Tag: Sports Betting

Ellipse, a leading sports data and analytics company, behind the likes of CricViz and TennisViz, has announced a multi-year partnership with Racecourse Media Group (RMG).

The partnership will see Ellipse’s data engineering and analytics specialists, combined with AI and machine learning, bring a new dimension to how fans consume and understand horse racing – the first project of its kind for the sport.

Ellipse will work alongside RMG in using tracking data to generate a suite of analytics, modelling new performance indices and pre-race and post-race insights, known as RaceiQ metrics. The objectives of the partnership are to create new and engaging data insights to demystify horse racing performance, plus provide new ways to present the sport to existing and new fans of the sport.

Ensuring cutting-edge metrics are developed, with racing fans at its core, is vital to the project and, to that end, Ellipse and RMG have been working with some of the biggest names from across the racing industry.

The group includes former champion jockey and leading broadcaster Ruby Walsh, the unmistakable voice of ITV’s racing commentary, Richard Hoiles, recently crowned HWPA broadcaster of the year, Lydia Hislop, and Racing TV presenter and analyst Angus McNae. We are also delighted to announce that former jockey Page Fuller has joined Ellipse and will take the role of Lead Editorial Analyst for RaceiQ.

One of the RaceiQ metrics, Lengths Gained Jumping (LGJ), has recently been introduced to Racing TV’s coverage and determines how well a horse has jumped throughout a race compared with its rivals and therefore if it affected the outcome of the race.

Roderick Grafton, MD – Horse Racing at Ellipse said: “We’re delighted to be working on such an innovative project with RMG. The opportunity to combine our data science expertise with the knowledge of legends in the sport will allow us to produce RaceiQ metrics that will bring a deeper level of insight and understanding to racing audiences. Lengths Gained Jumping is the first such metric and we are thrilled with the interest it has received so far.”

Guy Evans-Tipping, CEO of Ellipse commented: “We are extremely excited to be partnering with RMG on this first-of-its-kind project in horse racing. Ellipse has proven experience in delivering innovative analytics metrics across sports and our aim with horse racing is to attract and engage a new audience. The team are hugely excited about innovating new performance metrics for RMG’s audience. It is a unique opportunity to demystify horse racing and will no doubt uncover new angles and narratives in the sport.”

Martin Stevenson, CEO of RMG, added: “This partnership with Ellipse will herald a new chapter in how we understand and engage with the sport of racing. Ellipse has shown how, through the likes of CricViz in cricket, sport can be brought to life with innovative data and analytics. We look forward to working together to engage with existing fans and attract new fans to the sport by using data to help predict how races might be run and won, which will also prove a valuable betting tool.”

Established localised European operator to leverage Kambi’s market-leading Complete sportsbook in Belgium and Netherlands as part of long-term agreement

Kambi Group plc (Kambi), the world’s trusted sports betting partner, has signed a long-term sportsbook partnership with Bingoal, a leading operator in Belgium and the Netherlands, to provide its award-winning Complete sportsbook to Bingoal across its online and retail channels.

Under the terms of the agreement, Bingoal will replace its current third-party sportsbook provider with Kambi’s best-in-class sports betting technology and services, which will be integrated with Bingoal’s proprietary player account management system.

Kambi’s cutting-edge sportsbook will power Bingoal’s online operations in both Belgium and the Netherlands as well as its extensive retail network of over 350 betting outlets and press shops in Belgium. The launch of Bingoal’s new and improved sportsbook is expected to take place in the second quarter of 2024.

Kambi was selected by Bingoal as its new sportsbook provider due to its proven track record of success with existing partners in regulated European markets including Belgium and the Netherlands, which benefit from Kambi’s high-performance sports betting platform and innovative products such as Bet Builder and AI-powered trading capability.

As a family-owned company with more than 30 years’ industry experience, Bingoal has grown to become one of the leading sports betting and gaming brands in its home country of Belgium as well as developing a strong presence in the Netherlands where it launched online in October of 2021.

“We are delighted to announce our new agreement with Bingoal, an established European operator with a strong brand and a legacy of industry success that spans more than three decades,” the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer for Kambi, Kristian Nylen, said. “This partnership further establishes Kambi as the sportsbook provider of choice in regulated European markets and we look forward to supporting Bingoal by driving its online and retail success to new heights.”

“We are excited to partner with Kambi and to integrate its best-in-class sportsbook into our operations,” the Chief Executive Officer for Bingoal, Joeri Impens, said. “Kambi’s sportsbook is known for its high level of performance and innovation and we believe that the addition of its award-winning technology and services will be crucial as we look to fulfil our sportsbook ambitions in both Belgium and the Netherlands.”

It is announced today that Virgin Bet will sponsor the highlight of The Christmas Meeting at Cheltenham: the December Gold Cup, as well as the final race on the card that day.

A £130,000 Premier Handicap chase, the Virgin Bet December Gold Cup takes place on Saturday 16^th December, over an extended two and a half miles on the New Course at the Home of Jump Racing.

