The Mobile Premier League (MPL) announced on May 8 that they had acquired Crevise Technologies in a deal for cash and stock. This gave the gaming and esports platform and product engineering consultancy firm as part of their portfolio. This is the first acquisition for the company since its launch in September 2018.
Crevise has been around since 2016, acting as a product engineering consultant for companies that needed end-to-end help in their development process. The founders of this company, Mukta Apahale and Atul Aphale, will not be out of a job however, as they join the 10 member technical team that will be moving from Pune, the company that started Crevise, to join MPL, meaning that Mobile Premier acquired the staff at the same time they bought the company.
To acquire Crevise, MPL provided both cash and equity in their company to Aphale and Apahale, as well as others. The exact financial details of the acquisition were not provided.
These two companies have already partnered on projects before, as there was already a solid relationship between the two groups. This is why Mukta explained that he was glad to join a new team:
The Stars Group Inc. and FOX Sports, a unit of Fox Corporation, today announced plans to launch FOX Bet, the first-of-its kind national media and sports wagering partnership in the United States. The Stars Group and FOX Sports have entered a long-term commercial agreement through which FOX Sports will provide The Stars Group with an exclusive license to use certain FOX Sports trademarks.
The Stars Group and FOX Sports expect to launch two products in the Fall of 2019 under the FOX Bet umbrella. One will be a nationwide free-to-play game, awarding cash prizes to players who correctly predict the outcome of sports games. The second product, which will be named FOX Bet, will give customers in states with regulated betting the opportunity to place real money wagers on the outcome of a wide range of sporting events in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.
In addition to the commercial agreement of up to 25 years and associated product launches, Fox Corporation will acquire 14,352,331 newly issued common shares in The Stars Group, representing 4.99% of The Stars Group’s issued and outstanding common shares, at a price of $16.4408 per share, the prevailing market price leading up to the commencement of exclusive negotiations. The Stars Group currently intends to use the aggregate net proceeds of approximately $236 million for general corporate purposes and to prepay outstanding indebtedness on its first lien term loans. The common shares issued to Fox Corporation are subject to certain transfer restrictions for two years, subject to customary exceptions.
Rafi Ashkenazi, Chief Executive Officer of The Stars Group said: “We believe this strategic partnership uniquely positions us to build a leading betting business in the U.S., which represents one of the most exciting long-term growth opportunities for our company. Leveraging our proven media partnership strategy with Sky Sports in the UK, we are excited to partner with FOX Sports to integrate wagering into sports media and drive customer acquisition and retention in the U.S.”
Eric Shanks, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Producer of FOX Sports added: “FOX Sports is already synonymous with the best live sports events in the country and now we are expanding the way we immerse fans in the sports culture they love. Digital sports wagering represents a growing market opportunity that allows us to diversify our revenue streams, connect directly with consumers and expand the reach of the FOX Sports brand.”
Under the commercial agreement, FOX Sports will grant to The Stars Group an exclusive license for the use of certain FOX Sports trademarks for a range of immersive games and online sports wagering, and certain exclusive advertising and editorial integration rights on certain FOX Sports broadcast media and digital assets. As part of the transaction, FOX Sports will receive certain brand license, integration and affiliate fees. In addition, during the term of the commercial agreement, The Stars Group has agreed to a minimum annual advertising commitment on certain FOX media assets. Prior to the tenth anniversary of the commercial agreement, and subject to certain conditions and applicable gaming regulatory approvals, FOX Sports has the right acquire up to a 50% equity stake in The Stars Group’s U.S. business.
Genius Sports Group, the global leader in sports data technology, has been appointed by Football DataCo, the data rights holder of all competitions organised by the Premier League, English Football League and Scottish Professional Football League, as its official supplier of live data to the global sports betting sector.
Through Betgenius, its sports betting division, Genius Sports Group will capture official live game data in-stadia at over 4,000 fixtures a season, and distribute it to hundreds of licenced sportsbook operators around the world in under a second.
