square-in-the-air-hired-by-jockey-club-of-saudi-arabia-to-promote-world’s-most-valuable-horserace

Square in the Air hired by Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia to promote world’s most valuable horserace

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Award-winning agency wins competitive international PR, activation and social media pitch for The Saudi Cup 2021

Square in the Air has been appointed by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia to handle the international PR, activation and social media promotion of The Saudi Cup 2021, the world’s most valuable horserace, following a competitive pitch process.

The $20 million (£15 million) dirt race over nine furlongs (1800 metres) takes place at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday 20 February and is certain to attract many of the world’s best horses. It is the highlight of a two-day meeting with a total of $30.5 million (£23.2 million) in prize money on offer.

The inaugural Saudi Cup took place in February 2020, showcasing a number of firsts for the Kingdom, including the introduction of the country’s first turf track and the celebration of the first female jockeys to ride under rules in the country and also win races as part of the International Jockeys Challenge on the Friday.

Square in the Air will be providing a full international media relations service, assisting with the activation of content campaigns and managing The Saudi Cup’s social media channels.

Bill Esdaile, Managing Director of Square in the Air, said: “We are incredibly proud to be working with the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia to promote The Saudi Cup 2021, the world’s most valuable horserace.

“The first year was a huge success and they have done a phenomenal job to create this special international racing event in such a short space of time. We’re really looking forward to showcasing all the exciting stories in the lead up to the meeting in February.”

Tom Ryan, Director of Strategy and International Racing at the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, added: “We were impressed with Square in the Air’s creative and practical response to the brief and we’re excited to be working with them to help promote The Saudi Cup 2021.

“It has been a very difficult year for everyone around the world and there are certainly challenges staging a large international meeting like this, but we are determined to deliver an enjoyable and safe event that celebrates the horse, an animal that has had such a strong influence over the development of Saudi culture.”

Square in the Air is a multi-award-winning PR and marketing agency that specialises in the betting, gaming, sport and financial sectors. Clients include Ascot Racecourse, Bloomberg Square Mile Relay London, City AM, Hong Kong Jockey Club, Sporting Index, Sportradar and William Hill.

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Colossus Bets Launches Match Predictor Pools

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Pool betting operator and provider Colossus Bets has announced the launch of a new pool type named Match Predictor.

The new pool type will see Colossus’ popular multi-leg jackpot format, with its mainstay features of significant minimum prize guarantees, Cash Out and Syndicates, applied to single events – a market first. Individual legs within a pool will be based on a range of bet types, such as correct score results, number of cards and corners awarded.

The first phase of the launch will focus on covering high-profile football matches on the weekly calendar. Colossus also has plans to soon apply the format to other marquee sports and non-sports events.

David O’Reilly, CEO of Colossus, said: “In our quest to offer the world’s biggest sports jackpots, we’ve been deliberate in choosing sports content and bet types that can appeal to a broad, recreational sports fan player base. We see our new Match Predictor pools as one of the strongest reflections of this strategic focus to date.

“This release leans on the popularity of ‘bet builder’ fixed-odds products, but it’s something that has never been done in a pool betting context. Our players will now be able to enjoy the end-to-end Colossus jackpot experience over the course of a single football match.

“We are moving quickly to roll out phase one of Match Predictor pools to our network partners and, in parallel, we are building on this template to deliver a broader, sports-agnostic phase two.

“We also expect these pools to resonate well with our FreePlay customers as they open up new opportunities for event-centric marketing campaigns, whether it’s the build-up to the final of Euro 2021 or a weekend flash campaign.”

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Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – November 2-8

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Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! It was again an eventful week in the USA, despite the still-active virus attack.

Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news, new partnerships and new acquisitions. Read on and get updated.

Latest News

Sandra Douglass Morgan has resigned as chairwoman and executive director of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. She has served as the board’s chair since January 2019. Gov. Steve Sisolak announced Sandra’s departure in a news release, noting that she is “resigning to pursue an exciting professional opportunity.”

Twin River Holdings is going to invest $90 million to upgrade Bally’s Atlantic City. The Company is in the process of buying the casino from Caesars Entertainment for $25 million in a transaction that is expected to close by the end of this year.

Australian sportsbook and fantasy sports operator PlayUp has secured $25 million through the completion of an oversubscribed capital placement. PlayUp said that it has secured the $25 million funding on terms related to a “non-renounceable entitlement offer” underwritten by Investorlink Securities AFS, which the company will use to launch its US wagering proposition.

