Category Archives: Press Releases

FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook Debuts in Illinois

FanDuel Group today announced the launch of the FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook app and online experience in Illinois. In partnership with Boyd Gaming, Illinois is the sixth state in the United States where the industry-leading FanDuel Sportsbook online and mobile platform is available. FanDuel is bringing its best-in-class online sports betting experience to sports fans who can now place wagers across professional football, basketball, baseball, golf, MMA, soccer, darts and tennis with a multitude of betting and payment options available.

The FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook is available for download via iOS and Android for residents and visitors to Illinois.

“We have been waiting for this day for quite some time,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel Group. “Sports are back, so we are going to show sports fans in Illinois an innovative sports betting app experience with industry leading promotions and consumer protections that have made FanDuel the #1 sportsbook in the U.S.”

The FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook in Illinois is simple, secure and convenient, with a number of key features, including:

Industry-leading promotions: Any customer that doesn’t win their first bet is refunded their wager, up to $500. Plus, if you refer a friend, you’ll both get $50 more.

Hometown Heroes: The FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook will offer markets on hometown teams with extremely generous odds to give new customers More Ways to Win.

Innovative Spirit: FanDuel was the first US Sportsbook to offer live streaming of sporting events inside a betting app and the first to offer Same Game Parlays, which is the ability to build a parlay utilizing betting markets from the same game.

FanDuel Group’s Account and Wallet Technology: FanDuel Group developed its own account and wallet technology in-house that is the backbone of the new operating system on the FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook app in Illinois. The FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook now connects to FanDuel’s popular fantasy sports app, so customers can use fantasy sports and sportsbook winnings interchangeably.

Cash Out: FanDuel offers fast, secure payouts enabling customers to withdraw their winnings in as little as 24 hours. The new Cash Out feature allows you to settle a bet for a certain value before the sporting event bet on has finished.

In addition, the FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook offers a range of payment options, safe and secure banking, lightning fast payouts usually within twenty four hours, 24/7 customer service, and in-game wagering allowing users to bet on live games as they’re being played. FanDuel utilizes its proprietary risk and trading technology that leverages the IGT PlaySports platform. The FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook also has account protections in place and a global reputation for responsible wagering.

Sports fans in Illinois can download the FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook app today on iOS and Android or visit https://il.sportsbook.fanduel.com/sports. For more on the FanDuel Sportsbook and sports betting content, follow @FDSportsbook on Twitter.

Annoucement from CGS 2020

Dear Colleagues of the gaming industry,

Through this release from #CGSCloud 2020 express our sincere apologies for the inconveniences presented at the time of the transmissions this morning. Technical failures in the area, added to an overload of simultaneous accesses to the platform, prevented the normal development of the program and at a certain point the Organization made the decision to reschedule the dates to deliver quality work and at the height of the prestigious Panel that joined this initiative.

Despite all of this we are satisfied that registrations were still being received through our website while we prepared this communication. Ahead of the impossibility of guaranteeing a better transmission tomorrow, the Board has made the complicated decision to reschedule all the panels and announce through their social networks, in the coming days, the new dates of the streaming.

We will leave the registration open and free of charge as informed last week, so that the high value of information that the more than 60 programmed Speakers will offer, continues to reach all corners.

How Covid-19 may have cost MLB players more than $79.3 million

Major League Baseball players who have been impacted by Covid-19 could have lost a collective $79.3 million due to forfeited salaries and injury time. 

The Return to Play study, created by marketing agency Blueclaw, reveals the staggering financial impact of Covid-19 on major sport tournaments. 

At least 15 players have taken a salary hit due to injury time for Covid-19, while a further 15 have forfeited their wage by opting out of the current season.

Mike Moustakas may have seen a loss of $258,064 for his four-day sick leave, while Ian Desmond has sacrificed his $9.4 million by sitting out the season.

GameCo unveils first full service Esports betting solution in built for US regulated markets

The Leading Skill-Based Gaming Solution Partners with GRID, 10Star, and Askott Entertainment to Bring Full Service Esports Betting Platform to Casinos & Sportsbooks.

