SlatersPicks.com, a sports consulting website launches featuring long-time radio host Andy Slater. Slaters Picks has announced its plans to launch in September to the public officially after a successful private run this summer releasing late breaking MLB news and seeing how their clients could act on the news. Lining up with the start of the college and NFL regular season, Slater’s service is attempting to bring unique insight to the industry with late-breaking value picks.
To this point, SlatersPicks.com was only accessible through invite-only. Slater’s team has worked hard to ensure that the website is ready for launch to the public, opening up his vast knowledge of the world of sports handicapping to everyone.
Over the last couple of decades, Slater has built up his reputation in the sports industry as a radio talk shows host based in South Florida. He covers all the major sports on his weekday show, The Andy Slater Show which is known globally beyond Miami.
While sports betting has become legalized in more states this year, the sports radio show and website Slaters Picks is designed for those who want all the tips and information Slater has on upcoming games. This is a great opportunity for not only beginners to get a feel for betting responsibly, but seasoned sports gamblers to hone their craft as much as possible.
Anyone who signs up when SlatersPicks.com launches will have the opportunity to link their phone number with their account. This benefit allows for text alerts, as well as access to Slater’s picks by calling right before a game. It’s crucial to have the best edge in sports. Information can change a pick right before an event starts. That’s why it is so essential to Slater that his service provides the latest news at all times.
In the next few weeks, SlatersPicks.com will release the subscription prices for all first-time members. Discounts will be available for those who sign up for longer subscriptions, and initial pricing will depend on how many sports a person wants picks for. To learn more, all updates will be available online or via the company’s phone number (888-364-4003) and on SlatersPicks.com. This will be a year we look back and prove that pundits, radio hosts, and journalists can make a difference even in the sports gaming world.
Iowa’s online and retail sportsbooks could generate more than $4 billion a year in bets once the fledgling industry in the Hawkeye State hits full maturity, according to analysts for PlayIA.com, which delivers news on the Iowa sports betting and gambling industries.
On Thursday, when a number of physical and online sportsbooks launch, Iowa will become the 11th state to actively accept legal sports bets. And that will officially open the door to an industry that will eventually inject millions of dollars into state coffers.
“Once the Iowa market reaches maturity, its potential is on par with what Nevada is today,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayIA.com and a veteran observer of the legal sports betting markets across the U.S. “That means a handle that will exceed $4 billion a year, and perhaps approach $5 billion. And as we have seen with the success of the early adopters of legal sports betting, such as New Jersey, the state should reap millions in tax revenue.”
According to PlayIA.com:
It will take Iowa five years or more to reach full maturity. But once it does, the state’s handle should eclipse $4 billion and even approach $5 billion. Those estimates are based in part on the handle that Nevada generates with a population that is similar in size to Iowa.
If Iowa reaches its full potential as a market, operators could generate more than $300 million a year in revenue, or “win” in gaming parlance.
With a tax rate of 6.75%, Iowa would generate more than $20 million a year in tax revenue if the win reaches $300 million a year.
“We have seen in almost every legal jurisdiction that sports betting can be safely regulated and serve as an economic engine for the state, and Iowa should be no different,” Gouker said.
If there is a downside for Iowa it is that the opportunity to generate significant revenue and handle will be muted to start. That is almost entirely due to the requirement that online bettors sign up in-person at a physical sportsbook until early 2021, which will initially slow the industry’s growth.
In New Jersey, where there is no such requirement, more than 80% of all sports bets are made online. That will be a level unreachable in Iowa until the in-person requirement is lifted.
“The requirement of in-person sign-ups until early 2021 will mean Iowa will not capture all of the market at the start,” Gouker said. “But once that requirement sunsets, Iowa sports betting should really take off.”
For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting in Iowa, visit PlayIA.com.
Increasing strategic collaborations and partnerships with diverse stakeholders, growing advertising and marketing spend, and rising interest of millennial are the major factors responsible for the increased growth of the fantasy sports market. A major factor driving the growth of the fantasy sports business is the rise in the number of sporting events organized worldwide. The urge to participate in a sport event rather than view it has raised the bar of the market significantly. Technological advancements, coupled with the availability of streaming partners, are further driving the fantasy sports market.
The growing popularity of OTT platforms is expected to augur well for the fantasy sport segment. The OTT sports experience is set to observe innovation, which is mainly driven by fantasy sport business. Fantasy sport and OTT platforms have become an apt match for the overall entertainment business. With the growth in streaming service providers and digitalization, fantasy sport is expected to receive a major boost.
This research report on the fantasy sports market covers market sizing and forecast, market share, industry trends, growth drivers, and vendor analysis. The market study includes insights on segmentation by sports (football, soccer, basketball, baseball, hockey, golf, cricket, and other fantasy sports), gender (male and female), and geography (North America, APAC, Europe, Latin America, and MEA).
The study considers the present scenario of the fantasy sports market and its market dynamics for the period 2018?2024. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The study covers both the demand and supply sides of the market. It also profiles and examines leading companies and other prominent companies operating in the market.
Fantasy Sports Market: Segmentation
This market research report includes a detailed segmentation of the market by sports, gender, and geography. The worldwide popularity of football is a major reason for the highest share of the fantasy football segment. The segment captured around half of the fantasy sports market in 2018. The extensive fan engagement is another a major factor that is driving the fantasy football market segment. Strategic partnerships and the launch of supporting products across fantasy platforms have raised the standards of fantasy basketball in major playing countries.
As men have historically been receptive to sports and outdoor games, the male segment accounts for the highest share in the fantasy sports market by gender. However, over the last few years, the female population in fantasy sport has witnessed a reasonable surge. The growing number of women-centric sports events and the increasing awareness about games among womenfolk are the factors boosting market growth of female sports segment.
Investors Bank and the New York Giants are expanding their strategic alliance during the 2019 football season. They began a 10-year partnership last year and are marking the second year by publicly introducing the New York Giants-branded debit card and checking account.
The New York Giants Checking Account was designed to engage and excite the football franchise’s enthusiastic fans. Investors Bank is prominently featuring the New York Giants logo on each account holder’s debit card and checks. Everyone who joins the Big Blue Checking Crew will have access to many premium features and amenities.
