Sportech PLC
Encyclopedia
Sportech is one of the leading suppliers and operators of pools/tote betting in the world, processing over $13 billion in bets and with a presence in 30 countries. Sportech is one of the very few European gaming companies with a license to operate and process bets in the U.S. market.
Sportech’s businesses include The Football Pools, Sportech Racing and a portfolio of e-Gaming brands.
but soon became unprofitable due to delays in getting the product to market. By 1991, Rodime ceased manufacturing hard disks. By early 2000, Rodime was a shell company with a $34 million overdraft and four employees, primarily in the business of suing other hard drive vendors for patent infringements related to Rodime's 3.5-inch drive development work.
The company negotiated patent-licensing settlements with Seagate Technology
, Conner Peripherals
,
and IBM
.
In 2000, businessman Trevor Hemmings
masterminded a deal that merged Rodime with the much larger Littlewoods Pools business. Littlewoods had been hurt by the advent of the lottery. After the acquisition, the company changed its name to Sportech PLC.
Sportech purchased Scientific Games Racing, a division of Scientific Games Corporation
, on 5 October 2010.
Scientific Games Racing is one of three large bet-processing companies in the United States horse-racing industry, whose clients include major racetracks in California
and New Jersey
, as well as off-track betting companies in parts of New York
state.
The Football Pools is an official licensee of The English Premier League and Football Leagues, and official partner of the Scottish Premier League and Football Leagues.
Over 500,000 customers play The Football Pools every week with customers playing across a number of channels including postal, telephone, collectors, retail and online.
to run online casinos in that nation. Leveraging the Littlewoods brand name, it launched littlewoodscasino.com.
Towards the end of 2003, Sportech decided to relocate its gaming operations from the Isle of Man to the Netherlands Antilles
in order to broaden the range of games it currently offers. The terms of the Isle of Man were restrictive, with operators unable to advertise their services in jurisdictions that do have not yet legalised online gaming. The Isle of Man would force the company to undergo a recertification process in order to upgrade its software, and customers were limited as to how they could withdraw money from their accounts. Seeing a successful launch of the Littlewoods Casino product, the company wanted to move on and include Littlewoods Poker and an integrated jackpot product in their offering. Littlewoods Poker was launched in 2003.
game. St Minver hosts the game using its Gibraltar
gaming license.
Sportech’s businesses include The Football Pools, Sportech Racing and a portfolio of e-Gaming brands.
History
Sportech began as a small electronics company, Rodime PLC, based out of Scotland in 1979. By 1986, it was listed on the London Stock Exchange. The company specialized in manufacturing hard disks, inventing the 3.5-inch hard drive in early 1985,but soon became unprofitable due to delays in getting the product to market. By 1991, Rodime ceased manufacturing hard disks. By early 2000, Rodime was a shell company with a $34 million overdraft and four employees, primarily in the business of suing other hard drive vendors for patent infringements related to Rodime's 3.5-inch drive development work.
The company negotiated patent-licensing settlements with Seagate Technology
Seagate Technology
Seagate Technology is one of the world's largest manufacturers of hard disk drives. Incorporated in 1978 as Shugart Technology, Seagate is currently incorporated in Dublin, Ireland and has its principal executive offices in Scotts Valley, California, United States.-1970s:On November 1, 1979...
, Conner Peripherals
Conner Peripherals
Conner Peripherals was a company that manufactured hard drives for personal computers. Conner Peripherals was founded in 1985 by Seagate Technology co-founder Finis Conner but it in itself never produced a product. In 1986 Conner Peripherals merged with CoData, started by MiniScribe founders Terry...
,
and IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
.
In 2000, businessman Trevor Hemmings
Trevor Hemmings
Trevor James Hemmings CVO is a British businessman, he was born in London, and grew up in Leyland, Lancashire He currently resides in the Isle of Man, but has homes in Jersey and Ireland....
masterminded a deal that merged Rodime with the much larger Littlewoods Pools business. Littlewoods had been hurt by the advent of the lottery. After the acquisition, the company changed its name to Sportech PLC.
Sportech purchased Scientific Games Racing, a division of Scientific Games Corporation
Scientific Games Corporation
Scientific Games Corporation is a New York City-based company that provides gaming solutions to lottery and gaming organizations worldwide. Products include instant lottery games, lottery gaming systems, terminals and service, and internet applications....
, on 5 October 2010.
Scientific Games Racing is one of three large bet-processing companies in the United States horse-racing industry, whose clients include major racetracks in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, as well as off-track betting companies in parts of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state.
Football pools
The Football Pools is the world’s oldest football gaming company, founded in 1923, paying out over £10 billion in prize money and donated over £1.1 billion to good causes in Sport and the arts.The Football Pools is an official licensee of The English Premier League and Football Leagues, and official partner of the Scottish Premier League and Football Leagues.
Over 500,000 customers play The Football Pools every week with customers playing across a number of channels including postal, telephone, collectors, retail and online.
Poker
In 2001, Sportech was one of three firms worldwide to win gambling licenses from the Isle of ManIsle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
to run online casinos in that nation. Leveraging the Littlewoods brand name, it launched littlewoodscasino.com.
Towards the end of 2003, Sportech decided to relocate its gaming operations from the Isle of Man to the Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
in order to broaden the range of games it currently offers. The terms of the Isle of Man were restrictive, with operators unable to advertise their services in jurisdictions that do have not yet legalised online gaming. The Isle of Man would force the company to undergo a recertification process in order to upgrade its software, and customers were limited as to how they could withdraw money from their accounts. Seeing a successful launch of the Littlewoods Casino product, the company wanted to move on and include Littlewoods Poker and an integrated jackpot product in their offering. Littlewoods Poker was launched in 2003.
Bingo
In partnership with St Minver, a gaming-software solutions provider, Sportech launched Littlewoods Bingo, an online bingoOnline bingo
Online bingo is the game of bingo played on the Internet. It is estimated that the global gross gaming yield of bingo was US$500 million in 2006, and it is forecasted to grow to $1,000 million by 2010....
game. St Minver hosts the game using its Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
gaming license.
Company today
In 2008, Sportech signed a strategic partnership with 888 Holdings, replacing Cryptologic as the firm's software supplier.Further reading
- A Game of Two Halves? The Business of Football (via Internet Archive)