BK8, one of Asia’s leading sports betting companies, has entered into an agreement in terms of which it has been named as the new official Global Betting Partner of Huddersfield Town Football Club for the remainder of the 2021/22 season.
The new commercial partnership will see BK8 expand into English football after having signed agreements with an array of Spanish clubs which include Athletic Club de Bilbao, Valencia CF, Elche Club de Futbol, RCD Mallorca and Villarreal CF. The operator has worked with the likes of former England international John Terry and former Netherlands international Robin van Persie in the past.
BK8’s agreement with Huddersfield Town will also see the company’s logo displayed on a number of club assets that includes advertising on the perimeter board on match-day and advertising on players’ non-match-day training kits.
Mark Devlin, Chief Executive Officer at Huddersfield Town, commented that they have spent a lot of time speaking to BK8 to understand their values.
Devlin also said that they have come to know the central team at BK8 and how they want to operate as a company and are, therefore, glad to enter into this partnership with BK8 which potentially could grow in the coming years.
Michael Gatt, European Managing Director at BK8, said they are absolutely delighted to have partnered with Huddersfield Town as their Official Global Betting Partner, and are thrilled that they have been able to see the positive changes they have made as a brand in recent months to make this possible.
Fifteen clubs across the English Football League had gambling companies as their shirt sponsors at the start of the 2021/22 football season, with almost all having signed general sponsorship partnerships with such firms.
Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) has entered into a Share Purchase Agreement that will see it acquire sportsbook and platform provider Sportnco Gaming (Sportnco) for an initial consideration of €50.8m.
Sportnco has rebranded from France Pari and is a provider of turnkey betting and gaming solutions to operators in regulated markets with proprietary sportsbook and player account management solutions.
The provider has a strong presence in France and has also expanded into Spain, Peru and Greece. It is partnered with Betway, Casino Gran Madrid, NetBet, Casino Barcelona and Peru’s Casino Atlantic City and Olimpo.
According to GiG, the combined company will boost its position as a leading platform and media provider andat the close of the deal, Sportnco and GiG will be licensed in 25 markets, with approximately 55 clients.
GiG will pay an initial consideration of €50.8m, of which €23.5m will be paid in new GiG shares with the remaining €27.3m to be paid in cash. Sportnco’s existing debt of €19.2m will also be assumed by GiG and could pay an earn-out of up to €23m, based on the supplier’s performance in 2022 and 2023.
Richard Brown, CEO at GiG said that the hugely complimentary regulatory profile and high-quality sportsbook that Sportnco have, rapidly expands both companies’ short and long-term addressable market.
Herve Schlosser, CEO and founder of Sportnco, said the two companies were a perfect match, both in terms of product and area of business, and also through sharing the same corporate values.
He added that their mutual PAM solutions will enable them to cover European and American regulated markets for existing and future clients.
SkyCity Entertainment Group will invest €25m into the business through a directed share issue after entering into an agreement with GiG.
One of the United States’ leading online Sports Betting and Casino companies, Rush Street Interactive, recently announced that it has entered into a 10-year Sports Betting Operations Partnership Agreement with Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company, the only Resort, Entertainment and Media Company centered on Professional Football.
The signing of the partnership follows the legislation of Sports Gambling within the state of Ohio and is subject to obtaining the necessary licensing.
In terms of the agreement Rush Street Interactive will operate a premier retail Sportsbook at the Hall of Fame Village, powered by Johnson Controls with the agreement between the parties also featuring a Sponsorship component that allows Rush Street Interactive to utilize HOFV’s signage, branding and media assets.
The complex surrounds the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton and consists of a Multi-Sport, Entertainment and Media destination.
Richard Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer of Rush Street Interactive, commented that they are excited to partner with the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company, a unique sports and entertainment company with exceptional reach in professional football and beyond.
Schwartz went on to say that they look forward to offering a best-in-class Sportsbook commensurate with the prestige of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Hall of Fame Village that fans across the country and world can enjoy.
Michael Crawford, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company, said that with the legislation of Sports Betting in Ohio, they see a variety of opportunities and benefits across their company’s multiple business lines. He added that they selected Rush Street Interactive because of its outstanding reputation, impressive Sportsbook results in other markets and the quality and experience of its team.
Hollywood Casino in Perryville is thrilled to reveal that it has become Maryland’s fifth sportsbook to open in the state after having been granted approval from Maryland’s regulator to take bets.
A grand opening ceremony took place at the casino that is a couple of miles from the Delaware border after the casino successfully completed a two-day trial run that was supervised by the Maryland Lottery officials.
The facility offers a casino floor with approximately 800 Reel and Video Slot machines and Table Games for craps, poker, blackjack, roulette and more, as well as dining and free live entertainment. The casino is open 24 hours a day, throughout the year.
Hollywood Casino is the fifth facility to open Sports Betting following MGM National Harbor, Live! Casino, Ocean Downs and Horseshow launched their sportsbooks earlier this month.
The Sports Wagering Application Review Commission awarded licenses to all the above facilities last month.
Seventeen establishments that include the five casinos have been assigned in the sports wagering law to conduct Sports Betting. It is anticipated that other facilities, including Long Shot’s, Greenmount Station and Riverboat will accept sports wagers early next year.
It is expected that once sports betting is fully operational, a 15% tax on revenue will result in total revenue reaching $100m annually, with approximately $15m for the state and $85m for the businesses.
Sports wagering has already been approved by Washington DC and 32 states, including Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
A vote to legalize sports betting during the 2020 election was approved by Maryland by a margin of two to one.
Sportradar, a leading sports content and technology company, has signed a five-year extension of its long-term partnership with burgeoning professional football league Bundesliga International.
Sportradar is the official provider of betting and streaming rights for the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, outside the US and DACH regions (Switzerland, Austria and Germany) until the end of the 2025-26 season).
The extended partnership gives Sportradar the opportunity to sublicense the rights for moving images from those competitions to its network of sportsbook operators.
The agreement will also enable Sportradar to continue collecting and distributing live match data, enabling its customers to gain access to a quick and dependable feed.
Sportradar will also provide bookmakers with a number of tools to boost the ways fans experience and interact with international Bundesliga content.
Virtual Sports Bundesliga, an Al-driven virtual sports gaming solution has also been launched by Sportradar. It integrates real match video highlights from 3,500 Bundesliga archive matches allowing fans to benefit from an interactive gaming experience.
Robert Klein, Bundesliga International CEO, commented that this is a long-term and trusted partnership, built up over many years and with a shared vision for excellence. He added that they see this extension with Sportradar as a blend of working with established partners to create innovative opportunities and products
Ed Blonk, CCO at Sportradar, said that for the best part of two decades, Sportradar has enjoyed a successful partnership with Bundesliga International and the DFL, working closely together to deliver the highest quality products available in the market.
Blonk also said that they are excited to embark on the next phase of the relationship using their market-leading technologies to help Bundesliga International develop new and exciting ways to engage fans around the world.