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
