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Daily Fantasy Sports

Exclusive Interview with Dennis Tsalikis (CEO at Fantasy Sport Interactive)

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Photo credits: European Gaming Media
Reading Time: 6 minutes

It is always nice to catch up with successful people and get a glimpse into their extensive knowledge. This week I had the pleasure to interview a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in setting up and managing businesses in diverse sectors. Dennis Tsalikis is co-founder and CEO of Fantasy Sports Interactive, an entrepreneur who decided to combine his passion for Fantasy Sports with his skill in establishing successful businesses.

Dennis has an engineering background and prior to starting his own business ventures, he was employed at Vertu.

After establishing his Higher Technical Education with a University degree in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering and gaining hands-on working experience as a CNC operator at N. Bazigos S.A, Dennis proceeded to acquire a Master’s Degree (MS) in Composite Materials, from London’s Imperial College. Below is our exclusive interview with Dennis, hope you enjoy it!

Let’s begin with a few words about yourself. Our readers love to know how top-class entrepreneurs describing themselves.

Dennis: Fervent. Down to earth,with a positive outlook. Demanding, but fair. Always striving for the best, first and foremost for my people and then in terms of personal accomplishment.

You have studied engineering and science in some of the foremost institutions in Europe, and have had a stellar industrial career. What made you switch to something seemingly different like betting and fantasy sports?

Dennis: For me, engineering and science are the foundations of constructive thinking and a solid professional background. Our Co-Founder, Bill Mexias, and I, got to know fantasy football while working in the UK at Barclays and Vertu respectively, as a team-bonding activity in the workplace. We immediately realized that fantasy football would become the next big thing in gaming and we could see that fantasy sports were the perfect option, combining innovation with great business potential.

You have made your debut in the gaming sector when you co-founded Bet4theBest.com? Did the launch and subsequent performance of the company go according to the plans? Would like to hear your experiences?

Dennis: Bet4theBest was my debut in the gaming industry, an amazing and most positive experience. We managed to establish a tight-knit and effective core team, sharing a common passion in fantasy sports and skill gaming. Internally speaking, we learned a lot in this difficult and demanding journey, while on a collective, industry level, we were part of a generation of operators that managed to bring Fantasy Sports in Europe and to the spotlight. We are most proud about being the first licensed fantasy sports operators in Europe to launch under a wide and impactful marketing strategy, including mass media such as the newspapers and the radio alongside digital marketing. Furthermore, Bet4theBest was a successful Proof of Concept and a product that caught the attention of the UK fantasy football audience, one of the most mature and demanding audiences in the industry.

It has been close to a year since you launched Fantasy Sports Interactive Ltd.  How is it going now? Would like to hear some stats and details about major deals.

Dennis: Fantasy Sports Interactive (FSI) is the next level of our Fantasy Sports business venture and the main, B2B act after our B2C opening. During our original business planning, we had foreseen the future need of the market for reliable white label fantasy sports solutions. Our platform has been designed to increase customer attraction, enrich Marketing strategy, provide competitive content and an exciting gaming experience. Our tailored offering led us to a very satisfying first year, featuring a partnership with Gauselmann’s subsidiaries, Cashpoint and Xtip, in progress, a successful World Cup launch and ongoing collaboration in Africa with Africabet.com and a couple of more projects, including our future launch in India with Indus Games.A very important piece of information I can share with you now, is the development of an exclusive, breakthrough Fantasy product, which we plan to announce at ICE 2019.

It is already a crowded market of gaming software developers. What makes Fantasy Sports Interactive stand apart in the crowd?

Dennis: The winning combination of Fantasy Sports Interactive is that variety, versatility and innovation. Our goal is to offer original products going beyond standard market formats and this is what makes us stand apart. Our We make customized fantasy products for fantasy sports betting, social gaming, skill gaming, in mobile-first, online and retail formats. We offer back-end support services, flexible marketing solutions and consulting, making results and meaningful customer relationships a top priority. However, the most important part of FSI is our team, which is high-skilled and most experienced in the fantasy betting industry.

In the USA sports betting is likely to grow significantly in the coming years, following a recent US Supreme Court order that allows states to decide on legalizing sports betting. What are your thoughts on the development? How it is going to affect the gaming industry, and gaming software developing companies in particular?

Dennis: I think that everyone in the iGaming industry was expecting the US market  to open at some point. The PASPA court ruling made this possible and it is groundbreaking, since it opened the doors to a wide market of consumers who have been seeking to enjoy legal and regulated gaming services for some time now. The US audience is one of key importance; It has a strong affinity for Fantasy Sports, but at the same time it needs further education in betting and igaming. The skill gaming element is very important and this will require software companies to become more versatile and flexible. This is why we feel that FSI is ready for the US market, with a mature, tested product, combining fantasy sports with betting options.

