Sky Bet to move Yorkshire operations
MORE than 150 staff at online betting firm Sky Bet are expected to relocate from Harrogate to Leeds in the biggest letting deal completed in the city so far this year, TheBusinessDesk.com can reveal.
Sky Bet, the sports betting division of Sky Betting and Gaming and a subsidiary of BSkyB, is taking around 15,000 sq ft at office development 2 Wellington Place.
It is understood that Sky Bet will move its Yorkshire operations to the building, which forms part of MEPC’s Leeds city centre scheme, following the football World Cup which starts in June.
It is not thought any jobs will be lost following the move.
Sky Bet has agreed a deal to take the ground floor of the building and is believed to be paying £23 sq ft on a 10 year lease.
It is also believed that the offices the organisation is vacating in Harrogate will be marketed for new tenants shortly.
Customers can use Sky Bet to place bets via its website, telephone and Sky Digital TV.
It remains one of the few sports betting companies in the UK not to operate traditional high street shops.
It is understood that DTZ acted for MEPC while Lambert Smith Hampton acted for Sky Bet.
Jones Lang LaSalle is joint agent with DTZ on the MEPC scheme.
BSkyB acquired Sports Internet Group in 2000 in a deal which included telephone and online sports betting company Surrey Sports along with Planet Football and Opta Index.
Surrey Sports was rebranded in July 2002 to create Sky Bet.
In 2006, online betting companies totalbet and ukbetting were consolidated into Sky Bet after BSkyB’s purchase of 365 Media Group.
A spokesperson for BSkyB could not be contacted.