Today, Investors Bank, the Official Consumer and Business Bank of the New York Giants, is publicly launching the New York Giants Checking Account during a “Signing Day” event at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center. New York Giants CEO John Mara will open one of the first Giants checking accounts. Investors Bank CEO Kevin Cummings and President Domenick Cama will present Mr. Mara with a personalized New York Giants debit card. Mr. Mara and the franchise’s senior management team will present official New York Giants game jerseys to Mr. Cummings, Mr. Cama and EVP Chief Marketing & Product Officer Dorian Hansen.
In discussing the partnership, Mr. Mara said, “The Giants and Investors Bank share the belief that our fans and their clients deserve an exceptional level of service, and we are both dedicated to achieving that goal. This expanded partnership will allow both the Giants and Investors Bank to continue to serve our communities in an innovative and transformative way.”
Investors Bank and the New York Giants are also announcing a joint corporate social responsibility program. Each time Big Blue scores either a touchdown, field goal or safety this season, Investors Bank will donate $250 to the non-for-profit CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) of New Jersey. Dedicated, compassionate and highly trained CASA volunteers assist and serve some of the most vulnerable children in the region.
Reviewing the alliance, Mr. Cummings said, “Our bank continually strives to develop new and exceptional ways to serve our consumer and business clients, which is why Investors Bank is linked to the New York Giants. We are solidifying the relationship with the fabled Big Blue team by launching our checking account, which enhances the legacy of each organization. We are also grateful to be one of the only regional banks in America to partner with an internationally-known, professional football franchise.”
New York Giants Checking Offers Many Premium Features and Amenities
Fans are invited to show their team pride by opening their New York Giants Checking Account at one of Investors Bank’s 147 branches. Fans will receive a 20 percent discount each time they use their Giants debit card to buy merchandise at www.shop.giants.com. The Giants Checking also comes with premium features such as free identify theft protection and cellphone insurance for three smartphones.
Banking with Giants Checking is convenient and rewarding. The dedicated client services team at Investors will help fans switch their account and join theBig Blue Checking Crew. Fans also have an opportunity to score big, and they may receive a cash reward by opening an account and referring their friends. For people who bank on the go, Giants Checking has a mobile wallet feature that is supported by the three major payment services, and they have access to exclusive New York Giants weekly postgame content that is presented in a mini-podcast format.
Source Communications is the advertising agency of record for Investors Bank. Source’s President Larry Rothstein and his team played a key role in creating the marketing campaign to launch and build positive awareness about the New York Giants Checking Account.
Parx Casino®, Pennsylvania’s #1 casino, announced the grand opening of the brand new Parx Casino® Sportsbook on Thursday. Parx Casino® Sportsbook looks to set the industry standard with a dazzling 7,400 square foot space that features a sweeping 156 foot HD media wall that can show up to 36 games all at the same time. Additionally, the sleek, state of the art space will feature six live tellers, 18 kiosks, 196 seats, three VIP areas, plus a 38′ x 14′ bar with 38 seats and a dramatic four-tier light design hanging from above. At the bar, look for a full menu of beer, wine, spirits and cocktails. From the kitchen, look for elevated game day favorites, including chicken wings, the Philly cheesesteak, a selection of burgers, and even a vegan Impossible burger. Parx Casino® will cut the ribbon at 3:00pm, and then open to the public at 5:00pm just in time for the Philadelphia Eagles preseason game vs. the Tennessee Titans. The grand opening of this permanent Sportsbook follows the recent launch of the Parx Online Sports Betting App and the Parx Casino real money casino. Parx Casino® is located at 2999 Street Road, Bensalem, in the heart of Bucks County – and only a short drive from Philadelphia and New York.
“Parx Casino® is excited to cut the ribbon on the best sportsbook in the country,” said Senior Vice President of Interactive Gaming & Sports, Matthew Cullen. “Parx aims to set the industry standard in this new and fast-growing arena. The timing couldn’t be better as we head into football season. We felt our local Eagles fans deserved to have the ultimate game day destination to cheer on the Birds. Game day will soar to new heights as we present the absolute best gaming and entertainment experience of its kind. We have worked for nearly two years to expand our portfolio of offerings to give patrons the best of all types of legalized gaming. After the recent launch of online sports betting and our real money online casino, the grand opening of Parx Casino Sportsbook completes this mission.”
Sports fans are invited to place their bets at the largest and most state-of-the-art new sportsbooks in America. When opened, customers can expect their favorite ways to bet on sports at Parx including: spread, moneyline, total, props, parlays and teasers. Sports that will be available will include, among others, Pro Football, Pro Basketball, Pro Baseball, Pro Hockey, College Football, College Basketball, Tennis, Golf, MMA, Boxing, Auto Racing and more. In honor of the grand opening, the first 1,000 people to come through the Sportsbook doors on August 8th will receive a $25 free bet when they fund their online sports betting account with at least $25. The promotion is available to both new signups and people with existing Parx Casino® online accounts. Look for details at the grand opening and on the Parx website.
The new Sportsbook will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week with 10-16 hours of live teller assistance pending on sports schedules. The space can hold up to 422 people, and features a 156 foot HD media wall that can broadcast 36 games simultaneously. The space also features six live teller windows, a full service bar, and comfortable seating for up to 200 people to watch the games. There will be 18 self-service sports betting kiosks available in the new Sportsbook as well as throughout the casino floor, Parx Beer Garden and Parx Poker Room.
From the kitchen, Parx Casino’s Sportsbook will fire up elevated game-day favorites. The opening menu includes Cheesesteak Dumplings $9, Chicken Tenders $10, Chicken Caesar Salad $1, Sports Book Chicken Wings $12, Boneless Chicken Wings $12, Angus Beef Hot Dog $7, Cheddar Pub Burger $10, Crispy Fried Chicken Burger $12, Philly Cheesesteak $12, Shaved Pork and Broccoli Rabe $12, Smoke House Burger $13 and The Impossible Burger $14.