Casino table games developer and distributor Galaxy Gaming has received a loan of $4m from Zions Bancorporation through the Nevada State Bank (NSB) and the Main Street Priority Loan Programme that was enacted as part of the US government’s CARES Act in March.

Casino Reopening

Great Canadian Gaming Corporation has announced that Casino Woodbine will be reopening at 10 am EST on 14 November 2020, as a result of the Ontario provincial government’s announcement allowing the reopening of certain businesses. The casino will be reopening with the significant and comprehensive health and safety protocols it introduced as part of its first reopening on September 28.

New Partnerships

WynnBET, the digital gaming division of Wynn Resorts, has entered into a multi-year national sports betting partnership with NASCAR to create and promote engaging sports betting experiences for racing fans in the US. Also, WynnBET is going to submit an application to become a legal gaming operator in the state of Virginia.

PXP Financial Inc., the US subsidiary of PXP Financial Ltd., has partnered with the US division of the global sportsbook operator Tipico. With this new partnership, PXP Financial Inc. has deployed a full-service gateway, offering multiple connections to different providers, and a full managed service including reconciliations and a risk monitoring service for Tipico.

Awards

Monkey Knife Fight (MKF) has won the EGR award for Fantasy Sports Operator. MKF received the award through EGR North America’s virtual award show, with Nic Sulsky, President, accepting the award on the company’s behalf.

Sportsbook operator PointsBet was recently honoured by eGaming Review (EGR) as the top sports betting operator, most socially responsible operator and US rising star, at the EGR North America Awards 2020.

NeoPollard Interactive LLC has congratulated the Michigan Lottery for its recognition as the Lottery Operator of the Year at the 2020 EGR North America Awards.

New Launching

William Hill US has launched its sportsbook app and website in Indiana. The William Hill Sportsbook App offers a seamless betting experience that is easy and quick to find, make and track one’s bets. The app is available for download on any Apple or Android device.

Acquisition

Stockholm-listed iGaming affiliate Acroud has signed a Letter of Intent to acquire a fast-growing company active on the US Sports Betting market for an initial consideration of approximately EUR 2.2m The acquisition would also be followed by a potential additional earn-out consideration that may be payable by Acroud to the sellers in an aggregate minimum amount of approximately EUR 2.2m.

Compliance

The Argentine Chamber of Deputies has approved the Budget for the year 2021, which raises taxes on online gaming from 2% to 5%. Now, the budget is pending full Senate approval.

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Crown Melbourne Set to Reopen with Extensive Health and Safety Measures

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Crown Melbourne, the flagship property of Crown Resorts, has got permission to resume some gaming operations from this week with substantial health and safety restrictions.

“We have been working for some time with the Victorian Government and health authorities to determine how we can safely re-open Crown Melbourne and have developed extensive physical distancing and hygiene measures to allow re-opening in a safe manner,” Ken Barton, CEO of Crown Resorts, said.

“We are pleased to be able to commence the process of welcoming back our employees and customers to Crown Melbourne,” Ken Barton added.

Gaming will be limited to VIP patrons in 10 designated areas with a maximum of 10 patrons in each area, and smoking will not be permitted. There will also be a requirement for every second machine to be disabled while no single patron will be allowed on the gaming floor for more than 90 minutes per day.

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GrooveGaming hear music with The Ear Platform

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Aggregator GrooveGaming is keeping the momentum flowing with yet another content deal this year, this time putting The Ear Platform’s 140 plus portfolio of gaming content onto their already burgeoning platform.

Becoming the latest in a raft of new agreements entered into so far this year, the new partnership will see The Ear Platform’s content integrated with GrooveGaming’s platform. GrooveGaming has significantly grown its presence throughout the last two years across key global markets and important regulated jurisdictions through partnerships with major online gambling operators.

GrooveGaming’s powerful platform now includes over 5000 casino games made up of a wealth of aggregated content ranging from slots, online casino and live casino, to poker and table games, as well as the new segment added to the platform last month, Real Casino, that operators can access via easy integration to drive player engagement and revenue.

GrooveGaming is the aggregator of choice for a host of big industry names including EveryMatrix, iGP, Digitain, GoBet, ProgressPlay, Hub88, QTech, Alea, Quickfire, Max Entertainment and BetConstruct, amongst others, with Tusk Casino the latest addition to be welcomed into this prestigious group last month.

