Month: January 2022

Other high-profile investors including Bill Currie, founder of retail, e-commerce and tech investment fund the William Currie Group, and gambling industry heavyweight Mark Blandford.

Synalogik said it will use the new capital to scale its Scout data aggregation and reporting platform across different markets and territories, as well as expedite the launch of additional prodcuts. 

These solutions, Synalogik said, will help to widen the application of its data aggregation, risk identification and decision intelligence capabilities.

Synalogik, which provides Scout to operators such as Entain and Betway, also said it will invest in its staff, research and development, with plans to double the size of its engineering team and strengthen its customer support department.

“The data landscape is exploding, organisations have unprecedented opportunities to make intelligent decisions based upon the data within their eco-system or immediately available to them,” Synalogik chief executive Gareth Mussell said.

“Organisations are struggling to harness these opportunities and often rely on manual processes to aggregate data – this is simply not scalable.”

“Scout has been developed to overcome these challenges and it’s great to see that the potential for the business and our growing suite of solutions has been recognised by high profile investors such as Sir Terry Leahy, Bill Currie and Mark Blandford.

“Closing this Series A funding round allows us to rapidly scale up our capabilities, increase our headcount and bring new and exciting products to market that will allow us to better serve existing and new clients.”

Sir Terry Leahy added that the threat from money laundering and fraud to public and private organisations was “very significant and growing”.

“Businesses are struggling to meet compliance standards and need better solutions like the Scout product from Synalogik which transforms the speed of data aggregation and analysis of risk.”

Under the deal, which will begin in the 2022 F1 season, PokerStars will benefit from branding on the team’s cars and race suits.

PokerStars and Red Bull Racing will also collaborate to deliver a wide range of experiences, promotions, competitions and content to fans. 

The covers PokerStars’ full offering of PokerStars Casino, PokerStars and PokerStars Sports products.

“Following last year’s blockbuster Formula One season, I am delighted to kick off 2022 by announcing PokerStars as a new partner,” Red Bull Racing team principal and chief executive Christian Horner said.

“In our sport we see constant evolution, not only applied to the cars but also to new technologies that are focused on reaching the sport’s global fanbase to provide new and interactive experiences for them to enjoy. 

Flutter International chief executive Dan Taylor added: “Red Bull Racing is an ideal fit for PokerStars because it’s not just about what you offer fans and players but the ethos and vision behind how you offer it. 

“Part of our vision for PokerStars is to create the world’s most epic casino, built on player experiences, giving our community moments they’ll never forget. Red Bull Racing’s phenomenal success is built on their bold, innovative, and passionate ethos, which has led to incredible success both on the track and in becoming one of the world’s most popular sports brands. 

“We’re looking forward to working with the Team and sharing further developments as the 2022 season approaches.”

In his new role, Bland will focus on pro-actively developing relationships with key industry stakeholders, as well as support Epic’s growth and longer-term business strategy in markets around the world.

Bland will also help Epic expand its work to prevent gambling from harming people and organisations by working closely with its existing clients and develop its client base.

He takes on the role having spent more than six-and-a-half years with Stats Perform, where he was most recently league partnerships manager, before which he served as general manager for the Middle East.

Bland previously worked for Prozone Sports for almost 11 years, serving in a number of roles such as head of Middle East, international business development manager and business development manager.

“I’m thrilled to be joining such a progressive company who are trying to pioneer this space of gambling harm minimisation,” Bland said. “What’s been clear to me throughout the recruitment process and my short time here, is that Epic is hugely passionate about its purpose. 

“Ultimately, this organisation is about helping people and the more organisations we can work with provides the opportunity to help more people the better.

“My role here is about growth. Yes, organically the business will commercially grow but ultimately, the more companies we work with, the more people we interact with, the more people we help.”

Epic’s managing director Les Murray, who took on his new role with the organisation in November last year, added: “Such a senior appointment reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering service excellence to our existing clients and in continuing the significant growth we have seen at Epic Risk Management.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Martin to the Epic team.”

A total of $603.1m was wagered in the period from January 8, when the state’s legal market opened, through to January 16, the last day of the first full week since legalisation.

Figures released by the New York State Gaming Commission also showed that gross gaming revenue for the period reached $48.1m.

Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel and Rush Street Interactive all began operations in New York on January 8, while BetMGM was permitted to launch from January 17. As such BetMGM was not included in the first set of results.

Caesars led the way in the opening period, posting $22.7m in revenue from $257.7m in total mobile sports wagers.