The $10M addition of Sportsbook follows a $58.5M expansion over the last two years that included the Xcite Center, Parx Poker Room, Liberty Bell Gastropub, Oliveto and Parx Casino® Beer Garden.
Smarkets, operator of one of the world’s largest betting exchanges, has today announced the launch of its new sportsbook product, SBK.
SBK is a sportsbook app that combines industry-disrupting odds with a social-focused interface to offer users the fairest and funnest app for betting on sport and politics. Prices on SBK are the same as those on the Smarkets exchange, which has the best odds in the world thanks to its peer-to-peer model and proprietary technology.
SBK will benchmark its prices directly against leading bookmakers and show users how often they are getting the best odds with the revolutionary SBK Price+ feature, which will initially compare odds on football before incorporating the app’s entire event offering.
Users will be able to sign up and start betting on SBK from tomorrow (Friday 9 August); the app has been in a private test mode, with a waiting list to join, for the last 12 months.
Smarkets CEO and Founder Jason Trost said: “We are extremely excited to fully launch SBK having made substantial improvements since the beta introduction last year.
“By combining innovative technology with transparent and fair odds, I believe we are able to offer a product like no other in the market, which will help us continue to have an impact in an industry dominated by a few big players who don’t seek to give customers the best value.”
The Smarkets exchange, which has processed over £14 billion in trading volume since launching in 2010, offers users more flexibility and trading options compared to the sportsbook user experience of SBK.
Trost added: “While some bettors prefer the advanced features of Smarkets, we created SBK for those customers that want the better pricing of an exchange with the cleaner interface of a sportsbook.”
SBK was built in-house, predominantly by the company’s engineering team in Los Angeles, and will initially be launched in the UK, with Smarkets also expecting to introduce the product to the developing US betting market in the near future.
About Smarkets
Founded in 2008, Smarkets is an award-winning, product-focused, sports betting company headquartered in London, with offices in Los Angeles and Malta.
It was founded by a team of finance and software engineering professionals, and is backed by Passion Capital and Deutsche Telekom.
The Smarkets exchange has processed over £14 billion worth of transactions for customers across the company’s licensed and regulated markets.
SBK is a new sportsbook that delivers industry-disrupting odds. It draws these prices from the Smarkets exchange but offers a sleek, social, sportsbook experience for those customers that want the better pricing of an exchange with the cleaner interface of a sportsbook.
Today, the Fan-Controlled Football League (FCFL), the only professional football league where fans call the shots, including the plays themselves in real-time, announced legendary boxing champion Mike Tyson as the seventh Team Owner | Fan Captain to join the Owner’s Box. In addition to calling on fans to shape his team’s destiny – from name selection, serving as the final call on team uniforms, to drafting the players – Tyson brings his passion for sports and trash-talking skills to the league. Once the inaugural season kicks off, fans will find Tyson live commentating throughout games via Twitch, where they will have the unprecedented opportunity to engage with The Champ in a way never before seen in the history of professional sports.
“I’m fired up about joining the FCFL as its newest Team Owner and Fan Captain, and even more so to demolishing the competition,” states Tyson when asked about what he’s looking forward to accomplishing in the FCFL. “Leading into opening day, I’ll be engaging with fans from across the globe to stoke excitement and participation in the development of the Baddest League on the Planet.”
Tyson joins a talented group of global influencers spanning the world of sports and entertainment, all of whom share one common factor – a fervidness for professional football. To date the FCFL has announced six FCFL fan captains, all of whom are Tyson’s ‘competition’ (if you can call them that), including Marshawn Lynch, Richard Sherman, Prince Royce, Kinda Funny, Bobby Bones, and Chad ‘Ochocinco’’ Johnson.
An undisputed heavyweight boxing champion and international entertainer known for his ‘take no prisoners’ approach, Tyson is also a serial entrepreneur; recent projects include a cannabis company called Tyson Ranch and a new podcast, HotBoxin, of which he produces and hosts.
“We are reinventing the sport of football for the digital age and a cultural phenomenon like Iron Mike could not be a better fit for this league. We are impossibly excited for him to bring his unparalleled energy, legendary smack talk, and unrivaled will to win to the FCFL,” shares Patrick Dees, FCFL co-founder and Chief Gaming Officer. “Tyson is a total badass and there is zero doubt in my mind that his team is going to be a force to be reckoned with and I for one, cannot wait to watch him stream his games on Twitch.”
The FCFL is the first professional sports league to combine the passion of live sports, the competitiveness of fantasy sports, the interactivity of video games, and the global reach of esports all into a live-streamed, real-life experience created for the digitally native fan.
Fans will create their team’s brand, hire (and fire, if necessary) a coaching staff, build roster through live fan-run draft, and call all their team’s plays in real-time. Games will be a seven-on-seven competition on a 50-yard field in a state-of-the-art production studio, creating a fast-paced, open style of play conducive to an action-packed sixty minutes of football. All games will be live streamed on Amazon’s Twitch, the world’s leading social video service and community for gamers and eSports. Using a brand new, unprecedented Twitch Extension, fans will get to use an interactive overlay that allows them to call the plays natively on top of the Twitch player.
To kick this announcement off the FCFL with WAX have partnered to give back to the fans who can enter to win one of three prizes anyone would be lucky to win: a pair of boxing gloves, a pair of boxing shoes, or a football – all of which are complete with Tyson’s autograph.
Fulltime Fantasy Sports who owns and operates the Fantasy Football World Championships in Las Vegas is acquiring https://www.fantasysp.com. Fantasy SP covers all major sports and builds industry leading apps and tools such as the Fantasy Assistant, Draft Genius and Team Analyzer. Brant Tedeschi sold to Fulltime and joined the Fulltime team as technical director and managing partner.
Fantasy SP has already built a mock draft simulator which is powering Fulltime’s Mock Draft World Championship, A FSTA award winning contest which allows users to mock draft on demand and enter the drafted team in a free to play bestball contest for thousands in cash and prizes. Just visit www.mockdraftnow.com.
“Fulltime stands out in the fantasy industry, and I’m excited to join the network,” says Fulltime Fantasy Sports Technical Director and Managing Partner Brant Tedeschi, “Looking forward to taking things to the next level.”
