Global online gambling operator GVC Holdings has selected sports marketing firm Bartle Bogle Hegarty Sport (BBH Sport) to serve as the lead creative agency for its Bwin online sports betting brand.
The deal represents BBH Sport’s most recent in the sports betting sector since it helped produce the “It’s A Ladbrokes Life” campaign for online sportsbook and gambling domain Ladbrokes in 2014, with the London-based agency now set to help Bwin consolidate and grow its already formidable position in European markets such as Spain, Germany, France, Italy, and Belgium.
“Sport, betting and an iconic brand with huge ambitions for game-changing creativity; opportunities don’t come any more exciting,” read a statement from Ewan Paterson from BBH Sport. “We’re thrilled to be appointed and can’t wait to start working with the Bwin team.”
GVC Holdings proclaimed that Bwin offers up to 30,000 daily online betting markets covering in excess of 90 sports while moreover holding sponsorship deals with top European football clubs including Spain’s Club Atletico De Madrid and Sevilla.
“We are delighted to be working with Bartle Bogle Hegarty Sport [as] it delivered an impressive pitch that really captured our vision,” read a statement from Adam Lewis from Isle Of Man-based GVC Holdings. “All teams are now gearing up for a lot of hard work and I’m looking forward to the creative process and driving Bwin forward.”
Last month saw GVC Holdings, which also operates the Sportingbet and Foxy Bingo online brands, report a pre-tax loss of $147.6 million for the twelve months to the end of December mainly due to costs associated with the 2016 purchase of rival Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment for just over $1.3 billion. But, its annual net gaming revenues rose by 12% year-on-year to $953 million while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization hit $219.1 million, which represented a boost of 26%.
“We always expected we could return [Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment] to growth but the growth potential for the group has been greater than we expected?[and]?I think there is more to come,” read a statement from Kenneth Alexander, Chief Executive Officer for GVC Holdings.“
GVC Holdings has additionally recently bucked a trend that has seen sports betting rivals such as Energybet, William Hill, OlympicBet, Bet365 and Pinnacle leave the Polish market by having Bwin apply for a license in the Eastern European nation. Its move came despite recent legislation that is set to institute a 12% tax on local turnover designed to help state-owned operator Totalizator Sportowy.