Betting News – Page 30 – FairOdds Network

February 27, 2024

Webis upbeat on growth prospects despite wider net loss in H1

Webis Holdings’ non-executive chairman Denham Eke said the company remains “optimistic” over future growth potential for the business despite reporting an expanded net loss in H1.

Turnover for the six months to 31 November 2023 hit $5.9m (£4.7m/€5.4m). This was 4.8% behind the $6.2m reported in the previous year by Webis, which owns advance-deposit wagering (ADW) operator Watchandwager.com.

Eke and Webis put this drop mainly down to external factors in the second quarter. These, he said, included the cancellation of many US events due to bad weather in the country. On the flip side, Eke said trading was stronger during the summer months.

Turnover decline, coupled with the fact that spending remained level in H1, led to a wider loss for Webis. However, Eke is upbeat about the company’s performance moving into the second half.

“Our principal subsidiary, WatchandWager.com, again had a varied start to the first six months of the financial year,” Eke said. “I remain optimistic that trad..

February 27, 2024

Sportradar scores extension with Bundesliga International

Sportradar has extended and expanded its partnership with Bundesliga International, a subsidiary of the German Football League (DFL) that manages deals for the country’s top two leagues.

The global deal runs for an additional six years to the end of the 2031-32 season. Sportradar will collaborate with Bundesliga International to distribute data and audio-visual products around the world.

Sportradar will remain the official provider of betting and streaming rights for Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2. It also covers other DFL properties such as the German Supercup and relegation playoff matches.

The deal grants Sportradar the rights to sub-license video content from the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 to its sportsbook clients. It will also collect and exclusively distribute live match data for betting purposes.

Sportradar will also provide betting and streaming rights for all matches in the WOW Virtual Bundesliga esports offering. In addition, Sportradar will work with DFL to expand the sco..

February 26, 2024

Affordability checks: Everything you need to know

With parliament to debate the introduction of affordability checks today (26 February), here’s everything you need to know about the proposals so far.

The long-awaited release of the Gambling Act white paper in April was the most transformative review of UK gambling in 18 years. It marked a key landmark in how the market will be regulated in the future – with affordability checks a key part of that discussion.

The government has already introduced some measures, such as the establishment of stake limits for online slots. However, other resolutions are also being worked upon as the UK government and the Gambling Commission (GC) looks to ease concerns over gambling harms in the country.

The strongest industry response to these proposals has been towards the potential implementation of affordability checks. They have met fierce opposition from operators and trade bodies.

With parliament set to debate financial checks this week, let’s take a look at how we got here.

White paper’s rele..

February 26, 2024

Ohio bans player prop bets on NCAA games

The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) has banned player prop bets on college sports after granting a request from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The OCCC’s decision came after NCAA president Charlie Baker sent a letter to the commission’s executive director Matt Schuler, requesting a ban to be implemented on player-specific prop wagers for its games. The letter was also endorsed by Ohio’s governor, Mike DeWine.

Bettors will no longer be able to wager on markets such as a quarterback’s passing yards or a basketball player’s points for NCAA games. Operators have until 1 March to introduce the restrictions.

In the OCCC’s announcement, the commission stated it would become the 25th state to either prohibit or limit player-specific prop bets on NCAA contests. The ban’s aim is to protect NCAA athletes against potential harassment from bettors, as well as curb match fixing.

Ohio only launched legal sports betting in January 2023. In July, the state passed a law t..

February 26, 2024

Yield Sec: Two-thirds of Super Bowl bets in US were illegal

New research collated by Yield Sec has revealed that close to two thirds of bets cast on Super Bowl LVIII in the US were illegal.

The research was commissioned by the Campaign for Fairer Gambling (CFG). It analysed how players chose to bet during the 2024 Super Bowl, looking specifically at the performance of the black market. Further research on the gambling share between regulated and unregulated markets is expected in the next few days.

