Ladbrokes to focus on mobile to revive sales
Ladbrokes is to partner with UK-based Chelsea Apps Factory to accelerate its digital offering and further improve how its customers interact with the bookmaker via smartphones and tablet devices.
The partnership confirms the bookmaker’s commitment to further its digital offering as it attempts to re-instate investor confidence in its financial performance.
The partnership will see Ladbrokes’ sportsbook team work closely with The Chelsea Apps Factory team to improve how its mobile offering – firstly by analysing customer behaviour on such devices – in the run-up to next year’s FIFA World Cup, according to the bookmaker.
Jim Mullen, Ladbrokes’ digital managing director, says the partnership was put in place to measure the performance of Ladbrokes’ digital footprint and then innovate, in order to both retain and attract new customers.
He says: “We need to ensure our mobile offer stays relevant for the customer in a rapidly evolving market.
“Customer expectations of the mobile experience are growing rapidly and we need to meet and exceed them to maximise value in this growing market.
Earlier this year Ladbrokes created a new ecommerce and digital division following a two-part deal with Israel-based software firm Playtech that saw Ladbrokes launch “casino games” – such as poker – on its website, and also let third parties launch similar games on its ecommerce platform.
Earlier this month Ladbrokes was forced to issue a statement in response to “market speculation on recent adverse sporting results”, claiming that its earnings expectations for 2013 were in line with analyst expectations (£138m – £151m) and adding: “it is extremely premature to speculate on the outturn for the year”. Although it also reported that its group operating profit was down 19.8 per cent to £85.7m in the six months to 30 June.
Ladbrokes’ shares are today (25 November) trading at 175.4 pence per share, down from over 190 pence, a month ago.
