Press Releases
Shaping the Future of Betting: SBC Summit North America Announces ‘Sports Betting’ Track
The ‘Sports Betting’ conference track at SBC Summit North America will gather some of the top luminaries in the industry to share their thoughts on the latest sports betting trends, innovative technologies, and the evolving North American sports betting landscape.
The dedicated track will unfold on May 8th-9th, the two core days of the leading iGaming & sports betting event in North America, which is set to host 5,000 attendees at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey
The comprehensive track will provide delegates with the opportunity to bolster their educational prowess on key topics such as forging successful operator-league partnerships, exploring the emerging technology set to innovate the sports betting market, the intricate world of media partnerships, and much more.
Opening the first day of the conference track is the panel titled “The Bright Side of Betting: Product Innovation Incoming,” which will explore the expansion strategies employed by operators through new cutting-edge technology. Expert speakers David Senior (Head of Sportsbook, Betsson), Tomer Imber (Senior Director of Sales, Optimove), Joey Levy (CEO, Betr), Scot McClintic (Chief Product Officer, Fanatics Betting and Gaming) and Tim Whitehead (Head of Sportsbook, Rush Street Interactive), will discuss how player-focused augmented experiences can attract new audiences and will explore methods operators can adopt to maintain relevance in this rapidly evolving industry landscape.
The female-led panel, titled “Women’s World Cup in the Spotlight: How Operators Seized Opportunities From the Rising Popularity of Women’s Sports in 2023”, aims to dissect the notable surge in sports betting on women’s sports over the past year. Experts Nicole Pawlak (Senior Director, Special Projects, Athletes Unlimited), Meghan Chayka (Co-Founder, Stathletes), Nancy Hensley (Founding Member, Mercury13), and Jennifer Matthews (Vice President, Brand Strategy, FanDuel), will delve into the strategies employed by operators to capitalize on the growing interest in women’s sports and will examine the essential factors surrounding audience engagement in betting on women’s sports.
The conference’s track’s second day opens with the panel titled “DFS 2.0 – Skill Game or Just Sports Betting With Another Name? How Regulators are Responding,” which will delve into the ongoing debate over whether daily fantasy sports (DFS) primarily involve skill or luck. Esteemed figures Julie Brown (Vice Chairman and Inaugural Chairman, Florida Gaming Control Commission), Derek Schmidt (Partner, Husch Blackwell), Nick Green (General Counsel at Underdog Fantasy), and panel moderator Daniel Wallach (Partner, Wallach Legal) will examine diverse perspectives on the skill versus luck argument, evaluate the future trajectory of DFS regulation, and analyze its broader implications for the industry.
The panel “What Does Regulated Betting on Video Games Look Like?” will focus on the intricacies of regulating virtual gameplay across North America. Industry experts Brett Abarbanel (Ph.D., Executive Director, UNLV International Gaming Institute), Michelle Sadaf-Pena (Executive Director of PMO and Gaming Operations, Wondr Nation), Barbara Demarco (Vice President, Porzio Governmental Affairs, LLC), Seth Schorr (CEO, Fifth Street Gaming), Michele Fischer (Vice President, SIS Content Services, Inc.) and panel moderator Anthony Gaud (Founder, Esports Illustrated) will explore the potential for increased revenue as new audiences are reached. They will also consider the compliance measures necessary to ensure continued healthy, legal growth for stakeholders.
Rasmus Sojmark, CEO & Founder of SBC, said: “Since the regulation of sports betting in 2018, an impressive 38 states now offer sports betting in some form, which is an amazing achievement. Couple that with the emergence of new sports betting technologies, products, and services, the sports betting track provides a unique opportunity to explore innovative strategies, regulatory updates, and market trends shaping the future of sports wagering.
We believe that by hosting the sports betting conference track across both core days of the event, we will be able to provide delegates with comprehensive discussions encompassing every major development within the sports betting landscape, ensuring they are equipped to capitalize on one of the most exciting verticals in the market.”
Alongside the ‘Sports Betting’ track, delegates will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge of the North American market through the dedicated conference tracks such as the ‘Leaders’, ‘iGaming’, ‘Affiliates & Marketing’, ‘Tribal Symposium’, ‘Payments & Tech’ and the ‘Compliance & Regulation’ conference tracks.
Canada
Play’n GO announces partnership with Canadian operator PointsBet
Play’n GO, the world’s leading casino entertainment provider, has announced further expansion of its Canadian operations via a partnership with leading operator PointsBet in the province of Ontario.
