Africa
Basketball Africa League 2021: By the Numbers
History will be made when the first BAL season tips off today and culminates with the crowning of the first BAL champion on Sunday, May 30
The inaugural Basketball Africa League (BAL) (theBAL.com) season will tip off today at 4:00 p.m. CAT / 10 a.m. ET when Rwanda’s Patriots Basketball Club (BBC) takes on Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers at the Kigali Arena in Rwanda.
Below are facts and figures about the BAL:
• 1 – History will be made when the first BAL season tips off today and culminates with the crowning of the first BAL champion on Sunday, May 30. The BAL, a partnership between the NBA and FIBA, marks the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside of North America.
• 1 – Ben Uzoh, who joined Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers, is poised to become the first former NBA player to play in the BAL, having played for the New Jersey Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors from 2010-12. He was also a member of the Nigeria Senior Men’s National Team at the 2016 Olympics, FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 and FIBA AfroBasket in 2013 and 2015.
• 3 – As Official Energy Partner of the BAL, New Fortress Energy Inc. (NFE) and the BAL will contribute three trees for every three-pointer made during the BAL season as part of “Threes for Trees,” a collaboration with international NGO Trees for the Future.
• 8 – A roster of eight broadcast partners will air BAL games around the world: Canal+, ESPN, beIN SPORTS, NBA TV, Tencent Video, TSN, American Forces Network (AFN) and Voice of America (VOA). All BAL games will also livestream on the NBA App, the official NBA website NBA.com and the official BAL website theBAL.com.
• 9 – The BAL is working with a roster of nine world-class marketing partners: Agence France Development (AFD), Flutterwave, Hennessy, Jordan Brand, New Fortress Energy (NFE), NIKE, Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Social Nation Africa (SNA) and Wilson.
• 9 – Nine players bring NBA G League experience to the BAL’s first season: Brandon Jay Costner and Prince Ibeh (Rwanda’s Patriots BBC); Myck Kabongo and Demarcus Holland (Mozambique’s Ferroviàrio de Maputo), Ibrahima Thomas (Mali’s AS Police); Uzoh, Taren Sullivan and Robert Christopher Daniels (Rivers Hoopers); and Ater Majok (Tunisia’s US Monastir).
• 12 – The inaugural BAL season will feature 12 club teams from 12 African countries: Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Egypt, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia.
• 20 – A total of 20 former Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa campers are on BAL team rosters, including one NBA Academy Africa prospect (Mohab Yasser Abdelaty Abdallatif of Egypt’s Zamalek).
• 21 – There are 21 BAL players with U.S. NCAA Division I experience, with 11 teams featuring at least one former Division I player.
• 22 – The inaugural BAL season will be officiated by 22 of FIBA Africa’s top referees, a group of 19 men and three women from 16 countries selected after live and video observation by the NBA’s Referee Operations Department, in partnership with FIBA and FIBA Africa.
• The season will feature a total of 26 games. The 12 teams are divided into three groups of four teams. The top eight teams from the group phase will qualify for the playoffs, which will be single elimination in all three rounds.
• 154 – BAL roster feature 154 players from 24 countries across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the U.S.
• 215 – The inaugural BAL season will reach fans in 215 countries and territories in 15 languages.
• 7,621 – The two BAL courts have travelled 7,621 miles from Dollar Bay, Michigan, to Kigali, Rwanda.
• 23,724 – The total number of miles travelled by 11 teams to get to Kigali.
• 36,975 – Each court consists of 255 panels and weighs approximately 16.7 tonnes (36,975 lbs.).
Africa
Punt Casino Voted as “Best No Download Casino 2024” by Popular Guide SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za
South Africa’s most-coveted online casino repository and guide, SouthAfricanCasino.co.za, has recently voted for Punt Casino as the “Best No Download Casino in 2024” in South Africa. Given that the vast majority of present-day online casinos are all “no download” casinos, the field was highly-competitive and the stakes were high.
