Latest News
Kambi Group plc extends partnership with Kindred Group and gains ability to prepay convertible bond
New contract continues successful partnership until 2026 while Kambi meets requirements to prepay convertible bond previously issued to Kindred
Kambi Group plc and Kindred Group have agreed a three-year extension to its sportsbook partnership after signing a new agreement up to the end of 2026. In addition to the contract, Kambi’s strong financial performance has seen it meet specific conditions required to prepay, at its own discretion, a convertible bond previously issued to a wholly owned subsidiary of Kindred.
The new agreement, which will take effect after the completion of the current contract which runs until 1 January 2024, continues the successful partnership first established in 2014 following Kindred’s decision to spin-off its sportsbook arm, Kambi, now the world’s leading sports betting technology and services provider.
As part of the spin-off, Kindred was issued a €7.5m convertible bond in Kambi, however, having satisfied certain financial performance criteria set out in the bond agreement, Kambi now has the option to prepay the full loan amount and exit the bond agreement at any time of its own discretion. Upon the prepayment of the convertible bond, Kambi will no longer be required to seek prior consent for certain events and will eliminate the prospect of Kindred converting the bond into shares, which would have given the operator a controlling influence over Kambi. This ensures Kambi and its shareholders have complete control of the company’s strategic direction.
As well as the continuation of a long and successful partnership, the contract provides security to both Kambi and Kindred throughout the extended term. The contract provides Kambi with a baseline guarantee of revenue, with Kindred committed to a minimum revenue contribution of €55m across 2024 to 2026. Meanwhile, Kindred will be guaranteed Kambi’s technology and services as it aims, over time, to leverage Kambi’s increasingly modularised offering to pursue its own platform strategy. As communicated by Kindred, from 2024 the operator seeks to reduce its reliance on Kambi and rebalance its use of proprietary and third-party products, with Kambi’s technology to remain an integral part of Kindred’s sportsbook offering.
The contract extension comes as Kambi continues to build on its market-leading differentiation capability by further modularising its technology and services to give operators greater scope to create unique sports betting experiences. In doing so, Kambi is strengthening its ability to attract and retain a select group of top-tier partners that increasingly demand a hybrid approach to technology. This approach is reflected in Kambi’s contract extension with Kindred and central to Kambi’s strategy of developing best-in-breed functionality.
Kristian Nylén, Kambi CEO and Co-founder said: “Kambi and Kindred continue to enjoy a fantastic relationship and this contract extension, which sees Kambi commit to providing Kindred with our modularised technology and services until 2026, enables this form of symbiotic partnership to further develop and best support the evolving strategies of both companies.
“The financial security and change of control protection granted by this new agreement, as well as the control we have gained over the convertible bond, place Kambi in a strong position as we enter our next chapter of global growth and take a significant step towards us becoming the key enabler for visionary operators in regulated markets across the world.”
Henrik Tjärnström, CEO Kindred Group, commented: “I’m very pleased that we have secured a continued collaboration with our long-term partner Kambi to supply us with high-quality technology and trading services for the coming five years. This agreement is an important building block in our long-term strategy to transform Kindred into a product driven company with a sustained dedication on customer experience, and we are excited to continue to work closely with Kambi to evolve the partnership.”
eSports
Rootz Announces First Wildz Invitational Esports Tournament
Wildz is proud to officially announce our entry into the Counter-Strike 2 community by hosting the Wildz Invitational tournament, featuring a substantial prize pool of €25,000. This tournament, organized in partnership with Alliance and Challengermode, is open to all teams across Europe in the coming month of December.
Wildz Invitational tournament structure:
Invited Teams: 4 teams will be directly invited to compete in the playoffs stage
Open Qualifiers: Two online qualifiers, where the top 2 teams from each qualifier will secure spots in the playoffs
Playoffs: All 8 teams will face off over an intense 2 day battle
Format: All matches will be played online on the Challengermode platform to ensure accessibility for all participants.
We invite all EU teams to showcase their skills and compete for the title of being the first Wildz Champions, with a first-place prize of €16,250. Sign up now!
Open to all European teams
Qualifiers will be played as a single-elimination bracket. All matches will be BO1.
Playoffs information:
Playoffs Day #1: 21st Dec, start from 15:00 CET
Playoffs Day #2: 22nd Dec, start from 15:00 CET
Playoffs will be played as a single-elimination bracket. All matches will be BO3.
Total prize pool of €25,000 distribution:
1st place: €16,250
2nd place: €6,250
3rd place: €2,500
“We at Wildz have been huge fans of Counter-Strike for many years. When the opportunity arose, everyone at Wildz jumped at the idea of being able to sponsor and host a tournament to showcase Europe’s top CS teams,” shares Nathan Bonello, Esports Specialist at Wildz. “This is just the first of many Wildz esports activities to come, we hope that the CS players and fans worldwide can enjoy our first-ever Wildz Invitational tournament together. May the best team win!”
Greece
HIGHLIGHT GAMES ANNOUNCES GREEK RIGHTS EXTENSION
London-based video virtuals and instant win games specialist Highlight Games Limited today announces that it has secured a significant extension to its exclusive rights agreement to use archive Greek Super League footage in its betting products.
