North America

In its December magazine, Forbes has profiled Amaya Gaming Group CEO David Baazov, detailing his bold 2014 acquisition of privately held poker operator Rational Group (owners of PokerStars and Full Tilt). The magazine labels the young CEO of Amaya Gaming Group, as the new ‘king of online gambling’ having pulled off an incredible industry coup. The profile piece written by …

Big year, better year? The past twelve months have witnessed some of the biggest deals in the history of the e-gaming industry, despite a regulatory and taxation backdrop of unprecedented challenge and change, across the globe. Consolidation continues, and it already seems likely that next year will see more of where the large get larger, the middle gets squeezed and …

DerbyJackpot, a New York City-based online real-money horse-racing wagering brand focusing on the regulated US market, has launched an affiliate program with Income Access, a technology and digital marketing company for the iGaming sector. The new DerbyJackpot affiliate program will be powered by the Income Access acquisition-tracking platform and will managed by the company’s in-house team of US affiliate-marketing specialists. …

NBA basketball team,  the Houston Rockets  announced today a partnership with Boston-based daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings. The Houston Rockets are among the first NBA franchises to work with DraftKings, the US-based destination for daily fantasy sports, which offers contests for experts and casual players alike. In addition to daily fantasy basketball, DraftKings also offers fantasy contests in additional major professional …

Sports data, insight and analyses has become big business in 2014, with the sector witnessing several mergers and acquisitions. Now forming a vital part of sports betting operational value chain, Team SBC speaks to Roy Clements Managing Director of STATS Europe, on his companies European ambitions. Clements tells the SBC team, that his firm’s data on US sports is provided …

Churchill Downs Incorporated   announced that Leonard S. Coleman, Jr., has resigned from the Company’s Board of Directors effective December 17, 2014. Mr. Coleman, who also serves on Electronic Arts Inc.’s Board of Directors, has elected to resign from CDI’s Board of Directors to avoid any appearance of a potential conflict of competitive interest following CDI’s acquisition of Big Fish …

STATS, the sports technology, data and content supplier, is planning on a massive expansion of its in-play portfolio over the next few years, with the company planning on doubling the number of events that it covers. Roy Clements, managing director of STATS Europe, said that the company has big ambitions to expand its coverage of American sports. He explained: “STATS …

While US sports betting’s 2014 agenda has been dominated primarily by New Jersey states attempt to approve sports wagering within legalised gambling premises (casino and race tracks). US concerns on sports betting, may soon shift cross border to Canada where authorities and media have begun to debate the legalisation of sports betting. Next January the Canadian Senate will review Bill …

Billionaire investor Carl Ichan has brokered a last minute deal with Trump Entertainment Resorts workforce union representatives to save the closure of the Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City’s second biggest casino. Ichan Enterprise currently owns $292 million of Trump Entertainment debt, the firm stated that it would take over the casino operations and inject operating capital if the New Jersey …

Embattled casino and leisure operator Caesars Entertainment has failed to pay its $225 million bond interest, which was due on 15 December. Caesars Entertainment had confirmed that the operator would not pay the interest, thus triggering a default on its + $18 billion debt. The operator elected not to pay, due to ongoing discussions with first line bondholders and creditors. …