SportPesa enters Italian iGaming market

an sports betting operator SportPesa has announced the acquisition of a 75% majority shareholding in RCS gaming, a licensed gaming operator which is part of Italian firm RCS Media Group. The purchase marks SportPesa’s first foray into the Italian gaming market, with the company currently operating in its native Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, the Isle of Man and the United Kingdom. RCS Media Group operates a number of Italian news outlets including Corriere Della Sera and La Gazzetta dello sport. The company also operates the Spanish news website El Mundo and the Spanish football newspaper Marca. The sale is part of a concerted effort by the group to streamline a number of its ‘non-core divisions’, and focus on its key media assets across Europe. Terms of the deal were not disclosed; however reports claim that SportPesa will take over operation of the RCS GazzaBet.it online sportbook, bringing its branding under the SportPesa umbrella. SportPesa’s new Italian operation will be headed up by Adam Beighton, who commented that: “This acquisition also presents new opportunities to showcase to our current and future customers the SportPesa culture.”