Intertops has marked the 25th anniversary of becoming the first operator to accept a bet online by launching a new in-play sportsbook. 

On 17 January 1996, a certain Jukka Honkavaara made history by placing a $50 bet with Intertops for Tottenham Hotspur to beat Hereford United in an FA Cup fourth round tie. Despite the prestige of placing the first online bet, Honkavaara only made a $2 profit on the bet, when Tottenham beat Hereford 5-1. 

Continuing its trailblazing tradition, in 2000 Austria-based Intertops was also responsible for launching the first mobile betting site, and just two years later, introduced the world to live betting.

Reflecting on the moment an Intertops spokesperson said:

“We remain proud of our unique place in gambling history. Gambling in one form or another had been around for millennia, yet Intertops brought it into the digital world in January 1996 thanks to our foresight and pioneering spirit, which remains the same today.

“In the years since that historic day, we have striven to stay at the head of the gambling sector, offering entertainment to millions of players each year through our comprehensive Sportsbook, Poker and Casino platforms.

“We will always be the first, but the introduction of our new Sportsbook will also ensure that we remain the best.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Intertops has a fascinating heritage, actually being established in London in 1983 to offer sports betting services via a period combination of telephone, cash and post, to punters in Germany. It actually moved to Austria in 1992 to mitigate the effect of postal delays. But, back then, the internet was still unheard of by most people, and it would take a few years before its potential became evident.

But, 25 years later, the internet has changed the world almost beyond recognition, and online betting and gaming is now a vast industry serving hundreds of millions of customers around the world. We wonder what things will be like 25 years from now?

‘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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Curacao-based online casino software brand SoftSwiss has announced the launch of a new betting project in partnership with Bitkingz Sportsbook. 

Running on SoftSwiss’ recently launched Sportsbook Platform, the new Bitkingz Sportsbook went live on 1 February, giving access to 10,000 live events. The main odds provider behind the platform is Betradar. 

The launch of the new sportsbook follows the early success of the Bitkingz Casino, which runs on the SoftSwiss Online Casino Platform. 

Commenting on the news Product Owner of SoftSwiss Sportsbook, Alexander Kamenetskyi, said:

“Bitkingz Sportsbook is a rather young project, yet it is developing very rapidly. We’re happy to be partnering with such an energetic team to start our own exciting journey in the world of sports betting.”

While managing shareholder at Bitkingz, Lars Dresden, added:

“Now SoftSwiss not only offers the perfect Online Casino Platform but also provides the most stable and easy to handle all-in-one solution for combined casino and sportsbook operations. We are happy to run an all-in-one entertainment area for our audience.”

Officially released in December 2020, the SoftSwiss Sportsbook inked its first deal with JooSports, a project of JooCasino, part of N1 Partners Group, in the same month. 

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Global sports betting tech company Simplebet has entered a multi-year agreement with Major League Baseball (MLB). 

The deal makes Simplebet the Official Odds Provider for MLB’s free-to-play Rally app, starting with the 2021 season. 

Simplebet’s technology will be licensed to help power Rally’s in-play fan experience, enhancing the app’s in-game predictions, which allow users to make picks around Micro-Markets such as every at-bat. 

MLB Rally, presented by BetMGM, is a real-time game where eligible users, aged 21 or over, can make live predictions, earn points, and climb the leaderboard competing for daily prizes, including cash, merchandise, and more. 

Commenting on the partnership Co-Founder and CEO of Simplebet, Chris Bevilacqua, said:

“We’re excited to be partnering with MLB to power its Rally app as the game provides the perfect platform to showcase the capabilities of Micro-Market predictions.

“Every at-bat presents a unique opportunity to generate fan engagement and drive longer watch times, which is beneficial for operators, media partners and fans alike.”

While Executive Vice President, Business Development at MLB, Kenny Gersh, added:

“SimpleBet’s technology will take Rally’s live, in-game prediction experience to the next level. Having them as an Official Odds Provider will help us bring new engaging features to Rally fans for the upcoming 2021 season and beyond.”

MLB Rally is currently available via the app store for iOS. 

Staying with Simplebet, in October 2020, the company entered a micro-market betting partnership with global sports betting and lottery supplier INTRALOT. 

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As part of their club partnerships with Southampton FC, cryptocurrency sportsbook Sportsbet.io have created a new VIP experience that uses virtual reality (VR) technology to recreate the magic of matchday, at home.

