UK and Greece-based FSI (Fantasy Sports Interactive) has announced a strategic partnership with Scientific Games.

The deal will see FSI provide its original Fantasy Sportsbook offerings to Scientific Games’ global customer network, through the integration of FSI’s proprietary software into its OpenMarket™ sports content offering. 

FSI will be providing its platform of Fantasy Sportsbook solutions and original Fantasy Sports/Daily Fantasy Sports products, to be integrated and distributed as a whole, or as separate standalone solutions, depending on operators’ needs. 

FSI says its Fantasy Suit and products will serve as a diverse skill gaming and betting addition to Scientific Games’ multi-faceted iGaming portfolio, complete with cross-selling, user-engagement and acquisition tools, plus unique fantasy betting markets that will elevate standard sportsbooks. 

All of FSI’s offerings are based on its native fantasy scoring system and exclusive fantasy odds feed, which will also be distributed separately to Scientific Games for further use. The Sportsbook suit, Fixed-Odds-Fantasy, is the first Fantasy Sportsbook featuring fantasy odds feed generated by an original AI-based fantasy odds generation algorithm. 

Discussing the partnership Fantasy Sports Interactive CEO, Dennis Tsalikis, said:

“We are proud and excited to enter a partnership with the world’s leading digital gaming supplier. We look forward to working closely together to reach a global, quality audience with FSI’s exclusive, engaging products, and we are certain this will be a fruitful collaboration that will yield positive results for both companies and the iGaming industry as a whole.”

While SVP Sportsbook, Digital for Scientific Games, Keith O’Loughlin, added:

“Partnering with Fantasy Sports Interactive is an important move as we continue to bolster our content offering with OpenMarket™. Sportsbooks can now seamlessly expand their portfolio with FSI’s innovative range of fantasy sports products through OpenMarket, with the sports betting content aggregation platform providing quick access to such exciting content.”

AYO.NEWS says:

After years of being a predominantly North American phenomenon, fantasy sports finally seems to be gaining traction in other markets, notably Europe, and could be a key tool in helping re-engage customers with sports betting in the post-COVID-19 era. 

Staying with Scientific Games, a couple of weeks ago the company announced the appointment of Michael Eklund as its new CFO. 

‘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. 

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Betting operator Interwetten has extended its sponsorship of German Bundesliga clubs TSG Hoffenheim and Vfl Wolfsburg until at least June 2023.

Intewetten’s partnership with TSG Hoffenheim dates back to 2017, and has involved a number of advertising and marketing campaigns – with one notable social media campaign even giving fans the chance to win a place in the official team photo. The extended deal will also cover two large static TV advertising screens, a mini banner, and LED advertising.

2009 Bundesliga champions Vfl Wolfsburg have been sponsored by Interwetten since July 2019, and the new deal will see the partnership extended to include digital services, and live data integration on the video wall, plus branding in front of team dugouts. 

Discussing the news Speaker of the Board (CEO) at Interwetten, Dominik Beier, said:

“We have been a reliable partner of sport for 30 years now – we need sport as a business basis and sport has been counting on us as a partner and sponsor for years. We usually maintain long-term, trusting cooperation and make sure to do this with partners at the highest level. We want to continue to stick to this path in the future.

“With both clubs, TSG and VfL, we want to celebrate success, learn from each other and develop together. We are very happy about the extensions.”

Interwetten enjoyed a good 2019, seeing revenue grow 25% year-on-year, to a record €99.5m. 

AYO.NEWS says:

After the challenges both bookies and sports clubs have faced over the past few months, it’s great to see Interwetten is reaffirming its support for the Bundesliga. 

With the ever-present threat of more waves of the pandemic and lockdowns returning, over the coming months it will be more important than ever for clubs to shore up their finances and build resilience, so lets hope authorities elsewhere in Europe back-off from their proposed bans on gambling sports sponsorships. 

Staying with Interwetten, last month we reported the operator had boosted its virtual sports offering with Golden Race’s suite of virtual sports and games. 

‘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. 

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Multi-channel betting services supplier SIS (Sports Information Services) has partnered with global real-time video solutions provider Phenix. 

SIS says the deal will enable its streaming platform, SIS Stream, to deliver industry leading, sub-half second latency in the distribution of live content for products including its 24/7 Live Betting Channels, World Greyhound Tote Pool, and its Competitive Gaming Channel, by using Phenix’s industry standard WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) and proprietary and patent-pending technology. 

Integrity will also be further improved by minimising the delay in the delivery of live sporting events to its operator partners around the world.

Discussing the deal Product Director at SIS, Paul Witten, said:

“It’s crucial that we minimise the latency of live events to a bettor’s screen as much as possible, in order to optimise their betting experience.

“Partnering with Phenix is key in helping us deliver real-time streaming to our operator partners, and further demonstrates our reputation for providing top quality live pictures to operators globally.”

While CEO of Phenix, Roy Reichbach, added:

“SIS’s vision and openness to innovation will enhance their offer to bookmakers, providing them with real-time streaming and synchronised playback. The combined solution provides punters with an improved betting experience and increased operator revenues.”

AYO.NEWS says:

In today’s world of live betting, fast paced events (especially esports), and demanding bettors, minimising latency is becoming increasingly important, so this partnership is clearly important for SIS. 

