Jerry Milani is a freelance writer and public relations executive living in Bloomfield, N.J. He has worked in P.R. for more than 30 years in college and conference sports media relations, two agencies and for the International Fight League, a team-based mixed martial arts league, and variouis sports and entertainment properties. Milani is a proud graduate of Fordham University and when not attending a Yankees or Rams game can be reached at Jerry (at) JerryMilani (dot) com.
NESN, the television home of the Boston Bruins and Boston Red Sox, and VSiN (Vegas Stats & Information Network) announced today that VSiN’s Follow the Money morning show will air live on NESNplus every weekday morning from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET beginning Monday, March 18. Beginning in April, the program will re-air on NESN every weekday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET immediately following NESN Sports Update, the regional network’s regularly scheduled morning sports news program.
“NESN has long been a leader in regional sports television, and there is no better partner to reach sports fans throughout New England,” said Brian Musburger, founder and CEO of VSiN. “As regulated sports betting expands across the country, VSiN will continue to partner with innovators like NESN to help inform the rapidly growing number of Americans wagering on sports.”
Follow the Money is hosted by Mitch Moss and Paul Howard. The three-hour show is an informative and entertaining sports talk show that blends actionable betting information with irreverent commentary, humor and legendary stories. Next week, the show will include expert insight and analysis around March Madness, the annual NCAA basketball tournament which gets underway on Tuesday.
“Sports-wagering regulations are changing quickly and with these changes, we anticipate an increased interest in obtaining relevant and reliable sports information,” said Rick Jaffe, NESN’s vice president of programming and production. “VSiN has both the experience and expertise to deliver the most up-to-date gaming data and analytics to New England’s sports fans.”
Follow the Money will also air live on NESN National, the network’s national programming service available outside the network’s New England territory via select TV providers.
Americans plan to wager $8.5 billion on this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament, with 1-in-5 adults placing a bet, according to a new survey released today by the American Gaming Association (AGA).
Zion Williamson (Flickr/Keenan Hairston)
Key findings from the survey, conducted by Morning Consult, include:
47 million American adults will wager $8.5 billion on March Madness;
$4.6 billion will be wagered on a collective 149 million brackets by more than 40 million people;
Nearly 18 million people will wager $3.9 billion at a sportsbook, online, with a bookie or with a friend;
4.1 million will place a bet at a casino sportsbook or using a legal app;
2.4 million will bet illegally with a bookie; and
5.2 million will bet online, likely at illegal offshore sites.
The plurality of bettors favors Duke (29%) to win, followed by Gonzaga (9%), North Carolina(8%), Kentucky (7%), Virginia (5%) and Michigan (5%).
“During this year’s tournament – the first in post-PASPA America – sports fans are expected to bet 40% more than they did on this year’s Super Bowl,” said Bill Miller, AGA’s president and chief executive officer. “Unlike any other sporting event in the country, March Madness attracts millions who fill out brackets, make casual bets with friends or wager at a legal sportsbook, which Americans can now do more than ever before.”
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in May 2018, more than $5.9 billion has been wagered in the now-eight states with legal, regulated sports betting, enabling consumer protections and generating valuable tax revenue for state, local and tribal governments across the country.
“These results indicate there’s still work to do to eradicate the vast illegal sports betting market in this country, and we’re committed to ensuring sound policies are in place to protect consumers, like the 47 million Americans who will bet on March Madness,” continued Miller.
New Jersey’s sportsbooks took in more than $320 million in February bets, generating strong monthly revenue despite a short month and a predictable post-Super Bowl lull. In all, New Jersey’s online and retail sportsbooks netted $12.7 million in revenue on $320.4 million in sports bets, down 16.8 percent from a record $385.3 million wagered in January.
The February handle works out to $46 per adult resident of New Jersey, significantly larger than any other legal sports jurisdiction, other than Nevada.
“Because of the strength of New Jersey’s online product, in-play betting during the Super Bowl was significantly stronger in New Jersey than in other legal markets,” said Dustin Gouker, lead sports betting analyst for PlayNJ.com. “In addition, New Jersey’s sportsbooks saw significant action on other sports, particularly on college basketball and the NBA. It adds up to another very good month for New Jersey even after a somewhat disappointing Super Bowl handle.”
New Jersey’s online sportsbook brands accounted for $258.9 million, or 80.8 percent, of total bets in January, according to official reporting. The state’s retail sportsbooks made up the remaining 20.2 percent. That compares to 79.2 percent of total bets flowing through online sportsbooks in January.
“New Jersey’s sports betting market is less driven by major events than in Nevada, and February’s numbers bear that out,” Gouker said. “The market’s consistency will eventually help New Jerseyovertake Nevada as the largest legal sports betting market in the U.S., which is now more a question of when rather than if.”
