Month: July 2022

ScoreBreak operates a video synchronisation engine that will work in tandem with Genius’s official statistics, allowing customers to access the stat-driven video content from any internet-connected device.

ScoreBreak COO Wes Sims emphasised the value the service would provide to sports professionals in a statement.

“As we continue to introduce ScoreBreak to new and exciting sports verticals, we look to identify signature partnerships to help push our product to the next level,” said Sims.

“We believe that matching ScoreBreak with Genius Sports will provide an unmatched experience for coaches and athletes, putting us on a path to equip every athletic program in the country with the tools and insights they need to win in real-time, when decision-making matters most.”

Genius Sports VP of strategic sports partnerships, Oliver Wells, added: “As the exclusive supplier of official NCAA data, we are committed to enhancing the entire college eco-system with the fastest, most accurate game statistics. We’re pleased to be working with ScoreBreak, enhancing coaching decisions before, during and after games.”

This is one of several recent deals that GiG has signed in the last few weeks.

Yesterday (14 July), GiG announced that it had agreed to provide its services to Aspers Group, a land-based casino operator in the UK. On the same day, GIG received a licence to operate in Ontario.

At the beginning of the month GiG entered into two separate deals to provide services to operators in Portugal and Spain.

“At GiG we pride ourselves in being the chosen platform of choice for regulated markets,” said Martin Collins, director of sales and business at GiG. “We have been operating in Sweden from day one and continue to serve the market on behalf of many of our clients’ brands.”

“The addition of Lucky Days further widens our footprint and highlights the ever growing trend to embrace regulation and deliver a safer, more compelling experience for the customer.”

A spokesperson at L7 added, “After working on this project for a long time it’s finally come through and we’re delighted that we have the license ahead of the summer.”

“This wouldn’t be possible without the hard work done by both GiG and the L7 team and serves as a great testament to the cooperation between the two companies.”

The Gambling Commission in March named Allwyn as its preferred applicant for the licence, a decision that would bring to an end Camelot’s 28-year tenure as the UK’s lottery operator.

Camelot, which has run the lottery since its inception in 1994, was named reserve applicant and would continue in its role should the Gambling Commission fail to finalise a deal with Allwyn.

In April, Camelot launched a High Court challenge against the decision, regarding whether the Commission lawfully awarded the licence to Allwyn. This led to the formal issuing of the lottery licence to Allwyn being suspended. 

The High Court lifted the suspension in June, though the legal challenge continued, with Camelot and IGT, which also launched a legal challenge against the decision, approaching the Court of Appeal in regard to appealing the decision.

The Court of Appeal has now granted permission to appeal, meaning that the automatic suspension will come back into effect, pending the outcome of appeal proceedings. The appeal hearing is likely to take place in the week of 12 September.

“Throughout the litigation process, we have been clear that disrupting the implementation of Allwyn’s plans would present potentially severe consequences for the National Lottery and good causes,” the Gambling Commission said. “It also risks the National Lottery not operating to its full potential at the start of the fourth licence.

“We are, obviously, disappointed with this outcome, but respect the court’s decision. The appeal process will generate challenges for the transition to the fourth licence and further delay to the award of the licence to Allwyn. 

“We regret the decision by third parties to bring legal proceedings following the outcome of a highly successful competition for the fourth National Lottery licence, actions which could impact transition to the Fourth Licence and, ultimately, funding for good causes.

“Nevertheless, it remains our priority to ensure a seamless transition between the third and fourth National Lottery licences, so that players can continue to enjoy playing the National Lottery fairly, safely and claim their prizes, and so that the National Lottery continues to deliver for good causes in every corner of the UK.”

Allwyn’s selection followed a competitive tender process that also involved The New Lottery Company – owned by Health Lottery operator Northern and Shell – and Italy’s Sisal, as well as Camelot. 

In response, Allwyn chairman Justin King said that the decision risks harming the ability of the lottery to distribute funds for good causes.

As a result, he called on Camelot and IGT to include good causes in their undertaking for damages – a promise to repay affected parties for damages caused by the injunction if Allwyn ultimately wins the case and the injunction is found to be improper.

“We are obviously disappointed by today’s decision,” he said. “It creates the likelihood of further delay as the appeal will not be held until September. It is common ground that this delay will damage the introduction of the benefits the fourth licence brings for good causes.

“As the court ruled, Camelot and IGT must now provide an undertaking for damages by 4pm Friday. We call on them to either ensure that undertaking includes good causes, or instead in the interests of the good causes and the National Lottery, to gracefully accept the ruling of Mrs Justice O’Farrell.

“This would allow the suspension to be lifted and the Gambling Commission to move forward with Awarding the Fourth Licence to Allwyn.”

Camelot opted not to comment on whether it would do so.

Some 226 of the alerts raised during the three months to 30 June, were created before a match started, while 44 alerts were triggered after the end of events and 17 during play.

The GLMS said 185 alerts were ‘green notifications’, which refers to an alert based on suspicious odds movements that later could be explained away.

