The expanded agreement means current and future partners will be able to take advantage of a broader portfolio of localised managed services, tailored to the African iGaming industry’s unique requirements. 

Dima Reiderman, Chief Operations Officer of BtoBet, commented: “We are enthused and looking forward to offer an extended managed services portfolio to all current and prospective partners in Africa. Having someone on the ground through the local presence of our esteemed Certified Partner – STM Gaming – will be key to meet the unique requirements of the African landscape. I am sure that this strategic move will allow our partners to significantly accelerate their performance and capabilities in Africa.”

Alessandro Pizzolotto, Chief Executive Officer at STM Gaming, added: “We are now capable of providing a broader range of localised managed services to BtoBet’s partners. Deep market knowledge, operational support, and focalised marketing services are amongst the most essential aspects for operators to succeed in such a demanding and unique scenario as Africa. I am confident that these extended services will play an important role in BtoBet’s continued growth in Africa and the success of our partners.”

The award-winning global charity works to support children suffering from homelessness, disabilities, and other issues.

Launching the partnership will be a new pilot initiative called Change the first 1,000 Days, supporting 600 out of school street children in the Ghanaian capital Accra. 

The project, which will be supported by the Entain Foundation, aims to ensure the children get access to good early childhood education, and will involve ten government kindergarten schools in poor areas of the city. 

Special needs teaching capacity will be increased across the kindergartens, by increasing the teaching capacity available to children with special needs, and employing learning assistants to support the development of children. 

Jette Nygaard-Andersen, CEO of Entain, said: “The Entain Foundation was set up to enable our business to contribute back to society and support communities around the globe. We are proud to be able to support the invaluable work of Chance for Childhood, to make a transformational positive impact on such vulnerable children.”

Anna-mai Andrews, Co-CEO Chance for Childhood, added: “Chance for Childhood are absolutely delighted to join forces with The Entain Foundation and all their incredible team to support this critical work to transform the first 1,000 days of children living in the world’s most unsafe, violent and challenging environments.”

In addition to the Change the First 1,000 Days pilot, Entain says it will also be supporting a range of other Chance for Childhood initiatives. 

AYO.NEWS says:

With the COVID-19 pandemic still dominating the mainstream news cycles, it’s easy to forget that there’s still a whole world of other issues out there – issues that the pandemic has further exacerbated. So, it’s fantastic to see Entain helping Chance for Childhood make a positive difference at the most critical point in these childrens’ lives. 

Staying with Entain, last week the group announced it was making a £100K donation to help the COVID-19 relief effort in India. 

So, Simona catches up with Brandon Walker, Business Development Manager at Amelco – a leading provider of sports betting platforms for global tier 1 operators, to get an expert take on where things are going.

Find out more about Amelco here.

With around 200 million residents, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and is one of the most developed regulated markets for sports betting and lotteries. It is also one of the continent’s most competitive and rapidly growing gambling markets, with progress being driven by the phenomenal expansion of internet infrastructure and access. 

The Nigerian market, like Africa as a whole, is still far more geared towards sports betting than online casino, so SoftSwiss is well placed after launching its SoftSwiss Sportsbook product. 

Ivan Montik, Founder of SoftSwiss commented on the news, saying: “Entering the Nigerian market marks an exceptional turning point for SoftSwiss, as we’re expanding our global presence to a brand new continent. Nigeria is considered one of the most fast-paced iGaming markets in terms of growth and we cannot wait to begin providing our services there. Nigeria is a great achievement for us and we’re planning on moving even further into other regulated markets” .

Staying with SoftSwiss, last month the company released a report showing a massive increase in the volume of cryptocurrency gambling traffic during 2020. 

Zain Esports kicked things off yesterday with the Middle Eastern Challenge, a FIFA tournament run in partnership with Electronic Arts. With the help of Australian esports agency eGen, the company has enlisted 2018 FIFA eWorld champions and Saudi national Mossad “Msdossary” Aldossary to help promote the tournament. 