“We are thrilled to acquire FantasySP.com,” says Fulltime Fantasy Sports owner Ian Ritchie, “This is another giant step in the right direction for Fulltime Fantasy Sports Network.”
“Our community is about to get a big upgrade in overall user experience,” says Fulltime Sports co-owner Scott Atkins, “The tools and technology enhancements that Fantasy SP brings to the table truly makes Fulltime a one stop shop for everything a fantasy player needs to win.”
Zebra Technologies Corporation, an innovator at the edge of the enterprise with solutions and partners that enable businesses to gain a performance edge, today announced the renewal of its partnership with the NFL, extending Zebra’s role as the League’s Official On-Field Player-Tracking Provider through the 2021 season. This extension builds on the past five seasons during which Zebra has worked with the NFL to successfully implement a best-in-class player and ball tracking system, helping to launch a new era of football data and analytics known as Next Gen Stats.
Zebra captures data for the NFL by attaching RFID tags in player equipment and the football, transmitting real-time location data to receivers positioned around the stadium. The Zebra MotionWorks™ Sport tracking system captures metrics such as player speed, distance traveled, orientation and proximity, and acceleration/deceleration. This information is then utilized by the NFL to calculate vast amounts of information about every player for every play.
The Next Gen Stats data is used to enhance the fan experience both at home as well as in-stadium. The data helps to convey unique, engaging details about individual and team performances, as well as season-long trends, allowing fans to understand the game in a whole new way. Used by everyone from the casual viewer to the fantasy football fanatic, these insights provide fans, media, and teams with helpful and interesting information for every game, every week, throughout the entire season.
“We are pleased to extend our relationship with Zebra to further develop and share cutting-edge insights into the game of football,” said Matt Swensson, Vice President of Emerging Products & Technology, National Football League. “We’re excited to build on our partnership, and collectively advance the League’s commitment to innovation. In the coming seasons, we plan to further develop the Next Gen Stats platform, allowing coaches, players, and fans to understand the game in ways never possible before.”
NFL Club personnel use Next Gen Stats data to inform a variety of decisions, from play design to player workload, and to formulate specific practice plans.
“We are very excited to continue our work with the NFL, and we are committed to ongoing innovation to provide the League, teams and fans with real-time tracking data and insights for years to come,” said John Pollard, Vice President of Zebra Sports Business Development, Zebra Technologies. “Based on our collaborative approach, this extension validates the value of our real-time locationing technology in football to give those on the front line a performance edge.”
Earlier this year, Gartner, Inc. recognized Zebra as a Visionary in the Magic Quadrant for Indoor Location Services, Global for the second consecutive year. Part of Zebra’s market leading locationing portfolio, the MotionWorks Sport solution is powered by Zebra’s Savanna data platform which transforms information into insights to help teams make the best possible decisions.
Genius Sports Group, a global leader in sports data technology, has been awarded the exclusive right to collect official Serie A betting data in stadia from the start of the 2019/20 season.
The data will be captured using the Group’s advanced pitchside technology and instantaneously distributed as a live feed to licensed sportsbook operators outside of Italy via its sports betting arm, Betgenius.
By creating the fastest, most accurate and reliable real-time data feed on Serie A fixtures, Betgenius will offer sportsbooks and their customers access to premium content and a world-class betting experience, while providing the league with a solid return for betting on its games.
To provide enhanced control and visibility over the use of its betting data, Serie A will launch its first rights enforcement initiative, including the identification and ejection of unauthorised data collectors operating in-stadia.
Jack Davison, Chief Commercial Officer of Genius Sports Group, said: “Our partnership with Serie A is another example where we work with the most important global sports competitions to ensure our sportsbook operators have complete confidence in the security of their data supply and that our organisation will deliver the most trusted and compelling betting products to operators around the world. We look forward to working alongside Serie A to help extend the reach one of the largest leagues in world football.”
The rise of eSports is largely due to the vast extent of media platforms such as Twitch or YouTube. Previously, Twitch dominated the eSports media industry as many top players across various games live streamed on the platform. However, as the industry continues to ramp up, others want to get involved in the marketplace. Notably, Microsoft has its own platform called Mixer and while it is relatively small compared to Twitch or YouTube, the platform is growing.
Recently, top eSports influencer, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins signed a deal with Mixer to exclusively stream on its platform, leaving Twitch behind. Ninja was one of the top streamers on Twitch, boasting over 14.7 million followers. Ninja attributes to his success to Twitch and Fortnite, which has led him to accumulate over a total of 270 million viewing hours since January 2018. To put it into perspective, Riot Games, owner of League of Legends, accumulated 165 million hours, while individual streamers such as Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek and Turner “Tfue” Tenney have reported 144 million and 105 million hours, respectively. Ninja, who is also an individual streamer, has more than 100 hours of viewership compared to Riot Games, which is multi-international gaming franchise corporation. While Twitch does dominate the eSports media scene, other platforms have also become increasingly popular such as Facebook Live, Smashcast, and Bigo. Aside from free online platforms, large corporations such as Disney and Comcast have also dove into the industry. And with the evolving eSports scene, competition among media companies could potentially grow even larger as they try to secure the media rights to livestreams and tournaments. According to data compiled by Infoholic Research, the global eSports market is expected to triple by 2025, reaching a value of USD 3 Billion. Additionally, the market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 20% during the forecast period from 2019 to 2025. UMG Media Ltd. (TSX-V: ESPT), Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC), Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC), Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL).
At its inception, eSport just involved a group of friends creating a team and competing against others. Since the birth of games, there has always been a competitive aspect to the industry, whether in the original Pac-Mac or the latest edition of Call of Duty. A multitude of players has been attracted to the idea of winning and climbing the leaderboard, which is why the eSports industry grew at such a remarkable pace. Now, games such as Fortnite and League of Legends have pushed eSports into mainstream media, allowing organizers to create multi-million dollar tournaments. The attractive grand prize pools have prompted teams from around the world to strive to become the best of the best, which is why some teams have become more business oriented rather than just a group of friends. In particular, games with a large fan and player base generally offer the highest prize tournaments. And with the large sum of monetary prizes in combination with popular professional players, a large audience is expected to be drawn in.
