After months of scattered rumors, Playboy Enterprises has officially entered the game.
The company announced today that its Playboy.com, Inc. subsidiary has signed a deal with Ladbrokes, the world's biggest bookmaker, that will result in a Playboy-branded Internet sportsbook. As per the deal, Ladbrokes will fund all operating costs, providing hardware, software, management and customer support.
Playboy, meanwhile will provide marketing, a user interface, design, content and arguably the mightiest brand in Internet gambling to date.
The new site, PlayboySportsBook.com, will offer a full-range of fixed odds sports wagering, welcoming international consumers to bet on American sports including football, basketball, baseball, boxing, tennis and golf and international sports including soccer and rugby. Bettors will also be able to wager on non-sporting events such as the elections to Playboy's Playmate of the Year. The site will launch in English and will add Chinese, Spanish and Italian.
Playboy says that the site will have safeguards to prevent taking bets from the United States and other places where online sports wagering is illegal. Ladbrokes, which operates casinos and racetracks in the U.S., has already implemented such a policy for its sites.
"The site will bring Playboy's unique brand of sexiness, excitement and fun to online sports wagering," Playboy.com President Lawrence P. Lux explained. "For example, we'll be inaugurating a Playboy betting bunny, a live Playboy Playmate dressed in the classic Playboy Bunny costume, who will serve
as the site's interactive hostess, including giving tips.
"In addition, PlayboySportBook.com will offer a range of distinctive features, including highlights of daily sports wagering events, video event coverage, sports commentary, scores and stats and a chat 'lounge.'"
Christie Hefner, chairman of Playboy.com, added, "This venture brings three powerful assets to online gaming: a globally recognized brand, gaming expertise and access to an enormous online audience. This combined with the expertise of Ladbrokes' and Playboy's Gaming Group will allow us to create an online gaming experience that is exciting and fun, as well as safe and fair."
Ladbrokes eGaming Managing Director John O'Reilly says that Playboy and e-gaming is a great match. "Playboy's audience profile fits well with the Internet gaming audience," O'Reilly said. "We believe that the combination of Ladbrokes' knowledge and expertise in gaming and Playboy.com's expertise in online entertainment makes for a powerful proposition. This marriage seems to be a perfect match."
Playboy.com, says Lux, sees 6.5 million non-U.S. visits per month. He also says Playboy will add international sites tailored to regional tastes and interests.
"These sites, our 16 international editions of Playboy magazine and Playboy television networks in Asia, Europe and Latin America, will generate significant international interest and potential," Lux said.
The site will be licensed and operated out of Gibraltar, where Ladbrokes already operates its sports betting service. Ladbrokes says it has received authorization from the Gibraltar government to launch the new service.
Playboy, which has slowly boosted its Internet presence over the past few years, raised a few eyebrows in 1999 when it launched a free-play online casino through a partnership with gaming software firm GalaxiWorld Limited. The free-play site, Playboy Play 4 Fun Casino, was located online within the Playboy.com domain.
PlayboySportsBook.com is expected to begin operations in the first half of 2001.