BetVictor to rebrand
Operator BetVictor has announced a new corporate identity, including a new company name, logo and corporate website, with the business set to rebrand as BVGroup.
Alongside its core B2C BetVictor brand, the company uses a variety of internally built technology to service and manage numerous partner brands. These include Parimatch, Heart Bingo, BildBet and TalkSport Bet. The operating company’s umbrella organisation will hereafter be known as BVGroup.
BVGroup will continue to supply gambling enterprises with its technological solutions and will continue to establish alliances.
In a statement Andreas Meinrad, BVGroup CEO, said: “During our 75+ years in business, we have established ourselves as one of the most reputable gambling companies in the world. Our new identity, BVGroup, helps us define ourselves more effectively, highlighting how far the company has come from its bookmaker beginnings.
“While we remain intensely proud of our heritage, our focus is always on the future and how we can continue to innovate and grow to best serve our customers and partners. BVGroup is an exciting development in the progress of the company.”
Latest rebrand for company
The rebrand marks the latest change for the business, which has been known by a number of names over its history and has consistently moved with the times.
In 2012, the group rebranded from Victor Chandler to BetVictor and retained this brand for 11 years.
A change in management followed soon after the initial rebrand. Michael Tabor, a major shareholder in Victor Chandler International, purchased the business in May 2014. In the aftermath Victor Chandler, the grandson of founder William Chandler, left the group. A few months later, Meinrad, formerly of Bwin-party, joined the business as CEO and has held the role ever since.
Evolution and Expansion
Under the stewardship of Meinrad, the business has expanded considerably. It has gone beyond its initial remit and now is involved in new areas and new projects. This includes supporting media brands as they launch online.
Examples of this include the UK radio station Heart teaming up with BVGroup to launch Heart Bingo and UK commercial radio station TalkSport working with the group to launch TalkSport Bet. In Germany, BVGroup worked with newspaper Bild to roll out BildBet.
BVGroup holds licences in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Germany, Malta, Gibraltar and Ontario in Canada, however, the group is yet to break into the US market.
ASA upholds complaint against BetVictor
In April the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint in April about a Facebook advertising from BetVictor, now BVGroup, that featured then-Barcelona footballers Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. The ASA ruled that the advertising violated the UK code of conduct because it is ‘likely to have strong appeal to under-18-year-olds’.
The BVGroup responded to the decision by claiming that it did not believe it had violated the Code because ‘CAP guidance stated that when a person or character was used to illustrate a subject of strong appeal to under-18s, their association with the subject was not a basis alone for the ASA to find an ad in breach of the Code’.
Read our full BetVictor Review.