The larger the audience and the longer the viewing hours, the higher a company can monetize the broadcast. Similar to sports, many broadcasting and media companies are aggressively pushing to obtain the media rights for specific sports teams or tournaments. For instance, one of the largest sports networks, YES Network, broadcasts games for the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets and is a template others want to emulate. The network owns exclusive media rights to the teams, meaning that if other companies want to broadcast a Yankees or Nets game, they would need to negotiate a deal or pay the network.
Steve Arhancet, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Owner of Team Liquid said in an interview last year with CNBC’s “Fast Money,” that media streaming providers are pursuing to own the exclusive rights to broadcast League of Legends. League of Legends is a prime target for many companies because of its large audience. In 2018, League of Legends World Finals had nearly 100 million viewers. The impressive number only means more monetization for media companies. “Media rights have to do with the exclusive right to broadcast the League, and there’s plenty of interest in the space,” he said. “You’ve got Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, kind of all vying for these rights.”
UMG Media Ltd. (TSX-V: ESPT) announced earlier last week that, “Legends were made and champions were crowned this weekend in New York City at the Fortnite World Cup. With over $30,000,000USD awarded to players in the Solos, Duos, Creative and Pro/AM World Championships, countless lives were changed from a few flights on Fortnite’s Battle Bus.
Out of the four world championship events, all four were won by players of UMG’s Friday Fortnite. Bugha, a 16-year old reigning from Pennsylvania just won the most recent Friday Fortnite on July 19, 2019 and went on to win $3,000,000USD and claim the title of Fortnite World Champion. Aquaa took home $1,500,000USD in the duos championship. Friday Fortnite regulars, Cizzorz and Airwaks won the Creative World Championship and Pro/AM at the World Cup respectively. Countless other Friday Fortnite competitors finished top ten in the world taking home a combined $9,287,500.
UMG’s CEO, Dave Antony had this to say regarding UMG series players performance at the World Cup:
‘I want to congratulate everyone who participated in the Fortnite World Cup on their achievements and give a special shoutout to the four newly crowned world champions who participate in UMG’s broadcast events, along with all other UMG players at the event. Everyone at UMG loves the game, the competitions and most importantly the players and community. We look forward to kicking off more Fortnite initiatives through the remainder of 2019 to give more players a platform to kickoff their competitive gaming careers.’
UMG has increased their Fortnite offerings in the recent months to meet the demand set forth by the competitive gaming community for their competitions. Since 2019 started, UMG has had over 110,000 Fortnite tournament signups. Between the gaming platform and their initiatives on the influencer side, UMG is in a unique situation to capture a large percent of the Fortnite market.
Technavio analysts forecast the global sports betting market to grow at a CAGR close to 9% during the forecast period, according to their latest market research report.
The legalization of sports betting is one of the major trends being witnessed in the sports betting market 2018-2022. With the immense support for legalizing sports betting, several countries are expected to legalize sports betting, which would help generate massive revenue. This development would also help achieve more engagement with sports fans, thereby driving market growth.
According to Technavio analysts, one of the key factors contributing to the growth of the global sports betting market is the increasing popularity of e-sports betting:
Sports betting market: Increasing popularity of e-sports betting
The emergence of electronic systems to facilitate gaming competition, including a variety of video games, contributes to the growth of the e-sports industry. Owing to this popularity and growth, leading bookmarkers offer regular bets on numerous e-sports matches. Moreover, the betting volume for e-sports is increasing over other categories such as golf, tennis, rugby, and others. Thus, the broadening of the e-sports platform will drive the revenue generation in the sports betting industry.
According to a senior analyst at Technavio for research on leisure products, “Factors such as rising popularity of sports betting and the growing number of initiatives taken to legalize sports betting will further drive the growth of the online betting platforms market during the forecast period.”
Sports betting market: Segmentation analysis
The global sports betting market research report provides market segmentation by betting platform (online and offline) and by geography (the Americas, APAC, and EMEA). It provides an in-depth analysis of the prominent factors influencing the market, including drivers, opportunities, trends, and industry-specific challenges.
The Americas held the largest share of the market in 2017, accounting for close to 41% share, followed by the EMEA and APAC, respectively. Although APAC held the smallest share of the market, it is expected to witness the maximum increase in its market share over the forecast period owing to ease of gambling regulations in the region.
Penn National Gaming, Inc. (PENN: Nasdaq) (“Penn National” or the “Company”) announced today that it has entered into multi-year agreements with leading sports betting operators DraftKings, PointsBet, theScore and The Stars Group for online sports betting and iGaming market access across the Company’s portfolio. Penn Interactive Ventures, LLC (“PIV”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, will manage the relationships, in addition to operating the Company’s primary sports betting and iGaming initiatives through a new partnership with leading service provider Kambi.
According to Jon Kaplowitz, Penn National’s Sr. Vice President of Interactive Gaming: “We’re pleased to be providing the top names in sports betting, iGaming and poker access to our Company’s non-primary licenses to conduct these operations in exchange for a combination of upfront cash and equity, one-time market access fees and ongoing revenue sharing.”
Under the terms of the agreements, each “skin” partner will have the option to own, operate, and brand real-money online sports betting, poker, and casino offerings in each of the states outlined below, pursuant to a first, second or third skin, as applicable, and subject to license availability, state law, and regulatory approvals.
DraftKings:
States Covered: Florida (1st skin), Indiana (3rd skin), Missouri (1st skin), Ohio (1st skin), Pennsylvania (1st skin), Texas (1st skin) and West Virginia (2nd skin)
Term of agreement: 10 years, subject to a ten year extension
Key economic terms: Revenue share to Penn National based on net gaming revenue
PointsBet:
States Covered: Indiana (2nd Skin), Louisiana (1st Skin), Missouri (1st Skin), Ohio (1st Skin) and West Virginia (3rdSkin)
Term of agreement: 20 years
Key economic terms: Revenue share to Penn National based on net gaming revenue
Equity Position: PIV will take a strategic equity stake of 5.28% in PointsBet, with an additional $2.5 million access fee for Ohio, based on certain conditions, payable in cash or equity at Penn National’s option. In addition, PIV will receive 10,372,549 options, exercisable for two years, to acquire additional shares of PointsBet
Key economic terms: Revenue share to Penn National based on net gaming revenue
Equity Position: PIV will take a strategic equity stake of 4.7% in theScore, with the potential for this stake to increase as additional market access fees become payable.