A further 82 were mid-level amber alerts and 14 code red, which relate to the most serious alerts such as specific allegations of match-fixing. The remaining 33 alerts were classed in the ‘others’ category and included requests for information from members and partners.

Football was by far the sport of most concern during Q2, accounting for 252 of all alerts, some way ahead of esports on 14 alerts, 13 for basketball, four for ice hockey, tennis with two and one each for handball and volleyball.

In terms of where the reports were generated, 156 were in relation to events in Europe, with 59 in Asia, 33 in South America, 27 in Africa, five in Oceania, four in North America and three for international events.

The main reason for alerts being raises was a significant odds change, with this forming the basis of 73 reports. Motivation accounted for 65 alerts, team-related news 43 and the wrong opening price 31.

GLMS raises alerts when it detects irregular betting patterns, after which it then consults with members to investigate the reasons behind the odds changes. When patterns cannot be justified, the GLMS produces a formal report.

Some 20 reports were created during the quarter, four of which were both developed and circulated by GLMS following internal investigation and significant alert. A further three reports were produced following a specific request by member or partner to facilitate internal investigation or for intelligence gathering.

Total revenue for six months through to 30 June 2022 is forecast to reach AUS$103.8m (£59.0/€69.6m/US$69.8m), up from $81.7m in underlying revenue for the 2021 financial year.

Jumbo said it was helped by an improved jackpot cycle, with the jackpot environment in its native Australia having experienced 43 Powerball/OzLotto jackpots in 2022, compared to 38 in the previous year, while the average jackpot value was also 28% higher.

The retailer also noted that during the second half of the year, it benefitted from a $120m Powerball jackpot in February 2022, which was the first time the jackpot had exceeded $100m since September 2019.

This, however, was followed by significantly lower jackpot activity in March and April 2022, with peak monthly jackpots of $20m, before increasing to $80m and $60m in May and June respectively.

Other stand-out figures from the preliminary results announcement included an expected 35.5% year-on-year increase in total transaction value (TTV), comprising the gross amount received from the sale of goods and services rendered, to $660.1m.

Underlying operating costs are forecast to rise by 34.8% to $35.6m, but underlying EBITDA is still expected to increase by 13.7% to $54.0m and underlying net profit after tax by 15.8% to $31.6m.

“We are very pleased with the strong growth that we have achieved in FY22 off the back of an improved jackpot cycle,” Jumbo chief executive and founder Mike Veverka said. “FY22 has been a pivotal year for Jumbo as we build the foundations to successfully execute on our global growth strategy. 

“Lottery retailing is exceptionally well positioned to benefit from the ongoing shift to digital and the new OzLotto game launched in May 2022, while the integration of Stride and StarVale will help us build scale in our Managed Services and SaaS segments globally.”

Jumbo plans to publish its FY22 results in full on 26 August.

Looking ahead to FY23, Jumbo said its performance will likely be impacted by a number of factors, including the cost of goods sold in its lottery retail business due to the increase in The Lottery Corporation service fee to 3.5% of the subscription price of tickets purchased, up from 2.5% in FY22. Marketing costs are also expected to be in the range of 1.5% to 2.0% of lottery retailing TTV.

In terms of group performance, excluding the impact of the Stride acquisition, which was completed in June, and the pending StarVale purchase that was recently pushed back to next year, underlying operating cost growth excluding lottery retailing marketing costs is expected to moderate with Jumbo targeting an increase of 20% to 22%.

Underlying EBITDA margin is also anticipated to be within a range of 48%-50%, with Jumbo saying jackpots remain a significant driver of lottery retail ticket sales and revenue, and in any given year, there is uncertainty as to the exact number and aggregate value of large jackpots.

Throughout the partnership Mischief will be responsible for creative duties relating to FanDuel Casino.

The partnership’s debut campaign is set to launch towards the end of 2022.

Daniele Phillips, VP of casino brand strategy at FanDuel Group, said the deal will allow FanDuel to gain more market access in the US.

“We’re entering uncharted territory as more and more states begin to welcome online casinos,” said Phillips. “And as FanDuel Casino introduces and acquaints itself to people across North America, we want to do it in an unexpected way that is so distant from category conventions.”

In May, FanDuel appointed former PokerStars director Asaf Noifeld as managing director of FanDuel Casino.

In the same month, Andrew Sheh was named the new chief technology officer of FanDuel.

“This is a sector ripe for disruption,” continued Phillips. “So it’s only fitting that our agency partner specialises in blowing stuff up. Mischief is the leader of disruption and strategically powerful ideas which have proven to move business time and time again. We can’t wait to make an impact together.”

Greg Hahn, co-founder and CCO of Mischief, added: “We’re looking forward to creating an unmistakable edge for FanDuel Casino. The FanDuel team are our kind of people: savvy, strategic, and up for rocking the boat. We’re really excited to be partnering.”

My Betting Sites was initially established in a number of countries, including the UK, Canada and Kenya. Later, it expanded to Australia, Ghana, New Zealand and South Africa.

