UK-based betting firm William Hill has acquired a majority stake in Colombian operator Alfabet S.A.S. 

Alphabet is licensed by Colombian authorities to offer sports betting and online casino in the region. The acquisition is part of William Hill’s strategy of delivering growth “through international expansion and diversity”, and Colombia represents its ninth regulated market entry.

Commenting on the news William Hill CEO, Ulrik Bengtsson, said:

“We are delighted to announce our acquisition of a majority share in Alfabet S.A.S, and with it, our first entry into a regulated Latin American state. The Colombian regulated market is a role model for the Latin American gambling sector, and we are excited by this opportunity to deliver a very competitive product and safe player experience under the William Hill brand in the country.”

Entain, formerly known as GVC Holdings, also entered the Colombian market this month. 

Staying with William Hill, last week the company launched its Mr Green online casino brand in Latvia. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and La Française des Jeux (FDJ) have announced a new multi-year expansion of their partnership in France. 

Under the new agreement, ParionsSport will continue to use official NBA betting data and branding across its digital and retail offerings, and French fans will enjoy exclusive benefits and authentic experiences through FDJ’s platforms. 

The expanded partnership builds on the support for the NBA’s first-ever regular season game in France, as Associate Partner of The NBA Paris Game 2020 presented by beIN SPORTS. ParionsSport will also support future NBA games held in France. 

Commenting on the news Senior Director, International Fantasy & Gaming, NBA, Kuljeet Sindhar, said:

“We are delighted to expand our partnership with La Française des Jeux, an industry leader in the French sports betting landscape.

“With the 2020-21 NBA season about to tip off on December 22, the league is looking forward to uniting millions of NBA fans and FDJ customers across France, providing another touchpoint for those fans who choose to engage with the NBA through betting.”

While Head of Sports betting for FDJ, Richard Courtois, added:

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the NBA, the world’s most iconic basketball league. The NBA is synonymous with basketball and represents the pinnacle of the sport. 

“Through this partnership, our sports betting portfolio will gain even more visibility, with our customers and NBA fans alike able to enjoy unique experiences. This partnership will be key to the growth of the ParionsSport brand over the next few years.”

The partnership will see continued collaboration on the  localised free-to-play prediction game “NBA Pick‘Em Weekly 6 presented by ParionsSport”, and beIN SPORTS presenter Mary Patrux will continue in her role as ParionsSport ambassador, providing weekly predictions and tops on social media channels.

FDJ operates France’s national lottery and is one of the world’s largest sports betting companies. Last year, sports betting represented 21% of FDJ’s total stakes, and the company has reported an increase of more than 40% in bets on the NBA since 2019.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

FanDuel Group has announced an exclusive content deal with Sports Emmy Award-winning analyst and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley. 

The partnership designates FanDuel as Barkley’s exclusive sports betting and daily fantasy sports partner, while Barkley will serve as a brand ambassador and spokesperson for the betting operator. 

Barkley will also appear in FanDuel advertising and Turner Sports promotions featuring FanDuel’s free-to-play contests, provide unique content for social media channels, and make guest appearances on FanDuel Group affiliated podcasts and television programs. 

Commenting on the partnership, Barkley said:

“The Inside the NBA crew and I really enjoyed working with FanDuel during last season’s playoffs and I’m grateful to now be their brand ambassador. FanDuel helps our show be more informative and interactive, and they do it in a way that any knucklehead could understand. So even if your team is down by 20 in the fourth quarter, with FanDuel you’ll have a reason to keep watching.”

While Executive Vice President, Sports Partnerships and Branded Content, Turner Sports, Will Funk, added:

“Charles has been with the Turner Sports family for more than 20 years, bringing his unique flair, personality and predictions to our NBA on TNT telecasts. We look forward to featuring him in engaging FanDuel brand integrations on Turner Sports’ and Bleacher Report’s NBA programming.”

In July, FanDuel Group became exclusive sports betting provider for Turner Sports’ NBA programming and Bleacher Report NBA content, and Charles Barkley took the time to educate his co-hosts on the inside of the NBA, along with millions of viewers, on the finer details of sports betting. The segments proved popular on social media, and will continue to be a major element of the partnership. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

SBC has announced the launch of SBC Digital, a series of online conferences and product showcases dedicated to several of the betting and gaming industry’s most attractive regional markets. 

The series is the crucial third pillar of SBC’s services, sitting alongside the physical conferences and trade shows organised by SBC Events and the online news and print offerings of SBC Media. Together they provide a powerful platform to share industry knowledge and connect operators, suppliers and affiliates from key markets around the world.

