Ladbrokes has announced a partnership with Chelsea Apps Factory, a company specialising in mobilising businesses, to create a single dedicated resource to accelerate the development of its mobile offer.
The deal will see the Ladbrokes mobile sportsbook team co-located in a London hub with a Chelsea Apps Factory team with a remit of improving the mobile product, analysing customer behaviour and embracing technological development. The initial impact will be targeted around the world cup and beyond.
The partnership, which starts formally in December, will complement Ladbrokes move to Playtech’s proven and market leading Mobenga mobile platform. It follows quickly on the heels of the successful launch of the Ladbrokes Exchange earlier in November, which gave customers a differentiated product in the crowded on line market by making a betting exchange available alongside the traditional fixed price sportsbook.
Commenting on the launch, Ladbrokes Digital MD, Jim Mullen said: “With our move to the Mobenga platform on track and imminent, we need to ensure our mobile offer stays relevant for the customer in a rapidly evolving market. In teaming up with expert partners, we are taking the best in the market and applying them solely on the Ladbrokes product with a remit to constantly innovate, measure and improve our product. Customer expectations of the mobile experience are growing rapidly and we need to meet and exceed them to maximise value in this growing market.
“This is another step in the journey of our digital offer and with the World Cup in the summer likely to be the most competitive sporting event on mobile ever, we are acting now to ensure we are in great shape to attract and retain customers to our site from the World Cup and beyond.”
Mike Anderson, CEO of Chelsea Apps Factory said: “We have been delivering in this space for some time and have helped many companies begin on their journey through the rapidly evolving mobile world by developing applications that are unique, exciting and engage the end user. In teaming up with a brand as powerful as Ladbrokes and in co-locating a dedicated team we can see an opportunity for the Ladbrokes brand to really punch above its weight in the market.
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Note to Editors
About Ladbrokes
The name Ladbrokes is synonymous with betting and gaming: the hallmark of a premier brand. The Company, the origins of which date back to 1886, employs over 13,000 people in Britain and over 15,000 in total. It is one of the world’s leading betting and gaming enterprises. Ladbrokes is a market leader in retail bookmaking in the UK, Ireland, Belgium and Spain where it operates a combined total of more than 2,800 betting shops. In addition to its extensive retail presence Ladbrokes offers thousands of betting markets on a daily basis via the Internet, mobile and telephone. Ladbrokes.com, the Company’s online betting and gaming facility, has attracted in excess of 1 million active clients. Betting is offered via 13 tailored sites in nine different languages; supporting 17 currencies. The site incorporates the highest levels of security, which underwrite an integrated array of sports betting and gaming services available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. Ladbrokes is focused on building its digital capabilities through a product and marketing agreement with Playtech to realise its vision of becoming a fully e-enabled international betting and gaming business.
About Chelsea Apps Factory
Chelsea Apps Factory was founded in May 2010 as a factory of excellence for enterprise and consumer applications on mobile devices. They have worked with leading brands across all sectors including Deloitte, Allen & Overy, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, PWC and William Hill.