PlayNJ.com
FanDuel Sportsbook/Pointsbet overtook DraftKings Sportsbook as the state’s dominant online sportsbook with $6.6 million in February gross revenue, up from $5.9 million in January. DraftKings Sportsbook fueled Resorts’ $3.7 million in February online gross revenue, down 46 percent from $6.9 million in January.
FanDuel Sportsbook at The Meadowlands continues to dominate the retail market, posting $1.5 million in February gross revenue, up from $1.2 million in January. FanDuel was followed by Resorts AC’s $142,846.
“DraftKings and FanDuel show few signs of relinquishing their top spots,” Gouker said. “But with football now over, it will be interesting to see if a change in focus to college basketball and Major League Baseball alters the dynamic in the coming months.”
LEGAL ONLINE CASINOS
A month after crossing the $30 million threshold for monthly revenue for the first time, legal online gambling generated $31.8 million in February, up 44 percent from $21.99 million in February 2018. Though monthly revenue was down from a record $33.6 million in January, the industry generated $1.1 million per day in the 28 days of February, even with the 31 days in January.
“New Jersey’s online casinos are among the biggest beneficiaries of legalized sports betting,” said Steve Ruddock, lead online gambling analyst for PlayNJ.com. “Online casino revenue has grown by at least 25 percent in seven of the eight months since online sportsbooks made their first appearance in the Garden State. It would not be surprising if the industry hits $40 million in monthly revenue at some point before 2019 has ended.”
UMBC after its win over UVA in the 2018 NCAA First Round
Want a shot at one million dollars? Looking to have more fun playing fantasy sports? Do you want to have a chance to beat the competition – every time – up until the final buzzer, whistle or gun? Introducing SpeedBrackets, the new app that allows players to change their original pick at any point during a sporting event and still and have a chance to win. And to celebrate their launch, SpeedBrackets is offering a One Million Dollar Perfect Bracket Challenge for March Madness 2019. The best part? Even if you can’t be perfect, you can still compete and ensure you never lose another game the rest of the tournament. With SpeedBrackets, your brackets never bust, and you are never out of the game.
Initially conceived to solve the ‘busted brackets’ problem so often faced during the excitement of March Madness, with participants’ interest waning once they were eliminated (often in the first round). No matter what happens to your team throughout a game, you will be able to continuously adjust your picks to maximize your points as much as possible, even down to the last seconds.
How SpeedBrackets Works:
Users can customize competitions for individual rounds of a tournament or for the overall championship. At the end of each game, points are allotted on a leaderboard in real-time, allowing pool managers and their members to monitor instant results of first through last place. To get started, simply:
Register: Easily register and create your profile.
Join: Join pools or create your own. Invite all of your friends, family, coworkers, clients, customers, etc., with a simple email address. Many pools will award prizes at the completion of each tournament or playoff round, as well as for the total overall championship
Fill out your bracket. Pick your favorites from the “play-in” games to the championship.
Watch the games: SpeedBrackets makes the perfect “second-screen” while watching the action on TV or even live courtside. All the games and all their information on one screen, even the ones being played simultaneously, all on one screen.
Adjust your picks: Switch your selection of winning teams, right up to the last second of a game. Remember, the sooner you choose the correct winner, the more points you earn.
Notifications: Easily toggle notifications on or off for alerts, from “Games about to start in 5 minutes” or “Your team is losing with 5 minutes left in the game” And just in case you don’t switch a losing team and pick the winner, it conveniently reminds you that “Your bracket needs attention” – telling you that one of your teams lost and didn’t make it to the next round and you have to adjust your bracket.
SpeedBrackets’ Men’s College Basketball 2019 Championship app is currently available for free download from the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android). Please visit (https://speedbrackets.com/) to learn all about SpeedBrackets and how to take your fantasy sports experience to the next level.
FastPick, the number-one game for head-to-head and over/under fantasy match-ups between the world’s biggest sports stars, is coming home to ResortsCasino.com, the first casino in Atlantic City.
Just click the FastPick tab on the ResortsCasino.com site to get some skin in the game, as your fortunes rise and fall alongside the performance of your favorite players.
Ever wanted to ride LeBron James’ hot hand? Feeling Aaron Rodgers will rack up more passing yards than Tom Brady any given Sunday? Or think Mike Trout will outhit Bryce Harper?
With FastPick, you can now select your preferred head-to-head match-ups and player over/unders on some of the most high-profile games. It’s straightforward fantasy against the house, as FastPick takes the payout pools and DFS sharks out of the equation, allowing players to define their own payouts.
