William Hill has launched online poker in Italy, bolstering its existing casino, sports betting and bingo offering in the dot.it regulated market.
The room is powered by the same Playtech-owned software as William Hill’s dot.com platform, with the operator offering new players a sign-up bonus of up to €1000.
Hill’s Italian players will be joining other sports-led brands such as SNAI, Sisal and Eurobet in the largest networked player pool in the ring-fenced market, as well Playtech’s largest licensee Imperial E-Club’s Titan Bet. iPoker Italy claimed 15.8% market share in March, according to calculations by Casino Choice based on data from regulator AAMS.
The UK bookie first launched its Italian-facing site in July 2011, three years after being forced to write down its unsuccessful land-based JV with Spanish gaming giant Codere in the country.
Hill’s has since made respectable progress in the dot.it market, recently cementing its top-five position in online casino following the launch of slots in December 2012, claiming a market share of 7% in March.
The operator is however entering a regulated online poker sector in Italy which continues to display alarming signs of decline, cash game revenues ending Q1 of 2013 some 34.6% down on 12 months earlier. Global market leader PokerStars has also seized upon the struggles of former local network leader Microgame, claiming a commanding market share of 44% by March.
William Hill’s listed peers Paddy Power and 32Red, which delayed their entry to the market to coincide with the slots launch, were recently forced to defend their forays into the competitive and crowded dot.it space to shareholders. 32Red admitted on Friday that progress had been “slower than expected.”
The London-listed betting and gaming operator will publish its H1 results next Friday 2 August.
Article written by Katy Stirland
