Esports Entertainment Group lands Malta licence

Esports betting operator Esports Entertainment Group has secured a gaming service licence from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA).

The licence will run for 10 years and allow Esports Entertainment to offer online pool betting to players.

Esports Entertainment chief executive Grant Johnson said that the new licence would form an important part of the operator’s ongoing growth plans.

“Receiving our Malta gaming license is another major milestone achievement for Esports Entertainment,” Johnson said. “Fresh off our announcement of a binding letter of intent to acquire Argyll Entertainment, we are now in the early stages of executing an aggressive growth plan that contemplates organic and acquisition growth strategies throughout 2020.”

Esports Entertainment last week entered into a provisional agreement to acquire LHE Enterprises, the holding company of online betting and gaming operator Argyll.

While terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed, Johnson said at the time that with Argyll generating annual revenue of around $12.0m (£9.8m/€11.1m), the acquisition would have “a major positive impact” on the business.

Established in 2017, Argyll currently runs two brands, SportNation.bet and US sports-focused RedZone.

Argyll also previously operated BetOnBrazil, a site based on former footballer and radio personality Alan Brazil, which was replaced by SportNation, as well as GiveMeBet, a white label operated for sports media portal and soon-to-be-former Bragg Gaming subsidiary GiveMeSport.

GiveMeBet will cease operations from 1 June, with players now unable to place bets. Its website features message directing users to sign up with SportNation.