Internet Vikings appoints ‘marketing pro’ Stefan Backlund as corporate advisor March 20, 2020 Related Articles StumbleUpon Share Share SBC Magazine Issue 8: International expansion and picking up the sporting slack April 7, 2020 SBC Digital Summit: ‘Cashless’ environments to take centre stage when retail returns – Samuel Barrett April 30, 2020 Trustly is sponsoring Betting on Football 2017, the fourth edition of the largest international football and betting trade conference at Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge.Ahead of the 3-5 May event, we spoke to Trustly Director of Gaming Sam Barrett about why football is such an attractive sport for betting, how the market is changing from a consumer perspective and what new technology will have the biggest impact on football betting.SBC: Why is football such an attractive sport for betting?SB: Plain and simple, football is the world’s most popular sport, with more than 3.5 billion fans gathering in arenas and in front of TVs to cheer on their favourite teams. When it comes to betting, the Beautiful Game offers more betting markets than any other sport. You can bet on the number of throw-ins, corners and pretty much anything that could happen minute to minute. Combine that with the fact that it’s played all year round, with major international tournaments held in the summer when most other sports are out of season, and you get almost limitless opportunities for betting.SBC: From a consumer perspective, how is football betting changing?SB: For consumers, instant gratification has become a hygiene factor. They want to be able to place bets on in-play action and interact with the game as it’s happening. This puts operators under an increasing pressure to provide as many betting markets as possible and ensure the feed is up to date. As a result, there’s a real need for a solution that lets consumers deposit funds instantly and directly in the betting interface. We believe Trustly’s new Direct Debit product is a brilliant solution for that.Wearable technology will also be an interesting space to watch. It’s gaining traction and pretty soon we might see consumers able to place bets while on a run via a smartwatch.SBC: What new technology do you feel will have the biggest impact on football betting?SB: Trustly’s new Direct Debit product lets consumers register a digital direct debit mandate once and then make subsequent deposits instantly with just one click. It takes less than a minute to sign up and the process is just as simple as making a payment with Trustly. It also eliminates the need for paperwork on the merchant side, which has traditionally been a major burden. We see Trustly Direct Debit as an evolution in payments, but a revolution in convenience and speed. It has the potential to make a real impact on football betting.Beyond payments, wearable technologies also have huge potential if they continue to gain traction. A future where consumers can place bets from anywhere and at anytime is really exciting, especially if it can be done using a voice recognition API.SBC: What key agenda, debate or discussion do you want to hear at BOFCON 2017?SB: There are so many great speakers and discussions happening at BOFCON, but we are especially looking forward to “New brands in football betting” and “Creative approach – innovation in football betting” for a peek into what the future of football will look like. And, of course, “Scandinavia: a hotbed of gambling innovation” will be fun to hear because Trustly is a Swedish company. Submit
Month: August 2020
ARC racecourses get LIVE with Sun Bets
Doncaster*Act to be announced shortly*Saturday 19 August StumbleUpon Seeking to further engage audiences at its racecourses during 2017, Arena Racing Company has formed a ‘live entertainment’ partnership with new UK online bookmaker Sun Bets.Starting this Saturday 20 May at Doncaster Racecourse ARC and Sun Bets launch ‘Sun Bets Music Live’ which will see international chart topping performers appearing across ARC’s racecourses this summer.Sun Bets have booked the Kaiser Chiefs, Boyzone, Mark Ronson, UB40 and The Human League to perform at ARC venues this summer. Also returning this year after successful events last summer are DJs Sara Cox and Vernon Kay.