Sports betting just got easier at Ladbrokes after the outfit moved their mobile sports book onto the Mobenga platform, and William Hill improve payment processing options and inks a deal with Realistic Games.
Ladbrokes bigwigs were quick to point the finger at their ‘lack of competitiveness in sports book,’ after announcing that the forecast for their digital facing business was more likely to hit the £10-14m mark, than the loftier prediction of £27.5m; and so it should come as no surprise that they have set about their business to try and change that.
News emanating from Ladbrokes towers is users of the mobile sports book will now have a newer feel, after both iOS and Android versions migrated to the new Playtech owned Mobenga platform, in a bid to spruce up the product that was in decline.
The move to Mobenga is part of a wider plan to move to a fully integrated Playtech egaming software suite, first announced in March this year, but has had the gas turned up under its rear end after the announcements of those figures that nobody really wanted to hear.
Ladbrokes have promised that it has taken customer feedback into consideration in order to produce an offering that is “faster, cleaner, simpler,” and hosts a wide array of new functions such as push messaging, quick bet functionality, improved betting slip and easier in-play navigation.
This accelerated move comes just weeks after Lads announced the finer details of their partnership with the mobile experts over at the Chelsea Apps Factory, who are believed to have had a big say in the development of the Mobenga platform. In addition, Andrew Bagguley was appointed as the new Mobile and Devices Director just a fortnight ago.
Lads also released mobile and tablet versions of its new sports betting exchange last week.
William Hill Overhauls Mobile App Payments
While Lads are finally getting their mobile act together, William Hill are attempting to pull away even further, with a lot of elbow grease going into mobile app payment improvements.
The work is focused on providing a seamless array of payment processing options across all devices, that allows the customer to use the same option irrespective of what device he, or she, is playing on.
William Hill’s existing desktop options such as Skrill and PayPal will now be available across all mobile devices, as will multi-credit and debit card options.
Speaking to eGaming Review, William Hill’s Director of Mobile, Juergen Reutter, had this to say about the changes: “We see payments as a key touch point of the user experience and we have now provided seamless and deeply integrated payment functionality across all channels to further enhance this,
“With the latest mobile payment release, our customers now have the full range of payment methods seamlessly integrated into our mobile apps.
“We continuously strive to improve our customer experience,” he added. “We want to offer our customers the very best user experience possible, no matter the device or operating systems they use.”
The work on the new features was carried out at William Hill’s new technological ‘center of excellence’ in Shoreditch.
Inking a Deal With Realistic Games
After seeing casino revenue drop 2% in Q3, Hills have reacted by inking a deal that will see the vey best slot games from Realistic Games coming to desktop and mobile devices.
The deal will see a drip feed of games that will start with six and then follow a specific roll out until the full catalogue of games is available.
“Our strategy has always been to partner with the best operators around the world, and William Hill’s growth in recent years is proof they are in the vanguard of online gaming,” Realistic Games,
“They are also aligned with us in terms of our focus on mobile and belief that the channel is key to future success.” Said commercial director Andy Harris.
The deal now means that Realistic Games have their slot games showcased at Paddy Power, bet365, BetVictor, Ladbrokes as well as William Hill.
