• Just 20% of UK bets on EURO 2024 back the Three Lions, according to Entain.
• Portugal tops the charts as the most patriotic nation with 60% of home bets on 2016 winners.

27^th June: Just one fifth of UK fans betting on EURO 2024 are backing the Three Lions despite England securing the #1 spot in Group C, new data from Entain shows.

In an analysis of UK and European sports betting data on the tournament so far, the global sports betting and gaming group reveals that Portugal is the most patriotic nation, with 60% of Portuguese punters backing their own team, followed by Spain (49%), Germany (44%), and France (30%).

Over three quarters (76%) of patriotic punters in Portugal are betting on their Captain and international football royalty, Cristiano Ronaldo, to take the mantle as the tournament’s top goal scorer – despite not yet having scored a goal. No other country is close to this level of patriotism, as Ronaldo also comes out on top for fans in Germany (22%) and Austria (20%). However, 25% of UK fans are still backing the home team’s Captain, Harry Kane, above the likes of Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe.

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The most bet-on match of the tournament so far has been on England’s opener against Serbia, where the rising star of English football, Jude Bellingham, secured the only win so far for the Three Lions.

In a deeper dive of its UK sportsbook (Ladbrokes and Coral), Entain can also reveal:

• The percentage of outright bets on the England team to take home the trophy has decreased from 21% in 2021 to 13% in 2024 – further indicating that Brits have lost faith in their home team after failing to rouse fans in the Group stage.
• A more open tournament compared to EURO 2020, with 21% of outright bets on England, and 22% on Italy. Hosts Germany have attracted 14% of outright bets, with France, England, Germany and Spain on 13% each.
• The number of outright bets placed by UK customers has more than doubled (121%) for EURO 2024 compared to the same period in 2021, reflecting heightened engagement amongst football fans and greater confidence in their predictions on the final result.

Jamie MacDonald, Head of Sportsbook Analytics at Entain, said: “There is no denying that the Three Lions have had a lacklustre start to EURO 2024. That’s exactly what we’re seeing in the betting data – a huge contrast to the most patriotic nations of Portugal, Spain and Germany, where fans are backing their home teams.

“Can England turn their nation around and bring it home? It’s all to play for as England enters the Round of 16 this weekend and hopes to ignite the pitch. We love seeing our customers excited, having fun, and being entertained – that’s what this tournament is all about.”

Despite $521 million in May revenue, casinos continue assault on skill games

Pace-O-Matic (POM), creator of Pennsylvania Skill games, commends the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) which saw an 8.7% increase in gambling revenue in May 2024 over revenue in May 2023.

The funding comes from slot machines, table games, internet gaming, sports wagering, fantasy contests and video gaming terminals (VGTs). The May revenue total is $520,997,868.

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As the PGCB celebrates yet another enormous financial win, small businesses, veterans groups, volunteer fire companies and other fraternal clubs across the state also are pleased with the income they receive from operating legal skill games.

“The increased revenue for casinos and other gambling enterprises under the jurisdiction of the PGCB is good for the commonwealth,” said Mike Barley, spokesman for Pennsylvania Skill. “These numbers show that there is room in the state for both casinos and small businesses that operate skill games to be successful. There is no competition between the two.”

Barley questions why casinos, especially Parx Casino, are fighting skill games when they continue to see increased revenues month after month and year after year. He added he is disappointed the giant casino industry wants to destroy family businesses and organizations that count on skill games for supplemental income by seeking to impose a crushing tax rate on the games. Legislation to regulate skill games calls for a 16% tax on skill games while casinos say the tax should be 52%.

“Sadly, $521 million a month is not enough to satisfy the greedy casino industry,” Barley added. “Instead, they want to kill small businesses, American Legions, volunteer fire companies, Moose Lodges and other places that count on income from skill games. These locations could never afford to pay the same tax rate that wealthy casinos pay. Casinos know that but they simply don’t care.”

Barley explained that POM supports legislation sponsored by Sen. Gene Yaw and Rep. Danilo Burgos that will regulate and tax skill games. There is bipartisan backing for the legislation that will put guardrails around skill game operations and provide $250 million in skill game tax revenue for the state in the first year alone. Gov. Josh Shapiro wants to see skill game tax revenue as part of his 2024-25 state budget. But, Barley added, that revenue is generated only through a reasonable tax on skill games.

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Several courts have ruled Pennsylvania Skill games are legal, including a unanimous Commonwealth Court in November. In addition to providing supplemental income to small businesses, the games are manufactured in Williamsport and 92% of the income they generate stays within the local economy or the state.

CONTACT: Jeanette Krebs
Pennsylvania Skill
717-418-6106
[email protected]

Disguised Toast, S8UL Esports, and Riot Games are among the finalists revealed live on stream by on-air talent Trevor “Quickshot” Henry and host Jasmine “Veracity” Kanuga.

• The summer ceremony, taking place at the end of the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, August 24th, will focus on the Entertainment and Creative categories. The Esports Awards will have a second ceremony in London at the end of the year to give a spotlight to the Pro categories.
• The Esports Awards have partnered with the global gaming and esports festival, Esports World Cup, alongside sports and lifestyle brand Oakley to elevate the ceremony to new heights
• Voting is now open for the Riyadh ceremony finalists, register your vote at esportsawards.com/vote/
• You can register your interest to attend this year’s ceremony at esportsawards.com/register-interest/

The Esports Awards, the most prestigious night in the esports calendar, is excited to unveil the finalists for this year’s Riyadh ceremony. With voting now open for fifteen categories, including Esports Game of the Year, Streamer of the Year, and Esports Breakthrough Player of the Year, fans can expect the biggest ceremony yet. The main event, in partnership with the Esports World Cup, will conclude the tournament circuit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on August 24th.

