SBC CIS Editorial Team is happy to present a quick recap of the gambling industry events, news, regulations and partnerships that happened last week.
SBC and the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gambling (IBJR) have signed an agreement under which the Brazilian organisation will take on the role of strategic partner. The partnership was formalised ahead of SBC Summit Rio, a new event in the SBC’s lineup. The event, aimed at executives from leading Brazilian betting and gaming companies, will take place from March 5 to 7 at the five-star Windsor Barra Hotel and will mark the launch of a sports betting and iGaming event dedicated to the region.
IBJR was established in March 2023 as a joint venture between global betting companies Bet365, Flutter, Entain, Betsson Group, Betway Group, Yolo Group, NetBet Group, KTO Group and Rei do Pitaco. IBJR’s main goal is to promote a regulated and safe environment for Brazilian players and ensure fruitful and sustainable regulation for operators in the region.
In addition to gaming and sports betting companies, IBJR’s associate members now include payments companies such as Grupo OKTO and Pay4Fun, as well as media groups such as Better Collective.
Ahead of SBC Summit Tbilisi, our editorial team offers a brief overview of the status of the gambling industry in Georgia, a country that has recently ascended to prominent positions in the region and became a local hub for a number of international gambling businesses.
The event, taking place on 24 October at the Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace*, is jointly organised by SBC and the Georgia-based iGaming and sports management company SMH and is expected to draw an attendance of over 1,000 participants.
Along with an agenda spanning two conference stages enriched by insights from over 40 industry experts, SBC Summit Tbilisi will feature an exhibition area showcasing more than 20 local and regional brands.
Flutter Entertainment Plc is making a strong entry into the Serbian market, having agreed a deal to acquire a 51% stake in MaxBet Kladionica for a hefty €141 million (or £123 million). Flutter has announced that its significant investment in MaxBet is helping to expand business opportunities in the fast-growing Balkan region. If Flutter achieves its target, it will retain the right to acquire the remaining 49% of MaxBet’s business by 2029.
National Revenue Agency (NRA) of Bulgaria, as part of an enforcement campaign launched in September this year, has restricted access to more than 150 unlicensed gambling sites. The Department responsible for gambling supervision said that most of these illegal websites are licensed outside the European Union. The National Revenue Agency did not disclose details about the blocked sites, but noted that access to infringing domains will be suspended within three days. In the event that the websites remain accessible beyond the deadline, the NRA will notify the Bulgarian High Court to order internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to them.
PIN-UP Ukraine company, a legal representative of the Ukrainian online gambling market, took first place in the Top-10 Best Ukrainian companies in the “Gambling” category. Opendatabot, a leading analytical resource for assessing the business reputation of companies, has published its latest index including the largest companies in terms of turnover with an impeccable business reputation. The rating is compiled based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including financial stability, lack of ties with so-called Russia and Belarussia, and absence in the sanctions list.
Marina Ilina, founder of the PIN-UP Global brand, received the prestigious “Leader of the Year” award at this year’s SBC Awards at the Summit in Barcelona. This year was particularly exciting for the event, which took place in Barcelona with over 15,000 professionals from the world of gambling, representing 350 companies, as well as more than 450 speakers gathered at the conference. The end of the conference was marked by a traditional award ceremony for market leaders in various categories.
Betsson announced it has received a licence to operate in France. Betsson’s expansion into France is the result of a successful joint venture with a local partner, which brought the company closer to the French sports betting sector. Betsson Group has launched its flagship brand Betsson, which is expected to officially launch in the fourth quarter of 2023. Betsson’s strategic focus on geographic diversification has taken another step forward with its entry into the regulated French sports betting market. This event highlights Betsson Group’s commitment to delivering exceptional gaming experiences on a global scale, combining 60 years of international experience with the skills and knowledge of local partners.
Betwinner has announced the expansion of its current sports betting offerings to over 45 disciplines including football, cricket, volleyball, hockey, basketball and tennis. Players looking to bet on new sports can choose from popular bet types available on the Betwinner app, such as parlay, handicap and total. In addition, Betwinner offers betting on eSports, including Dota 2, LoL and Overwatch, as well as non-standard events such as political events, show business and even greyhound racing.
SOFTSWISS experts have created an extensive guide containing 54 KPIs, providing a detailed list of valuable analytical tools and information on current global casino and sports betting trends. This guide promotes a deeper understanding of key performance indicators (KPIs) in iGaming, including top-line, derivative and operational metrics.
Canal+, the French pay-TV company, has extended its exclusive rights to broadcast Premier League matches in countries such as France, Switzerland (in French), Czechia, Slovakia and Vietnam until 2028. It has been confirmed that Canal+ has received permission to broadcast all 380 matches next season. In France, these games will be available on Canal+ linear channels, the myCanal OTT app and Canal+ Premier League digital channel. According to information published in L’Équipe, the deal for the next cycle is worth around €75 million (or US$79.93 million) per season.
DAZN Bet was recently awarded a sports betting licence in Germany through its Pragmatic Solutions platform with extensive compliance capabilities, flexible technology and custom development services. DAZN Bet is strategically positioned to attract local players by leveraging DAZN’s established streaming and brand presence in Germany, as well as its unique betting expertise. The company is committed to working with German gaming authorities and is committed to the highest standards in player protection. The product has extensive self-regulatory tools, clear information about safe gambling and advanced technology for identifying problem gambling.
BetConstruct announced the release of CMS Pro-Forms, a significant expansion of the functionality of our CMS Pro engine. This feature gives users the ability to create and manage registration and authentication forms with amazing ease and customization. With CMS Pro-Forms, BetConstruct is transforming the form creation process, making it more flexible and suitable to meet the unique requirements of different regions and licences.
REEVO, a B2B content and aggregation platform, announced a strategic partnership with NuxGame, a recognized leader in B2B software for the iGaming industry. This exciting collaboration aims to enrich the gaming experience of players around the world, making it even more exciting and diverse.
REEVO has also announced its dynamic collaboration with Chipstars, a leading innovative gaming portal for online casino, poker and sports betting. Chipstars, known for its commitment to providing a variety of exciting games for the best customer satisfaction, is teaming up with REEVO to expand its range of gaming content. This exciting collaboration will allow Chipstars users to gain access to REEVO’s cutting-edge studio, enriching the platform’s gaming experience with a diverse selection of high-quality games.
Soft2Bet, a leading B2B casino and sportsbook software provider, has partnered up with 7777 Gaming. This collaboration expands Soft2Bet’s already diverse set of casino suppliers, adding 7777 Gaming to the list of global content providers providing an impressive portfolio of brands such as Betinia.dk, Betinia.se, Betinia.com, Yoyocasino.se and Yoyocasino.com. The partnership provides a full suite of over 100 online games from 7777 Gaming.
Livespins is now available for integration with partner operators on the Relax P2P platform. Recognized for its excellence in socially conscious online casinos, offering live slot streaming and live betting, Livespins is now available to operators partnering with Relax Gaming. This association is a logical continuation of the already existing partnership between Livespins and Relax Gaming. It is important to note that content from both Livespins and third-party providers is already successfully integrated into the Livespins lobby and is actively used by its streamers during broadcasts.
CT Interactive signed a distribution agreement with iGaming Deck, an aggregator of iGP-based games, during the SBC Summit in Barcelona. This agreement will allow the company’s exclusive products to reach new audiences. iGP was founded in 2016 in Malta. The company has grown rapidly and in a short period of time has achieved key milestones such as launching over 40 casinos, providing over 9,000 live games, and partnering with over 100 gaming providers.
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