Latest News
Top Sports Betting Moments of 2023 from Betano and Stoiximan by Kaizen Gaming
Real Madrid leads as most popular team in betting
Premier League pays out highest winnings
Over 11x more bets on the Saudi Pro League after Ronaldo’s transfer
2023 was a year of many ‘firsts’. For the first time ever, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo played club football outside Europe. Manchester City won its first and long-awaited Champions League trophy. Fluminense took its first taste of a Copa Libertadores triumph. The Spanish national team won its first World Cup in women’s football. And in the NBA, the Denver Nuggets secured its first NBA championship.
Kaizen Gaming, one of the biggest gametech companies in the world, sheds a different light on the events, teams and stories that stole the show in 2023 through data gathered from its sports betting platforms, Betano and Stoiximan, from 13 countries across four continents.
Across all markets, Premier League fixtures and Champions League matches featuring English clubs proved popular among bettors, as did local teams. Various Manchester City fixtures were in the top five betting events across many regions including its June match against Inter Milan in Greece, Cyprus and Czechia and its February RB Leipzig and its May Real Madrid matches in Bulgaria. Similarly, the Citizens’ December match against Everton and November game against Chelsea ranked as two of the top betting choices among Nigerian punters.
In Germany, most bets were placed on November’s match between FC Bayern Munchen and FC Copenhagen followed by November’s FSV Mainz 05 versus RB Leipzig game. In Brazil, November’s Flamengo RJ versus Palmeiras SP came out ahead.
Two Bizarre Stories from Liverpool
On May 28 in Southampton versus Liverpool, Betano and Stoiximan players were paid out regardless of the result they had bet on for two reasons: a special Kaizen Gaming offer paying players when the team they bet on gets a two-goal lead and a crazy scoreboard that saw both teams getting such a lead and ended in a 4-4 draw.
On September 30 in Tottenham vs Liverpool (2-1), a clearly wrong VAR call led to the cancellation of a goal by Luis Diaz as offside. Nonetheless, Kaizen Gaming decided to reward the players who placed a bet on Luis Diaz to score.
What else stood out from a gaming perspective in all markets where Kaizen operates?
Real Madrid Reigns Supreme
In 2023, Real Madrid didn’t manage to defend its 2022 Champions League and La Liga titles. Still, the Copa del Rey winners were the most popular team among bettors. The team that won it all, Manchester City, just fell short this time, being the second most betted club with Liverpool in third place.
In basketball, even though the Miami Heat lost the NBA finals to the Denver Nuggets, it was ‘crowned’ the most popular team in betting with its rivals in second place. The Milwaukee Bucks, starring Betano global ambassador Giannis Antetokounmpo, came third.
A Truly Celebratory Boxing Day
Boxing Day’s Premier League matches seemed to be the best time to bet in 2023. That day’s match between Everton and Manchester City (1-3) shared the most winnings to Kaizen’s customers in 2023. Placed second was Chelsea versus Crystal Palace (2-1) for the same Premier League fixture on December 27. Ranked third was Liverpool versus Real Madrid (2-5) for the Champions League Round of 16.
As for the matches where players placed the most bets, in Europe the winner is the second leg Champions League quarter final 1-1 draw between Napoli and AC Milan. Surprisingly, the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter (1-0) was just third. In South America, the most popular match was Cruzeiro versus Palmeiras (1-1) in the last fixture of the Brazilian Serie A, where Palmeiras were crowned Brazilian champions.
The Ronaldo and Messi Effect
After Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to Al Nassr, a lot of top names such as Neymar, Benzema and Kante, decided to make the move to the Saudi Pro League in what journalists and fans describe as ‘the Ronaldo Effect’. ‘The Ronaldo Effect’ extends to betting too, as his transfer increased bettors’ interest in the league by more than 1,000%. As for Messi’s transfer to Inter Miami, 25% of all Inter Miami relevant bets are on ‘Messi to score’.
2024 a Thrilling Year in Sports
At the end of 2023, Kaizen Gaming announced that its Betano brand has signed on as an Official Global Sponsor of UEFA Euro 2024 with its Stoiximan brand serving as official sponsor of the upcoming Euro for Greece and Cyprus. With the Paris Olympic Games and other major sporting events like Copa America and Africa Cup of Nations, 2024 is set out to be an all around thrilling year in sports gaming.
eSports
EXCITEMENT GROWS AS 2024 PUBG MOBILE GLOBAL CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND FINALS NEAR
- The countdown is on for the 2024 PUBG MOBILE Global Championship Grand Finals, live in London from December 6th to 8th, for the first time ever in the UK.
