Sportech's football pools has strengthened its social betting offering with the launch of online gaming and social community, Mini Leagues.

Players of the football pools can try out the Mini Leagues sites - which allow people to play the pools online and with friends - on the footballpools.com, Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail websites.

Liverpool-based Sportech relaunched the 85-year old football pools in August last year, aiming to broaden the game's appeal with a younger consumer group by establishing its online presence.

Its classic pools game can now be played online through the Mini League sites along with new games including Premier 10 and Footy 15.

Ian Penrose, CEO of Sportech, said: "Football is still one of the biggest talking points in our day to day to lives and the new Football Pools offers everyone a chance to join in, give their views and play the games in a very interactive way.
 
“With this new introduction of Mini Leagues, we see the pools continue its heritage of uniting football fans, as the games are better played together.  Where once syndicates in the factories would pool their money against the millions of other players, now fans and friends in offices and bedrooms will be able to compete directly against each other every week in their own private league.”