Minsk iGaming Affiliate Conference 2020 dedicated to affiliate marketing trends in the gambling sector will take place on March 5. The event will bring together top arbitrage specialists and webmasters, CIS and EU operators, representatives of СРА networks and affiliate programs, marketers, SEO experts, and many other professionals.
There is a discount on tickets for iGaming lovers:
A special offer on MiAC 2020 Business tickets is prolonged until February 14.
• 1+1 = 100 BYN more profitable.
CBS Sports and William Hill, America’s leading sports book operator, today announced a strategic partnership that makes William Hill the Official Sports Book and Wagering Data Provider across all CBS Sports platforms. The deal will reimagine fan engagement through a unique integration of sports betting, media, product and technology. The partnership will tip off with initial integrations in March on CBS Sports digital platforms, with a full rollout planned for the fantasy football season.
The partnership extends CBS Sports’ digital leadership in the sports betting space and allows for the creation of even more relevant content across its wide array of platforms. CBS Sports will utilize William Hill’s odds, experts and more than 140 sports books to bolster its current digital offerings, delivering deeper information and programming produced from William Hill sports books across the country, and further engaging sports bettors and fans. In addition, the partnership includes opportunities to feature William Hill data, odds and markets across CBS television programming.
William Hill will receive exclusive rights to promote its brand across CBS Sports’ broad range of digital properties, including through CBS Sports Fantasy, one of the largest fantasy platforms in the world, resulting in highly efficient customer acquisition for the sports betting company.
“We’re thrilled to launch this momentous partnership, which will allow us to deepen our investment and further extend our leadership in delivering multi-platform sports wagering content, while providing William Hill with unprecedented reach for their market-leading betting platform as they continue to grow their industry-leading U.S. business,” said Jeffrey Gerttula, Executive Vice President and General Manager, CBS Sports Digital. “The power of our distribution, combined with the strength of our brands and the expertise of William Hill, has us well positioned to tap into the explosive growth of the legal sports betting industry in the U.S. Together, we will deliver even more value to this rapidly growing segment of sports fans.”
“CBS Sports, similar to William Hill, has a longstanding history of connecting fans directly to the biggest events and most iconic moments in sports,” said Joe Asher, CEO of William Hill US. “We are excited about this partnership, with assets including mass-reach digital content products, one of the largest fantasy sports databases and platforms in the world, and leading sports television programming, which will allow us to expand the William Hill brand across America quickly and efficiently.”
CBS Sports Digital is the second-largest sports property in the U.S. with more than 80 million users per month across its sites and apps as well as tens of millions of followers on social platforms. CBS Sports Digital offerings include SportsLine, the dedicated subscription platform for game picks and predictions that has seen strong subscriber growth in recent years; CBSSports.com; 24/7 streaming network CBS Sports HQ, which features the nightly SportsLine show focused on sports betting and delivered triple-digit viewership growth in 2019; CBS Sports Fantasy; CBS Sports apps; and 247Sports.
Powered by a heritage that dates back to 1934, William Hill established its U.S. presence in Las Vegas in 2012 and has grown to become America’s leading sports book operator by differentiating itself from the industry as an innovative pioneer in sports betting. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that overturned PASPA in 2018, William Hill has led the United States expansion of sports betting and now has operations in 10 states. The company currently accepts one out of every four sports bets placed in the U.S.
Financial terms of the deal are not being disclosed.
TheScore stands out as a unique story in the gambling space. As so many operators start to compete in the U.S. space, theScore comes from a media background, but with plenty of name recognition. To understand the company’s path, our Becky Liggero Fontana spoke with John Levy, CEO of theScore.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLCwiuIYCsI?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
TheScore came to the gambling industry gradually, and from learning its own lessons in its previous expertise. “Our origins were a TV network in Canada and then through that we developed this digital world of the mobile app and we’re like the second most popular app in North America, ESPN is number one, were number two,” Levy began. “And we’ve always known that a high percentage of all the people who engage with us bet on sports. So it seemed unfulfilling for us just to become the super affiliate we looked at the market we said look the best thing to do is just go all-in. And we said, are we licensable? Absolutely because we kept ourselves perfectly clean for the last twenty years, hoping and praying that sports betting was gonna open up. Had to cut some deal, so we got a deal with Bet.Works, that allowed us to do the backend technology. Then we met Dennis Drazen from Monmouth Park, and that got us our license in New Jersey. And boom, five weeks ago we launched in New Jersey, we’re literally the only sports media company that’s actually the operator. We’re the bookie, and we’re having a lot of fun, and we’re learning like crazy. It’s amazing.”