Receiving such a testimony from SouthAfricanCasino.co.za, the most reputed and popular South African online casinos knowledge base on the World Wide Web, is a massive feather in Punt Casino’s cap. This sentiment was mirrored by Punt Casino management that expressed their sheer delight. They deemed it an honor to be titled the best no download casino in 2024 and added that they would strive to keep up the quality of their platform and maybe even enhance it going into 2024.
“SAC (SouthAfricanCasino.Co.Za) is a go-to resource for most South African online casino enthusiasts. Players know that SAC tests every casino meticulously and they listen to SAC about which casinos are worth their time and which ones are better skipped. Given how important they are in shaping the iGaming market across South Africa, we are elated and proud to have been titled the best no-download casino by SAC this year”, said Punt Casino’s Quality Manager. “This accolade has boosted the morale of our team and we’re now more motivated than ever to continue doing the work and putting out the best games, free spins bonuses, casino features, free bonus no deposit casinos and payment options for our valued members.”, he added.
The operations manager at SAC, Michelle Williams, was happy to hand over the winning title to Punt Casino. “In this day and age, online casino real money players simply don’t have the time to download and install software, they want to be able to play instantly and Punt casino is the best no-download, instant-play casino in the market right now by a long mile. They’ve got the basics right, and they’ve also managed to get all the little details spot on. With a user-friendly interface that is light weight and practical, even a first-timer will feel at ease playing games, depositing funds and withdrawing winnings”, said Williams.
“We’ve looked closely at every nook and corner of the Punt website. Our quality testing team went over their terms and conditions with a fine-toothed comb. In addition to being a fantastic no-download casino with hundreds of entertaining games, Punt casino leaves no stones unturned when it comes to player data security, privacy and responsible gambling features.” William further commented.
Williams also elaborated on how seamless Punt mobile casino is, “Even though there are hundreds of SA-facing no-download online casinos, only a handful are truly mobile optimized. Punt Casino is clearly the pack leader. The mobile site is certainly not an afterthought; it works seamlessly on smartphones and tables across all leading mobile operating systems. Mobile players can access the Punt casino site in seconds using Google Chrome or Safari and pick up right where they left off. Punt Casino is the true hallmark of what a no-download mobile casino should look and feel like in 2024”, added Williams.
Punt Casino’s manager Daniel Miller was quick to acknowledge SAC putting their reputation on the line for Punt. “Being the biggest and best online casino guide in SA, SAC sticks its neck out every time it backs an online casino with a title. Being titled “best no-download casino” is a huge vote of confidence from SAC and we appreciate the recognition very much. The onus is now on us to keep the good work going and further improve our site’s standards going into 2024. Thanks to this title, we now have a target on our backs, where other online casinos will be looking to emulate what we’ve done. “We are very excited to enter a new era of online casino gaming and we’ve already got some fantastic enhancement features in the pipeline that I cannot give away details about”.
According to Michelle Williams, South AfricanCasinos.co.za has made it their primary focus to provide South African players with high-quality, secure, and lucrative online gaming. This includes no-download casinos, real money slots games, which are going to be the future of web casino gaming. Gone are the days when you had to download and install an app before you could wager on a game.
Williams reiterated that Punt Casino had won the Best No-download Casino Award for 2024 purely through merit and totally deserve the title. Although Punt Casino is a no-download casino, it does not ignore any of the essentials.
The Punt Casino customer support team is highly-responsive, well-trained and always there should a player have a question or need help. Players can reach out to support staff in seconds thanks to the convenient live chat channel, which is just a click away when playing on PC or mobile.
Africa
Aviatrix and Hollywoodbets ready for take-off in South Africa
The award-winning crash game Aviatrix is arriving in South Africa for the first time, exclusively with leading betting operator Hollywoodbets.
