Affiliate Industry
Checkd Group expands into Canada as FlashPicks gains Ontario licence
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
MetaBet inks Gentoo Media partnership to enhance flagship sites
MetaBet, the pioneering provider of sports betting engagement tools, has partnered with Gentoo Media, a leading affiliate, to integrate its cutting-edge sports betting widgets into two of Gentoo’s flagship websites, World Sports Network (WSN) and Time2play.
MetaBet’s proprietary widgets are designed to nurture engagement, increase sportsbook conversions, and maximize affiliate revenue, all through seamless integration with just one line of code. With market-setting load speed and contextual placements, MetaBet’s products will empower Gentoo to focus on what they do best.
WSN and Time2play are trusted platforms for sports betting and casino enthusiasts in the US and Canada. Between them, they have captured an audience of millions of sports fans on the back of expert reviews, exclusive offers, and accurate content. As Gentoo amplifies its presence in the US, MetaBet’s innovative technology will be a key element in their success.
MetaBet Founder, Mark Phillip, said: “Partnering with Gentoo Media, a data-driven company with a new name but long track record, is a testament to our market-leading status. Our technology, leveraged through their trusted platform will enhance engagement and conversions to accelerate Gentoo’s growth strategy within the US and beyond.”
Affiliate Industry
AGS Announces Expiration of Hart-Scott-Rodino Act Waiting Period for Acquisition by Affiliates of Brightstar Capital Partners
PlayAGS, Incorporated (NYSE: AGS) (“AGS” or the “Company”), a global gaming supplier of high-performing slot, table, and interactive products, today announced the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR Act”), in connection with the previously announced agreement for the Company to be acquired by affiliates of Brightstar Capital Partners (“Brightstar”) for $12.50 per share in cash (the “Proposed Transaction”).
The HSR Act waiting period expired at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on December 9, 2024, satisfying an important condition necessary for the completion of the Proposed Transaction, which is expected to close in the second half of 2025, subject to other conditions and regulatory approvals.
Affiliate Industry
Increase Redirect Speed by 5 Times with Affilka New Feature
SOFTSWISS, a global tech company with over 15 years of experience in iGaming, introduces a new Geo-Distributed Redirect feature of Affilka by SOFTSWISS that helps operators improve engagement and conversion rates by reducing user redirect times.
The Geo-Distributed Redirect feature intelligently routes users to destination landing pages via regional clusters closest to their location. This geo-optimised infrastructure minimises redirect times, increasing successful website visits from referral links. The feature is designed for seamless scalability across multiple regions and enhances performance globally, wherever needed.
With the new feature, Affilka by SOFTSWISS reduced redirect duration by 2.5 to 5 times. At one of the regions, for example, extensive simulated tests showed a decrease in redirect times for users from 1.5 seconds to 300-500 milliseconds – this is one of the fastest responses available in the market. As a result, the feature implementation leads to a 3.5% to 7% growth in users successfully reaching casino sites. This increase in site traffic, in turn, directly contributes to more registrations and deposits.
The Geo-Distributed Redirect feature boosts conversions, accelerates redirects, enhances fault tolerance and high availability, and improves service reliability for users globally. Even during unexpected challenges, the system dynamically reroutes traffic to alternative resources, ensuring a seamless experience.
Gleb Bichan, Product Lead at Affilka by SOFTSWISS, shares his excitement: “With the launch of our Geo-Distributed Redirect feature, we are addressing the needs of clients targeting users worldwide. By reducing redirection times and increasing reliability, we enable our partners to deliver a superior user experience that drives traffic delivery and conversions. This feature is a significant improvement for customers looking to expand their global reach.”
Along with affiliate marketing, SEO website advancement helps operators promote their projects. Considering this, SOFTSWISS issued a comprehensive Casino SEO Audit: The Ultimate Guide, providing tips for increasing any iGaming project’s visibility.
The SOFTSWISS team looks forward to sharing the details of the Geo-Distributed Redirect feature and other product updates at the upcoming SiGMA Europe Expo. Current and potential partners can book a meeting with company representatives at stand 2145 through the contact form.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 23,500 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.
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