While theScore is building up its gambling cred in New Jersey, they already have plans to expand further, starting with a deal with Penn National.”We’ve always said the New Jersey was just our entrance point, right?” he asked. “And our users, 65% of all of our users on our app come from the States. You know, we have 4 to 5 million average monthly users, they hit our app 100 plus times a month. This is always about doing a national footprint, but we have to do it on a state-by-state basis which is fine with us. So our options were one of two things: either we go state by state, or we find a bigger company, a gaming company, that actually kind of thought like us, and thinks like us, and they’re not many of them around. Like there’s a lot of the big guys, the MGM’s. They’re kind of stuck in legacy land and they got a lot of other interests to protect, huge revenue streams.”
The XFL and FOX Bet today announced a new deal that makes the mobile sports betting brand an authorized gaming operator of the league.
FOX Bet will promote and offer XFL-centric betting markets to its customers and create a special FOX Sports Super 6 game for each week of the XFL’s 10-week regular season (Feburary 8 – April 12), and one for its postseason semi-finals (April 18-19) and Championship game (April 26). This special XFL free-to-play game will offer guaranteed cash prizes and be promoted to the FOX Sports Super 6 database of over 1 million customers each week.
“We are thrilled to be an authorized gaming operator of the XFL and part of all the excitement surrounding the league’s kickoff this February,” said Robin Chhabra, CEO of FOX Bet. “Just as they are reimagining the game of football in America, we at FOX Bet are reimagining the sports experience for fans across the country.”
As part of the agreement, FOX Bet has the right to use the XFL’s official data feed, league marks, team logos, player and coach likeness and certain league content across its FOX Bet sports betting app and FOX Sports Super 6 free-to-play game.
“FOX Bet is a leader in mobile sports wagering, and we’re proud to partner with such an important player in the sports betting community,” said Jeffrey Pollack, President and COO of the XFL. “We want what our fans want and legal sports betting is an important part of the fan experience that will allow them to connect more strongly with the XFL.”
FOX Bet, the U.S. sports betting brand of The Stars Group, is currently available in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The FOX Sports Super 6 free-to-play game is available nationwide* and gives players a chance to win hundreds of thousands of dollars each week. FOX Bet plans to expand its sports betting products into additional states as they legalize and regulate online sports betting.
*Excluding Washington State
BetConstruct opens up new paths for operators and igaming enthusiasts willing to enter the industry and hone their skills.
The knowledge and experience collected over the years of being in business, hundreds of partners and industry recognition prompted and encouraged BetConstruct to deliver industry-facing education for those who want to boost their standing in igaming.
Our International Gaming Business Academy helps operators and their personnel reinforce their knowledge in fields of trading, digital marketing, business development, international regulatory & responsible gambling, anti-money laundering, CRM, risk management and more. Not only BetConstruct gives an opportunity to operators take an extra step in their business development, but also trains fresh minds to enter the industry and find success as an industry expert.
The International Gaming Business Academy is ready to deliver courses both on-site at the company’s development office in Armenia and via online training.
Specialist payment provider to integrate its technology into full retail portfolio
Athens, 06th February 2020 – OKTO Group, the financial technology provider specialising in digital payment and player engagement applications, has partnered with leading Italian gaming company ARESWAY to supply its technology across its full retail portfolio.
With over two decades of experience in the Italian gaming industry, ARESWAY develops highly advanced solutions for the retail betting industry, boasting an engaging in-house gaming suite and innovative open platform for electronic gaming machines.
The agreement is set to give a wealth of Italian operators access to OKTO’s industry-leading payment solutions for gaming through a seamless integration with ARESWAY’s EOS open platform for VLTs.
Arizona Senate Bill (SB 1158) met its untimely death last year when it couldn’t gain enough support to rally lawmakers. The bill was designed to try to introduce sports gambling to the state, but haphazardly approached the subject, which may have been partially the reason it couldn’t tread water. SB 1158 is back, revived as SB 1525, and is hoping to do what its previous self couldn’t. However, the way things are set out in the bill, the safe money would be on SB 1525 finding the same result as its predecessor.
