Affiliate Industry
Checkd Group expands into Canada as FlashPicks gains Ontario licence
![](https://gamingamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Checkd-Group.png)
Fast-growing iGaming business Checkd Group has entered the sports betting market in Canada with its FlashPicks brand after gaining an affiliate licence from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
The acquisition of the licence, which arrived in time for the start of the new NFL season, comes after Checkd Group met a series of strict marketing regulations in Canada’s most heavily populated province.
The new licence means that sports bettors in Ontario can utilise operator links on Checkd Group’s fast-growing sports betting community site FlashPicks, along with their counterparts in 15 US states where online betting is currently regulated.
It also coincides with the appointment of Callum Broxton as Checkd Group’s Head of US Operations. Broxton has spent the past six years within Checkd’s Media division, as Head of Social, Head of Brand Operations and Commercial Manager, and will now be based full-time in New York.
“Ontario is an important sports betting market and one where there is a high bar in terms of meeting regulatory requirements,” said Broxton.
“To have gained our first licence in Canada is a major milestone, serving to underline the rapid progress since we launched FlashPicks in the US earlier this year. We have been working hard to increase the range of experts that we can utilise to help inform and educate FlashPicks’ rapidly growing community and it is gratifying to be able to serve sports enthusiasts right across North America ahead of what is sure to be an exciting NFL season. Our aim is to provide the community with stats and information that can inform their picks – and hopefully help create some winners.
“On a personal note, six years on from first joining the company it’s a great privilege to head up Checkd’s international arm, just in time for the football season. We have some very exciting plans ahead and I can’t wait to get started.”
Launched earlier this year, North American-focused FlashPicks provides visitors to the website with selections served up by a team of US sports specialists. The brand has quickly gained traction on social channels, hitting 30 million organic Twitter impressions, as well as 250,000 unique visitors on the website.
FlashPicks is also growing its video and audio content presence, with new headline show ‘For Bettor or Worse’ achieving over 500,000 views and listens across all platforms. It has also significantly expanded its resident US sports betting experts, driving traffic to operator partners including FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, bet365 and PointsBet.
FlashPicks has continued to evolve and now features live odds feeds for four major sports, with instant betslip click-outs to selected operator partners – a key feature for enhancing the user experience as the NFL season gets underway. It is currently licenced in key US states including New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
Affiliate Industry
BALLY’S ENTERS INTO MERGER AGREEMENT WITH AFFILIATES OF STANDARD GENERAL L.P.
![BALLY’S ENTERS INTO MERGER AGREEMENT WITH AFFILIATES OF STANDARD GENERAL L.P.](https://gamingamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/bally.jpg)
Bally’s Corporation announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement (the “Merger”) pursuant to which Standard General L.P. (“Standard General”), the Company’s largest common stockholder, will acquire the Company’s outstanding shares for $18.25 per Bally’s share (the “Cash Consideration”). The price represents a 71% premium over the Company’s 30-day volume weighted average price per share as of March 8, 2024, the last trading day before the public disclosure of Standard General’s initial cash acquisition proposal of $15.00 per share. In lieu of receiving the Cash Consideration, Bally’s stockholders may elect to retain all or a portion of their Bally’s stock by means of a rollover election. Bally’s stockholders electing to retain all or a portion of their Bally’s investment will continue as stockholders of the Combined Company (as defined below). The transaction values Bally’s at approximately $4.6 billion in enterprise value. The Combined Company will remain a publicly traded registrant under the Securities Act of 1934.
Pursuant to the Merger, Bally’s will combine with The Queen Casino & Entertainment Inc. (“QC&E”), a regional casino operator majority-owned by funds managed by Standard General (together, the “Combined Company”). QC&E is a regional gaming, hospitality and entertainment company that currently owns and operates four casinos across three states, including DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis, IL, the Queen Marquette in Marquette, IA, and the Queen Baton Rouge and the Belle of Baton Rouge in Baton Rouge, LA. QC&E is in the process of executing on transformational redevelopment projects at two of its four properties which are expected to be completed in 2025 and generate meaningful organic growth. The combination will expand the Company’s Casino & Resorts segment to 19 gaming, entertainment and hospitality facilities across 11 U.S. states and enhance the Company’s development pipeline with several exciting projects.
Jaymin Patel, Chairman of the Special Committee, said, “After a detailed consideration by the Special Committee, with the assistance of our outside financial and legal advisors, it was determined that the Cash Consideration from Standard General delivers a meaningful and immediate value to stockholders. We look forward to working with the team at Standard General and QC&E as we move through the process to complete the merger.”
Robeson Reeves, Bally’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “Our team is well positioned to continue to execute on our initiatives to drive growth across all our segments including in our International Interactive business, North America Interactive and our Casinos & Resorts (“C&R”) segments, while proceeding with our development pipeline, including construction of our permanent casino resort in Chicago, for which we recently announced a comprehensive financing plan. The addition of four complementary properties through this merger to our existing 15 domestic casino properties will add further geographic and market diversity to our portfolio. With QC&E’s development pipeline recently completed or already well underway, we see a path toward additional revenue and EBITDAR growth and value accretion as those projects are completed in 2025. We look forward to bringing our ultimate vision to bear and to working closely with the Standard General team to execute on that vision.”
Soo Kim, Managing Partner of Standard General, said, “The Transaction provides Bally’s stockholders with a significant cash premium along with certainty of value for their investment or, if they elect to retain their shares, the opportunity to participate in the longer-term growth prospects of our expanded portfolio and significant development pipeline. The addition of the complementary QC&E assets builds upon the Company’s attractive growth profile. We look forward to working with the Board of Directors and the Company’s senior management team as they continue to execute on their business plan.”