Highlight’s Greek SOCCERBET game includes archive footage from some of the Greek Super League’s most famous and iconic clubs including: AEK Athens, Aris Thessaloniki, Asteras T, Atromitos, Giannina, Olympiakos, Levadiakos, Panathinaikos, Panionios, PAOK Salonika, Platanias and Xanti.
Steven Holmes, CEO, Highlight Games said: ‘I’m delighted to announce yet another exclusive rights extension for Highlight Games. Our Greek SOCCERBET game has proven to be incredibly popular with players and it’s a testament to our ongoing relationships and quality product portfolio that we’re able to continue to deliver this exclusive content to our valued customers.’
Asia
DreamHack x Hyderabad Comic Con 2024 Day 2: Wagh Suyog crowned champion of Rapid Chess tournament; Karan Kanchan steals the show with electrifying DJ set
The second day of DreamHack 2024 x Hyderabad Comic Con, India’s largest celebration of gaming and pop culture, delivered thrilling esports action, landmark achievements, and unforgettable moments as fans turned out in large numbers at the Hitex Exhibition Centre.
Hosted by NODWIN Gaming, a leader in new-age youth entertainment, gaming, and esports this year marks the fifth anniversary of India’s biggest gaming festival. DreamHack’s legendary BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Zone reached an unprecedented milestone, with tickets selling out for the first time ever. Gamers from across the country brought their own setups to compete and compete in titles including eFootball, THE FINALS, World Cricket Championship 3 (WCC 3), Brawlhalla, Counter-Strike 2, Spectre Divide, and many more, making the zone a hub of energy and camaraderie throughout the day.
After intense semi-final matches, Team LFO, Team Cheems, Team Payback, and AMIGOS Esports qualified for the grand finals of the OMEN VALORANT Campus Quest Season 2. Each team demonstrated exceptional strategy and team play, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
Meanwhile, Wagh Suyog showcased remarkable talent and focus,`outmaneuvering a field of skilled competitors to win the Rapid Chess tournament and take home the INR 3 Lakh prize pool championship. His/her victory was celebrated with roaring applause, highlighting the growing appeal of chess as part of DreamHack’s diverse lineup.
In other esports action, GodLike Esports, Vibrance Esports, XLR8, and Anthem showcased their dominance on Day 2 of the Snapdragon Pro Series (Call of Duty: Mobile), while Aditya ‘The Dark Lord’ Verma emerged victorious in the Street Fighter 6 segment of KO Fight Night.
Much to the attendees’ delight KO Fight Night delivered electrifying matches in Tekken 8 and Super Mario Bros Ultimate. Players also turned out in large numbers to participate in the Retro and Board Games tournaments, adding to the vibrant gaming atmosphere.
Following suit to the electric atmosphere of DreamHack, the second day of Hyderabad Comic Con was a vibrant celebration of creativity, fandom, and entertainment. Fans were enthralled by special sessions from Maruti Suzuki Arena, Crunchyroll, and Yamaha Racing, each offering unique insights and experiences for attendees.
Attendees were also treated to comic book debuts, including The Warrior God and Abba Aari (the sequel to Mard Bann), alongside the cover launch of Weapons of Mass Extinction: Stage 1 – Blood of The Last Asuran.
On the other hand, music enthusiasts danced to an electrifying DJ set by Karan Kanchan, while rising comedy star Ravi Gupta (a.k.a. Shudh Desi Comic) had audiences in splits with his witty, desi humour.
The Meet & Greet Zone today featured 8Bit Creatives’ popular gaming personalities, such as Raj Varma (Snax), Payal Dhare (Payal Gaming), Parv Singh (Regaltos), Salman Ahmad (8bit Mamba), Monika Jeph (Sherlock Live), Nishant Williams (Willy Gamingg), Mithul Nayak (Binks), Dhwani Bhatt (Pinkcess), and Dhruv Sangwan (Dhruv), who connected with fans through their stories, popular slangs and gaming insights.
Just like yesterday, the Hyderabad Comic Con Cosplay Contest stole the show, with hundreds of cosplayers competing for a prize pool exceeding INR 5 Lakhs, including a daily grand cash prize of INR 50,000. The city’s best cosplayers battled it out to represent Hyderabad at the Indian Championship of Cosplay 2025 Qualifiers, aiming for a daily reward of INR 1.25 Lakhs.
Day 3 of DreamHack 2024 x Hyderabad Comic Con is set to be a spectacular finale, packed with more comic book launches, special sessions, and engaging fireside chats. As the event reaches its climax, SPS, OMEN Campus Quest Season 2, PAN FEST, KO Fight Night, Blitz Chess tournament, and the BYOD and retro tournaments will all wrap up with their much-anticipated grand finals.
Two critically acclaimed stand-up comedy stars, Syed Bashaar, and Harsh Gujral, will bring the laughs, while Geek Fruit will take everyone on a nostalgic journey with iconic theme songs.
For further updates and information regarding DreamHack x Hyderabad Comic Con 2024, follow NODWIN Gaming & DreamHack India on social media. Get your tickets now to experience the best of both worlds and experience the excitement of DreamHack India 2024 x Hyderabad Comic Con firsthand!
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