Betfred to launch mobile sports betting app in Australia, to take advantage of the FIFA World Cup, and Mr Green takes ownership of Garbo and Social Thrills.
Betfred have improved their standing in the Australian online gambling market by announcing plans to launch a mobile betting offering in time for the summer’s football World Cup in Brazil.
The UK-based outfit wants to be known as Australia’s mobile bookmaker and their goal is to target the sports that are currently underserved in a market that places a lot of attention on Australian Rules Football and Rugby League.
The service will be launched as a sports betting only app in order to take full effect of what will be a summer of football betting madness. Then Betfred plan to roll out a horse betting option in time for the Spring Race Carnival that operates in October and November.
A full web-offering is also in the pipeline.
Mr Green Takes Over Garbo and Social Thrills
In other mobile related news Sweden’s Mr Green & Co has taken up the option to acquire 100% of shares in the mobile casino Garbo.com, whilst also agreeing to do likewise with the social casino outfit Social Thrills.
Garbo.com was launched in the Winter of 2013 and was designed to target female players into the mobile gambling biz. The company is operated from Maltese offices and the former Mr Green CEO Marcus Nylen is at the helm.
Mr Green had already invested €0.5m in DSRPTV Gaming Ventures (the owners of Garbo.com), and had an option to acquire the company, and three years annual royalties based on future earnings until 2016.
“Garbo.com is aimed at women who mainly play on mobile devices – a niche the company is essentially alone in serving,” said Mikael Pawlo, CEO of Mr Green & Co.
The Green Gaming Group have also agreed to take up the remaining 58.15% shares in Social Holdings (the owner of Social Thrills), in a deal that is likely to top SEK16.6m.
Once again there is a hint of nepotism in the air as Social Holdings was created by Mr Green co-founders Fredrik Sidfalk and Henrik Bergquist.
Both deals will be subject to shareholder approval. The company’s Annual General Meeting is on April 24th.