The Stars Group:
States Covered: Illinois (1st skin), Indiana (1st skin), Kansas (2nd skin), New Mexico (2nd Skin), Maine (2nd skin), Massachusetts (2nd Skin), Michigan (2nd Skin), Ohio (1st Skin) and Texas (1st Skin)
Term of agreement: 20 years
Key economic terms: Upfront payment of $12.5 million payable cash, with an additional access fee of $5 million in cash for Texas based on certain conditions; revenue share to Penn National based on net gaming revenue, with a one-time bonus based on net gaming revenue in 2023
“Sports betting represents an exciting new growth opportunity for Penn National,” said Mr. Kaplowitz. “Our skin agreements announced today will help fund the cost of launching and maintaining our primary sports betting and iGaming operations, both by way of the upfront consideration and the long term revenue sharing arrangements, which are consistent with industry standards and subject to minimum guarantees.
“By controlling our front-end product and relying upon our new partnership with Kambi for managed-trading services, we can create a lasting and differentiated online and retail product experience for our customers,” continued Mr. Kaplowitz. “When coupled with our industry leading regional casino footprint and database of over five million active customers, the Company is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the rapidly expanding sports betting and iGaming markets in a way that maximizes value to our shareholders. This strategy is exemplified in our recent iGaming launch in Pennsylvania, where we were the first iGaming operator to take wagers in the state. Additionally, we will be launching our first in-house retail sportsbooks at our Iowa and Indiana properties in the coming weeks,” concluded Mr. Kaplowitz.
Following the conclusion of the Fortnite World Cup tournament, eSports enthusiasts have now turned their attention to Dota 2’s The International 2019. Last year, Epic Games, the owner of Fortnite, made global headlines after announcing that its World Cup tournament would feature a USD 30 Mill prize pool. 16-year old teenager Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf stunned the world and took home the USD 3 Million grand prize for the World Cup Solos final on Sunday as Epic Games’ World Cup tournament boasted the largest payout in eSports history. However, Valve’s Dota 2 The International has now surpassed the prize pool. Heading into the ninth annual tournament, which is expected to kick off on August 20th, The International is a highly sought after and reputable tournament because of its massive payout. For 2019, Valve is paying out more than USD 30 Million, topping Fortnite’s World Cup prize pool. Organizations are able to hold these colossal tournaments primarily because of crowdfunding from players. For instance, The International’s prize pool mainly consists of in-game purchases from players, commonly known as microtransactions. In particular, Valve is able to provide players with an immense payout because of its in-game “Battle Pass” item. The battle pass has different tiers, which players can purchase for different price points. The pass consists of rare in-game items such as cosmetics as well as special exclusive items. Valve noted that it uses a quarter of the sales to create The International’s prize pool. In 2018, Valve was able to boast a US 25.5 Million grand prize for its Dota 2 tournament. As of late July, The International 2019’s payout is estimated at USD 30.80 Million, however, crowdfunding is continuing and the prize pool is expected to increase. As the eSports industry continues to grow at its current rapid pace, it has caught the attention of various other industries and captivated millions of viewers worldwide. And as the industry continues to accelerate, eSports could become a mainstream media market as well as a viable career for a multitude of young adults. According to data compiled by MarketsAndMarkets, the global Esports Market was valued at USD 926.3 Million in 2018. By 2023, the market is projected to reach USD 2.17 Billion while registering a CAGR of 18.61% from 2018 to 2023. UMG Media Ltd. (TSX-V: ESPT), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ)
While competing in tournaments can potentially net players millions of dollars from winning, it’s a highly tedious and difficult road to reach the top. However, some players aren’t the top of the leaderboard, but still generate millions in annual revenue due to the mainstream media. Players such as Guy “DrDisRespect” Beahm and Jaryd “summit1g” Lazar are among the top streamers on the popular eSports media platform, Twitch. While the two are generally characterized as casual players, it is important to note that they have competed in professional tournaments. It is estimated that the two have earned millions of dollars through Twitch, YouTube, and various other social media campaigns. While the two may not compete professionally, they provide thousands of viewers each day with live content. Their abilities to draw viewers and engage with them have thusly led to their lavish careers. Moreover, their large audience base has also provided them with sponsorships from various companies such as Turtle Beach, Razer, and Monster Energy. The combination of their Twitch and YouTube subscribers, social media, and sponsorships allows the two to generate potentially over a million dollars in annual revenue. Overall, the eSports industry is a very diverse marketplace and allows different spectrums of gamers to thrive amongst one another. Competitive players generally love the adrenaline and thrill of winning and improving, while casual players enjoy more of a stress-free and relaxed gameplay. Nonetheless, competitive and casual players are able to coexist within the same marketplace because of their varying audience appeals. “Ever since their inception, video games have captured the imagination of millions. As gamers, we have always been captivated by the vast open worlds, immersive stories, and a video game’s ability to help us escape from our reality,” said Jayson van Kerckhoven, owner of TrinocGames. “But, for others, something more is needed. For some gamers, it’s about the competition. For these players, the story and lore offer little value. Instead, it’s the skill ceiling of the game and the drive to be the best that keeps them coming back. It’s this desire that led to the creation of the formal competitive landscape that we now know today as esports.”
UMG Media Ltd. (TSX-V: ESPT) announced earlier this week that, “Legends were made and champions were crowned this weekend in New York City at the Fortnite World Cup. With over $30,000,000USD awarded to players in the Solos, Duos, Creative and Pro/AM World Championships, countless lives were changed from a few flights on Fortnite’s Battle Bus.
