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Entain Opens New-Look Digital Shops across UK & Europe
Retail to have a more contemporary, digital feel
Entain, the global sports betting and gaming entertainment operator, has embarked on a digitization initiative across its retail business, converting a core of shops in key locations across both the UK and Europe into contemporary, digital, spaces to enhance the omni-channel experience for customers.
The retail makeover will initially apply to Entain shops in the UK and Italy across the Ladbrokes, Coral and Eurobet brands. In both countries, Entain has run successful trials of new, more contemporary store design and formats more closely aligned to customers’ online experience.
“Entain is a global online operator, but we are focused on delivering a great local experience for our customers. This investment allows us to give a more immersive and joined up online omni-channel experience to our customers” said Rob Wood, CFO and Deputy Chief Executive of Entain.
“Since high streets re-opened, our retail customers have returned in large numbers which reflects the continued demand from customers for an engaging in-shop experience,” he added. This digital makeover of shops, together with ongoing investments into our industry leading tech platform and £100m of innovation investment over the next 3 years, are important drivers of our future growth.”
Since the re-opening of retail, Entain has opened 18 new digital hubs across the UK and plans to have a total of 30 new-style Ladbrokes and Coral shops open by the end of the year in cities including Leeds, Birmingham, London, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Wolverhampton, Newcastle, Dumfries and Leicester. The aim is for 200 UK digital stores by the end of 2024.
The move will provide a welcome boost to many high streets and town centres in both Italy and the UK. In the UK alone The British Retail Consortium recently noted that more than one in seven shops are now vacant (*), rising to one in five in particularly hard-hit parts of the country.
“Our shops are at the heart of local communities and employ around 13,000 people across the country,” said Andy Hicks, Entain Retail MD for the UK and Ireland. “We want to bring the experiences customers have with us online into our shops, also making them more digital and contemporary environments. We want to offer local customers a place to socialize, enjoy sports, bet and play games in a relaxed and enjoyable way.”
Initially UK stores being converted into digital hubs contain the latest gaming machines, and interactive displays, giving customers a more engaging and dynamic experience as well as more choice of interactive sports and gaming content. In both Italy and the UK, the converted stores have digital window displays and additional interior screens which allow live events and new promotions to be shared with customers across retail locations.
In Italy, where Entain’s retail outlets operate under the Eurobet brand, the Group also plans to convert around 200 shops and plans to have the first 30 locations open by the end of this year. These include a number of “Eurobet Cafes”, which offer customers a new place to meet and socialize with friends.
“This is all about offering a different and more distinctive experience to new and existing customers, “said Andrea Faelli, Managing Director of Entain, Italy. “We want to move from simply offering betting shops to hosting spaces in town centres where people can come to have a good time, which may or may not include having a bet.”
All the initiatives are powered by Entain’s proprietary technology, which has the benefit of making the digital and retail experiences more similar for customers and being scalable internationally to other locations.
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Aristocrat Interactive
Aristocrat Interactive Extends 13-year Relationship with Portugal’s SCML Through New iLottery Deal
Aristocrat Interactive announced a renewed agreement with Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML), the national lottery of Portugal, having signed a new three-year deal that ensures continued access to its complete portfolio of NeoGames Studio’s eInstant games for SCML players.
The extension builds on a more than a decade-long collaboration to enhance SCML’s digital instant win offering. Under the new agreement, NeoGames Studio will continue supplying its established library of industry-leading titles while maintaining a steady innovation pipeline to deliver new, entertaining eInstant games.
“This new agreement underscores the continued success of our long-standing work with Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa. Together, we will continue to deliver high-performing content that resonates with players, driving long-term value for SCML’s continued digital growth,” said Chris Shaban, Managing Director of Aristocrat Interactive iLottery.
The renewal further reinforces Aristocrat Interactive’s growing presence in Europe’s iLottery sector, with the business supporting 18 European lotteries with NeoGames Studio content that is either live or scheduled to go live.
“Our extension with Aristocrat Interactive reflects the strong appreciation Portuguese players have for NeoGames Studio high quality eInstant content,” said Dr. Ricardo Lavos, General Manager of the Games Department of Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa.
“The titles we have at our disposal have been a key driver of our digital offering, and we have full confidence in Aristocrat Interactive’s ability to continue delivering modern, responsible, and engaging experiences that meet our players’ expectations,” Dr. Ricardo Lavos added.
