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?

Ontario regulator to act against unlicensed operators and gambling-related suppliers from the end of this month

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has set out its ambition to take “appropriate regulatory action” against unlicensed operators serving citizens of the Canadian province from 31st October.

The AGCO warns unlicensed sites that they should exit the Ontario market now or face having future licence applications rejected out of hand.

Enhancements to the regulator’s Registrar Standards have been made to underpin the province’s ambition for a safe, well-regulated iGaming marketplace. The biggest change is the end of the so-called transition period for unlicensed and unregulated operators serving Ontarians.

Click here to discover additional amendments to iGaming standards in Ontario.

What you need to know

Commercial

• ???? Spotlight Sports Group has revealed a revamped version of the Racing Post app, available to download free for Android and iOS devices. The new app release features integrated betting opportunities, with the ability to?place wagers without leaving the app. It also boasts customisable racecards and embedded free live video streams of races to put everything racing bettors need in one place. More
• ?????888 has announced the launch of its 888bet brand in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia through the 888Africa joint venture. Players in each of the countries will have access to online sports betting, while consumers in Zambia will also be able to play online casino games through 888casino. More
• ???? The Smarkets-owned mobile sportsbook SBK has opened its doors in the US state of Indiana. SBK obtained regulatory approval from the state’s Gaming Commission, operating under the licence held by the land-based Rising Star Casino. SBK is now operational in two US states, having initially launched in Colorado in 2020. More
• ???? The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has a new member after the arrival of the sports betting exchange Sporttrade. The peer-to-peer sports trading portal, which is live in New Jersey, is viewed as a welcome addition by the IBIA’s CEO, Khalid Ali. Ali described Sporttrade as an operator that “marries well with [its] existing membership”. More

Regulation

The UK Committee for Advertising Practice (CAP) has issued a timely reminder to UK sportsbooks and online casinos of its new restrictions on gambling ads, which prohibits the use of influencers from top-flight football and social media. The so-called ‘Strong Appeal’ test was added to the revised CAP Code as of 1st October. More

Technology

Sports betting technology and data specialists Genius Sports have unveiled its new in-play same-game parlay betting feature, to be rolled out within a string of online sportsbooks. The new ‘In-Play MultiBet’ concept will permit customers to place in-play bets on multiple events occurring within the same match. The feature will be made available with partnered sportsbooks in time for this winter’s Fifa World Cup in Qatar. More

People news

Per Carlander drafted into LeoVegas to oversee its sports betting strategy

LeoVegas Group has announced the appointment of Per Carlander as its new director of sports strategy. The former Kindred Group and Svenska Spel employee will have a watching brief across the group’s entire network of sportsbooks, including Expekt and BetUK.

Most recently, Carlander worked for a second spell with Svenska Spel as its chief product officer and vice president of sports and racing.

A three-year stint with Unibet sandwiched his two spells with Svenska Spel, overseeing the sportsbook’s brand in its native Sweden.

Click here to get the thoughts of Carlander on the future of the LeoVegas Group, which is embarking on a mission to grow its market share in sports betting markets across the globe.

This week's talking point

Are William Hill’s new Racing Post-powered paperless betting shops the future of high street betting?

Reports of the long-term demise of retail sports betting shops post-pandemic appear to have been “greatly exaggerated”. That’s the view of Racing Post’s industry editor, Bill Barber, who shone a spotlight on William Hill’s inaugural paperless betting shop in Leeds city centre.

The new digital-only shop in Vicar Lane, Leeds, is fully paperless for all but its betslips. E-readers of the Racing Post’s racecards are available via tablets in-store, with its digital betting shop displays also visible on HD television screens.

Garry Fenton, UK retail operations director at William Hill, described the high street betting experience as a “much different environment now”, with anti-social behaviour now at an “all-time low”.

Fenton also said the expanded footprint of the shop enabled William Hill to design an ‘Own Your Game’ space in-store, raising awareness of safer gambling and support.

Click here to learn more about the way William Hill is diversifying its in-store experiences based on bettor demographics and demands.

This week's insight

Is the UKGC’s stricter compliance pushing smaller sportsbooks out of the UK market?

Nick Arron, lead partner of law firm Poppleston Allen’s betting and gaming department, believes UK sportsbook and casino operators are increasingly at risk of strict enforcement actions from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).

Following the record-high ￡17 million penalty for Entain in August, the prospect of a major sportsbook having its UKGC licence revoked has become increasingly likely, according to Arron.

Arron also believes that the UKGC’s stringent regulatory framework, coupled with the cost of compliance is definitely tipping the scales in favour of larger, well-established sportsbooks. Arron also spoke of the skills shortage across the industry which is making it more difficult for challenger operators to compete.

Click here to find?the thoughts of Arron on whether the UKGC’s regulatory framework is likely to be mirrored across overseas markets in Europe, Australia, and beyond.

The BetTech Ecosystem 2022

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

Speaking at the SBC Summit North America in July, 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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