Out of the four world championship events, all four were won by players of UMG’s Friday Fortnite. Bugha, a 16-year old reigning from Pennsylvania just won the most recent Friday Fortnite on July 19, 2019 and went on to win $3,000,000USD and claim the title of Fortnite World Champion. Aquaa took home $1,500,000USD in the duos championship. Friday Fortnite regulars, Cizzorz and Airwaks won the Creative World Championship and Pro/AM at the World Cup respectively. Countless other Friday Fortnite competitors finished top ten in the world taking home a combined $9,287,500.
UMG’s CEO, Dave Antony had this to say regarding UMG series players performance at the World Cup:
‘I want to congratulate everyone who participated in the Fortnite World Cup on their achievements and give a special shoutout to the four newly crowned world champions who participate in UMG’s broadcast events, along with all other UMG players at the event. Everyone at UMG loves the game, the competitions and most importantly the players and community. We look forward to kicking off more Fortnite initiatives through the remainder of 2019 to give more players a platform to kickoff their competitive gaming careers.’
UMG has increased their Fortnite offerings in the recent months to meet the demand set forth by the competitive gaming community for their competitions. Since 2019 started, UMG has had over 110,000 Fortnite tournament signups. Between the gaming platform and their initiatives on the influencer side, UMG is in a unique situation to capture a large percent of the Fortnite market.
About UMG: UMG is a premier esports company in North America. UMG has operations involved in live tournaments, online esports contests, casino esports operations, creation and distribution of original content and esports tournament operations through its proprietary tournament management app. Readers can learn more about UMG and its esports offerings at www.umggaming.com.”
PointsBet,a premier global sportsbook operator,announced today a new U.S.-based headquarters in Colorado, set to extend the company’s footprint beginning October 2019. The downtown Denver hub will serve as PointsBet USA’s western base of operations, maintaining a focus on product innovation and technology recruitment moving forward.
The announcement is bolstered by the recent appointment of Manjit Gombra Singh as PointsBet President, Product and Technology. As an industry veteran and former Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of leading global gaming technologies provider Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL), Manjit brings a track record in delivering leading product and technology strategy for mobile, social and traditional casino gaming products. His arrival is strategically timed with PointsBet’s continued U.S. expansion to the prosperous tech market in Denver, where PointsBet will utilize the strong university network throughout Colorado to help install a foundation for prolonged success.
“The PointsBet team is excited to join the great state of Colorado in establishing a new, Denver headquarters,” noted Johnny Aitken, PointsBet USA’s Chief Executive Officer. “It’s a sports-loving, tech hub that is also in a great location for us strategically. We can’t wait to have a presence in the area and have access to some of the best and brightest minds as we continue to grow.”
The announcement is also welcomed by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (Metro Denver EDC) and the City of Denver as the Centennial State explores the potential to welcome sports betting.
“We are happy to welcome a strong global technology company that is fueling industry innovation,” said Michelle Hadwiger, Director of Global Business Development for the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. “PointsBet’s arrival underscores a continued trend of Australian companies choosing Colorado for our strategic location and access to tech talent needed to expand their operations.”
“Metro Denver EDC is thrilled to welcome PointsBet to Colorado. The company’s commitment to technology development, innovation, and great-quality jobs make it a perfect fit for the Metro Denver region. We look forward to supporting PointsBet’s long-term growth in Colorado,” said Sam Bailey, Metro Denver EDC’s Vice President of Economic Development.
Launched in the United States in January 2019, PointsBet is a rapidly growing sportsbook with unique offerings and a bettor-friendly approach. PointsBet has introduced a slew of bettor-first initiatives, including: Good Karma Payouts, which provides bettors relief in the event of unlikely circumstances that sway the fate of the game, Early Payouts, and an exclusive $10,000 gameday guarantee for all NBA and NHL playoff games, as well as the entire MLB and NFL seasons.
Following a competitive tender process, the German Football Association (DFB) has today selected Genius Sports to launch a new integrity program that will monitor over 7,500 games a year to prevent match-fixing and betting-related corruption.
Beginning with the 2019/20 season, Genius Sports’ Bet Monitoring System will provide vital visibility across global betting on all Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga, German internationals, women’s and youth team fixtures. By analyzing global odds movements with predictive algorithms, this technology will automatically flag potentially suspicious betting activity in real-time.
The DFB integrity team will now benefit from unprecedented levels of betting intelligence, detailed reports on individual games and analysis of global betting markets that will provide key information from third party sources and bookmakers to support any integrity investigations.
Steven Burton, Managing Director at Genius Sports, said: “Being selected to safeguard the integrity and future of one of the largest football associations in the world is a huge honor for Genius Sports and is a testament to the quality of our services. Our monitoring technology, expertise in analyzing real-time betting and global intelligence network will provide comprehensive protection for the DFB, ensuring their games remain transparent and unpredictable.”
The global sports betting market is expected to post a CAGR of more than 10% during the period 2019-2023, according to the latest market research report by Technavio.
A key factor driving the growth of the global sports betting market size is the legalization of sports betting. Governments in various countries across the world are lifting regulations on betting activities. For instance, the popularity of online gambling, including sports betting increased significantly in Singapore after the Government of Singapore announced its plans to relax laws related to online gambling in September 2016. This trend of lifting regulations on online gambling will positively impact the growth of the sports betting market during the forecast period.
As per Technavio, the emergence of machine learning in sports betting will have a positive impact on the market and contribute to its growth significantly over the forecast period. This global sports betting market 2019-2023 research report also analyzes other important trends and market drivers that will affect market growth over 2019-2023.
Global Sports Betting Market: Emergence of Machine Learning in Sports Betting
The increasing impact of technologies such as virtual reality (VR), blockchain, and AI is expected to be one of the key sports betting market trends during the forecast period. Major vendors in the market are focusing on increasing their investments in machine learning (ML) tools and methods, which has shown promising results. ML helps build predictive algorithms and accurate predictive models for better betting efficiency. Thus, the increasing penetration of ML will increase the outcomes of sports events, thereby, fueling market growth during the forecast period.