SB 1525 has been drafted by Senator Sonny Borrelli and Representative Steve Pierce. Given the vast control over the gaming industry that local tribes have, operating 16 of the 24 gaming venues in the state, the bill caters to them and would allow the tribes to set up sportsbooks and kiosks at their casinos. Additionally, it would also allow tribal-owned entertainment facilities, such as bars, nightclubs and any tribal location with a liquor license to set up sportsbooks or install kiosks.
Specifically, the legislation reads, “An Indian tribe that is authorized to operate sports betting pursuant to this section may operate sports betting through kiosks or similar machines that are located at one or more premises that have a bar license, a beer and wine bar license or a private club license that is issued pursuant title 4 and may enter into a lease or rental agreement for the purpose of operating sports betting with a person that holds a bar license, a beer and wine bar license or a private club license.”
The provision to allow sports gambling at non-casino facilities is going to meet significant resistance. According to federal law, which trumps local law and is the go-to authority for tribal gaming operations, tribes are only allowed to offer gambling on their own land that has been placed in federal trust. While some exceptions have been seen, it isn’t likely that one would be made in this case, and not where vast amounts of liquor can be mixed with wagers.
It was probably a plan that sounded good at the time – trick gaming machines at Miccosukee Resort & Gaming into spitting out false payout vouchers and cash in the winnings. However, what looks good on paper doesn’t always work in real life, and eight people that carried out the scheme at the Florida casino, walking away with more than $5 million, have found this out the hard way. According to a Department of Justice press release, they have now pleaded guilty to various crimes and will spend substantial time behind bars concocting their next scheme.
Michel Aleu, Lester Lavin, Yohander Jorrin Melhen, and Leonardo Betancourt are previous employees of the casino. In 2011, they hatched their plan with the help of one who worked on the video games for the venue. The machines began to offer the fake vouchers, which were handed off to co-conspirators to be exchanged for cash. When it appeared that the casino had not wisened up, they kept their plan in motion and walked away with $5.3 million, until finally being caught four years later.
When the theft was uncovered, the group was rounded up and prosecutors began exploring which legal books to throw at them. In the end, prosecutors finally charged them last July with conspiracy to steal funds of more than $1,000, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Next stop, a courtroom to enter their plea. That has now happened, according to a press release from prosecutors, and they have pleaded guilty to all of the charges.
They wouldn’t be facing a judge alone, however. Also implicated in the scheme were the wives of three of the suspects, Maria Del Pilar Aleu, Anisleydi Vergel Hermida and Milagros Marile Acosta Torres. They had also been dragged into the saga and have pleaded guilty to money laundering. All defendants entered their pleas over several different court appearances, with the last, Yohander Jorrin Melhen and Milagros Acosta Torres, admitting to their crimes last Friday.
Scientific Games Corporation and Betfred are partnering to provide full retail and digital sports betting solutions in Pennsylvania. Betfred have chosen Scientific Games as their technology provider to launch retail solutions at Wind Creek Casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the first half of 2020 as part of Betfred’s recently announced partnership with the property. In advance of the 2020-2021 NFL season, Betfred and Scientific Games plan to launch digital sports betting for Pennsylvania bettors.
Mark Stebbings, Group COO at Betfred, said, “Scientific Games was the clear choice to provide our sports betting platform in Pennsylvania. OpenSports™ provides best-in-class, reliable technology and services that will help us reach more players and grow our sportsbook presence at speed.”
Betfred’s Pennsylvania players will benefit from Scientific Games’ full OpenSports product suite, which includes the industry-leading online and mobile betting technology and services. Betfred through its partnership with Wind Creek Casino will provide Scientific Games’ over the counter betting solutions and retail betting kiosks in addition to Don Best Sports data feeds, part of the OpenTrade™ branch of the OpenSports product suite.
Keith O’Loughlin, SVP Sportsbook, Digital for Scientific Games, said, “Betfred is one of the UK’s top-performing bookmakers, and their move into the U.S. will spark growth. Once again, a sophisticated and experienced sports betting operator has chosen OpenSports to responsibly grow its U.S. presence with our maximum reliability, scalability, and performance. Together, Scientific Games and Betfred can make a massive impact in the sports betting arena by driving player engagement and putting their digital and retail sportsbooks at the forefront of this expanding landscape. Betfred is synonymous with giving UK customers a great value proposition, and we are confident that they will get great traction in the U.S. with this customer-oriented approach.”
Scientific Games has provided sports betting solutions since the late 1990s and currently serves a total of 35 sports betting customers in 16 countries. The Company is among the first to be certified by the World Lottery Association as a responsible gaming supplier and is the first sports betting supplier to join the Global Lottery Monitoring System, which ensures the integrity of sports betting worldwide.
