SiGMA has undergone something of a transformation in recent years – the inaugural show in 2014 saw the company corner an untapped niche of opportunity within the local iGaming market. Buoyed by its early success, SiGMA expanded their operations for 2015, putting on a ground-breaking show and doubling their numbers. With attendance figures on the rise, 2017 marked an entry to Europe, but it was 2018 that saw them take the plunge and become a world-class event, with an elite selection of delegates, policy makers and thought leaders pouring in from across the globe.
It is this kind of international support and interest that has helped propel SiGMA into truly becoming the world’s iGaming village. Through a commitment to quality and years of successful operations, SiGMA has nurtured the development of a strong brand, allowing for its evolution into a global influencer on the iGaming world stage.
It has been a rough couple of weeks for the UFC from a public relations standpoint. Earlier in February, UFC 234 in Australia was to be headlined by a fight between middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and top contender Kelvin Gastelum, but Whittaker had to pull out due to a hernia. Then, the most dominant UFC welterweight of all-time, Canadian Georges St-Pierre, announced his retirement from the sport despite prodding from lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov for a mega-bout.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
So, the organization could use some good news and it has a spectacular card set for UFC 235 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. St-Pierre is on the short list of greatest MMA fighters in history. Some believe the best is Jon Jones (23-1) who defends his light-heavyweight title against relative unknown Anthony Smith (31-13). Not surprisingly, Jones is a big -850 favorite with Smith at +525. Smith winning would be nearly akin to Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson.
Jones’ talent is unquestionable, but his decision-making has always been a problem, from some legal issues to multiple failed drug tests. He was to fight Alexander Gustafsson in a rematch at UFC 232 in late December also in Las Vegas, but Jones beforehand tested positive for a trace amount of a steroid. The Nevada State Athletic Commission wouldn’t sanction him for that fight, so the entire card was moved to Los Angeles in an unprecedented action. That’s how important Jones is to the UFC. He beat Gustafsson again, this time by third-round knockout (punches).
Commission Magazine is a new digital magazine that is focused on affiliate marketing, online marketing, business and entrepreneurship. The magazine has just launched issue 1 for February 2019 and is filled with articles ranging from affiliate marketing and search engine optimization (SEO).
The magazine was created by John Wright and co-founder of StatsDrone where he felt there were not many magazines around in the affiliate marketing space aside from online gaming.
“In my experience, I’ve been able to learn learn more by getting out of my comfort zone and venturing into other industries within affiliate marketing and online marketing. I felt there are a lot of igaming magazines around but not a lot that cover other aspects of online marketing. My goal of the magazine is to have articles that educate and help you with your business but also to share stories from successful entrepreneurs. ”
NAB Show is introducing the “Esports Experience,” a new exhibit floor destination located in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The interactive area features exhibits, a theater and educational programming that showcase the latest online gaming trends and content delivery technologies. The 2019 NAB Show will be held April 6-11, with exhibits April 8-11.
Starting with the 2019 season, the deal, which encompasses media and gaming rights at both international and domestic levels, propels MLB content into a new era.
Across international markets outside of the U.S., Sportradar will have exclusive distribution rights for official MLB real time game statistics, as collected at every ballpark via the league’s proprietary technology and stat operators, to both media companies and regulated sports betting operators. It also will have exclusive rights to distribute live industry standard audio-visual game feeds to gaming operators outside the U.S. in territories where sports betting is legal.
Credit: Flickr/Sam Churchill
In the U.S., Sportradar will have the same exclusive rights for official real time statistics distribution to media entities in their coverage of Major League Baseball. Sportradar will also serve as the official supplier of MLB’s real time betting data feed in the U.S. where distribution to regulated sports betting operators will be on a non-exclusive basis through Sportradar and additional authorized distributors.
The combination of MLB’s highest quality official data and statistics and state-of-the-art live collection methods with Sportradar’s world-class technology backbone and extensive distribution network will deliver a significant competitive edge to sportsbooks when it comes to in-game betting and liability management.
In addition, with unique access to MLB’s Statcast data, among other statistics, Sportradar will collaborate with MLB to develop and distribute exciting new products to further engage fans and drive additional interest in the sport.
Alongside the commercial partnership, MLB will incorporate Sportradar’s Integrity Services into its existing game integrity protection measures. Sportradar will be monitoring and analyzing every MLB game via its award-winning fraud detection system and providing the MLB with educational components, as well as access to its intelligence and investigations services.
“A high-quality, reliable, and fast official data feed is the building block to creating engaging gaming products for MLB fans,” said Kenny Gersh, MLB Executive Vice President, Gaming & New Business Ventures. “Sportradar, a proven industry leader in data distribution, is perfectly positioned to help MLB deliver an exceptional Official MLB betting feed. We are excited about the opportunities that this partnership will unlock as the sports betting landscape continues to unfold in the U.S.”
“We are truly excited to be working with Major League Baseball as its official global data partner,” said Carsten Koerl, Chief Executive Officer of Sportradar. “This is not only a tremendous opportunity for Sportradar, but ultimately it opens up new doors for MLB fans who have historically shown a proclivity for sophisticated data. We look forward to utilizing our vast global experience as the global leader in the data, AV, and integrity spaces to give fans and partners an unmatched experience.”
Now in its 11th year, Beacon Events’ iGaming Asia Congress is the longest running Asia-facing iGaming event on the calendar. This conference and exhibition attracts senior level execs from across the Asian online gambling industry space, covering topics spanning from regulation to marketing strategy to innovation and much more. Over the course of three days, delegates will enjoy a robust conference program and Start-up Launch Pad with official networking activities organized throughout.
