32Red
 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Casino |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Headquarters | 32Red Limited, 401 World Trade Centre, Gibraltar |
Key people | Henrik Tjärnström (CEO) |
| Products | Online casino |
Number of employees | 110 |
| Parent | Kindred Group |
| Website | www |
32Red is a public British online casino company located in Gibraltar. It was acquired by the Kindred Group in July 2017 for £176 million.[1]
Overview
[edit]32Red is a sports betting firm that has held a gambling licence in Gibraltar since 2002. It operates under a United Kingdom Gambling Commission licence (reference 39430).[2] It offers over 500 casino games including blackjack and roulette, sports betting, poker, and 75-ball and 90-ball bingo variations.
The games at 32Red are provided by developers such as Microgaming, NetEnt, Big Time Gaming and Rabcat. Players can play for pound sterling, Euro, United States dollar, Canadian dollar, Australian dollar and Japanese yen.
32Red hired British actress Patsy Kensit and television presenters Ant & Dec to serve as the voice of the online casino.[3][4]
Sponsorships
[edit]Football
[edit]32Red advertises in the Premier League through advertising boards at different grounds. It was also the kit sponsor for Aston Villa between 2006 and 2008, and from 2018.[5] On 25 June 2009, 32Red was announced as an official main sponsor of Swansea City.[6] The sponsorship ended early after the 2012–13 season. In a two-year deal starting in 2013, 32Red sponsored Crawley Town.[7] In 2016, they signed a sponsorship deal with Leeds United which ended in 2021.[8][9] In 2018 it signed a sponsorship deal with Middlesbrough,[10] Derby County,[11] and Preston North End.[12] Former England captain Wayne Rooney's 2019 move to Derby County was enabled by 32Red who partly funded his £90,000 a week salary.[13] Rooney's decision to wear the number 32 jersey for Derby and the sponsorship by 32Red were criticised in the media for exposing betting to children.[14][15]
At the start of the 2018–19 English Championship season, 32Red were the Shirt Sponsors on 5 teams - Leeds United, Aston Villa, Derby County, Preston North End and Middlesbrough.[16] In 2019, 32Red and Unibet signed a two-year agreement with the Vanarama National League to become its official betting partners.[17]
The company signed a three-year deal with Scottish Championship team Rangers in April 2014.[18] Rangers renewed the sponsorship deal in 2021.[19]
Horse racing
[edit]32Red invest significantly in UK horse racing and are authorised betting partners of the British Horseracing Authority. 32Red has sponsored the Arena Racing Company All Weather Championships since their launch in 2014. 32Red also sponsored the twilight fixtures at Kempton Park Racecourse and in August 2016 announced their sponsorship of the Haydock Sprint Cup.[20] In 2016, 32Red replaced William Hill as the sponsors of the King George VI Chase in a three-year deal.[21]
Controversies
[edit]In October 2010, 32Red's dispute with William Hill over the use of 32Vegas reached the High Court of Justice in London where a six-day trial took place over the matter. 32Red objected to Hill's use of the 32Vegas brand (which was renamed 21Nova subsequent to 32Red instigating legal proceedings). Handing down Judgment in January 2011, Mr Justice Henderson ruled that William Hill had infringed the 32Red trade mark and that their counterclaims against the validity of 32Red's trade marks (32 and 32Red) were dismissed.[22]
In June 2018, the Gambling Commission fined 32Red £2 million for failing a problem gambler who had deposited £758,000 with 32Red over more than two years. 32Red had failed to check whether the customer, who had a net income of £2,150 per month, could afford the bets despite several previous regulatory rulings in this area.[4][23]
In 2019, the Advertising Standards Authority sanctioned 32Red for violating the "gambling advertising code."[24]
32Red was fined £4.1 million by the Gambling Commission for failing Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and social responsibility regulations on 25 January 2023.[25][26][27]
Acquisitions
[edit]In September 2014, 32Red Plc announced their purchase of GoWild Casino's United Kingdom-based customer database.[28] In June 2015, 32Red Plc announced the purchase of Roxy Palace casino for £8.4 million.[29] In March 2016, 32Red announced net gaming revenue of £48.7m in 2015, up 52% year-over-year, and revealed that it is evaluating possible acquisitions.[30]
References
[edit]- ^ "UPDATE 1-Online gaming firm Kindred to buy 32Red in £176 mln deal". Reuters. 23 February 2017.
- ^ "32Red Limited - Licence summary". Gambling Commission. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ 32Red use voice of Patsy Kensit for online casino, www.32red.com
- ^ a b Davies, Rob (20 June 2018). "Online casino 32Red fined £2m for failing problem gambler". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- ^ Moor, Dave. "Aston Villa". historicalkits.co.uk. Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ McPherson, Ian (28 June 2013). "Swansea sign biggest deal in club's history". SportsPro. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ Moor, Dave. "Crawley Town". historicalkits.co.uk. Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ Moor, Dave. "Leeds United". historicalkits.co.uk. Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ "32Red sign two year extension". www.leedsunited.com. 24 June 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ Moor, Dave. "Middlesbrough". historicalkits.co.uk. Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ Moor, Dave. "Derby County". historicalkits.co.uk. Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ Moor, Dave. "Preston North End". historicalkits.co.uk. Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ Busby, Mattha; Davies, Rob (9 August 2019). "Church criticises Wayne Rooney over Derby gambling tie-up". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ "Rooney number 'exploits loophole in betting rules protecting children'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ Ziegler, Martyn (17 January 2024). "FA urged to investigate Derby giving Wayne Rooney No 32 shirt". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ Moor, Dave. "The English Football League Championship 2018-2019". historicalkits.co.uk. Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ Narayan, Niji (23 August 2021). "Unibet and 32Red Partner with UK National League". Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ "Rangers score shirt sponsorship deal with gambling group 32Red". www.ft.com. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ "Rangers renew 32Red shirt sponsorship with heightened exposure for Unibet". SportBusiness. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ 32Red to sponsor Haydock Sprint Cup Archived 18 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine/
- ^ Cook, Chris (3 September 2016). "32Red replaces William Hill after seven-year King George VI Chase sponsorship". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ 32Red wins trade mark dispute in High Court Archived 30 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine, 21 January 2010.
- ^ "32Red to pay £2m penalty package for failing to protect a consumer". Gambling Commission. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ Narayan, Niji (26 September 2019). "ASA Sanctions 32Red for Breach of Advertising Rules". Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ "Regulatory sanctions - 32Red Limited". Gambling Commission. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ "Gambling Commission fines 32Red and Platinum Gaming £7.1m". Gambling Commission. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ "UK's gambling regulator fines 32Red, Platinum Gaming $8.8 mln". Reuters. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ "32Red acquires Go Wild Casino UK customer database". Retrieved 3 April 2016.
- ^ "32Red Plc Acquires Roxy Palace" (PDF).
- ^ Bracken, Gareth. "32Red considering new acquisitions amid big revenue rise". No Deposit Casino Bonuses. Retrieved 29 November 2019.