Tag: Sportsbook

Waterhouse VC: Why betting can’t survive without sports data

In his latest column, Tom Waterhouse of Waterhouse VC considers the role of sports data and data providers in revolutionising sports betting.
Eighteen years ago, mathematician Clive Humby coined the phrase “data is the new oil”, underscoring the vital role data would play in driving business and innovation. If not as scarce, high-quality data is just as valuable for sports and wagering.

Access depends on securing rights, with rising costs creating natural barriers to entry. AI and machine learning is now being applied to premium sports data to unlock new opportunities for fan engagement, especially in the wagering industry.

Data hasn’t always been as central to sport and wagering as it is today. Before televisions, attending a sporting event was the only way of knowing what really happened. Radio helped, but listeners were still reliant on the commentator’s account. In betting shops, trying to gauge how your bet was faring over shouting and excitement would have been a real challeng..

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Analysts: Sports wagering calendar gives insight to markets, revenues

The US sports betting calendar is the same every year and handle and revenues typically follow suit. But there are other trends to be gleaned from the cycles as well, analysts said on a webinar on Tuesday (30 July).
The session, entitled “A Year in the Life of Sports Betting”, was presented by Geoff Atkinson and Matt Roob. Atkinson is the marketing research manager for Management Science Associates and Roob is senior vice-president of financial analysis for Spectrum Gaming Capital. Throughout the presentation, the analysts used graphs and data compiled using the Spectrumetrix data service.

Atkinson began the discussion by breaking down graphs from states that report wagering figures for individual sports. The examples included Illinois, Mississippi, Nevada, South Dakota, Oregon and Montana.

Overall, the states showed similar patterns according to the US sports schedule.

Totals are lowest in the summer when baseball is the only major sport in season. Then in the fall, the start o..

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Insider who tried to wager $100,000 on Alabama baseball sentenced

The Indiana businessman who attempted to wager $100,000 on an Alabama-LSU college baseball game last year was sentenced on Monday (28 July) to eight months in prison and three and a half years of supervised probation.
Bert Neff, who received a text from former Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohanan saying that Alabama had pulled its starting pitcher, walked into an MGM casino in Ohio on 28 April 2023 and attempted to place a $100,000 bet based on the information.

MGM employees refused the bet, but allowed Neff to lay down $15,000 on LSU to win. The attempt to wager $100,000 and the ensuing $15,000 bet were considered suspicious by MGM employees. The bets were quickly flagged and, within days, markets on LSU-Alabama baseball were suspended. Within a week, Bohanan was fired.

Bohanan has not been charged. But the NCAA sanctioned him for 15 years.

Neff, whose son played baseball at Cincinnati when the bet was placed, wasn’t charged for wagering with inside information. Federal authorit..

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In Macau, most suspects bail out in illegal sports betting case

Prosecutors in Macau have indicted 59 people swept up in a sports betting sting earlier this month. All but two have been released on bail. The illicit operation purportedly reaped millions per week during the recent UEFA Euro 2024 tournament.
The Macau Public Prosecutions Office has indicted 59 people allegedly involved in an online sports betting ring. Two of the defendants remain under pre-trial detention. The rest have been released on bail, with orders not to leave the city.

A total of 93 people were arrested in the 2 July sting in Macau, Hong Kong and Guangdong. Police seized MOP88.4m (£8.5m/€196.2m/US$11m) in cash and froze bank accounts containing MOP22.1m.

The websites, based outside Macau, took bets on football and basketball games. They reportedly generated about MOP72m per week during the recent UEFA Euro 2024 tournament.

Authorities estimate the illegal operation has pulled in more than MOP1.08bn since 2016.

Online gambling is illegal everywhere in China, including M..

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Bettor perspective? Walters, “Spanky” say US sportsbooks have much to learn

As legal sports betting in the US proceeds in its seventh year, many have expressed concerns about whether the current wagering model is sustainable for the long term.

A panel discussion on Friday (19 July) at the summer meeting of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) in Pittsburgh featured views on the subject from legendary sports bettors Billy Walters and Gadoon “Spanky” Kyrollos. Both the legendary Walters, 78, and Kyrollos said sustainability depends on treating sports bettors fairly.

That, they said, means an equal playing field for all customers.

Richard Schuetz, a veteran casino executive, regulator and onetime Las Vegas sportsbook operator, moderated the panel. Schuetz hosted Walters when Schuetz ran the sportsbook at the Stardust.

Transparency, betting limits are concerns

One problem threatening the long-term sustainability of legal sports betting, panelists said, is a lack of knowledgeable operators. “The (legal) industry is new in this country..

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Survey reveals Betano as most recognisable brand in Brazil

Kaizen Gaming-owned Betano is the most recognisable and trusted betting brand in Brazil, a survey by Env Media has revealed.

Env Media centred its survey on the 20 most popular brands in Brazil, including the likes of Betano, Bet365 and Betfair. The study aimed to establish what operators held the greatest share of voice in Brazil by looking at their visibility and market shares.

This is ahead of the regulated market going live following the December approval of Bill 3,626/2023, legalising sports betting and igaming.

The survey asked 500 active adult bettors which operators they were both aware of and trusted. Betano led the way with 73.4% of respondents stating they recognised and trusted the operator. Bet365, meanwhile, was second, selected by 67.2% of those surveyed.

Brazilian operator Pixbet was third, recognised and trusted by 54.7% of respondents, while Sportingbet and Betnacional were selected by 42.6% and 41.6% respectively.

Betano also held the advantage in Env Media’s s..

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EveryMatrix buys FSB in all-cash acquisition

EveryMatrix chief executive Ebbe Groes described the supplier’s acquisition of betting and igaming platform provider FSB Technology as its “most ambitious acquisition to date”, giving its OddsMatrix sportsbook division a foothold in the African, Irish and UK markets.

FSB’s full end-to-end turnkey solutions, including its player account management software and horse racing products, will strengthen the OddsMatrix platform and generate “immediate additional revenues and cross-company synergies”, EveryMatrix said.

“This is our most ambitious acquisition to date, by value, size and complexity,” EveryMatrix chief executive Ebbe Groes commented.

FSB Deal ACCELERATES EVERYMATRIx’S regulated market rollout for sports betting, says CEO Ebbe Groes

“This transaction facilitates our long-term growth strategy of entering and growing within a greater number of regulated markets, including the UK, Ireland and Africa, where many FSB clients operate.

“It also allows us to accelerate this process, ..

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How the sector is tackling competition this sporting summer

A packed sporting schedule means there are plenty of opportunities for gambling companies this summer to engage and target new customers. iGB spoke to a few industry leaders on targeting new betting markets and unique products helping them to stand out from the crowd.

Operators Betfred and Paddy Power and betting engine supplier Kambi are among those looking to capitalise and make significant revenue and customer gains throughout the packed summer sporting schedule, which is certain to excite sports fans.

The Euro 2024 kicked off on Friday and the Copa América starts this week, while the Olympic Games is set to take place in Paris as of 26 July with Wimbledon and the US Open to come in July and August.

The opportunity for the sports betting sector is clear, as more traction from these events will lead to increased activity across betting sites and ultimately more financial gain.

According to French gaming regulator L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), the country could see close t..

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The “Caitlin Clark Effect” goes beyond the basketball court

Few athletes have the ability to captivate a sport and send its popularity soaring almost on their own, but basketball player Caitlin Clark certainly appears to be one of them.

Clark’s meteoric rise is sending ripples beyond the basketball court. In early April, she played her last college basketball game and retired with the highest points total in men’s and women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) history. Her Iowa Hawkeyes got to back-to-back national championship games after having previously reaching the final only once in programme history.

Eight days later, she was the WNBA’s number one pick. She has played five games for the Indiana Fever and has already made quite a splash in the professional game. The fans’ desire to see her play is evident.

Both of the Fever’s home games were played in front of sold-out Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowds. Additionally, the Fever’s road game at the Connecticut Suns was the first sell-out home opener since 2003. Their trips to the..

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State of the Union: A look back at the week that was in North America

Welcome to iGB's State of the Union, a look at the biggest North American sports betting stories we've covered over the week and briefs on others we found interesting.

PA, MA issue fines

On 22 May the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced that it had fined Wind Creek Bethlehem $125,000 (£98,089/€115,156) for allowing minors onto the gaming floor 10 times. The regulator wrote in a press release that the incidents occurred over a 20-month period and involved 11 people.

A day later, on 23 May, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission issued a $10,000 fine to Fanatics Sportsbook for allowing a bet to be placed on a Boston College team. A consumer placed a $50 futures bet on the Golden Eagles bowl game against SMU on 5 December 2023. Fanatics discovered the bet a day later and cancelled it. Betting on in-state college teams is not permitted in most cases in Massachusetts.

SI to exit Michigan by end of 2024

Michigan’s SI Sportsbook will exit the state by the end of the year,..

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Mississippi sports betting revenue drops 8.8% to $3.1m in April

Mississippi reported sports betting revenues of $3.1m (£2.7m/€3.1m) for April, down 8.8% from March’s total.

Sports betting revenue in Mississippi for April fell short of March’s figure of $3.4m, and was 27.9% down on the same month last year, when $4.3m in revenue was reported.

Total handle for the month was $34.3m. This was a 22.9% decrease on the $44.5m in bets taken in March. However, it was 7.9% ahead of April 2023’s figure of $31.8m.

In terms of where bets were placed, Mississippi’s coastal casinos again led the way, reporting $1.5m in revenue and $23.6m in handle.

Central casinos took $6.6m in bets and generated revenue of $1.2m. Northern casinos, meanwhile, reported handle and revenue of $4.1m and $402,880 respectively.

What sports are they betting on in Mississippi?

With the National Football League (NFL) season having ended in February, basketball and baseball were the most popular sports for betting at Mississippi’s coastal casinos over April.

Baseball narrowly led th..

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Survey: Bet365 beats out DraftKings, FanDuel among youngest US bettors

A new YouGov survey has highlighted the growing momentum among emerging sportsbooks in the US sports betting market.

The YouGov survey revealed that DraftKings and FanDuel are still capturing the most usage from older bettors. However, Bet365 is emerging as the dominant sportsbook among those aged 21-24.

It ranked as the top sportsbook for both the 21-24 and 25-34 age categories, above FanDuel and DraftKings. Some 31% of those surveyed between 21 and 24 had bet with Bet365 in the month prior to the survey.

Only 14% of the 21-24 age category were categorised as prospective bettors. Therefore, Bet365’s opportunity among the younger market looks set to grow further thanks to investment in the US. In total, 60% of sports bettors reported using Bet365 more, the most among all US sportsbooks.

Taking it slow working for Bet365

It should be noted that on its 2022-23 financial year, Bet365 posted a £61.2m loss. However, the company also posted significant revenue growth, with sports bettin..

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