Arcade games have been some of the most popular forms of electronic entertainment for two generations now. Companies have made billions of dollars from these games, and a general love of these games has led gambling machine manufacturers to combine them with gambling, and that is what Dragon Ascent is all about.
However, not everyone thinks this is a good idea. Lawmakers in both D.C. and Virginia are concerned about the game and are wondering if he should be allowed at all.
The problem is that many are questioned whether this is a game of skill or a game of chance. There is a significant difference between the two in terms of what is lawful within the state and the nation’s capital but the question may be moot.
The game has much the same appeal as an arcade game. There are joysticks as players compete to shoot down colorful dragons darting across the screen. However, instead of winning points to be crowned the champion, players can win money as their reward. It’s the perfect solution for users who have spent years playing these types of games.
The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation (VRGF) has a new chief, which means the gambling industry in Victoria needs to be ready for changes. The organization is led by a board who responds to the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation and works to prevent gambling addiction in Victoria. Following the departure of Julie Ligeti as the chair of the VRGF, Tass Mousaferiadis is going to be installed as the new leader, and other changes are being made inside the top echelon that will most certainly build upon the country’s plans to control gambling on more levels than ever.
Mousaferiadis has served on the board since February 2017 and has a background in entities that focus on health and education. He is the chair of Eastern Health Services and of Star Health, and is also a board director for Foodbank Victoria, according to a press release on his appointment. Additionally, he has been in leadership roles with a number of organizations, including Beyond Blue and VicHealth.
Marlene Kairouz, Minister for Gaming and Liquor Regulation, says of the appointment, “Mr Mousaferiadis is passionate about the development and delivery of high-quality health policy, programs and services that are informed by the experiences of those affected and I have every confidence in his ability to lead the Foundation.”
Joining Mousaferiadis is coming in at the same time that another board member is moving up, as well. Monique Conheady has served on the board since 2013 and will now carry the title of Deputy Chair. She is a co-founder and former CEO of Flexicar, and has served on the governing board of Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority. Her increase in responsibilities comes as Belinda Duarte, with ties to the Wotjobaluk and Dja Dja Wurrung aboriginal people, resigns.
After seven events, the winner of the Australian Poker Open Championship is known and it is British poker legend Stephen Chidwick. The final event, the Australian Poker Open $100,000-entry Main Event was won by Michael Addamo for a massive $1,318,000. But the points gained by Stephen Chidwick saw him reach the promised land, overtaking Hungarian player Andras Nemeth and winning the Championship overall, cashing for over a million Australian dollars in total, including the $50,000 bonus prize for topping the leaderboard.
The final day of the Australian Poker Open’s Main Event began with a money bubble upon which hung the overall Championship title. Chidwick needed to finish in the top four to make the money and more importantly the points to become champion. He did so after an agonising hour of play for those with short stacks, but a thrilling one for fans tuning into PokerGO for the coverage.
It would be Australia’s own crusher, Kahle Burns, who busted in fifth place to hand Chidwick the APO Championship title and that $50,000 top prize.
Burns moved all-in with pocket kings and was called by the original raiser in the hand, Michael Addamo, who held queen-eight of spades. The flop saw two eights land and no help for Burns on the turn and river meant that the field was at four and the money bubble burst, Burns off into the afternoon shaking his head in disbelief, Chidwick declared Champion in the same breathless moment.
After seven events, the winner of the Australian Poker Open Championship is known and it is British poker legend Stephen Chidwick. The final event, the Australian Poker Open $100,000-entry Main Event was won by Michael Addamo for a massive $1,318,000. But the points gained by Stephen Chidwick saw him reach the promised land, overtaking Hungarian player Andras Nemeth and winning the Championship overall, cashing for over a million Australian dollars in total, including the $50,000 bonus prize for topping the leaderboard.
The final day of the Australian Poker Open’s Main Event began with a money bubble upon which hung the overall Championship title. Chidwick needed to finish in the top four to make the money and more importantly the points to become champion. He did so after an agonising hour of play for those with short stacks, but a thrilling one for fans tuning into PokerGO for the coverage.
It would be Australia’s own crusher, Kahle Burns, who busted in fifth place to hand Chidwick the APO Championship title and that $50,000 top prize.
