Hollywoodbets

Hollywoodbets is a sports betting company based in South Africa. It is also known as Hollywood Sportsbook. It currently operates in South Africa, Mozambique, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The company offers betting via its website, mobisite, call centre, and USSD. It has retail branches in South Africa and Mozambique.

Hollywoodbets
Type of site
Private
Founded2000
Headquarters
Durban
,
South Africa
Area servedSouth Africa, Mozambique, Ireland, United Kingdom
IndustryOnline gambling
ServicesOnline & Mobile betting
Employees5000+
URLwww.hollywoodbets.net; m.hollywoodbets.co.mz; www.hollywoodbets.ie; www.hollywoodbets.co.uk

Hollywoodbets offers betting on horse racing, football/soccer, cricket, rugby, tennis, motorsport and more. Hollywoodbets offers over 1582 Lucky Numbers draws a week to bet on (fixed odds betting on lotto draws).

Hollywoodbets was ranked number 8 on the list of the Top 50 Gaming Sites Worldwide published by iGaming Business Magazine in March 2019.[1]

Etymology

Hollywoodbets’ name was inspired by the race track Hollywood Park Racetrack in Los Angeles, USA.[2]

History

Hollywoodbets originally started in 1986 as a small South African based publishing company named Winning Form that handled the publishing and distribution of racecards for South African Horse Racing. Winning Form still publishes racecards for all South African racing.

Hollywoodbets entered the bookmaking industry with the opening of its first betting branch in Argyle Road, Durban in 2000. This was later followed by the opening of the current flagship branch, Hollywood Park in Springfield Park, Durban.

Countries

Hollywoodbets currently operates in four countries. South Africa, Mozambique, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

Hollywoodbets operates 81 shops across South Africa under a number of gaming licences issued by regulators in Gauteng, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal.

There are currently two Hollywoodbets branches in Maputo, Mozambique; as well as a mobile platform to bet on.

In November 2018, Hollywoodbets went live with its website in Ireland, making its services available to Irish customers. This was made available via their betting licence issued by the Isle of Man. In March 2019, the company went live with its website in the United Kingdom. Their betting licence was issued by the UK Gambling Commission.

Sponsorships

The company is the current title sponsor of the Hollywoodbets Dolphins cricket team. They started as associate sponsors of the franchise in the 2015/16 season,[3] before becoming the title sponsors in the 2016/17 season.[4]

Hollywoodbets sponsored the KwaZulu-Natal Coastal and KwaZulu-Natal Inland teams for the 2017 Africa T20 Cup. Hollywoodbets KZN Inland went onto win the tournament, after defeating Free State in the final.[5] At the start of the 2018/19 domestic cricket season, Hollywoodbets committed to sponsoring both the KwaZulu-Natal Coastal and the KwaZulu-Natal Inland senior provincial teams for the duration of the season, covering the Africa T20 Cup, 3 Day Cup and 50 Over competition.[6]

Hollywoodbets came on board as the title sponsors of the Murray Cup in 2018.[7] This is a rugby knock-out competition involving clubs from the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union.

Hollywoodbets became the title sponsors of the Phaka rugby show on Supersport in February 2019. Hollywoodbets’ new sponsorship relationship with the show will allow the company to assist development rugby teams who desperately need the support and equipment to be able to grow their talented players.[8]

Hollywoodbets came on board as a sponsor for the 2019 COSAFA Cup to be staged in Durban from 25 May to 8 June 2019.[9]

On Thursday, 27 June 2019, Hollywoodbets was announced as the naming rights sponsor for both Greyville and Scottsville racecourses in a 3-year deal. The racecourses will now be known as Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse and Hollywoodbets Scottsville Racecourse.[10]

On Monday, 7 October 2019, Hollywoodbets was announced as the naming rights sponsor for Kingsmead Cricket Ground in a 5-year deal, that would see the commitment run until August 2024.[11]

Social responsibility

Every Hollywoodbets branch in South Africa supports a local charity, as well as a local sports team, as part of their Social Responsibility Programme. Included are children's homes,[12] community centers, old-age homes and schools.

With regards to community sports teams, they include soccer teams,[13] cricket teams,[14] rugby[15] and other sports.

Food

The Hollywood Bunny Bar branches, under the Hollywoodbets banner, currently consists of 8 branches located in the South African provinces of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and Western Cape. These branches are famous for their authentic Durban curries, and won the award for Best Bunny Chow in 2014 after winning the Bunny Chow Barometer Challenge 2014.[16]

Brand ambassadors

In 2016, former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana soccer player Jerry Sikhosana was named as a brand ambassador for Hollywoodbets.[17] In 2017, former Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Brian Baloyi also joined as a brand ambassador for Hollywoodbets.[18]

In March 2019, former South African Champion jockey Anthony Delpech joined on as a brand ambassador for Hollywoodbets, as well as to assist with the horse racing sponsorship Hollywoodbets is involved in.[19]

In April 2019, former South African cricketer Mike Procter joined on as a brand ambassador for Hollywoodbets.[20]

Awards

In 2018 at the Gambling Industry Awards held in South Africa, Hollywoodbets was awarded best Corporate Social Investment (CSI), Best Sports Betting Campaign for 2018, Best Employer of the Year and Best CEO of the Year (Suren Rampersadh).[21][22]

References
  1. "Top 50 Gaming Sites Worldwide". iGaming Business. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  2. "BetConstruct to power online sportsbook for South African bookmaker". Gaming Intelligence. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  3. "Sunfoil Dolphins sign associate sponsor". East Coast Radio. GamePlan Media. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  4. "Dolphins and Hollywoodbets strike sponsorship deal". cricket.co.za. Cricket South Africa. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  5. "Hollywoodbets KZN Inland win Africa T20 Cup final in style". Northglen News. Gameplan Media. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  6. "Hollywoodbets backing KZN's senior provincial teams". Hollywoodbets Dolphins. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  7. "KZN Rugby presents the Hollywoodbets Murray Cup". Sharks Rugby. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  8. "Hollywoodbets new sponsor of SuperSport's Phaka show". Sport24. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  9. "Hollywoodbets to sponsor 2019 COSAFA Cup!". COSAFA. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  10. "KZN Racecourses - Groundbreaking Partnership Announced". Sporting Post. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  11. Mercury Reporter (8 October 2019). "Hollywoodbets takes on stadium naming rights". The Mercury. IOL.
  12. "Hollywoodbets supports Children's Care Centre". News24. Port Elizabeth Express. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  13. Pienaar, David (1 May 2017). "Hollywood Bets sponsors soccer kids". Alberton Record. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  14. "Interesting Facts around Hollywoodbets Dolphins". Northglen News. Caxton Central. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  15. "UHollywoodbets noNtunja bafunqula umbhoxo". I'Solezwe lesiXhosa. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  16. Moodley, Camara. "Hollywood Bets crowned the Bunny Chow kings". Rising Sun Overport. Rising Sun Overport. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  17. Tseke, Malebo. "Company welcomes new brand ambassador". The Tembisan. The Tembisan. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  18. "Brian Baloyi - New Hollywoodbets Brand Ambassador". Hollywoodbets Sports Blog. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  19. "Delpech joins Hollywoodbets | Turf Talk". Turf Talk. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  20. "Mike Procter signs on as Hollywoodbets Brand Ambassador". Hollywoodbets Blog. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  21. "GI AWARDS 2018 WINNERS". Gambling Industry Awards.
  22. "SA's Leading Bookmaker Shows The Way". Sporting Post. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
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