Fantasy sports have been evolving all the time. How do you see it developing further in the near future, amidst the rise of new disruptive technologies?

Dennis: Indeed, Fantasy Sports have evolved greatly, from the classic season-long model, to the various daily fantasy options available today. I think that contemporary technologies and the lasting internet boom will lead to further progress and gamification, with more clear and mature fantasy products developed around instant and social gaming. Gaming technology will evolve under a customer-centric model, with bet types where the user has full control and a wide range of options to choose from.


Here are a few more details about Dennis and FSI:

Dennis chose to exploit his industrial background and expand the valuable experience he gained in business, by shaping Genesis World Trans, an international cargo services company, which already counts 12 years of successful activity.

While being the Managing Director of Genesis World Trans since 2008, Dennis continued to explore all aspects of business activity and decided to pursue his entrepreneurial vision, by founding one of the first Fantasy Sports Companies in Europe.

In 2014, together with Bill Mexias, he Co-founded “Bet4theBest” – a B2C fantasy football company based in Malta and Athens and the first step of an innovative and ambitious business plan targeting the contemporary iGaming industry.

Bet4theBest operated under a soft launch since 2014 and its official launch within the UK in 2015, was marked by organized and intense marketing activity. Traditional wide-range marketing channels such as the newspapers and the radio (The Racing Post, Daily Star, Daily Mirror, talkSport), were combined with digital marketing activity and a well-known brand ambassador in retired footballer and BBC pundit Jermaine Jenas.

Bet4theBest is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission, servicing all locations covered by both Authorities. The company kept operating, offering a variety of fresh and competitive fantasy football games to consumers, until 2017 and served as a Proof of Concept for the white label products of the upcoming Fantasy Sports Software Company, Fantasy Sports Interactive (FSI).

Dennis Co-founded FSI in 2016, keeping the business core and philosophy of Bet4theBest, while further growing its dedicated team and the company’s caliber.

FSI is based in London and has an active branch in Athens, as well.

Under Dennis’s leadership and with an experienced team, the Business and IT divisions have been constantly developing the company and its Fantasy Sports products, aiming at continuous evolution and successful partnerships.

FSI already boasts two important iGaming partnerships, one already launched for the World Cup with Africabet.com and one being a work in progress with Gauselmann’s sportsbook subsidiary companies, Cashpoint and Xtip. In the meanwhile, the team has been working on projects yet to be announced, as well.

About FSI:

Fantasy Sports Interactive offers the most complete range of fantasy sports gaming options. It has been the first company to launch fantasy betting services in Europe through its own fantasy sport product, Bet4theBest, and gain hands-on B2C and marketing management experience.

Powered by our innovative platform and deep insight in fantasy sports betting and skill gaming, we provide tailored white-label solutions to iGaming operators, lotteries and business companies seeking a modern and effective customer acquisition tool.

We offer companies the opportunity to create an engaging, competitive and fully licensed iGaming product that fits each operational model like a glove.

FSI has developed the optimal Fantasy Sports Solution for every operator:

A complete software offering for the iGaming industry, designed to increase customer attraction, enrich Marketing strategy, provide competitive content and an exciting gaming experience.

Our offering includes:

  • Fantasy Sports gaming products
  • social gaming concepts
  • fantasy sportsbook and betting formats
  • online, mobile-first and retail options
  • backend support services
  • full adaptability in terms of Regulatory frameworks

For more details contact: [email protected]

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Daily Fantasy Sports

ITP enters partnership with Playtech to deliver expansive F2P and DFS portfolio to its customers

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ITP enters partnership with Playtech to deliver expansive F2P and DFS portfolio to its customers
Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

Deal allows free-to-play and daily fantasy sports specialist to offer its wide selection of content to bolster the offering of the gambling industry’s leading technology company

Inside The Pocket (ITP), the world’s biggest free-to-play (F2P) and daily fantasy sports (DFS) aggregation platform, has entered into a strategic partnership with Playtech, the world’s largest online gaming technology supplier, to bring the sector’s most comprehensive suite of F2P and DFS games to its array of international operator partners.

Accordingly, this attractive bespoke agreement with Playtech offers access to a technology platform that supports a significant number of regulated online global gambling operators, granting ITP broader scope with which to deliver more than 100 F2P and DFS games and execute territory-by-territory in localized fashion.

This platform-to-platform (P2P) integration also sees ITP enhance its status as the largest, most agile, turnkey solution for F2P and DFS across the planet. The relationship allows ITP to serve as a key tool for Playtech customers to leverage the ecosystem with powerful acquisition and retention tools, which neatly complement Playtech’s suite of other B2B services.

