Posted on: September 29, 2022, 07:06h.
Last updated on: September 29, 2022, 07:06h.
Flutter completed its acquisition of lottery and gaming operator Sisal for $2.2 billion in August and is already reaping benefits. The global gaming giant just scored a win in Tunisia as the country chose Sisal to run its lottery for the next 10 years.
Sisal is going to manage the products Promosport offers, which cover sports betting, lottery draws and instant lotteries. Promosport is a government-led entity the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Physical Education controls.
This isn’t the first time Sisal will be active in Northern Africa, as it runs Morocco’s national lottery, as well. The Italy-based company also has operations in Spain, Turkey and other countries.
A Coup For Sisal
To get control of Tunisia’s Promosport, Sisal, which missed out on a chance to run the UK’s National Lottery, faced stiff competition. Among the bidders were Intralot, Scientific Games and Demirören Group. It takes over after Novomatic’s six-year run has come to a close.
This significant milestone will allow Sisal to develop and manage a complete product portfolio for Tunisia. The country offers an array of instant lotteries, sports betting and online games, which Sisal will administer for the next decade. The games are distributed across Tunisia via a wide retail and online network.
Sisal’s internationalization strategy led to it securing the new contract. The company has been focusing on international development since 2018, aiming to strengthen its position as a new market leader. Sisal launched in Morocco in January 2019, followed by Spain, where it holds an online license, six months later. It also won a lotteries management license in Turkey in August 2020.
Tunisia began regulating sports betting in 2020. As a government-led entity, Promosport was to grab the lion’s share of the action. However, according to official data, it suffered losses as private operators entered the market.
Promosport’s charter ensures that 50% of the revenue (minus what resellers earn) from its activity goes to Tunisia’s National Fund for the Promotion of Sports and Youth. Another 40% of the revenue is returned to winners, while the remaining 10% covers the cost of managing its gambling operations.
Flutter Continues to Shape Operations
Flutter is on a mission to be the world leader in gaming, as well as responsible gaming. Earlier this year, it introduced its Positive Impact Plan, which seeks to introduce increased responsible gambling controls and oversight across all of its platforms over the next few years.
It is now adding a new layer to the initiative. Flutter’s Executive Committee, which includes FanDuel CEO Amy Howe, is spearheading the new Global Advocacy Program, which will focus on four areas or “workstreams.” These include gender, multiculturalism, LGBTQIA+ and accessibility.
At Flutter, we strongly believe the work of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) starts at the top, which is why our Executive Committee will be using their voices to advocate and drive meaningful, long-lasting cultural change,” said Flutter Chief People Officer Phil Bishop.
Howe will oversee the gender workstream, while Chief Legal Officer and Commercial Director Pádraig Ó Ríordáin will manage multiculturalism. Barni Evans, Chief Executive Officer – Sportsbet, will take LGBTQIA+ and Chief Information Officer Paul Cutter is in charge of accessibility.
The program will consist of four phases: Listen, Learn, Advocate and Action. This program is part of a wider push for more diversity in gambling across the industry. It comes as some of Flutter’s competitors have launched similar sustainability strategies.