Commencing at the start of the 2019/20 season, this multi-year partnership will create the sports betting sector’s fastest, most accurate and reliable data feed for in-play betting products and live betting innovations, in order to drive long term value for sports betting operators around the world.
“English and Scottish football is vital to any sportsbook offering and Genius Sports provided a compelling proposal to maximise the value of live data in the betting market for the Leagues. We look forward to working with Genius Sports, and its sports betting division Betgenius, in developing innovative data feeds for the market to use,” said Adrian Ford, General Manager of Football DataCo.
Mark Locke, Genius Sports Group CEO, commented: “Being selected by Football DataCo as their exclusive official data partner is transformational for our organisation and reinforces our position as the global leader in sports data capture and distribution technology. This partnership upholds our commitment to ensuring sports remain at the heart of a sustainable sports betting ecosystem that is fair and rewarding for all participants.
“The use of secure, UK football league sanctioned data signals the increased maturity of the industry and recognises the value and protections that this official data feed provides. Football DataCo leads the world through its heavy investment in a product that assures operators can have complete confidence in its data supply to power some of most valuable sports betting content in the world, including all Premier League matches.”
The mayor of Sasebo in Nagasaki, Japan, Norio Tomonaga, has just begun his fourth term as the leader of the city. He’s ready to continue the work he has done over the past 12 years and has reiterated his position on eight major projects he has on his plate. One of these, and perhaps the one that sits at the top of the priority list, is a plan to bring an integrated resort (IR) to the city.
There are a number of cities in Japan that would love to see an IR, but there are three that stand out as possibilities for the first three licenses that will be awarded. These include Osaka, Hokkaido and Wakayama, names that have been thrown around even before Japanese lawmakers approved the launch of the country’s casino industry last summer.
Despite being an underdog, Sasebo believes it has a real shot. It has worked out a deal to acquire about 74 acres from a local theme park, Huis Ten Bosch, which would be used for the IR. Tomonaga asserts, “I have been researching IRs for over 10 years and I want to win this battle for my area.”
Japan is almost ready to start the selection process, but the final decision on the three chosen areas could still be a year away. Lawmakers are putting together the basic policies for the selection process and are ready to start receiving preliminary notices from interested locations. Once the final three locations are chosen, those cities and their casino partners will submit their design plans to the government, which would then need to be approved, as well. It’s going to be a long process that most likely won’t be completed anytime soon.
The Eleventh edition of EEGS marked a significant start of the new decade for the leading gaming conference in the region. More than 40 speakers debated key topics of the gaming industry last year.
This year, the event will occur on 19th and 20th November 2019 at the International Expo Center – Sofia, Bulgaria. The organizers of EEGS promise greater grandeur, exciting hands on experience and detailed discussions. The venue is placed in a strategic and comfortable location – close to airports and on the main road in to the city. There are a number of hotels and restaurants all in close proximity, excellent civil transport links to the city center, where the historical sights wonderfully match the modern spirit of Bulgarian capital.
The 12th edition of the Eastern European Gaming Summit is coming with a brand new vision, which builds on last year’s event and reinforces the message of Bridging the Future.
The EEGS agenda is coordinated with the Advisory Board, whose members are distinguished professionals from every sphere of the gaming industry. Expect a number of topical issues such as the role of AI in the gaming business, Blockchain and crypto currencies, Marketing, branding and advertising, Cyber security and on-line betting, Responsible gaming and Corporate Social Responsibility. The conference agenda highlights on new technology and innovation as the new vision insinuates. Simultaneously, the traditional themes related to land based and live gaming are also among the key topics in the conference agenda.
House Bill 312 (HB 312) looks to give federal support to the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe of Massachusetts. It would return two pieces of land in the state and designate it as sovereign tribal territory, which is, by most opinions, a noble cause. However, the bill is not finding support from President Donald Trump. He has publicly asserted that he will veto the bill if it reaches the Resolute desk, and it isn’t simply because the legislation is backed by his nemesis, Senator Elizabeth Warren.
