Industry News
Inspired Signs Exclusive Worldwide Virtual Sports License With NFL Alumni
“The Legends of Football” – 100 Years
Signed Agreement with VEEPIO, the Mobile Technology Arm of the NFL Alumni
Inspired Entertainment, Inc. announced that it has signed an agreement with VEEPIO, the mobile technology arm of the NFL Alumni (“NFLA”), to utilize the name, brand, image, persona and likenesses of the NFLA members to be commercially used worldwide in virtual football games. The NFLA is the oldest and best-known retired player organization in professional sports composed of thousands of former NFL players, coaches, team staff members and associated members.
As the pioneer of Virtual Sports, Inspired has recreated the action of the world’s most popular sports for more than 15 years. With this agreement, Inspired will have exclusive worldwide rights to utilize the brand and image of the NFLA members for its Virtual Products. Inspired intends to use its award-winning visual effects and the latest in motion capture technology to bring the NFLA greats to life, delivering an experience and not just a game with its ‘Legends of Football’. Inspired is currently the only provider of Virtual Football, which has received a tremendous response since launching in 2018, as evidenced by bet365’s recent launch of two new channels of football.
Inspired’s “Legends of Football” virtual football game will showcase some legends of the game, including NFL Hall of Fame players like Franco Harris. Harris said, “I’m excited to see the Inspired virtual product and connect with fans who may not have seen me or some of my contemporaries play during our careers. I’m especially proud of the benefit that will be derived by the NFL Alumni retired players as they transition into their lives after football.”
Phil Villipiano, the All Pro and 2019 GridIron Greats Hall of Fame inductee from the Oakland Raiders, who was on the field with Franco during the famous “Immaculate Reception” play, said it best, “I know it’s only virtual football, but it sure would be great to see the outcome of that play differently. Like Franco, I’m excited that proceeds from the ‘Legends of Football’ virtual game will go to the benefit of my fellow NFL Alumni to help them in areas like healthcare.”
“We are pleased to announce our partnership with the NFLA and VEEPIO,” said Brooks Pierce, President and Chief Operating Officer of Inspired Entertainment. “We have had great success since the introduction of our Virtual Football games but we expect this partnership to take it to the next level. VEEPIO allows us to produce the first-ever suite of entertainment products featuring the brands and images of the ‘Legends of Football’. Fans will love cheering on their favorite superstar players of all time, creating a more passionate and competitive experience.”
The primary focus of the NFLA is to serve, assist and inform players in their post-NFL lives. Alumni are offered a diverse package of medical, business, and legal services to help keep them and their families healthy, productive, and connected to the league and their former teammates. The NFLA also continues to support organizations and projects that offer special promise to advance the quality of life in communities where Alumni chapters are located. Together, the NFLA raises more than $1 million a year for local nonprofit causes.
“We are always looking for new and different channels to expand our reach, assist our members, and help our local communities,” said NFLA CEO Beasley Reese. “This partnership with Inspired fits well within our primary mission of ‘Caring for Our Own’. The Legends of Football suite of games helps position NFL alumni to grow their brands, embrace technology, and enhance their financial stability.
“As the award-winning recognized leader in Virtual Sports, Inspired is the perfect fit for VEEPIO and the NFLA,” said Jonathan Ohliger, CEO of VEEPIO. “They have grown the Virtual Sports category massively in recent years, but no one has offered a virtual football game with the former players. We have every confidence that Inspired will put together an exhilarating suite of games that will help benefit NFLA member initiatives.”
About Inspired Entertainment, Inc.
Inspired is a global games technology company, supplying Virtual Sports, Mobile Gaming and Server Based Gaming systems with associated terminals and digital content to regulated lottery, betting and gaming operators around the world. Inspired currently operates approximately 35,000 digital gaming terminals and supplies its Virtual Sports products through more than 40,000 retail channels and over 100 websites, in approximately 35 gaming jurisdictions worldwide. Inspired employs 600 employees in the UK and elsewhere, developing and operating digital games and networks. Additional information can be found at www.inseinc.com.
About VEEPIO
Founded in 2015, VEEPIO is a content optimization technology platform. VEEPIO’s innovative software development kit enables brands to link content from any online resource directly into media within their mobile application, eliminating the need for the user to leave the ecosystem of the company’s app. For more information please visit: https://twitter.com/veepio
About NFL Alumni
The NFL Alumni Association is a nationwide group of former National Football League players, coaches and other employees whose mission is to serve, assist and inform former players and their families. The association offers a variety of health, financial and learning programs to help its members. For more information please visit: nflalumni.org.
Source: Inspired Entertainment, Inc.