Burns moved all-in with pocket kings and was called by the original raiser in the hand, Michael Addamo, who held queen-eight of spades. The flop saw two eights land and no help for Burns on the turn and river meant that the field was at four and the money bubble burst, Burns off into the afternoon shaking his head in disbelief, Chidwick declared Champion in the same breathless moment.
With the homeless crisis always a hotly discussed topic across the Western U.S., lawmakers and residents are looking for ways to find the financial resources to help reduce the crisis. In Oregon, the Mayor of Wood Village is pushing for the idea of opening a casino in the city. He proposes would provide additional tax revenue that could be used to help fight the problem.
The city has twice tried to get a referendum passed to approve the Wood Village Casino project. That happened in both 2010 and 2012 when two businessmen sought to open gain approval for the facility but residents voted it down each time. However, Mayor T. Scott Harden believes that things will be different this time:
“The new major beneficiary of the dollars will be our homelessness efforts. I think in a lot of people’s minds this would get them to think. It might be the tipping point for a lot of voters.”
Bruce Studer and Matt Rossman are leading the initiative. They filed a pair of ballot proposals on January 30 with the Oregon Secretary of State. This would open the door for the design and construction of a casino and entertainment center that would be located in Wood Village. The city is located just east of Portland.
Super Bowl Sunday will be a huge time of celebration for people across America but, for one casino, it will be the end of an era. This Sunday, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will host one last gala event before turning over the establishment to a Virgin Hotel Las Vegas.
The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has been a part of Las Vegas for 25 years and has been an integral part of the city’s landscape. However, its time has come to an end, and the hotel and casino plans to go out with a bang.
Starting on Thursday night, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will begin a four-day party that will run until the doors close on February 3. That will occur at 3 AM. At that point, the doors will close and be locked and the property will not open again until late this year when it is rebranded as the Virgin Hotel Las Vegas.
For staff and guests, the final bash will be a bittersweet moment. “We are looking to having a great party to honor this great resort,” lamented Hard Rock CEO Richard Bosworth. “The musicians that we are going to have here for a marathon party starting Thursday are all local, rolling back menu prices and printing out items we had in 1995, celebrating the famous Center Bar here.”
Barstool Sports was designed to offer a take on the sports gambling industry that would be, at times, edgy and controversial. The online media platform has covered all things sports since 2003 and, if the adage “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” is to be believed, Barstool’s outspoken nature has paid off in a big way. The rumors of a potential sale of the company to Penn National have now been confirmed, and the amount of money exchanging hands makes this one of the most lucrative media deals in recent history.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Penn National is prepared to hand over $163 million to buy 36% of the company. The amount includes $136 million in cash and another $28 million in stock, and, if everything goes according to plan, Penn National will have the ability to increase its stake to 50% within three years. It will also have first rights to buy the company outright at that time.
As a result of the deal, Barstool’s value now sits at about $450 million. This is proving to be very lucrative for The Chernin Group, an investment firm that injected $10 million into the company in 2016 and another $25 million two years later. Not a bad return on investment.
It should also prove beneficial for Penn National as legalized sports gambling continues to roll out across the US. According to its available financial data, Barstool picked up between $90 million and $100 million in revenue last year from merchandising, contests and advertising. This gives the gambling operator a relatively short period to see the positive side of its investment. Not that Penn National is too concerned – its third-quarter turnover last year was around $1.35 billion.
Legal online and retail sportsbooks across the country will take in $400 million in total bets for Super Bowl LIV, analysts for PlayUSA.com project. Even if less money comes in, the matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs, set for Sunday, Feb. 2, will almost certainly bring in more money via legal sportsbooks than ever before.
“With the proliferation of legal sports betting across the U.S., there is no doubt that this will be a record year for legal bets on the Super Bowl,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayUSA.com. “An interesting matchup that is nearly a pick ’em will help spur action, too. As a result, records in states such as Nevada and New Jersey, where both online and retail sports betting were legal for last year’s game, are also in jeopardy.”
The Super Bowl is easily the most bet-on sporting event in the U.S., drawing an estimated $6 billion in legal and illegal bets in 2019, according to the American Gaming Association. That number will reach almost $7 billion in 2020, the AGA estimates.
For this year’s game, consider:
“Not only has the number of legal sports jurisdictions doubled from last year’s game, states such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania have boomed,” Gouker said. “That all adds up to a historic weekend ahead for sports betting.”
Kansas City is currently a consensus 1.5-point favorite over the 49ers. And with the Chiefs’ top-ranked passing attack matched up against the 49ers’ second-ranked pass defense, the over/under is now set at 54 points.
