Industry News
Degree 53 founder launches new gambling technology business Sharp Gaming
Degree 53 founder, Andrew Daniels, has launched a brand new gambling technology business, Sharp Gaming. Sharp Gaming is an advanced platform which provides a full suite of operational services for sports betting and gaming businesses worldwide.
Andrew Daniels will take the role as the Chief Executive Officer at Sharp Gaming, stepping away from the day-to-day running of Degree 53. Andrew has appointed Richard Wagstaff as the new Managing Director at Degree 53, who has been supporting the team as Operations Director for the past four years. However, Andrew will still remain a director and shareholder at Degree 53.
Andrew Daniels received over £25m investment from the UK leading bookmaker owner, Fred Done, to create Sharp Gaming. The business stems from Degree 53, capitalising on the company’s vast knowledge of creating digital products for the online gambling industry.
In 2017, Degree 53 created a gaming division, which began the process of building the basis and recruiting specialists for Sharp Gaming. During this time, the new company has employed over 100 technology experts to support the large scale of work necessary to build the platform. Sharp Gaming continues to develop the technology suite and is currently trialling its capabilities on a test product. Once fully operational, it will offer extensive functionality to create digital and retail products, integrating third-party services, as well as improving the overall performance for operators.
At the same time, Degree 53 has been going strong, supporting existing clients and winning new business in gaming, finance, travel, utilities and wellbeing industries. The team have successfully created digital products for Hong Kong Jockey Club, French National Lottery (FDJ) and GBG, as well as continuing its partnership with Betfred. Degree 53 works with clients all over Europe, North America, Asia and the Caribbean, which is a testament to the team’s understanding of digital experiences on a global scale.
Andrew Daniels, Chief Executive Officer at Sharp Gaming comments: “The online gambling industry works on various legacy technology and white label platforms that lack flexibility for operators when they’re ready to scale up. This is why I created Sharp Gaming to help leading brands to improve their processes, and provide products that not only offer a great experience to their customers, but the end users in the business too.”
“Despite the current situation, I’m very excited to be launching Sharp Gaming and developing it into an industry-leading platform. The team’s effort to bring it to life and continue working on it remotely has been phenomenal. There are many more projects ahead and it’s only the beginning for us. I am also very happy to be leaving Degree 53 in the capable hands of Rich Wagstaff, who has been successfully running the business while I’ve been focusing on the platform.”
Richard Wagstaff, Managing Director at Degree 53 shares: “I am delighted to be stepping up to lead Degree 53. We have a talented team who are delivering amazing work for our clients. Our reputation for delivering complex, secure digital solutions in a way that delights end users has enabled us to produce high-quality work across a range of sectors. My focus will be on growing our reach, strengthening client relationships, and helping to improve their products and services through our expertise.”
The official launch of Sharp Gaming means that it will begin operating as a separate business, moving its employees over from Degree 53, including some of the directors. Both businesses will continue to operate from the same office and will work together across common projects.
Gambling in the USA
Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – April 28-May 4

Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.
Latest News
Bragg Gaming Group announced it has reached an agreement with its lenders, certain entities controlled by Doug Fallon, to repay USD 5 million of its outstanding USD 7 million secured promissory note and to extend the maturity of the remaining USD 2 million until June 6, 2025 (the Note). The company is in the process of securing a new revolving credit facility from a third-party lender. This facility is expected to offer more favourable terms than the existing Note, including lower borrowing costs and improved drawdown flexibility. All other terms of the original Note remain unchanged.
PENN Entertainment Inc announced plans for an expected $180–$200 million project to relocate its Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs (Ameristar) riverboat casino operations to a new, state-of-the-art land-based property to be rebranded as Hollywood Casino Council Bluffs (Hollywood Council Bluffs). The proposal is approved by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission in conjunction with a 15-year extension of Ameristar’s partnership with the nonprofit Qualified Sponsoring Organisation (QSO) Iowa West Racing Association. All commercial operators in Iowa are required to have an operating agreement with a QSO licensed to conduct gaming operations. Under the proposed plan, the new Hollywood Council Bluffs is expected to include roughly 125,000 square feet of new development with approximately 58,000 square feet of gaming space.
PENN Entertainment Inc announced that it intends to nominate Johnny Hartnett and Carlos Ruisanchez for election to its Board of Directors following discussions with HG Vora Capital Management LLC (HG Vora). Ron Naples has informed the Board that he will retire from the Board, effective immediately. Barbara Shattuck Kohn and Saul Reibstein have notified the Company that they will not stand for reelection at the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The Board now comprises eight directors, seven of whom are independent.
Partnerships
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Genius Sports Limited have announced a significant extension of their long-term partnership, reinforcing their shared commitment to innovation, transparency and the integrity of college athletics. Under the expanded agreement, Genius Sports has been appointed as the exclusive distributor of official NCAA data to licensed sportsbooks for all post-season tournaments, including March Madness, through 2032. This long-term agreement ensures the delivery of fast, accurate and secure data to the regulated sports betting market.
PrizePicks, the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America, announced that it has been named the Official Daily Fantasy Partner of the San Francisco Giants. The new partnership strengthens the DFS leader’s presence in professional baseball and features digital and in-park activations at Oracle Park. As part of the multi-year partnership, PrizePicks branding will be showcased prominently throughout Oracle Park with rotating signage behind home plate and LED signage on each baseline. PrizePicks logos will be featured across the K-Counter in right field, creating an interactive experience for fans in the ballpark. Fans seated on top of the right field wall near the strikeout counter will have the opportunity to flip over the PrizePicks branded signs, revealing a “K” for each strikeout earned by a Giants pitcher.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – April 28-May 4 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry News
Ruud Bergervoet Reappointed as CFO of Holland Casino

Ruud Bergervoet has been reappointed as CFO of Holland Casino. He will remain financially responsible for the gambling provider for another two years. Bergervoet has already been CFO for two terms of four years, but due to the special circumstances of the company, he has been asked to remain as a director.
CEO Petra de Ruiter said: “I am very happy that Ruud is prepared to stay with us. With his experience and knowledge of the company, he is indispensable at this moment. We have to work very hard in the coming years to keep Holland Casino financially healthy. And I am certain that this is in good hands with Ruud.”
Ruud Bergervoet has been working at Holland Casino since 2017. Before that, he worked as CFO at FD Mediagroep and Sdu Uitgevers, among others.
During the shareholders’ meeting of April 16, Bergervoet was nominated by the Supervisory Board and his nomination was confirmed.
The post Ruud Bergervoet Reappointed as CFO of Holland Casino appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry News
The 8th AskGamblers Awards Officially Enters the Voting Stage

AskGamblers has announced that the final voting stage of the 8th annual AskGamblers Awards has started.
The voting phase kicked off on 28 April, and will last until the award ceremony scheduled for 12 June.
As in previous editions of the Awards, players can cast their votes for one of the top 10 finalists in the following categories: Best Casino, Best New Casino, Best Sportsbook, Best New Slot and Best Software Provider.
The Best Crypto Casino, Best Partner and Best Manager categories will traditionally be chosen by the AskGamblers team. This year’s edition introduces a new category, the Superstar Award, a crown achievement handed out to one operator that best represents the values of brands, whose laureate will also be chosen solely by AskGamblers.
Another novelty in this year’s Awards cycle is the Forum vote: the votes from the members of AskGamblers Forum will be counted towards the final tally of votes as a separate voting tier.
Commenting on the launch of the 8th AskGamblers Awards voting stage, Dijana Radunović, General Manager at AskGamblers, said: “Now that we have the finalists, we are entering the final stages of preparation for our biggest night of the year. To say that we are excited about the 8th edition of the AskGamblers Award would be an understatement.”
“As everybody in the team is working tirelessly to make the gala ceremony a night to remember, we invite our players to do their bidding: to give a vote to their favourite contestants and help us choose the rightful winners in the five categories that are open to public vote,” Radunović added.
Before the award ceremony on 12 June, AskGamblers will host the traditional Charity Night on 11 June, where the partners will bid for positions on the website, with the money raised allocated to a humanitarian cause.
The post The 8th AskGamblers Awards Officially Enters the Voting Stage appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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