Entain to Launch Digital Shops
Author:
Megan Butler
Betting and gaming operator Entain has announced plans to update its UK and Europe retail businesses. A number of specially selected key branches will be modernized and turned into contemporary, digital spaces.
Entain wants to revitalize the high-street, with its digitally revamped betting stores. ?Irina Iriser/Pexels
Modernizing Sports Betting
Entain’s new digitization initiative will see some of its core shops given a more modern feel. To start off with, the operator has said that the retail makeover will apply to outlets in the UK and in Italy. Ladbrokes, Coral and Eurobet shops will receive a design overhaul, to enhance the omni-channel experience for customers.
The operator has already run successful trials of its modernized store designs. The new, more digital shops will be closer in style to customers’ online experiences with Entain. Announcing the retail makeover, CFO and Deputy Chief Executive of Entain Rob Wood said:
“Entain is a global online operator, but we are focused on delivering a great local experience for our customers. This investment allows us to give a more immersive and joined up online omni-channel experience to our customers.”
Speaking on behalf of Entain, Wood went out to explain that since its retail outlets reopened after the pandemic lockdowns, customers have returned in large numbers. High street betting shops were hit hard by the pandemic, having to close their doors to the public for months on end. During this time, many customers adapted to using online bookies and casinos.
There were fears that when physical betting shops reopened, customers wouldn’t come back in the same numbers that they once had. However, Entain has found that there is still significant demand from customers to offer engaging in-shop experiences.
The planned digital makeover will enable Entain to attract even more customers to its stores, helping to drive the operator’s future growth. Entain has also committed to investing in its leading tech platform, as well as ￡100 million of innovation investment over the next three years.
Digital Hubs
Despite the hardships of COVID-19, Entain has managed to launch eighteen new digital hubs across the UK. As part of its ambitious development plan, it aims to have opened thirty modernized Ladbrokes and Coral stores by the end of the year.
These new shops will be available to customers in cities around the UK, including London, Sunderland, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Leeds, Portsmouth, Newcastle, Dumfries and Leicester. By the end of 2024, Entain projects that it will have launched as many as 200 digital stores in the UK.
It’s great news for fans of Entain’s award-winning brands, which include bwin and Sportingbet, as well as Ladbrokes and Coral. The operator is also responsible for some of the best loved online gaming brands, such as Gala Bingo, partypoker and Foxy Bingo.
Sports betting fans will be able to enjoy cutting-edge facilities on the high-street, in both the UK and Italy. Entain’s new digital stores will act as a draw, boosting business and footfall for town centers. According to figures recently published by the British Retail Consortium, one in seven shops are now vacant. That figure rises to one in five in the worst-hit areas of Britain.
As one of the UK’s biggest gambling operators, Entain is keen to help with the country’s economic recovery from the pandemic. According to BGC figures, its members support 119,000 jobs, generate ￡4.5 billion in taxes and contribute ￡7.7 billion to economy in gross value added. Andy Hicks, Entain Retail MD for the UK and Ireland added:
“Our shops are at the heart of local communities and employ around 13,000 people across the country. We want to bring the experiences customers have with us online into our shops, also making them more digital and contemporary environments. We want to offer local customers a place to socialize, enjoy sports, bet and play games in a relaxed and enjoyable way.”
Eurobet Cafes
The UK’s revamped betting shops will serve as digital hubs, containing the latest gaming machines and interactive displays. Customers can look forward to more engaging and dynamic experiences than ever. There will also be even more choice on offer when it comes to interactive sports and gaming content.
Both Italian and UK stores will feature digital window displays, as well as interior screens. These screens can be used to display live events and promotions with customers. In Italy, Entain’s betting shops are run under its Eurobet brand. It plans to convert an estimated 200 shops, thirty of which it hopes to have opened before the end of the year.
Some of these Italian betting shops will be branded as “Eurobet Cafes”, adding a new spin on the traditional bookie. These shops will act as places that customers can gather and socialize with friends while placing bets, and enjoying sports and refreshments.
Andrea Faelli, Entain Italy’s MD, elaborated on the innovative concept. He says that Entain wants to offer customers new and distinctive experiences. By creating these new spaces, stores will be able to attract more customers and offer other services to bets, such as drinks.
All of Entain’s new initiatives are powered by the operator’s proprietary technology. This enables it unify its digital and retail experiences for a more recognizable brand and better customer recognition. It will also improve its scalability in other locations, bolstering its future growth.
Entain is currently in the process of considering a takeover offer from US sports book DraftKings. The firm has reportedly made an offer of $22 billion for the operator’s assets, which would help it to improve its foothold in the US betting market. The offer is twice the $11 billion that MGM Resorts offered at the beginning of the year.
