Sports Betting Focus H2 2023
Editor's Letter
LiveScore Group CEO Sam Sadi told the GI Huddle a few months ago that convergence was a great way for two struggling
business models to reignite. The two models in question, of course, are sports betting and sports media. And it seems Sadi (who
spoke to us again as part of the lead theme in this magazine) is not alone in holding this opinion.
Indeed, since our last Sports Betting Focus, Penn Entertainment and ESPN have joined forces to create ESPN Bet: the
ultimate example of sports betting and media convergence. ESPN’s concrete entrance into the sports wagering sphere was long
anticipated – even if the manner in which it arrived was, shall we say, unexpected (talks with Penn were a well-kept secret
before it sold its
full share in Barstool Sports back to owner Dave Portnoy for just one dollar).
For ESPN Bet, putting ‘Penn’ to paper is an expensive deal. The partnership bears heavy up-front costs for Penn for what is,
effectively, just a rebrand, a fantasy database and a TV audience. But that is where a lot of the industry, and wider society, is
now headed. After all, gaming is a form of entertainment and, as such, competes with any other form of entertainment: movies,
music, streaming, leisure activities and the like. So why not combine the consumption of sports betting and sports media into
one?
It’s a thought many operators have previously had. And it’s a plan that has already seen numerous operators fail. Can ESPN
Bet, or anyone else for that matter, make it work? With insight from Sadi’s LiveScore Group, FanDuel, Sportradar and Scott
Butera – who led the Fubo Sports brand that learned its convergence lessons the hard way – we explore this phenomenon in-
depth in this issue’s cover feature.
Alongside convergence, we’ve also got a series of sports betting company profiles, ahead of a busy G2E and NFL season, as
well as editorial on fantasy, esports, integrity and much more. So we hope you enjoy the issue in its entirety – whether you think
convergence is the next big trend to take the industry by storm, or an expensive risk that history will judge years down the line.
TP, Editor
In focus: Sportingtech
Sportingtech introduces a 'conveyor belt of new solutions' including Bet Assist, FastBet and Share-a-Bet.
In focus: LSports
LSports discusses its recent acquisition of STATSCORE and its aim to become 'The Google of sports betting data.'
In focus: BetConstruct Sportsbook
'Empowering betting excellence.'
In focus: IGT PlaySports
Get in the game with the winning combination of B2B sports betting technology and comprehensive market-ready solutions.
Esports: Past, present and future
We speak to Niklas Weber, PR and Content Creator at Bayes Esports, about the company’s attendance of IEM Cologne, and the past, present and future of esports.
The convergence and competition of sports, betting & media
Gambling Insider spoke to Kevin Grigsby of FanDuel, Sam Sadi of LiveScore Group, Patrick Mostboeck of Sportradar and Scott Butera of Sports Information Group, about the convergence of sports betting and sports media.
Fanatics & PointsBet: iGaming disruption
CEO & Co-Founder of The Game Day, Matt Heiman (alongside Senior Sports Writer Pat Pickens), presents his thoughts on Fanatics’ deal to buy PointsBet’s US sportsbook operations, and why he thinks all 50 states will one day have legalised online sports betting.
Can every operator have a slice of the fantasy sports pie?
Gambling Insider assesses the current state of the fantasy sports market.
In focus: DS Virtual Gaming
DSVG discusses how restructuring led to its 'Online Retail Solution,' Kickbox Mania and virtual roulette.
In focus: Altenar
Altenar Head of Sales Antonino Barra reviews the key aspects of Altenar’s Sportsbook solutions, products and services to better detail how the global provider has instituted year-on-year success.
Olybet CEO Q&A: The business of entertainment
Gambling Insider speaks with Chairman and CEO of Olybet and Olympic Entertainment, Corey Plummer, about its recent partnership with the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).
Sportradar SVP of ad:s Q&A: Personalising the sports betting experience
Niki Beier, SVP of ad:s at Sportradar, speaks to Gambling Insider about how sportsbooks plan to make the 2023/24 season their most efficient yet.
In focus: DATA.BET
DATA.BET is a tech-savvy provider of complex esports solutions, which includes SPA (iFrame) and odds feed, covering all the needs of the betting company for a high-quality, extensive and profitable esports offering.
Should professional athletes be allowed to wager on sports?
Sports betting information hub Covers recently reported a poll regarding legalised sports betting among athletes. Gambling Insider spoke with Geoff Zochodne to discuss the findings further.
In focus: Codium
The art of coding: Codium brings innovative IT solutions in the field of sports betting and online casinos. We provide our clients with turnkey and white-label platforms through our own in-house full stack development.
In focus: EasyPay
EasyPay is a Romanian group that includes three companies renowned by now on the local market, USA, Europe and Africa as a self-service solutions main supplier, with experience of more than 13 years.
B90 CEO Q&A: Getting the band back together
Gambling Insider took a trip to Bank in the city of London to meet with B90 CEO Ronny Breivik during his visit to the UK capital, in which we discussed him getting his old team back together and B90's place as an affiliate and operator in the market.
Key sports betting and iGaming states to watch in 2023-24: Vermont, Florida & New Jersey
Scott Leopold and James A. Lewis of law firm Duane Morris focus on Vermont, Florida and New Jersey as new legislation and opportunities abound in the US.
In focus: BtoBet
Instant gratification: The driving force behind modern sports betting. Dima Reiderman, MD of BtoBet, discusses innovation within the sports betting industry.