“We are really excited to announce our full music line up for the summer. Across our racecourses, we look to offer a range of acts to appeal to existing and new customers who we look forward to welcoming for a great entertainment experience. Commented Mark Spincer, Director of Operations for ARC,“We are delighted to continue to work with Sun Bets to sponsor our venues. As sponsors of the All-Weather Championships and the inaugural Northern Stayers Series Sun Bets are valuable partners of ARC and British Racing.”Head of PR for Sun Bets, Tim Reynolds, commented on the live intiative “Sun Bets has a strong relationship with ARC racecourses and we are pleased to have the opportunity to expand this to include Sun Bets Music Live. Our customers are racing fans and to be able to enjoy top sport followed by live music is a great experience we know everyone will love.”The full line up for Sun Bets Music Live events is below with tickets purchasable from each racecourse’s website: Share Tabcorp eyes joining the National Lottery’s hot pursuit January 27, 2020 New look ARC revamps executive leadership team February 18, 2020 BathUB40Friday 2 June UttoxeterKaiser ChiefsSaturday 20 May Royal Windsor*Act to be announced shortly*Saturday 26 August UttoxeterMr & Mrs Jones DJ Set – The Feeling’s Richard Jones and Sophie Ellis-BextorFriday 28 July DoncasterUB40Saturday 20 May ARC continues financial support for greyhound trainers during COVID-19 shutdown April 15, 2020 UttoxeterSara Cox DJThursday 15 June Submit RacecoursePerformerDate Royal WindsorVernon Kay DJSaturday 1 July Share SedgefieldCraig Charles DJThursday 31 August DoncasterMark RonsonSaturday 1 July Related Articles WolverhamptonThe Human LeagueSaturday 9 September
Playtech’s new financial division ‘TradeTech Group’ acquires Alpha UK
Playtech goes live in the US with bet365 August 7, 2020 Retail closures have ‘severe’ impact on Playtech August 5, 2020 Submit Share Share FTSE-listed industry platform and technology provider Playtech Plc continues its expansion within the financial services sector, moving to acquire all assets of Alpha UK, a B2B risk-management and trading systems’ supplier.Issuing a market update, Playtech informs that it has acquired Alpha’s international client portfolio, the firm’s proprietary technologies, its B2B platform, development and trading teams plus all intellectual properties.Playtech will acquire Alpha assets placing an initial upfront payment of $5 million, with the company being further rewarded with EBITDA payments for 2017, 2018 and 2019, Playtech has capped the deal’s total consideration at $150 million.Further to its update, Playtech informs that it has rebranded its Financial Services division to the ‘TradeTech Group’ in order to ‘reflect the full capabilities of the businesses within the division’.Moving forward, Playtech’s TradeTech division will compromise of the following assets:TradeTech Alpha, created to deliver a dedicated, industry leading, B2B solution delivering market made liquidity, professional bespoke trade execution, and risk servicesMarkets.com, a brand operated by Safecap as a provider of CFD and FX trading platformsMarketsPro, a newly established dedicated B2C brand for high-net worth clients, following the acquisition of assets from Alpha Capital MarketsCFH, which will continue to provide tier 1 FX liquidity services and multi-asset execution through its best of breed proprietary brokerage technologyRon Hoffman, Chief Executive Officer of Playtech’s Financials Division, TradeTech Group, commented on the corporate update “This is a significant step in the evolution of TradeTech. The financial trading industry is driven by the core capabilities of platform technology, customer acquisition and retention, CRM management, and financial trading and risk management expertise. The acquisition of Alpha’s high-quality technology and teams of industry experts will significantly deepen our expertise in trading and risk management, allowing TradeTech Group to offer a full turnkey solution to B2B clients across the industry.’Muhammad Al-Amin Rasoul, Chief Executive Officer of Alpha, said: “This is a natural fit for Alpha. The strength of TradeTech Group’s management team and asset base will provide us with a platform to grow our offering with TradeTech Alpha. Not only does TradeTech offer everything that you need for a complete B2B solution for brokers, but you can get that solution from the most financially secure company in the industry. We could not be happier to join the family and start this next exciting chapter at TradeTech Group with the newly launched TradeTech Alpha brand.” Related Articles StumbleUpon Jason Ader – No Boogeyman… Activism will play a vital part in reshaping gambling August 20, 2020
‘Our Man in Moscow’ – Ladbrokes recruits Lee Dixon as Russia 2018 Ambassador
GVC absorbs retail shocks as business recalibrates for critical H2 trading August 13, 2020 Related Articles Spotlight ups matchday commentary reach and capacity for new EPL Season August 21, 2020 Share Submit Alex Apati – LadbrokesLadbrokes marketing has confirmed the appointment of former Arsenal and England defender Lee Dixon as ‘World Cup Russia 2018 Ambassador’.Dixon who will a Russia 2018 lead pundit for ITV Sports and NBC Soccer will be providing Ladbrokes with exclusive content and opinion on World Cup 2018 matches, proceedings and team updates.Undertaking his first duties as Ladbrokes World Cup Ambassador, Dixon took part in this weekend’s live stream of ‘Ladbrokes World Cup 2018 Preview’ streamed live on Ladbrokes Facebook Page and @Ladbrokes Twitter alongside ex-footballer and Sky Sports broadcaster, Scott Minto, Mark Langdon of the Racing Post, and Ladbrokes PR Executive Alex Apati.Dixon has previously worked with Ladbrokes, having featured in the legacy bookmaker’s first ever TV-advert back in 2007.Commenting on the appointment of Dixon as ‘Russia 2018 Ambassador’, Alex Apati stated that Ladbrokes marketing wanted to create the most insightful and engaging content for all types of audiences during World Cup 2018.“We’re delighted to have Lee on board once again and look forward to hearing his expert analysis and insight for the duration of what looks to be a fantastic World Cup.”Ladbrokes – World Cup Russia 2018 Preview Show Share Spotlight delivers Racing Post translated services for Pari-Engineering Russia August 26, 2020 StumbleUpon
