Gaming1 has been confirmed as the latest member of the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).

Belgium-based Gaming1 is part of the Ardent Group and has extensive retail and online sports betting operations in Europe and Latin America, with brands including Circus and Zamba. 

Gaming1’s brands will now contribute data to IBIA’s international monitoring platform which aims to detect and report suspicious activity. 

According to the IBIA, its members now account for $137B (€115B) of global betting turnover per annum, and nearly 50% of all regulated commercial operator online betting activity. The association also represents the sector at high-level policy discussion forums, including the IOC, UN, Council of Europe, and European Commission.

Commenting on the news, Gaming1 COO & co-founder, Sylvain Boniver, said: “Betting integrity is increasingly becoming a central part of the licensing and regulatory process in markets around the world. We believe that it is vital that betting operators work together to harness their unique market data and intelligence gathering capabilities to meet the concerns of regulators and to protect consumers and sports from corruption.

“IBIA, as the leading global body on integrity for regulated operators, is the perfect partner for Gaming1 and the achievement of our market and player protection aims.”

IBIA’s CEO, Khalid Ali, added: “I’m very pleased to welcome another leading name in the regulated betting sector into our association, further strengthening IBIA’s position as the largest customer transaction-based integrity monitoring system in the world. The inclusion of Gaming1’s diverse range of sports betting brands significantly enhances our monitoring capabilities.”

Gamer-focused fintech company Zytara has expanded its reach in the crypto industry by entering the NFT market. 

The company, whose mission is to provide Gen Z and Millennial esports fans and gaming enthusiasts with financial services to meet their needs, recently unveiled the Zytara dollar (ZUSD), launched in partnership with Prime Trust.  ZUSD is programmable money for the gaming industry and beyond, which is redeemable on a 1:1 basis for US dollars.

Originally launched on the Ethereum network, Zytara is now also introducing ZUSD onto the DigitalBits blockchain. The company is now also intending to further leverage this blockchain network with this latest expansion into NFTs. 

Blockchain gas/transaction fees and transaction processing speeds (TPS) if not optimized, have the ability to add friction and disrupt the opportunity for NFTs to drive fan engagement. Founded by Al Burgio in 2017, the DigitalBits blockchain network supports low-cost transactions and high throughput, allowing for the seamless transfer of digital assets.

NFTs have been present in the crypto community for years but hit the mainstream in recent weeks fueled by a series of NFTs drops from an array of celebrities and other artists. In the games industry, NFTs are also gaining momentum and, as the industry increases in mainstream popularity, the appetite for this specific crypto asset is expected to grow.

“The leading digital financial institutions of tomorrow will not only hold cash and traditional investments, they’ll custody digital assets, including cryptocurrencies and NFTs,” said Al Burgio, founder & CEO of Zytara. “Our latest expansion enables Zytara to also support strategic partners including esports teams, gamers, musical artists, actors, and other brands with the creation, sales and marketing of NFTs.”  

Zytara has also announced the appointment of Tracy Leparulo as Head of Marketing, bringing with her years of marketing experience in the fintech industry, including with cryptocurrencies and NFT platforms. Since 2013, Tracy Leparulo has been at the forefront of building communities for leading blockchain projects, including Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Polymath.

Tracy has been contributing to the growth of the NFT ecosystem since its inception. In 2017, she organized Ethereum’s largest Hackathon ETH Waterloo, where Cryptokitties launched while also witnessing their NFTs crash the Ethereum Network. In 2014, Tracy organized Canada’s first Bitcoin Expo which included the world’s first Bitcoin Art Exhibit. Since then she has hosted dozens of artists to showcase and auction their artwork both physically and digitally as NFTs.  

“I’ve experienced first-hand the importance of ensuring NFTs are built on the best infrastructure, to make them accessible to everyone without large transaction fees or harming the network.” stated Tracy. “At Zytara we work with brands to select a combination of blockchains, marketplaces, and technology solutions for their NFTs.”

Tracy is also no stranger to NFTs in Gaming and esports. Her experience ranges from NFT in-game skins, NFT gaming tournaments, NFT metaverses like Decentraland, and implementing creative NFT marketing campaigns for giveaways, tickets, and access passes.

Tracy states “NFTs were born out of the gaming industry, and we’ve only scratched the surface of their impact.  This is what I’m most excited about at Zytara, to bring the future of digital banking to gamers. We are building a banking platform and payments network that supports all digital assets including cash, crypto, NFTs, and branded stablecoins including ZUSD.”

In the coming weeks, Zytara will announce several new partnerships, all of which have been strategically chosen with their target market in mind.  

AYO.NEWS says:

Compared to cryptocurrencies, NFTs tend to be more relatable to people, so they have the potential to be the glue which finally connects the mainstream ‘real world’ to the rapidly growing blockchain-based, decentralised metaverse. Few companies are helping connect real-world services and needs to the power of decentralised tech like Zytara, so it’s fantastic to see them jump into the NFT market. 

Earlier this year, Zytara teamed up with North American esports organisation Dignitas, launching Digntas-branded Zytara debit cards and app skins, and collaborating on content to increase awareness of financial solutions for gamers.  

Customised online casino and sportsbook solutions provider ButOn, has launched a new sports betting and casino brand, Sportaza. 

The company’s latest release comprises a wide-ranging sports betting solution, high odds, and a Trophy Champions Cup. Sportaza allows punters to choose from 30,000 different betting markets, including an extensive A-Z of competitions.

