Monthly Archives: March 2020

Loss of March Madness isn’t the end to NCAA basketball fun

With the killing of March Madness just days before it was set to begin, college basketball fans were suddenly left with a huge void and an uncertainty over how to get their fix. The coronavirus forced March Madness to be dubbed March Sadness, but there’s a little bit of relief in sight for those left unfulfilled. Enter simulated March Madness competitions that are even offering prizes to ease the sting.

One of these competitions is being operated using College Hoops 2K from Electronic Arts. Even though the game was discontinued a decade ago, it’s still better than nothing, given the circumstances, and revives analytics, random number generators and expert opinions to help fans get over the loss of the real thing. Real-game simulations are included (but based on the older data) and the contest also provides other aspects, such as articles and game recaps, as if the action never missed a beat.

Fanvest Wagering Exchange, a fantasy sports startup, has gotten in on the fun, also, offering a simulated beta March Madness Portfolio Challenge. This platform allows users to buy teams at the beginning of each round using “Fanbucks” for the free-to-enter competition. Free doesn’t mean the simulated March Madness tournament isn’t without perks, though, and the users who log the best total gain by the end of the series are eligible to receive cash prizes. There isn’t a lot at stake – the top winner will score just $100 – but it’s still better than sitting at home watching daytime talk shows. John Culver, the co-founder and CEO of Fanvest, is excited about the alternative and asserts, “By innovating and being dynamic, we feel we’re better positioned than traditional sportsbooks.”

There’s also “Corona Madness.” Launched by Jackson Weimer and Josh Safran, it could be as close to the real thing as anyone could expect this year. Soliciting help from family members and friends, they’re running their own March Madness bracket based on the rankings from the regular season, and streaming games on eBaum’s World, a Twitch account that covers odd topics. They even set up a Selection Sunday list that, should the real March Madness have continued, defines which teams are matched up to start the final competition series. According to Safran, “We were looking around the internet and, ultimately, it comes down to no one has anything to do, so why not watch these kids play this video game?”

Loss of March Madness isn’t the end to NCAA basketball fun

With the killing of March Madness just days before it was set to begin, college basketball fans were suddenly left with a huge void and an uncertainty over how to get their fix. The coronavirus forced March Madness to be dubbed March Sadness, but there’s a little bit of relief in sight for those left unfulfilled. Enter simulated March Madness competitions that are even offering prizes to ease the sting.

One of these competitions is being operated using College Hoops 2K from Electronic Arts. Even though the game was discontinued a decade ago, it’s still better than nothing, given the circumstances, and revives analytics, random number generators and expert opinions to help fans get over the loss of the real thing. Real-game simulations are included (but based on the older data) and the contest also provides other aspects, such as articles and game recaps, as if the action never missed a beat.

Fanvest Wagering Exchange, a fantasy sports startup, has gotten in on the fun, also, offering a simulated beta March Madness Portfolio Challenge. This platform allows users to buy teams at the beginning of each round using “Fanbucks” for the free-to-enter competition. Free doesn’t mean the simulated March Madness tournament isn’t without perks, though, and the users who log the best total gain by the end of the series are eligible to receive cash prizes. There isn’t a lot at stake – the top winner will score just $100 – but it’s still better than sitting at home watching daytime talk shows. John Culver, the co-founder and CEO of Fanvest, is excited about the alternative and asserts, “By innovating and being dynamic, we feel we’re better positioned than traditional sportsbooks.”

There’s also “Corona Madness.” Launched by Jackson Weimer and Josh Safran, it could be as close to the real thing as anyone could expect this year. Soliciting help from family members and friends, they’re running their own March Madness bracket based on the rankings from the regular season, and streaming games on eBaum’s World, a Twitch account that covers odd topics. They even set up a Selection Sunday list that, should the real March Madness have continued, defines which teams are matched up to start the final competition series. According to Safran, “We were looking around the internet and, ultimately, it comes down to no one has anything to do, so why not watch these kids play this video game?”

Becky’s Affiliated: Your guide to industry conference reschedules amidst COVID-19 outbreak

What is unfolding before our eyes right now, around the world, is simply unbelievable. It feels like every email, every tweet, every conversation happening around us- virtual, or in person- is related to COVID-19 in some way. What the future holds remains a mystery to us all, but we know for certain there is a future and it will be brighter, whenever that may be.

