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Marathonbet to “temporarily suspend” UK site

Marathonbet has temporarily suspended its services in the UK, due to “ongoing events in Europe”.

The business would stop allowing new customers to sign up immediately from today (4 April). Existing customers would then no longer be able to deposit or place bets until 14 April.

“As the Marathonbet brand is operated globally, recent and ongoing events in Europe have had a significant impact for us,” it said. “We regret to inform that we have taken the decision to temporarily suspend services offered on the marathonbet.co.uk website.”

The business did not give any indication of when the site may resume activity.

Both the Marathonbet.co.uk site and mbet.co.uk site will close. However, the Malta-licensed Marathonbet.com will continue to be active.

April 1, 2022

Colorado sports betting revenue slips to six-month low in February

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Sports wagering revenue in Colorado amounted to $19.6m in February, the state’s lowest monthly total since August 2021.

Gross gaming revenue from sports betting was 88.5% higher than $10.4m in February 2021 but was 43.4% lower than the $34.6m reported by the Colorado Department of Revenue in January this year.

Official figures also showed $19.6m in revenue was generated from online sports betting, while retail sportsbook posted a loss of $36,124 for the month.

Turning to handle and consumers wagered a total of $440.5 on sports in February, up 65.3% from $266.5m last year, but 23.2% behind the record $573.5m spent in January this year.

Some $434.9m was bet online during the month, while the remaining $5.6m was spent at retail sportsbooks.

Professional basketball was again the most popular sport among Colorado consumers, drawing $155.6m in bets, ahead of college basketball on $68.2m and American football at $31.4m.

Players won $420.9m from sports betting, while the state was able t..

April 1, 2022

Metric Gaming partners Lacerta for B2B sportsbook venture

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Metric Gaming Group and Lacerta Sports have entered into an exclusive long-term strategic to develop a new B2B sportsbook managed service.

The Metric-Lacerta partnership will aim to bring together skills in technology development and deployment, advanced customer analytics and automated pricing systems to “set a new standard” in online sportsbooks managed services.

Lacerta was founded as a standalone entity by a team from London-based sports betting consultancy Starlizard, with expertise in sportsbook operations, technology and analytics.

Metric Gaming also specialises in sportsbook technology and holds licences in New Jersey, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Michigan

“The powerful combination of our technology and Lacerta’s pricing and analytical excellence is a compelling alternative for those operators looking to build or buy their own sportsbook platform.” Metric Gaming chief executive Keith Hayes said.

“As a Vegas headquartered company, we are particularly excited at the opportu..

March 31, 2022

Division sales boost downsized Sportech to profitability in 2021

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Sportech recorded revenue of £22.9m in 2021, a year in which it sold off many business divisions, with these sales powering the business to a £34.5m profit.

All of Sportech’s revenue, expense and income figures for 2021 and its comparison figures for 2020 removed parts of the business which were sold, before counting these as discontinued operations. These included the Global Tote business, which was acquired by Betmakers in June 2021, and Bump 50:50, which Sportech agreed to sell to Canadian Banknote in February 2021.

This downsizing led to Sportech removing its shares from the London Stock Exchange and moving to the Alternative Investment Market, after which CEO Richard McGuire and chief financial officer Tom Hearne stepped down from their roles.

As a result, the revenue figure of £22.9m was up 32.1% from the restated figure given for 2020.

Sportech chief executive Andrew Lindley said that while the business was now small for a publicly traded company, he believed it was the righ..

March 31, 2022

Spanish GGR dips despite 25.8% growth in stakes in 2021

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Spanish gross online gaming revenue came to €815m in 2021, down 4.2% from 2020, but stakes grew by more than 25%, suggesting the decline may be more linked to trading than the country’s marketing rules.

According to figures from regulator the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), this came despite the fact that players deposited €2.77bn during the year, which was 216% more than in 2020, while turnover rose by 25.8% to €27.17bn.

For the first time, casino was the largest driver of online GGR, bringing in €407.1m in 2021, up 16.0%. Online casino revenue has grown year-on-year in every year in which DGOJ has recorded data.

Breaking this online casino revenue down further, slots brought in €241.4m, up 23.0%, while live roulette revenue grew 18.6% to €120.6m. Blackjack revenue was €23.2m, down 5.7%, while for RNG roulette this figure dipped by 27.2% to €22.0m.