Players can collect specialised football cards showcasing their favourite teams, with lucrative prizes offered for every full team gathered. Weekly challenges and exclusive sports tournaments are also available to visitors.

The brand’s casino offering includes a unique content suite supplied by almost 50 different providers, with slots, Live Casino titles and table games all integrated into a single, premium quality customer experience.

Sportaza is ButOn’s latest addition to a portfolio incorporating two successful brands released this year, but it is the first to offer a combination of sportsbook and casino options.

Denys Butko, CEO & Founder of ButOn, said: ‘’We’re immensely proud of our new brand, Sportaza, created to fully optimise the user journey and exceed even the most ambitious of expectations.

“Sportaza maintains the impressive momentum we have generated this year, with an all-in-one entertainment experience of the highest quality, complete with pioneering features and an intuitive layout. We have no doubt that it will prove popular.’’

SoftSwiss’ recently launched sportsbook solution now supports in-play betting across the most popular American sports leagues. 

The new functionality will allow players to place live bets on major American leagues such as the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), National Football League (NFL), and Major League Baseball (MLB).

The main odds feeds provider behind the platform is Betradar.

Alexander Kamenetskyi, Product Owner of SoftSwiss Sportsbook noted: “We are continuously expanding the functionality and enhancing the interface of our product, making SoftSwiss Sportsbook even more versatile, reliable and secure for our clients. With this new in-play bets option SoftSwiss Sportsbook will be able to maximise player engagement, as well as increase interest in the product from the side of operators. Our platform is actively expanding geographically and we would like to thank our partners for their trust”.

Launched in December 2020, the SoftSwiss sportsbook is an all-in-one solution for managing sports betting operations, providing full risk management, fraud prevention and high-quality customer support. It has already been chosen by five clients, and the company says it expects to launch several more in April, including third-party clients.

US-based gambling and racecourse operator Bally’s Corporation has confirmed the definitive terms for its proposed acquisition of UK-based Gamesys Group. 

Bally’s offer to Gamesys’ investors equates to £18.50 GBP ($25.46 USD) cash per share – a 40% premium on the group’s 25 January share price. In total, the purchase price is expected to be over £2 billion. The corporation says it has interim financing for the acquisition in place, through agreements with multiple international banks. 

Current CEO of Gamesys, Lee Fenton, will remain in his position, and COO, Robson Reeves, and Non-Executive Director, Jim Ryan, will be joining the board of the US-based group. Bally’s CEO, George Papanier, will remain on the board, and focus on operating the land-based casino business. 

The newly combined group will be headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island. The group will remain listed on the New York Stock Exchange, while Gamesys will delist from the London Stock Exchange.

Discussing the deal, Soo Kim, Chairman of Bally’s Corporation, said: “We believe that this combination will mark a transformational step in our journey to become a leading integrated, omni-channel gaming company with a B2B2C business.

“We think that Gamesys’ proven technology platform alongside its highly respected and experienced management team, combined with the US market access that Bally’s provides, should allow the combined group to capitalise on the significant growth opportunities in the US sports betting and online markets. 

“We are truly excited about the opportunities that this combination would offer and the enhanced and comprehensive experience and product offering that it would enable us to offer our customers.”

While Gamesys Chairman, Neil Goulden, added: “The combination would give unique optionality to Gamesys shareholders. The recommended cash offer, including the Gamesys FY20 dividend, provides a 41.2 per cent premium to the Gamesys share price at the time of the original proposal from Bally’s and is at a significant premium to the all-time high Gamesys share price prior to the 2.4 announcement. 

“However, should Gamesys shareholders wish to invest in a business with a strong foothold in the high-growth US gambling market, combined with established markets in the UK and Japan, they can elect for part or all of their holding to be converted into Bally’s shares.”

Staying with Bally’s Corporation, earlier this month the firm, together with Sinclair Broadcast Group, announced the official rebrand of its regional sports networks (RSNs) as Bally Sports.

Clubs in Crisis, which is funded by gambling giant Flutter Entertainment, is now accepting applications from grassroots sports clubs in the UK. 

The initiative, which is a partnership between Flutter’s Cash4Clubs and Made by Sport, is aiming to help local community sports clubs which have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Community sports clubs will be eligible for grants of £2,021 each, with clubs being invited to apply through the Made by Sports site.

Flutter, which operates brands including Paddy Power and Betfair, has donated £4.8M GBP to the initiative – equivalent to the amount the firm received in business rates relief, from the government, for its retail betting shops between March 2020 and March 2021. 

Commenting on the news, Peter Jackson, Flutter CEO, said: “I’m delighted the Clubs in Crisis fund is now officially open to applications. Through Cash4Clubs we have a long history of supporting grassroots community sport, and I’m pleased we have been able to partner with Made by Sport to pass the benefit of business rates relief straight into the communities that need it most. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this funding will have for thousands of communities up and down the UK.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Though £2K might not seem like a lot, for many grassroots community sports clubs this could mean the difference between surviving into better times, or being forced to permanently close. It’s also worth remembering that, despite the apparent initial success of the UK’s vaccination campaign against the original and closely related virus strains, new variants, already emerging elsewhere, could render vaccines ineffective, meaning the crisis may be far from over. In that case, let’s hope firms like Flutter continue to support grassroots sports.