Staying with SIS, a couple of weeks ago we reported that Bet365 had become the launch customer for its Competitive Gaming end-to-end esports solution. 

‘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. 

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Yesterday saw the return of professional live sport to England and Wales, with the first horserace meeting since 17 March taking place in Newcastle.

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has said it is planning no less than eighteen flat-race meetings in the first eight days, and Royal Ascot is scheduled to start on 16 June – though with just 12 horses in each race. 

Championship League snooker also resumed yesterday, with the action getting underway in Milton Keynes. 

Though the resumption of professional sports in England and Wales will be a significant boost for embattled sports betting operators, things are far from returning to normal. 

In addition to strict regulations and protocols at events, including social distancing, screening and special “COVID-19 officers” overseeing everything, events will still be closed to fans. 

Commenting on the resumption of sports Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary of State, Oliver Dowden, said:

“This guidance provides the safe framework for sports to resume competitions behind closed doors. It is now up to individual sports to confirm they can meet these protocols and decide when it’s right for them to restart.

“Football, tennis, horseracing, Formula 1, cricket, golf, rugby, snooker and others are all set to return to our screens shortly.”

As for the rest of the United Kingdom, the Scottish government has said some non-contact sports, including gold, tennis, and bowls, will be permitted from 3 June, while football and rugby is hoping to be allowed to resume on 18 June, and horse racing from 22 June. The situation in Northern Ireland is still unclear at this point. 

AYO.NEWS says:

This is great news for bookies, fans, teams, athletes, and the entire sports industry, which has been badly hit by the COVID-19 lockdowns. 

However, as many experts are stressing, everyone should bear in mind that lockdowns may well need to be reintroduced at a moment’s notice if infection rates increase significantly – especially if the much feared multiple-wave scenario happens. 

Indeed, as British media has been reporting, the UK’s Chief Medical Officer has opposed the downgrading of the coronavirus alert level and many are voicing concerns that the lockdown measures are being eased too quickly. 

‘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. 

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France-based global sports and esports marketing agency Lagardère Sports and Entertainment has rebranded as SPORTFIVE. 

According to the company the rebrand, which follows its recent acquisition by HIG Capital, was driven by its shift in focus to a “dual organizational structure of dedicated market areas and global growth units.”

Discussing the news CEO of SPORTFIVE, Stefan Felsing, said:

“Today marks a milestone for our agency. A new leadership team, new ownership and reintroducing to the world of sport a legacy brand name, SPORTFIVE, that not only represents our founding pioneering spirit, but also our strong future of being one of the most progressive and respected partners in sports.

“SPORTFIVE is made up of pioneers in sports across different regions, we believe in the power of sports and that its responsible commercialisation can benefit the society as a whole. I look forward to bringing our tenacity, energy, experience, integrity and trust earned from our stakeholders to make SPORTFIVE synonymous for innovative and emotional sports marketing.”

The agency’s subsidiaries including Lagardère Sports, Lagardère PLUS, U! Sports, VIP Sportstravel will be integrated into the new SPORTFIVE brand

AYO.NEWS says:

Given the agency’s line of work, a major rebrand like this seems a natural thing to do to keep it current, especially given the virtual revolution and the rapid pace of change in the sports and entertainment worlds. Indeed, the brand’s new emphasis on ‘V’ could be seen as a nod to ‘virtual’ in addition to its obvious ‘five’ reference. 

Staying with the former Lagardère Sports, in February we reported that Malta-based blockchain company Chiliz had entered a strategic partnership with the agency, in an effort to get more European and North American clubs and teams interested in its Socios fan engagement platform. 

‘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. 

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Flutter Entertainment has released a Q2 trading update showing a significant boost from The Stars Group and 10% year-on-year rise in pro forma group revenue.

However, despite The Stars Group seeing a dramatic 92% rise revenue, Sky Betting and Gaming registered a 28% drop, and Paddy Power Betfair revenue plunged 54% overall (down 41% online and 100% in retail), having being hit particularly hard by sports cancellations resulting from the COVID-19 crisis. 

The Group’s international operations managed to lift things considerably, with Australian revenue growing 61% and US revenue surging 61%. 

Reflecting on the quarter, CEO of Flutter Entertainment, Peter Jackson, said:

“Businesses around the world are navigating through extraordinary change as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As with many other sectors, in betting and gaming there have been stark impacts as much of the world has gone into lockdown, with some parts of the sector struggling and others thriving as consumers change their purchasing habits.

“Today we are starting to look more directly to the future in terms of planning for growth, while we continue to benefit from our product and geographical diversification as the unpredictable situation unfolds”.

AYO.NEWS says:

Merging with The Stars Group, which is far less exposed to sports betting than Flutter’s other big brands, like Paddy Power Betfair, is starting to look very timely indeed! 

Considering the second quarter is likely to be the worst affected by the COVID-19 crisis (assuming lockdowns don’t return with fresh waves of the pandemic), it seems Flutter has weathered the storm pretty well all things considered. 

Flutter’s heavy online presence, increasing diversification, and substantial operations in relatively stable economies like the UK, US and Australia, stand in stark contrast to some other groups, exemplified by Spain-based Codere which, as we reported yesterday, is sinking under mountains of debt, and is struggling to find access to finance after being pummelled by the COVID-19 crisis and unfavourable currency exchange rates in some of its key Latin American markets. 

‘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