Winner plots UK push under new licence

Playtech-run operator Winner is set to ramp up its UK presence following the launch of a new GB-licensed site and a new partnership with Premier League football team West Ham United.

The company launched its new Winner.co.uk site earlier this month after the site’s operator PT Entertainment Services, a Playtech subsidiary, gained a full UK licence at the end of August.

The news follows earlier reports that Titanbet had launched a new UK site, also operated by PT Entertainment Services, ahead of the UK’s new regulatory regime which is to go live on 1 October.

All of Winner’s UK customers have been transferred across to the new site and chief marketing officer Yoni Sidi told eGaming Review that the company was aiming to significantly grow its UK revenues which currently account for 40% of the business.

“Our plan is to continue to grow and focus on the UK market which is by far our biggest at the moment,” he said.

“It’s business as usual but we are planning for the Point of Consumption Tax and we wanted to make sure we were compliant and have a direction to focus on,” Sidi added.

As part of its UK plans Winner has also struck a deal with West Ham United to become an official partner of the English football club for the 2014/2015 season.

The agreement will include advertising within the club’s stadium, site exposure on its website and providing odds on all West Ham matches throughout the duration of the Premier League campaign.

“I believe partnering with them will help us improve our reputation as a growing brand in the UK [and] that this deal symbolises a lot about who we are, and what we wish to achieve,” Sidi said.

“It is a ground breaking and unique deal and to celebrate we will be offering all our users best price on West Ham to win at each game this season. We are really looking forward to getting started,” he added.

Winner also currently holds an Antigua licence which it will use for other markets the company is active in.