Online gambling software developer Openbet has announced a global exclusive licensing agreement to develop and distribute new casino content on leading sports brands
The company has teamed up with top sports promoters, Matchroom Sport, Professional Darts Corporation and World Snooker, to develop a range of online slot and mini-casino games, a statement from Openbet revealed this week. PDC Darts and World Snooker-themed games will be the first to launch in December 2011 with new casino content.
“This exclusive worldwide licensing agreement will see OpenBet design and build a selection of games themed around Matchroom, PDC, and World Snooker’s core sports programming and content, branching out eventually beyond darts and snooker to include pool, golf, boxing and sports fishing,” said a company spokesman.
“The games will be made available to OpenBet’s roster of leading online sportsbook and gaming operators – which includes Ladbrokes, William Hill, Paddy Power, Bluesquare and Sky Bet – in the UK and legal international markets across the globe.”
Matchroom Sport was set up in 1982 by sports promoter Barry Hearn and has been instrumental in the rise of some of the world’s biggest sports personalities. It is now the leading supplier of darts, boxing, golf and sports fishing TV content and programming, and via its subsidiaries, PDC and World Snooker, organises the world’s leading darts and snooker tournaments.
The World Darts Championship, Premier League Darts and World Matchplay head the PDC’s roster whilst World Snooker events include the Masters, Premier League Snooker and the World Snooker Championship sponsored by Betfred.com.
OpenBet and Matchroom will debut the branded content to coincide with the upcoming PDC Ladbrokes World Darts Championship. The first tranche of games releases will feature the highest-profile personalities from PDC and Matchroom portfolio.
Further content will be launched to coincide with the Masters Snooker later in the month, and will be broadcast by the BBC, Eurosport and CCTV China.
Barry Hearn, chairman of Matchroom Sport, PDC and World Snooker, said: “Our project to develop games aims to coincide with the numerous sporting events that we host throughout the year, giving operators the opportunity to maximise the return on their investment and allow them to keep their content relevant.”
David Loveday, Chief Executive of OpenBet, said that the agreement would enable his company to produce exclusive casino content utilising some of the biggest names in numerous popular sports.
“Matchroom is another example of the quality partners we look to work with, enabling us to deliver products that stand out in the marketplace and are exceptionally relevant to our customer’s client base,” he said. “PDC, Matchroom and World Snooker are fantastic brands and we are proud to be working together on this exciting, action-packed project that we are confident will prove a winner with sports fans all year round.”