William Hill makes LatAm move with Alfabet deal
Alfabet has been active in the market since 2018, under a licence issued by the country’s gambling regulator Coljuegos and via the BetAlfa brand. Colombia becomes the ninth regulated market in which William Hill is now active.
Neither the size of its stake, nor the price paid, have been disclosed.
“We are delighted to announce our acquisition of a majority share in Alfabet and with it, our first entry into a regulated Latin American state,” William Hill chief executive Ulrik Bengtsson said.
“The Colombian regulated market is a role model for the Latin American gambling sector, and we are excited by this opportunity to deliver a very competitive product and safe player experience under the William Hill brand in the country.”
In related news, Btobet, the sportsbook technology provider acquired by Aspire Global in October last year, has signed a Colombian-facing partnership with William Hill.
This will see Btobet provide its player account management platform and sportsbook software to William Hill in the market.
“We are thrilled by this partnership and the opportunity to provide players in Colombia with a superior gaming experience,” Bengtsson said of the deal. “We always look for the best localised solutions and BtoBet are well placed in the Colombian betting market.”
Aspire Global CEO Tsachi Maimon added that the deal demonstrates the strength of Btobet’s offering and services.
“The deal is proof of our ability to attract tier 1 operators and that we are in the position to compete for any deal, anywhere,” Maimon explained. “Aspire Global is a true powerhouse for igaming operators and the deal is another step in our aim to become the world’s leading igaming supplier.”
The deal, for €20m, was agreed in September 2020, and was quickly followed by a similar agreement with Flutter Entertainment’s Betfair brand, also covering the Colombian market.
William Hill’s international expansion has also seen it launch the Mr Green brand in the Latvian market. This becomes its second brand in the country, after 11.lv, with the operator to use the operational know-how gained through operating that site.
“Combining the local competence from our Latvian team, a strong product and brand, allows us to confidently look forward at doubling our presence in the Latvian market,” Patrick Jonker, managing director of William Hill International and CEO of Mr Green, commented. “Of course, we are also excited to be using the Green Gaming framework to further solidify our group’s leadership in the responsible gaming area of our business.”