NetEnt launches land-based casino games in partnership with William Hill
Last year NetEnt AB (publ), leading provider of digital gaming solutions,
signed an agreement with William Hill, one of the world’s largest betting and
gaming companies, to supply casino games to their licensed betting shops in the
UK. After a successful integration process, the first game from a selection of
NetEnt’s most popular games to be launched is now available to players in
William Hill’s retail network.
NetEnt is proud to announce a milestone for its business, as its popular online
casino games are for the first time available in retail shops in the UK. In
close collaboration with William Hill, NetEnt’s award winning games have been
redesigned to apply to the demands of the retail customer. Entering land-based
casino entertainment is in line with the Company’s multichannel strategy,
providing operators with casino solutions for different channels, as demanded
by their players. The first game, Starburst, is being launched gradually over
the next few weeks.
Per Eriksson, President and CEO of NetEnt, says, “We provide leading-edge
digital casino solutions and we are excited to make our thrilling games
available to William Hill’s land-based players for the first time ever. William
Hill is the largest betting and gaming operator in the UK and this partnership
will allow us to maximize distribution in their major channels such as retail,
desktop and mobile.”
Per Eriksson continues, “Although the online casino market has shown steady
double-digit growth in the past five years, online penetration is still very
low. Today, only five percent of the global casino market is online, the rest
comes from traditional, land-based gaming. Over time, we see interesting growth
opportunities in the retail channel and our multichannel strategy will drive
increased convergence between online and offline gaming.”
Digitalization and convergence is one of the mega trends in retail globally,
with a growing number of land-based B2C retailers offering e-commerce. Online
consumption is growing at a fast pace and the trend is set to continue.
Increased broadband penetration and more sophisticated mobile devices with
internet access support this development. The gaming industry shows a similar
pattern with increasing convergence between land-based gaming and online
gaming.
For additional information please contact:
Per Eriksson, President and CEO, NetEnt AB (publ)
Phone: +46 8 57 85 45 00
per.eriksson@netent.com
Anna Romboli, Communications Director, NetEnt AB (publ)
Phone +46 709 124 531
anna.romboli@netent.com
Roland Glasfors, Investor Relations, NetEnt AB (publ)
Phone: +46 760 024 863
roland.glasfors@netent.com
About William Hill
William Hill, The Home of Betting, is one of the world’s leading betting and
gaming companies, employing more than 16,000 people. Founded in 1934, it is now
the UK’s largest bookmaker with around 2,360 licensed betting offices that
provide betting opportunities on a wide range of sporting and non-sporting
events, gaming on machines and numbers-based products including lotteries. The
Group’s Online business is one of world’s leading online betting and gaming
businesses, providing customers with the opportunity to access William Hill’s
products online, through their smartphone or tablet, by telephone and by text
services. William Hill PLC has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since
2002. The Group generates revenues of c£1.6bn a year. www.williamhill.com
About NetEnt
NetEnt AB (publ), previously Net Entertainment NE AB, is a leading digital
entertainment company, providing premium gaming solutions to the world’s most
successful online casino operators. Since its inception in 1996, NetEnt has
been a true pioneer in driving the market with thrilling games powered by a
cutting-edge platform. NetEnt is committed to helping customers stay ahead of
the competition, is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (NET–B) and employs more than
600 people in Stockholm, Malta, Kiev, Gothenburg and Gibraltar. www.netent.com