Each week, SBC CIS editors look back at the events of the previous week to highlight the most interesting and resonant ones for you.
Jetbull closes down its business, FIFA tops the amount of prize money to be given to the participating teams, Mastercard and Paysend unite to launch new features, 1xBet gets nominated in 11 categories at International Gaming Awards, Ukrainian regulator CRGL revokes 3 online casino licenses, SBC expands its business into sport partnerships, Armenia may increase taxes on sports betting and totalizators.
More on these, as usual, in our digest below.
Jetbull.com has announced closing down of its online casino and sports betting business. Customers have been notified via email asking them to withdraw their remaining funds.
«We are grateful for all your support shown in over a decade of operations, where Jetbull established itself as a strong, steady brand. However, the time has come to seek new ventures.», — read the company’s statement.
Jetbull was founded in 2010 and has been one of the first brands to launch the EveryMatrix platform. Jetbull previously said it had «served over 600,000 customers» in the UK, Danish and Romanian markets.
FIFA has allocated $440 million in prize money for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. This is an increase of $40 million compared to the 2018 tournament, while just $358 million in prize money was on offer at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Mastercard and Paysend are entering into a new global partnership. The duo will leverage each other’s networks to improve cross-border payments while serving the people of Ukraine.
Ukraine was chosen as the first market to launch this cross-border payment enhancement. The solution will allow consumers to receive real-time payments directly to their bank accounts from a vast global network.
The partnership is aimed to go global, with Mastercard’s cross-border service solutions and payment network working with Paysend’s network to expand coverage to over 100 markets.
1xBet, a well-known international sports betting and online casino operator, has been shortlisted in 11 nominations for the prestigious International Gaming Awards.
The list of nominations includes best customer service,
best esports bookmaker, best live casino of the year, best mobile sports product, best online operator, and best sports betting operator.
The Commission on the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries in Ukraine decided to revoke 3 online casino licenses. The list of sanctioned companies include Joker Yug LLC, Play Fun Investment LLC, Alfagame LLC.
This decision was made on the basis of an analysis, as a result of which the police and state security agencies found unreliable documents. It is reported that these gambling operators hid the fact that they act in the interests of the Russian Federation.
SBC is expanding its services to the sports and gaming industries with the appointment of George Harborne in the newly-created Director of SBC Sponsorships role.
The Director of Sponsorship will facilitate connections and relations between rights-holders, such as sports clubs and associations, and betting and gaming industry operators to assist with acquisition, activation, and strategic development across sponsorship programs.
Armenia plans to raise taxes on betting companies and totalizators.
Parliament adopted an amendment in the first reading, which provides for a review of licenses issued to providers and introduces quotas.
The proposed changes project an additional AMD10 billion in annual tax revenue for the state, except for 2023, as the law is expected to come into force on July 1.
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