GrooveGaming continues to expand rapidly on the back of some of the most robust technology in the igaming industry, constantly developing functionality and improving user experience. The Ear also took into account that GrooveGaming has been recognised as one of the ’10 Best Technology Solution Providers of 2020′ by IndustryEra, firmly demonstrating that the aggregator’s technology development is being acknowledged not only in the iGaming industry, but also from outside it.

A major reason why GrooveGaming is becoming the aggregator of choice around the world is that GrooveGaming is powered by technology innovation which provides operators with the ability to activate a range of features that enhance customer experience and engagement, improve retention, encourage extended play and produce a higher yield.

With over 25 years of experience in gaming, The Ear Platform has become a sought-after iGaming software provider for various other operators in the industry. The company also offers a comprehensive gaming platform adapted to meet the requirements of jurisdictions worldwide. In addition, The Ear Platform also focuses on games distribution as a casino aggregator.

Andrei Siomlea the Commercial Director for The Ear Platform said: “We are delighted to bring our one-stop-shop for content to GrooveGaming, who have made a lot of noise with some great deals over the last couple of years. This is another important moment for The Ear in our journey onto the global stage.”

Yahale Meltzer, COO at GrooveGaming said: “Our content partners are vital to our efforts to keep delivering some of the world’s best games and gaming experiences, very much fitting with our ambition to be one of the largest casino content aggregators on the market. We have plenty more room to find additional ways to collaborate with The Ear Platform and our entire team are interested to explore further business pathways on the back of this initial alliance.”

europe-online-gambling-market-report-2020-2025-featuring-major-players-–-bet365,-888-holdings,-gvc-holdings,-kindred-group,-william-hill,-and-betsson

Europe Online Gambling Market Report 2020-2025 Featuring Major Players – Bet365, 888 Holdings, GVC Holdings, Kindred Group, William Hill, and Betsson

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The “Europe Online Gambling Market – Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2020-2025)” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

The European online gambling market is projected to grow, witnessing a CAGR of 9.20% during the forecast period (2020-2025).

Growing hardware and software innovations and the rising popularity of casino and sports betting gambling, along with enhanced internet penetration, are expected to drive the growth of the European online gambling market.

The dominating players have been focusing on mergers over the past few years, primarily to increase their stake in the market and to improve profit margins. For instance, Paddy Power PLC and Bet fair PLC merged to form Paddy Power Betfair PLC.

In order to gain a competitive advantage and compete with the established players, companies are developing innovative offerings in the region. For instance, in April 2019, one of the UK’s leading casino companies, 888 Holdings, had signed up a new gaming partnership with software maker, Microgaming.

Key Market Trends

Desktop Devices Holding The Major Share

Online gaming started on desktop computers, and many online casinos still focus most of their development on making sure that players get a smooth and well-presented user-interface experience. Desktops and laptops are considered to be the most convenient devices for online gambling owing to their bigger screen size. This factor provides the gamer with the ultimate online gaming experience.

One of the major benefits of using the desktop as an option to play online casino is that the number of mobile casino games on offer is significantly fewer than desktop gaming. Moreover, some of the mobile casino games only offer a few selections of the deposit options as compared to a desktop site. However, rising penetration of smartphones, owing to its convenience, is affecting the growth and demand for the gambling market operated through desktops/laptops.

United Kingdom Leading The Market

Sports betting in the United Kingdom is provided by the private sector and is conducted within a very competitive market. Online gambling is legal and regulated in the country by the Gambling Commission, which was formed by the Gambling Act of 2005. Online poker, sports betting, casino games, bingo, and lottery-style games all fall under the purview of the Gambling Commission.

As per the data published by OfCom (The Office of Communications, United Kingdom) in 2015, 6% of the users aged between 25-34 and 45-54 years engaged themselves in online gambling at least once in every three months. The second highest age group was between 16 and 24 years, which accounted for 4%. Rizk Casino, 888 Holdings, Casumo Casino, bet365, and LeoVegas are some of the prominent players operating in the UK online gambling market.

Competitive Landscape

Bet365, 888 Holdings Plc, GVC Holdings PLC, Kindred Group PLC, William Hill PLC, and Betsson AB are some of the major players having a significant presence across Europe. nMany online gambling companies rely on third-party providers, such as Playtech, for software solutions. However, some companies choose to backward integrate with technology providers.

For instance, 888 poker heavily invested in developing its own software and online gaming technology, primarily not to rely on suppliers. Similarly, William Hill, a bookmaker company located in the United Kingdom, was focused on backward integration, and thus, acquired Grand Parade, a software development company, in 2016.