Qualifying rounds started yesterday, 1 December, and will run through to 5 December, with playoffs and finals taking place from 8 – 9 December, and 15 – 16 December respectively. 

Following the inaugural Middle Eastern Challenge, Zain Esports plans to host “multiple flagship and community events” over the coming year, offering both cash and merchandise prizes. 

Discussing the launch of Zain Esports, Group Chief Investment and Digital Officer, Malek Hammoud, said:

“We are extremely excited with the launch of Zain esports, which marks a significant achievement in Zain’s diversification strategy and investment outside of areas related strictly to telco. This initiative meets a number of different goals for Zain, including youth development, enriching the brand, fostering innovation and digital opportunities on our 4G, 5G and Fiber networks, and creating shareholder value.

“We have every expectation that Zain esports is going to develop into a regional and international gaming powerhouse, and we are highly pleased and motivated to be working with recognized gaming partners and developers.”

The initiative is designed to help Zain Group tap younger audiences, with the company saying it has seen a 300% increase in gaming-related data usage since February 2020, across its 4G, 5G, and Fiber to the Home (FTTH) services. 

Zain Group serves 48.9M active telecoms customers across the Middle East and Africa, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and South Sudan. It also has a 15.5% stake in INWI in Morocco. 

AYO.NEWS says:

While there’s no denying the Middle East and North Africa are underserved when it comes to esports, the region has a lot of promise, with a rapidly growing gaming community, especially in mobile titles. 

Just last month, we reported that Jordanian organisation FATE Esports was set to be the first in the region to launch a fan engagement app via Blocksport. 

‘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 new offering, which debuted in Uganda earlier this week, is set to go live shortly in Kenya and Nigeria, and includes both a new online sportsbook and casino, in addition to retail platforms featuring their own UI and UX. 

Pronet’s sportsbook solutions includes around 35,000 live events per week, full and partial cash out, a live match tracker and statistics, accurate data, and a full risk management service to provide Sahara Game’s customers with a complete offering. 

In terms of online casino content, the company says it includes a catalogue of over 6,000 slots and table games from some of the world’s most popular studios, including a number of games tailored to specific African markets. 

Commenting on the news Pronet Gaming’s Chief Sales Officer, Colin McDonagh, said:

“Sahara Games now has an online and retail platform that will take them past the competition and give them a solid, dependable base upon which to create significant commercial growth.

“As an operator it is so important to not only have all of the modern tools and products at your disposal but to be able them to showcase them in your own unique way. We are really looking forward to delivering this for them.”

While CEO of Sahara Games, Jeff Halloran, added:

“Many platform providers don’t understand the African market and wonder why players don’t engage, so we were careful to choose a solution that provided the features they want and adapted to their demands.

“We assessed dozens of platforms and chose to partner with Pronet Gaming primarily because they understood the flexibility we required. Thanks to their platform, we plan to offer creative features to the African market that have never been seen before.”

Pronet Gaming is based in the UK, and also has offices in South Africa, Singapore, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Malta. 

As previously reported, in October the company announced a partnership with Sportal365, enabling it to offer clients a unique CMS, which seamlessly integrated sports data with editorial content, alongside pre-game and live betting odds. 

AYO.NEWS says:

The African market is still very underserved and clearly offers operators plenty of new opportunities for growth. However, as noted by Sahara Games’ Jeff Halloran, successfully engaging players across the continent’s unique markets requires a deep local understanding. 

‘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 new PUBG MOBILE EMEA League will be replacing the PUBG MOBILE Club Open (PMCO) regional finals for each region, and will boast a $100K USD prize pool, and offer three spots to the PUBG MOBILE Global Championships. 