There have been 53 runnings of the contest since its establishment in 1963. The roll of honour features famous names such as Flyingbolt, Pendil, Dublin Flyer and Frodon, who became only the second dual winner of the race in 2018, with success under 11st 12lb in the hands of Bryony Frost.

As part of the partnership and to show their continued appreciation for the hard work and dedication of Stable Staff, Virgin Bet will provide the opportunity to win a “£1000 voucher” for each member of Stable Staff who has won the Best Turned Out Award for their race.

In addition, as part of their continued raceday sponsorship, Virgin Bet will donate £5,000 to the recently formed Gold Cup 100 Community Fund, created to mark the celebration of 100 years of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March 2024.

Virgin Bet Marketing Director Ric Leask said: “We are thrilled to announce Virgin Bet’s sponsorship of the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

“We are passionate about delivering an unparalleled sports betting experience, and there’s no better way to showcase this commitment than by supporting one of the most prestigious events in the racing calendar.

“Cheltenham holds a special place in the hearts of racing enthusiasts, and we are excited to be a part of the excitement and tradition that the December Gold Cup brings.

“This sponsorship reflects our dedication to being a leading player in the horseracing world, and we’re delighted to continue to be deeply embedded within the highlight moments of the sport.”

Ian Renton, Managing Director, The Jockey Club – West, added: “It is a pleasure to welcome Virgin Bet as the new sponsor of the December Gold Cup, and I would like to say thanks for this very generous support.

“The Virgin Bet Gold Cup is always highly competitive and provides a thrilling Jump racing spectacle in the run-up to Christmas.

“This year’s entries look very strong, and we look forward to another tremendous renewal on Saturday 16^th December.”

Existing partnership has seen the launch of numerous innovations to bring more fans closer to elite women’s tennis including deeper live data, AI-enriched insights and award-winning live streaming experiences

Stats Perform’s products and content distribution network has been cited as an intrinsic part of the WTA’s fan experience plans as it expands Tour footprint, profile, fanbase and sponsors and moves towards equal prize money

Sports content pioneer Stats Perform today announced it has extended its exclusive agreement with the recently enhanced WTA Tour to collect and distribute official WTA data and live streams to licensed sportsbooks until the end of the decade.

The extended agreement continues the longstanding partnership between the two organizations and makes official WTA live scores, stats and content available across Stats Perform’s vast worldwide distribution network; including global media, tech giants, broadcasters and betting operators to bring tennis fans closer to the sport.

Since its inception, the partnership has seen the development and introduction of numerous successful and award-winning fan engagement innovations such as:

• Full coverage of outer courts and qualifiers
• New AI-enriched Opta metrics like clutch points and win probabilities
• Interactive AI-enriched live streaming features like instant highlights and tailored insights that display on-screen during games
• Expert Opta research support for commentators and interviewers
• Addition of a more detailed in-venue data feed alongside the umpire data feed

“We’re honored and delighted to extend our deep relationship with the WTA, who is a highly progressive and professional sports organization,” the Chief Commercial Officer for Stats Perform, Alex Rice, said. “We’re proud of what our respective teams have achieved together so far and excited to continue to elevate fan and bettor experiences with the most reliable, comprehensive and innovative official WTA content; even more so as the Tour is set to feature more tournaments and more matches, meaning even more opportunities for our sportsbook and media partners to showcase the incredible action to their customers.”

“We are excited to extend our successful partnership with Stats Perform,” the Chief Executive Officer for WTA Ventures, Marina Storti, said. “The data and insights it provides are an important part of our plans to drive fan engagement through product innovation and enriched experiences. The development of long-term relationships with industry partners is an important source of commercial revenue underpinning our ambition to reinvest in the sport and help the WTA achieve the goal of equal prize money for women at all top events.”

WTA tennis sits alongside official live streams and data from Tennis Australia in Stats Perform’s exclusive betting and media rights portfolio as well as content from the world’s biggest global leagues and competitions across football, basketball, cricket, rugby, ice hockey, badminton and more. The announcement comes shortly after Stats Perform claimed Best Sports Data Product for the second year running at the 2023 SBC Awards.

For more information, please contact the WTA on WTACommunications@ WTATennis .com or Stats Perform on Media.Relations@ StatsPerform .com.

Leading jockey steps into the role for 2023/24 season

Rhino.Bet, a leading brand within Playbook Engineering’s award-winning platform, has announced that Grade 1 winning jockey Henry Brooke (pictured) has become its horse racing ambassador for the 2023/24 jumps season.

Brooke is one of the north’s leading jockeys, whose career high came in 2019 when he won the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on Cornerstone Lad. Other notable successes for the former Conditional Champion include wins in the Rendlesham Hurdle and Eider Chase along with three Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase wins on three different horses for three different trainers.

Despite his share of injuries over the past three seasons, the 31-year-old has continued to make a name for himself as one of the leading jockeys on the Northern Racing circuit and his partnership with Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero is propelling him to even greater success. That alliance has included a first win for both parties in France with the talented Gesskille.