The post Aristocrat Interactive Extends 13-year Relationship with Portugal’s SCML Through New iLottery Deal appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Exprexion
Flexion Launches Mobile Service Suite Exprexion
Games marketing company Flexion has announced the launch of Exprexion. This integrated suite of services provides game developers with a single point of entry to alternative app stores, creator-led marketing and direct-to-consumer sales.
The mobile gaming industry is entering a new era. After years of market domination by Google and Apple, game studios are looking for ways to be in command of their own destiny. High store taxes and rising acquisition costs have squeezed profits for too long. The Exprexion suite of services gives developers the freedom to innovate in market engagement and express their ideas directly to users, moving beyond the traditional constraints of the major app stores.
The Exprexion suite consists of three core services:
Exprexion Markets: This service manages all the technical and operational requirements of distributing games on alternative platforms including Amazon, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi and ONEstore. Flexion handles everything from integration to platform relations, typically adding more than 10% in incremental revenue. By taking on these tasks, Flexion reduces upfront and operational costs for developers while reducing risk.
Exprexion Creators: This service focuses on influencer-led marketing and social media strategy. By managing the creative process and relationships with influencers, Flexion helps studios find high-value players who engage with games through organic interest. This approach allows developers to reach bigger audiences through broader market channels and innovative user acquisition.
Exprexion Direct: This service enables developers to sell to their players no matter where those players are. By moving transactions outside of the major app stores, studios can make better margins and reclaim the 30% fee typically charged by platform owners. The service uses proven payment technology from trusted suppliers, like Xsolla, to ensure the buying experience remains smooth.
“The mobile industry has reached a point where the old methods of finding and monetizing players are no longer sustainable for many game studios. For years, developers accepted high fees and limited data access as the cost of doing business. Now, the emergence of a more open market and the shift toward direct-to-consumer relationships have changed the math. We launched Exprexion because the market is finally in a place where developers can feasibly run their own stores and distribution networks without the massive operational overhead that used to hold them back,” said Jens Lauritzson, CEO and Founder of Flexion.
Flexion’s technology, people and expertise are unique in the mobile market. The Exprexion services are fully integrated with one another, meaning each service perfectly complements the others. They can be combined seamlessly or used in any combination to generate profit and grow audiences bigger than ever before.
Flexion currently manages 37 top-grossing games. Four of these titles have reached the Top 10 grossing charts on Google Play. By providing a decentralised path to growth, Exprexion serves as a vehicle for a studio’s financial freedom.
The post Flexion Launches Mobile Service Suite Exprexion appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
BetWright
Leyton Orient fan wins £10,000 in BetWright crossbar challenge on League One final day
A Leyton Orient supporter won £10,000 after hitting the crossbar in BetWright’s Bangers N’ Cash Crossbar Challenge at half-time during Orient’s 2-2 draw with Burton Albion on Saturday, the final day of the League One season.
BetWright said Georgia Wallis was the first participant to hit the crossbar since Graham Pringle in January, ending what the company described as a stretch of near-misses in the half-time competition at the BetWright Stadium.
The operator said the promotion launched at the start of the season with a £3,000 jackpot and increased by £1,000 at each home fixture without a winner. Following Pringle’s January win, the pot reset to £1,000 for the next home match and then continued to rise by £1,000 per game, reaching £10,000 for the final fixture.
Georgia Wallis said: “As soon as I hit the ball, I thought – yeah, that’s the one! I’m absolutely buzzing! It felt really good – I thought I was going to fall over, so not doing that is a win in itself!
“My dad entered himself to do it every week and was never successful, then when he finally got the email he said, ‘I’m not doing it – you’re doing it’, so I had to step up!”
Yarry Troshchey of BetWright added: “We’ve had some unfortunate near-misses since Graham’s win earlier in the season, so it was fantastic to see Georgia finally step up and deliver on the final day of the campaign at the BetWright Stadium.
“To do so with the pressure of it being the last chance of the season makes it even more impressive, and it’s exactly the kind of moment the BetWright Bangers N’ Cash Crossbar Challenge is all about.
“We’re delighted for Georgia to take home the £10,000 prize and round off the season in style.”
Under the rules described by BetWright, participating supporters get one attempt to hit the crossbar. If they miss, they can pick one of three cards, with two offering a consolation prize and one providing a second attempt.
The post Leyton Orient fan wins £10,000 in BetWright crossbar challenge on League One final day appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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