Patriciu starts sporting bet business

Businessman Dinu Patriciu, regarded as the richest Romanian entrepreneur, has started his move on the sporting bet market, a business on the rise, having opened at least 14 agencies in Bucharest and other cities of the country, via Bet Arena Cafe company.

The billionaire has just launched two businesses run in street front shops – Mic.ro Retail and Bet Arena Cafe, and is renting dozens of stores to develop these businesses. “Wherever he finds a larger space, he opens both a Mic.ro food store and a sporting bet agency,” retail market sources say.

Patriciu took his sporting bet network both to the secondary districts of Bucharest such as Berceni, Colentina, Pantelimon and Militari, as well as central areas such as Victoriei (Nicolae Titulescu) and Unirii (Corneliu Coposu).

As for the rest of the country, the former Rompetrol owner opened sporting bet agencies in Brasov, Turnu-Severin, Targu Mures, Pitesti, Buzau and Ramnicu-Valcea.

The sporting bet market can be put at more than 100 million euros a year, with the major players including companies such as Stanleybet, Public Bet and Casa Pariurilor.

The crisis seems to be a good opportunity for sporting bet firms such as Sky Bets Sport, Playsis, and Public Bet, which have opened dozens of agencies lately.