Nevada regulators have given the green light for Eldorado Resorts to acquire Caesars Entertainment, in a deal with $17.3 billion USD. 

The merger acquisition has now been approved by the Federal Trade Commission and both the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) and Gaming Commission, but is still awaiting approval from authorities in Indiana and New Jersey. 

Nevada regulators have also approved William Hill, Eldorado’s sportsbook provider, to take over operation of Caesars sportsbooks. 

The Indiana Gaming Commission is scheduled to meet tomorrow, the Indiana Horse Racing Commission should meet on Monday, and the New Jersey Casino Control Commission will be convening on 15 July. 

If the deal goes ahead, Eldorado Resorts would become a true gambling giant, one of Nevada’s biggest employers, and could overtake MGM Resorts International as the United States’ largest casino operator – with some 60 casinos and resorts, across 16 states. 

The company would also find itself with a network of strategic partnerships in the rapidly growing US online gaming and sports betting markets, plus several significant sports sponsorship deals. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Clearly, if this merger goes ahead, Eldorado will become a superpower in the land-based casino, resorts and sports betting space, but it will also find itself in a position to dominate the growing US online gaming and sports betting market. 

‘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

Mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation UFC® has renewed its partnership with betting and tech platform Parimatch. 

The renewed agreement will see Parimatch remain “Official Betting and Wagering Partner of UFC” for the Europe and CIS region until the end of 2021. 

Commenting on the news CEO of Parimatch, Sergey Portnov, said:

‘We took a bet when we began our relationship with the UFC in 2018 on the daring spirit of the organization and its fighters to help elevate both our brands to new heights. We see that spirit in Parimatch and the values of our customers. We are excited to continue this bold journey together.’

In 2019 Parimatch was present in the Octagon for 15 UFC events, and the brand’s association with UFC is also supported by Conor McGregor, who has been a Parimatch brand ambassador since March 2019.

AYO.NEWS says:

This would seem to confirm that Parimatch has seen a good return on investment from its UFC sponsorship – which is unsurprising given the UFC’s rocketing popularity. Staying with UFC, in May the organisation announced a partnership with Malta-based blockchain company Chiliz, operator of the Socios.com fan voting and rewards app. 

‘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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Sports betting service and content hub IMG Arena has entered a long-term streaming and data rights partnership with World Table Tennis (WTT).

The agreement, which includes global media rights development and distribution, production oversight of WTT events, betting data, and streaming rights, will enable London-based IMG Arena to provide sports betting operators with access to content across all events organised by WTT, including the World Table Tennis Championships. 

The partnership also covers the new WTT Series competition, which is set to launch in January 2021, and promises to “radically” change the sport and boost fan engagement.

Discussing the news Co-President of Media & Events at IMG Arena, Adam Kelly, said:

“This is an exciting partnership at a key stage in the commercial redefinition of table tennis, through WTT, around the world. We share the vision that the ITTF and WTT have for the sport over the coming years and believe our energy, creativity and expertise on a global scale will add true value across all aspects of the WTT business.

“In addition, we are already looking at opportunities to involve other parts of the wider Endeavor network, to further enhance the commercial value and consumer offering for table tennis. We look forward to continuing to build upon this strategic relationship, by adding more services that help to reinvent the sport.”

 While ITTF CEO & WTT director, Steve Dainton, added:

“The World Table Tennis era will revolutionize the sport forever and we are delighted to be welcoming on board an industry powerhouse in IMG, whose wealth of expertise will help us to make this historic transformation for table tennis. 

“This is fantastic news for the sport, the players, the fans, the host cities, the commercial partners and everyone who will be joining us on this exciting journey.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Table tennis is one of those sports that everyone knows of, but has kept a relatively low profile in most countries, so clearly has significant potential for expansion.

Also, having a small physical footprint compared to large team sports, along with relatively light logistical demands, has put it in good stead to weather the ongoing COVID-19 storm. So, it seems like an opportune time for both WTT and IMG Arena to help grow its appeal and find new fans. 

‘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

GVC Holdings has announced that its brands will no longer be working with major betting affiliate Oddschecker in the UK from 9 July. 

According to GVC, the decision was taken because it could not come to an agreement regarding the commercial terms of the relationship. It means some of the biggest sports betting brands, including Ladbrokes, Coral, and Betdaq, will no longer be promoted by Oddschecker. 

In a statement, GVC said:

“We would like to wish Oddschecker the best of luck and thank them for the positive relationship we’ve enjoyed over the years we’ve worked together.