- 33 teams have been eliminated, and 16 teams are ready to battle for the crown and a share of the $3,000,000 prize pool at the Grand Finals
- Fans can tune in to witness the culmination of this year’s PUBG MOBILE Esports cycle on the official PUBG MOBILE YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Twitch channels
- Exclusive to the 2024 PMGC the Royale Pass A10 Tundra Knight Set will be awarded to the Grand Final Champions, whilst the Raven Scepter will go to the Grand Finals MVP player
The countdown is on for the 2024 PUBG MOBILE Global Championship (PMGC) Grand Finals, where the world’s elite mobile esports teams will go head-to-head in an electrifying showdown. In less than a week, fans around the globe will witness three days of unrelenting competition as the final 16 teams battle it out for their share of the mighty $3,000,000 prize pool, the largest in UK esports history. Kicking off on December 6th in London’s ExCeL Centre, this marks the first time the PMGC Grand Finals will take place in the UK, promising an unforgettable live event filled with epic plays, high-stakes drama, and the crowning of the 2024 PUBG MOBILE Global Champions.
Since October, 48 teams have embarked on the journey to the 2024 PMGC Grand Finals, battling fiercely through the Group Stage, Survival Stage and Last Chance Stage. After months of high-stake competition, 33 teams have been eliminated, leaving only the very best to advance to the final showdown, including 9 teams from the Group Stage, 6 from the Last Chance Stage, and 1 Host Region Invite, each earning their place through grit, strategy, and unforgettable gameplay.
Now, the final 16 teams are poised to showcase their brilliance on the world stage in London. Among the contenders is Alpha7 Esports from Brazil, whose bold and aggressive strategies have made them fan favourites – coming fresh off their victory in the 2024 PUBG MOBILE World Cup (PMWC). Joining them is Falcons Force who scored a huge 44 points more than their fellow teams during the Last Chance Stage, and will be ones to watch out for as they attempt to recreate this in the Grand Finals. Alongside these giants, Nigma Galaxy will also be looking to step into the spotlight, being the first MEA team to qualify for the PMGC Grand Finals in two years.
The Host Region team, Guild Esports will also be looking to prove themselves a worthy contender for the title of 2024 PUBG MOBILE Global Champions — a mighty challenge when considering such strong opponents.
2024 PMGC Grand Finals Teams:
- Alpha7 Esports
- 4Merical Vibes
- DPlus
- DRX
- Falcons Force
- INFLUENCE RAGE
- Insilio
- NAVI
- Nigma Galaxy MEA
- Regnum Carya Bra Esports
- Team Spirit
- Tong Jia Bao Esports
- ThunderTalk Gaming
- The Vicious LATAM
- VOIN DONKEY ID
- Guild Esports (Host Region Invite)
In addition to taking the lion’s share of the $3,000,000 prize pool, alongside the 2024 PMGC title and trophy, the Global Champions will also secure the Royale Pass A10 Tundra Knight Set, designed exclusively for the 2024 PMGC. Accompanying this stylish reward is the Raven Scepter, which will be granted to the winner of the Grand Finals MVP title. These majestic offerings celebrate the end-of-year competition, rewarding the top team and player for their continued efforts throughout the year.
Celebrating the 2024 PMGC with the community, players can get their hands on a unique theme song, avatar, and lobby theme from now until December 8th. Login to PUBG MOBILE and head over to the events tab to learn more!
James Yang, Senior Director of Global Esports at Level Infinite, said: “The PMGC has always been the pinnacle of mobile esports, and this year is no exception. With incredible talent, high-stakes matches, and unforgettable moments at every stage, the 2024 Grand Finals are shaping up to be our most thrilling yet. Hosting the Grand Finals in London for the first time is a historic milestone, bringing fans a world-class esports experience in the heart of the UK. We can’t wait to see which team will rise above the rest and make history.”
For those unable to attend in person, fans can watch the unparalleled action live, starting from the 6th of December at 11:00am GMT by heading to the official PUBG MOBILE Esports’ official YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Twitch channels.
Tickets to the Grand Finals at the London ExCel Centre can be purchased at universe.com.
Latest News
Scientific Games’ Newest Systems Technology to Power Retail and Digital Sales for North Dakota Lottery
Advanced Enterprise System Will Connect Multichannel Experiences, Including iLottery, Loyalty, Player Account Management and CRM
Scientific Games’ signed a new technology contract with the North Dakota Lottery to implement the company’s most advanced omnichannel system solutions. The Lottery selected Scientific Games’ integrated solution to power retail and digital sales following a competitive process, awarding the global lottery company a new six-year contract with a two-year extension option. As the industry’s fastest-growing systems provider, Scientific Games has successfully executed nearly 40 lottery systems implementations and conversions since 2016.
