The state-owned pool betting company will launch text betting in time for the soccer World Cup and Royal Ascot. Pool-betting on horseracing and fixed odds on soccer will be the first products on offer, with customers able to use any handset and network to place their bets.
Keith McDonnell, Tote\’s Business Development Director, said the idea is to take advantage of a channel that is used for over 99 million texts in Britain every day.
“One of the main issues about gambling in the mobile sector has been the various differences between handsets and networks, but texting is so generic that you use the same language whatever the equipment,” said McDonnell.
“The beauty of text is that it\’s simple, and that\’s the philosophy we\’ve used in developing the channel. That\’s why initially we\’re going for pool betting, where you don\’t need to take a price, and football fixed odds, where there is very little fluctuation in prices.”
“And our research shows there is an appetite for the service from customers. We\’re confident it will work, if it\’s done in a user friendly way, which is what we\’ve been aiming at,” concluded McDonnell.
In separate news, Ladbrokes has unveiled the ‘Football Flutter’ promotion, which, in association with Scottish&Newcastle, will give football fans free online or phone bets when they buy beer from brands such as Kronenbourg 1664 and Strongbow. Around 16,000 pubs and clubs as well as 20,000 supermarkets and off-licenses in the UK will participate in the promotion.
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