North America

Betting on Football 2018, the fifth edition of the largest international sports and betting trade conference, will take place at Stamford Bridge from 20-23 March. Featuring 1,500 senior executives, 200 leading industry speakers and 50 key sessions #bofcon2018 has become a must-attend event for the entire sports betting sector. Here are just ten of the key reasons why missing this …

Mark Frissora, the President & CEO of Caesars Entertainment, continues his quest to win a Japanese ‘integrated resorts’ licence, a key initiative for expanding Caesars footprint beyond US shores. Last week, Frissora and Caesars senior executive team visited Japan, to gain cultural learnings, in a market that has been branded Asian gambling’s next ‘holy grail’. During the visit, Caesars announced …

The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) has confirmed the appointment of Paul Burns as new President and Chief Executive Officer of its trade and industry representative body. Burns was a founding member of the CGA, and has acted as a key stakeholder in the organisations initiatives and policy acting as Vice President of Affairs since 2015. A 20-year Canadian gambling executive, …

A strategic acquisition has led to the Gambling.com Group making a “forceful move” into the sports betting vertical, via the purchase of Bookies.com and related assets. The firm details a purchase price of an upfront payment of £2m paid as a cash consideration in conjunction with the transfer of the assets, as well as a deferred compensation of £4.5m, which …

A refinanced Scientific Games Corporation (SGC) has published its 2017 full-year results (period ending 31 December), detailing solid growth across its assets and performance KPIs. The Nasdaq-listed industry technology group details that in 2017, it was able to strengthen its global commercial pipeline, developing a ‘richer revenue mix’ for its operations. Updating investors, SGC details that group revenues increased 7% …

With the growth of the US sports betting space becoming a more realistic possibility, operators are left questioning the best methods to fully unlock the potential of the US market. Speaking to SBC the Co-founder and CEO of Chalkline Sports, Daniel Kustelski analysed the US market and what is likely to be the most efficient approach for operators as they enter …

Boston-based daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings has signalled its intent to diversify its services by hiring Sean Hurley as its first-ever Head of Sportsbook. Hurley joins DraftKings from betting and trading platform provider Amelco Ltd, where he most recently served as Head of Commercial operations (2017-2018), and will be tasked with delivering DraftKings’ initial online sportsbook property. Hurley will join …

Aristocrat Leisure has reported a strong 2017 showing, “against a backdrop of broadly flat markets and increasing pressure from existing and new competitors”. Speaking at the firm’s annual general meeting, Trevor Croker, Aristocrat CEO, highlighted a fiscal year rise of 15% in group revenue in reported terms, to a record result of more than $2.45b. Earnings before EBITDA also rose …

New York-listed gambling technology supplier IGT Group becomes the latest industry incumbent to join the ‘All-in Diversity Project’ as a founding member and participant the diversity initiative’s inaugural year. The All-in Diversity Project is an industry-driven, not-for-profit initiative which aims to deliver a new benchmark combined with better practices and standards for diversity within the global betting and gaming sectors. Entering 2018, IGT …

ESPN Sports Business Analyst Darren Rovell has published a brief transcript taken from a media Q&A with NBA Chief Commissioner Adam Silver during the league’s union address. Commissioner Silver was asked for clarity on the 1% fee which NBA league executives are reported to want to implement, should licensed sports betting be legalised by the US Supreme Court of Justice. …