Flutter Entertainment-owned FanDuel followed in second with $14.1m in revenue and a handle of $200.4m, then DraftKings with $10.9m in revenue off $134.4m in bets,

Rush Street Interactive came in fourth in the opening nine days with $446,696 in revenue and a total handle of $10.6m.

Chris Holdren, co-president of the Caesars Digital arm of Caesars Entertainment, said the operator was “thrilled” to have led the market in the opening period of regulation.

“New Yorkers are one-of-a-kind in their passion for sports and their interest in mobile sports wagering has proven to be an unprecedented moment for this industry,” Holdren said.

“As excited as we are, our work is just getting started to provide New York sports fans the best sports betting experience in the market and we’ve appreciated customer feedback as we’ve worked to improve their experience since launch.

“We know there is room to perfect our service offering in order to provide a product that exceeds expectations and we’re in New York for the long haul to do just that.”

This covers a host of online gambling transactions, such as games of chance or skill which include an entry fee and a prize. Casino games such as table games and slot machines are also included, whether they are physical or virtual.

Sports betting, horse or greyhound racing, person-to-person betting and lottery tickets are also gambling transactions where the blocking software could be used.

The user also has the option to prohibit transactions to gambling-related ventures, such as sites that offer gambling tips, intermediaries who place bets, or organised forums that make person-to-person betting possible.

PayPal underwent a review of its controls and payment rules in 2019 after expressing concern that the platform was being used to facilitate excessive online gambling.

Gambling blocking platform Gamban said: “PayPal offering its users the option to block gambling transactions is a welcome addition to the gambling recovery toolkit.

“Between blocking gambling transactions at your bank and PayPal, blocking online gambling with Gamban, self-excluding yourself with Gamstop and seeking support from GamCare you’ll give yourself the best chance at recovery.”

The agreement, signed via BetMakers’ BetMakers DNA Pty subsidiary, comes in the wake of New Jersey legalizing fixed-odds betting on racing.

It will extend BetMakers’ exclusive rights for delivering and managing fixed-odds betting on thoroughbred horse racing into New Jersey from the initial period of 10 years to a longer term of 15 years.

Global Racing Network (GRN), the trading name of the subsidiary, will now become the exclusive representative of the NJTHA to enter into new relationships related to fixed-odds wagering on thoroughbred racing in New Jersey.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Both operators originally appealed the penalties to the Administrative Court after Sweden’s gaming regulator Spelinspektionen imposed them in 2019. After an initial challenge was rejected in December 2020, the Appeals Court upheld this ruling on 18 January, 2022.

Each case dates back to June 2019, with SkillOnNet under investigation since February of that year. Spelinspektionen began its inquiry after discovering SkillOnNet advertised different bonuses- including monthly rewards, free spins and VIP packages.

The operator explained that it offered a first bonus to new customers, but did not view the subsequent offers advertised as bonuses. Spelinspektionen, however, considered the subsequent offers as bonuses as they came in the form of incentives. While SkillOnNet then removed the offers from their website in response to the regulator’s assessment, it was found to have violated Chapter 14, Section 9 of the Gaming Act by offering bonuses beyond a welcome offer. The penalty fee was set as SEK14m.

Betsson’s NGG Nordic was also fined in June 2019, for advertising illegal bonuses. The regulator carried out an inspection in May 2019 after receiving several complaints regarding its bonuses, which were advertised in the form of cash prizes, raffles and free spins among others.

NGG Nordic maintained that it offered a bonus only to new players, and that the others did not meet the requirements of a bonus. The operator subsequently removed its offers from its website www.nordicbet.com, stating that it did not agree with Spelinspektionen’s assessment.

Spekinspektionen ruled that NGG Nordic had also violated chapter 14, section 9 of the Gaming Act.

However, Betsson’s challenge in December 2020 did see the Administrative Court alter NGG Nordic’s penalty fee– lowering it from SEK19m (£1.5m/€1.8m/$2.0m) to SEK14m (£1.1m/€1.3m/$1.5m).

Under the deal, Genius Sports will use its LiveData and LiveTrading solutions to deliver real-time data and pricing for the National Football League (NFL) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball.

This will include access to Genius Sports’ full NFL product suite including real-time statistics, proprietary Next Gen Stats (NGS) and official sports betting data feed.

Genius Sports will also provide its digital marketing and bespoke free-to-play tools, allowing Betway to run data-driven campaigns across display, video and connected televisions to help drive deeper engagement levels.

This expands an existing deal that covered football’s English Premier League and Euroleague Basketball.

