Happyhour.io, the igaming-focused seed and early-stage accelerator led by former Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) chief executive Robin Reed, has committed to an investment in Chilean online sports betting brand Betsala.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but Happyhour said the funding would help to accelerate growth for the operator.
Happyhour will also offer its operational, product and technical expertise to support Betsala and its long-term plans of becoming one of the leading sports betting brands in Chile.
Betsala launched in 2020 and is fronted by Chilean football legend Marcelo Salas, who also serves as an ambassador for the operator. During his playing career, Salas played for Italian Serie A teams Lazio, Roma and Juventus, while he was also captain of the Chilean National team.
“We have the right management team, experience and vision to be a sports betting and gaming powerhouse in Chile,” Betsala chief executive Albert Bellavista said. “The investment from Happyhour will allow us to scale rapidly with product and operational know-how to become the sports betting brand in Latin America.”
Reed, who served as CEO of GiG for over 10 years between August 2009 and September 2019, added: “At Happyhour, we invest in people and businesses that will transform the industry. Betsala is poised to become the largest online operator in Chile and we are excited to be a part of this rapid growth into the market.”