The Swedish-founded gaming giant’s games will now be available to PointsBet players in the Canadian province, meaning classic titles such as Book of Dead, Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness, and Reactoonz will now be available on the PointsBet platform.
The province of Ontario regulated online casino gaming in 2022, which saw Play’n GO enter the Canadian market for the first time. The company expanded into the province of Quebec earlier this year, and, as of June 2024, is also a proud member of the Canadian Gaming Association.
Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer at Play’n GO, commented, “Back in 2022, I said that “North America is right at the top of Play’n GO’s priority list, and Ontario is just the first step we plan to take”. This partnership with PointsBet shows we have yet to take our foot off the gas. We’ve proudly watched our games become instant hits in our two and a half years in the Ontarian region, and we have no plans to slow down any time soon.
“It’s exciting to team up with a fellow Canadian Gaming Association member in PointsBet, and we can confidently say that we are working towards the same goal of a safe, regulated industry that is focused on player entertainment. We’re looking forward to working closely together following this milestone announcement.”
Scott Vanderwel, Chief Executive Officer at PointsBet, shared “Play’n GO has built a strong reputation for delivering high-quality game content, and we’re thrilled to bring their titles to our platform. At PointsBet, our focus is on providing a safe and engaging entertainment experience for our players, and it’s clear that Play’n GO aligns with those values. Canadian casino enthusiasts recognize PointsBet as a trusted leader in iGaming, and this collaboration further enhances the exceptional experience we offer.”
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.
eSports
Wamba Technologies signs Borderlands Developer Aaron Thibault to Esports Project
Wamba Technologies, a think tank consisting of leaders in the online gaming industry, is excited to announce the appointment of Aaron Thibault as oversight for its upcoming esports venture, Gamers Oasis. This key addition comes as they move to launch their Gamers Oasis platform which allows gamers to compete for real money directly from their mobile devices.
Thibault began his gaming industry career in 1998, initially working as a sound designer and cinematic director at EA/Origin Systems. Today, he brings over 30 years of experience in game development and education. Thibault spent 16 years at Gearbox Entertainment as Vice President. There, he led major projects, including developing the billion dollar Borderlands franchise. Borderlands 3 was nominated for Best Game Design and Best Art Direction. Currently, Thibault serves as the director of games and esports at Texas A&M University. His industry knowledge will play a significant role in driving the development of Gamers Oasis, which aims to revolutionize online esports competitions.
Meanwhile, a platform like “Gamers Oasis” is only possible due to a patent that gives Wamba Technologies and Gamers Oasis the exclusive capability to offer “real money” capabilities into skill-based video games in the United States where players can actually compete for real money online (Patent 10,424,160). Their patent allows them (and ONLY them) to offer a software feature which will allow gamers to pay an entry fee into tournaments online, compete against each other, and actually win money back (where such capability is integrated into the game in some fashion). This will ultimately give developers previously untapped revenue streams and players the ability to win large amounts of real money while utilizing their skills from the comfort of their very own homes.
“At Wamba Technologies, we are committed to making esports accessible to everyone,” said Denham. “With Aaron’s oversight and experience, we will be able to move into the next phase of development and make Gamers Oasis a reality for dedicated esports players everywhere”
“What Gary and I are going to do with Wamba Technologies and Gamers Oasis has never been done before in esports,” said Thibault. “There is so much incredible potential in this patent, and we can’t wait to start putting it to use and creating a product that is going to completely revolutionize the esports industry.”
Online, real money competition (online esports) is still in its infancy, but Wamba Technologies is currently engaging with gamers, game designers, coders, programmers, esports influencers and financial consultants to aid in the development of Gamers Oasis.
In the United States alone, 215 million people play mobile video games and globally, more than 700 million people are involved with esports. Among those 700 million people worldwide, only a very small percentage are competing online when real money is involved, while the rest of the players are competing in real life (IRL) at physical locations. Wamba anticipates that when offered and monetized properly, a mere 10% of the global market share could generate $13B-$15B in annual revenue from tournament buy-ins and ad revenues alone.
Aaron is not the first major player recently signed on board by Wamba Technologies. Wamba has also previously signed Andy Ashcraft (God of War 2, God of War 3, Disney’s Cars 2, and more), Brian Upton (Lead game designer for Tom Clancy: Rainbow 6, Tom Clancy: Ghost Recon), Marty Denham (genius mind behind the Pentium wafers for Intel), Joe Bagdon (CSO, formerly Military Intelligence Cyber Security in Afghanistan), Jared Goetz (former Lionsgate VP), and a number of other “rock star” individuals behind, or working with, multi-billion dollar products/companies.
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