Flutter Entertainment, the company behind FanDuel, Paddy Power, and more, is expanding its bingo business. It’ll begin to integrate Tombola’s “product” into the Italian-based Sisal, which Flutter also owns.
The move will allow Italian bingo players to use the software developed by Tombola, but it’ll be rebranded to Sisal. On top of this, Flutter also plans to launch “Super Bingo”, which will “generate significant full house prizes” in a 75-ball bingo game.
Flutter is also promising that the integration and merge of the two will allow for a “deeper liquidity pool”; however doesn’t explain how this will work.
It doesn’t stop there, either. Tombola, while known for its bingo, also runs an online casino. These are run under the Tombola Arcade brand, and here in the UK, are mostly – if not entirely – slot-based games.
Tombola, which was started in 2006, was bought out in 2022 for £402 million ($538,032,780). It was originally called SunBingo, for which the newspaper in the UK, The Sun, was carrying the marketing burden. It split from The Sun in 2008 and has become a powerhouse within the UK.
Flutter and Tombola execs comment
Speaking in the press release, Rosangela Robbiani, Chief Product Officer for Flutter’s Southern Europe and Africa division, said:
“We’re thrilled to see this combination happening, as Italy proves once again to be a fertile ground for collaboration across Flutter’s brands, particularly within Southern Europe and Africa.
“Leveraging the advantages of the Flutter Edge, we’re unlocking new ways to enhance the customer experience. Sisal has a long-standing track record in pioneering product innovation: this initiative is a clear example of how cross-brand collaboration within Flutter can accelerate innovation and deliver meaningful value for our players.”
Marion Ryan, Managing Director at Tombola, added:
“This is a hugely exciting moment for Tombola, as we take the next step in our evolution and bring our award-winning bingo product to Sisal’s players in Italy.
“The ability to seamlessly integrate and scale our platform for future partnerships represents a fantastic opportunity for Flutter to transform the bingo proposition, both within our existing markets and beyond.”