ITP’s platform provides an industry-first aggregation model focused on F2P and paid DFS for the gaming industry – a literal game-changing marketplace that harnesses a range of established and emerging suppliers with one simple route to market. In turn, this offers ITP clients a wealth of value-creation opportunities across a spectrum of content from a single, seamless integration, positioning DFS alongside F2P and P2P verticals to maximize customer acquisition and consumer insights.

Across the market in the Americas, DFS companies typically enjoy engaged audiences in many U.S. states or Canadian provinces before they open up to sports betting. This creative collaboration now allows ITP clients to see F2P working in tandem with peer-to-peer DFS and wider igaming in an innovative, socially responsible way.

Importantly – in South America, for example, but also worldwide – Playtech’s global business already generates significant cashflows and crossover synergies around both sports betting and igaming. This also ensures clear differentiation from nearly all other U.S. sports betting and igaming ventures for ITP, which will benefit from Playtech’s strong brand awareness and cross-vertical igaming spread amongst the growing and underserved Hispanic populations.

ITP clients can target specific recreational player-groups and fulfil nuanced acquisition and retention goals. This partnership presents a way of entertaining and educating players without the need to push them towards more questionable introductory offers that have already proven unsustainable for a mutually beneficial and socially-responsible ecosystem.

Anthony Evans, VP of Product Strategy at Playtech, said: “The international scope provided by Inside The Pocket’s content aggregation platform represents an exciting opportunity for Playtech. With open access to some of the best Free-to-Play, peer-to-peer DFS products and other agile content solutions, Playtech’s clients will have more versatile options than ever to drive diversified player engagement. ITP’s content aggregation platform also provides the requisite flexibility for newly regulated and maturing markets. We’re looking forward to how these games perform for the end user across this diverse range of markets.”

Hussain Naqi, Founder and CEO of Inside The Pocket, said: “Obviously, we’re thrilled to announce this partnership with a powerhouse provider whose reputation for excellence continues undimmed. This key integration allows ITP to serve as a tool for Playtech to offer their customers a responsive acquisition tool, amid an already revered B2B toolkit. Consequently, we can offer different sportsbooks something that is positively delineated from existing versions of F2P/DFS to help them supersede and surpass their local rivals.

“As the only F2P and DFS-focused aggregation platform, we offer a unique way for our clients and prospects to acquire and retain repeat-customers at a low cost, but also to stay fully compliant in non-regulated states or provinces and around the world. ITP’s all-consuming range of content and data tools helps to drive engagement for sportsbook and DFS audiences, by virtue of a series of game formats that have player-education and augmented activity at their core. Increasingly, though, we are adding a range of new products and game types to our ever-expanding portfolio – from pay-to-play products to pools-based fantasy games.”

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Inside The Pocket launches WonderWins brand in India, as the exclusive Daily Fantasy partner of ESPNcricinfo

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Inside The Pocket launches WonderWins brand in India, as the exclusive Daily Fantasy partner of ESPNcricinfo
Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

Inside The Pocket (ITP), the leading free-to-play (F2P) aggregation platform, has teamed up with the premier digital cricket platform ESPNcricinfo for an exclusive Free Daily Fantasy offering for users via its new WonderWins brand.

WonderWins is primed to debut ahead of this season’s IPL 2022, which begins on 26 March. This milestone collaboration between the two brands offers cricket fans a compelling and unique opportunity to engage with fantasy gaming as well as accessing match coverage, news, information, and analysis, and being part of the large community of cricket fans in India and the subcontinent to have this complete and well-rounded experience.

ESPNcricinfo is ESPN’s dedicated cricket site and app and the world’s largest source of cricketing information, match coverage, news and analysis. It is the go-to digital destination for international news, live scores, statistics and analysis for cricket fans worldwide and a pioneer in the digital sports media with a 29-year-old rich legacy.

By becoming the exclusive Daily Fantasy provider for ESPNcricinfo in India and the subcontinent, WonderWins brand will be able to connect with over 85 million discerning cricket fans on the ESPNcricinfo platform and further drive conversations with over 15 million highly engaged fans across its social media channels. WonderWins brand is live on android, iOS, and as a web-based platform.

Through this breakthrough agreement, WonderWins will be able to engage with fans through exciting fantasy gameplay, intelligent statistics, data analysis and customized content, offering fantasy gamers a robust experience and allowing them to understand the finer nuances of game-play to further drive significant marketing and enterprise value as WonderWins’ DFS and hyper-casual games evolve in the months and years to come.

