Two of the heavyweights in the gambling and gaming industry, bookmaker William Hill and gaming solutions developer International Game Technology (IGT), have joined hands to power US state lotteries, which is planning to offer legalised sports betting.
Both the companies jointly announced the signing of a “multi-year agreement” to make a combined push “to offer US lotteries a full-service solution for sports betting.”
The two companies are already working together in Rhode Island, readying the betting technology underpinnings of the Rhode Island Lottery’s sports books at the Twin River Casino and Tiverton Casino, which are scheduled to launch sometime in November.
The new partnership will see IGT supply its PlayShot sports betting platform for land-based, retail, online and mobile wagering, while William Hill US will supply the operational, trading, player management and strategic expertise it has gleaned from years of running sports betting operations on behalf of Nevada casino operators.
Clearly, Hills and IGT expect at least some states – particularly those without a significant land-based casino presence – to follow Rhode Island’s lead and reserve sports betting for their state-run lottery operations, which in many cases already have longstanding relationships with IGT.
Renato Ascoli, CEO of IGT, North America, hailed the new “unique” partnership, saying it would allow state lotteries “to enter this new activity with total confidence and trust in the service being offered.”
Source: CalvinAyre
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