Prop bets should once again bring added attention from bettors to the game. Books will offer odds on aspects of the game that range from what player will score the first touchdown to the color of the Gatorade dumped on the winning coach.
“Online and mobile sportsbooks are a key tool in driving in-game and prop betting, giving states with a robust digital presence a significant advantage,” Gouker said. “In New Jersey, nearly 88% of all bets were made online in December. And that allows operators to attract bettors with prop bets and keep them engaged with in-game betting.”
The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the premier professional lacrosse league in the world, will be holding its first-ever team business summit this week atMGM’s Mandalay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The three days of meetings and seminars will culminate with Saturday’s historic matchup between the San Diego Seals and the Colorado Mammoth at Orleans Arena, the first-ever professional lacrosse game in Las Vegas.
“We are excited to be with all our Clubs and new marketing partner, MGM to bring our team and league leadership together for a unique opportunity to review best practices and discuss the strategic growth of our league and the sport of lacrosse,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “The NLL is in the midst of historic business growth with so many new partners that convening all of our stakeholders in one place to capitalize on the momentum will add value for our teams and ultimately our fans.”
In addition to hearing from the teams on their best successes and strategies, executives will hear and learn from executives from the UFC, the Las Vegas Golden Knights, as well as league partners Turner Sports, Two Circles, Greenfly and others, on best practices, evolving business strategies and new partnership and revenue generating activities. Over seventy league and team executives and partners are expected to participate.
The NLL is the premier professional lacrosse league, ranking third in average attendance for pro indoor sports, with 13 teams in key markets across North America. The NLL experienced substantial growth last season with nearly a million total ticket sales, a 28-percent increase from 2017-18, and 74 percent of ticket sales were from people who never played lacrosse. Digital viewership also rose significantly through B/R Live, showing substantial increases in total unit sales (up 151 percent from last year), average unique viewers (+27 percent), and average minute audiences (+14 percent). Sponsorship revenues are projected at a 29 percent increase year over year as well.
For the most up to date information and breaking news, sign up for the NLL newsletter at NLL.com. Also follow Deputy Commissioner Jessica Berman and Commissioner Sakiewicz on Twitter @JessicaBerman1 and @NLLcommish, respectively.
Basketball fans, and the entire world, were shocked yesterday after learning that NBA legend Kobe Bryant had died in a helicopter crash. Bryant was on his way to a youth basketball game when the chopper went down over Calabasas, California, killing the star, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others. The death of Bryant, affectionately called The Black Mamba, impacts the game of basketball on a number of levels, as well as the sports community overall, and also hits home to Calvin Ayre.
Bryant first entered the NBA in 1996 when he was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets. Almost immediately, he was traded to the LA Lakers, where he spent the entirety of his long and successful 20-season career – five NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVPs, 18 NBA All-Star appearances, 11 All-NBA First Team selections and more. When he retired in 2016, he was the third-highest regular-season scoring player in league history.
However, he was much more than a basketball phenom. Off the court, he founded the Kobe Bryant China Fund, which worked in conjunction with the Chinese government-backed Soong Ching Ling Foundation to bring education and health programs to China. He was also behind the Mamba Sports Academy in California, a center designed to provide a multi-sport training facility to young athletes. He was the official ambassador for After-School All-Stars, a non-profit organization that develops after-school programs for children across the US.
Bryant was also involved with the LA Lakers Youth Foundation (LALYF), which supports non-profit organizations. Calvin Ayre and the Calvin Ayre Foundation sponsored the LALYF twice, and Ayre has contributed directly to the organization, having worked directly with Bryant, Magic Johnson and others to help improve the quality of life of local children.
The second legs of the Carabao Cup semi-finals take place this midweek as Leicester City and Aston Villa do battle at Villa Park on Tuesday night before the Manchester Derby lights up Wednesday evening at The Etihad Stadium.
While one team already have one foot in their EFL Cup Final three-piece suit, the other tie is poised on a knife-edge in a game that truly could go either way.
Aston Villa vs. Leicester City – Tuesday Jan 28th, 7:45 pm GMT kick-off
There can be no question that Aston Villa go into this game the happier of the two sides after the 1-1 draw at the King Power Stadium three weeks ago. With many having expected Leicester’s attack, led by Jamie Vardy and James Maddison, to blow their Midlands rivals out of the water, The Villains will be encouraged to have escaped with a draw that could even have been a victory.