Month: February 2023

The partnership is co-branded with Better Collective’s Zagranie.com Polish flagship sports media brand, which will deliver sports betting content, data and statistics to a new sports and betting section on the WP.pl portal.

WP.pl, which has more than 22 million monthly visitors, is one of a number of websites that is operated by Wirtualna Polska. The partnership is expected to launch by the end of March, with sports fans able to access the new content directly on www.WP.pl. 

Better Collective has secured similar partnerships with media brands and properties across a number of other markets in recent years including the New York Post and British newspaper the Daily Telegraph.

“Better Collective has extensive experience in producing data, betting tips and sports content of high quality to inform sports fans at all levels of experience,” Better Collective’s Northeast Europe director Michael Kopec said. 

“We are excited to partner with Wirtualna Polska, so we together can provide the continuous depth and breadth of content that sports fans appreciate.”

Wirtualna Polska regional manager Łukasz Gołąbowski added: “Wirtualna Polska was Poland’s first internet portal, and we have a large and loyal following. Daily, we prepare new content so our readers can access the latest information and stay up to date on trivia from the world of entertainment. 

“Partnering with Better Collective means that we also will be able to provide timely and professional sports and sports betting content so Polish fans can always get the latest information about their favourite sport, team, or athlete.”

Rachidi, who had a career-high ATP ranking of 472, is permanently prohibited from playing in, coaching at or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of tennis.

Ruled on by independent anti-corruption hearing officer Janie Soublière, the match fixing case was uncovered following law enforcement investigations in conjunction with the ITIA in Belgium.

Rachidi was found to be involved in match fixing with two Algerian players who were also recently banned by the ITIA.

In addition to the life ban, Rachidi was handed a fine of $34,000 (£28,098/€31,675).

Specific breaches of the 2017 and 2018 Tennis Anti-Corruption Programmes (TACP) included section D.1.d, which states no player or other covered person shall contrive the outcome or any other aspect of an event.

The case also highlighted section D.1.e whereby individuals must not solicit or facilitate any player to not use their best efforts, as well as D.1.g, in relation to players not offering any money, benefit or other consideration to negatively influence a player’s best efforts.

In addition, Rachidi was found to have breached section D.2.a.i, which requires all covered persons to report any approach of match fixing to the ITIA as soon as possible.

The latest ruling comes after the ITIA this week also issued a four-year ban to French player Sherazad Reix after she was found guilty of six match-fixing charges.

Handle for the month amounted to $1.79bn, surpassing the previous record of $1.67bn set in the same month last year, though the January 2022 figure only included part of the month as legal sports betting did not launch in the state until January 8.

The January 2023 figure was also 10.2% higher than the $1.62bn recorded in the final month of 2022.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Frazer was appointed to the role earlier this week as part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet reshuffle. Her department, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), has responsibility for gambling, but with digital now stripped out.

Former Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan will head up a new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Speaking after the appointment, Dugher welcomed Frazer to the role and called on her to ensure the publication of the much-anticipated Gambling White Paper “as soon as possible” to end uncertainty in the industry.

Dugher also urged Frazer to ignore calls to introduce new taxes on gambling businesses and said the focus should instead be on protecting the minority of consumers who suffer from gambling-related harm.

“There are still issues to finalise, but the long-awaited package of welcome reforms should be published without delay,” Dugher said. “We hope the new Secretary of State will listen to racing and to the millions of punters who are concerned about blanket, intrusive, low-level ‘affordability’ checks driving people to the unsafe unregulated black market online. 

“We also hope that as a sector supporting jobs and investment in the UK, recovering from the pandemic and facing tough economic headwinds, she will reject calls for any new taxes on the industry.”

Dugher said it was important that any changes to regulations do not hamper the experience of people who enjoy gambling safely. 

“We continue to call for big changes so that standards in safer gambling continue to improve, but these changes must be carefully targeted to protect the small minority who are at risk or vulnerable, and not interfere with the overwhelming majority who enjoy betting safely and responsibly,” Dugher said.

“We have already called for an ombudsman to improve consumer redress and have engaged extensively with previous ministers. It’s time now for the government to end the damaging uncertainty and get on with publishing the white paper as soon as possible.”

Ahead of the NFL Super Bowl – the biggest gambling event of the year in the US – the state’s Attorney General Matthew Platkin outlined how the DGE is now working with online wagering companies to use technology in order to intervene with at-risk punters.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Issued by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission, the licence will enable Betfred to roll out its Betfred Sportsbook mobile wagering app in the state.

Maryland opened its regulated online betting market in November last year, with Barstool, BetRivers, BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel and PointsBet among the other operators licensed in the state.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Under the arrangement, VHL Michigan will support the tribe, which operates the Island Resort and Casino, with its igaming site that runs under the Sports Illustrated brand.

