OpenBet – Bookielink

October 23, 2024

What could the future hold for Kambi and OpenBet as platform consolidation slows?

Betting platform consolidation has slowed and as operators are turning to smaller, specialist technologies to bolster their sportsbooks, what does the M&A opportunity for incumbents like Kambi and OpenBet look like today?

In September a rumour that Genius Sports was eyeing a takeover of Kambi Group surfaced, resulting in both parties publicly dismissing the suggestion of ongoing talks. The chatter caused both share prices to dip briefly as the market considered what such a deal might look like.

One source at the time told iGB it wasn’t a good time for Kambi to get caught up in a buyout as it was navigating a transition period and ushering in new CEO Werner Becher. But analysts at Swedish investment bank ABG Sundal Collier have suggested that Kambi has been up for sale for a while.

When MGM announced on 24 June that it was acquiring Tipico’s US betting platform to help it move into Brazil and bring its LeoVegas European betting offering onto an in-house tech stack, ABG Sundal Coll..

October 23, 2024

What could the future hold for Kambi and OpenBet as platform consolidation slows?

Betting platform consolidation has slowed and as operators are turning to smaller, specialist technologies to bolster their sportsbooks, what does the M&A opportunity for incumbents like Kambi and OpenBet look like today?
In September a rumour that Genius Sports was eyeing a takeover of Kambi Group surfaced, resulting in both parties publicly dismissing the suggestion of ongoing talks. The chatter caused both share prices to dip briefly as the market considered what such a deal might look like.

One source at the time told iGB it wasn’t a good time for Kambi to get caught up in a buyout as it was navigating a transition period and ushering in new CEO Werner Becher. But analysts at Swedish investment bank ABG Sundal Collier have suggested that Kambi has been up for sale for a while.

When MGM announced on 24 June that it was acquiring Tipico’s US betting platform to help it move into Brazil and bring its LeoVegas European betting offering onto an in-house tech stack, ABG Sundal Colli..

September 23, 2024

Grupo Silvio Santos partners OpenBet for new betting brand in Brazil

Grupo Silvio Santos has announced it will partner with OpenBet for the launch of its Todos Querem Jogar (TQJ) venture in Brazil, deploying the provider’s end-to-end betting ecosystem.
The new long-term agreement will see Grupo Silvio Santos, a conglomerate that includes the Brazilian Television Network (SBT), offer OpenBet’s responsible gambling technology, its player account management (PAM) system and its managed trading services.

Grupo Silvio Santos applied for a licence on 19 August, the day before the 20 August deadline for the initial 90-day window of preference. Operators that applied for a licence during that period will be guaranteed to have their applications processed by the legal market launch date of 1 January 2025.

The TQJ platform will aim to leverage Grupo Silvio Santos’ extensive media reach, with the conglomerate claiming its shows on SBT reach over 113 million Brazilians every month with an average per day viewership exceeding 29 million.

José Roberto Maciel, Grup..

April 4, 2024

OpenBet owner Endeavor taken private in $13bn deal

Technology investment company Silver Lake has agreed to take OpenBet owner Endeavor private in a deal worth $13bn (£10.2bn/€13bn).

Silver Lake will acquire 100% of the outstanding shares in Endeavor that it does not already own. This is with the exception of rolled interests.

Shareholders in Endeavor will receive $27.50 in cash per share. This is a premium of 55% compared to the $17.72 per share seen at market close on 25 October 2023.

On October 26, Endeavor announced that it had initiated a strategic review. This was to examine the potential of taking the business private. Silver Lake expressed its interest in taking Endeavor private at this time.

The deal’s $13bn equity value combined with the consolidation of TKO’s total value brings the total enterprise value to $25bn.

According to Silver Lake, this makes the acquisition the biggest private equity privatisation investment deal in more than a decade. It is also “the largest ever in the media and entertainment sector”.

When ..

March 28, 2024

PGAM 2024: How is the industry raising RG standards?

This year’s US Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM) comes amid the first concerted backlash against gaming expansion, so how has that changed the way operators are leveraging the initiative? iGB speaks to executives from DraftKings, Betr and OpenBet to find out what these companies are doing to raise standards.

Following the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018, gambling fever has swept large sections of the US, with 40 jurisdictions since taking up the option to offer legal wagering.

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) launched PGAM in 2003 with the aim of raising awareness on the issue. Since its inception, and particularly post-PASPA, the event has marked an important month in the calendar in the fight for responsible gambling (RG).

Chrissy Thurmond, head of RG relations at DraftKings, hails the influence of PGAM in helping the gambling industry to combat irresponsible play.

“One of the things that has been really benefic..

August 3, 2022

OpenBet acquires Multi Builder ahead of sale to Endeavor

B2B sportsbook supplier OpenBet has acquired betting technology and trading business Multi Builder ahead of OpenBet’s own acquisition by sport media conglomerate Endeavor Group.

The deal comes soon after OpenBet owner Scientific Games slashed the sale price of OpenBet by $400m (£328.4m/€392.83), in order to ensure the deal closes smoothly.

Multi Builder was founded by industry veterans Oliver Preston and Jonathan Smith, with the business’ trading technology operating under the brand “Sportsbook Models”. The goal will be for the services to be integrated into OpenBet’s existing product portfolio.

Smith also founded sportsbook training company “Sportsbook Training Services Limited” and will provide training services exclusively to OpenBet as part of the deal.

Commenting on the deal OpenBet chief product officer Nikos Konstakis emphasised the value to clients of deeper market understanding.

“This deal marks another significant milestone into the development of our pricing and trading..

July 11, 2022

OpenBet to power Sazkabet sportsbook

Light & Wonder has announced that its sports betting business OpenBet will power Sazka a.s and its Czech sportsbook brand Sazkabet's online and mobile sportsbook.

As part of the deal, Sazkabet has already deployed the OpenBet managed services platform, which includes a scalable betting engine and risk and liability management system.

In addition, OpenBet has now expanded its presence across Europe by partnering with Sazka , the largest lottery operator in the Czech Republic.

Jan Horyna, Sazka’s igaming director, said that the agreement is crucial to improving the company’s offerings.

“Transitioning to OpenBet’s sports betting technology and services is a key move for us to provide our customers with high-quality and responsible betting experiences,” said Horyna.

“With OpenBet’s transformed modern technology, we are delighted to have introduced significant improvements to our overall sportsbook offering and relish the opportunity to plan future collaborations with OpenBet over..

June 30, 2022

Betfred Sports switches to OpenBet in Iowa

Betfred Sports has expanded its partnership with OpenBet having selected its digital and retail technology across its operations in the US state of Iowa.

Betfred’s Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort sportsbook facility is now powered by OpenBet’s retail solutions including betting counters and self-service kiosks. Betfred will also utilise OpenBet’s digital technology and sports betting engine for mobile and online betting.

The two groups have already partnered for Betfred’s entry into the Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana and Pennsylvania regulated markets.

Bryan Bennett, chief operating officer at Betfred, said: “OpenBet’s products and technology perform consistently across our existing locations, so naturally we entrusted the company to power our offering in Iowa. We first launched in Iowa in 2020, and we look forward to working with OpenBet to continue building on that success.”

Betfred had launched in Iowa with an Optima-powered product, though it used the technology of Openbet owner..