Sports Information Services (SIS) has purchased 49’s, a lottery and virtual sports developer owned by GVC Holdings and William Hill, to enter the digital gaming industry.
SIS will take over 49’s complete collection of fixed-odds digital games, including virtual horse racing brands Portman Park, Sprint Valley and Steepledowns, as well as virtual greyhound racing brands Brushwood and Millersfield.
SIS stated the acquisition is a “perfect strategic match” for its collection. SIS also mentioned it is developing a variety of new digital and virtual content that will be branded under 49’s. SIS has been collaborating with 49’s for several years, most recently in April 2018 when the two companies renewed their partnership agreement to include 49’s games as part of its horse racing coverage in the UK and global markets.
Richard Ames, the chief executive of SIS, stated that 49’s has been supplying high-quality, first-rate content to wagering companies in the United Kingdom and Ireland for an extended period, and their offerings are highly sought after by patrons.
SIS has been broadening its brand globally in recent years, and acquiring 49’s is the next logical step. They have ambitious plans for these brands and will soon announce fresh and enhanced products as part of SIS’s digital strategy.
Mike Jones, the head of 49’s, added that they have been collaborating with SIS for the past two decades, and SIS possesses a unique capacity to expand the international reach of the 49’s brand.
They are eager to observe how SIS builds upon this and continues to evolve 49’s into a leading digital offering.
This acquisition follows SIS’s earlier expansion of its horse racing portfolio through agreements with LAB, a Czech racetrack operator, and Kincsem Park, a Hungarian racetrack.
These agreements make SIS the sole distributor of live racing footage and data from both nations. SIS’s partners will reap the benefits of at least 300 races per year from four prominent racecourses in the Czech Republic and 265 races per year from Kincsem Park in Hungary.
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