Tag: Marketing & affiliates

LiveScore Group’s Sam Sadi builds his media empire

LiveScore Group aims to become the world's leading sports media operator, and sports betting is just the start. Chief executive Sam Sadi explains the masterplan.

“I remember the days when we used to press F5 to refresh the LiveScore.com website. That’s how long back it was,” says LiveScore Group chief executive Sam Sadi.

LiveScore launched in 1998, offering visitors football scores. Gamesys acquired the business in 2017 and, following that operator’s £490m sale to Jackpotjoy Group and then the £2.0bn merger with Bally’s Corporation, LiveScore Group stands alone as an independent business led by Sadi.

LiveScore turns 25 today, starting out providing live match data to players in 1998

The LiveScore Bet sportsbook launched in 2020, complementing the affiliate arm, not to mention its second brand, Virgin Bet. But Sadi isn’t only interested in building a sports betting business.

“We have a plan we’re implementing,” he explains. “You could call it a ten-to twenty-year plan. We i..

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Netherlands’ NGR up 85% in 2022

The Netherlands' licensed gaming market generated €3.4bn (£2.95bn/$3.59bn) in net gaming revenue (NGR) in 2022, according to a report from regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).

The report is based on 2022 only, as it was the first full calendar year for the Netherlands’ online gambling market.

The country’s market officially opened in October 2021, following the passage and ratification of the much-delayed Remote Gambling Act (KOA). This month marks two years since the market became live. NGR comprises of deposits minus prizes paid out.

NGR for 2022 was up by 85.0% from €2.0bn in 2021. KSA noted that this was due to an increase in both online gambling and land-based play, particularly as Covid-19 pandemic restrictions lifted. Land-based venues were closed in the Netherlands until 25 January 2022, with restrictions still applying until 25 February 2022.

Spending on gambling and advertising

Online casino was one of the Netherlands’ smaller markets in 2022, behind lotteries and l..

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ESPN Bet unveils brand

Penn Entertainment and Disney’s ESPN have unveiled the brand for their upcoming mobile sports betting offering, ESPN Bet.

ESPN Bet’s mint green and navy logo is to feature across the multiple ESPN channels, including in-app, on social media and in television programming.

The sports media company added the logo will give prominence to the “ESPN” brand. However, the mobile sportsbook application itself will be branded as the letter “E” within a “B”.

the espn mobile application brand

ESPN, which is the largest sports media brand in the US, said this “creatively expresses the idea that ESPN, in partnership with Penn Entertainment, is launching a sportsbook for fans, but at its core is still ESPN, the most trusted brand in sports.”

According to Penn president and CEO Jay Snowden, the app is set to launch in November after a five-month development period.

This followed the August announcement that Penn would be launching an ESPN-branded online sports betting offering through a $1.5bn ..

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BetMGM signs Hollywood star Chris Rock to support UK launch

MGM Resorts International has signed Hollywood actor Chris Rock to support the launch of its BetMGM brand in the UK market.

As an ambassador, Rock will feature in a range of marketing campaigns to promote the UK roll-out of BetMGM.

The first such campaign is now live, with Rock sharing details of various special offers to market the launch. These include bonuses and prices boosts, as well as information about exclusive content available from BetMGM.

BetMGM has also rolled out a responsible gambling advert specific to the UK market. Both campaigns are active across live sport, TV, out of home, digital, radio and social.

“We are incredibly excited to launch BetMGM in the UK and give customers something new,” BetMGM UK director Sam Behar said. “This campaign leverages the heritage of MGM Resorts’ best-in-class Las Vegas entertainment to deliver a unique proposition to the UK market.

“Alongside standout promotions and our A-list ambassador Chris Rock, this campaign clearly demonstra..

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Ontario: The state of play

More than a year on from the regulation of the Ontario gaming sector, gambling businesses have each adapted to the market in their own way. But how can operators stand out from the crowd in North America’s most competitive market?

With every gold rush comes the prospectors.

In the 16 months following the regulation of the gaming sector in Ontario, gambling operators of all shapes and sizes have thrown the dice to get a slice of the biggest and most dynamic market in North America.

Those involved range from former grey market players trying to make the regulated transition, the big European operators, media brands which have grown a betting wing and land-based companies trying to get in on the action – plus everything in between.

The landscape

Ontario has become an incredibly competitive market, with iGaming Ontario recording 46 companies operating 71 brands as of Q1 2023.

However, one trend to note is its diversity. This is especially striking when compared to the US which, butt..

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LiveScore Bet backs Women’s World Cup to reach new heights

The Lionesses are in the final and, for LiveScore Bet, betting on the Women’s World Cup has enjoyed exponential growth. The women’s game is now as much of a component of the app as the Premier League, says sportsbook director James McKay.

Making a like-for-like comparison on Women’s World Cup betting is particularly tricky for LiveScore Bet. The 2019 tournament in France took place almost two years before LiveScore Group added its namesake betting product to its ecosystem, alongside its sports media app.

It was up and running for last summer’s European Championships, where the Lionesses triumphed over Germany in the final. That victory, sportsbook director James McKay explains, played a huge role in bringing a wider audience in the UK.

