Betway has saved Cricket South Africa (CSA), by stepping into the breach and sponsoring its Test and One Day International (ODI) series. 

The online betting operator will replace Standard Bank as leading sponsor of the series, despite the ongoing COVID-19 disruption, which has forced CSA to suspend its series.  Though CSA has no idea when it will be able to return to the field, Betway has agreed a three-year sponsorship deal, delivering much needed certainty and financial security 

Standard Bank terminated its contract with CSA in April in response to the suspension of CSA CEO Thabang Moroe on charges of corruption. It resulted in CSA facing an estimated annual deficit of around R100 million (€5.22), for the next four years. With the South African economy already even struggling before COVID-19 hit, and sports sponsorships all over the world being put on hold, the future was looking grim for CSA. 

However, according to acting CEO at Cricket South Africa, Jacques Faul, the signing of a new sponsor should change that deficit into a profit of between R50 million (€2.61M) and R80 million (€4.18M) for the 2019/20 financial year. 

Commenting on the agreement Betway CEO, Anthony Werkman, said:

“We are thrilled to have partnered with Cricket South Africa. We already have a wide-ranging sporting portfolio and this showcases our commitment to cricket. The South African team are due back in action at the end of the year and we’re excited to see how the team perform across all codes of the game.”

While Cricket South Africa’s Chief Commercial Officer, Kugandrie Govender, explained:

“We are extremely proud to welcome Betway as headline partner to Cricket South Africa as we progress our already successful relationship to a new level.

“This partnership will enable us to connect with our fans on a broader scale, and signing on this global giant is the equivalent of hitting a six to win the match. It is pleasing to have a mutually beneficial relationship with an organisation of integrity that will contribute towards the game of cricket in this country while we deliver on their objectives. We are beyond thrilled that in these challenging times, Betway reciprocates the belief in us that we have in them.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Considering the COVID-19 crisis shows no real sign of going away, we’d say that’s a gutsy move by Betway! Let’s hope CSA can clean up its act and take to the pitch sooner rather than later. 

Staying with Betway, last month the operator announced it would be removing player transfer markets as the English Premier League resumed. 

‘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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Betclic Everest Group has announced it will be the official sport betting partner of the French Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 football championships. 

The deal, which covers three seasons and marks Betclic’s most significant sponsorship to date, should start in September 2020 and run through the end of the 2022-23 season.

Betclic will be joining other major sponsors including UBER Eats, headline sponsor of Ligue 1, and BKT tyres, main sponsor of Ligue 2. 

Discussing the agreement LFP director-general, Didier Quillot, said:

“We are very pleased to welcome Betclic as a partner of Ligue 1 Uber Eats and Ligue 2 BKT. The arrival of this new partnership demonstrates the attractiveness of our two competitions. Alongside Betclic, a modern and strong company for young people, we find the best partner to support us in our recruitment and digital engagement challenges.”

While Betclic CEO, Nicolas Béraud, revealed the partnership will involve a series of activities, both at matches and across online and social media platforms. 

The LFP cancelled all matches in April, after the French government ordered no major sporting or entertainment events would be permitted until September due to the COVID-19 crisis.

AYO.NEWS says:

This is a pretty big deal for Betclic, and we’re sure the LFP is glad of the support.

However, it’s perhaps worth sounding a note of caution regarding the COVID-19 crisis. With the World Health Organisation warning “the worst is yet to come”, infections across the world still rocketing, and individual cities, states, and regions from the United States to Europe, Asia, and Oceania going back into lockdowns, there’s a very good chance of more disruption to global sport. 

‘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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London-based sports betting software and trading service provider Amelco has received regulatory approval to operate in Colorado. 

The supplier is partnered with several major tier one operators including Flutter Entertainment and FOX Bet, and says its new Colorado license is the latest landmark in its US development roadmap. 

Amelco is already live in Colorado with the Stars Group, and is set to launch its second sports betting platform, BetWildwood, later this month in a joint venture with ISI Race & Sports, delivering Wildwood Casino’s first online sportsbook. 

Commenting on the news Head of Business Development at Amelco, Brandon Walker, said:

“I’m delighted to announce that Amelco has added another licence to our growing list of US states where will be doing business – highlighting our platform’s capability to meet any compliance requirement.

“As well as the Stars Group, we’re set to deliver Wildwood Casino’s first online sports betting offering, one of Cripple Creek’s most popular VIP-centric locations, with a series of further major sports wagering partnerships due to be announced later in the year.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Since legal sports betting went live in Colorado in May we’ve seen a flurry of announcements from operators and suppliers. 

Yesterday Malta-based Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) said it had secured a Colorado license for its flagship WSN.com site, while earlier in the week Betsson announced plans to enter the US online sports betting scene through a partnership with Dostal Alley Casino in the state.  

‘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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Kenyan gambling operators are breathing a sigh of relief after the government dropped the 20% excise tax on sportsbook stakes. 

The problem stemmed from the way the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) interpreted the tax bill, which was first introduced in September 2018. The bill itself actually reduced tax on gross gaming revenue from 35% to 15%, but introduced a new 20% tax on bettors’ winnings. However, the KRA decided “winnings” also included stakes. 