“I’m truly excited to be linking up with Rhino Bet,” Brooke said. “It’s putting a huge amount into sponsoring races at Carlisle, Market Rasen, Huntingdon and Nottingham and this ties in nicely with my role as Jockey Club Small Course Ambassador.

“I’m fitter than I’ve ever been as I have ramped up my gym work; cardio, high intensity interval training and strength conditioning topped off with my new ice bath. This training programme is translating into results on the track and I’m sure it will pay off for Rhino.Bet and its investment in me.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome Henry Brooke to the Rhino.Bet team,” the Head of Retention for Rhino.Bet, Ceiron Jones, said. “Henry is not only a top jockey but a really nice guy and we’re chuffed he’s chosen to carry the Rhino logo over the jumps this season. We’re continuing to invest in small course sponsorship this season and working with Henry complements that strategy perfectly.”

Being based in Middleham has allowed Brooke to develop working relationships with a number of the North’s leading trainers Brian Ellison and Adrian Keatley. As Rhino.Bet’s racing ambassador, Brooke will be previewing his rides as well as providing punters with unique insight into the life of a jockey as well as carrying the Rhino on his breeches.

Arena Racing Company (ARC) and Racecourse Media Group (RMG) are delighted to announce the creation of shared channels to distribute UK racing internationally.

The five-year partnership, which commences from January 2024, will mean that content from British and Irish racecourses will be promoted and commercialised in a range of international tote (pari-mutuel) markets as a single service. This new tote service will come under the banner of GBI Racing (Great British & Irish racing), which had served a similar function from 2010 to 2018.

Separately, a service for a range of fixed odds territories will broadcast coverage from British racecourses, plus ARC’s Premier Greyhound Racing service. The broadcast services for both tote and fixed odds channels will be provided by ARC’s production business, Vermantia.

The aligning of the rights of RMG (34 British racecourse shareholders, including Jockey Club racecourses, and York and Goodwood) and ARC (16 British racecourses), plus other independent racecourses, such as Ascot, Chester and Newbury will create new efficiencies and synergies, which will maximise returns to the sport. It will also enable British and Irish racing to be effectively marketed and promoted to international audiences.

Brendan Parnell, ARC Managing Director of Media and International, said: “This partnership will offer British racing a unified export service, streamlined for our various international partners. Working with our colleagues at RMG, we look forward to offering and developing this efficient international platform to distribute and promote the sport around the world.”

Maritn Stevenson, RMG CEO, said: “I am delighted that British racing, and Irish racing via the tote service, will be sold and promoted as one package. This will drive further value for our racecourses and provide a better product for our customers across the world. I look forward to working with Brendan and his team in creating this leading international service.

“I would also very much like to thank SIS for the work they have done for our racecourses in this area over the last five years.”

The Unit has provided a bespoke front-end for odds data provider using latest technologies; new partnership agreed after both parties worked together on Fusion Odds Data platform

The Unit, the leader in nearshore product development for sports betting and iGaming, has showcased its first-class expertise by designing and developing a bespoke front-end system for data odds provider TXOdds.

TXOdds allows operators to power up their betting platform with the lowest latency sports odds API feed on the market. Through the use of TXOdds’ state-of the-art delivery system, the operator can make use of a fast live sports odds API feed and they can also access the tools to make data-driven decisions by tapping into the world’s largest historical odds database.

After experiencing first-hand the value The Unit can deliver to its clients, TXOdds has agreed to develop the partnership and work with The Unit on future projects. The Unit has introduced to TXOdds a user-friendly, intuitive front-end system for TXOdds’ customers, using the latest front-end technologies.

This follows a successful collaboration where The Unit developed the front-end of TXOdds’ Fusion Odds Data product. Fusion Odds Data provides the ultimate sports trading experience, allowing the customer to consume all data updates in real-time through a high-performance live sports odds feed.

The user can access a high-performance feed that processes all pre-game and in-play odds changes. They can stay connected to a wide coverage of sports, competitions and fixtures around the clock. The platform also offers the ability to customise thresholds, observe volatility fluctuations and set synthetic pricing across all major betting markets.

This agreement comes as The Unit continues to build its reputation as a world-class service provider for the sports betting and iGaming sector across global markets; a reputation which it has grown across the past five years. The team specialises in developing products across a range of industry domains including sports, casino, free-to-play and gamification platforms.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to cement TXOdds’ position as a leading odds data provider by developing a bespoke front-end that will make its offering even stronger,” the co-founder for The Unit, Paddy Casey, said. “It was a very positive experience for both parties when we worked on Fusion Odds Data and we can now bring our expertise to other parts of the platform.

“Our front-end solution is easy to navigate and sets a new standard for trading interfaces. We can bring our experience to any task at hand in product development and we consistently deliver high-quality, specialised services. I am personally very excited to deliver this service to TXOdds and I look forward to the opportunities this partnership will present.”