Europe

Ivan Rozić (pictured), SVP of Global Sales and Business Development at NSoft, reflects on the lessons learned during 2020, before predicting a more successful coexistence for online and land-based betting when retail is back to full strength. In November 1956, Isaac Asimov published a science fiction short story called “The Last Question” which beautifully describes an overlapping relationship between physical …

Catena Media backs the acceleration of its US publisher strategy, to mitigate ongoing European market headwinds as stateside growth underlines its 2020 performance.     Publishing its results for the three months ended December 2020, Catena declared operating revenues of €26.6 million, an increase of 0.3% from Q4 2019. Meanwhile, the company also reported a 9% increase in EBITDA to €12.3 million, …

Better Collective AS has backed its digital portfolio and long-term business strategy after the company maintained its growth profile by navigating a year of unprecedented headwinds.  Publishing its full-year (FY) 2020 results, Better Collective recorded corporate revenues of €91 million – up 35% on the corresponding €64.5 million from FY2019. Corporate performance was boosted by a strong close to year-end …

Stats Perform has appointed former Sky Betting & Gaming technology veteran Nick Cockerill as its new Group VP of Sports Betting Products.  Cockerill joined Stats Perform this February to head up the betting innovation arm of Stats Perform, for which the sports tech company seeks to merge its data capture, sports analysis and media capabilities to develop new ground-breaking products …

Codere SA has rejected Spanish news reports that it has entered into negotiations to sell a majority 51% stake of its online gambling unit to Austrian conglomerate Novomatic. The Bolsa Madrid-registered gambling group instantly refuted a news article published by El Confidencial this morning, in which it was reported that the firm was reviewing a strategic offer put forward by …

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has backed the proposal to delay the Grand National until after 12 April to allow betting shops to take advantage of the event. Under the government’s current roadmap out of the UK’s ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, betting shops are due to reopen on 12 April, whilst the iconic horse race will take place on 10 …

Sports integrity non-profit organisation the CSCF Foundation has launched its ‘IntegriSport Next ERASMUS+’, an EU-level project representing a joint commitment between six member-state countries in raising awareness of sports manipulation threats and compromises.  The EU-funded initiative is a continuation of the IntegriSport Erasmus+ project, which was launched in 2019, consolidating itself as an important platform for raising awareness amongst law …

Ascot Racecourse has strengthened its board through the appointment of Felicity Barnard as Commercial Director. Barnard brings considerable experience to the role, having served as CEO at Tie Break Tens for four years, where she launched the new short format of tennis globally. Other notable roles throughout her 15 year career include working for Arsenal FC’s London and Singapore offices …

Watford FC has strengthened its commitments to responsible and safer gambling via a partnership with mobile health app RecoverMe. RecoverMe was developed by three junior NHS doctors with the aim of increasing awareness of gambling treatment options. The app enables those struggling with problem gambling to better control their addictions via their personal mobile device. It ‘offers a lifeline’ to …

Grupo CIRSA, Spain’s largest gambling operator, has published its 2020 financial accounts, revealing group-wide operating losses of €255 million.  CIRSA, which is fully owned by US private equity fund Blackstone Group, cites that its financial performance had ‘rebounded’ during the second half of 2020 trading, as the company posted a better than anticipated full-year EBITDA of €126 million. Nevertheless, CIRSA …