Operators argued, quite reasonably, that the KRA clearly had no real understanding of gambling, at even the most fundamental level. Despite this, the KRA stuck to their guns, making it almost impossible to run viable gambling businesses in the country. 

Things got so bad that the KRA suspended the licenses of 27 sports betting operators, including SportPesa – which had been granted the first Kenyan license back in 2013. In response, SportPesa and Betin, the two largest operators, took the drastic decision to exit the market – leaving both staff and sports clubs, who relied on sponsorship, in a desperate situation.

Quite predictably, this resulted in more Kenyan bettors turning to the unregulated black market – not only putting customers at risk, but also meaning the KRA lost a sizeable chunk of tax revenue. 

Despite a court ruling overturning the tax in November 2019, it had still been included in the initial version of the 2020 Finance Bill. However, clearer heads at last prevailed, with the National Assembly’s Finance and National Planning Committee calling for it to be removed. 

President Uhuru Kenyatta has now signed the country’s new Finance Bill, from which the tax has been omitted, into law. 

SportPesa has said it is in talks with Kenyan authorities regarding the renewal of its sports betting license and return to the market. 

AYO.NEWS says:

The Kenyan debacle is a prime example of the damage that can be caused by ignorance. Clearly the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) lacked even a basic understanding of the way betting works, and either refused to enlighten themselves out of sheer laziness, or stuck to their misguided position in an attempt to save face. 

As with all things, when it comes to regulation and taxation, it’s critical for authorities to live in the real world, and understand the actual practicalities of the gambling industry before trying to enforce arbitrary edicts. 

Those in the UK, Sweden, and other regulated markets, who are pressing for ever-stricter regulation in the name of responsible gambling should pay heed to the Kenyan drama. Though in Kenya operators left due to taxation creating an unworkable situation, operators will also leave markets if overregulation creates the same – leaving gamblers at the mercy of the unregulated black 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. 

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Sports betting and fantasy sports operator DraftKings has extended its data partnership with Stats Perform. 

The partnership provides DraftKings with access to Stats Perform’s sports data feeds for use in its daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests and DK Live, the company’s play-by-play fantasy app. 

Through the extended deal, DraftKings will incorporate Stats Perform data from a number of professional sports leagues, including the NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, FIBA, CFL, college football, men’s college basketball, and most global top-tier soccer leagues.

Regarding the partnership Chief Revenue Officer at Stats Perform, Steve Xeller, said:

“We are proud to continue our partnership with DraftKings to create a fun and exciting DFS experience for sports fans worldwide. Using Stats Perform data, DraftKings has sparked innovation and dramatic growth within the fields of predictive sports analytics and digital entertainment. 

“As interest in DFS continues to grow, we look forward to our continued work with DraftKings to power a new wave of AI-powered sports statistics that drive new insights and opportunities for the DFS experience.”

While Chief Business Officer of DraftKings, Ezra Kucharz, added:

“DraftKings has become a premier destination for skin-in-the-game sports fans. Our growing list of DFS games are extremely popular and require fast and accurate data for fans who are following along to games in real-time. 

“Through our longstanding partnership with Stats Perform, we have developed an important layer of trust between our customers and the sports data they interact with. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Stats Perform as we expand our offerings in the U.S and abroad.”

Staying with DraftKings, last week the operator launched a standalone mobile casino app in the US state of New Jersey. 

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The European Handball Federation (EHF), EHF Marketing GmbH (EHFM) and Sportradar, have announced a long-term data partnership. 

Set to run until 2030, the agreement covers official data collection and distribution to media organisations and betting operators. Sportradar will also use its technological capabilities, including AI and machine learning, to develop new solutions for analysing data and identifying new insights. 

More than 1,500 national team and beach handball matches, and over 750 European Cup matches per season, across all of European handball’s elite club competitions, are covered by the deal. 

The new deal builds on the multi-faceted data, marketing, and digital services agreement signed by Sportradar, EHF and EHF Marketing in June 2017, which was further expanded in 2018 to include the provision of education and monitoring services. 

Discussing the agreement Secretary General of the European Handball Federation, Martin Hausleitner, said:

“As European handball enters a new era, the agreement with Sportradar is another important piece of the puzzle to elevate our sport to new and unprecedented heights. We are making a significant step forward, not only in terms of the number of matches we are offering live scouting for, but also when it comes to the depth of data available for our fans and partners.”  

While Managing Director, Sports Partnerships at Sportradar, David Lampitt, added:

“We have a longstanding relationship with EHF and EHFM and we are delighted to have further extended our partnership to secure a long-term data and distribution rights agreement. We will be working alongside them to continue to grow the sport via our extensive network of media and betting partners.”

Sportradar also has long-term relationships with the HBL (German Handball Bundesliga), DHB (German Handball Association), spusu LIGEN (Handball League Austria) and HBF (German Handball League Women).    

AYO.NEWS says:

Sportradar’s investment in AI and machine learning tech is clearly paying off with long-term deals like this. Staying with Sportradar and AI, earlier this month the company extended its partnership with NSoft, announcing the global launch of the Vision System. 

‘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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