Global Sports Betting Roundup: DAZN's Plan to Launch Sportsbook, Uganda to Make Betting an Evening Activity?
The global sports betting world has been typically hectic this past week... and so has the wagering industry that has become an integral part of the overall sporting experience. This week has been characterized by sportsbook providers looking to capitalize on the growing acceptance of athletic wagering around the world, and more regulatory moves by sportsbooks and jurisdictions operating on the global scene.
Let's take a peek at some of the prospective providers moving forward with their expansion plans and some of the regulatory news that has made headlines this week.
DAZN Completes Move into Global Sports Betting Space
DAZN Group, the popular European-based sports media company has taken the next step on the path toward launching their own sportsbook, one which the company hopes will be a global brand before too long. DAZN has partnered with top-tier technology content provider for the sports betting business, Pragmatic Group to form DAZN BET, which immediately becomes one of the more anticipated new global sports betting brands coming to market.
Pragmatic Group will provide the technology and platform for the DAZN BET brand, while the media company will provide the brand recognition and built-in customer base for what has potential to be a top sportsbook.
DAZN becomes the latest media company to join the sports betting fray during this time of widespread acceptance and growth of the wagering industry. Expect a slow rollout of the DAZN BET brand, starting this summer.
Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN Group, said, “The convergence of sports media and betting is the future. This historic partnership brings together the leading sports media company and a technology partner who is committed to developing innovative experiences for fans. It underscores DAZN’s commitment to revitalize the sports viewing experience by offering a broader spectrum of digital entertainment for fans.”
Read more here.
Check out the latest comprehensive and most trusted Sportsbook Reviews by SBR here.
News Corp Getting in on the Action
News Corp has finally acted on its intention to enter the global sports betting space. This week it was announced that the company has joined a consortium, which includes Tekkorp Capital, a company out of Las Vegas that invests in and advises prospective digital gaming companies and TGW, a company that was created by former Sportsbet and BetEasy founder Matt Tripp.
The consortium has already done some of the heavy lifting with regard to the launch of their product thanks to a 10-year deal with BetMakers and their announcement that a new product will launch in Australia in the second half of 2022, in time for the start of the spring horse racing campaign.
News Corp is just the latest media company looking to seize on the enormous popularity of sports betting. The company joins Great Britain’s Sky Betting & Gaming and America's FOX Bet in launching and promoting their own sports betting brands.
Read more here.
More Companies and Countries Looking to Shore up Gambling Regulations
Regulation, rules, and the attempt to stop cheating within the global sports betting industry has become a major hot-button topic... and this week was no different. Companies and individual countries have been working to limit the high profile issues the industry has had with cheating.
VBET joins International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA)
Sports betting provider VBET, which has a strong presence in Great Britain, Malta, France, and Sweden among other countries this week joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA). The move gives VBET access to the global betting integrity monitoring and alert platform focus of the IBIA.
On the newly signed deal with the IBIA, Tigran Harutyunyan, Head of Trading and Sports Unit at VBET said: “We are delighted to be joining the membership of the International Betting Integrity Association and we look forward to our mutual collaboration. We offer markets on over 120 sports globally, so helping to maintain the integrity of the sporting events we offer to our customers is vital. The IBIA’s global reputation for dealing with sport integrity issues is unparalleled and this partnership underlines our commitment to providing our customers with the fairest offering possible.”
GambleAware contributes £2.5m to The Gambling Education Hub Service (GEHS) in England and Wales
The move toward reducing gambling harm to young people in England and Wales took yet another in a long line of steps this past week with GambleAware contributing £2.5m to help with the harm reduction initiatives. The Gambling Education Hub Service (GEHS) has been very active lately in England and Wales.
The goal of the GEHS has been the creation and distribution of not only information and toolkits to problem gamblers in their region, but also training, prevention and awareness of problem gambling, especially among younger people.
