Launches and sign-ups 22 January 2014

Bwin.party social sportsbetting app Sportster nears launch

Loading page on Facebook invites users ahead of closed beta, with full launched planned before end of Q1

Bwin.party’s social sportsbetting product is nearing an initial beta-launch ahead of a full launch planned before the end of Q1.

A holding page for the product, named Sportster bet and win, on Facebook invites users to register for an approaching closed beta launch.

Bwin.party first revealed the title to be in testing with Facebook in July last year and had originally planned to launch the product before the end of 2013.

The app has been developed as part of a collaboration between Serbia-based Top Eleven developer Nordeus and Win, a Ukraine-based development studio bwin.party invested €40m into in 2012.

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Betfair to offer exchange betting in New Jersey

Betfair US is set to sign a five-year deal with Monmouth Park racetrack in New Jersey to offer online horse racing exchange betting to players in the state.

The deal will see Monmouth Park become the first track in the US to offer exchange wagering once final regulatory measures are resolved, however it is as yet unclear when that will happen.

The New Jersey Racing Commission has given exchange wagering the green light, but legislation must now be sent to the state’s attorney for review followed by a period of public commentary.

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Seven days in people news:

Ladbrokes overhauls advertising strategy with BBH hire

Ladbrokes is to overhaul its advertising strategy with a new campaign set to launch in the Spring that will drop the Game On tag in an effort to develop the brand following improvements to its digital and retail products.

All current advertisements are to be phased out over the coming months in anticipation of a new campaign to be launched in the spring, with Italian sports commentator Tiziano Crudeli dropped from all future campaigns.

Crudeli has been a focal point of Ladbrokes’ advertising since 2011 alongside British sports commentator Chris Kamara, who will continue to feature in Ladbrokes advertising owing to his “unique connection with our target audience”.

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Oddschecker unveils new mobile app

Odds-comparison affiliate Oddschecker has rolled out its new mobile app enabling punters to place bets through seven of the UK’s leading bookmakers.

The app was released yesterday for iOS users through the Apple store with additional plans to launch on Android devices in the near future.

Customers are required to open a free Oddschecker user account to use the app which consists of a homepage featuring in-play markets, ‘Quick Picks’ and customer-optimised sports markets.

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William Hill unveils mobile Cash In feature

UK bookmaker William Hill has extended its ‘cash out’ feature to mobile devices as it continues to build up to this summer’s football World Cup.

Cash In My Bet has been made available on the HTML5 mobile web product and the iOS app with an expected launch on Android before the end of this quarter.

The feature was previously only available on desktop and follows the recent addition of a cash out option on Paddy Power’s sports betting app.

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32Red launches new Italian mobile site

Gibraltar-licensed 32Red has launched its first Italy-facing mobile website as the operator looks to increase the percentage of revenue derived from the mobile channel.

The mobile site, which went live this week, was developed in collaboration with Microgaming and has been optimised for all smartphone and tablet devices.

The operator recently revealed the percentage of revenue derived from mobile during 2013 was 21%, up on 2012’s figure of 10% but still leaving scope for further growth.

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Oddschecker kicks-off TV ad campaign

Price comparison site Oddschecker began a major marketing push of its new mobile app today backed by a “significant” six-figure TV advertising campaign.

The 30-second advert was created by Leeds-based advertising agency Home and features animated characters Inspector Odds and his dog Checker.

The six-week campaign is to launch through two TV spots during Eurosport’s coverage of the Australian Open tennis tournament and during the half-time interval of Monday Night Football on Sky Sports 1.

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Experis takes a majority stake in Triple Seven

UK professional resourcing business Experis has boosted its gaming offering after acquiring a majority stake in egaming recruitment specialists Triple Seven Resources.

London-based Triple Seven, which was formed in 2007, has become part of the wider Experis Group with the deal said to enable the firm to pursue a broader international growth strategy.

According to Experis, Triple Seven was on the lookout for additional investment in order to continue its development after the business enjoyed a period of sustained growth during 2013.

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Coral Sportsbook has partnered with Chelsea FC to become the Premier League team’s official European online betting partner until the end of the 2015/2016 season which will see Coral offer weekly exclusive offers to Chelsea fans. “We are looking forward to providing an exciting and professional betting service to all their fans and customers through our new and improved website and mobile betting platforms,” Coral Interactive managing director, John O’Reilly, said.

Cozy Games has announced the launch of two new mobile HTML5 games as the games provider extends its partnership with Rank Group. Rob Wheeler, commercial director at Cozy Games, said the two slots titles Rubies & Sapphires and Queens of Legends would be the first of many games supplied to Rank in the coming year.

Costa Bingo owner bgo Entertainment has launched its first in-house developed slots game Jurassic Island as the company looks to increase its portfolio of exclusive content following its move to Alderney. “As we invest in the bgo.com brand we are looking to add real value to the platform we provide our players,” co-founder Alex Holt said.

Freebets.com has released its first mobile app which allows customers to compare free bets by value, minimum deposit, minimum odds or rollover requirement. The new iOS app was developed in partnership with Degree53 and comes as the sportsbook affiliate looks to ramp up its presence on mobile.

Swedish-listed supplier Net Entertainment has added its Twin Spin video slots title to its Touch portfolio of mobile games. “The popularity of mobile and tablet gaming continues to grow and we’re really pleased to announce that Twin Spin is being added to our burgeoning Touch portfolio,” Simon Hammon, chief product officer of Net Entertainment.