The A-Leagues, the top level of football in Australia and New Zealand, has extended its official media data partnership with sports AI and tech giant Stats Perform and added the new Opta Search and Opta Stream to unlock new sponsor inventory and deepen engagement for fans of its flagship men’s and women’s competitions.

Stats Perform’s trusted Opta data feeds, widgets and tools will continue to power A-Leagues’ official fan platforms including aleagues.com.au, the Official A-Leagues app and A-Leagues social media channels, including its popular YouTube videos.

The extended partnership sees the addition of Opta Stream, which is set to supercharge fan engagement and sponsorship across A-Leagues’ match centres by providing rolling, automated, sponsored visuals of real-time game stats, live text commentary, milestones and insights, powered by Opta data feeds.

It also includes Opta Search, the third part of OptaAI Studio, Stats Perform’s set of tools to put advanced sports storytelling at the fingertips of sports content professionals. Opta Search will enable A-Leagues’ editors, presenters and communications teams to enrich their coverage with enthralling milestones and insights across games, teams and seasons from Opta’s enormous statistics database.

Stats Perform’s products will be used across the Isuzu UTE A-League Men which begins on October 18, and the Ninja A-League Women which kicks off on November 1.

“Our leagues are rich in stories that Stats Perform and Opta make it easy for us to tell our fans, connecting them more deeply to our teams and players,” said Ned Negus, Chief Commercial Officer at the A-Leagues. “By leveraging Opta’s real-time data, insights and products, our content team will be able to showcase key statistics, player performances and milestones in a visually stunning and informative manner, and our commercial teams are delighted with the additional high quality inventory created for our sponsors.”

“We’re pleased to meet A-Leagues’ requirements for detailed, trusted, reliable data and products to drive fan and sponsor growth across the Isuzu UTE A-League Men and Ninja A-League Women,” said Steve Xeller, CRO at Stats Perform. “I’m particularly excited about their addition of Opta Stream and Opta Search – they’re among our newest AI-powered products and have already broken records for customers in Europe, boosting them to the top of search engines and attracting enormous user numbers. We can’t wait to see what they achieve for A-Leagues,” he added.

Opta Search is part of Stats Perform’s new OptaAI Studio, which also comprises Opta Graphics and Opta Live, used by pro teams, colleges, media and broadcasters across the world.

Together with Opta Stream, Opta Search leverages Stats Perform’s detailed, trusted Opta data feeds to help tell more vivid stories and uses automation and AI to empower large and small teams to be more productive, whilst growing sports audiences and sponsors.

Due to the high volume of submissions and issues so far raised, the timeframe for the Drake Inquiry into Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) to report to the Minister for Gaming and Racing, David Harris, has been extended until 30 April 2025.

This will ensure Acting Commissioner, the Hon Lea Drake, has adequate time and resources to thoroughly consider the substantial and complex information including evidence from additional witnesses, with planned hearing dates running until the end of December.

Mr Harris approved the extension following a request from Ms Drake.

The Minister has also agreed to Ms Drake’s request to expand the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference to allow for a stronger focus on GRNSW’s financial management.

The second Term of Reference now requires the Acting Commissioner to “inquire into, report on and make findings and recommendations in relation to”:

2. GRNSW processes and management, including financial management, procurement and recruitment practices, and concerns regarding any alleged or identified conflicts of interest and the management of conflicts of interest.

The Inquiry’s next hearings are listed for 1pm to 7pm on 15 and 16 October in the Fair Work Commission hearing rooms at 80 William Street, East Sydney.

Further hearings will be held from 21 October, and additional dates will be confirmed for November and December and posted on the Drake Inquiry website.

The organisers of Regulating the Game 2025 have announced that Mr Brendan Thomas, chief executive officer of AUSTRAC, will be a featured speaker at the 2025 edition of the conference, taking place at the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour from 10-13 March 2025.

Mr Thomas, who began his 5-year term as AUSTRAC CEO in January 2024, brings extensive experience in leading public services and delivering reforms, particularly within NSW’s criminal and civil justice systems.

As the head of Australia’s financial intelligence unit and AML/CTF regulator, he oversees AUSTRAC’s efforts to safeguard the financial sector from criminal exploitation while providing critical intelligence to support national security, law enforcement and regulatory partners.

AUSTRAC has intensified its focus on the gambling sector, following a series of high-profile enforcement actions against major casino operators and several corporate bookmakers. Reports in the Financial Review have also highlighted AUSTRAC’s increased scrutiny of pubs and clubs in the wake of the 2022 NSW Crime Commission’s Project Islington, which, while finding no widespread laundering of criminal proceeds, revealed significant amounts of illicit funds being gambled in these venues.

Paul Newson, principal at Vanguard Overwatch and organiser of Regulating the Game, said: “Having Brendan Thomas speak at the conference signals AUSTRAC’s ongoing commitment to the gambling sector. His participation emphasises the importance of making sure the industry is alert to money laundering risks and continually strengthened against financial crime.”

Mr Thomas’ presentation is expected to offer invaluable insights for regulators, industry leaders and key stakeholders, especially as AUSTRAC’s role in combatting financial crime is set to expand further with the anticipated passing of the Government’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2024. This legislation aims to extend the AML/CTF regime to high-risk professions, such as real estate agents, lawyers, accountants and dealers in precious metals and stones, marking a pivotal shift in Australia’s regulatory landscape.

Regulating the Game 2025 will be held in Sydney, Australia, from March 10 to 13. The event will once again serve as a platform for thought leaders, innovators and regulators to come together and explore the most pressing issues in the gambling sector.