash Briefing.
According to marketing publication The Drum, Paddy Power sports stories have so far included news that Manchester United’s Juan Mata hates fish and chips, a theory for Facebook’s new fake news filter and rapper Snoop Dogg’s golfing exploits.
GIG signs up Red Tiger Gaming to iGaming Cloud
Gaming Innovation Group (GIG) has announced a deal with Red Tiger Gaming to integrate the supplier’s games and marketing applications into its iGamingCloud (iGC) platform.
The agreement will see Red Tiger’s slots and table games, including Dragon’s Luck and Lucky Wizard, go live with iGC’s proprietary B2C brands and white label partners.
iGC also plans to integrate Red Tiger’s progressive jackpots and new bonus application Smart Spins into the Malta-based firm’s proprietary cloud-based platform.
Betsafe takes live casino to the Extreme
Betsafe has bolstered its UK-facing live casino portfolio after striking a deal with live dealer software supplier Extreme Live Gaming.
The deal hands the Betsson brand access to Extreme’s flagship Golden Ball Roulette game, as well as its Leaderboard feature, which the supplier described as being “first-to-market”.
The agreement also includes Extreme’s Live Box Roulette games, which are streamed live from the Casino Admiral in Gibraltar, while Betsafe will offer Reel King Routlette upon its imminent release.