Thankfully a number of us in the iGaming industry are able to do our jobs from home in the midst of lockdowns and quarantines, however our beloved conferences have been put on hold for the time being. The industry conference organizers have been working hard to reschedule their events from the first half of the year into the second half, doing their best to avoid overlapping with dates that were already established.

There are so many details the organizers must work out, everything from re-securing a venue to dealing with cancellation costs, calling every exhibitor, speaker and sponsor to discuss the situation, communicating with delegates and more. Not to mention re-working numbers as a jam-packed Q3 & Q4 calendar and struggling worldwide economy could force professionals to choose which events to attend (if any!) rather than have a presence at everything.

On the bright side, this temporary ban on travel and group events will force all of us to spend more time with our families, loved ones and even ourselves. Travelling to conferences can be taxing on the mind and body, especially when crossing many time zones, not to mention the typical binge drinking, lack of sleep and unhealthy eating that comes along with them.

Aspire Global: Update on COVID-19

Aspire Global is carefully monitoring the outbreak and spread of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) across the world. Pro-active measures have been taken to reduce the risk for the staff and to ensure business continuity.

Aspire Global Group is a leading iGaming supplier that provides platform and casino game services for operators across the world. The Group has offices in Malta, Bulgaria, India, Israel and Ukraine. Aspire Global Group holds twelve iGaming licenses in Europe and the US.

Aspire Global is a truly online Group where working remotely and meeting virtually are established ways of working. In order to protect the well-being of its more than 300 employees, Aspire Global two weeks ago banned all travelling. From early last week most employees work from home. By these actions, supported with its robust technology platform, Aspire Global has managed to secure a continued high service level towards customers both in the B2B and B2C segments.

Aspire Global’s operations are directed towards mainly the casino vertical. Sports betting represented approximately 5% of total revenues in the fourth quarter 2019, including the casino games studio and aggregator Pariplay which was acquired in October 2019. The casino operations have not been impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19. Up to yesterday evening, the daily trading in March has been higher than the daily trading in January and February 2020, which is in line with the Group’s business plan.

Registrations are open for CEEGC Penta Budapest and CEEG Awards 2020, save the date, 28 September 2020

Registrations are open for the leading conference in the CEE region, CEEGC Penta Budapest and CEEG Awards 2020

European Gaming Media and Events, (part of Hipther Agency) presents the 5th edition of the most popular conference in the CEE region and which takes place yearly in September.

CEEGC Penta will take place on the 28th of September at the already traditional base, Ritz-Carlton Budapest, and will follow the tradition of the earlier editions and bring a plethora of information via the most interesting talks and panel discussions while also offering quality networking opportunities.

You can register here and catch the Early Bird Rate!

Better Collective provides extraordinary business update due to COVID-19 situation

Following the postponement of several sports events in many countries including the UEFA EURO 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the sports betting media group, Better Collective, provides an extraordinary business update with the following highlights:

• Until mid March, Better Collective’s business has shown strong performance and has not been notably affected by postponements of sports events caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

• In the last couple of days, major sports events have been postponed, leading to reduced sports betting activity to approximately half of normal levels. The esports and casino business have not been affected.

• The financial targets for 2020 remain unchanged until further, given certain assumptions.

BetConstruct offers support to land casinos amid COVID-19 pandemic

The response actions to COVID-19 outbreak cause massive shutdowns of gambling hotspots for the safety of both visitors and casino employees leading to significant revenue drops. Fortunately for on-premise casino owners, this isn’t the end of the world.

Live Casino is probably the most unique online entertainment. While being far from any casino location, by simply logging in to a gaming account a player still gets the true flare of Vegas and Macau and enjoys the game elevated by the live communication with a dealer.

BetConstruct, the igaming software giant, urges land businesses to unearth the potential of online operations. With this, the company offers to extend casino brands to digital medium by utilising the existing physical resources. Online Solution for Land-based Casinos is essentially a live streaming of casino games from the venue integrated onto a dedicated gaming platform. The solution opens up a number of opportunities both for the owners and players let alone providing solutions to multiple problems that a casino venue can face. With no need for physical expansion, online setup brings an unlimited number of players to an online casino. This is a highly profitable solution which allows to raise player convergence via targeting new online audiences and converting the existing casino visitors into online players.

