British online casino operator 32Red has recently announced the acquisition of Bet Direct from Sportech Plc. Bet Direct, one of Britain's largest independent telephone and internet betting businesses, offers online casino games, mobile sports betting and interactive TV gaming. It was purchased by 32Red for a total of 11 million pounds sterling. The sale comes just weeks after 32Red's CEO Ed Ware stated that the online casino firm was looking to make several acquisitions in 2006.
32Red's purchase also includes the customer base of the Liverpudlian firm, along with its employees. The brands of both online casino sites will not be merged in the near future, however 32Red's online casino players will be able to access its new sports betting site from the main site in the coming months. The Bet Direct poker and online casino sites will remain as they are for the time being, with room being left for possible changes at a later date.
Ed Ware announced the deal by commenting that the acquisition of Bet Direct directly fitted the online casino firm's objectives - of which one is diversification and cross-selling. The deal gives 32Red a much larger customer database and the ability to offer its betting and online casinos products through a variety of distribution channels. |
