Aspire Global-owned sportsbook platform provider BtoBet has entered a strategic partnership with Small Screen Casinos. 

The deal will see BtoBet provide the Alderney-based gambling operator with its sportsbook platform, to enhance Small Screen Casinos’ online channels in markets including the UK, Ireland, and Ghana. 

“BtoBet has an accomplished record in providing flexible and scalable sportsbetting solutions in diverse market requirements. I am positive that this partnership will deliver engaging and enjoyable sports betting experiences for all our players across the entire breadth of our brand’s presence in different markets,” Taj Ratta, Co-Founder of Small Screen Casinos, said.

“We look forward to helping meet Small Screen Casinos’ target to grow in various jurisdictions through the sports vertical. BtoBet’s high-performance sports betting technology will be key to Small Screen Casinos as they seek to deliver an optimal player-centric betting experience. This agreement underlines BtoBet’s ability to configure its technology to meet the needs of any operator and regulated market,” Tsachi Maimon, CEO of Aspire Global, said.

Staying with BtoBet, last month the provider announced a partnership with Soloti Gaming Ltd to power its Frapapa brand in Nigeria.

Betting product hub Betbazar has announced a partnership with the Czech Republic’s biggest operator, Tipsport. 

The deal will see Tipsport supplied with live video and data from Betbazar’s sports and esports content partner, BETER. 

“This partnership is valuable for us. We provide quality quick sport and esport content and it is of significant importance for us to have trust from market leaders. We have serious intentions to strengthen our positions on the European market. Tipsport helps us in achieving our goals. We value this new partnership greatly. Betbazar will continue to strive for success and reinforce its position in the B2B betting market as well as provide the best solutions to market players,” Alex Iaroshenko, CEO at Betbazar, said.

“During the pandemic situation betting market has changed dramatically. A demand of quick sport and esports content has increased. There are no doubts that our new partnership with Betbazar will help us to expand our betting content by offering quality esports content provided by Betbazar,” Daniel Veselý, Head of Esports at Tipsport, said.

US-based Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) operator, PrizePicks, has announced new additions to its golf offerings and expansions into cricket and disc golf. 

In terms of golf, PrizePicks is now the only DFS or betting operator offering “longest drive” predictions for the PGA Masters in Augusta, alongside its other golf games like predicting how many birdies a golfer will have or in which place they will finish. 

“Our golf members have an insatiable appetite for every aspect of the game and want to spread their plays on PrizePicks as broadly as possible, especially heading into the first major of the year,” said PrizePicks CEO Adam Wexler. “Similarly, sports like Cricket and Disc Golf have passionate, educated fan bases, making them perfect additions to the PrizePicks portfolio.”

Turning to cricket, PrizePicks will be initially offering the Indian Premier League (IPL), with an eye to adding additional leagues in the near future. The operator says it has been considering adding cricket since 2020, and that it was further encouraged in early 2021 when the owners of the Caribbean Premier League’s Barbados Tridents participated in PrizePick’s strategic fundraise.

“We are excited to bring our expertise in cricket to life with PrizePicks. With over 30 million cricket fans in the USA for the second-most watched sport internationally, it was a natural fit,” said Tridents Co-Owner Arvind Gopwani. “My hope is that cricket will help further the record-breaking success PrizePicks has had over the past eight months, and we’re proud this will be the first DFS/Cricket partnership in the U.S.”

Finally, PrizePicks has added predictions (strokes, birdies, and finishing place) for disc golf – the rapidly growing sport led by players like Paul McBeth and Brodie Smith.

AYO.NEWS says:

While the golf expansion isn’t a surprise for a US-based DFS operator, the move into cricket is a bit more unusual, and it will be interesting to see how popular it proves with the predominantly American player base. 

In February, AYO.NEWS’ very own Simona Pinterova caught up with Adam Wexler, CEO of Performance Predictions, the operator of PrizePicks, to get the inside take on where the company is heading and how esports fits into the picture. 

Parimatch is continuing its technological and professional overhaul by creating a new advisory team. 

According to the company, its new “Supervisory Board “will tackle the many unique challenges that this rapidly growing gaming company faces over the coming years. The board will include Katerina Belorusskaya, a major stakeholder who has been with the company since 2011, and Marek Šmrha, non-executive consultant of the Board.

At the same time, Sergey Portnov will relinquish his role of CEO and instead serve as Chairman of the Board. Maksym Liashko and Roman Syrotian, in addition to receiving roles on the Supervisory Board, will become co-CEOs and divide operating activities between them. These activities will be related to finance, legal, communication and admin (for Liashko) and IT, product, and marketing (for Syrotian), allowing the company to strengthen, consolidate, and ensure the best people are performing the most suitable roles.

An additional non-executive role on the board is currently vacant. Parimatch hopes to fill this role soon and a search is underway to find a candidate with enthusiasm, ambition, and vision that matches those currently on the board.

The board will be tasked with helping Parimatch to navigate through the highly competitive world of online gaming and sports betting. It will also rule on decisions such as the company’s potential Initial Public Offering and the means through which it will continue its expansion, but it will exist as a separate entity and will not be directly involved with the company’s day-to-day operations.