The issue with HB 312 is that it seeks to authorize a land grant to a tribe that wasn’t designated a federally-recognized tribe under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (IRA). The Mashpee tribe didn’t receive its designation until 2007. However, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the federal government, in no capacity, can allocate land to any tribe not recognized by the IRA.
Even if that were the case, there are plenty of examples of exceptions being made and governments deciding to bend the rules from time to time. The 312 acres in question that would be given to the tribe doesn’t seem like a huge issue.
However, Trump is ready to reject the bill and tweets, “Republicans shouldn’t vote for [HR] 312, a special interest casino bill backed by Elizabeth (Pocahontas) Warren. It is unfair and doesn’t treat Native Americans equally!”
There’s good news and bad news for the sports gambling industry in Illinois. The good news is that a bill to legalize the activity is still alive and moving forward. The bad news is that it is moving forward after amendments were added that make it the most expensive sports gambling bill in the country.
After amendments were added to the bill in April to keep “bad actors” out of the business, two more amendments have now been added by Representative Michael Zalewski. The amendments were designed, in part, to replace five proposed amendments previously discussed by lawmakers, including the bad actor change. However, the result is a bill that is essentially a completely new version and which doesn’t carry much of the original language.
Going forward, what is now House 1260 (H 1260) will be the principle bill for sports gambling legalization in Illinois, replacing H 3308, and Zalewski is now the primary sponsor of the legislation. The lawmaker sought to make a number of changes ahead of a vote on the bill by the House Sales, Amusement and Other Taxes Subcommittee, but his actions resulted in more questions than answers.
Where the changes really stick out are the fees for sports gambling. One of the amendments states that seven brick-and-mortar licenses would be made available at a cost of $15 million each. Online licenses, of which there would be three, would cost $20 million each. Skin licenses are an additional $5 million.
Bloomberry Resorts Corp. saw its revenues increase across all of its operating areas in the first quarter of the year. While this would be welcome news by most, the Philippine-based casino operator can’t jump with joy. Despite the increase, its profit fell by a total of 40% year-on-year.
The casino company presented its unaudited financial results to the Philippine Stock Exchange yesterday and indicated that its profit was just $42.5 million for the period. This was significantly lower than the $70.8 million a year earlier and Bloomberry explained in an accompanying press release that the decline could be attributed to “meaningfully lower foreign exchange gains and higher interest expenses.”
The company’s chairman and CEO, Enrique Razon, called the results “solid,” adding, “Our net revenues and EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization] were driven by our highly-profitable mass gaming segments where our innovative customer experience and engagement programmes continue to reward us with a database of loyal patrons.”
In its gaming segment, which is the bulk of the company’s business, Bloomberry operates the Solaire Resort and Casino in Manila and the Jeju Sun Hotel and Casino on Jeju Island. The company saw its gross gaming revenue (GGR) dip almost 1% year-on-year to $260 million. Net revenue saw an uptick of 0.9%, but was offset by negative VIP GGR at Solaire of 15.9%. The venue’s VIP hold rate dropped 39 points to 3.22%, compared to the 3.61% seen a year earlier.
While New Hampshire may be favorable toward sports gambling, state lawmakers apparently aren’t ready for other types of gambling. A bill that would allow casinos in the state has had difficulty ever since it was introduced and has now been killed almost permanently. Better luck next year.
The New Hampshire Senate passed a bill to allow two casinos in the state this past March. It was only barely accepted, which already put it on an unsafe footing as it made its trek to the House. Yesterday, that chamber addressed the bill and took a guillotine to it. It voted 289-63 to send the legislation to an early grave. The House then took an additional step to make sure it couldn’t be revived and voted on another measure that prevents the bill from resurfacing in the current session.
State opponents to the legislation pointed out that only the bill’s sponsor, Senator Lou D’Allesandro, was the only voice heard during a previous hearing. They argue that it might be too late for New Hampshire to try to get into the market, given that other New England states have already launched casinos.