Simply combine 3-10 player picks in parlay-style entries – and if all your chosen players earn more Fantasy Points than their respective rivals, you’ll scoop jaw-dropping payouts of between x5 and x500 your original stake. It’s that easy – no sharks, no rosters, no complex scoring systems.
It’s just the latest development from the ResortsCasino.com lobby, which now houses a leading sportsbook, alongside over 500 online casino games, including slots, table games and Live Dealer tables.
With ResortsCasino.com, you get rewarded for your play with cashback promos, deposit matches, and the best loyalty program around – all backed by nine different deposit and withdrawal methods. Sign up now and get a 100% bonus up to $1,000 on your first deposit, plus your first sports bet matched, up to $250.
Commented Ed Andrewes, Owner of EAGC, lead consultant to Resort Digital Gaming: “We originally designed FastPick to accommodate every sports fan who wanted to get a slice of the action but didn’t have the time to compete effectively against those predatory DFS sharks.
“Now, in an evolving sports betting landscape, this fast-growing, easy-access take on head-to-head betting fuses the best of sportsbook props and DFS with some towering jackpots. Our players just love taking on the house in a series of one-on-one performance markets, featuring the superstars of US sports. We’re thrilled to be bringing the next generation of fantasy sports betting home to Resorts.”
Michael Grenham has been appointed to the role of Managing Director, Racing and Sports Betting, at PA (the Press Association), the UK’s leading provider of multimedia sports editorial and data.
Previously Head of Business Development within PA’s Racing and Betting operation, Michael will be responsible for delivering the ongoing growth of the business. In addition to building on relationships with existing partners, Michael will develop new business opportunities and lead work to broaden PA’s portfolio of products and services for the betting market.
Michael Grenham/via LinkedIn
Under his leadership, PA this month launched ‘Bet Engage’, a feed of ready-to-publish sporting predictions for betting sites and social media channels, at ICE London.
Michael takes up his new role with immediate effect, reporting to Andrew Dowsett, Chief Operating Officer of parent company, the PA Group. He will be based in PA’s offices in Howden, Yorkshire.
Michael joined PA in May 2018 from William Hill where he held several senior roles and oversaw the development of new betting products and services, including an industry-leading online betting channel and successful sportsbooks for the US market.
Andrew Dowsett, Chief Operating Officer at the PA Group, said:
“Michael brings to the role a wealth of experience across online betting, operations and broadcast. His 20 years’ experience in the betting industry will be critical as PA looks to enhance its rapidly growing racing services and develop new sports products for the betting market.”
Michael Grenham, Managing Director, PA Racing and Betting, said:
“PA’s Racing and Betting operation has built a reputation for excellence over many decades. In recent years the business has increased the number of rights holders it works with and expanded its betting data operation. I look forward to continuing to work with the team and wider market as PA enters a new phase of growth.”
Photo by Gene Devine on Unsplash
Michael’s promotion follows news that Jim Donnelley, Director of Racing and Betting at PA, will retire at the end of 2019. Michael and Jim will continue to work alongside each other for the remainder of the year.
Online bookmaker PointsBet announced this week that it has issued Early Payouts on all bets for James Harden as MVP of this year’s NBA season. The Early Payout comes nearly four months before the winner is officially announced in late June.
James Harden (photo credit: Keith Allison)
All PointsBet customers who wagered on Harden to win the 2019 MVP award have received payouts at the odds they placed their bets on those specific markets.
“Our number one goal right now is to provide unmatched value to our customers,” said PointsBet US CEO, Johnny Aitken. “There are many operators in the New Jersey space, but PointsBet is the only one offering unique promotions like these. We want to prove that no one has the bettor’s back like we do, and this is just another example of that philosophy in action.”
This bettor-first initiative is just one of many seen by PointsBet customers since their launch in January, including their most recent NBA Early Payout, where all MoneyLine NBA wagers were paid out early if that team led at Halftime, even if they went on to lose the game. The promotion produced many “Double Payouts,” or scenarios where the team that is leading at halftime goes on to lose the game. In each of those instances, both sides of MoneyLine bets on the game are ultimately graded as winners for bettors.
For more information on PointsBet, Points Betting and how to sign up visit www.PointsBet.com.
The National Lacrosse League (NLL), the largest men’s indoor professional league, has announced a groundbreaking partnership with GEICO, the second-largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States, as the official insurance designation of the NLL.
NLL action
As of the games on March 8th, all NLL teams’ away uniforms will have the GEICO patch featured on the jersey tail for the remainder of the 2018-2019 NLL season.
This is the NLL’s first large non-endemic partnership, a historic achievement for the league, which has expanded by four teams in just over a year.
