Sportech remains robust
FOOTBALL pools business Sportech today said trading during the second half of 2008 had been “robust” and that its low value, high volume model meant the business remained strong in the downturn.
In a trading update for the year ended of December 2008, the Liverpool-based business said the rebranding of its Littlewoods and Vernons Football Pools businesses to The New Football Pools in August has driven “increased resilience” in customer numbers.
It added that the final migration of Vernons Football Pools customers onto the new Scientific Games powered gaming platform would be completed by the end of June.
An additional bingo brand, GameOn Bingo.com was launched this month to complement Littlewoods Bingo.com, and will be added to with pools and slots products over the next few months.
Sportech said it had made significant investment in upgrading the group’s products, technology and routes to market during the year.
In December, a selection of Football Pools products was launched across the Ladbrokes betting shop. The company added that further distribution deals would be announced in 2009.
And in October, the online casino and poker business launched a technology, marketing and distribution partnership with 888 Holdings.
“The board consider Sportech’s high volume, small value ticket characteristics put it in a strong position to weather the economic downturn, as it has done on many occasions since the business was formed in 1923,” the company said in its statement.