BBC report reveals GamStop & MOSES self-exclusion failures
Share UKGC launches fourth National Lottery licence competition August 28, 2020 UK gambling has suffered an embarrassing weekend, as national media reports that the safeguards of GamStop – the sector’s online self-exclusion scheme – have been breached by problem gamblers.On Sunday 13 January, the BBC ‘Five Live Investigates’ program revealed that problem gamblers registered on the GamStop scheme had been able to circumvent exclusion provisions by simply changing minor details when registering with online gambling operators.Launched in April 2018, GamStop is the industry-wide independent self-exclusion scheme, which provides vulnerable consumers with the option to block themselves from engaging with all licensed UK online gambling operators for periods of 6 months up to 1-or-5 years.In its November update, GamStop revealed that 50,000 UK players had signed up to the scheme, which has been developed to support national problem gambling stakeholders, referring signed-up consumers to GamCare and the UK National Debtline.Further embarrassment was exposed at a retail level, as BBC journalist Mick Tucker revealed that he had self-excluded from 20 betting shops in the Grimsby area using the industry’s ‘Multi-Operator Self Exclusion Scheme – MOSES’.Following a 12-month period, the journalist would report that only five out of the twenty-one betting shops had subsequently refused him from engaging with their gambling/betting services.“It is really disappointing to come back to Grimsby, a year on and see how easy it is to bet,” he told the BBC. “To be honest today it seems like only William Hill and Megabet are taking this scheme seriously, as I could wager without a problem at all the other bookmakers.”In its report, the BBC details that Betfred leadership have personally contacted the broadcaster, stating that they will launch an investigation and will commit to further staff training.Speaking to the BBC, new Senet Group Chief Executive Sarah Hanratty stated that the independent industry standards association was disappointed with the results of the investigation.Nevertheless, Hanratty and the Senet Group still back comprehensive self-exclusion schemes as a directive for tackling and preventing problem gambling.“What is important, is that these schemes are not regarded as the final solution, but the first steps for gamblers who genuinely want to take control of their issues – self-exclusion is an important part of that journey.”Carolyn Harris – LabourLabour MP Carolyn Harris, Chair of the cross-party parliamentary group on UK gambling, told the BBC that she was unsurprised by industry self-regulation failing to secure the desired safety standards.“Don’t tell me, that these industry bodies, that fund these schemes are acting in anything other than their self-interest,” she said. “I have reported previously of experiences of gamblers self-excluding in shops through MOSES, only to receive emails telling them of online gambling services.” Premier League looks to broadcast every behind-closed-door fixture August 28, 2020 Related Articles Share Betfred counters Oppenheimer bid in race to rescue Phumelela August 26, 2020 Submit StumbleUpon
EPIC forms ‘big collaboration’ with Whysup on harm prevention
Share Submit UKGC launches fourth National Lottery licence competition August 28, 2020 Pete Wallis – EPICIndependent gambling harm and minimisation consultancy EPIC Risk Management has teamed up with Whysup to support the ongoing efforts of the UK Gambling Commission’s (UKGC) ‘National Strategy’ on gambling harm reductions.Updating the media, EPIC and Whysup have formed a shared collaborative approach to combat and reduce gambling-related harms at a national level, helping regulatory stakeholders.The strategic partnership is formed, following the launch of the UKGC’s ‘National Strategy’, a three-year programme which establishes the UK’s new framework on reducing problem harm – focusing on wider collaboration to enhance gambling addiction prevention and treatment of the illness.Pete Wallis, EPIC’s new Operations Manager stated that EPIC-&- Whysup partnership, would seek to make a ‘real change – not simply box ticking’ – highlighting both organisations ‘lived experience’, in treating addictions.