BetConstruct covers three main aspects of the setup: technical support, programming and training of dealers. Apart from on-site assistance from our professionals, we provide all necessary software and hardware to bring your online casino to life.

Survey reveals 2.8 million Brits think Tupac is still alive

• Ahead of the upcoming film – 2Pac: The Great Escape From UMC, a brand-new survey asked people whether they believed Tupac is still alive

• 5.3% of the UK believed the conspiracy theory. Extrapolated, that’s 2.8 million people in the UK.

• The survey also found strong support for the flat earth theory among millennials

To tie in with the upcoming film, 2Pac: The Great Escape from UMC, a brand new UK survey sought to find out just how many Brits believe the theory that Tupac never died.

Ukrainian Gaming Week 2020 is scheduled to 16-17 of June due to the initiation of quarantine

On March 11, 2020, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has issued a statement intending to initiate the quarantine procedures in the country starting on March 12, aiming to stop the spread of COVID-19. On the same day, Kyiv city council officially announced the limitations imposed in the capital.

According to the data of WHO, as of March 13, coronavirus has been diagnosed for 132,567 people globally, and this number is constantly growing. Due to the quick spread of the infection, many countries impose the anti-epidemic measures and restrictions. For example, quarantine has been enacted in Italy; Israel now has mandatory 14 days-long quarantine for everyone entering the country; the USA, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Austria, Angola, Serbia and many other states have set restrictions for crossing the border.

Currently it is unknown when the situation will stabilize. Also, there’s no a single date for the end of the quarantine in Kyiv and in other regions of Ukraine. That’s why Smile-Expo – a company organizing Ukrainian Gaming Week 2020 is forced to shift the event to a later date. This would allow to secure guests, participants, speakers, sponsors and partners of the event from the danger of infecting.

New dates of UGW: 16-17 of June.

Aussie, Kiwi casinos opt for social distancing instead of shutdowns

Casinos in Australia and New Zealand are resisting calls to shut down their operations to deal with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, opting instead for ‘social distancing’ policies and enhanced disinfecting programs.

On Thursday, Aussie casino operator Crown Resorts announced that it would tighten its restriction on the number of patrons allowed in individual food & beverage, banqueting and conference facilities at its Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth casinos from 450 to 100. Crown said the change was made following consultation with the state governments in Victoria and Western Australia.

Crown said all other previously announced coronavirus-related measures — deactivating every second gaming machine and electronic table game; enforcing distancing at seated table games, along with a ban on standing players; and restricting stand-up table games to five players apiece — would remain in place.

Crown is also providing alcohol-based hand sanitizer to staff and customers, while engaging in more frequent and strengthened cleaning measures. But Crown’s insistence on remaining open, while casinos in other markets have closed their doors, has prompted some local wags to joke that state governments have designated Crown a ‘provider of essential services.’

Viral Interactive exits white label business in regulated markets

Malta, 19th of March, 2020 – Viral Interactive Ltd, a part of the Finnplay Group has made the decision to withdraw from its white label business and marketing partnerships in regulated markets, including Sweden and the UK. The Finnplay Group joins a growing list of iGaming platform technology providers choosing to exit the traditional white label business in these markets. The move is being made in response to worsening market conditions and increasing operational costs.

Martin Prantner, founder of the Finnplay Group says, “We regret the decision to close our white label operations in these markets, especially after having successfully co-launched many exciting brands over the years. However, being realistic, market conditions are not favorable for smaller operators in an ever-tightening regulatory framework resulting in diminishing profitability. In the months to come, we will review our strategic options and restructure our business accordingly.”

Viral Interactive LTD is the Finnplay group’s B2C multi-channel casino and betting solutions provider and holds multiple licenses in regulated markets.

Founded in 2008, Finnplay is a privately-owned Nordic-based iGaming platform provider, which specializes in regulated tailored gaming solutions for the online and mobile gaming industry.