The finalists were announced live across the Esports Awards broadcast platforms, including their Twitch.tv channel, presented by former LEC caster and seasoned on-air talent Trevor “Quickshot” Henry alongside esports host and interviewer Jasmine “Veracity” Kanuga.

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This year’s Esports Awards will see the return of fan and industry favourite activities, including the Lifetime Achievement Award award, which celebrates individuals who have dedicated their professional lives to improving the industry. The Esports Awards Village and the Red Carpet event will be back as well, which in 2023 featured a Razer-customised 2024 Lexus TX and the iconic Glambot, capturing and creating memorable moments for fans and attendees alike.

The full lineup of categories and finalists for the Esports Awards Riyadh are:

Entertainment

Streamer of the Year

• Nicholas “Jynxzi” Stewart
• Kai Cenat
• Ibai “Ibai” Llanos
• Cody “Clix” Conrod
• Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr.
• Case “CaseOh” Baker
• Félix “xQc” Lengyel
• Marc “Caedrel” Lamont
• Victor “Coringa” Augusto
• Alexandre “gAuLeS” Chiqueta
• Samantha “Rivers” Treviño

Esports Personality of the Year

• Jeremy “Disguised Toast” Wang
• Tarik “tarik” Çelik
• Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag
• Seth “scump” Abner
• Ibai “Ibai” Llanos
• James Banks
• Marc “Caedrel” Lamont
• Naman “Mortal” Sandeep Mathur
• Bruno “Nobru” Goes

Esports Content Group of the Year

• G2 Esports
• Offline TV
• Karmine Corp
• Sentinels
• Fnatic
• T1
• S8UL Esports

Esports Game of the Year

• Counter-Strike 2
• VALORANT
• League of Legends
• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
• Dota 2
• Apex Legends
• Rainbow Six Siege
• Rocket League
• PUBG Mobile

Mobile Esports Game of the Year

• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
• Brawl Stars
• Honor of Kings
• PUBG Mobile
• Call of Duty: Mobile
• Clash Royale
• Free Fire
• Pokémon UNITE

Industry

Esports Content & Coverage Platform of the Year

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• Liquipedia
• Esports Chart
• Dexerto
• HLTV
• Dot Esports
• Sports Business Journal
• Esports Insider

Esports Publisher of the Year

• Riot Games
• Valve
• Epic Games
• Microsoft Gaming
• Ubisoft
• Capcom
• EA
• Moonton

Esports Commercial Partner of the Year

• Red Bull
• Intel
• Logitech G
• Mastercard
• Razer
• Lenovo
• AT&T
• Adidas

Creative

Creative Team of the Year

• ESL FACEIT Group
• Riot Games
• BLAST
• 100 Thieves
• Flyquest
• LOUD
• NRG/Full Squad Gaming
• Sentinels
• Team Liquid
• Team Vitality
• G2 Esports

Esports Content of the Year

• GODS ft. NewJeans (뉴진스) (Official Music Video) | Worlds 2023 Anthem – League of Legends
• Think Like A Pro VALORANT Duelist | Know Your Role
• G2 Esports x Mastercard: Mastercard Gamer Academy Educational Content Series
• Manners maketh man | T1 x Ralph Lauren
• TEAM LIQUID x AURA & ECHO || HELLO INDONESIA & THE PHILIPPINES
• The 3 prodigies of Rocket League | Worlds 2023 documentary

Pro

Esports Breakthrough Player of the Year

• Danil “donk” Kryshkovets – Team Spirit
• Cauan “cauanzin” Pereira – LOUD
• Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak – Team Falcons
• Han “SangJoon” Sang-jun – REJECT WINNITY
• Pedro “swiftt” Gomes – Ninjas in Pajamas
• Daniel “Daniel” Piecenski – G2 Stride
• Wang “UMA” Yuan-hao – Street Fighter player
• Rayan “Sniper” Shoura – 100 Thieves

On-Air

Esports Analyst of the Year

• Emily Rand
• Mimi “aEvilcat” Wermcrantz
• Jacob “Pimp” Winneche
• Tyler “Tbates” Bates
• Mathieu “Maniac” Quiquerez
• Kevin “Purge” Godec
• The7WorldsGaming
• Léo “Alphama” Robine

Fans can also expect upcoming announcements around the beloved Lifetime Achievement award, which is celebrated at its own dedicated moment, alongside additional awards that will be announced live during the main ceremony this

August in Riyadh including:

• Breakthrough Game of the Year
• ONES TO WATCH
• Community Leader

“Year on year, I am amazed at the vast and incredible talent present in the esports industry. It’s an absolute honour to gather everyone across all aspects of the industry to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in esports and foster growth for the industry,” said Michael Ashford, CEO of the Esports Awards, “With the Esports Awards kicking off in Riyadh earlier this year, amidst a calendar brimming with incredible events, we wanted to make sure we give every achievement the spotlight it deserves. This is why for the first time this year we are hosting not one, but two ceremonies! Stay tuned for more details about the London ceremony later this year, where we’ll be shining an even brighter light on the Pro categories.”

This year, for the very first time, the Esports Awards has split its awarding ceremony into two separate events. The first ceremony will take place on August 24th as part of the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the second ceremony will take place in London later this year. The second ceremony will feature a heavier focus on the Pro categories, picking up fan favourite awards such as Esports Player of the Year and Esports Team of the Year.

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Fans can stay tuned for more details around the Esports Awards London ceremony at: x

Fans can catch the finalist announcement live stream, and VOD, across Esports Awards official broadcast channels: X, Twitch and youtube.

The 2024 Esports Awards is brought to you in partnership with the Esports World Cup and Oakley. Find out more about the Esports Awards Riyadh at: esportsawards.com/