888Africa acquires rival operator BetLion

888Africa is expanding its business with the acquisition of online betting and gaming operator BetLion.

888Africa, which operates the 888bet brand in Africa under a joint venture with 888 Holdings, said the acquisition of BetLion brings significant new local talent into the company, as well as a highly localised website and bespoke platform solution.

“This acquisition is a critical step as we aim to create truly unique betting and gaming experiences to players across Africa,” said Christopher Coyne, CEO of 888Africa. “The talent and technology at BetLion is perfectly suited to our growth model and ambitions, and will help to further strengthen our offering as we look to build market-leading positions across Africa. We also look forward to working with our new colleagues and introducing new customers to our local brands.”

BetLion is said to have over three million registered customers and is licensed in Kenya, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Commenting on the acquisition, BetLion managing director Robert Chirchir said: “888Africa is a business with huge ambitions on the continent. We’re delighted to be getting involved in its exciting growth journey, and supporting its expansion through our market-leading front-end software and platform and established licences across the region. We look forward to working more closely with the team and continuing to delight customers with our joint offer.”

The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Shares in 888 Holdings plc. (LSE:888) were trading 1.63 per cent higher at 109.76 pence per share in London early Tuesday morning.