“As we expand and grow our league, we have been looking to align ourselves with known and successful organizations,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “GEICO is a world class organization and innovative partner. With the increase in viewers we have seen this year, we’re excited to deliver GEICO’s message to our fans and partner with such a major brand.”
The March 8th game between the Philadelphia Wings and Buffalo Bandits will kick off the start of week 13. You can catch this game at 8:00 p.m. EST and all remaining games on B/R Live by downloading the B/R Live app through iTunes or Google Play; and/or via Apple TV, the Roku platform and Amazon Fire TV.”
“This partnership with GEICO, the first non-endemic, is a testament to the growing enthusiasm for indoor lacrosse and the outsized leadership position the NLL has taken within the sport,” said Will Funk, EVP of property marketing and corporate partnerships for Turner Sports, which represents the league for sales and marketing opportunities. “We look forward to bringing this partnership to life across B/R Live and beyond.”
By the time you’ve read this press release, you could’ve saved 15% or more on your car insurance by switching to GEICO!
Thuuz Sports, the most powerful automated video highlights production platform for worldwide sports, today announced their February Top 10 most exciting games across all broadcast sports events. While the Patriots Super Bowl win and the NBA and NHL All-Star Games missed the list, the NBA and college hoops dominated for the second month of the year, with both Miami Heat vs Golden State Warriors matchups making the list. LSU was on the list twice, winning two nail-biters, and three Boston games made the Top 10.
Using their custom designed algorithms to measure real-time event excitement, Thuuz will provide a unique look into what games have gotten fans the most excited and engaged as 2019 rolls along.
The game excitement ratings are measured on a 0 to 100 scale and take into consideration game pace, team parity, play novelty, momentum shifts, social buzz, and historical context. The algorithms behind the excitement ratings are statistically calibrated to insure the appropriate distribution of ratings across the duration of a season or course of a tournament.
“We head to March Madness, but February was all about basketball,” said Thuuz CEO Warren Packard. “It is always amazing to show how even regular season games can bring the most excitement, while some of the games we anticipate the most, like the Super Bowl, can fall short. We look forward to seeing what will dominate and surprise once again this month, using our custom ranking system.”
Using the Thuuz excitement measurement platform, the top ten most exciting games were:
1. West Virginia 104, TCU 96 (NCAAMB): 2/26: WVU outlasted TCU in a triple OT showdown in Big 12 conference play. WVU had 4 players play over 50 minutes in the game, led by Derek Culver who ended the game with 22 points and 21 rebounds.
2. Boston 6, San Jose 5 (NHL):2/18: Controversial ending saw the Bruins score a tying goal against the Sharks with under two minutes remaining in regulation, a goal that should have been called off for a high touch. Hockey legend “Jumbo” Joe Thornton scored his 1st hat trick in 9 years, and did it against the Bruins, the team that drafted him. Young D-man Charlie McAvoy won the game for Boston in OT.
3. Duke 71, Louisville 69 (NCAAMB):2/12: Louisville was winning 59-36 with under 10 min left in the 2nd half, before Zion Williamson and Duke began a massive comeback that ended in a 2-point victory. Duke freshman Cam Reddish made 2 FT’s with 15 seconds remaining to give Duke their 1st lead since they were up 21-20 in the 1st half. A defensive stand after those FT’s led to an improbable Duke victory.
Mike Krzyzewski (DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen)
4. LSU 73, Kentucky 71 (NCAAMB): 2/12: #19 LSU defeated #5 Kentucky on a controversial buzzer-beating tip-in for their 1st win over Kentucky since 2009. This incredibly close game was within 5 points for the final 14 minutes of the game, as the 2 SEC rivals went back and forth in a conference showdown.
5. LSU 82, Tennessee 80 (NCAAMB): 2/23: After a crucial foul by Tennessee with less than a second remaining, LSU’s Ja’vonte Smart drained the go-ahead FT’s and as Tigers beat the Vols in OT. This was LSU’s 2nd victory in 2 weeks over a top-5 SEC team. Smart scored a career-high 29 points in the win.
6. Los Angeles Lakers 129, Boston Celtics 128(NBA): 2/7: The NBA’s 2 most historic franchises played a nail-biter in Boston that saw former Celtic Rajon Rondo hit a jump shot at the buzzer to down his former team. LeBron James led the Lakers with a 28-12-12 triple-double.
7. Golden State 120, Miami 118 (NBA): 2/10: The Warriors were down by 19 before staging a massive comeback and withstanding a late Miami push to win by 2. KD hit a tying 3-pointer for his 25th point in the 2nd half, before getting away with a double-dribble that led to a DeMarcus Cousins offensive rebound and game winning FT’s.
