Compliance Updates
RMG agrees media rights renewals with British racecourses
Racecourse Media Group (RMG) is delighted to announce it has agreed British racecourse licence extensions for audio-visual and data rights for a new five-year term.
The renewals cover 35 racecourses for their LBO rights and 33 racecourses for all other aspects of their media rights including streaming (Watch & Bet), direct to home (DTH), terrestrial TV and international betting and non-betting until December 31, 2028 .
RMG is 100% owned by its racecourse shareholders and pays 100% of operating profit back to racecourses, which, in turn, benefits the sport. This collective and collaborative ethos has seen RMG’s businesses become the biggest single funder of British horseracing.
It means the likes of the Randox Grand National Festival, Cheltenham Festival, Cazoo Derby Festival, Qatar Sussex Stakes and the Juddmonte International Stakes – which was awarded the Longines World’s Best Race accolade in 2020 – will remain in RMG’s portfolio until at least 2029.
With RMG adding all 26 Irish racecourses to its coverage in 2019, it means that five of the top 11 races run in the world last year were broadcast live on RMG’s channel, Racing TV, which is fronted by the two most recent HWPA broadcasters of the year, Nick Luck and Lydia Hislop.
Roger Lewis, Chairman of RMG, said:
“On behalf of the Board of Directors of RMG, I thank our shareholders for the trust and confidence they have once more placed in RMG.
“This is a pivotal moment for British racing. The RMG Racecourses, with a unity of purpose, have created business clarity and confidence for years to come. The certainty which this landmark, long-term agreement provides is very special for everyone involved in British racing.
“The RMG Board pays particular tribute to the outstanding leadership of the RMG CEO, Martin Stevenson, who together with his great team of RMG executives navigated this complex and detailed process with rigour, patience and clear focus.
“RMG now looks forward to serving its shareholder racecourses, which, in turn, benefits the sport of racing for the foreseeable future.”
Martin Stevenson, CEO of RMG, said:
“It is a matter of great pride that racecourses have placed their rights in RMG’s hands again. RMG has a superb team, who, from the production to the commercial offices, are committed to ensuring first-class output and long-term sustainable growth for our racecourses.
“This will be achieved by continuing to create innovative and different ways of bringing the sport to life and showcasing it to our broad range of audiences. This is also made possible by our much-valued media, technical, broadcast, commercial and bookmaking partners, and, of course, the owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys and stable staff.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Newbury on the remaining period of their term until 2024 and we wish them well thereafter.”
Nevin Truesdale, Chief Executive of The Jockey Club, which runs 15 UK racecourses including Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and both tracks in Newmarket, said:
“RMG has consistently delivered significant value from media and data rights over a 17-year period and unlocked revenue streams in the betting space far more than any other sport. This has supported JCR’s ability to make significant investments into prize money and enhance the experience we offer to participants and customers.
“More recently, the income RMG has delivered to all its shareholder racecourses has been vital through the very difficult pandemic period without spectators and other on-course revenues. I am excited by many of the technology developments that lie ahead, particularly in the in-play betting space and further development of Watch & Bet. RMG has a really important role to play in our sport’s growth in the years ahead.”
Adam Waterworth, Sport Managing Director at Goodwood Estate, said:
“As one of the founding members of Racing UK in 2004, we are delighted to continue our relationship with Racecourse Media Group until 2029. RMG’s model of racecourse ownership gives racecourses complete control over the commercialisation of their media and data rights. Racing TV’s innovative production and award-winning presentation has taken racing broadcasts to the next level – and we are delighted our events will receive the world-class coverage they merit until at least 2029.”
Jeremy Martin, Executive Director of Salisbury Racecourse, said:
“Licence fees are a significant element of the executive contribution to prize-money and mean that we can continue investing in the facilities to improve our customers’ experience, where and when necessary. RMG has a long, proven record of delivering the best performance and we are delighted to renew for another five-year term.”
Compliance Updates
Compliable Expands Licensing Offering to Europe and Latin America
Leading licensing management solution now supports new global markets
Leading compliance software provider Compliable is now supporting licensing in European and Latin American markets, further strengthening its proposition following a successful period of growth in the United States.
With experience of working with prominent industry brands including FanDuel, Bet365 and BetFanatics in North America, Compliable’s platform can now help companies complete, manage and maintain gaming licenses across multiple global jurisdictions.