Revenue from betting, which was previously the leading vertical, was down 16.2% to €305.9m, the lowest figure since ..

March 30, 2022

ESA Gaming set to launch in Denmark after certification

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Online gaming supplier ESA Gaming has received certification to launch its EasySwipe titles in Denmark.

The business said its EasySwipe casino games act as an addition to an operator’s sports betting offerings, giving operators the opportunity to cross-sell from sportsbook to casino.

ESA Gaming reports that EasySwipe has seen a 20% conversion of sports players, a 5% increase in screentime and a 3% increase in sports revenue since its inception.

EasySwipe currently has seven titles, including Fruit Staxx and Goal Mine, with more to be added throughout 2022.

“We have had a fantastic start to the year, adding new games to our portfolio and boosting our presence in several markets,” said Zorica Smallwood, director at ESA Gaming.

“Through this certification we will be able to partner with Danish operators and introduce local players to our innovative content which offers lightweight design and easy game-play that enables operators to create a new vertical without impacting the sports b..

March 30, 2022

Pinnacle’s B2B division secures new Malta licence

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Pinnacle Solution, the B2B arm of sportsbook operator Pinnacle, has secured a licence from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA).

The new licence will enable Pinnacle Solution to provide its services to sportsbook partners within the MGA’s jurisdiction.

Pinnacle said the permit would support its growth plans, with the business seeking new partnerships in a number of new territories, with particular focus on Europe and Latin America.

Pinnacle Solution currently services more than 50 sports wagering operators in markets around the world.

“We’ve made great efforts to ensure our trading practices and technology stack can be scaled quickly, openly, and transparently in order to give our sportsbook partners a first-class service that delivers the enhanced hold and revenue performance they’re after,” Pinnacle chief executive Paris Smith said.

“Obtaining the MGA licence is proof that our expert teams have developed products that meet the market’s demands and high standards, and we’re now looki..

March 29, 2022

FanDuel withdraws daily fantasy product from Ontario

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FanDuel will withdraw its daily fantasy sports product from Ontario from 1 April, in line with the Canadian province’s regulations for when its online betting and gaming market opens to licensed operators.

Ontario is set to launch licensed sports betting and igaming on 4 April, ending a state monopoly. Earlier this month, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) released a guide for operators that revealed that businesses which apply for registration before the 4 April launch must cease operations in Ontario from the moment their registration is approved by AGCO.

FanDuel is among the operators that has received a licence, and as a result it has opted to withdraw its daily fantasy sports brand, including both free and paid games, as this vertical is not permitted under the new regime.

The operator did note, however, that its daily fantasy sports brand would still be available in other provinces.

All entries submitted prior to April 1 will run as normal, with all winnings ..

March 29, 2022

PMU enters Senegal with National Lottery deal

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French horse racing operator Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) has entered Senegal through a partnership with the country’s National Lottery (Lonase).

The omni-channel partnership will allow customers to place bets on horse races offered through PMU, with the same payouts as PMU customers receive in France.

PMU’s betting platform in Senegal will be powered by online sportsbook and technology provider Honoré Gaming, which PMU has extended its existing partnership with.

Honoré Gaming allows operators to target French-speaking countries in Africa through its sportsbook solutions.

“We are delighted to be extending our existing partnership with PMU to facilitate its agreement with Lonase and to allow bettors in Senegal to wager on the same races and with the same payouts as PMU’s players in France,” said Christophe Casavova, chief operating officer at Honoré Gaming.
“Africa is one of the fastest-growing online betting markets in the world and we have helped operators enter French-speaking market..

March 28, 2022

Unibet prepares for Ontario launch after securing igaming licence

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Kindred's Unibet brand has detailed its plans to launch in Ontario, having received a licence to do so.

This marks Unibet’s seventh licence in North America.

Kindred will launch its online gaming and sports betting products through Unibet under Ontario’s open regulatory model.

Ontario’s online gaming market will launch on 4 April and will be overseen by iGaming Ontario, a subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

“This is an exciting day and a significant milestone for both Kindred and Unibet,” says Amanda Brewer, country manager Canada, Kindred Group. “We are proud to have received permission to launch in Ontario on the first day the market opens and look forward to building long-term relationships with our customers and partners.”

Several other operators secured licences ahead of the market launch, including Bet365, Flutter-owned FanDuel and PointsBet.

“Ontario is full of sports teams and passionate fans, which is no surprise given the history and ..

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