The deal came about after Churchill Downs Incorporated’s TwinSpires B2B sports betting business, the original platform provider for both online casino gaming and internet sports betting to the Hannahville tribe, withdrew from the agreement last July.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Under the deal, GG.bet will support ESIC with the development of its Anti-Corruption Tutorial, which aims to educate players and stakeholders about ethical behaviour in the esports industry. 

GG.bet will also assume the designation of a Tier 1 Anti-Corruption Supporter, which ESIC said would reinforce the operator’s commitment to creating a fair and secure environment for players and stakeholders.

“Over the past few years, GG.bet has invested a significant amount of effort into the development of esports,” GG.bet chief exectuive Dmytro Voshkarin said. “We have worked closely with teams and have seen the relevance of creating a safe and fair environment to ensure healthy competition in esports.

“We are pleased to be working with ESIC, a partner with whom we share a common passion for bringing integrity to esports, and we believe this tutorial will be helpful in achieving this goal.”

ESIC’s director of global strategy and partnerships, Stephen Hanna, added: “Partnerships like this one with GG.bet are critical to our mission of promoting integrity and preventing corruption in esports. 

“We’re grateful for their support and look forward to working together over the next three years to create a stronger, safer esports industry for all.” 

The deal comes after ESIC this week announced its first-ever ‘Anti-Cheat Partnership’ with global games protection and anti-piracy technology provider Denuvo by Irdeto.

Denuvo and ESIC will collaborate on developing a framework to implement anti-cheat technology within the esports industry.

As a member of the initiative, Better Collective will work with the All-in Diversity Project team and other supporters from across the gambling industry to promote diversity in the workplace. 

Better Collective, the first non-sportsbook founding member of the project, employs more than 900 people in 18 international offices and is working towards a goal of 35% of the underrepresented gender across top management and the group by 2030.

“By combining great minds and bringing different perspectives to the table, we will be more innovative and create even better solutions. Products will further appeal to more sports fans all around the world, while also attracting the best talents,” Better Collective’s co-founder and chief executive Jesper Søgaard said.

“As a listed company we feel we have an even greater responsibility not only towards our employees, partners and sport fans but also towards our shareholders. We want them to feel assured that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is part of our long-term strategy in building a sustainable business that is here to perform not only today and tomorrow but also far into the future.”

All-in Diversity Project co-founder Kelly Kehn added: “DEI is more relevant now than ever before. For an industry that has customers in every part of the world, the need to embrace diversity in all its forms is key to future growth and sustainability. 

“Media has the power to change perceptions and those platforms with DEI at the heart of their business have the power to impact both customers and our reputation as an industry overall. With a Tier 1 brand like Better Collective who shares our values and goals on board, we will have the fuel and reach to rocket this industry forward.”

More professionals than ever benefited from Ygam’s evidence-based education programmes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2022, according to the report, with the charity delivering training to 4,819 delegates.

Among that total were 2,994 teachers and youth workers, while other professionals included health practitioners, social workers, mental health specialists, university staff and community leaders.

The delegates trained by Ygam have committed to reaching an estimated 1,857,895 young people over the next 12 months.

Teachers will be primary drivers, delivering Ygam resources as part of the school curriculum between Key Stage 2 (for seven to 11-year-olds) and Key Stage 5 (for those over the age of 16).

According to Ygam’s latest report, 96% of teachers and youth workers who underwent the training feel confident about talking to young people about gambling and gaming. This represented a big increase in comparison with the 33.3% who felt confident before the Ygam training.

An impressive 98.1% agree they can now signpost and support young people if they are concerned about gambling or gaming harms, compared to 25.8% pre-training. Meanwhile, 98.5% can now recognise signs of gambling and gaming harm in young people post-workshop, compared to 31.5% beforehand.

“The findings of this report are a source of pride, and I want to thank the team, our partners, and supporters for their dedication and effort during this year,” Dr Jane Rigbye, CEO of Ygam, said.

“Our focus was to consolidate and build on the impact of our existing work, whilst looking to the future through the development of a new strategy to guide us from 2023.

“The team have risen to the challenge; they have been flexible, inspiring, and creative. They have set the foundations to enable us to deliver programmes which meet the needs of those who have responsibility for safeguarding children and young people, in a way which will deliver continuously improving standards and real impact.”

Over the past 12 months, Ygam has worked closely with leading academics from universities including Plymouth, Loughborough, Bristol, and Newcastle.

The charity has also increased its engagement with parents in 2022 through online workshops and its Parent Hub website. Some 94.9% of parents felt confident about spotting signs of gaming and gambling-related harm after a Ygam workshop compared to 14.9% pre-workshop.

Through the League Football Education programme, Ygam also worked with 12 professional football clubs to deliver educational workshops on gaming harms to over 336 academy players.

In January, Ygam set out details of its latest strategy, including a pledge to continue delivering education to children and young people about the risks of gambling.

This week at ICE London 2023, Ygam was one of the sponsors of the ICE Consumer Protection Zone that contributed towards raising a total of £52,800 (€59,454/$63,798) for four safer gambling charities.