8. Miami 126, Golden State 125 (NBA): 2/27: Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade hit the most improbable one-legged, buzzer-beating bank-shot to give the Heat a 1-pt victory. The rematch between these 2 teams saw a very similar storyline play out. The Warriors were down early in the game once again, this time by 24, before staging a huge comeback and holding a 2-pt lead with 8 seconds remaining before Wade sank the Warriors with his game-winner.
9. Oklahoma City 148, Utah 147 (NBA): 2/22: OKC came out on top in this double OT thriller behind 88 combined points from their superstars: Russ and PG13. PG13 owned OT as he had a windmill dunk and the eventual game-winning floater with 0.8 seconds remaining over last season’s defensive player of the year, Rudy Gobert.
10. Milwaukee 98, Boston 97 (NBA): 2/21: Two Eastern Conference favorites battled in a low-scoring playoff atmosphere as a Khris Middleton hit a critical 3-pointer in the last minute to give the Bucks a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The Greek Freak led the Bucks with 30 points and 13 rebounds as they improved to 30 games above .500 with this win.
TCL Tips-Off College Basketball Tournament with The Final 4K Madness Giveaway
TCL®, one of the world’s best-selling and America’s fastest-growing television brands, announced it is giving away 4K TVs each week of March during the 2019 college basketball tournament. The TCL Final 4K Madness Giveaway will feature a simple point of entry for hoops enthusiasts while offering dedicated fans several ways to improve their chances of winning a 55-inch 4K TV.
Beginning today until March 29, each week a winner will be randomly selected among fans who have entered here or through TCL’s social media sites*. One 55-inch 4K TCL Roku TV™ with HDR will be given away each week, for a total of four winners.
“With out-of-the-box stunning picture, our award-winning TCL Roku TVs gives fans access to college basketball games and a perfect centerpiece to enjoy the tournament at home,” said Chris Larson, Senior Vice President, TCL North America. “Everyone should have an opportunity to enjoy our lineup of popular TVs and the Final 4K Madness Giveaway is a fun and easy way for fans to win a viewing experience that’s second to none.”
TCL’s 4K Roku TVs are packed with options for basketball fans to catch all their favorite college and pro teams from home with access to subscription services that provide out-of-market games, live and on-demand streaming through your cable or satellite provider, as well as free channels with sports highlights and live games for those without cable subscriptions. Remaining loyal to cord cutters, TCL TVs were designed to include a TV tuner and offer access to popular network TV and live sports in high definition over the air at no additional cost**.
In addition to the premium basketball lineup and content schedule, the award-winning 4K TCL Roku TV puts all your entertainment favorites in one place, allowing seamless access to over 500,000 movies and TV episodes, your cable box, gaming console, and other devices through a clean, intuitive interface in a sleek modern design.
Fans can enter the Final 4K Madness Giveaway throughout the month of March and winners will be announced on: Friday, March 8th; Friday, March 15th; Friday, March 22nd; and Friday, March 29th at 5:00pm PT.
*TCL USA on Facebook and YouTube, TCL_USA on Instagram and Twitter, TCL Newsletter.
** Antenna for high-definition broadcast reception each sold separately
Today GMDY announces its new commerce and analytics platform built for professional athletes to create, share, monetize and analyze an accurate and complete view of their brand. With this 360-degree view of their data, GMDY’s Athlete Index™, athletes can analyze both their professional and personal brands from one online location while simultaneously giving fans direct purchasing access to lifestyle and gameday items through the GMDY app.
“The GMDY platform is redefining the way fans and an athlete’s brand can engage,” said Danny Harris, co-founder and CEO GMDY. “As individual brands grow, GMDY is empowering these athletes with control and new ways to analyze their influence and brand value; something athletes have never had access to until now.”
Because athletes are influencers and their own personal brand, understanding how to measure their influencer marketing activities today is nearly impossible, whether it’s the impact they have on their associated brands or other unrelated brands. GMDY measures athletes’ influence by tracking and quantifying consumer behavior through a centralized location. This true value metric empowers professional athletes in a way previously unavailable to them.
“With GMDY, I’m able to control my brand from one hub and share it out with my fans. This allows me to maximize and capitalize on my brand while I’m an active professional athlete,” said soccer defensive midfielder Amobi Okugo of the Austin Bold FC and Founder of A Frugal Athlete. “As an athlete that focuses on being fiscally responsible, I now can create a new revenue stream simply based on my brand and manage it under one database.”
Athletes now have a complete view of their brand; not just their gameday items, but everything including their own personal clothing lines and other business affiliations. This gives fans a complete way to discover even more about their favorite athlete while giving athletes with social capital a new opportunity to monetize their brand.
Amobi Okugo
“My fans can now see and shop for what they see me using on and off the course,” said professional golfer Joshua Grenville-Wood. “Through the GMDY platform, I can share all the products I have relationships with in one place, driving new revenue and analytics for my brand.”
