BLUE SQUARE - 888 DEAL CONFIRMED (Update)

9 November 2007

888 will get sports betting expertise from Rank plc subsidiary


Rank plc online sportsbet subsidiary Blue Square and the giant Internet gambling group 888.com have confirmed reports last week that they have teamed up (see previous InfoPowa report)

Blue Square's parent confirmed in a statement that its Blue Square website will provide a sports betting service for London-listed online poker and casino company 888 Holdings plc. Blue Square will manage fixed odds betting and sports content for 888, which will provide its payment processing platform to Blue Square as it takes its own sports betting to new international markets.

888 recently launched an Italian sportsbetting operation at 888.it.

"We will benefit from 888's international experience and liquidity as we extend our reach beyond the UK," Rank said in a statement.

The new service with Blue Square is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2008, a spokesman said: "Our analysis shows that a significant proportion of our players bet on sport events occasionally, and the inclusion of sports betting in our offering is in line with our focus to aid customer acquisition".

Reuters news service reports that online gambling firms that previously offered only poker and casino games have had a harder time over the past year after the United States banned Internet gambling financial transactions, causing sites like 888 and PartyGaming plc to withdraw from the US market and rebuild lost business in other regions.

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa