Betfred takes step forward in SA via majority LottoStar shareholder

RubyPlay has made its latest market entry after forming an alliance with South African casino operator LottoStar.

Betfred has inked a deal with South Africa’s largest online betting company, LottoStar, seeing the bookmakers having taken a majority shareholding.

The partnership is said to further add to Betfred’s presence in South Africa, in which the company currently operates 53 shops and an online business after the acquisition of Betting World and Sepels Sportsbet.

“We are delighted to partner with such a fast-growing company in South Africa, the business will not only complement our activity in South Africa but our international businesses in the United States and Europe,” said Joanne Whittaker, Betfred Chief Executive Officer.

“We look forward to working closely with the LottoStar team to support the continued growth of the business providing world-class games and services to the online betting market in South Africa.” 

LottoStar, which offers fixed-odds numbers betting and live games on its online platform, also hosts a range of marketing campaigns and works to “uplift and rebuild communities” through its corporate social responsibility initiatives across the region.

Tasoulla Hadjigeorgiou, LottoStar’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, added: “LottoStar was founded in 2014 as a family-run business with an innovative model to offer a fixedodds betting online platform in South Africa. As an online betting leader in South Africa, we are excited to partner with one of the UK’s best bookmakers. 

“We are confident that this partnership will broaden our offering and provide our customers with the highest quality services. Our partnership also paves the way for greater collaboration and expansion, and we are excited to grow our family.”