The creative concept aims to leverage Sportsbet.io’s matchday rights with the Saints to educate and engage football fans on cryptocurrency. As part of the initiative, participating influencers are provided with a Bitcoin value which they can use to build their own unique VIP experience, from a stadium tour with a club legend to a front-row seat at the training ground.

Sportsbet.io are using their football partnerships to redefine the fan experience by combining cutting-edge technology with their cryptocurrency expertise, delivering exclusive experiences that reward Southampton’s large global fanbase and Sportsbet.io customers. The initiative is a demonstration of Sportsbet.io’s constant drive to innovate and the sportsbook believe that the role of cryptocurrency in sport is only going to increase.

The first Virtual Reality experience was delivered in December 2020 ahead of Southampton FC’s home fixture against Manchester City, and featured a tour of St Mary’s stadium with Saints legends Franny Benali and Matthew Le Tisser, as well as a penalty masterclass with Le Tissier. More activity is due throughout 2021, with the potential to further expand the experiences on offer across their club sponsorships.

Commenting on the initiative Founder of the CoinGaming Group, Tim Heath, said:

“We think cryptocurrency has a big future in football and we’re right behind it. Alongside fan experiences like this, we’ve just seen the first Bitcoin transfer take place where a footballer was purchased using cryptocurrency and signed for DUX Internacional de Madrid, and earlier this year NFL pro footballer Russell Okung said he’s getting his salary in Bitcoin. We’re likely to see more of the same – from clubs finding new ways to engage with fans on a match day to the way business is done at the top of the game.”

The initiative was developed by Sportsbet.io’s creative and PR agency Fuse in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, working as a digital solution to activating matchday rights in a behind-closed-doors environment. Production of the 360 live content and immersive storytelling was delivered by award winning VR & AR agency East City Films. The content is delivered to influencers using the Pico neo2 headset by Pico Interactive, who specialise in providing VR solutions for business in the USA, Canada, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Southampton Football Club’s Chief Commercial Officer, David Thomas, commented:

“As a club our digital approach has always looked to redefine the content status-quo and we were excited at the shared values between ourselves and the Sportsbet.io team. The work that is currently ongoing is a pleasure to be involved with and we want to ensure as many of our fans are experiencing that St Mary’s nostalgia as possible. We cannot wait for the full return of our fans but in the meantime, Sportsbet.io have found an innovative way to ensure our club and fans can stay connected.”

Malta-based gambling company Kindred Group is continuing to grow its reach in the US market through a partnership with the Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation.

The 10-year agreement covers retail and online sports betting and iGaming, and will give the company valuable access to customers in two additional key states, California and Arizona. 

Commenting on the deal SVP US, Kindred Group, Manuel Stan, said:

“Going west is truly exciting and the partnership with Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation will grant Kindred access to two key states in the US market.

“California is likely to become one of the largest markets in the world, with yearly revenues expected to pass $2bn while Arizona, is expected to reach $200m yearly sports betting revenues at maturity. Securing early access to these two key states puts us in a great position to prepare a successful launch together with a great partner with a strong local presence.”

While states President, Jordan Joaquin, added:

“The Quechan Indian Tribe of Arizona and California is excited to be partnered with the Kindred Group, a world leading online sports book and gambling company, which will bring an exciting new form of gambling to the public and revenue for our tribal members.”

The launch dates will be subject to local legislation, with Arizona expected to regulate first, possibly during 20201, with a draft bill on the table and support from the state’s governor. 

Staying with Kindred, last month the company revealed Q4 2020 had been its strongest quarter yet, with gross winnings revenue hitting £365M GBP (approx. €408M), up 55% year-on-year.

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Initial statistics from Atlantic City show wagers on this year’s Super Bowl surged 116% year-on-year, to approximately $117.4M USD. 

On the field the Tampa Bay Buccaneers destroyed the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9, resulting in a win of $11.3M, and projected payout of $106.1M for New Jersey’s 12 retail and 21 online/mobile sportsbooks. 

In 2020, when the state boasted 10 retail and 19 online sportsbooks, $54.3M was wagered, with operators losing $4.3M after the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers. 

Sports betting revenue in New Jersey reached $399M in 2020, with an annual handle of over $6B. This generated $50M in precious tax revenues for the state, as it was racked by the COVID-19 crisis and business tax revenues in many sectors slumped. 

20 US states, along with the District of Columbia, now offer legal sports betting, with a further five at various stages of approval pending launch.  

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