Industry News
Dutch Mental Health Care Calls for Total Ban on Online Gambling Advertising
The Dutch mental health service is calling for a total ban on online gambling advertisements in the Netherlands.
Although a ban on untargeted gambling advertisements and a ban on the use of role models has been in effect since 2023, a recent research by KRO-NCRV’s Pointer shows that (illegal) gambling companies and sports tipster platforms are still enticing young people via social media such as TikTok and Snapchat.
By using influencers and terms like “free money”, they try to attract a young audience and thus lower the threshold to start gambling. This concerns both legal online casinos and online casinos that do not have a license in the Netherlands. The Gaming Authority has started an investigation based on Pointer’s findings.
Pointer’s research shows that part of the gambling industry deliberately targets young people who are often susceptible to promises such as “fast money” and the influence of role models. Ruth Peetoom, chair of the Dutch mental health service, compares this approach to that of the tobacco industry, where similar marketing strategies were used to get young people to smoke.
Despite the existing advertising ban, gambling companies continue to explore the boundaries of the law, according to Peetoom. The Dutch mental health and addiction care associations in the Netherlands therefore push for a total ban on online gambling advertising and stricter rules for the duty of care of gambling providers.
With the call for a total ban, the Dutch mental health care sector hopes to prevent further normalisation of gambling behaviour among young people and to protect them from the temptation and consequences of online gambling.
Compliance Updates
UKGC: Market impact data on gambling behaviour – operator data to Oct 2024
The Gambling Commission has published further data on the gambling industry in Great Britain.
This data, sourced from operators, reflects the period between March 2020 and September 2024, inclusive, and covers online and in-person gambling covering Licensed Betting Operators (LBOs) found on Britain’s high streets.
Comparison should not be made with the industry statistics dataset, as this dataset may include free bets and bonuses and does not include data from all operators.
This release compares Quarter 2 (Q2) of financial year 2024 to 2025, with Q2 of 2023 to 2024, looking at how the market has changed in comparative periods over a year.
The latest operator data shows:
- online total Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) in Q2 (July to September) was £1.32 billion, an increase of 11 percent from Q2 the previous year. The overall number of total bets and/or spins increased 12 percent Year-on-Year (YoY), reaching a new peak for the third consecutive quarter of 25.2 billion, whilst the average monthly active accounts2 in the quarter increased 8 percent
- real event betting GGY increased by 6 percent YoY to £453 million. The number of bets decreased 10 percent, while the average monthly active accounts in Q2 increased 9 percent
- slots GGY increased 16 percent to £680 million YoY. The number of spins increased 13 percent to 23.3 billion while the average monthly active accounts in Q2 increased 16 percent to 4.4 million per month. Although this is a new peak for GGY in this dataset for the slots vertical, it should be noted that one operator has re-classified some of its products into the slot vertical this quarter, which has had an impact on the vertical data
- the number of online slots sessions lasting longer than an hour increased by 9 percent YoY to 10 million. The average session length remained at 17 minutes. Approximately 6.1 percent of all sessions lasted more than one hour compared to 6.6 percent in Q2 the previous year. The number of spins per session has fallen from 147 to 142 YOY, whilst the GGY per session has fallen from £4.20 to £4.13 in the equivalent timeframe
- LBO GGY decreased by 1 percent to £533 million in Q2 2024 to 2025, compared to the same quarter last year, while the number of total bets and spins decreased by 0.1 percent to 3.1 billion.
Industry News
Petra Maria Poola Joins Xace as Group Commercial Director
Xace has announced that Petra Maria Poola has joined the company as Group Commercial Director.
Petra brings a wealth of experience from the iGaming industry having formerly held roles at several iGaming companies such as Yolo, Relax Gaming and SiGMA. She will lead the commercial growth of Xace and its group companies, including crypto and iGaming focused xda.io, helping to drive strategic initiatives across banking, fintech and iGaming solutions.
In her new role, she will mainly oversee the growth of the group’s sales, marketing and account management functions, ensuring a cohesive strategy that supports Xace’s ambitious expansion plans.
“I am incredibly excited to start this new chapter with Xace, and work alongside such a talented team and management. Transitioning into the fintech space, while still connected to iGaming, presents an exciting opportunity for growth and learning. I’m looking forward to applying my expertise to help Xace and its group companies achieve new heights commercially, while gaining deeper insights into the fast-evolving world of fintech,” said Petra Maria Poola.
Reuben Abel, CEO of Xace, said: “Petra’s extensive background in the iGaming sector, combined with her commercial acumen, makes her a valuable addition to the Xace team. She will play a crucial role in expanding Xace’s market presence and enhancing its suite of services tailored to the specific needs of the iGaming and fintech industries.”
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