Gambling in the USA

SPORTS DATA COMPANY BETEGY RAISES CAPITAL FROM JKR INVESTMENT GROUP FOR U.S. EXPANSION; RETAINS GLOBAL GAMING EXPERT BILL PASCRELL FOR BOARD POST

Published

1 year ago

November 19, 2020

Zoltan Tundik

Photo by Raúl Nájera on Unsplash

Reading Time: 2 minutes

BETEGY, a sports data content production service based in Warsaw, Poland, has raised a new round of investment capital from JKR Investment Group, to support its ambitious United States expansion plans.

To help guide its U.S. growth, the company has retained Bill Pascrell, III, Esq., as a supervisory board member. Pascrell, a globally recognized gaming industry attorney, advisor and strategist, is a partner in Princeton Public Affairs Group, Inc., a public policy consulting and advocacy firm.

Betegy is an automated content creation system which turns complex sports data into engaging graphics, animations, banners, widgets and texts. Using machine learning algorithms, the service provides betting operators and media companies with analytics and data visualization by generating high-quality, personalized content.

Founded in 2012, Betegy clients include ESPN, Tipico, Ringier Axel Springer, Bwin, Yahoo Sports, Sportsbet.io, and Winners.net. With JKR’s financial investment and Pascrell’s management insights, Betegy plans to help U.S media companies, gaming operators and professional sports leagues to gather and display complex data from multiple sources, in fast and easily understood formats.

The European JKR Investment Group specializes in investments in the tech entertainment industry, helping ambitious start-ups and growing companies to build profitable entertainment businesses using its wide network and in-depth industry expertise. The Group invests in the igaming, digital marketing, fintech, and esports sectors.

Alexander Gusev, CEO and Managing Partner of JKR, expects the JKR investment “will strengthen our ecosystem and help Betegy to compete successfully in the dynamic and growing market. We are delighted to extend our portfolio with investment into the industry innovator: Betegy is an excellent example of how a service can help clients amplify their specialists’ resources, releasing them from routine production. Operators, sports leagues and online media, their users and wider communities will benefit from Betegy’s leading data technologies and services”

Widely known for his gambling industry expertise and successful advocacy among national and state policymakers, Pascrell represents dozens of clients from around the world including Hard Rock International, Golden Nugget, GVC Holdings, Lottoland, Monmouth Park Race Track, Meadowlands Race Track, PointsBet, PokerStars, Amaya, A Game Above, Hexigames, GiG, and BetMakers.

Pascrell’s work has been pivotal for several major gaming industry milestones including the successful legalization and regulation of U.S. sports betting through a 10-year campaign to repeal the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), culminating in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 landmark ruling. He also led the successful campaign to bring legalized and regulated online gaming to the U.S. in 2013.

Pascrell said, “Joining Betegy as a new Supervisory Board member provides a great opportunity and responsibility toward a growing U.S client base. Led by Alex Kornilov, CEO & Founder, Betegy has combined cutting-edge technology with a powerhouse management team for a truly global reach. Betegy is a strong and dynamic company that has the tools and leadership to penetrate the U.S. market and to provide unique data content to its growing U.S. clientele.”

Kornilov explained, “This is a new chapter for Betegy clients as together we change the approach to data-driven content production globally. Our partnership with JKR Investment Group is more than a financial backing of our vision. We gain in-depth industry expertise and access to a wide network, which will accelerate our growth.

“At the same time,” he added, “Bill Pascrell’s long experience in U.S. and global markets will be invaluable as he helps us to navigate new markets. His experience is vital for Betegy’s success in the U.S.”

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Gambling in the USA

Spearhead Studios becomes new Fusion™ partner

Published

3 days ago

January 26, 2022

George Miller

Spearhead Studios becomes new Fusion™ partner

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Aspire Global’s Pariplay Ltd, the leading aggregator and content provider, has taken content from Spearhead Studios live on its Fusion™ platform.

Games produced by Spearhead Studios, the gaming development company of EveryMatrix, are currently being rolled out in regulated markets worldwide through Fusion™, Pariplay’s innovative solution.

Spearhead Studios develops high-quality video slots, table games and other online real-money games, with a strong focus on localised and data-driven production. Its content is currently live with over 100 online casino operators in 14 markets across Europe, Latin America, and soon the U.S.

Pariplay’s Fusion™ aggregation platform incorporates a suite of back-office conversion and retention tools that enhance player value, while featuring thousands of titles from the industry’s leading games developers.

The Spearhead Studios content deal is the latest in a string of new partnerships as Pariplay furthers its growth in regulated markets globally.

Callum Harris, Director of Partnerships at Pariplay, said: “Spearhead Studios has carved out a deserved reputation for delivering slick content that is very carefully designed to appeal to local audiences.

“The addition of this innovative studio’s product portfolio on Fusion™ is the latest step within our mission to offer players a wide variety of content that appeals to a range of demographics in markets around the world.”

Mathias Larsson, Managing Director of Spearhead Studios, said: “By integrating with Pariplay’s aggregation platform, we are able to reach a significantly larger range of operators in regulated markets globally.

“We believe our content hits the sweet spot in terms of giving players in local markets experiences that resonate with them. We look forward to a long and successful partnership, characterised by mutual growth.”

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – January 17-23

Published

4 days ago

January 25, 2022

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news, new partnerships and new appointments. Read on and get updated.

Latest News

United Esports and the DFINITY Foundation have announced that independent game developers now have the opportunity to bring their dream game to life by applying to the first-ever game development competition series, with a $10 million prize pool, Achievement Unblocked. The revolutionary new series will be hosted by award-winning esports commentator Mitch “UberShouts” Leslie and is set to premiere in late 2022.

Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC) is improving access to its Self-Exclusion Programme. As of January 10, patrons who wish to enroll or renew their agreements within AGLC’s Self-Exclusion Programme can do so through a virtual process instead of the previous requirement of going through an in-venue gaming facility or AGLC office.

PlayAGS announced selected preliminary financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2021 in conjunction with the Company’s intention to explore a refinancing of its outstanding revolving credit facility and term loan credit facilities.

Unibet has launched a new themed live-dealer game created by Evolution Gaming. The game is called “Eagles Live Dealer Black Jack”.

fuboTV Inc. has announced that it has acquired exclusive rights to the English Premier League in the Canadian market for the next three soccer seasons beginning in 2022/2023. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

JCM Global has installed the largest sports betting screen in Oregon at the Three Rivers Casino in Florence. The 200sq.ft LED wall is the centerpiece of Three Rivers’ recently opened sportsbook.

CR Vasco da Gama, in partnership with Chiliz, the leading blockchain providers for the sports and entertainment industry, have announced that they will launch a $VASCO Fan Token on the Socios.com app.

Nuvei Corporation has announced that it has been granted approval by the New York State Gaming Commission to process payments with recently licensed digital sports betting platforms launching in the state.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has awarded Parx Casino’s holding company a license to open a mini-casino in Shippensburg Township, Cumberland County.

Crypto investment firm Mechanism Capital has launched “Mechanism Play,” a $100 million fund dedicated to play-to-earn gaming.

Partnerships

Playtech has strengthened its partnership with Banijay Brands, part of the international content producer and distributor Banijay, after being granted exclusive rights for use of The Million Dollar Drop brand in the US and retaining its rights for Deal or No Deal Bingo for a further five years.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and BetPlay, the market-leading multi-channel sports betting operator, announced a multiyear partnership that makes BetPlay the Official Betting Partner of the NBA in Colombia.

DraftKings Inc. and the Tulalip Tribes of Washington announced an exclusive market access partnership that will bring the DraftKings retail sportsbook experience to the state of Washington.

New Appointments

Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) has promoted Ben Murr to president of online gaming and its TwinSpires sports betting brand. In this role, he will be responsible for the overall strategy and operations of these businesses.

Pragmatic Play has expanded its Latin American team with the addition of Javier Samel as new Argentina Country Director.

Gambling in the USA

Happening next week, the Gaming Americas Q1 Meetup (26 January, 2022)

Published

1 week ago

January 19, 2022

Zoltan Tundik

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Gaming Americas Quarterly Meetups have proved to be of huge success for the gaming and gambling industry in North and Latin America, and the #hipthers are excited to send you a reminder that the Q1 Meetup of 2022 is taking place next week on 26 January.

Launched in 2021, the quarterly meetups are designed to keep you up-to-date with what is fresh in the North and Latin American gambling industry.

The meetups feature several panel discussions per region and topics that are joined by key industry experts, CEOs, C-Level Executives, Business Development Managers, and sometimes government officials/regulators.

All meetups offer the opportunity to network online in special break-out sessions, but also join a round table discussion which answers all burning questions of the industry at a certain point in time during the year. All this is done in a safe, virtual environment.

You can register here for free to receive updates about the speaker lineup and agenda.

As mentioned above, the first virtual quarterly meetup will take place next week on Wednesday, 26 January, and here is the lineup of discussions you can join via ZOOM, WireUp, HIPTHER TV, or YouTube:

Times are EST – (GMT -5) New York Time

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM – Is the LatAm market emerging or maturing (11:30 – 12:30 – Buenos Aires Time)
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM – Is responsible gambling being sufficiently prioritized in the US market?
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM – Fireside chat: Applying different tactics to reaching bettors in North America and Europe
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM – US Legislation Round-up
1:00 PM – 1:45 PM – The Canadian Gaming Industry Updates with Chantal Cipriano
1:45 PM – 2:15 PM – Fireside Chat: SeventySix Capital welcomes new guest
2:15 PM – 3:00 PM – Crypto Catchup with Segev LLP

Among the confirmed experts who are taking part in the discussions you can find:

Brianne Doura-Schawohl – Founder and CEO, Doura-Schawohl Consulting LLC
Victoria Reed – Co-Founder at Better Change
Jenny Lu – General Manager North America of OtherLevels
Charmaine Hogan – Head of Regulatory Affairs at Playtech
Chantal Cipriano – Vice President of Legal, Compliance & People with PointsBet Canada
Gabriel Szlaifsztein – General Manager LATAM at Continent 8 Technologies
David Mann – Chief Commercial Officer at Swintt
David Charnock – Business Development Executive at FSB
Andrea Rossi – Commercial Director Southern Europe & LatAm at Betsson Group
David Plumi – Regional Managing Director Latam & Spain at PressEnter Group
Tony Ure – Head of e-Gaming, Isle of Man Digital Executive Agency, Department for Enterprise
Victor Pronk – Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Incentive Game
Allan Petrilli – VP of Sales & Growth at Intelitics
Hugo Vint – Business Development and Growth for OtherLevels in Europe
Brandt Iden – Head of Government Affairs, US for Sportradar US
Martin Lycka – SVP for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling, Entain
Christopher Hebert – Gaming Division Director, Louisiana Attorney Generals Office
William J. Pascrell, III, Esq – Partner at Princeton Public Affairs Group, Inc.
Ty Jackson – Sports Tech Investor at SeventySix Capital
Ron Segev – Founding Partner of Segev LLP

You can register here for free to receive updates about the speaker lineup, agenda, and all upcoming meetup-related information, including recordings.

Hipther Agency is the parent brand of European Gaming, PICANTE, WireUp Zone, and Gaming Americas, eSports Connect, the HIPTHER news app, and the WireUp networking app (in testing phase) found on the Play Store.