This Week's Sports Betting Update

One big story?

STS shareholders back Entain CEE’s takeover deal

Entain CEE is on the cusp of closing its buyout of Polish iGaming group STS after its shareholders unanimously backed the sale at an equity value of ￡750 million and an enterprise value of ￡690m.

A binding agreement has been signed by STS CEO, Mateusz Juroszek, and his father, Zbigniew, who own approximately 70% of the company’s shares at present.

Entain CEE, which is a joint venture between Entain and Emma Capital, has already made one key acquisition in November 2022. Croatian sportsbook, SuperSport, was purchased having been established for just over 12 months.

STS recently posted a 26% year-on-year increase in revenue, with Juroszek believing the potential is high for the Polish marketplace.

Click here to get more from Juroszek on player activity in Poland through 2023 and beyond.

Don't miss this webinar

Customizing the user experience: Making your platform stand out to sports bettors and sports fans for the NFL season

The NFL season is quickly approaching and the importance of the season for companies within the sports betting and fantasy sports industry cannot be understated.

Our SVP of B2B Operations, Ed Bunnell, and Eliot Crist, the CEO of Matthew Berry's Fantasy Life, recently connected and discussed unique ways in which companies can engage their audiences. Sports Illustrated's Fantasy and Senior Betting Analyst Jennifer Piacenti moderated the discussion and asked the hard-hitting questions.

Click here to watch the webinar on-demand and learn the importance of creating a custom experience for your audience.

What you need to know

Commercial

• Pre-registration is soon to be available in Kentucky’s online sports betting market, which is scheduled to launch on 28 September. From 28 August, players will be allowed to pre-register accounts prior to the opening of the online market. Retail sports betting is also set to commence in the Bluegrass State on 7 September. More
• DAZN Bet has been awarded a sports betting licence in the German market. The Malta-registered operator, formed in collaboration with Pragmatic Gaming, is one of the latest to be approved on Germany’s white list of online sportsbooks. Daznbet.de joins the likes of Tipico, 888 and Jackpot50 to be licensed by the Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbeh?rde der L?nder (GGL). More
• Better Collective posted a record high Q2 2023 for revenue, with group revenue soaring 39% year on year. During this quarter, Better Collective also purchased Skycon Limited in a ￡45m deal. The firm has cultivated a string of media partnerships with brands like Goal.com and Nigerian news outlet Punch as it seeks to become the world’s number one digital sports media group. More
• Novig, a commission-free sports betting exchange, has sealed $6.4m in a pre-seed funding round. The US-based exchange, which aims to give sports bettors the most competitive odds, has secured venture capital from a string of prominent individuals in Silicon Valley. More

Regulation

German gambling regulator Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbeh?rde der L?nder (GGL) has spoken out against the controversial Maltese Bill No.55, which aims to shield Malta-licensed iGaming operators from any liabilities. The GGL claims it is incompatible with European Union (EU) legislation and the European Commission is already said to be scrutinising the bill at length. More

Technology

New Zealand-based Lotto NZ has confirmed the appointment of Scientific Games as its systems overhaul partner. The lottery operator plans to overhaul its gaming and digital infrastructure, known as the Experience Driven Gaming Engine (EDGE) programme. Scientific Games will be tasked with replacing the interactive platform powering the MyLotto product, along with its core gaming system. More

People news

D’Arcy Myers named interim CEO of GamCare

British gambling support charity, GamCare, has confirmed the appointment of D’Arcy Myers as its interim chief executive.

Anna Hemmings stepped down as CEO of GamCare in June after a five-year stint with Myers recruited for his lengthy track record overseeing a string of charitable organisations.

Myers was formerly at the helm of Allergy UK, The Percy Hedley Foundation and The Solicitors Charity. He remains chair of The Smallwood Trust and the Association of Charitable Organisations.

Click here to get the thoughts of Margot Daly, chair of trustees, at GamCare on the strategic appointment of Myers.

This week's talking point

Three takeaways from 888’s H1 2023 trading update

Last week, 888 Holdings published its H1 2023 trading update, which included a challenging period for the iGaming operator.

The company purchased William Hill in 2022 and revenues from this longstanding British brand have helped underpin 888’s headline figures. It’s helped to minimise year-on-year revenue declines to just 7%, which has been largely attributed to the rise of affordability checks on players.

Despite the decline, Racing Post’s deputy industry editor, Peter Scargill, has noted three reasons senior executives at 888 Holdings remain positive for the future.

The fundamental shift of 888’s strategy is a renewed focus on lower-spending recreational players, as opposed to irregular higher-spending bettors. While 888 had seen sluggish growth in European markets, it made real headway in Africa, where it unveiled a joint venture in Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in 2022.

Click here to learn more about the new chief executive of 888 Holdings, who is set to take charge in October.

This week's insight

Why Flutter Entertainment is betting big with its International division

SBC News recently interviewed Dan Taylor, chief executive of Flutter Entertainment Plc’s International division, discussing the fast-paced evolution of Flutter’s footprint across the global iGaming industry.

The International segment of Flutter’s business doubled its interim EBITDA results, totalling ￡284m and comprising a third of group earnings. This division, which includes its non-UK Betfair platform, Adjarabet, PokerStars, Sisal and Junglee, is well-positioned for growth in emerging iGaming markets according to Taylor.

This includes the Spanish, Italian, Georgian, Brazilian, Indian and Turkish markets. Taylor admitted Flutter Entertainment is a “completely different business” to the one he set foot in during 2015.

Taylor says Flutter is now focusing its efforts on delivering optimal localised products for consumers in every emerging market. Taylor insisted Flutter is interested only in markets where it can claim the top spot in terms of market share.

Click here to read more on Flutter’s international evolution, including Taylor’s case study of Flutter’s acquisition and integration of heritage Italian sportsbook Sisal.

The BetTech Ecosystem 2023

Investigating the global landscape of sports betting and iGaming suppliers

The BetTech Ecosystem Report provides key insight into the global market of suppliers for sports betting and iGaming operators. Meanwhile, the visual offers an overarching view of the key suppliers across the 42 subsections that make up the BetTech Ecosystem.

Click here to read the BetTech Ecosystem Report.

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