Football

International friendlies frustrate more than they satisfy, but in a World Cup year they take on great importance for those coaches hoping to make an impression in Russia this summer. They also provide a final chance for fringe players to force their way into the reckoning for the main event. Undoubtedly, there will be players, perhaps still under the radar, …

Bitcoin-centric online sportsbook Sportsbet.io (a subsidiary of Coingaming Group), has appointed Odds On Marketing as its new brand agency, as the operator seeks to expand its profile and coverage for World Cup 2018. Sportsbet.io appoints the specialist sports marketing agency Odds On, with the key initiative of driving its new brand identity during a critical period for the sports betting …

Nathan Rothschild, partner and co-founder at iSport Genius, looks into the data challenges that face operators and punters alike at the upcoming World Cup. With the tournament taking place in a new country and with historical head-to-head data somewhat limited, advanced methodologies are needed to factor in the new elements and ensure that no data goes to waste. ___________________ We …

European online betting operator bet-at-home has benefited from growth in online betting markets, achieving record growth in its yearly results for 2017. Record annual results, paired with continued online growth position the company strongly as it approaches a key period in 2018, with the conclusion of the European football season and the commencing of the Russian World Cup.  Bet-at-home CEO …

Italian bookmakers and wider industry stakeholders are making adjustments to the daunting reality that Russia 2018 will feature no Azzurri! For the first time since 1958, there will be no Italian representation at a FIFA World Cup tournament. Italy now faces a summer of soul searching for its downtrodden Calcio, as business analysts estimate a + €1billion hit for the …

Manchester United star striker Zlatan Ibrahimović could face disciplinary action from the FA, relating to his involvement with Malta-based operator BetHard Group. This March, the online gambling group released a corporate statement detailing that it had secured Ibrahimović as the official Brand Ambassador of its flagship BetHard sportsbook. At present, BetHard primarily targets the Nordic betting markets, operating under a Malta …

European online gambling group Mr Green has become the ‘exclusive stadium Wi-Fi partner’ of Celtic FC’s Parkhead Stadium. The deal secured with live venue technology and systems specialist Stadia Solutions will see Mr Green sponsor the club’s branded WI-FI channel CelticLIVE. Working alongside Stadia Solutions, Celtic FC has expanded its stadium Wi-Fi capacity and coverage during matchdays, becoming one of …

Scott Longley details to SBC readers the industry’s first steps in football sponsorship and marketing, in what is now a multi-million £/€/$ discipline for all betting operators. _______________ We start (perhaps improbably) with Fulham FC in the first years of the new century when in its second season in the Premier League the club signed a deal with Betfair that …

Online betting exchange Smarkets has moved to strengthen its football content coverage, announcing a strategic partnership with new Catena Media property Squawka (Squawka.com). Beginning this March, Smarkets and Squawka teams will combine resources to develop ‘stats-led content’ for football audiences on both portals. The in-depth content and match analysis will be pushed via multiple distribution channels including Twitter, Facebook, and …

SportCaller, the free-to-play sports game specialist, has struck a deal with William Hill to deliver a new game, Football21, in a move the operator hopes will optimise its customer base. Football21 is a weekly free-to-enter competition which asks players to compete for a £10,000 prize pot every weekend by selecting teams whose combined goal-count adds up to 21. The rules …