Canada
Exclusive Q&A with Alessandro Sposito, Head of Business Development at ESA Gaming
With Colombia’s regulatory framework widely being heralded as a success, does it allow for greater appetite for innovation within the jurisdiction?
There is absolutely greater appetite for innovation, and we see that with new products being certified all the time. At the same time you can only keep pace with the consumer, especially from a technological standpoint, so it is important to respect their wishes and understand how best to provide a product and an experience that suits their needs.
It is fruitless developing products which are not needed or desired, so it is vital to devise solutions which will add value to a player’s experience. This is encouraged through regulations which clearly work, so Colombia is becoming a hotbed for innovative titles.
LatAm is home to a number of exciting, emerging markets. Do any of these have the potential to be the next big hub in iGaming?
The whole of LatAm is monitoring Colombia and its progress through regulation and its success is a huge stimulus for other countries within the region. Many more opportunities are on the horizon as nations try to follow the example of Colombia. This combined with the lure of taxation and regulation will lead to a natural evolution of the online gaming markets. With such a large, and sports mad, populace, the entire region is very enticing for all.
As with any new emerging market they get to play catch up a bit, but they can also learn so much from more established markets meaning their evolution can be that much faster.
If the countries continue to regulate with success, the entire region could become a focal point for the exciting next phase of iGaming.
How have your products been received in Latin American jurisdictions so far, and what is on the horizon for ESA Gaming in the region?
Together with partners in LatAm we have launched poker with Betplay and it is our ambition to become a leading poker network in Colombia. This obviously relies on shared liquidity within the country, and this again is something we are confident will happen in the very near future. We will also be launching our EasySwipe portfolio in the region with lightweight HTML5 mobile-first games that integrates seamlessly into sportsbooks, allowing users to enjoy the best quality casino games without disrupting the sports betting experience.
Looking further into the future, we want to continue to grow our presence across our entire product range with operators in all of LatAm’s regulated markets.
Will the appetite for niche products, such as esports and virtuals, continue to grow within emerging markets even when sporting events return?
It is inevitable that some will return to what they know and love. While some will strictly focus on sports betting, others have discovered that they enjoy new products, such as esports or virtuals, and will expand their appetites across sports and these newer experiences.
The lack of sport gave a spotlight to these niche verticals, and while they may not now dominate public conscience, the growth afforded will allow for more innovations and a greater level of growth than previously seen for these products that are usually sidelined.
Coljuegos is considering allowing poker liquidity between licenced operators, how important is this for the vertical to truly thrive?
Allowing poker liquidity is fundamental to ensure a level playing field for operators of varying sizes and to ensure poker can really thrive from a player perspective.
If liquidity increases, it will attract more players which will have greater choice, operators will increase revenue, and suppliers will have the perfect proving ground for exciting poker products with a receptive audience.
Stats Perform, the global leader in sports AI, data and technology, has announced an official data partnership with the Northern Super League (NSL). The partnership will allow world-leading Opta data to be collected live from every NSL league game for the next three years.
Beginning this month, the Northern Super League (NSL) establishes a new era in Canadian sport as the country’s first professional domestic women’s soccer league — an ambitious and transformative initiative co-founded by former Canadian international and Olympic medallist Diana Matheson. Its inaugural season kicks off on April 16 and will feature six teams who have assembled multinational player rosters with extensive club and international experience, including 100-cap Canadian internationals Desiree Scott and Quinn.
Once the action begins, detailed data from every on-ball event, including advanced AI-powered Opta Analytics metrics such as Expected Goals (xG) and Expected Assists (xA), will be captured and distributed via feeds and Stats Perform products, including OptaAI Studio. This will enable various broadcasters, publishers and rights holders to generate stories and insights throughout the NSL season and provide them straight to the league’s fans in real time.