SIS flexes schedule to maintain live racing for bookmakers

Leading 24/7 multi-channel supplier to increase number of live greyhound racing fixtures

Wednesday 18th March, 2020 – SIS (Sports Information Services), a leading supplier of 24/7 betting services to retail and online operators globally, has today confirmed an extension to its greyhound service with additional races, to temporarily replace the British horse racing fixtures that were suspended by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) from 17th March following the COVID-19 outbreak.

The rescheduled service has been crafted to offer more racing at peak retail times, and from Monday 23rd March there will be a revised SIS greyhound schedule in operation (Monday-Friday).

There will be an increase of 54 races to 532 per week and a repositioning of fixtures to optimise events in the 12pm-5pm slot from all of SIS’s British and Irish tracks.

CS:GO breaks a record with over one million concurrent players on Steam

This week Steam hit an all-time record with more than 20 million concurrent online users and almost 6.5 million of them actively playing a game.

According to data gathered by LeagueOfBetting, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was the most popular game among the Steam users, hitting a record high peak of 1,023,229 concurrent players on the leading online game platform.

The Average Number of Steam CS:GO Players Jumped Over 580,000

The statistics show the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive monthly peak number of players on Steam has been constantly growing for the last eight months. In July 2019, it reached over 578 thousand. In the next five months, the figure jumped to over 760 thousand and continued growing. Since January, the peak number of concurrent CS:GO players on Steam has been increasing by 100,000 players per month.

The European Heavyweights: Stefan Edberg

We live in a time where tennis greats all hail from Europe. Where once we loved the American icons such as Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi or worshipped the Antipodean artistry of Lleyton Hewitt or Pat Rafter, we now look up to the Holy Trinity.

[Image credit: Wikimedia Commons]

Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have changed tennis history and given the game a future where other European players will have to reach the top of their craft to live up to the reputations that preceded them.

Three decades ago, three other European heavyweights redefined the era in which they played. German phenomenon Boris Becker, Swedish serve & volley specialist Stefan Edberg and clay court craftsman Ivan Lendl all commanded huge respect as they carved out careers that stand up to scrutiny today. We start our look at what each man achieved and how he did it by looking at the Swedish superstar who stepped out of the shadow of a tennis icon and made his own name one of legend.

Pennsylvania casinos see sports betting revenue fall in February

The virus-related closure of Pennsylvania’s casinos may be a good thing, given that sports bettors took the books for a downhill ride in February.

Figures released Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) show the state’s 12 brick-and-mortar casino operators reported total gaming revenue of over $304.3m in February, a 13.75% rise over the same month last year and around $3.5m higher than January 2020’s total.

Parx Casino won February’s individual casino crown with overall revenue of $57.8m, up 17.5% year-on-year and over $20m higher than runner-up Wind Creek Bethlehem, which saw its revenue dip 12.2% from February 2019. Rush Street Gaming’s Rivers Casino Philadelphia placed third with $35m (+31.4%), just ahead of Rivers Casino Pittsburgh ($34.6m, +13%).

Statewide land-based slots revenue was up 5.1% to $199.7m, with Parx claiming the largest slice at $36.9m (+9.6%). Table games also had a solid month with $77.4m (+4.6%), with Parx again taking top honors with just over $17.6m (+17%).

Euro 2020 postponed until 2021 as Football fights the virus

The Euro 2020 finals have been postponed by one year until the summer of 2021 after UEFA announced the extraordinary measure in the light of the recent Coronavirus outbreak.

With all sport deeply affected by the virus, footballers have been seen as ‘Guinea Pigs’ by players themselves such as Wayne Rooney, but while debate wrangles about when and whether the domestic football season will be completed, International football is affected in a far longer term.

The knock-on effect of the Coronavirus on International football is pretty clear and defined. In the club vs. country battle, clubs win – they bring more money into the game, and their season is already more than halfway through, with clubs such as Liverpool in the Premier League just two league wins from the title.

While some countries are yet to meet in their play-off matches, the finals themselves can move, and will do until June 2021. The confirmed dates as things stand are from 11th June to 11th July. The decision, made on Tuesday by UEFA, European football’s governing body, took place as an emergency video conference and saw leaders from across the continent put in place measures to delay football just like politicians are trying to delay the spread of Coronavirus itself.