Senator Willis Griffith asserted, “There may have been a time when casinos made sense for New Hampshire, but that time has without a doubt come and gone.”
Popular online casino operator to use technology and service provider’s smart Business Intelligence platform
Malta: 9 May 2019 – FAST TRACK, the innovative CRM platform provider, has extended its partnership with online casino operator, Twin, who will use FAST TRACK Business Intelligence its powerful data science and visualisation solution.
The agreement builds on the existing relationship between the two companies, with Twin using Fast TRACK’s powerful real-time CRM platform and services following a deal signed in January.
FAST TRACK Business Intelligence allows online gaming operators to follow real-time trends through a unique segmentation model which includes the ability to review player sessions, and predict future player behaviour and value, via a huge range of dashboards that display various KPIs.
The debate over whether or not loot boxes are a type of gambling just saw the scales tip in favor of gambling. Around the world, different countries have held different opinions on whether or not the video game additions should be considered gambling, but the scales have been fairly evenly balanced – until now. A recent study has determined that there is a “clear link” between gambling and loot boxes.
The study was conducted by researchers with the University of British Columbia (UBC). It found, according to the study’s authors, undeniable proof that gamers who regularly purchase loot boxes are more inclined to ignore gambling addiction and shrug it off as a non-issue.
In order to perform the study, the researchers solicited the help of 257 individuals, who were put into two groups. The first group contained 144 online gamers from the US and the second, 113 undergraduate students.
All participants were given a questionnaire that included entries regarding loot boxes. The answers given by the participants were tallied and then compared against what is considered to be basic criteria used to determine problem gambling. In accordance with that comparison, the majority of those who had participated in the study believe that loot boxes are a form of gambling.
The Mississippi Lottery Corporation announced Wednesday that it is hiring an experienced executive as its first president.Administration, Starting a Lottery, Mississippi, Director
In a wide-ranging interview, the businessman Calvin Ayre, a major supporter of the work of Dr. Craig Wright, says that a forthcoming legal case being brought to prove that Dr. Wright is Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin, could also lead to a ruling that would stop cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin SV (BSV) using the name Bitcoin at all. To do so makes them guilty of “consumer fraud”, Ayre warned.
“It’s a consumer fraud of some sort for all these exchanges all over the world to be telling people that this is Bitcoin and letting these tokens use the Bitcoin name when the technology is not Bitcoin anymore. It’s a type of consumer fraud and I think that that needs to be fixed as well.”
Ayre sees the impact of the libel actions being brought by Wright as going far beyond those directly affected in the cases. He believes that a definitive proof that Wright was Satoshi will transform the sector:
“This court case and this proof is not aimed at convincing these people attacking him. They’re completely irrelevant. This is all about going over their heads, getting them out of the way. And Craig, with this court decision, talking directly to the people that matter – mainstream media, business and technical, governments and enterprise and startup decision makers. Those are the only people important here.”
In a wide-ranging interview, the businessman Calvin Ayre, a major supporter of the work of Dr. Craig Wright, says that a forthcoming legal case being brought to prove that Dr. Wright is Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin, could also lead to a ruling that would stop cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin SV (BSV) using the name Bitcoin at all. To do so makes them guilty of “consumer fraud”, Ayre warned.
“It’s a consumer fraud of some sort for all these exchanges all over the world to be telling people that this is Bitcoin and letting these tokens use the Bitcoin name when the technology is not Bitcoin anymore. It’s a type of consumer fraud and I think that that needs to be fixed as well.”
Ayre sees the impact of the libel actions being brought by Wright as going far beyond those directly affected in the cases. He believes that a definitive proof that Wright was Satoshi will transform the sector:
“This court case and this proof is not aimed at convincing these people attacking him. They’re completely irrelevant. This is all about going over their heads, getting them out of the way. And Craig, with this court decision, talking directly to the people that matter – mainstream media, business and technical, governments and enterprise and startup decision makers. Those are the only people important here.”