Athletes or agents interested in claiming their GMDY profile can email [email protected] to get started.
OneTimePoker(OTP) has officially launched on the Microgaming Poker Network (MPN) and right out of the starting gate has launched a novel campaign which shows the prowess of its experienced management team. You will have a chance to become a Pro Ambassador in their “Become A Pro” promotion.
Become A Pro is a promotion where OTP customers are evaluated by an independent panel who will award 3 players a pro ambassador contract – the very same one the current OTP pro team has in place. The promotion kicks off March 7th, running through the end of April. Players can sign up here now and register to be a part of the most exciting poker competition in years.
OTP was founded by Randall Kasper, Casey Jarzabek, and Jeff Maxon and management also includes Anthony Taylor, the former CEO of the Merge Gaming Network. Combine that with a highly accomplished and well-respected Pro Ambassador team led by Canadian pro Danny Noseworthy, and all the ingredients for success seem to be present.
The OTP group has a long history of accomplishments on the business side of the poker and gaming industry. OTP also has two casinos, one built right into the client and one external which includes a full array of slots and table games, including a number of live-dealer tables.
Kasper was the founder of Poker Players International and has represented hundreds of professional live and online poker pros from around the world. He has also represented corporate clients seeking to attract liquidity from the poker community, Bestbet, and DraftKings, being two examples of tremendous success.
“We have seen firsthand, what has and what hasn’t worked for poker sites for more than ten years now. We are always going to do right by the player and everything good for us will flow from that,” commented Kasper.
Jarzabek is not only an accomplished online poker player, with over $5 Million in earnings, but is also the founder of Tournament Poker Edge, the world’s leading online poker tournament instructional site. He’s also been the pro team manager for several sites, with tremendous success in customer acquisition and satisfaction.
“We want our players to succeed, and to experience a sense of community while they enjoy and learn the game they love. That’s one reason we decided to make our first promotion Become A Pro, because it recognizes the players. Our Pro Ambassadors are our link to the community, great examples of professionalism and we want to highlight and expand our team and reward players who stand out amongst the competition along the way,” added Jarzabek.
Maxon is a tried and true veteran businessman, with two decades of Wall Street experience in global business within and outside the gaming space.
“We are grateful for our opportunity to show players we care. This initial promotion is just one of many to come where we will do just that. We will not make them jump through hoops or spend a ton of money to be treated well, hence our decision to award automatic maximum rakeback and top tier deposit bonuses. We’re looking forward to growing our community and our brand to become a major force in the industry, and it all starts with how we treat our customers. With partners like MPN and GiG, and our experienced management and ambassadors, the sky is truly the limit,” concluded Maxon.
Taylor, as mentioned, was CEO of Merge Network which experienced explosive growth under his supervision.
NAB Show is introducing the “Esports Experience,” a new exhibit floor destination located in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The interactive area features exhibits, a theater and educational programming that showcase the latest online gaming trends and content delivery technologies. The 2019 NAB Show will be held April 6-11, with exhibits April 8-11.
Starting with the 2019 season, the deal, which encompasses media and gaming rights at both international and domestic levels, propels MLB content into a new era.
Across international markets outside of the U.S., Sportradar will have exclusive distribution rights for official MLB real time game statistics, as collected at every ballpark via the league’s proprietary technology and stat operators, to both media companies and regulated sports betting operators. It also will have exclusive rights to distribute live industry standard audio-visual game feeds to gaming operators outside the U.S. in territories where sports betting is legal.
Credit: Flickr/Sam Churchill
In the U.S., Sportradar will have the same exclusive rights for official real time statistics distribution to media entities in their coverage of Major League Baseball. Sportradar will also serve as the official supplier of MLB’s real time betting data feed in the U.S. where distribution to regulated sports betting operators will be on a non-exclusive basis through Sportradar and additional authorized distributors.
The combination of MLB’s highest quality official data and statistics and state-of-the-art live collection methods with Sportradar’s world-class technology backbone and extensive distribution network will deliver a significant competitive edge to sportsbooks when it comes to in-game betting and liability management.
In addition, with unique access to MLB’s Statcast data, among other statistics, Sportradar will collaborate with MLB to develop and distribute exciting new products to further engage fans and drive additional interest in the sport.
Alongside the commercial partnership, MLB will incorporate Sportradar’s Integrity Services into its existing game integrity protection measures. Sportradar will be monitoring and analyzing every MLB game via its award-winning fraud detection system and providing the MLB with educational components, as well as access to its intelligence and investigations services.