“The audience is there even if the England team hadn’t made the knockout stages in Australia and New Zealand,” McKay says.

the lionesses’ euros victory increased the Women’s world cup audience in the UK, says LiveScore Bet’s james McKay

Following..

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Episode 19: Looking at Ontario’s legal gaming market with Paul Burns

Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Iden dive headfirst into Canada’s only open betting and gaming market with Paul Burns of the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) in episode 19 of the World Series of Politics.

Paul shares his thoughts on the early stages of Ontario’s regulated market, pointing out that a strong channelisation rate suggests the Canadian province is making a successful leap from a grey to white market.

This, he explains, has levelled the field when it comes to advertising. That hasn’t prevented the naysayers from massing, however.

One of the opposition parties in the Ontario parliament has put forward a bill to ban gambling advertising – even though gaming only accounts for 3% of total ads shown in the country.

Listen to the World Series of Politics on Apple Podcasts

Looking forward, Burns assesses the future of Canadian gaming, examining the potential of sports betting and igaming in Ontario and beyond. With a foundation of responsible gaming standards and a commitment ..

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Bet365 pins down expanded partnership with UFC

Online gambling operator Bet365 has agreed to an expanded partnership with mixed martial arts series the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Under the deal, Bet365 will remain the official sportsbook partner of the UFC in the UK and Ireland for at least the next year.

This arrangement will also be extended to cover certain other European territories. These include Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.

Other aspects of the deal include IMG Arena, an official partner of UFC, providing a range of features for the Bet365 app and website. This covers assets such as the UFC’s official data feed and in-screen live streaming of UFC bouts.

Bet365 users can also now access a “Bet Builder” feature, allowing them to create bespoke bets. Players can select from multiple markets for the same bout and combine them into a single bet.

Ongoing deal

In addition, Bet365 will continue to run the “One on One” dedicated UFC show on its official YouTube channel…

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CFL signs FanDuel as first authorised gaming partner

Flutter Entertainment-owned FanDuel Group has entered a partnership with the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Under the deal, FanDuel will become the league’s first authorised gaming operator and an official sportsbook partner.

Consumers in Ontario will be able to place bets on the CFL through FanDuel. The operator secured a licence in the province ahead of it launching its legal sports betting market last April.

Betting market include in-game player props, such as anytime touchdown scorer and a range of various futures bets.

Read the full story on iGB North America

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BettorEdge pens deal with Betting Ladies

Sports betting exchange and social media platform BettorEdge announced that it has signed a content distribution deal with female-orientated affiliate Betting Ladies.

Under the terms of the deal, Betting Ladies will provide the BettorEdge community with access to the business’ suite of training videos, tips and content.

BettorEdge’s users will be able to follow Betting Ladies directly on the platform to receive content and picks from the affiliate’s Lady Locks series. The businesses noted that a transparent betting exchange shows a user’s betting history to support risk management.

Betting Ladies founder Val Martinez said that her organisation provides a community for women bettors to discuss sports and sports betting. She described BettorEdge as a “great extension” of that community.

“The future of sports betting is enabling communities to connect and learn from each other’s experiences to make more educated decisions,” said Martinez.

“Through this partnership, we’re placing Bet..

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Fanatics’ Matt King brings new thinking to US sports betting

As CEO of FanDuel, Matt King took a daily fantasy sports brand to the top of the US sports betting industry, and in the top job at Fanatics Betting and Gaming he’s looking to do it all over again. Not that he’s looking to emulate his former employers in leading the ecommerce giant; it’s Spotify that inspires him.

For Fanatics Betting and Gaming chief executive Matt King, the challenge he is taking on isn’t building a market leader. He’s already done that during his tenure at FanDuel, which is currently sitting with a seemingly unassailable market share across the US. Revenue there grew from $200m to over $1bn on his watch.

And his core goal isn’t to build an entity capable of taking on a behemoth he created. Instead the billion-dollar question is: how do you create something capable of providing a genuine alternative to consumers?

In a market dominated by iTunes, he’s looking to build Spotify.

Fanatics: Officially licensed everything

What separates Fanatics Betting and Gaming f..

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Novibet pens deal with Irish Guineas Festival

Novibet has signed a deal to become the official betting partner of the 2023 Tattersalls Irish Guineas Festival at The Curragh Racecourse in Ireland.

The GameTech operator will be the named sponsor of six races across three days including the Novibet Emerald Mile and the Novibet Guineas Festival Premier Handicap.

“We are delighted to be named as the Official Betting Partner of this year’s Irish Guineas Festival in what is the biggest horse racing sponsorship we’ve been involved with so far,” said Novibet’s Ireland country manager Karl Riley.

“The Irish Guineas is a meeting which is one of the biggest in Irish flat racing and we are very excited to be increasing our presence in this area.”

The deal follows the business’ recent news that it is to sponsor Brazilian football team Fortaleza Esporte Clube.

Racing and sponsorship manager at the Curragh, Evan Arkwright, added: “We are very excited that Novibet has selected the Curragh to launch their biggest horse racing partnership to da..

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