SBC Digital’s 2021 events programme builds on the company’s successful 2020 online events series, which proved to be a hugely-effective way to keep the industry’s communication channels open throughout this most disrupted of years. In total, more than 30,000 delegates from operators, affiliates, regulators, suppliers, and the media used SBC’s 2020 digital events to learn, connect, and talk business.  

The new online events all feature high-level conference programmes with senior executives sharing invaluable insights into the nature of the opportunities available and how to take advantage of them, along with ideas for how to tackle that region’s greatest regulatory and technological challenges. 

Each event will feature an interactive product display area that offers selected companies a highly-effective way to showcase their latest innovations tailored to local markets, as well as a series of networking roundtables, a format that is proven to bring together people with shared business interests. 

In addition to the conferences and exhibitions, SBC Digital will stage the quarterly CasinoBeats Slots Festival. This product showcase enables games developers to display their latest titles in a playable format, allowing an audience of hundreds of online casino operators and leading affiliates from around the world to try them. 

The SBC Digital 2021 events series:

• SBC Digital India – 27 – 28 January 
• CasinoBeats Slots Festival – 4 February
• SBC Digital Italy – 17 February
• SBC Digital Latinoamérica – 2 – 3 March
• SBC Digital Africa – 30 – 31 March
• CasinoBeats Slots Festival – 21 April
• SBC Digital Payments – 29 April
• CasinoBeats Slots Festival – 20 July
• SBC Digital CIS – 14 October
• CasinoBeats Slots Festival – 18 November
• SBC Digital North America – 1 – 2 December 

Rasmus Sojmark, SBC’s CEO and Founder, said:

“The SBC Digital events series represents a great way for operators, affiliates and suppliers to share information about the best opportunities in specific regional markets, without having to commit to the time and expense of travel. 

“Each of the events will be a forum for senior executives with on-the-ground experience of local markets to exchange valuable insights and ideas with representatives of international operators. They will also provide a route for suppliers to build their presence in the region, and a simple way for stakeholders from across the betting and gaming industry to make new connections and talk business.”

For full details of sponsorship and exhibition opportunities at SBC Digital’s 2021 events, please contact sales@sbcgaming.com. 

Negotiations between sports betting supplier Sportech and Standard General over a potential company buy-out have broken down.

In November, the New York-based investment firm made two offers for Sportech, valuing each share at 25p and 28.5p – both of which were rejected, with the supplier’s board saying both fundamentally undervalued its business and prospects. 

Sportech had given Standard General until 3 December to make a better offer, and had said it would be willing to extend that deadline if necessary. However, the company has now confirmed it has “terminated talks with Standard General,” saying that the proposal still failed to “adequately value the business and prospects of Sportech.”

Earlier this month, Australia-based gaming technology supplier, BetMakers, concluded a deal to acquire Sportech’s Tote and digital business, including its US, UK, and European racing and digital assets, for $41.3M. 

Commenting on that acquisition BetMakers managing director, Todd Buckingham, said:

“This acquisition will supercharge our entry into the US and position the Company for substantial growth on the back of the emerging wagering opportunities in US racing, including Fixed Odds, where we believe we are well placed.”

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Integrated payments platform Paysafe has announced a partnership with white label turnkey gaming solution provider Amelco. 

The collaboration will see Amelco integrate Paysafe’s unified payments technology into its account management platform to provide US sportsbook clients with a full suite of traditional and alternative payment methods, through a single streamlined interface. 

Discussing the partnership Director of Business Development for iGaming at Paysafe, Gregory Kirstein, said:

“Our partnership with Amelco represents an important opportunity for Paysafe to expand our footprint in the U.S. iGaming and sports betting space and reflects the importance of developing cutting-edge solutions for the market’s player account management systems. We look forward to collaborating with their team, providing guidance on best practices and working to deliver a reliable and secure customer payment experience.”

While Head of USA at Amelco, Brandon Walker, added:

“We’re very happy to be working with Paysafe to provide our U.S. sportsbook clients and their respective customers with a broad selection of integrated payment options, along with the flexibility to add new methods as needed. As Amelco continues its U.S. expansion, it is important that we establish partnerships that help us meet the need for trustworthy turnkey solutions, which is something that Paysafe is uniquely equipped to provide from a payments perspective.”

Founded in 2006, Amelco has grown its presence in the global gaming space, launching its first sportsbook in 2010, and a multi-tenant white label sportsbook in 2017. Over the past two-years, the company has expanded in regulated US markets, receiving a New Jersey software supplier license in 2018, followed by market entries in Colorado, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Tennessee. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.