Launching on 16 October with 32 teams split into groups competing over two weeks to qualify for the finals. The competition will feature the following teams (the top performers at the recent PUBG MOBILE Club Open Fall Split Finals):

• Europe: UDR KILLERS, GODSENT, Bloodline, Polar Ace
• CIS: KoninaPower, NaixCS, DreamEaters, Team 1218, Alliance
• Turkey: Mod-Z Esports, Blaze Esports, REIGN Esports, Klas Game Esports
• Germany: Marines Force DE, 8rESPORTS, HOT LINE
• Saudi Arabia: Baad, OshTekkWarriors, HeadQuarters, The Force, SWAT69
• Egypt: Fear Eleven, Vibes 6, The SniperS
• Iraq: IRAQI ELITE, ARAB GSG, FRAG MACHINES, The Monster, Punishers
• Middle East and Africa: YaLLa Esports, 1 Bullet, ROYAL ESPORTS

AYO.NEWS says:

This is clearly a big boost for PUBG Esports, especially after the recent disaster in India, and creates a clearer structure and pathway to the Global Championship. Hopefully, it will all add up to better play, happier teams, and long-term sustainability. 

‘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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The event, which takes place on 6 -7 October 2020, features more than 60 expert speakers, including senior executives from betting operators in African markets, regulators, marketing specialists, and leading industry suppliers. Between them, they have unrivalled knowledge of what it takes to launch and run successful gambling businesses in African nations.  

Pre-COVID, Africa could boast some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, as a combination of more stable political conditions and the rapid spread of technology helped to create a growing middle class with disposable income. While overall economic progress in many African nations has been badly hit by the pandemic, the conditions remain promising for betting operators searching for new opportunities. 

Smartphone ownership is still growing quickly, Sub-Saharan Africa is already the world’s biggest market for mobile money transactions, and broadcasters such as Supersport and Canal+ Afrique have made international sporting events more accessible than ever before to a youthful population looking for entertainment. 

Furthermore, countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania and South Africa have established regulated markets where it is possible for online sports betting operators to obtain a licence. Gambling is also legal in many other African nations, although their regulatory regimes do not yet encompass online. In short, there is already an audience for sports betting in large parts of the continent. 

SBC Digital Summit Africa will explore the current and future opportunities presented by these conditions. The event will see industry experts provide in-depth analysis of key issues such as which markets have the biggest growth potential, the nations that are the most receptive to international operators, which sports are likely to be popular with local punters, and what the future holds for Africa’s retail bookmakers. 

Day one of the digital conference will open with an exclusive interview with former Nigeria striker and Interwetten brand ambassador Yakubu, before providing a region-by-region breakdown of the prospects for Africa’s regulated markets. 

The first day’s agenda has an East Africa session, with Bulent Boytorun (COO, BetLion) among the senior executives ready to offer on-the-ground perspectives of the latest developments and opportunities. Attention then turns to West Africa for a panel featuring Adekunle Adeniji (Managing Director, betBonanza), Akin Alabi (Founder, NairaBET), Ibukun Okeowo (CEO, Gibet) and Dolan Beuthin (CEO, Betmonsta), which will deliver a deep dive into regulatory and market conditions. 

Delegates can also expect a detailed exploration of the future of South Africa’s established regulated market, followed by sessions looking at the prospects for lotteries and online casinos across the continent. The crucial issue of how operators entering markets in Africa can cope with the very different payments infrastructure will also be put under the spotlight, with Mark Tipping (CEO, Gaming4Africa) set to share his experience of launching businesses in the region.

Day two will focus on how to approach some of the technical and compliance challenges related to running a betting or gaming operation in different African nations. There will also be an evaluation of how technology is helping to change the profile of the African sports fan, along with assessments of which sports and leagues are most important for success in the continent’s varied betting markets.

Ahead of SBC’s first event fully dedicated to the African industry, CEO Rasmus Sojmark said:

“With a growing sports-mad population, ever improving access to smartphone and mobile money technology, and relatively low barriers to entry compared with other emerging markets, Africa represents a highly attractive opportunity for betting and gaming operators. 