Hollywoodbets players will enjoy exclusive access to a range of daily tournaments and promotions, making their Aviatrix adventure even more thrilling. Anastasia Rimskaya, Chief Account Officer at Aviatrix, said: “Bringing Aviatrix to South Africa exclusively with Hollywoodbets is an exciting milestone for us. We’re excited to offer South African players a unique experience where they can build, customise, and pilot their own planes while competing for rewards. With Hollywoodbets, we’re confident Aviatrix will soar to new heights in this vibrant market.”
Wayde Dorkin, Head of Product at Hollywoodbets, said: “Everyone at Hollywoodbets is ready for take-off with Aviatrix. Players will be able to exclusively enjoy the game in South Africa, building their own planes, soaring through the skies and earning incredible rewards along the way. Aviatrix delivers an unmatched gaming experience that will keep players on the edge of their seats!”
Aviatrix was recently named ‘Game of the Year’ at the EGR Operator Awards 2024.
The title is constantly updated with new features and functionality, such as the ability to claim free bets with promo codes within the game.
Africa
Racing1 partners with SOREC to bring International Racing to Morocco for the first time
Racing1, the brand name for the newly created Strategic Alliance between Tabcorp, Racecourse Media Group (RMG), 1/ST CONTENT and Arena Racing Company (ARC), has quickly broken new ground in an industry-first deal with SOREC (Société Royale d’Encouragement du Cheval) to import international racing into Morocco across digital and retail channels.
By leveraging Racing1’s truly global distribution network and reach, Moroccan racing fans can now enjoy a best-in-breed racing experience from the comfort of their homes, on the move, or in-store at their local retail outlet. The integration arrives courtesy of Racing1’s four cornerstone partners, who are already providing daily racing from the UK, North America and Australia via SOREC, creating an immediate spike in new revenues, and opening the door to many of the planet’s most prestigious racetracks.
Via the Racing1 brand, 1/ST CONTENT, ARC, RMG and Tabcorp are deploying their collective expertise to deliver targeted, localised solutions (featuring bespoke 24/7 racing video, data and wagering packages, including tote and managed trading services) that appeal to assorted audiences and their respective betting proclivities, whether they’re already familiar with racing, or new to the sport and in need of more educational content.
More broadly, Racing1’s compelling daily timetable of engaging horse racing action from around the world boasts a 24/7 chronology to seamlessly complement any racing or sporting schedule across all time-zones, supplying global partners with a reliable source of fast-settling betting content at varied viewing windows throughout diverse territories.
Racing1 confirmed the announcement at the recent ALA Conference (Association des Lotteries d’Afrique, 1 November) in Marrakesh which drew 12 African delegations, including representatives from national lotteries and government ministries. In a continent where football is king, there is now an emerging opportunity for North and West African operators and their customers to be introduced to more worldwide racing and the flexibility its 24/7 program presents.
Simon Fraser, spokesperson for Racing1, said: “The new Racing1 name symbolises the network of content leaders and right holders that our Strategic Partnership has conveniently coalesced into one all-access 24/7 hub. Transcending international boundaries, Racing1 is untying the tangled worldwide web of racing rights, while simultaneously bringing data-led innovation that dramatically deepens fans’ engagement. Our goal is to improve access and international interest in horse racing at a time when the sport is facing certain regulatory headwinds.
“It’s a great way to help global operators engage new and under-served audiences by delivering 24/7 horse racing. And, in this instance of Morocco, courtesy of our good friends at SOREC, international racing is now both complementing their domestic cards and also being broadcast at peak evening viewing slots. It’s all part of our wider Strategic Alliance promise to return better value to racing’s key stakeholders through more and more international deals.”
Omar Skalli, CEO of SOREC, added: “This partnership with Racing1 is a milestone for Moroccan horse racing fans, offering unprecedented access to the excitement of international horse racing and enriching their understanding of the sport. With daily coverage from top racing regions like the UK, North America and Australia via SOREC networks, our audience can now experience the thrill of the world’s most prestigious racetracks.”
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