Compliable is expanding into new markets at a time of increased regulatory obligations in numerous regions as well as a heightened demand from suppliers and vendors to get licensed from a reputational point of view.
Markets in Europe as well as emerging regions in Latin America are now supported by Compliable’s software solution, which enables operators and suppliers to enter new countries more quickly and reduces the ongoing burden of regulatory requirements.
Compliable’s software platform and tools provide customers both significant time and cost savings, as employees enter key information just once in the licensing process with the information then auto-populated across multiple forms, generating error-free applications every time.
The solution cuts the time it takes to get employees licensed by 90% to less than an hour, which has led to an increase of up to 700% in the number of employees that can be onboarded.
“Following discussions with our customers and prospects, it became clear that there is a demand for our market-leading licensing management solution outside of the United States and we are pleased to now be able to streamline the licensing process for even more companies in additional jurisdictions,” the Chief Executive Officer for Compliable, Chris Oltyan, said. “Licensing compliance can slow down your ability to expand into new markets but it doesn’t have to. Using our platform to remove bottlenecks in the acquisition and management of licenses frees up time and attention so our customers can focus on their go to market plans.”
Compliance Updates
ITIA: Croatian Official Suspended from Tennis
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed that Croatian tennis official Marko Stojanovic has been suspended from the sport for five years and six months after admitting to breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP).
Stojanovic, a national-level official, admitted to 15 breaches of the TACP, including manipulating data from matches in which they were an official to facilitate betting.
Stojanovic, who is accredited at national level and has officiated at ITF tournaments, co-operated fully with the ITIA investigation and accepted an agreed sanction, waiving their right to a hearing before an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer. Stojanovic has also been fined $25,000, of which $18,750 is suspended.
The official’s agreed sanction began on 19 February 2024 and will end at midnight on 18 August 2029.
During the suspension, Stojanovic is prohibited from officiating at, or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA (ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, Fédération Française de Tennis, Wimbledon and USTA).
The ITIA is an independent body established by its tennis members to promote, encourage, enhance and safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide.
Compliance Updates
MGA Successfully Hosts its First Sports Betting Integrity Conference
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has hosted its first Sports Betting Integrity Conference, further cementing the Authority’s dedication to fostering open dialogue, knowledge-sharing and maintaining a gaming landscape that is free from corruption and any form of unethical practices.
The event convened high-profile stakeholders integral to the sports betting integrity sector, including the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), the eSports Integrity Commission (ESIC), Genius Sports and Sportradar.
Local stakeholders included the Malta Police Force, the Malta Football Association (MFA), the Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sports and the Office of the Attorney General.
Opening the conference, MGA CEO Charles Mizzi said: “As the MGA, ensuring the integrity of sports betting is not merely a regulatory obligation; it is a cornerstone of our commitment to fostering a fair and sustainable gaming environment.”
Mr Mizzi emphasised that the conference’s foremost objective was that of leading a united effort in addressing the complex challenges of maintaining integrity within sports and sports betting. As the industry continues to transform – introducing new technologies and increasingly sophisticated methods – success depends on the ability to share knowledge, experiences and best practices. Through this synergy, stakeholders can outpace those intent on corrupting the essence of sports and betting.
Such gatherings, therefore, serve as invaluable opportunities to pool resources and expertise, serving as catalysts for positive change. The Authority extends its gratitude to all attendees for their engagement and participation.
-
Central Europe6 days ago
Sponsors Spotlight: Pixpel Makes Crypto Games Safe and Fun for Players and Developers in Web3
-
Latest News7 days ago
1X2 Network strikes MrQ integration
-
Latest News7 days ago
Stakelogic Bolsters UK Presence with Exciting New Midnite Partnership
-
Industry News7 days ago
Inspired Launches Latest Virtual Sports Games with Planetwin365 in Italy
-
eSports7 days ago
Esports World Cup Adds Five More Game Titles to Summer 2024 Festival
-
Asia7 days ago
MapleStory Universe Enters into a Strategic Partnership with Avalanche
-
Asia4 days ago
Tencent benefits from multiple new game launches on Steam
-
Industry News6 days ago
Entain Appoints Ronald J. Kramer as Independent Non-Executive Director