This Week's Sports Betting Update
Spotlight Sports Group
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Entain closes ￡203m deal for sports modelling experts Angstrom Sports?
Entain has concluded its purchase of sports modelling specialists Angstrom Sports. The firm, which also boasts expertise in sports forecasting and analytics, enhances Entain’s offering to the US sports betting market.
An initial ￡81 million has been paid to acquire Angstrom Sports, with a further ￡122m set out in contingent payments during the next three years.
The acquisition means Entain is the only worldwide sportsbook operator to have forecasting, analytics, pricing and risk management overseen in-house for the US market via its BetMGM brand.
Angstrom’s specialism is its simulation-based modelling, which offers accurate pricing and forecasting capabilities to sportsbook traders.
Learn more about the other M&A bolt-on deals currently in the offing at Entain.
Upcoming Webinar
Actionable sports betting content: Why bettors need it more now than ever
This webinar, presented by Spotlight Sports Group, will give you a thorough view into how actionable sports betting content on bookmaker and affiliate platforms has been proved to successfully engage with sports bettors in recent years.
The experts participating in this webinar will be Rob Black, B2B Sales Director of SSG, Owen Duffy, Head of Sport Product for 888 William Hill, and Andrew Mook, Head of Marketing Strategy and Planning at Sky Bet.
Keeping the conversation interesting will be the former Racing Post editor, Bruce Millington as the moderator. You don't want to miss this conversation.
Register here for the upcoming webinar.
What you need to know
Commercial
Regulation
The New York State Gaming Commission has moved to prohibit pick ’em-style fantasy sports games as part of new regulations. Despite last-minute pleas from brands PrizePicks and Underdog Fantasy, the commission banned pick’em daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests which had been legal since 2022. More
Technology
LeoVegas has overhauled its Dutch iGaming platform following its return to the regulated Netherlands market. The new LeoVegas.nl site is fully responsive, allowing users to access its sportsbook, online casino and live casino with a single account. Its licence with Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) lasts for an initial five years and is a big step for the brand after two years away from the Dutch market. More
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People news
Thomas Winter set to depart iGaming role at DraftKings
Thomas Winter is resigning from his role as general manager for iGaming in North America at DraftKings.
Winter assumed the position in May 2022 after DraftKings closed its acquisition of the Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG) brand, which was originally founded by Winter.
Prior to the launch of GNOG, Winter enjoyed spells in the sports betting scene with Betclic and Expekt.
Winter confirmed on his LinkedIn page that he would be leaving the post and taking a sabbatical after a busy decade in the iGaming industry.
Click here to get Winter’s closing thoughts and more on GNOG’s sale to DraftKings last summer.
This week's talking point
Why revenue warnings from Entain and 888 underline the impact of the UK’s changing regulatory landscape
Major UK sportsbook operators are warning of the continued impact of safer gambling reforms and tightening regulations. Entain and 888 published trading updates last week, both of which included revenue warnings.
Entain described the impact of safer gambling measures as “persisting longer than expected” in the UK market. Its full-year 2023 EBITDA is expected to be in the ￡1bn-￡1.05bn range. Meanwhile, William Hill owner, 888, projected its Q3 2023 revenues to be down 10%.
On top of the regulatory headwinds in the UK market, both operators noted adverse sports results in favour of punters as having a damaging effect on their bottom lines.
Discover why analysts at Peel Hunt believe brighter times are around the corner for 888, having experienced a transitional period prior to the appointment of its new CEO, Per Widerstr?m, and CFO, Sean Wilkins.
This week's insight
What are the Esports betting opportunities in Q4 2023 for online sportsbooks?
As we move into the final quarter of the year, the Esports betting cycle is continuing to move at pace. Martin Dachselt, CEO and managing director of Bayes Esports, believes opportunities abound for online sportsbooks with plenty of high-profile Esports events to cover before the year is out.
While traditional sports typically have their biggest events in the late spring and early summer months, Esports is heating up nicely in Q4 2023. The ESL Pro League – the biggest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) event – concludes in early November and the ESL Impact League and BLAST Premier World Final are ahead in December.
Dachselt pointed to the 2023 League of Legends World Championship, which commences in October, as another headline tournament. It’s one of the longest-lasting Esports events on the calendar, with 22 teams battling it out in South Korea.
Learn more about the draw of multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games like League of Legends and Dota 2 for Esports bettors worldwide.
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