“We’re thrilled to add Genius Sports’ LiveData and LiveTrading solutions for NFL betting to our existing partnership with them,” Betway chief executive Anthony Werkman said. “As our brand continues to grow globally, we are constantly seeking new ways to enhance the Betway customer experience, and this data and technology achieves that.

Genius Sports chief executive Mark Locke added: “As one of our long-term official data partners, Betway has always invested in a world-class product for its customers worldwide.

“The Betway brand is growing rapidly across the US and we’re thrilled to be helping accelerate this expansion with our premium official sports betting feeds, live streaming and fan engagement solutions.”

The extension comes after Genius Sports last week also agreed to a similar expansion of its long-term live streaming and data partnership with online gambling operator Bet365.

Following an independent audit from the eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA), Stats Perform was able to renew its accreditation for the collection and distribution of sports event data for betting.  

Stats Perform became the first sports data supplier to receive the accreditation back in January 2021, after committing to the watchdog’s best practice standards in late 2020.

“Having been a consistent advocate for the highest standards of integrity and quality in sports data, Stats Perform was proud to become the first company to champion and receive the accreditation,” Stats Perform chief betting officer Andrew Ashenden commented.

“To successfully renew the accreditation is testament to the ongoing quality and integrity efforts of our sports data operations teams.”

IBIA first created its data standards protocols in October 2020, designed to ensure the fight against betting-related corruption was aided by high standards of integrity for the collection and distribution of sports data.

“Stats Perform’s successful renewal of the Data Standards accreditation demonstrates the importance of the requirements, and the value betting data providers see in them,” IBIA chief executive Khalid Ali said. “This is reflected in the outlook of the IBIA’s membership, which views the Data Standards protocols as an essential initiative and one which has a positive impact on the sports betting environment.”

In order to qualify for accreditation, Stats Perform had to meet IBIA criteria regarding personnel vetting and training; data collation processes, and data integrity and reporting.

In addition to holding all data for at least three years, Stats Perform also had to make its source of data clear  by marking whether it has been generated in-person at the venue, via television or via another method.

All data has been collected by someone aged 18 and above, who have undergone background checks and identity verification. The company was also obliged to carry out thorough risk assessments for all sporting events or competitions on which they collect data.

Stats Perform is also the longest serving associate member of IBIA, and continues to provide services from its integrity division such as the provision of its Intelligence Insights and Alerts service, and the delivery of a pre-match risk assessment programme in football.

“Stats Perform has consistently been dedicated to having a positive influence and impact on the sport integrity ecosystem and its support of the Data Standards accreditation is a key component,” the supplier’s global head of integrity Jake Marsh added.

“In addition to raising standards around data supply, we are proud to be working closely with the IBIA and its members on complimentary projects in intelligence and risk assessment to deepen our commitment to the betting industry and the protection of sport.”

As the former trading and operations director for global sportsbook at The Stars Group, Marmion has over 20 years’ experience in the sports betting industry developing and deploying new technologies.

He was one of the first to introduce automated pricing and trading models whilst trading director at BetVictor in the early 2000s and more recently worked with Banach Technology to overhaul the in-play user experience at BetStars and FoxBet. Marmion is also an investor in Voxbet.

Marmion’s new role follows Voxbet’s rebranding in December, where, under the previous name of Onionsack, they appointed former William Hill Online managing director, and Marmion’s former colleague at The Stars Group, Andrew Lee as the company’s new chairman.   

Voxbet already has partnerships with Tier 1 operators such as PMU, Betsson, Paddy Power and William Hill. Voxbet says these changes are part of its aim to capitalise on transformational technology and improve the user experience.

Voxbet founder and CEO Jonathan Power said: “Ian is an experienced operator and supremely well-credentialed in developing and optimising industry-leading digital products. He is a blisteringly clear communicator, with excellent business relationship management skills.”

“We’re confident his appointment will assist us in achieving our goals, underscored by his sharp strategic focus around the online customer experience, data and innovation. Needless to say, Ian brings significant value to our leadership team, as we look to improve market share across Europe, and prepare ourselves for rapid expansion on both sides of the pond.”

Voxbet claims to be the first betting provider to offer software which allows customers to speak or type their bets, similar to search engines.

Marmion added that he was thrilled to become more involved with the Voxbet team.

“I am a massive believer in the transformative effect that new technology can have on the sports betting business.

“Operators have been doing the same thing for too long. Voxbet now allows bettors to engage with sports betting the way they already engage with almost everything else online – and that journey begins with speaking or typing what you want. We let operators broaden their reach and make betting more convenient, simpler and faster – providing an overall richer customer experience.”