Issue N37, 2008

September 10, 2008

Bulgarian Football Union Signs Sponsorship Deal with Sports Betting Company

With more and more online gambling companies partnering with football teams in Europe, it came as no surprise to learn that the Bulgarian Football Union has signed a deal with the popular online gaming and betting group Bet at Home. Brokered by the industry leading sports marketing agency, Sport Five, the new deal will see Bet at Home logos displayed at all FIFA 2010 home qualifying matches on banners and coach benches during football matches at the Vasil Livski National Stadium in Sofia.

Klaus Gruber, who serves as the marketing manager for Bet at Home online gambling company said about the new deal. "This cooperation fits very well with our existing sponsorships in Eastern Europe and supports the future advertising activities of Bet at Home in Bulgaria. With the help of the Bulgarian Football Union and Sport Five, we will be able to use this engagement to help increasing the awareness of the Bet-at-Home.com brand."

The news of the sponsorship deal was also well received by the President of the Bulgarian Football Union, Borislav Mihaylov, who said: "We warmly welcome Bet-at-Home.com as our official sponsor. The company is passionate about sport and the communication of their brand and we are passionate about our future role in international football. This partnership will be very beneficial to both of us."

Belarus Gets First Online Lottery Brand

The East European country of Belarus will be joining the world of online lottery when the first official site is launched in the very near future. The site will be launched as a co-venture between Sport Pari, a subsidiary company of Lottomatica, and the US based lottery software provider, GTech. Sport Pari recently obtained an exclusive five year license from the government of Bulgaria to run the country’s first lottery brand on the internet.

“We are pleased to have this opportunity to supply a comprehensive range of lottery solutions and services to our newest customer, Sport Pari,” said the Chief Executive Officer for GTech, Jaymin Patel. “This agreement in Belarus is strategically important for GTech as we look to expand our presence in this rapidly developing region and support governments and their licensed operators in regulating the gaming market. Sport Pari continues to work diligently with GTech on all facets of launching a successful online lottery enterprise. Along with a complete range of marketing consulting services, GTech is also providing Sport Pari with best practices in game introduction and optimization and retailer network management.”

The new deal will see GTech supply the company with 1000 lottery terminals in the first stage, with the intention of reaching 5000 terminals by the end of the agreement.

Neteller Shows Diversification Plans Work

Neteller, the ecash payment processor that is especially popular among online gamblers, has proven to the industry that its diversification strategy works, after posting good total income figures that relate to the first half of this year. Neteller has been slowly but steadily working its way back into the market after receiving a heavy blow following the implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act in 2006. Neteller had its funds frozen by the United States Department of Justice for several months and could only pay out its customers after it agreed to pay the US a hefty settlement fee.

After several efforts to come back into the market, it can finally be said that Neteller is starting to see some rewards for its hard work. The company created a specific plan to diversify into the European and Asian markets, with the results clearly showing in its latest financial report. According to the numbers, total income for the first six months of this year totaled $35.9 million, while pre-tax profits showed at $24.7 million.

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Casino News, September 2008