SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
In a global rebranding, Czech gambling group Sazka Entertainment will now conduct business under the corporate identity of Allwyn, the company name it has been using for its UK operations.
As the largest lottery operator in Europe, the group operates its flagship Sazka holding in its domestic Czech market in addition to Lotteries Austria, OPAP in Greece and Cyprus and Loto Gioco’ Italia in Italy.
The newly rebranded firm stated that the move is representative of its effort to ‘reposition as a global business’, having conducted a number of M&As to transform and enlarge its international business operations.
“Sazka Entertainment, which operates lotteries in Austria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Cyprus, and Italy, is rebranding as Allwyn,” an Allwyn statement read
“The change comes as the company evolves from a pan-European lottery operator into a global business. Allwyn will retain its iconic, local brands that are cherished by both its consumers and employees and drive the continuous strong growth of the company.”
The Allwyn brand was first established in April of this year as a UK-facing subsidiary in order to facilitate the Sazka Group’s participation in the fourth National Lottery licence contest, in which it is competing against Camelot UK, Italian firm Sisal and Northern & Shell Group.
To assist with the coordination of its National Lottery campaign, the firm appointed Lord Sebastien Coe, four-time Olympic medalist, to its Board of Director with the goal of strengthening its ‘international perspective’.
The rebrand to Allwyn and participation in the fourth National Lottery contest accompany a number of major developments for Sazka/Allwyn in 2021, securing a €500 million fund backed by US private equity firm Apollo Global as sole sponsor following its 2020 business transformation.
Sazka/Allwyn outlined that the Apollo sponsored fund would be used to strengthen its leadership position as Europe’s largest lottery operator, whilst exploring new lottery-led opportunities within underpenetrated North American markets.
In its final financial update under the Sazka identity, the group reported a significant growth in lottery sales, with numerical sales increasing by 78% to €621.6 million in H1 of 2021. Meanwhile, Instant lottery sales also improved by 101% up to €119.6 million as SAZKA improved upon its core competence.
“There are considerable costs associated with participation in public tenders, such as our current participation in the competition for the fourth licence to operate the UK National Lottery and pursuing potential M&A transactions,” the group detailed at the time of the financial update.