In connection with the transaction, in addition to Standard General, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (“Sinclair”), and Noel Hayden have committed to support the Merger and to make rollover elections. As a result, at least 47% of Bally’s outstanding fully-diluted equity interests will be rolled over into the Combined Company.
A special committee of independent and disinterested directors (the “Special Committee”) of Bally’s Board of Directors, which has been advised by its own independent financial and legal advisors in evaluating the Merger and the Cash Consideration, determined that the Merger is in the best interest of Bally’s and its stockholders (aside from Standard General, Sinclair and Noel Hayden) and unanimously recommended that the Company’s Board of Directors approve the Merger. Acting upon the recommendation of the Special Committee, Bally’s Board of Directors approved the Merger and recommends that stockholders approve the Merger. The factors considered by the Special Committee in arriving at its unanimous decision will be outlined in public proxy filings to be made by Bally’s. The Bally’s Special Committee and Board of Directors are making recommendations with respect to the Cash Consideration and are not making recommendations with respect to the rollover election.
Affiliate Industry
MightyTips and Marathonbet collaborate on a new partnership deal to conquer the Brazilian market
![MightyTips and Marathonbet collaborate on a new partnership deal to conquer the Brazilian market](https://gamingamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MightyTips-and-Marathonbet.jpg)
Affiliate website MightyTips and betting platform Marathonbet are entering into a new partnership that covers the Brazilian market to dominate the booming iGaming scene.
This strategic partnership will help Marathonbet to skyrocket its presence in the giant South American country with a population of over 215 million, boosting acquisition numbers in an increasingly competitive market.
A recent report by SOFTSWISS estimated that Brazilians participating in sports betting-related activity and online casinos in 2022 exceeded 46%.
The report also suggested the sports betting market in Brazil is significantly larger than that of online casinos. It is with these figures in mind that Marathonbet will seek to capitalise on.
Launched in 1997, Marathonbet has a rock-solid reputation and primarily operates under a licence issued by the Government of Curaçao. It was one of the first sportsbooks to launch an online betting service back in 2002.
Its brand is associated with some of the biggest names in football thanks to a deep-rooted commitment to the sport. In the past ten years, it has sponsored the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United, Sevilla, and Lazio.
Eugene Ravdin, MightyTips Communications and Marketing Manager said: “Marathonbet is one of the biggest names in betting. Its long and storied evolution from the beginning of iGaming is incredible and we can’t wait to work alongside them.”
A Marathonbet spokesperson said: “We are pleased to announce the beginning of a long and fruitful cooperation with MightyTips. We are sure this will bring us and the players only positive emotions, and we wish all the players good luck and many victories.”
Affiliate Industry
How Casino.org is helping players go beyond the hype
![How Casino.org is helping players go beyond the hype](https://gamingamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Alexander-Korsager.png)
Gaming Americas takes a closer look at how the popular online casino affiliate is educating players and putting the power in their hands to find the best online casinos
Players are always looking for new casinos to play at and bonuses to claim. But in a market where there are literally hundreds of brands to explore, finding reputable sites that offer the experiences they are seeking is easier said than done.
While casinos spend big on branding and marketing, a lot of players turn to affiliate sites to get the lowdown on each brand so that they can decide if it’s the right casino for them or not. These sites also act as an additional layer of trust as players know they have already been vetted by the affiliate.
One of the most established and trusted affiliates is Casino.org which has been helping players to go beyond the hype being generated by casino brands and educate players in terms of what they need to consider before deciding to sign up and play at a site for almost 20 years.
The site has earned a reputation among players for the quality of its casino reviews. Each brand listed on the site is put through an extensive 25-step process to determine the score it receives including security and trust, games, bonuses, banking, mobile, localisation and customer support.
This is to ensure that all aspects of the player journey and experience are taken into account and so that the casino receives a fair score for what it has to offer.
Casino.org’s team of reviewers are always objective when putting a casino through its paces and is not afraid to highlight any areas where it has been marked down. This is because the site believes that transparency and honesty is key to fostering player trust.
Alexander Korsager, General Manager at Casino.org, says: “There remains a lack of trust between players and the online casinos they sign up to and play at, and that’s why we have developed such a comprehensive review process.
“We want players to be able to have all the information they need about a casino so they can decide whether it’s right for them or not. This means being honest about what is good and bad about each brand. Of course, we only list the top brands in each market.”
Beyond its casino reviews, Casino.org has built a comprehensive “learning hub” packed with articles, features, interviews and guides so that players can further educate themselves about playing at online casinos.
Topics covered include how to play casino games, how to gamble responsibly, how live dealer works and a vast FAQ section that answers some of the most common questions players have.
It’s also rolled out a dedicated video series that talks players through how to play the game of roulette including how to get started, six betting strategies and the difference between European and American roulette.
“Our learning hub has proved to be incredibly popular with players,” says Korsager. “It arms them with the knowledge and understanding they need to make the most of the time they have at an online casino, especially when it comes to playing games like blackjack and roulette.
“Player education is an area where we are looking to stand out and our learning hub is a very effective way of going about this.”
All of the content written and published by Casino.org – including its famous casino reviews – is produced by gambling experts. The team is made up of online casino players with deep experience and an unrivalled understanding of what makes for a good online casino.
This is a major factor in the affiliate’s rise to the top of the industry and why it is so deeply trusted by players in more than 100 countries across the world.
“Casino.org is on the side of the player and our team of experts ensure that we produce content that is detailed, accurate and correct, says Korsager. “Players come to us for our honest opinions and insights, and we can only deliver this because of the truly incredible team that we have in place.
“We have been supporting players on their mission to find new online casinos and bonuses for almost 20 years now and plan to be doing it for the next two decades and beyond.”
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