Betfair Completes Blue Square Takeover

Betfair has completed a £5 million takeover of online bookmaker Blue Square, effectively ending the company’s six-year sponsorship of the Football Conference, leaving both the Football League and the Football Conference without a headline sponsor for the 2013/14 season.

However, according to media reports, the Football Conference is in negotiations with a number of possible sponsors for next season.

Blue Square will now officially end its sponsorship at the end of the season, next month.

Betfair has reportedly stated that it would not continue to operate the Blue Square business, but had made the deal in order to gain access to the bookie’s 120,000 customers.

Blue Square saw its operating losses treble to £4.8m in the six months to January as revenue declined to £7.6m, although it retains a strong customer base.