“This strategic partnership is a real force multiplier and will allow us to have a greater reach, and positively impact on more people to reduce gambling-related harms. We’re excited for the future and believe this collaborative partnership will be instrumental in the strategy to make gambling safer for all.” Wallis outlined.Mark Murray – WhysupBacking UKGC National Strategy principles, EPIC and Whysup work will focus on education, raising awareness, research and providing practical guidance to all stakeholders combatting gambling harm.Backing the partnership, Mark Murray Director of Whysup added: “We are passionate about our work, we have delivered to a variety of different audiences and utilise personal experiences to validate our service. We have a grassroots, real-world approach and believe our partnership with EPIC will ensure more people are educated, gambling is made safer and shows when to hit the stop button if needed. We are delighted to be collaborating with Paul and his team” UKGC hails ‘delivered efficiencies’ of its revamped licence maintenance service August 20, 2020 Related Articles Winning Post: Swedish regulator pushes back on ‘Storebror’ approach to deposit limits August 24, 2020 Share StumbleUpon
UK punters back Tory majority following Leaders’ debate
Bookies Corner: Trump Presidency sinks as US 2020 enters its 100 day countdown July 29, 2020 StumbleUpon Submit Smarkets gains green light to enter Swedish market July 28, 2020 Related Articles Bakhshi and Shaddick launch ‘Art of the Possible’ podcast tracking US 2020 developments August 10, 2020 With the General Election looming, Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party has maintained the backing of UK punters, with betting exchanges showing that punters are favouring a Tory majority government.Tuesday’s leaders debate, which saw Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn go head-to-head on ITV, saw the two clash over topics such as Brexit and the NHS. But with controversies over the Tory party rebranding its press office Twitter feed as a fact-checking service during the debate, betting exchange Smarkets saw punters trade in favour of a Conservative-win in the upcoming election. Sarbjit Bakhshi, Head of Politics at Smarkets, explained: “Yesterday’s ITV debate was the first time we’ve seen Johnson and Corbyn go head-to-head outside the Commons, and each set out the battle lines they will use to frame the election. “Johnson pushed the ‘Get Brexit Done’ angle, counting on the weariness of the electorate and Corbyn being unable to say whether he’d campaign for or against Brexit in a future referendum. Corbyn focused on anti-austerity, increasing public spending on infrastructure and used NHS underfunding to drive home points on the spectre of a trade deal with the US.“It has been said that this election is for Johnson to lose, and according to the snap YouGov poll following the debate on who did better, Johnson marginally won at 51%, putting in a competent but not outstanding performance. “Since the debate, Conservatives are now trading at 93% for winning the most seats in the next General Election, which is a slight decline from their highest ever price 95%. Considering the risk of Boris Johnson making some gaff to turn off voters, this result is the best that could be expected for the Conservatives.“Our market on the first Prime Minister after the General election still favours Johnson at 82% but is showing a slight decline from a few days ago when he was trading at 93%. Some of this will come down to the party and seat position rather than the leader, with Labour at only 3.33% in our market to form a majority Government of their own at the next election.”The political climate in the UK in recent months has been tempestuous to say the least, with parliament struggling to reach any sort of consensus on Brexit. Despite witnessing what has arguably been a car crash in political decorum, UK punters are continuing to back December’s general election delivering a Conservative majority government.Bakhshi continued: “Recent trading across all our markets favours a Conservative majority government. Our ‘most seats’ market has the Conservatives at 94%, with the most-favoured Conservative seat number 360-plus at 48%, just ahead of 301-359 seats at 47%. Both of these contracts could take the Conservatives into majority government territory, supported by our overall majority market, which has the Conservatives at 66%.“Our aggregated seat numbers from all constituency betting also shows the Conservatives on a healthy 337 seat outcome from the General Election.“Our ‘Brexit date’ market favours anytime in January – December 2020 at 75% which would fit into both Corbyn’s and Johnson’s timetable for Brexit, suggesting that if Brexit is to happen, it is going to happen next year.” Share Share
William Hill to reshuffle leadership after O’Brien and Whitlam step down