Maksym Liashko said: “For Roman and me, a dual CEO structure is a logical move and consolidation of the company’s growth directions. We know our areas well, and we will do everything to implement the company’s plans to enter the next level of development.”

Roman Syrotian added: “Maksym and I are granted the responsibility of leading the company as co-CEO. It’s an honour for me. Being already in excellent shape today, Parimatch has ambitions of achieving top positions on the markets all over the world. I hope to contribute to this goal by ensuring that we provide our customers with the highest quality entertainment and services.”

The Supervisory Board believes that the new structure will strengthen Parimatch`s position and allow it to continue the growth that has seen it become one of the biggest technology companies in Europe.

The international holding has been in business for over 25 years, and while it has grown steadily throughout that time, most of its growth has occurred without the last few years. Parimatch operates in over ten countries of the world via local licenses and under the franchise model. The brand is present in Cyprus, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the UK and is currently the only licensed bookmaker in Ukraine.

In recent years it has signed brand ambassador deals with the likes of Conor McGregor and Mike Tyson, helping it gain more traction within the sports betting arena, and it has also sought to improve its technology, adopting bigger, better, and more efficient sports betting solutions.

The Supervisory Board is the next step in this evolution process and has come at a crucial time for the brand.

Sergey Portnov, the current Chairman of the Board and the man who has helped to shape and define the company’s recent success, believes that these changes will provide stability and direction needed to grow: “Updates in the company’s structure and creating a board is an indicator of the company’s maturity and readiness. Now is the best time for such changes. I am sure that this will strengthen the brand’s strategy and will allow the large ship that is Parimatch to move along the route rapidly.”

Curacao-based bookmaker Pinnacle has partnered with in-play odds originator DeckPrism Sports. 

The agreement will see Pinnacle combine its risk management platform with DeckPrism Sports’ proprietary models to improve its in-play betting offering. 

Discussing the news, Pinnacle trading director, Marco Blume, said: “Everyone knows that in-play betting is where the action is nowadays. It’s great for the customer, but it presents a unique challenge to a bookmaker. 

“Pinnacle thrives on this, and we have proven time and again that we will take on these challenges in order to give bettors what they want. There are so many moving parts to in-play coverage and so much more experience and technology required to get things right compared to pre-game.

“We’ve partnered with DeckPrism Sports because they are head and shoulders above others in this field. Through this collaboration, we’re setting the gold standard for the industry to follow. We had a great product before, but now our pricing will be even faster, as we continue to improve the in-play experience for our customers.”

DeckPrism Sports co-founder and chief architect, Ed Miller, added: “Pinnacle is one of the top names in sports betting across the globe and we are thrilled to be able to work with them to ensure their customers enjoy a more seamless in-play betting experience. This is an exciting partnership for both parties and it is a testament to the quality of our product that we can help improve the great work Pinnacle is already doing.”

Southampton Football Club, which plays in the English Premier League, has extended its partnership with Coingaming Group for a further three years. 

The deal, which is the biggest sponsorship agreement in the club’s history, makes Coingaming Group the Main Club Partner, and will see the Sportsbet.io brand remain front-of-shirt sponsor.

Interestingly, the deal also includes the option for the club to be paid certain performance-based bonuses in Bitcoin (BTC) at the end of each season. 

Coingaming Group’s crypto-first Sportsbet.io brand stepped in to sponsor Southampton in August 2020, after the club was forced to abruptly terminate its three-year deal with Chinese sports content, marketing, and entertainment platform LD Sports. 

Since then, Coingaming Group has worked closely with the club to create a positive impact in the local community and promote the importance of safe betting. Initiatives have included the Listen To The Saint In You campaign that was launched during Safer Gambling Week. 

The operator has also played a key role in the club’s launch of the Positive Impact Pledge, which gave start-ups and entrepreneurs the opportunity to apply for grants to help launch their businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And, just last month, Sportsbet.io supported the Saints Foundation by donating its front-of-shirt space and making a £10K GBP donation.

Southampton Football Club’s Chief Commercial Officer, David Thomas, commented: “The team at Sportsbet.io have built a successful business by challenging convention and disrupting the market, but in a responsible way, and their approach to our partnership with them has been no different.

“In a short timeframe they’ve proven to be innovative, forward thinking and extremely supportive of the club, our fans and the wider community, and we’ve welcomed the opportunity to develop and promote safe gambling messages together. As such they have become valued partners and we look forward to the next chapter together”

CEO of the Coingaming Group, Maarja Pärt, added: “Our first season as Southampton FC’s Main Club Partner has already exceeded all expectations. We’ve been inspired by the passion of the club and its fans, and it was an easy decision for us to extend our partnership with the Saints for another three years.

 “From the beginning, Southampton have been a perfect match for the fun, fast and fair way we do things at Sportsbet.io. We can’t wait to continue this journey with the Saints, and we’ll be doing everything we can to support the team and its community into the future.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Despite the original partnership between Coingaming Group and Southampton being a rushed, last minute affair, it seems to have blossomed into a very healthy relationship that has resulted in a great deal for the club, the operator, and the local community. Let’s hope the British government takes partnerships like this into consideration before it decides to introduce any ill-thought out sponsorship bans.