LAS VEGAS, NV – August 27, 2020- GameCo LLC pioneer of the new casino experience designed to attract and monetize Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z players at retail and digital casinos, today announced the debut of the first turnkey, outsourced, and full-service esports betting solution specifically built for the regulated U.S. market as part of its iGameCo brand.

Through partnerships with top data platform GRID, oddsmaker 10Star, and software developer Askott Entertainment, a subsidiary of FansUnite Entertainment (CSE: FANS), GameCo is able to provide casinos with a powerful and flexible plug-and-play esports betting solution that integrates a betting platform, data and video streaming services, and odds plus risk management. iGameCo offers the only fully managed esports betting platform for regulated U.S. markets in which casinos and sportsbooks have a low cost, low risk solution to offer esports betting to their existing and new customers.

In April, GameCo partnered with GRID, an innovative esports data platform, to bring GRID’s industry-leading esports data and streaming solution with official and exclusive coverage of up to 80% of the leading esports competitions into GameCo’s robust VGM™ offerings. GRID’s data platform includes unprecedented real-time feeds of official data, non-delayed streams, state-of-the-art scoreboard and visualizations, and a range of services designed to unlock the potential of esports for casinos and sportsbooks. GRID leverages direct partnerships with game publishers and tournament organizers to provide customers with this unmatched product suite.

NY Sports and Concert Attendees Likely to Return To Venues, New Riptide Partners Survey Unveils

Riptide Partners, a New York based consulting business offering full-service Customer Experience (CX) solutions for sports teams and venue operators, today unveiled their recent survey of actual New York area event attendees, which revealed a much faster return to event timeline for consumers than has been widely discussed. It is the first, and most comprehensive, study of actual event attendees in the New York area since the Pandemic shutdown began.

“There are literally hundreds of theaters, arenas and venues of all sizes that have been affected by the shutdown, and it was our desire to get a better handle on the thoughts of those venue patrons who had attended events prior to the shutdown. We think this survey tells a slightly different story than what was originally thought,” Rob Comstock, Riptide Partners co-founder said. “The variable of when people can return to venues in larger groups will be decided by health and government officials, but when that date is set, we believe that people will feel safer, and come back sooner, than anticipated based on the survey responses we have received.”

Riptide Partners received over 4,000 completed surveys from consumers who regularly attended sporting and entertainment events in the New York tri-state area. Of those 4,000, an overwhelming 89% said they will return to events depending on the actions taken by venue operators to ensure safety; 75% most frequently attended concerts / live events and 25% most frequently attended sporting events.

The average time to return across all levels of concern is 3.5 months, with extremely concerned respondents saying they will wait an average 5.2 months, while those who are not at all concerned will return immediately. A majority of the concert/event goers were female, a majority of the sporting event goers were male. We also saw a direct correlation between fan avidity and likelihood to return. The most avid fans are ready to return immediately and least concerned about the health risks.

The two biggest factors the group were weighing were touch points of areas like seating and bathrooms, while most indicated the food and beverage safety would be handled at an acceptable level. Anxiety over being in a crowd is the most frequently cited concern at 44% of respondents.

As far as areas of concern that would need to be addressed in the time before a safe return to venues, screening attendees and thorough disinfection of venue were the two most common changes requested.

This pertains to indoor venues only, as the information on those willing to attend outdoor events has been made available by officials and is already occurring in some areas.

Riptide Partners, which works actively with venues across the United States, is planning on doing similar hyperlocal surveys in the coming weeks in other regions, with the feeling that the local focus and feelings of avid attendees can tell a clearer story for all involved and help businesses better gauge the coming months. This information, if leveraged by teams and venue operators, can help understand guest sentiment and their preferred safety precautions by market and region as the country begins to reopen. We know likelihood to return and preferred safety precautions will vary by market and we’re prepared to help our clients build an operational playbook specific for their fanbase.

