Horse racing is set to resume in the Republic of Ireland from 8 June, subject to certain conditions. 

Only personnel absolutely necessary to run races will be permitted on-site at race courses, and everyone will be subject to health and temperature checks on entry. Face masks will also be mandatory, and strict social distancing measures will be in place, supervised by a dedicate “COVID-19 protocol officer” at each event.

Commenting on the news Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland, Brian Kavanagh, said:

“We are grateful to be one of the sectors permitted to go back to work and acknowledge the responsibility on everybody in racing to ensure the events are run in a safe way.

“We know from our own experience in March when we safely ran ten meetings behind closed doors – and from what is happening in other countries like France, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and America – that racing can be staged safely within the requirements of social distancing.

“With significant input from the IHRB’s chief medical officer Dr Jennifer Pugh, we have strengthened the HRI Covid-19 protocols and so, while race fixtures will return in Ireland on June 8, they will be very different from what people will have experienced before.”

Horse racing has already restarted in Germany and France, while it never ceased in Australia, Japan and Hong Kong. As we reported last week, the British Horseracing Authority has announced plans to resume events, again behind closed doors and subject to strict rules, on 1 June.

AYO.NEWS says:

This is definitely good news for bookies, but as we’ve said many times, it is far too early to relax, given the strong likelihood of more waves of infection, and the ever-present threat of further lockdowns. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

Geolocation services provider GeoComply is sponsoring the Remote Darts League (RDL), the second season of which starts today, 18 May 2020. 

For its second season, the RDL is increasing to 16 players, including the 4 finalists from RDL1, and 4 top ranked women and 8 men from around the world, representing 10 countries from Oceania, Europe and North America. 

Discussing the league Kevin Dale, from host organisation Farawaysports, said:

“RDL1 was a challenge, but through the platform supplier FSB we were able to establish a unique live contest complete with data feeds, odds feeds, video feeds, Youtube channels and widespread bookmaker distribution across Europe. This time round, we’re going global.”

While CEO of GeoComply, David Briggs, added:

“It’s great to see four top North American darts players including Larry Butler, Stacey Pace, Joe Chaney and David Cameron in the new GeoComply Remote Darts League. With league approval from regulators in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the 120+ matches will be traded across a range of US sportsbooks.”

GeoComply launched in 2011 and now supports regulated online casino, poker, sports betting, lottery, ADW and DFS operators in 45 US states to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations.

AYO.NEWS says:

Despite COVID-19 lockdowns being eased in many countries, and some sports starting to resume, it will probably be a long time before a full sports schedule is back up and running, and there is of course strong likelihood of another wave of the pandemic forcing more lockdowns and disruption. Given this, it’s great to see initiatives like the Remote Darts League stepping up to provide entertainment and betting opportunities.  

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

Copenhagen-based sports betting affiliate firm Better Collective has reported strong performance in the first quarter of 2020, with revenue growing 40%. 

Group revenues climbed to €20 million, driven by improved sports win margins and growing customer activity. EBITDA was up 32% year-on-year to €8.6m, and group operating profits were up 27% to €6.5m for the quarter. 

Despite the great start to the year, the cancellation of global sports from mid-March due to COVID-19 lockdowns is expected to have a big impact during the second quarter. The company reported a drop of around €4.6m in April, which puts it on track for its first negative quarter since it listed on the Stockholm Nasdaq in 2018. 

Reflecting on the quarter, Better Collective CEO, Jesper Søgaard, said the group’s digital business model had “proven strong” despite the unprecedented circumstances, demonstrating “the flexibility to withstand a period with low sports activity.” 

As we previously reported, when the scale of the crisis became clear Better Collective implemented a cost-savings strategy, with board members and founders waiving their 2020 salaries and compensation packages.

In March, immediately before the COVID-19 lockdowns in Europe, Better Collective entered esports, acquiring leading Nordic esports publishing group HLTV.org in a €34.5 million deal. 

AYO.NEWS says:

As we’ve said time and again after Q1 reports from affiliates and operators, we wouldn’t expect to see much impact from COVID-19 in the first quarter, because for most of it sports were still running. However, the second quarter will be a different story altogether. 