Yield Sec reported that, in total, 350 million bets were placed on this year’s Super Bowl, at a value of $5.4bn (£4.26bn/€4.98bn). The total bets were up by 22.8%, while the betting value shot up 20.0% year-on-year.

In total, 228 million wagers were illegal and 122 million were legal. Illegal bets generated $4.0bn while legal bets made up the remaining $1.4bn. In comparison, the 2023 Super Bowl brought in 286 million bets, split between 186 million illegal bets and 100 million legal bets. Of the $4.5m generated last year, $1.1bn came from legal be..

February 26, 2024

Sturgis’ review of Gambling Commission’s survey stoking the fire

The Gambling Commission (GC) recently lauded its Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), after it was endorsed by Professor Patrick Sturgis in an independent review. However, that backing is far from comprehensive, even from Sturgis himself.

Sturgis, a professor at the London School of Economics, did label the study “exemplary in all respects”. However, as has been the case in the past with the GC, its tendency to produce unreliable statistics was a noticeable theme for Sturgis, who cast doubt over the accuracy of the GSGB, which is due to be published this summer.

Sturgis said: “Until there is a better understanding of the errors affecting the new survey’s estimates of the prevalence of gambling and gambling harm, policymakers must treat them with due caution, being mindful to the fact there is a non-negligible risk that they substantially overstate the true level of gambling and gambling harm in the population.”

Hardly the glowing endorsement the GC has made out, Sturgis’ concer..

February 23, 2024

North Carolina’s sports betting market: The latest updates

As North Carolina moves closer to its online sports betting go-live date, iGB looks at what opportunities lie ahead for the market.

Last month, the North Carolina State Lottery Commission approved 11 March as the go-live date for online sports betting in the state. But players can register much sooner for accounts – from 1 March – and also fund them.

This didn’t come out of nowhere. When North Carolina’s governor, Roy Cooper, signed House Bill 347 into law on 14 June last year, he also gave the thumbs-up to a timeline for implementation. The bill mandated that North Carolina must publish sports betting regulations before 8 January 2024, and operators in the state must accept wagers before 14 June 2024.

The North Carolina State Lottery Commission released two important updates on the impending sports betting market this week

Recent speculation abounded after North Carolina’s Commission set a deadline of 26 January for hopeful operators to submit their internal controls.

What are t..

February 23, 2024

Waterhouse VC: The mathematics of betting

Tom Waterhouse of Waterhouse VC explores the mathematical prowess involved in professional betting and discusses why people choose to bet the way they do.

For most of us, it is hard to fathom the mathematical capability possessed by a small number of people. It is even more impressive when these individuals can combine several rare skills together with business acumen to develop a highly profitable enterprise.

We believe that professional betting is one of the most difficult fields in the world. The three keys to winning at betting are: making correct bet selections; betting at an attractive price; correctly staking – knowing how much to wager on each selection.

Successful professional betting requires a combination of incredibly challenging skills:

Knowing a sport back to front – every player statistic, every last-minute change, every location and playing surface (e.g. clay/grass/hard tennis courts, Emirates Stadium vs Etihad Stadium)Complex modelling of the many 100s of various ..

February 23, 2024

Fanatics launches online sports betting and casino in Michigan

Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG) has announced the launch of its online sportsbook and casino in the state of Michigan.

Players in Michigan can now access both the Fanatics Sportsbook and Fanatics Casino. The online casino offering has been embedded in the sportsbook app.

Fanatics Sportsbook replaces the PointsBet brand in Michigan. Existing PointsBet customers’ username, password, account balance, rewards points and responsible gaming settings will automatically be migrated to the Fanatics platform.

FBG has been phasing out the PointsBet brand across the US following its acquisition of PointsBet US in August 2023.

Fanatics fended off DraftKings with improved PointsBet US bid

Michigan marks the 13th state in which FBG has launched its Fanatics Sportsbook. It is also live in Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. In addition, retail betting venues operate in both Pennsylvania and West Vi..