Founded in 2018 by former Madison Square Garden Company Chief Operating Officer Rob Comstock and MSG SVP of Customer Experience Paul Klass, Riptide Partners are the only Medallia partner offering a fully supported and customized solution tailored to the Sports & Entertainment space. Riptide and Medallia will enable bottom-line improvement and a customer-centric culture driven from real-time guest feedback across all touchpoints, both physical and digital.

Better Collective publishes financial report for Q2 2020

Highlights second quarter 2020

Q2 Revenue declined by 4% to 15,253 tEUR (Q2 2019: 15,834 tEUR). Organic revenue decline was 24%. The development was impacted by the complete halt of all major sports events from mid-March through April and May before a gradual re-start late May and in June. Positive revenue growth returned in June with 20% growth, of which 7% was organic, even though some major markets, like the US and LATAM, were still affected by sports closedowns.

Q2 EBITA before special items declined 7% to 6,305 tEUR (Q2 2019: 6,789 tEUR). The EBITA-margin before special items was 41%. The EBITA-margin remained in line with the financial target as the cost base was lowered significantly following the cost reduction program implemented from April 1, which reduced the cost base in Q2 2020 by approximately 3 mEUR compared to Q1 2020.

Cash Flow from operations before special items was 10,363 tEUR (Q2 2019: 6,601 tEUR), an increase of 57%. The cash conversion was 154%. End of Q2, capital reserves stood at 65.1 mEUR consisting of cash of 19.5 mEUR and unused bank credit facilities of 45.7 mEUR.

Better Collective publishes financial report for Q2 2020

Highlights second quarter 2020

Q2 Revenue declined by 4% to 15,253 tEUR (Q2 2019: 15,834 tEUR). Organic revenue decline was 24%. The development was impacted by the complete halt of all major sports events from mid-March through April and May before a gradual re-start late May and in June. Positive revenue growth returned in June with 20% growth, of which 7% was organic, even though some major markets, like the US and LATAM, were still affected by sports closedowns.

Q2 EBITA before special items declined 7% to 6,305 tEUR (Q2 2019: 6,789 tEUR). The EBITA-margin before special items was 41%. The EBITA-margin remained in line with the financial target as the cost base was lowered significantly following the cost reduction program implemented from April 1, which reduced the cost base in Q2 2020 by approximately 3 mEUR compared to Q1 2020.

Cash Flow from operations before special items was 10,363 tEUR (Q2 2019: 6,601 tEUR), an increase of 57%. The cash conversion was 154%. End of Q2, capital reserves stood at 65.1 mEUR consisting of cash of 19.5 mEUR and unused bank credit facilities of 45.7 mEUR.

Playsons expands its Hold and Win series with exciting new title

Malta, 27th August 2020 – Casino software developer Playson invites players on a journey across the America Prairies in its latest slot, Buffalo Power: Hold and Win.

This 3×5 videoslot with 20 paylines features a host of beautifully stylised wild animals and an expansive backdrop that is sure to transport players to the dusty plains of the U.S.A.

With the Rock Mountain featuring as a Scatter symbol, the game also sees a lightning ball as a Bonus symbol. The Wild symbol is always a stacked symbol and during Free Spins all wins with those buffalo Wilds are doubled.

To keep the tension cranked-up, three Scatter symbols trigger eight Free Spins, but the most exciting feature of this slot is its Hold and Win Bonus Game which is triggered by six or more Bonus symbols.

Playsons expands its Hold and Win series with exciting new title

Malta, 27th August 2020 – Casino software developer Playson invites players on a journey across the America Prairies in its latest slot, Buffalo Power: Hold and Win.

This 3×5 videoslot with 20 paylines features a host of beautifully stylised wild animals and an expansive backdrop that is sure to transport players to the dusty plains of the U.S.A.

With the Rock Mountain featuring as a Scatter symbol, the game also sees a lightning ball as a Bonus symbol. The Wild symbol is always a stacked symbol and during Free Spins all wins with those buffalo Wilds are doubled.

To keep the tension cranked-up, three Scatter symbols trigger eight Free Spins, but the most exciting feature of this slot is its Hold and Win Bonus Game which is triggered by six or more Bonus symbols.