We also feel it is far too early to consider the crisis over, and bookies and affiliates alike should brace themselves for the high likelihood of further waves of infection, with further and sudden lockdowns and disruption. 

One thing’s for sure, Better Collective’s acquisition of HLTV.org looks like a very shrewd and well-timed move! 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

Flutter Entertainment is set to deploy GTG Network’s (GTG) “Skill Zone” free-to-play (FTP) portfolio across its Paddy Power vertical. 

The operator says GTG’s Skill Zone inventory, which includes its flagship “Hit the Spot” game, along with trivia games and arcade basketball, will expand its sportsbook FTP offering and increase player engagement. 

Skill Zone games will be launched across Paddy Power desktop and mobile (iOS and Android) verticals. 

Commenting on the news co-founder and partner at GTG, Nathan Rothschild, said:

“In what is an unprecedented and difficult time, we’re fortunate to be in a position to have a suite of products to connect with fans whilst there is little sport being played. We have been excited about the response to Skill Zone. Already a unique offering for sportsbooks, the new features we are releasing will truly push the benchmark for industry innovation.”

While Paddy Power Sports Director, Ben Reilly, added:

“With the impacts of COVID19 on the sporting calendar, we’ve been looking for creative ways to keep our customers entertained and engaged with our brand. We’re really pleased with the early results from Skill Zone, providing a mix of sport and trivia games that our customers have really taken to.”

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

Digital performance marketing company XLMedia has announced cost cutting measures, including staff cuts.

The company says it is aiming to save USD $5 million by laying off staff and focusing on automation and outsourcing. 

Commenting on the plans XLMedia Chief Executive, Stuart Simms, said:

“I joined XLMedia with the clear intention to orientate the Company towards a balanced portfolio of premium branded sites, in verticals and markets that deliver sustainable revenue growth. To support this transformation, we have been working diligently to augment our leadership team and operating structure, as well as to right-size the resources required for our business to operate most efficiently.

“Our transformation plan continues to gather momentum, and I am pleased to share our progress with all our major stakeholders, alongside welcoming new talent to the business.”

XLMedia has also promoted Chief Transformation Officer Sarah Clark, who joined the company in February, to the position of Chief Operational Officer full-time. Meanwhile Xen Lategan, formerly CTO for New International, has been appointed interim technology consultant. 

Jersey-based XLMedia works with many major gambling operators including betway, betsson, 888 Holdings, William Hill, UNIBET, PaddyPower, Mr Green, and Ladbrokes. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Ever-increasing regulation, brutal competition, and increasing apathy from consumers were making life difficult for affiliate marketing companies even before the COVID-19 crisis. As the economic catastrophe caused by governments’ overreactions to the pandemic start to bite, things are sure to get even harder.

Earlier today we reported that affiliate marketing company Raketech had reported a 77% plunge in total profits for the first quarter of 2020. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

Blitz Studios, developer of fantasy sports and messaging app Sleeper has raised $20 million in its latest funding round, and launched a new fantasy League of Legends game. 

The funding round was led by Andreessen Horowitz, and included Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin, former NBA player Baron Davis, and NFL player JuJu Smith-Schuster. NBA All-Star Kevin Durant also participated in a previous funding round.

The new LoL fantasy game is available on Sleeper’s app for iOS and Android, in five regions and their respective LoL leagues (LEC, LCK, LCS, VCS, and CBLoL), and according to the company, is perfect for casual gamers who are interested in “diving deeper into esports.” 

Sleeper says it has included added levels of strategy to its new strategy game that will be familiar to League of Legends players, including the concept of picks and bans. 

According to Sleeper CEO Nan Wang, the company is aiming to create a space where fans can bond over sports and esports, through games and chat.

In addition to its esports fantasy offering, Sleeper is also planning to expand its traditional fantasy sports offering to include sports like basketball and soccer later this year.

AYO.NEWS says:

Fantasy esports is really starting to find traction, and driving fan engagement to new highs. The fact that Sleeper is offering traditional fantasy sports, fantasy esports and messaging on the same platform clearly gives it the opportunity to tap into far wider demographics than other providers – indeed, this sports/esports/social mix may well be the future.

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020