Ireland-based gaming giant, BoyleSports, is reportedly in negotiations to sell to an unnamed suitor but whether the sale will be completed is anyone’s guess.
PLAY NOW: $25,000 Free-To-Play NFL Contest: BMR’s 2022 Pick’Em Pool Opens for Registration
Growing or Selling?
If you are a punter in Ireland or the UK then you undoubtedly recognize the name, BoyleSports. The 40-year-old gaming company has 340 betting sites located throughout both regions and has been eyeing expansion opportunities in Africa, the Netherlands, and Canada.
The most immediate targets are Kenya and South Africa, as both areas have demonstrated vast opportunities on the Dark Continent while Canada also holds promise due to the country’s recent entrees into the online betting industry.
And although BoyleSports has been on the acquisition trail, buying independent bookmaker Wilf Gilbert in 2019 followed by the acquisition of Tully Bookmakers‘ 10 retail betting locations in Ireland, it appears the hunter might now be the hunted.
Entain as a Threat
The rumor mill is swirling as far as which gaming entity is interested in gobbling up Boyle and the name that is being whispered is former GVC Holdings, now rebranded as Entain.
Gaming brands that Entain either owns outright or has a stake in are: Ladbrokes & Coral, BetMGM online gaming of which Entain has a 50 percent share, Bwin, and Sportingbet to name a few.
If Entain is successful in negotiating a deal and hurdling all of the bureaucratic and regulatory obstacles that come with a purchase of this magnitude, they would pose a direct threat to Flutter Entertainment, which owns European powerhouse Paddy Power, and American online gaming leader, FanDuel.
Dazn Bet Welcomes Boyle’s Mark Kemp
As if the possible sale of BoyleSports wasn’t enough to keep their executives hopping, the company recently saw the departure of CEO Mark Kemp who jumped ship to lead a brand-new brand called Dazn Bet.
Dazn is a global sports streaming platform with over four million subscribers and is entering the online sports betting market with help from gaming solutions provider, Pragmatic Play.
To ensure a successful launch, they wooed Boyle’s Mark Kemp to navigate the company through the fiercely competitive waters of online gaming.
“We are on a mission to create a richer entertainment product that over time is integrated into DAZN’s daily destination sports business, where possible.
Domination of Sports Information Industry
Whilst this market entry will be a learning phase, our goal is to provide sports fans with a fantastic recreational sports betting product for DAZN’s global sports fans community,” said DAZN Bet CEO Mark Kemp.
Speaking of Dazn, the parent company of Dazn Bet, they recently acquired Eleven Sports and Team Whistle, both sports media brands, and are looking to dominate the sports information industry.
The deal will permit Dazn to broadcast the premier soccer leagues in Portugal and Belgium, complementing their already vast array of international soccer on their many streaming services. “The acquisition adds scale to our business. It is a big step forward in our mission to be the leading global sports platform,” said Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN Group.
“DAZN has invested in building a revolutionary digital sports platform, where fans can enjoy the full range of interactive sport entertainment. We are looking forward to expanding these capabilities to new markets, as well as leveraging Eleven’s capabilities in DAZN,” Segev added.
Calculators