Olympic Entertainment Group as (oeg) to become official betting partner of the NBA in the Baltics and Slovakia

– OEG’s Sports Betting Brand OlyBet to Reach Thousands of NBA Fans in the Region Through Online Platforms, Retail Locations and Casinos. 

– The 2019-20 NBA Season to Restart July 30; Playoffs to Tip Off Aug. 17.

LONDON, July 30, 2020 – Olympic Entertainment Group AS (OEG) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced a new multiyear partnership that will make its flagship betting brand OlyBet the official betting partner of the NBA in the region.

The exclusive partnership, covering Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia, will be promoted in more than 100 casino and retail locations in the region and on OlyBet’s and the NBA’s social and digital assets. OEG will also become the presenting partner of the NBA’s free-to-play gaming platform, NBA Pick’Em, which will be localised for the region.

Olympic Entertainment Group as (oeg) to become official betting partner of the NBA in the Baltics and Slovakia

– OEG’s Sports Betting Brand OlyBet to Reach Thousands of NBA Fans in the Region Through Online Platforms, Retail Locations and Casinos. 

– The 2019-20 NBA Season to Restart July 30; Playoffs to Tip Off Aug. 17.

LONDON, July 30, 2020 – Olympic Entertainment Group AS (OEG) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced a new multiyear partnership that will make its flagship betting brand OlyBet the official betting partner of the NBA in the region.

The exclusive partnership, covering Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia, will be promoted in more than 100 casino and retail locations in the region and on OlyBet’s and the NBA’s social and digital assets. OEG will also become the presenting partner of the NBA’s free-to-play gaming platform, NBA Pick’Em, which will be localised for the region.

Adda52, has engaged Concept PR as their public relations agency

Adda52, a pioneer of online poker in India, has engaged Concept PR as their public relations agency for addressing any media queries and information.

About Adda52

Adda52.com is the pioneer of online poker in India. Poker is not just any card game, but a game which helps to enhance one’s mathematical and observation skills. It helps one to take quick decisions, pushing one to be calm and patient to perform well in the game. Adda52.com, having 2 Mn+ registered users enable users to play the game anytime and anywhere with an insurance of a safe & secure platform. The brand is also the founding member of All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) and working committee members of Skill Games Federation in AIGF and Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). Apart from hosting exciting online cash game and tournaments, Adda52.com also organizes the Deltin Poker Tournament which is India’s biggest offline Poker tournament held at Goa and Sikkim. It is also the exclusive Brand License partner for World Poker Tour, an international poker tournament series.

The spokespersons for Adda52.com will be Mr Naveen Goyal, Chief Executive Director (CEO).

Adda52, has engaged Concept PR as their public relations agency

Adda52, a pioneer of online poker in India, has engaged Concept PR as their public relations agency for addressing any media queries and information.

About Adda52

Adda52.com is the pioneer of online poker in India. Poker is not just any card game, but a game which helps to enhance one’s mathematical and observation skills. It helps one to take quick decisions, pushing one to be calm and patient to perform well in the game. Adda52.com, having 2 Mn+ registered users enable users to play the game anytime and anywhere with an insurance of a safe & secure platform. The brand is also the founding member of All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) and working committee members of Skill Games Federation in AIGF and Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). Apart from hosting exciting online cash game and tournaments, Adda52.com also organizes the Deltin Poker Tournament which is India’s biggest offline Poker tournament held at Goa and Sikkim. It is also the exclusive Brand License partner for World Poker Tour, an international poker tournament series.

The spokespersons for Adda52.com will be Mr Naveen Goyal, Chief Executive Director (CEO).

Eilers & Krejcik Gaming announces partnership with Olympic Entertainment Group

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, August 25, 2020 — Eilers & Krejcik Gaming is pleased to announce a partnership with Olympic Entertainment Group (OEG). Under the terms of the partnership, Eilers & Krejcik Gaming will provide OEG with subscription-based research and analysis in our Digital & Interactive Gaming and Sports & Emerging Market verticals.