“A high-quality, reliable, and fast official data feed is the building block to creating engaging gaming products for MLB fans,” said Kenny Gersh, MLB Executive Vice President, Gaming & New Business Ventures. “Sportradar, a proven industry leader in data distribution, is perfectly positioned to help MLB deliver an exceptional Official MLB betting feed. We are excited about the opportunities that this partnership will unlock as the sports betting landscape continues to unfold in the U.S.”
“We are truly excited to be working with Major League Baseball as its official global data partner,” said Carsten Koerl, Chief Executive Officer of Sportradar. “This is not only a tremendous opportunity for Sportradar, but ultimately it opens up new doors for MLB fans who have historically shown a proclivity for sophisticated data. We look forward to utilizing our vast global experience as the global leader in the data, AV, and integrity spaces to give fans and partners an unmatched experience.”
There is always a question as to who the must follows in and around sports business are on a platform like twitter. John Wall Street, a platform that covers the space, unveiled a pretty comprehensive list that includes people from gaming and gambling, media, news, and technology. Take a look and share away https://johnwallstreet.com/top-100-sportsbiz-twitter-follows/
Crypto Boxers, the first and only boxing game operating on blockchain technology, continues to make strategic moves around the virtual ropes. Concept creator Andrew Gilliam, founder and CEO of Me N’ Mines Media, has come out swinging with a defiant new logo; a new website (http://cryptoboxers.io/), designed by independent game development studio, PlayStakes; and a TKO game plan to bring “real boxing to the blockchain.” Pushing the technology envelope beyond what is currently available in the crypto gaming space, Crypto Boxers has gamers in feverish anticipation as it will feature real life boxers as collectible tokens for the virtual fighting action on Ethereum.
Crypto Boxers’ new logo now promotes the player as the ultimate crypto contender, switching the emphasis off the professional boxers and over to the gamer. The dynamic new website provides a preview into Crypto Boxers’ fully immersive, user friendly world where gamers will experience a fantasy boxing arena and engage in an interactive “gloves on” ring experience with the boxer of their choice.
“They said it couldn’t be done but we are doing it,” reveals Gilliam. “After 459 rejections, I now have major commitments, partners and growing interest from professional boxers who are calling us now. We are the first professional sports game on blockchain, and we plan to go every round! The logo and website are just a teaser of what is yet to come.”
Round4RoundBoxing, LatinoAthlete, FightTyme, and RichPlaceMedia are the first official partners to be announced by Crypto Boxers. Crypto Boxers will be releasing the names of confirmed professional boxers, boxing officials and judges that will be in the game soon. Some of the current talks with professional boxers include legendary champs like Evander Holyfield, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks and Antonio Tarver, along with currently active champs Terrance Crawford and female boxer Christina Hammer.
Fast Company has announced its 2019 World’s Most Innovative Companies by sector, including sports. Its list is a mix of leagues (NBA), teams (Flyers, Dodgers), media companies (Copa90) and more.
The list is available here, with Gritty the mascot (@GrittyNHL) vaulting the Philadelphia Flyers into the third spot and Levy’s quest to make ballpark food affordable landing the restaurant group in fourth.
The NBA nabbed the top spot, with the editor’s note of the Association’s “improving the game both on and of the court.” The NBA is, for sure, a hot property among sports leagues these days, and though ratings—both national and regional—are down, the growth of its augmented reality app and the NBA 2K league are keeping it growing among the younger set (something all leagues are desperately trying to achieve).
MGM Resorts International‘s “betting big on the future of U.S. sports gambling” earned the hospitality and entertainment behemoth the 10th slot.
Reuters, the world’s largest international multimedia news provider, announced today that it is further expanding its sports content offering to Reuters News Agency customers through multimedia partnerships with the Players’ Tribune, AFLO, Panoramic, Sporting Images and MB Media. These new partnerships add to a growing roster of sports partners on Reuters Connect at the same time that Reuters own sports coverage is expanding, making Reuters Connect an essential tool for sports desks.
Through these new partnerships, Reuters News Agency customers will have access to candid athlete video interviews via the Player’s Tribune; more than 50,000 curated archival images from Sporting Images; more than 6,000 player headshots through MB Media; and regional photo coverage from Japan via AFLO and France via Panoramic.
“Reuters Connect has become an essential tool in every newsroom and adding these partners to the already impressive roster of sports contributors makes it easier than ever for sports desks to license the visuals that help them cut through the noise and tell their stories in more captivating ways,” said Rob Schack, Vice President, Reuters Sports.
Content from the Players’ Tribune, AFLO, Panoramic, Sporting Images and MB Media is available to Reuters News Agency customers exclusively on Reuters Connect. Launched in 2017, Reuters Connect is designed to be a faster, more intelligent way for Reuters News Agency customers to source all the content they need via a single destination. Reuters Connect is built to make content discovery quicker and easier, improving clients’ editorial efficiency and enabling them to deliver more stories to their audiences faster than ever before.
