This Week's Sports Betting Update

Hello, we’ve taken a look at what’s new, trending and being talked about in the sports betting world this week. Grab a coffee, take five minutes and we’ll fill you in on everything you need to know.

One big story?

Twitch brings an end to unregulated betting and gambling content

Amazon-owned Twitch has announced plans to prohibit streamers from broadcasting content playing online casino games via unlicensed operators. The ban, effective from 18th October, is designed to curb the spread of live streams sponsored by unreputable, unregulated casino firms.

Sharing referral links and codes to promote gambling services has already been prohibited by Twitch since August 2021. However, the streaming services' latest announcement says it’s seen some streamers “circumvent these rules and expose our community to potential harm”.

It confirmed that content streamed from gambling sites unlicensed in the US or in “other jurisdictions that provide sufficient customer protection” would be removed immediately.

Click here to discover why the cryptocurrency casino subsector looks to be the primary target for Twitch, in particular operators licensed from Cura?ao.

What you need to know

Commercial

• ???? European iGaming giant LeoVegas has secured a new partnership with Italian Serie A side Inter Milan via its LeoVegas.News subsidiary. The LeoVegas.News portal keeps sports fans up to date with the latest news in the major leagues, with Inter set to benefit from increased exposure. Its chief revenue officer, Luca Danovaro, said it will feature “high-quality content” targeting its “international fanbase”. More
• ???? The Racing Post's YouTube channel has been nominated for the YouTube Channel of the Year Award in this year's Broadcast Sports Awards. Other nominees include LADbible TV, Sky Sports Premier League and other leaders in the wider sports industry.?More
• ?? Betsson Group has confirmed the launch of new sports betting platforms in the regulated markets of Italy and Mexico. Its Italian StarCasino brand has launched StarCasino Bet, as it transitions from an exclusive focus on casino gaming. Meanwhile, Betsson.mx launched for the first time in Mexico on a trial basis, as it seeks to enhance its Latin American presence. More
• ???? Australian gaming giant Tabcorp has announced the sale of its eBet loyalty systems arm in a deal worth AUS$62 million. The tracking technology for land-based gaming venues has been sold to Venue Digital Technology Pty Ltd, which has 525 gaming venues already on its books. Tabcorp has also secured an exclusive Tasmanian Monitoring Operator Licence to oversee all electronic gaming machines in hotels and bars across the state. More
• ???? French national lottery operator Francaise des Jeux (FDJ) has opened negotiations with ZEturf Group regarding a potential takeover bid. Acquisition figures have not yet been disclosed, but the deal would broaden FDJ’s exposure across the French iGaming market. Online horseracing bets account for the majority of ZEturf wagers, boasting a national market share of 20%.?More

Regulation

FanDuel Sportsbook has confirmed a host of new responsible gambling initiatives, coinciding with the Responsible Gaming Education Month, hosted by the American Gaming Association (AGA). The Flutter Entertainment-owned bookmaker has donated $100,000 to the International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG). It’s also forging ahead with its cross-platform marketing campaign, “The System”, aimed at raising responsible gambling awareness among its customer base. More

Technology

FanDuel is seeking to foster innovation and cross-platform working with the launch of its inaugural UK Collaboration Hub in Edinburgh, Scotland. The hub aims to bring together its colleagues across Britain, spanning engineering, tech, product and user experience professionals. It’s part of bold plans to create 250 additional engineering positions underpinning FanDuel’s mobile sports betting, casino and racing platforms. More

People news

Damian Collins to remain as the UK's parliamentary under-secretary for tech and the digital economy while Gambling Review rumbles on

Damian Collins is to continue as parliamentary under-secretary for tech and the digital economy, according to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Collins, who replaced Chris Philp in July this year, will continue to oversee potential reforms in the UK’s gambling and lottery sectors. Collins is the first minister responsible for the long-awaited Gambling Review since the beginning of Prime Minister Liz Truss’s premiership.

Rumours have surfaced that the new Truss-led government is weighing up throwing out the Gambling Review altogether, opting to put a lid on prospective gambling reforms. However, this has not yet been substantiated, with Collins remaining on hand to provide a sense of stability during a period of flux for UK gambling policy.

Click here to learn more about Collins’ continued responsibilities with the DCMS.

This week's talking point

ClearStake outlines open banking solution to affordability checks

The topic of affordability checks continues to loom large over the UK gambling industry. However, a firm underpinned by industry professionals is confident it has the answer to ease the burden on punters and bookmakers alike.

ClearStake is an open banking solution established in 2019 by Martin Burt. Since then, the technology has secured investment from major players like Oli Slipper, co-founder of Perform Group, Paddy Power from the bookmaking family and Cormac Barry, a former CEO of Flutter’s Australian subsidiary, Sportsbet.

The concept of ClearStake is that bettors can share their financial data from their bank with the bookmaker concerned using open banking. Once data or conventional monthly statements are uploaded, ClearStake calculates a bettor’s income and outgoings to determine affordability.

Burt said the firm is passionate about “giving the player a really simple way to share their financial data in one or two clicks”, with data that’s quickly analysed to relay a swift decision to the customer.

Click here to find out more about ClearStake and affordability checks within the sector.

This week's insight

How sports betting operators can safely navigate inflationary headwinds

The ‘era of inflation’ was a recent talking point at the SBC Summit Barcelona’s Leaders Track. But despite the future unknowns, industry leaders believe the outlook for sports betting in Europe and North America remains “very bright”, according to Pontus Lindwall, CEO and founder of Betsson AB.

Lindwall reflected on a discussion held on sports betting in 2008 when an unnamed individual said there was “no chance you can satisfy more than three territories” with an online sports betting platform. Lindwall said the brand is now licensed to serve in 20 markets.

Lindwall also noted that the threat of embedded inflation and rising interest rates may increase costs for operators but its entertainment value will remain for consumers. Lindwall added that the industry has “gone through tough times before”, not least in 2008 following the global recession, so it has proved to be “more resilient than other [industries]”.

When it comes to smaller operators, Charles Lee, CEO of Kwiff and Alexis Murphy, CEO of betFIRST, noted that homing in one single market and driving “good organic growth” will be invaluable in the coming months. Lee believes that negotiating the “complex tapestry” of local legislation and reaching out to “cultural affinities” is the most effective way to drive revenue without scale.

Click here to get more on the approaches to driving growth in the sports betting industry through the cost-of-living crisis.

The BetTech Ecosystem 2022

Head of B2B marketing, Alan Davis, discusses the 2022 BetTech Ecosystem with SBC

Speaking at the SBC Summit North America earlier this summer, Spotlight Sports Group head of B2B marketing Alan Davis discussed the key findings of the second edition of the BetTech Ecosystem report. Also on the agenda were insights into emerging markets across Latin America and the growing importance of integrated content.

Click here to download the high-res BetTech visual and the full report.?

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