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Parimatch becomes betting partner of EPIC League

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The multinational bookmaking holding Parimatch has become an official betting partner of the second season of international esports series EPIC League in Dota 2. The brand will be integrated into the Russian broadcasts of games held by RuHub studio.

Matches of Epic Esports Events’ EPIC League will be held in two divisions in the Europe/CIS region from October 29 to December 13. The prize pool of the first division is $500 000, and $50 000 is planned for the second one. First division participants are Virtus.pro, NAVI, Alliance, Team Liquid, Nigma, Vikin.gg, OG и Secret.

Stepan Shulga, head of Parimatch esports division: “The second season of the EPIC League promises to be the hottest event of the year. Perhaps the legendary Virtus.pro players under a different tag will be able to meet with the updated roster. A new era of NAVI is finally dawning. Even Team Secret managed to start their performance at the tournament with a loss, although it was impossible to believe in. We are glad to cooperate with RuHub again at such an amazing tournament and are already preparing some pleasant surprises for the audience.”

Sergey Barkhudarian, commercial director of ESforce Holding: “Over the years of our cooperation, Parimatch has shown itself to be one of the most reliable partners. We are glad to work with a company that is seriously interested in the development of esports — and this is proved by the rich history of our joint activities. We are confident that the second season of the EPIC League will open a new and exciting page in this story.”

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Green Jade Games Releases Troll KO

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Green Jade Games has released its latest knock out slot, Troll KO. The game takes players to the heart of an enchanted forest where they must defeat the trolls to claim their treasures.

The Knock Out feature allows players to knock symbols out of the reels to create a cascade effect. Line up three or more Loot Box symbols horizontally to trigger the game’s bonus features, which include free spins, instant cash or a combination of the two.

The Knock Out series from Green Jade is one of the three different types of games produced. The business is still focused on developing its Arcade Skill games, KO slots and slot games. The KO slots really give players a hand in the outcome of the round.

betixon-secures-uk-gambling-commission-licence

Betixon Secures UK Gambling Commission Licence

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Games studio Betixon has received a Casino Software and Game Host licence from the UK Gambling Commission.

The licence will enable the group to go live in Europe’s biggest igaming market once it has finalised a number of agreements with a number of leading UK-focused operators.

“We are delighted to have received our UK Gambling Commission licence. It not only demonstrates our ongoing strategy to increase our global footprint but also our commitment to working within regulated markets. We are extremely proud of our games portfolio, including our upcoming, first series of premium games Fortune Breakers, which will be jam packed with intensive graphics and features. We can’t wait to share this with operators as we continue our stride into new markets,” Lior Cohen, co-founder and CTO of Betixon, said.

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Betsafe Embarks on its First Esports Sponsorship

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Betsafe has just announced that it has signed a three-year sponsorship agreement with GODSENT, a Swedish professional esports organisation. Through this agreement, Betsafe became exclusive betting partner to GODSENT as well as the Headline Sponsor for the CS:GO (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive) Division.

Kim Ekelund, Head of Marketing Sweden at Betsson Group said, “esports has been gaining a lot of momentum in the past couple of years and the global pandemic has further cemented its place. With all major sporting competitions being postponed during spring, more attention was directed towards esports, adding to its mainstream appeal.

“For this sponsorship we chose Betsafe, one of our most adventurous and sportive brands. Going forward, I believe there’s still a lot of progress to be made in the esports arena and this sponsorship between ambitious GODSENT and Betsafe is a concrete example of our commitment towards the future of esports.”

“We are very proud that Betsafe, with its long tradition of investing in extraordinary content and sponsorships, has signed this long-standing commitment with us. GODSENT is an extremely ambitious organisation and Betsafe matches that perfectly. They will become an important driver of our CS:GO division and will be a great strategic partner as we grow into a tier-one organisation,” says Ludwig Sandgren, CEO of GODSENT.

This is Betsafe’s first sponsorship within esports and initially, the focus will be on CS:GO, one of the most known video games which sees two teams play against each other. CS:GO is also the most-watched esports title amongst bettors in Europe. Besides brand exposure and financial support, the agreement will put great emphasis on close collaboration and social media activation, aiming to add an extra flavour to all esports fans, whether it is odds and betting or behind the scenes series. The agreement has been facilitated through a partnership between GRID Esports and GODSENT and will include data-rich and relevant content for GODSENT’s upcoming matches.