“Apart from the emergence of machine learning in sports betting, other factors such as rising consolidation, and the growing popularity of e-sports tournaments will have a significant impact on the sports betting market growth during the forecast period,” says a senior analyst at Technavio.
Global Sports Betting Market: Segmentation Analysis
This market research report segments the global sports betting market worth by platform (offline and online) and geographic regions (Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and MEA).
The APAC region led the sports betting market in 2018, followed by Europe, North America, MEA, and South America respectively. The sports betting market analysis report identifies several factors such as the increase in demand for online games and fantasy sports platforms, rise in the number of sports enthusiasts and the growing demand for leisure activities to fuel the growth of the sports betting market share in APAC during the forecast period.
Boyd Gaming properties across the country premiere the new Madonna™ slot game, available only on Aristocrat’s new EDGE X™ cabinet.
Boyd Gaming’s unique brand of casino entertainment now has players across the nation on the EDGE of their seats, as Boyd Gaming becomes the first gaming operator in the nation to deploy games on Aristocrat’s all-new EDGE X™ cabinet.
Boyd Gaming properties across the country will utilize the EDGE X cabinet to premiere the Aristocrat title Madonna™, honoring the world-famous pop star. Additionally, Boyd Gaming is the first operator in Nevada to receive the all-new title FarmVille™, based on the wildly popular social game.
“Boyd Gaming takes pride in offering our customers a unique and memorable gaming experience, and we are thrilled to enhance and elevate that experience with these fun and exciting new games,” said Steve Thompson, Executive Vice President of Operations for Boyd Gaming.
“We are honored to introduce this landmark new cabinet and two great new games in concert with a fantastic partner of Aristocrat in Boyd Gaming. FarmVille and Madonna are two iconic brands, and they are the perfect fit for the completely new experience that awaits players with the EDGE X cabinet. We hope players will go to their favorite Boyd Gaming property to experience the fun these games provide,” said Jon Hanlin, Vice President Commercial Strategy, Gaming Operations for Aristocrat.
Players will get into the groove with Madonna, featuring a multi-site progressive with a grand jackpot starting value of $250,000 or a single-site progressive with a grand jackpot starting value of $5,000. This game features persistent Mighty Cash Hold & Spin Multipliers, free games, and a “Like a Virgin” Wheel Bonus. A unique karaoke feature on the button desk enables players to sing along with their favorite Madonna songs while playing the game.
Boyd Gaming is the first operator in Nevada to receive Aristocrat’s all-new game FarmVille™, based on the wildly popular social game. The game is available only on Aristocrat’s new EDGE X™ cabinet.
In FarmVille, slot players will find all their favorite characters, farm animals, livestock, and a single-site progressive with grand jackpot starting values of $2,500 or $5,000. The game features progressive free games and the Mighty Cash Hold & Spin mechanic.
FanDuel Group announced the grand opening of the company’s first retail sportsbook in New York State, located at Tioga Downs Casino Resort in Nichols, New York. The FanDuel Sportsbook will open to the public on Friday, July 19 at 2:30 PM ET, with New York Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo from NY District 123rd making the ceremonial first bet as part of a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“As we continue to expand our sportsbook operations across the U.S. the opening of our FanDuel Sportsbook at Tioga Downs Casino Resort is a history-making moment for the FanDuel Group,” said Keith Wall, Vice President Commercial Retail, FanDuel Group. “Jeff Gural has been an incredible partner in New Jersey, and joining forces with him and the team at Tioga Downs allows us to bring sports betting to New York sports fans while delivering new jobs and tax revenue to the Empire State.”
Tioga Downs’ sports betting retail location is one of four upstate New York casinos permitted to offer sports betting in the state of New York.
“Our partnership with FanDuel at the Meadowlands has surpassed expectations,” said Jeff Gural, Chairman of American Racing and Entertainment. “Now that legislation in New York has been passed, we look forward to bringing the fun and excitement of wagering on sports to the Upstate region.”
FanDuel’s new 2,600 square foot sports betting retail location will be conveniently located near the main entrance of the Tioga Downs Casino. The FanDuel Sportsbook will feature eight betting windows, 27 video displays including a large video wall, 14 self service betting kiosks from IGTPlayDigital, three sports tickers, 12 lounge seats, seven high tables, two drink rails, and seating for more than 50 customers. FanDuel will provide its first class risk and trading platform and manage the location in partnership with Tioga Downs Casino Resort and will leverage IGT PlayDigital’s retail sports betting technology. The FanDuel Sportsbook will feature bets on all major U.S. sports, including professional baseball, soccer, football, basketball, golf, boxing, motorsports racing, and more.
The FanDuel Sportsbook at Tioga Downs Casino Resort marks FanDuel Group’s fourth retail operation. The company opened the first-ever FanDuel Sportsbook located at New Meadowlands Racetrack last July, followed by a location at The Greenbrier in West Virginia last fall and most recently at the Valley Forge Casino Resort in Pennsylvania.
Rush Street Interactive (RSI), the digital and land-based sports wagering and gaming supplier of BetRivers.com, has deployed a simple and clean solution that allows patrons for the first time to wager using their iOS devices in Pennsylvania. After a player registers on their mobile devices at BetRivers.com, they will be directed to download the GeoGuard Location Validator from the Apple app store that will enable RSI to confirm that players are located within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania when they access BetRivers.com through their mobile browsers, such as Apple Safari or Google Chrome.
“We are excited to offer Apple users in Pennsylvania a way to enjoy the extremely wide range of pre-game and in-game bets offered on BetRivers.com from their mobile devices,” said Richard Schwartz, President of Rush Street Interactive. “In fact, the BetRivers.com platform is the only one in the state of Pennsylvania that currently enables players to bet from their iPhones and other Apple mobile devices.”Apple users who log into their BetRivers.com account will be prompted to install the GeoGuard Location Validator app. Once downloaded, users who open the GeoGuard app will then be prompted to complete the set up with just two more quick steps to follow. Once that’s been completed successfully, players can navigate back to BetRivers.com on their browsers and begin placing bets directly from their mobile browsers. Importantly, once a player completes the process once, they can place mobile bets directly at BetRivers.com without going back to the app.
