SBTech renews Sazka sportsbook supply deal

SBTech chief commercial officer Andrew Cochrane has “high expectations” for continued growth in the Czech Republic after extending a sportsbook supply deal with the country’s national lottery operator, Sazka.

The two parties have agreed a multi-year renewal two years after establishing their partnership.

SBTech said that the partnership had generated “substantial revenue gains”, despite competition from international operators due to the supplier's “tailored, data-driven risk management, a highly configurable bonus engine and a bespoke front-end designed specifically for the Czech market”.

The Czech online gaming market opened up to foreign operators in January 2017, which was followed by the launch of Sazka's revamped online portal in March that year.

“SBTech’s complete sports betting solution has enabled us to expand rapidly over the past two years and we are very happy to extend our partnership,” Sazka CEO Robert Chvatal said. “We anticipate continued and sustained growth moving forward and are preparing to leverage the full power of the SBTech sportsbook in the months and years to come.”

Cochrane added: “Sazka has achieved remarkable growth by embracing innovation, while also maintaining the highest standards of player safety and corporate and social responsibility.

“We have high expectations for the growth of the regulated Czech market and are committed to long-term shared success in this exciting territory.”

Internationally, SBTech is lined up to enter the re-regulated Swedish market in the New Year, as well as France and South Africa.

Meanwhile, the supplier, which is already live in the new legal sports betting jurisdictions of New Jersey and Mississippi in the US, also expects to gain a foothold in Pennsylvania.

To support the growth, SBTech has announced two major hires in recent weeks, with Dave Hammond appointed as the company’s new chief operating officer and Jeremie Kanter brought in as head of compliance.