Leading game developer Playtech has announced a five-year extension to its content agreement with gambling operator Flutter Entertainment.
Under the extended agreement, Playtech will continue providing Flutter Entertainment brands Paddy Power, Betfair and Sky Casino with its online casino games and services for each brands’ respective websites.
According to the Playtech website, the game developer will also provide exclusive dedicated studios for each of the casino brands, including the exclusive launch of the Sky Vegas Live Casino in early 2021.
Finally, Playtech’s various support services will be made available across Europe under the agreement, and it comes as part of Playtech’s ongoing mission to raise standards in responsible business and safer gambling and to develop the industry’s first code of conduct on safer game design by partnering with leading operators and developers.
Shimon Akad, the Chief Operating Officer at Playtech, commented: “Flutter is one of Playtech’s key strategic partners, and so this new long-term agreement to supply our innovative software and services across four key product verticals is significant.
“This is testament to the long-standing and strong relations between Flutter and Playtech, and we look forward to continuing to work with Flutter in its core markets to support Paddy Power, Betfair and Sky Casino over the next five years.”
Conor Grant, the CEO of Flutter Entertainment’s UK&I Division, added: “We are pleased to have signed an extension agreement with Playtech. Over the years we have built a very successful partnership and are excited to continue offering our customers access to software from one of the world’s leading suppliers of high-quality gaming product.”
The news comes weeks after Flutter Entertainment announced a series of new safer gambling measures for its brands in Ireland, including a ban on credit card payments.
Playtech wasn’t the only firm that announced a partnership this week as leading gambling operator Entain announced a deal with Arena Racing Company (ARC). The brand new deal covers horse racing media rights and forms a joint venture between the two firms for greyhound racing to December 2029.
According to Entain, the “ground-breaking” deal will deliver a range of horse and greyhound racing products for Entain’s retail shops, digital channels, and digital brands. What’s more, horse and greyhound media rights will be produced and distributed to the UK bookmaking sector via The Racing Partnership (TRP) and distributed into international markets like Spain via ARC’s subsidiary Vermantia.
In its announcement post, Entain states that the horse racing media rights element of the partnership will cover all UK, race day data and audio-visual coverage for races at ARC’s 16 racecourses, including Newcastle, Chepstow and Lingfield Park. It also covers South African and Australian content.
Meanwhile, the greyhound joint venture will see the two organisations deliver a single optimised UK Greyhound Racing schedule which will distribute greyhound racing content from stadia owned by Entain, ARC, and the Greyhound Media Group.
Adrian Bower, the Chief Procurement Officer at Entain, said in a statement: “We are delighted to be partnering with Arena Racing on such a comprehensive long-term deal that will give certainty to both parties for the benefit of both horse racing and greyhound racing, as well as helping them navigate the Covid challenges and emerge stronger when the world gets back to normal.
“This is a progressive deal for greyhound racing, that will deliver a sustainable programme going forward, support greyhound welfare, and deliver more money into the sport.”
Bower continued: “This landmark deal supports Entain’s omnichannel strategy for its UK digital brands and emphasises the huge value we place on the horse racing and greyhound racing products.
“We have been looking for a long-term deal that delivers benefits to both parties, allowing us to on navigating the immediate challenge of Covid, while generating greater value for all. Ladbrokes and Coral are two of the biggest and longest-standing investors in, and supporters of horse racing and greyhound racing, and this significant commercial deal with Arena Racing is just further proof of our support for these two great British sports.”
Kevin Robertson, the Managing Director of Arena Racing’s Media and International Division, added: “The deal between Arena Racing and Entain represents a new era of collaboration between the horse and greyhound racing industries and their bookmaker customers.
“We are delighted to have framed this deal to offer long-term certainty for both our horse and greyhound racing, as we look to recover from what has been incredibly difficult times for both industries. Importantly, this deal recognises the value for both horse and greyhound racing being sold directly by rightsholders to their key bookmaker customers.”
He continued: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with a significant global partner in Entain who operate historic and popular brands such as Ladbrokes and Coral, continuing their long association with both sports.
“Both Arena Racing and Entain are committed to the future of greyhound racing, and under the new joint venture we will be able to sustain and re-invigorate a sport that has been through significant change over the years. The launch of evening greyhound racing on Sky Sports Racing in February is hopefully the first of many new initiatives to promote and enhance the sport.”
The announcement comes just as Entain strikes a partnership with the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) in Canada ahead of the legalisation of gambling and sports betting in the jurisdiction. Under the partnership, Entain’s foundation will fund the RGC’s research into consumer practices, behaviour and preferences in Ontario, which is expected to become the first province in the country to legalise online gambling with licenses granted in 2022.