As part of the agreement, the NSL’s League Office and every NSL club will also have access to Opta Search, part of OptaAI Studio. This will allow their content creators to leverage all Opta data collected during the NSL season in the creation of data-led stories on the stand-out performers, and will help them generate key talking points for publication on official league and club platforms. Opta Search will also empower the NSL’s media team to create a range of data visualizations, including player shot maps and touch maps, to visually illustrate the impact of different players’ on-field performances.
Christina Litz, NSL President, said: “We are thrilled to have Stats Perform on board as our official data partner. When we talk about detailed performance data in soccer, Opta is the gold standard, so we are delighted to have it powering each of our official digital channels. As the season progresses, we want to put the spotlight on all the on-field heroes who emerge and having access to world-class data will help us tell their stories and inspire a new generation of Canadian soccer fans.”
Steve Xeller, Chief Revenue Officer at Stats Perform, said: “Stats Perform has been a huge supporter of expansion leagues around the world, so we are very pleased to be partnering with NSL in the lead-up to their first domestic campaign. Seeing a fully professional women’s soccer league launch in Canada is an incredibly exciting development for the sport in North America and we see considerable potential in working proactively with the League’s Head Office to help the competition grow, using the power of AI and data-led storytelling to build fan communities across the continent.”
The post Northern Super League Partners with Stats Perform appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Africa
INCENTIVE GAMES SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION DEAL FOR NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, SOUTH AFRICA AND UK WITH LIGHT & WONDER
Leading B2B games provider, Incentive Games, today announced its new agreement with premium gaming company and content provider Light & Wonder, Inc.
Through this agreement, Incentive Games will distribute its premium pay-to-play games – including new arcade-style titles – to key global regulated markets including the USA, Canada, South Africa, UK, and within Europe via Light & Wonder’s extensive operator network. Additionally, Incentive Games’ popular free-to-play content will be made available to a wider audience through Light & Wonder’s content marketplace.
The agreement brings together two industry leaders in iGaming and the strengths of both companies to deliver exceptional player experiences and elevate customer engagement.
Ahmed Baker, Chief Commercial Officer at Incentive Games said, “This agreement is a landmark moment in our company’s history. Previously, we’ve worked directly with major operators such as bet365, FanDuel, and Sky Bet. Now, we can distribute our games via Light & Wonder, an exceptional aggregator that we trust will handle our games with care.”
Steve Mayes, Senior Director of Partners at Light & Wonder, said: “We are excited to work with Incentive Games, a leader in gamification solutions. We look forward to leveraging their innovative platform and bringing their customisable crash and fast game content to all major regulated markets.”
The post INCENTIVE GAMES SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION DEAL FOR NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, SOUTH AFRICA AND UK WITH LIGHT & WONDER appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
PENN Entertainment announced that it has launched theScore Casino, a new stand-alone iCasino app in Ontario. The dedicated online casino experience leverages the popular theScore brand, which has been a mainstay in the Ontario market for decades. Now available on Android, iOS, and desktop, customers can login using their existing theScore Bet credentials, allowing for a seamless experience across online gaming platforms.
theScore Casino operates on the same cutting-edge proprietary technology platform as PENN’s online Hollywood Casino, which launched as a standalone product in the US in December. The product was recently ranked by Eilers & Krejcik as the #2 overall iCasino product in the US.
theScore Casino, also available within theScore Bet app, offers a variety of online slots, table games, and live dealer content, including original titles from PENN Game Studios, the company’s in-house game development studio. theScore Casino also includes bespoke live dealer tables and exclusive games such as Blue Jays Blackjack, an original title leveraging theScore Bet’s partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays.
“We’re excited to introduce our dedicated iCasino product in Ontario under the well-known and trusted theScore brand. We’ve built a strong online gaming foothold in the Ontario market and are primed to deliver an even better casino experience with our proven stand-alone app. Our customer-friendly platform features more than 1200 games, dozens of original titles and intuitive game play that distinguishes our product and positions us for even greater success,” said Aaron LaBerge, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Interactive at PENN Entertainment.
The post PENN Entertainment Launches Stand-alone iCasino App, theScore Casino, in Ontario appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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