Corey Plummer, Chairman and CEO of OEG, explained, “Expanding Olympic and OlyBet brands in the areas of iGaming and sports betting are key strategic priorities for the groups. Eilers & Krejcik Gaming was the logical choice to provide data and research to support our decision-making in that process. Our multi-year partnership with the NBA demonstrates our commitment to deliver multi-channel entertainment experiences to customers in all of our markets.”

Ross O’Hanley, Senior Vice President of Land-Based Consulting at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, commented, “Eilers & Krejcik Gaming is proud to partner with OEG as we expand our research and advisory efforts in Europe. OEG’s recent partnership with the NBA and diverse customer base across six Eurozone markets makes them an ideal partner for us.”

About Olympic Entertainment Group:

Rookie of the Year Alonso Pulls Topps Curated Set

In (the first) Spring Training, Topps met up with 2019 Rookie of the Year Pete Alonso to develop his own curated card set. Today, Alonso’s inspirations hit the collecting scene, as Topps introduces the 50-card series with a decidedly New York feel.

Some of the elements selected by Alonso include NYC street art (bright colors, graffiti lettering, bright textures); and “Molon Labe” derived from King Leonidas, leader of the 300 Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae, which Alonso says captures his approach at the plate.

Included are 20 base cards featuring top stars of today, plus 30 insert cards with Alonso’s season award picks, the 50-homer club (of which Alonso became a member last year), franchise favorites and more, all with strong ties to the second-year Mets star.

NBA Alumni Launch Legends Media & Entertainment To Unify Storytelling Efforts

The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) today announced the expansion and launch of Legends Media & Entertainment (LME), a multifaceted storytelling platform that will produce, distribute and quantify the wide reaching stories of many of the NBA and WNBA’s biggest stars. The content will span the history of both leagues and feature more recent alums of the game ranging from Sheryl Swoopes and Grant Hill to the sport’s greatest legends and business successes on and off the court, delivered through all forms of media, from print and spoken word to long and short form video.

The NBRPA represents over 1,000 former NBA and WNBA players, making it the largest agency of its kind in basketball. This has allowed for direct access to players for opportunities domestically and internationally.

“With the creation of LME, we are building a multimedia platform for some of the most compelling men and women connected to basketball’s history and culture under one umbrella, something which has been asked for, and needed for some time,” said NBRPA President and CEO Scott Rochelle. “LME will be a vibrant stop for fans, businesses and others who want to enjoy, learn and explore the amazing stories of our Legends both on and off the court. These stories are some of the best in the global business of sport, and now we can house them under one impactful roof.”

NBA Champion and NBRPA Director Caron Butler adds, “Every NBA and WNBA player has a story to tell and Legends Media & Entertainment offers ALL Legends a platform to tell their stories and let their voices be heard,” NBA Champion and NBRPA Director Caron Butler added.

Some of the key unified elements of LME will include:

Legends Magazinewhich debuted in 2018 and is the official publication for NBA and WNBA Legends. Produced quarterly, Legends Magazine has featured cover stories about NBRPA Director Caron Butler, Jerry Stackhouse, Elton Brand, Jamal Mashburn and “The Knuckleheads” – Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles. Each issue is delivered to all former players, active players, coaches, stakeholders, influencers and league officials worldwide.

Legends Studios also debuted in 2018 with the launch of original live-action and animated short videos and two podcasts, the All-Access Legends Podcast and On Deck with Scott Rochelle. In April 2020, Legends Live, a weekly web series broadcasted to multiple social media platforms featuring live conversations with NBA and WNBA Legends, was added to the Legends Studios portfolio. In addition to 32 standard episodes, Legends Live also covered the 2020 WNBA Draft and ESPN’s The Last Dance with live commentary from Legends. Last week, media personality Tyler Johnson, aka Trill Withers joined the LME team as host of Legends Live, where he will spend time with many of the game’s most successful and dynamic personalities and business people. Johnson will also be a key contributor to Legends Magazine, the All-Access Legends Podcast and the NBRPA’s social media strategy and content.