Coming up in three weeks, we have the first CoinGeek conference to take place in North America, Toronto, Canada to be exact. The last time the online gambling industry was treated to an event in Toronto was our beloved GiGse roughly 20 years ago, your next opportunity is on May 30th with CoinGeek.
I’ve never been to Toronto and visiting a new city is exciting for me, plus I know there are a number of iGaming professionals based in area, so I’m looking forward to seeing a few faces from the past.
On top of this, there are a number of other reasons why I am excited for CoinGeek Toronto and even more reasons why iGaming professionals should consider attending – here are my top five for you.
1)BitcoinSV (BSV) is the only blockchain that can do it all
Liverpool will face Tottenham Hotspur or Ajax in the final of the UEFA Champions League after beating Barcelona 4-0 on an incredible night at Anfield.
Liverpool did the unthinkable after beating Barcelona on a balmy night at Anfield by four goals to nil, winning the tie 4-3 on aggregate to move into their second successive UEFA Champions League Final.
It was one of the most unforgettable nights in Liverpool’s illustrious history, made all the more incredible when you consider Jürgen Klopp’s ‘boys’ began without the injured Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah.
Injuries meant a rare start for Divock Origi, and it was the Belgian who opened the scoring in the seventh minute, finishing from close range after Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved from Jordan Henderson, after a driving run full of intent from the Liverpool captain.
The seasons are on the line for both home teams in Game 6 of the NBA‘s two conference semifinal series on Thursday night. And can we get some competitive basketball? Game 5 in each series on Tuesday was an utter blowout with zero drama.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
In Thursday’s opener, the Toronto Raptors are 2-point favorites at the Philadelphia 76ers as the Dinos look to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in franchise history. The further the Raptors advance, the likely better their chances of keeping superstar Kawhi Leonard, who is set for free agency this summer.
Leonard has been a monster in these playoffs but was a bit off in Toronto’s 125-89 Game 4 home rout, the largest margin of postseason victory in team history. Leonard was 7-for-16 overall and 0-for-4 from deep but still managed 21 points and 13 rebounds. That the Raptors won so easily without Leonard’s A+ game should worry Sixers fans.
The second of ten events are in the books at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series in Montenegro, and Bryn Kenney becomes the first person to bank a million after winning the HK$500,000 No-Limit Hold’em Six-Max.
In 2017, Bryn Kenney earned more money playing poker than all the people in the universe, and after winning Event #2: HK$500,000 No-Limit Hold’em Six-Max at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series in Montenegro, he’s on course for a repeat.
Kenney only came to Montenegro to support a brand that’s dear to his heart, telling me during a short interview of his disappointment that the buy-ins are too low. It was a statement, ordinary people wouldn’t make, but Kenney is anything but ‘ordinary.’
The man who ploughs a lonely furrow in this business has been on top of his game-winning the Aussie Millions Main Event and a $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em event at the US Poker Open in Las Vegas, so he was always one of the favourites, no matter what the game.
Indiana officially joined the legal sports betting party on Wednesday, bringing the total number of US states with legal wagering to an even 10.
On Thursday, the last day in which he had to act, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the comprehensive gambling legislation approved by the state’s politicians late last month. The bill will allow sports betting at the state’s casinos, racinos and off-track betting parlors, as well as via mobile devices statewide.
Prospective licensees can begin submitting applications as of July 1 and the hope is that actual wagering (the land-based variety, at least) will get underway on September 1 through the issuing of temporary certificates. Licensees will pay $100k application fees and an annual fee of $50k while their revenue will be taxed at a rate of 9.5%. Casinos will be allowed to operate up to three betting ‘skins’ apiece.
Holcomb’s signature also offers Spectacle Entertainment the go-ahead to relocate one of its two riverboat casino licenses to a new $300m land-based venue in Gary. Spectacle will surrender its other license, which will be auctioned off for the right to operate a brand new casino in Terre Haute (pending local voter approval). The state’s racinos will also be allowed to offer live-dealer table games starting January 1, 2020.