Built upon key components of Scientific Games’ Momentum ecosystem, a new, advanced enterprise gaming system is at the core of the tech solution developed for the North Dakota Lottery. The integrated ecosystem features the AEGIS central gaming system, a premiere digital platform offering a single integrated solution for iLottery and Loyalty, and innovative retail technology, including award-winning self-service terminals.
The company’s industry-leading player account management solution, SG PAM, a high-performance customer relationship management solution, superior bonusing engine and upgraded achievement-based rewards program, will continue to drive North Dakota player engagement with a completely new user experience (web and mobile).
Lance Gaebe, Director of the North Dakota Lottery, said, “Our goal was to modernize our technology so that our players can enjoy fluid experiences between retail and digital. We also wanted to work with the tech partner that gave us the best technical solution for the North Dakota Lottery to responsibly grow sales and contributions to our state programs in the coming years.”
The new contract is the third time North Dakota has chosen Scientific Games as its system vendor, highlighted by 33% sales growth in the past 10 years. iLottery sales increased 36% from fiscal year 2022 to 2023.
Scientific Games began a 20-year technology partnership with the North Dakota Lottery when its first Powerball tickets were sold in 2004, launched its iLottery program in 2014 and mobile app in 2018. The company currently provides the Lottery with an online/mobile Pick & Click draw game purchase program, as well as a Players Club where members earn points and redeem rewards through a Points for Prizes online store and Points for Drawings program.
John Schulz, President, Americas & Global Instant Products, said, “We’ve been there since the beginning with the North Dakota Lottery, and our technology has served the Lottery very well over the past two decades. Our teams have worked hard to build a strong partnership through service excellence, and they deeply understand the North Dakota Lottery’s unique business. Now, we’re taking that partnership to the next level with our Momentum ecosystem.”
Scientific Games provides retail and digital games, technology, analytics and services to 150 lotteries in 50 countries around the globe.
Asia
Nazara announces five investments totalling INR 196 Crores to drive growth across Gaming and Entertainment
Nazara Technologies Limited (BSE: 543280 | NSE: NAZARA), India’s only listed diversified gaming and sports media company, has unveiled a series of strategic investments aimed at solidifying its position in the gaming and entertainment ecosystems.
Nazara has announced new Investments in Funky Monkeys & Learntube.ai
Nazara has expanded into physical entertainment with the acquisition of a 60% stake in Funky Monkeys Play Centers Private Limited, a leader in indoor soft play centers for children, for INR 43.7 crores. Funky Monkeys operates 11 centers across India, offering interactive play experiences for children.
Co-founders of Funky Monkeys, Binita Putcha and Sanjay Ghadiali, said: “We are excited to join hands with Nazara, whose vision for digital and hybrid entertainment aligns closely with ours. With Nazara’s expertise and resources, we are confident we can scale Funky Monkeys and bring even more joy to children and families across India. We also see synergies with digital IP’s owned by Nazara such as Kiddopia and will work to maximise these opportunities”
Nazara will also invest INR 4.2 crores for a 4.7% stake in Learntube.ai, an AI-powered platform revolutionizing education with 1:1 interactive and gamified learning. Catering to over 20 lakh learners, LearnTube is the world largest personalised learning platform that offers affordable, interactive gamified learning experiences for professional skilling.
“LearnTube’s collaboration with Nazara is a bold step forward in reshaping professional learning and interactive media. We are excited to combine forces to lead innovation on a global scale,” said Shronit Ladhani, Co-founder, LearnTube.
Nazara has Increased its shareholding of existing companies
Nazara will invest INR 148 crores in its existing subsidiaries including Sportskeeda, Nodwin Gaming, and Datawrkz to increase its ownership in them and support their growth.
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Nodwin Gaming: Nazara will invest INR 64 crores through subscription of Optionally Convertible Preference Shares to bolster Nodwin’s growth. The funds will support Nodwins expansion, enhance its intellectual properties (IPs), and strengthen its footprint in emerging markets.
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Absolute Sports (Sportskeeda): Nazara will invest INR 69 crores to purchase shares arising from exercise of ESOPs from the Sportskeeda management to increase its stake to 100% in the company making it a wholly owned subsidiary.
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Datawrkz: Nazara granted in-principle approval for an investment of INR 15 crores in Datawrkz through the subscription of Compulsorily Convertible Cumulative Preference Shares to support ongoing growth of Datawrkz
Speaking on these investments, Nitish Mittersain said: “Nazara is committed to building the largest diversified gaming and entertainment platform out of India and many of our initiatives announced today are geared towards propelling profitable growth in these strategic areas of our interest.”
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