ESPNcricinfo has already begun cascading bespoke content and communication, allowing players to discover the WonderWins platform and understanding of the product via intuitive light-touch education, and gameplay. In that sense, WonderWins can claim to have an unparalleled product portfolio that offers unrivaled opportunities to drive content and create lasting fan engagement levels.

Hussain Naqi, Founder of both WonderWins and Inside The Pocket, said: “We’re understandably delighted to have become ESPNcricinfo’s exclusive Daily Fantasy partner in India and subcontinent. It’s a genuine honor to have been chosen to roll out fantasy games for such a trusted and revered international partner, whose very name brings instant authenticity and credibility with the end user. The WonderWins app is ready to play!

“ESPN have been a brilliant and agile collaborator, organically wrapping WonderWins around their fantasy programming – from new article links to bespoke video programming and other product levers as we look forward to the much-anticipated IPL 2022 season ahead. It’s an exciting time and I’m thrilled to be over in India myself to witness the roll-out first hand.

“Our underlying platform is uniquely well-positioned to leverage this opportunity because we can diversify content, leverage consumer data and partition it for partners as the market’s shifting sands coalesce. Our multiple data partnerships deliver us unique consumer insights that will allow us to hyper-segment our audience communication over time, including for other sporting events like the World Cup 2022 football.”

Ramesh Kumar, VP & Head of ESPN Digital Media India, stated: “This is an exciting announcement, as now with this collaboration with WonderWins, ESPNcricinfo fans in India and the subcontinent region will be able to play and enjoy free fantasy on our platform, building a deeper engagement on ESPNcricinfo not just with the game-play but also with the enormous content that we will power to help users play intelligently. The timing is perfect with the exciting new season coming up and we are delighted to offer our new age cricket fans the right mix of information and entertainment for them to follow their favorite sport and teams. Consequently, we are now able to wrap an array of complementary programming and editorial content in the fantasy space around WonderWins, significantly boosting fan engagement around the game, as the new IPL season comes into sharp focus.

“It’s been fantastic to work with such like-minded, fan-first partners. The ESPNcricinfo and WonderWins Team have collaborated closely at every stage of the development and deployment process, making the integration as rapid and seamless as possible.”

With the broader F2P framework, Inside The Pocket intends to target both mature and emerging markets over the long-term, as the company bids to expand its progressive footprint into untapped territories. There, its proven international scope and flair for localization, promises to drive diversified fan engagement around targeted free-to-play sports games. Inside The Pocket’s open-aggregation approach offers the broadest and best-curated collection of games available from developers around the world, utilizing a single platform integration as a gateway to virtually unlimited content.

As the leading free-to-play aggregation platform for the gaming industry, Inside The Pocket is dedicated to being a top-of-the-funnel customer acquisition tool driving engagement through a range of content and games whose formats responsibly acquire and retain customers at low cost but also remain fully compliant as regulation continues to coalesce across regions from the U.S. to Asia, Africa and LATAM. Its agnostic platform offers a strategic solution which works territory-by-territory, educating uninitiated audiences with fully-integrated games.

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Daily Fantasy Sports

World Championship of Online Fantasy Football Finals on the Scout Network

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World Championship of Online Fantasy Football Finals on the Scout Network
Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

Participants are being promised a daily fantasy sports experience like no other with a €500,000 prize pot to play for

Scout Gaming, the world’s leading provider of B2B daily fantasy sports, sportsbook and fantasy sports betting products, is thrilled to announce the start of the World Championship of Online Fantasy Football (WCOFF) Finals tournament.

The WCOFF Finals tournament is the biggest daily fantasy sports (DFS) event in Europe and promises participants a DFS experience like no other.

The tournament runs over two consecutive English Premier League game weeks starting from today (8 February) at 19:45 GMT. The first game week is separate from the second which means finalists will be able to create a brand-new team in week two without incurring any penalties.

The engaging and highly intense DFS experience is taken to the next level thanks to the €500,000 prize pot to play for with first place receiving a massive €100,000, second €60,000 and third €35,000.

More than 500 teams will compete for the title of World Champion. The vast majority of tournament participants played their way to the event through a series of satellites that ran throughout 4Q21. Scout has developed an optimal satellite structure with entry from as little as €2 giving everyone the chance to compete in the top-tier tournament.

Andreas TernströmChief Executive Officer at Scout Gaming, said: “We are incredibly thrilled about the World Championship of Online Fantasy Football on the Scout Network.

“Our network is the best place to host such a prestigious event with life-changing prize money for the winners. All B2B clients connected to the Scout Network have access to our big guarantee tournaments and we will continue to grow the Scout Network and prize pools in 2022.”

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