To follow along with LME content from the NBRPA, find them on social media at @NBAalumni on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch or on Facebook at NBA Alumni.

Commonwealth Casino Commission of Saipan committed to enforcing compliance with local, federal regulations

Tuesday, 25 August 2020 (Saipan, CNMI) The Commonwealth Casino Commission of Saipan (also referred to as the ‘CCC’) has strengthened its commitment to enforcing compliance by Saipan’s gaming operator with all required local and federal regulations. In a recent interview, the CCC has made clear its commitments to preserving the integrity of the gaming license and ensuring that the operator follows the required regulations as part of their ongoing ability to operate within CNMI.

This includes ensuring that the operator adheres to any and all Commission Orders as required by the CCC in order to achieve a good standing within CNMI. The CCC and its administration will remain committed to monitoring gaming operations within the territory and, when required, issuing such orders to maintain a safe and fair environment for operators, their staff, contracted vendors and the CNMI population as a whole. The CCC has noted that this may, at times, require extraordinary measures to ensure a safe and sustainable operating environment. These types of measures are required and will be non-negotiable to ensure the development of a fair and sustainable gaming industry within the CNMI.

Mr. Edward C. DeLeon Guerrero, Chairman of the CCC, stated: “The Commonwealth Casino Commission of Saipan will remain committed to ensuring all casino gaming operations in Saipan comply with both local and federally mandated regulations. The CCC’s operation includes monitoring of all gaming facilities, including twenty-four seven surveillance operations at our only casino operation.“

Several recent orders by the CCC to the gaming operator Imperial Pacific International (CNMI), LLC. have included:

MoneyMatrix to offer Sofort’s payment processing method

Monday, August 24th, 2020, Malta

Payment processing gateway MoneyMatrix extends its portfolio of payment methods through a new partnership with Sofort. Owned by Klarna, the most highly valued fintech in Europe, Sofort will make available its smooth and user-friendly payment method to MoneyMatrix’s merchants.

Giving access to 230+ payment methods, MoneyMatrix is an EU licensed Financial Institution and PCI DSS Level 1 Certified payment gateway for real money gaming, sports betting, forex, or digital industries. Through the newly inked agreement, MoneyMatrix will further enhance its payment portfolio by integrating Sofort.

Sofort offers a payment method that operates on the principle of an online bank transfer, allowing users to make a wire transfer via their online banking account in an easy, quick and secure way.

Online esports tournaments deliver more shocks than LAN events

Online esports tournaments deliver more upsets than arena events, data has shown.

The Covid-19 outbreak forced esports to move online across all major games, including CS:GO, Dota 2 and League of Legends.

Tournament organisers were forced to rethink significant events that were due to be held offline, including ESL One Birmingham, DreamHack events and ESL One Cologne.

And the move online certainly seems to favour the underdogs, with data from leading esports betting site Luckbox showing a noticeable decrease in the number of matches ending with expected results.

Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®) promotes Karen Sierra-Hughes to Vice President

LAKEWOOD, N.J. (August 24, 2020) – Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®) has promoted Karen Sierra-Hughes to Vice President of Latin America and Caribbean.

“We are thrilled to announce Karen’s promotion and signaling our absolute commitment to the gaming industry’s success throughout Latin America and the Caribbean in all its forms – land-based, lottery, and online,” said GLI President/CEO James R. Maida.

“Karen has been an integral part of GLI’s mission in Latin America and the Caribbean. She and her team work in close collaboration with government officials – as well as gaming and lottery suppliers and operators – helping them navigate the future of gaming. Their expertise supports these stakeholders’ efforts in establishing well-regulated environments and a successful and sustainable industry. Karen’s leadership, knowledge and passion for her client’s success translates into the appreciation that the industry and her team have for what she does.”

Sierra-Hughes received Latin American Gaming Hall of Fame’s prestigious Recognition Award at the 2019 Juegos Miami gaming conference and was listed in the 2019 iGaming Business Magazine´s 10 Most Influential Women List. She is a sought-after speaker and has appeared at dozens of international gaming conferences around the world.