Tender awarded for significant North African sportsbook licence

An exclusive eight year sports betting licence in Morocco has been awarded to Sisal Italia, a subsidairy of Flutter Entertainment. The licence has an option for an extension of a further two years. Flutter announced “Sisal our leading online operator in Italy is expanding into Morocco. It has been awarded a licence by the Moroccan Games and Sports Commission (MDJS) to start sports betting concessions.”

In Morocco Sisal will combine its leading omni-channel capabilities with Flutter’s market-leading risk management supported by over 1,000 professionals globally. “This milestone is another chapter in Flutter International’s exciting growth story, which follows a recent win for Sisal in Tunisia – cementing the Group’s footprint in Africa,” said a spokesperson for Flutter.

Morocco

The tender process for sportsbook operations in Morocco was tough with a high volume of competition. The operator secured the licence from La Marocaine des Jeux et des Sports (MDJS). The exclusivity includes online, land based and retail sports betting in Morocco and will be operated by Sisal’s local subsidiary Sisal Jeux Maroc.

“We are extremely pleased to announce the consolidation of our offering in Morocco,” said Marco Caccavale, International Managing Director for Sisal Group. “The decision by MDJS is testament to the quality of our work and how much we have achieved in the last three years, in a country with a strong growth trajectory and great potential.”

The licence in Morocco is part of the company’s strategy for international expansion into emerging markets.? This marks Sisal’s fourth betting rights acquisition and follows a similar process won by Sisal in Tunisia in November 2022.

Tunisia

Sisal was awarded the exclusive licence for Tunisian gambling operations by the country’s national regulator, Promosport, covering 10 years and delivering sports betting, online games, instant lotteries and number games (lottery draws).

Spain and Turkey

The firm also holds licences in Spain and Turkey awarded in 2019 and 2020 respectively. The North African operations expanded Flutter’s revenues to €1.9 billion (US $2.2 billion) in 2022.

Flutter’s portfolio

The integration of Sisisal International Group includes SuperEnalotto lottery brand and MatchPoint retail network into Flutter’s portfolio of brands, along with existing holdings such as Paddy Power and Betfair. Marco Caccavale added “This is our fourth successful international tender, all of which have been highly competitive, recognising the commitment, investment and know-how that make us unique in the market. Being part of Flutter enhances our value proposition and enables us to develop joint products and services for different market segments.”

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