The 2019 WSOP features nine online bracelet events, equaling the total from the past four years combined. But, due to the Department of Justice’s recent bait and switch on the […]
The post Nine Online Bracelet Events on 2019 WSOP Schedule Despite Wire Act Opinion Reversal appeared first on .
Nevada casino sportsbooks had their best January on record in terms of betting handle, although betting revenue failed to keep pace.
Figures released Thursday by the Nevada Gaming Control Board show statewide casino gaming revenue of $984.5m in January, a 3% decline from the same month last year and 1.5% less than the casinos generated in December 2018.
January’s year-on-year decline was even more pronounced on the Las Vegas Strip, where gaming revenue was off 4% to $532.2m. The shortfall was in part due to reduced action by Chinese baccarat whales, who spent 22.4% less at their favorite game, which pushed baccarat revenue down 15% to $95.9m.
The overall ‘table, counter and card games’ category reported revenue falling 9.3% to exactly $326m. Joining baccarat in the dumpster were nearly all of the major table games including blackjack ($90.2m, -7.5%) and craps ($34.7m, -1.6%). Roulette proved an outlier, rising 6.4% to $29.4m, while poker tables improved 6.5% to $9.6m. January’s slots revenue was essentially flat at $658.5m.
While Churchill Downs racetrack enjoyed a $9.3 million improvement in adjusted earnings in 2018 largely fueled by Kentucky Derby Week, owner Churchill Downs Inc. still sees opportunity for growth of its biggest event.
High-stakes poker player, business man, and noted whale Paul Phua has been acquitted of illegal sports betting charges in a Macau courtroom, the second time he’s managed to shake such […]
The post Paul Phua Found Not Guilty of Running Illegal 2014 Betting Ring in Macau appeared first on .
The Vice-Chair of the newly-created Mississippi Lottery Corporation said in an interview this week that the state’s first lottery games will be ready to play by the third quarter of 2019.Legal, Starting a Lottery, Mississippi, Video
The Mississippi Legislature is expected to pass a measure clarifying that tickets for state’s soon to be rolling lottery are exempt from sales taxes.Financials, Legislation, Starting a Lottery, Taxes, Mississippi, Government
Online gambling operators serving Dutch customers without Dutch permission will face “terrifying” new financial penalties as gaming regulators prep for the country’s new liberalized online market.
On Wednesday, the Netherlands’ Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) regulatory body announced that it was increasing the ‘starting’ financial penalty for unauthorized online gambling from its current €150k to €200k. The change will take effect on Friday, March 1.
Kansspelautoriteit says the new €200k starting point will be adjusted upward or downward depending on how flagrantly operators choose to violate its rules. Among the criteria influencing this variance are the number of websites deemed to be breaking the law, the number of illegal online games on offer and the types of promotional enticements used to lure Dutch punters down the road to (allegedly) hell.
For example, the KSA has established a €75k increase in the penalty for each of the following criteria: offering live betting, claiming to be operating legally when you’re not, and imposing fees on temporarily inactive customer accounts. The KSA singled out these three criteria as items with which the regulator is “repeatedly confronted.”
The March 1 BetVictor Patton Stakes on Polytrack at Dundalk offers 20-8-4-2 points toward the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Aidan O’Brien has three of the eight runners, headed by Van Beethoven and Western Australia.
Channel Maker will try to improve on a fifth-place finish in the inaugural Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) while Hembree will try for a second straight win on the Gulfstream grass in a pair of graded stakes for older males March 2.
There is always a question as to who the must follows in and around sports business are on a platform like twitter. John Wall Street, a platform that covers the space, unveiled a pretty comprehensive list that includes people from gaming and gambling, media, news, and technology. Take a look and share away https://johnwallstreet.com/top-100-sportsbiz-twitter-follows/
Crypto Boxers, the first and only boxing game operating on blockchain technology, continues to make strategic moves around the virtual ropes. Concept creator Andrew Gilliam, founder and CEO of Me N’ Mines Media, has come out swinging with a defiant new logo; a new website (http://cryptoboxers.io/), designed by independent game development studio, PlayStakes; and a TKO game plan to bring “real boxing to the blockchain.” Pushing the technology envelope beyond what is currently available in the crypto gaming space, Crypto Boxers has gamers in feverish anticipation as it will feature real life boxers as collectible tokens for the virtual fighting action on Ethereum.
Crypto Boxers’ new logo now promotes the player as the ultimate crypto contender, switching the emphasis off the professional boxers and over to the gamer. The dynamic new website provides a preview into Crypto Boxers’ fully immersive, user friendly world where gamers will experience a fantasy boxing arena and engage in an interactive “gloves on” ring experience with the boxer of their choice.
“They said it couldn’t be done but we are doing it,” reveals Gilliam. “After 459 rejections, I now have major commitments, partners and growing interest from professional boxers who are calling us now. We are the first professional sports game on blockchain, and we plan to go every round! The logo and website are just a teaser of what is yet to come.”
Round4RoundBoxing, LatinoAthlete, FightTyme, and RichPlaceMedia are the first official partners to be announced by Crypto Boxers. Crypto Boxers will be releasing the names of confirmed professional boxers, boxing officials and judges that will be in the game soon. Some of the current talks with professional boxers include legendary champs like Evander Holyfield, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks and Antonio Tarver, along with currently active champs Terrance Crawford and female boxer Christina Hammer.
Richard Budge, a former racetrack trainer who oversaw the early training of numerous stars while serving as farm trainer at WinStar Farm, has been named general manager of Jim and Susan Hill’s Margaux Farm near Midway, Ky.