In Ireland, My Betting Sites will offer guides to help users choose between bookmakers, as well as information on verification processes and payment options.

Jacob Ljunggren, product director at Leadstar, said that My Betting Sites is expected to continue this growth in Ireland.

“My Betting Sites is performing well in some very competitive markets, catering to the online betting needs of punters in many parts of the world and we see no reason why we can’t do the same in Ireland,” said Ljunggren.

“We’ve been following the online gambling industry in Ireland for some time and now we’re active, we look forward to becoming the go-to source for reviewing and comparing top licensed Irish online bookmakers.”

Ljunggren added that My Betting Sites is also focused on consumer protection.

“The Leadstar way involves taking our users on a journey and leaving no stone unturned in ensuring online betting is fun but also safe,” he continued.

“Educating users on the rules and regulations of the industry is a big part of what we do.”

The business reported revenue of €1.75bn (£1.48bn/$1.75bn) in the six months to 30 June, which was up slightly from the €1.74bn recorded in the same six months of 2019.

It comes after years of pandemic-induced difficulty for the land-based slots operator, which said its sales were reduced by a combined €2bn during 2020 and 2021, with its fleet of around 1,000 venues closed for large parts of that period. At the same time, it said that operating costs were “largely unchanged” despite the closures.

“It is great news that the pandemic has bottomed out and we are finally back in charted territory again,” chairman Paul Gauselmann (pictured) said. “This success is primarily the fruit of our good ideas and the dedication of each and every one of our employees and once again goes to show what you can achieve with hard work and team spirit.”

Besides the general recovery from the pandemic, the Gauselmann Group said its rebound was also due to “increasing diversification”.

“The Gauselmann Group is positioning itself on an ever-broader base – and in doing so is reducing its dependence on individual markets and business models,” the business said.

In particular, the group cited growth in the UK and Spain as a key reason for the recovery, with this helping to “compensate for the increasingly difficult situation in the German home market”.

As a result, non-German operations now make up more than 60% of Gauselmann’s revenue.

“From an entrepreneurial point of view, it was hugely important to drive forward our international business activities,” Paul Gauselmann said.

The business also increased its employee headcount by 10.7% in 2021 and now employs close to 15,000 people.

The business also discussed the launch of online casino in Germany, with subsidiary Mernov receiving the first slots licence in the country. Paul Gauselmann said, though, that conditions may need to be more “reasonable” for operators to succeed in the market, starting with more effort being taken to fight the black market.

“We will definitely be making an active contribution with good ideas in the online segment,” he said. “If we perform and can draw on more reasonable framework conditions going forward, success will follow.”

The suspension is effective from 22 June, with the ITIA to commence a full investigation into Totaro and the allegations.

Until the full disciplinary process is completed, Totaro, a national level umpire, is prohibited from officiating at or attending tennis events authorised or sanctioned by any international tennis governing body or national association.

The suspension was granted under section F.3 of the 2022 Tennis Anti-Corruption Program rules, which permits the ITIA to impose a provisional suspension at any time before a notice of major offence is issued or prior to an official hearing.

Totaro’s provisional suspension comes after the ITIA this week also issued lengthy bans to three Tunisian chair umpires after they were found guilty of match-fixing charges.

Majd Affi, a green badge chair umpire, was banned for 20 years after being found guilty of 12 charges relating to events between 2017 and 2020. 

Mohamed Ghassen Snene, also a green badge chair umpire, and Abderahim Gharsallah, a white badge chair umpire, were both banned for seven years after being found guilty of four charges relating to an event in Tunisia in 2020.

The ITIA said the charges related to the umpires manipulating scores inputted into their electronic scoring devices, which did not reflect the actual scores on court.

Revenue from the MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino and Penn National’s Hollywood Casino at Greektown was down from $108.1m in June 2021 and also 9.3% lower than $108.7m in May of this year.

MGM retained top spot in the Michigan city with a 49% share of the market, ahead of MotorCity on 34% and Greektown with 17%.

Breaking down the monthly performance, table games and slots were responsible for $98.2m of all revenue for the month, but this was 7.2% lower than in June of last year.

MGM led this area of the market with $48.3m in revenue, up by 4.3% year-on-year. However, revenue at MotorCity was down 9.8% to $33.5m, while Greektown’s revenue dropped 26.6% to $16.4m.

The three casinos paid $8.0m in gaming taxes, as well as $11.7m worth of wagering taxes and development agreement payments to the City of Detroit.

Turning to retail sports betting and qualified adjusted gross receipts (QAGR) here reached just $448,703, down 80.5% from $2.3m in June 2021, with players wagering a total of $22.4m.

The Hollywood Casino at Greektown clamed top spot in this sector with $305,023 in QAGR, ahead of MotorCity on $165,931, then MGM with $22,251.

The casinos paid $17,802 in gaming taxes to the state in June and $21,758 in wagering taxes and development agreement payments to the City of Detroit.