“However, information about the exact nature of that opportunity and the strategies required to make the most of it is in short supply. That will change at SBC Digital Summit Africa, as we have compiled a speaker list packed with executives and consultants with hands-on experience of launching and successfully running gambling businesses in a wide variety of African markets, all ready to share valuable information and practical insights about what they have learned.”

In addition to the conference, the event will also feature an interactive product display area with leading suppliers showcasing innovations tailored for local markets, together with a programme of networking roundtables to make it easy for delegates to connect and talk business with other decision makers in the market. 

Click here to register for your free pass for SBC Digital Summit Africa. 

The strategic partnership follows the GEF’s recent landmark agreement with the Olympic Council of Asia, and will see the federation expand its in-depth work to support the growth of the esports ecosystem in the Arab region and Africa. 

According to the GEF, it will work with the ARSEF to “identify relevant opportunities within the vibrant and emerging landscape in the region; and convene a partnership that focuses on advancing forward-thinking and future-oriented initiatives in service to the esports community.”

Discussing the partnership HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, President, Arab Esports Federation, said:

“The Arab region presents truly dynamic development opportunities for esports to thrive. We are optimistic about the future of esports.

“Esports in this region has been on the rise. This latest collaboration between the Arab Esports Federation and the Global Esports Federation allows us to create an inclusive expansion strategy that serves our communities and delivers holistic growth opportunities for esports to continue to develop; as well as giving our youth access to unparalleled global opportunities.”

While President, Global Esports Federation, Chris Chan, added:

“We are honored to partner with the Arab Esports Federation, under the leadership of its President, HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, to maximize the potential of esports, for good. 

“This latest partnership will further expand on our mission in establishing a unified vision and strategy for youth in the region with a global perspective, as well as intensifying our convening effort of the world’s esports ecosystem.”

AYO.NEWS says:

The GEF needs to tread extremely carefully on this one. While there’s no doubt the Arab world has a promising esports scene, that should be supported, any organisation that gives its tacit or implied support to an organisation headed by a member of the House of Saud – one of the world’s most brutally oppressive and bigoted regimes – is not likely to win many friends in the global esports community – just ask Riot Games or BLAST about that one! 

‘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 DACH-focused sportsbook previously announced its entry into the Nigerian market as a core corporate growth objective in its Q1 trading. 

Ayegbeni, who has scored 95 goals in the Premier League, and played 57 matches for Nigeria, will be involved in raising Interwetten’s profile in the rapidly growing Nigerian market through advertising, appearances, and a new social media feature called the ‘Yakubu Tip.’

Discussing the news Speaker of the Board at Interwetten, Dominik Beier, said:

“We are very happy that with Yak we can embrace great things. The passion for football is enormous in Nigeria, footballers are idols.  It was therefore clear to us that, for the first time in the history of the company, we would be  looking to partner with a former Nigerian professional footballer as our official ambassador.

“In Yakubu we feel we have found that perfect partner and look forward to experiencing the excellence of Nigerian football fans for ourselves. We want to ensure that our customers in Nigeria receive the highest quality product, so we were also looking for someone who had set an example of this during his career. We are just at the beginning of a long journey in Nigeria, now it really starts!”

While Ayegbeni himself added:

”When choosing my partners, it is really important to me that the chemistry is right and that was immediately obvious after the first talks. Interwetten has been a reliable and serious partner in sports for decades, in countries all over Europe. It will be a very exciting partnership and homecoming for me too!”

AYO.NEWS says:

Despite a temporary (hopefully) setback due to the COVID-19 crisis, the sports betting industry in Nigeria has been booming over the last few years, with more and more operators getting in on the action, and an ever growing market driven by the proliferation of smartphones and mobile internet access.

Given the country is football-crazy, it makes a lot of sense for Interwetten to hire footballers as brand ambassadors, and we expect to see other operators do the same over the coming months and years. 

Find out more about why Nigeria continues to be a fertile ground for sports betting companies here.

‘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