“Sadly, we couldn’t agree commercial terms to renew the relationship, so as of the 9th July our UK Digital Brands will no longer feature on the service.”

Since launching in 1999 Oddschecker has grown to become one of the UK’s biggest sports betting affiliate, and has also expanded into the online casino and bingo verticals. The company works with many other major operators, including William Hill, Skybet, Betfred, and LeoVegas. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Though specific details haven’t been provided, it is clear that the gambling affiliate industry isn’t what it used to be. With customer acquisition costs rising, at the same time as customer loyalty falling, and competition is rapidly increasing, the pressure on affiliates is intense. 

From GVC’s point-of-view the last few months have been challenging too, as for all operators that are heavily reliant on sports betting. However, the company also led the way in taking preemptive action to ensure it could weather the storm. 

‘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

Major League Baseball team Detroit Tigers have teamed up with sportsbook operator PointsBet, signing a multi-year agreement.

Starting with the upcoming 2020 Tigers season, PointsBet will be helping boost fan engagement at Comerica Park, with the first ever US partnership between a legal sports betting operator and MLB franchise. 

The deal also includes television broadcast-visible branding at Comerica Park and exposure on the Detroit Tigers Radio Network, along with a sponsored present on the Tigers’ digital platforms, integration into the District Detroit app and MLB Ballpark app, and coverage on The Word on Woodward – a twice weekly live streaming show.

Commenting on the partnership Group President, Sports & Entertainment, Ilitch Holdings, Chris Granger, said:

“We are thrilled to welcome PointsBet as a gaming partner of the Detroit Tigers. Our incredible fans will love the unique experiences and innovative offerings that PointsBet’s personalized platform provides. We look forward to the fan-friendly enhancements this will bring to the game-day experience in and around Comerica Park for years to come.”

While CEO of PointsBet USA, Johnny Aitken, added:

“The PointsBet team is excited to announce our groundbreaking deal with the Detroit Tigers and Major League Baseball, becoming the first legal sports betting operator in U.S. history to partner with an MLB franchise. 

“PointsBet operates in rare space within the industry by owning our technology environment from end to end, which allows us to be extremely nimble on product innovation and personalized offerings to complement our app’s market-leading speed. 

“We offer the most betting options in the world on MLB games via our unique PointsBetting product, and we are excited to inject a unique and robust betting proposition into the great state of Michigan.”

PointsBet had previously been designated an Authorised Gaming Operator of the MLB, and granted rights to use official MLB data, along with marks and logos within PointsBet products.

AYO.NEWS says:

Despite the enthusiasm surrounding the Detroit Tigers – PointsBet partnership, many in MLB are openly voicing their concerns about the season going ahead during the current COVID-19 crisis, and with the likelihood of more regional/state lockdowns very real, this might be one partnership that may have to wait a while to live up to its potential. 

‘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

The English Football League (EFL) has told the government that a ban on gambling sponsorships could force clubs out of business. 

It follows last week’s House of Lords select committee report which called for a ban on gambling shirt sponsorships in the English Premier League (EPL) from next season, and a complete ban on gambling partnerships by 2023. In June, MPs also published a report making similar recommendations. 

Illustrating how important gambling deals are to English football, in the top-flight a full 50% of Premier League clubs are currently relying on gambling firms as their main shirt sponsors, bringing in much-needed revenue. 

In the EFL too, many clubs rely on gambling sponsorships to remain financially viable. In fact, as the EFL has pointed out, during the ongoing COVID-19 triggered economic crisis, clubs are becoming more reliant than ever on money from such deals. 

An EFL spokesperson said:

“The Covid-19 pandemic represents perhaps the biggest challenge to the finances of EFL clubs in their history.

“With over £40 million a season paid by the sector to the League and its clubs, the significant contribution betting companies make to the ongoing financial sustainability of professional football at all levels is as important now as it has ever been.

“The League firmly believes a collaborative, evidence-based approach to preventing gambling harms that is also sympathetic to the economic needs of sport will be of much greater benefit than the blunt instrument of blanket bans.

“It is our belief that sports organisations can work with Government and the gambling industry to ensure partnerships are activated in a responsible fashion.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Everything is coming down to the simple “you can’t have your cake and eat it.” On one hand, the general public, media and political mood in the UK is clearly increasingly anti-gambling and would support bans. But, on the other hand, the gambling industry is one of the few that is still prospering and can afford to sponsor clubs.

However, pragmatism and logic seems to be all but absent from British politics and mainstream media these days, so we fully expect bans to be implemented, regardless of the problems it causes for clubs and fans alike.  

‘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