Submit Share StumbleUpon UK gambling adopts toughest online advertising code to protect underage audiences August 27, 2020 BGC: Government must ‘act fast’ and extend furlough scheme August 11, 2020 Share Related Articles SBC Magazine Issue 10: Kaizen Gaming rebrand and focus for William Hill CEO August 25, 2020 William Hill continues to see a number of changes to its senior management after Ciaran O’Brien (Director of Corporate Communications), and Dan Whitlam (Head of Safer Gambling) confirmed that they will be stepping down from the company.O’Brien, spent five years at William Hill whereby he played a key role in establishing the operator’s responsible gambling strategy while also being pivotal stakeholder in establishing the Betting and Gaming Council.I have been very lucky to work with some great people in the sector @Ladbrokes and @WilliamHill as well as the @BetGameCouncil and look forward to @CheltenhamRaces 2020 – to say that to people in person! https://t.co/mirRQmVFRK— Ciaran O’Brien (@ciarano2) January 21, 2020Meanwhile, Safer Gambling lead Dan Whitlam steps down from the operator after holding his position since February 2019. During his time at William Hill, Whitlam supervised the implementation of the operator’s responsible gambling strategy across its UK retail estate, which included driving William Hill’s product and marketing offerings in a move to promote responsible gambling measures.Strengthening the operator’s compliance efforts, Lottoland’s former general counsel and group company secretary Lloyd Lemmon has joined William Hill as the new director of legal and compliance for its UK online division. Starting his new role at the beginning of the month, Lemmon will serve the company from its Gibraltar office.Earlier this month, Chief Financial Officer Ruth Prior confirmed that she will also be stepping down as CFO and as a Director of the Company where she will return to the private equity sector, joining Element Materials Technology as its new CFO.Prior has been praised for her role in developing and delivering the strategy of the Company and driving several transformation initiatives, as well as having responsibility for Group Assurance and Procurement functions.
Refocused XLMedia hires Ken Dorward as US business lead
Amit Ben Yehuda steps down from XLMedia August 13, 2020 Share XLMedia completes takeover of 101GreatGoals.com July 17, 2020 Related Articles XLMedia has this morning confirmed the appointment of Ken Dorward as President of North America and a member of its Global Executive Committee.Dorward joins the London AIM digital publisher having formerly served as Chief Operations Officer of leading US affiliate network Rakuten Inc, where he spearheaded global partnerships, media assets and publisher management.The appointment of Dorward as North American business lead follows a period of consolidation across the firm’s publishing portfolio. XLMedia is concentrating on high-value markets to deliver long-term sustainable growth.Dorward will be charged with leading XLMedia’s North American business strategy, which sees the company target the rapid expansion of its publishing assets within the sports and personal finance sectors.Following an overhaul of group strategy during Q1 trading, XLMedia confirmed that it would focus on strategic market partnerships, as well as the acquisition and development of content-rich, highly engaging sites.Stuart Simms, Chief Executive Officer of XLMedia, commented: “I am very excited to have Ken join the XLMedia team. Ken has a deep understanding of our industry and a proven track record of delivery. This is another step in the execution of XLMedia’s transformation strategy to deliver the next phase of growth.“I, and the rest of the team, very much look forward to working with Ken to drive rapid progress outside Europe, and to begin to make material inroads into the attractive US Personal Finance and Sports markets.” XLMedia feels strain of Google deranking July 23, 2020 Share StumbleUpon Submit
Fred Pappoe pleased with Gyan’s decision to unretire
Former Vice President of the Ghana Football Association, Fred Pappoe, believes Asamoah Gyan’s change of heart bodes well for the team ahead of the competition in Egypt.Fred Pappoe says Gyan’s return should bring some finality to the matter ahead of the Afcon in Egypt.“It is an issue that has served as a distraction in the last forty eight hours.I have heard that he has changed his mind and will return to the team.If that i true then it is good news.Now the matter must be put to rest so that the team can focus on the tournament,”he told Citi Sports.Ghana’s all-time top goal scorer shocked the nation when he announced his retirement after finding out that he was going to be stripped of his captaincy ahead of the Afcon.Gyan did not mince words, stating emphatically that the demotion left him feeling disrespected.However, following a discussion with President Akufo Addo over the phone Gyan disclosed that he will avail himself for selection.He has also scored 3 goals in his last two club appearances pending the naming of the provisional squad.