LONDON--Interactive betting service Blue Square has handed its UK consumer PR account to Hill + Knowlton Strategies.

H+K is charged with overseeing Blue Square's consumer press office, and developing brand building initatives that encompass on- and offline programmes. The firm secured the brief following a pitch that included three other firms.

Owned by European gaming business Rank Group, Blue Square is aiming to position itself as a ‘no-nonsense’ betting service, versus such rivals as PaddyPower, Betfair, Coral and William Hill.

H+K will also aim to grow awareness of the Blue Square brand's numerous products: sports betting, bingo and casino, in addition to a growing roster of online games.

The account is to be overseen by H+K's sports practice, and marks its first betting client to date.

“Having Blue Square as our first client in the betting and racing industry is a major breakthrough for our team and it’s a great result for us," said H+K Sports director Steve Bradley. "It promises to be an incredible summer of sport and we can’t wait to get started.”