Chattanooga Football Club, a growing, disruptive and innovative established club in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) today announced that they have exceeded the $500,000 dollar mark in the sale of limited public stock in the club in the first 30 days of the offering. They are the first American sports team to do so since the securities reform laws passed in late 2016 allowed such investments. Proceeds from the limited offering of 8,000 shares will support the club’s move from amateur to professional players and year-round operation.
“We remain impressed and overwhelmed with the breadth and scope of this project means not just for Chattanooga FC, but for community sports clubs in America in general,” said said Tim Kelly, club chairman. “We have not done this frivolously or in a vacuum; this is an investment in a soccer club with solid business and community ties and a vision for success on and off the pitch, and we know that is key in trying and succeeding to this point. The ROI on this investment, big or small, is in the people and the community. We are nowhere done, but we are proving the concept works, and that’s very exciting.”
While a majority of the investment is local (within the Chattanooga metro area), a significant amount (44% of the people, 37% of the dollars) are from beyond that area. That includes investment from over 44 states and 10 countries, as far away as Japan, Australia and Africa. Some of the bolder face names to come public with investing are former MLS star and current NBC Sports Premier League commentator Kyle Martino and Stephan Szymanski, author of Soccernomics and Money in Soccer, and a highly respected professor at the University of Michigan.
Founded in 2009, Chattanooga Football Club has drawn nearly 350,000 fans to its games at Finley Stadium over the course of the last ten seasons. In 2019, the club will play an extended season with professional players in the NPSL Founders Cup, and fully launch the league in 2020.
With the passage of the Jobs Acts in late 2016, Section CF crowdfunding allows non-accredited investors to make investments in corporations from a simple, online platform. Chattanooga Football Club is the first sports team to offer shares, and one of only a handful of teams to ever offer public ownership. While the practice is common in the rest of the world- even mandatory in the German Bundesliga- it is rare in the US. Cutting Edge Capital, a strategic capital consulting company has advised on the process.
Fans and interested investors can go to wefunder.com/chattanoogafc for full details on the stock offering.
With American acceptance of gaming at an all-time high, casino gamblers are actively practicing responsible gaming, according to new research released today by the American Gaming Association (AGA). Bettors report setting budgets, sticking to them and being aware of available responsible gaming resources at significantly high rates.
9 in 10 casual bettors set a budget before they visit a casino;
90 percent of those visitors report success in tracking their spending; and
8 in 10 casual casino visitors and 9 in 10 avid casino visitors are aware of responsible gaming resources.
“Responsible gaming is our industry’s top priority,” said Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “This research indicates that our unwavering commitment to responsibility is resonating with our customers. But success in this key area will never mean our work is done, and we look forward to continuing to work with gaming regulators, our partners in the fight against problem gambling and our employees to ensure customers continue to engage in this form of mainstream entertainment responsibly.”
This research comes on the heels of a recent AGA study that highlighted continued growth in acceptance of gaming. That research indicates that 88 percent of American adults view gambling as an acceptable form of entertainment. Americans also have a positive view of the industry’s role as a community partner, with 80 percent of people recognizing gaming’s role as a job creator, and 6 in 10 Americans believing casinos help their local economies.
“Gaming has made great strides over the past few years with the public increasingly recognizing our industry as the community partner and economic driver we know it to be,” continued Miller. “I look forward to working with our members and all interested stakeholders to build upon this great momentum in the years to come.”
The U.S. gaming industry commits more than $300 million to responsible gaming annually, supporting education, training and rehabilitation programs across the country.
Last year, AGA launched the Responsible Gambling Collaborative, convening a renowned group of thought leaders, stakeholders and academics to chart a new course on the complex issue of responsible gaming.
AGA members adhere to the association’s Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct which guides industry commitments to responsible gaming and is updated annually to reflect new developments and industry innovations. In 2018, AGA updated the Code to enhance provisions on sports betting and responsible advertising.
Methodology: Today’s data comes from two separate polls completed in late 2018. Data on Americans’ acceptance of gaming comes from our survey of American’s attitudes toward gaming and was conducted by the Mellman Group of 1,000 registered voters, both online and on the phone. Data on casino visitors’ responsible gaming practices comes from a survey of 2,014 past year casino gamblers. This survey was conducted online by BrandOutlook.
About AGA: The American Gaming Association is the premier national trade group representing the $261 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.8 million jobs nationwide. AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, gaming suppliers and other entities affiliated with the gaming industry. It is the mission of the AGA to achieve sound policies and regulations consistent with casino gaming’s modern appeal and vast economic contributions.
