LeoVegas relaunches Expekt ahead of bumper sporting summer
Malta-headquartered operator unveils Kambi-powered sportsbook brand in Swedish market
LeoVegas has relaunched its newly acquired Expekt brand to Swedish players as part of a group-wide strategy to diversify into sports betting.
Expekt, which was acquired for €5m in March, has now been migrated on to the operator’s proprietary technology platform Rhino following the integration of Royal Panda, which was moved over in April.
Expekt is the latest to transition over, with all LeoVegas brands now running off the Rhino platform.
“It’s incredibly exciting for us as we launch the new Expekt today,” said LeoVegas CEO Gustaf Hagman.
“The timing couldn’t be better with the eventful year in sport that we have in front of us.
“By running Expekt on our technical platform starting from today, customers will be able to partake in our award-winning gaming experience – both for sports betting and casino.
“Expekt will once again be a leading sports betting brand in Sweden and the Nordic countries, and that work starts today,” he added.
Launched in 1999, Expekt was a successful sports betting brand in the Nordics, particularly in Sweden, and was acquired by Mangas in 2009 for €125m.
In the years since, Expekt’s share of the Swedish market has declined significantly, although its brand awareness remains strong.
LeoVegas acquired Expekt from previous owner Betclic and has vowed to restore the brand to “its former glory”.
Speaking to EGR about the roadmap for the business, Hagman said: “We’re looking to bring on Kambi as the supplier for the sportsbook software and then the full suite of casino games from LeoVegas.
“We hope to generate a good experience for Expekt customers because we’re great at online casino and Kambi is great at sportsbook.
“Expekt is a really strong brand in the Nordic region and we anticipate good growth when we launch.
“It will be launched in Sweden and Finland, prior to the World Cup, and then later on in more countries as things move forward,” Hagman added.
This summer is shaping up to be a particularly busy and potentially lucrative period for sports betting operators with many tournaments and events scheduled, including the Copa America and French Open, as well as the delayed Olympics and Euros.