GEHS's status has grown since a successful pilot program in Scotland. It targets a youth population in the UK that has been inundated by the rash of gambling advertising plaguing their airwaves. The company has picked up massive support lately with GambleAware the latest to financially back their efforts going forward.
According to GambleAware research, a staggering 94% of youth aged 11-17 in England had been subjected to sportsbook advertising in the last month. With that 94%, an average of 6 adverts have been viewed by each youth over that 30-day period.
Check out the latest comprehensive and most trusted Sportsbook Reviews by SBR here.
LeoVegas Group bolsters their own safer gambling measures
LeoVegas Group, a recognizable name in the global sports betting industry is taking further steps to educate their customer base on safer gambling tools.
The company will take its on-site messaging tool, one that has been successful in the UK market since launch in early 2021, into the Danish and Swedish markets. The aim is to educate, through artificial intelligence, at-risk gamblers about the harm of taking the practice too far.
Gustaf Hagman, CEO of LeoVegas group said, “We are thrilled that our on-site messaging has proven successful in the UK – not only in driving engagement with our safer gambling tools but also by having a positive effect on customer behavior and helping to drive forward our quest for more sustainable customer relationships. By rolling this feature in Sweden and Denmark, we will continue to make gambling at LeoVegas Group even safer.”
African Sports Betting News
Uganda Lawmakers to make sports betting an evening activity only?
One curious bit of news that caught our eye this week was Ugandan lawmakers trying to ban daytime sports betting. Lawmakers in that country have been making a push for sportsbooks in the country to only operate between the hours of 5 PM and 2 AM.
Reasons for the move to ban daytime sports betting range from the ideal of trying to “make youth more productive” to the realization that some betting occurs “as early as 10 AM.”
Eyes of the world will be on Uganda to see how two sides of the argument for limiting the hours of sports betting plays out. Sports gambling has grown immensely in Uganda the last few years and could take a serious hit if lawmakers have their way.
Read more here.
Nigeria's Blossoming Sports Betting Market
Sports betting industry growth has hit the country of Nigeria, whose estimated sports betting industry has reached $2 billion and is still expanding. Global brands such as 22Bet and Betway have made major inroads into the market there.
The Nigerian market is expected to continue to grow with the explosion of internet users and mobile sports betting apps. Nigeria's rise is no surprise as the citizens of the country are just following human sports betting trends seen globally.
Greyhound Racing Deemed "Outdated Industry" in Scotland
Scottish SPCA members have recently been making headlines as they try to ban greyhound racing across the country. The SPCA has deemed the practice and an "outdated industry" as they attempt to shut down dog betting all together.
15 deaths and 197 injuries in relation to greyhound racing were reported by the SPCA between 2017 and 2020. There is no way to be clear about the actual numbers however. “This is 15 deaths too many,” SPCA Chief Superintendent, Mike Flynn stated. “We have no doubt that number would be higher if the pandemic hadn’t forced the temporary closure of the stadium.”
Read more here.
In Related News...
UK officials seem to be going in a different direction with the announcement of a partnership between Racing and Sports PTY (RAS) and the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB).
RAS will strengthen the data offerings to the greyhound betting scene and ultimately enhance the practice of betting on the dogs.
RAS sees their new partnership as a major opportunity to expand their global reach.
Read more here.
Global Sportsbook News from Pragmatic Play and 888 Holdings
Pragmatic Play announced that it has expanded into the South African market thanks to a deal with Hollywood Bets. Pragmatic Play has been making some serious noise lately and is a betting provider to watch during this time of global industry expansion.
Read more here.
888 Holdings Reports Q1 Decline
888 Holdings, one of the bigger names in the global sports betting scene reported this week that the company has suffered an 18% revenue decline during Q1 of their fiscal year.
Expansion costs and the financial commitment during its takeover of William Hill in Europe have dragged the company's profits down. But the company still struck an optimistic tone while delivering their Q1 results.
Read more here.
Make sure to keep an eye on our Live Odds page throughout the week to get the best lines possible and connect with others in the SBR community on our popular sports betting forum.
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