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Aside from a worldwide celebration of sports and some escape from the stress of day-to-day life, FIFA World Cups have always been a golden opportunity for creative marketing campaigns, and Brazil 2014 is no different. This time, even the very ball which is used for the matches, Adidas' "Brazuca", is bound to a huge marketing campaign, having amassed around a million followers on Twitter. Joining the marketing celebration, some of the world's leading online sportsbooks have come up with hilarious ads and TV spots, incorporating world-famous personalities and traditional jokes associated with the World Cup. Let's look at a select few. Stephen Hawking Talks England's Odds at Paddy Power Paddy Power has upped the ante when they enlisted the famous Nobel prize-winning theoretical physicist Professor Stephen Hawking for use in their World Cup campaign. In the hilarious TV spot, Professor Hawking presents his findings from a pseudo-scientific research aimed to determine England's optimal conditions for success and for scoring the perfect penalty. According to the professor, England plays better in temperate climates and at low altitudes, when the kick-off is exactly at 3 o'clock. For penalties, Hawking suggests that England will use its strikers exclusively who will aim for the top corners. Betfair's Octopus Earlier this month, bypassers in London's Oxford Circus, one of the city's busiest intersections, got to see an interesting image: a giant octopus stranded on a truck. Quickly it was revealed that the octopus is part of Betfair's World Cup campaign, following the tagline "This Is Play". The campaign features a TV spot where said giant octopus plays ping-pong against four professional Asian players simultaneously, proceeding to beat them all. While his name is not mentioned, the ad is obviously and ode to Paul the German Octopus, one of the world's most famous oracles who predicted many correct results in the 2010 World Cup from his tank. Betting Brought to life in William Hill's Campaign William Hill is aiming high for this World Cup's revenues, something which can be demonstrated by its original and impressive campaign based around the motto "Make Every Moment Count". In a series of TV spots, Hill shows a football pitch tactically represented via a football punter's view with the different betting markets coming to life instead of remaining just words, showing the function of every wager in making every minute in a match matter. Butt Implants for Sportingbet Australia Shane Warne is one of Australia's greatest cricketers. Already retired from the game, Warne remains a popular figure in the land down under. Known for his colorful personality, Warne also serves as Sportingbet Australia's ambassador who gets wagered to do freaky things. Some rumors around alleged cosmetic work he went through in the past have been used for Sportingbet Australia's World Cup campaign. In a funny TV spot, the announcer presents Warne who is getting $5,000 worth butt implants which he bet with the sportsbook, in order to "get behind our boys in Brazil" – a country which is associated with big bottoms.
Evolution Gaming has rolled out its mobile live casino for Eurobet Italy. Currently, the product is available for mobile users only, and it gives Eurobet Italy customers access to live roulette, blackjack and baccarat which can be played via smartphones and tablets. No Desktop Launch Answering inquiries as to why Evolution's live dealer games were launched only for mobile, Eurobet managing director Paolo Gazzocchi explained that the company sees mobile as "a fast-growing channel and we must give our players the best selection of live tables for mobile play, which is represented by the Evolution mobile live casino offering." Chief executive for Evolution in Italy, Gionata La Torre said: "With its widespread presence across Italy and its sharp focus on web services and mobile, Eurobet Italy is a true multi-channel operator as Evolution’s mission is to deliver a flawless live casino via multiple devices and channels in regulated markets, our two companies are very well matched." About Eurobet Established in 1995, Eurobet became part of the Gala Coral Group in 2005. Since then, Eurobet grabbed a great market share in Italy and is considered a leading operator in the country nowadays. The operator maintains a widespread network of over 850 betting shops all over Italy which offer sports betting and gaming, including a desktop site. Eurobet is also a title sponsor of the Serie B Eurobet, Italy's second highest football division. About Evolution Gaming Founded in 2006, Evolution Gaming is a leading provider of live dealer games and one of its forerunners. The company already has a strong presence in Italy, having been providing BetClic Everest Group with services for almost two years now. Among some of Evolution's other customers one can find 888 Casino, William Hill Casino, Unibet Casino and Maria Casino
Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, will be the stadium featuring tonight's huge game in the Round of 16 between Brazil and Chile. In the past these teams have met 68 times and Brazil has won 48 times to Chile's 7 and they have drawn 13 times. Brazilian PowerhouseIt is without question that Brazil are the favorites with stars like Neymar, Hulk, Dani Alves, Marcelo and more. Neymar is having an excellent world cup at 22 years of age he has put the ball in the net 4 times already and looking for more. Scolari the coach of the home team is playing his team hard and has not lost yet and advanced to the round of 16 with Mexico in Group A.Chile has an uphill battle ahead of them tonight and need a miracle to take down Brazil. Jorge Sampioli the Argentinian coach for Chile is hopeful that his squad will be able to stay in the game against Brazil tonight but is dependent on a near perfect game from his players. The stadium is sold out at over 58,000 fans eagerly waiting to see if Brazil can take Chile down on their way to the Quarterfinals. Chile will also have fan support for tonight but the sea of yellow will prove to be one of the toughest to get past if Chile is up to the task. All questions will be answered tonight as the game kicks-off at 5:00 pm in the UK.
Rio's Estadio Maracana is the venue for today's exciting Round of 16 game between Colombia and Uruguay (9pm UK time). Colombia Colombia is among this World Cup's most impressive teams. They shocked the Greeks winning 3-0 on the first game then went on to beat Ivory Coast 2 to 1. The last game against Japan saw the Samurai Blue trying to better their position for qualifying to the Round of 16 but Colombia had other plans putting four in the back of Japan's net, conceding only one. Colombia seems in top form as it faces Uruguay today. Key players include midfielder James Rodriguez who scored once in every group game and Jackson Martinez who netted twice in the Japan game. Uruguay Uruguay lost 1-3 to Costa Rica on their first game in the "group of death", but they were missing the injured forward Luis Suarez. When he did show up for the game against England he scored twice, giving his team 3 important points and crashing most of England's hopes to do something substantial this World Cup. Uruguay's last game against Italy was a glorious struggle which ended 1-0 for the Uruguayans and Suarez looking at a massive ban from international football after he bit Giorgio Chiellini's shoulder. It's unlikely that Suarez will play today - Uruguay will be looking at players like Diego Forlan and Edinson Cavani to shine in light of his absence. Bet Live Winner Sports will be covering today's game live with over 98 betting markets. In full time result, Winner has 11/10 on Colombia, 27/10 on Uruguay and 47/20 for a draw after 90 minutes. Punters can enjoy the great variety of betting opportunities for the game including many match result bets, goals, bookings, penalties, player markets and much more. Don't miss this intriguing game!
Sweden's Net Entertainment is entering the land-based sector for the first time after announcing the signing of a new agreement with William Hill. First Land-Based Deal for Net The games developer from Sweden and the bookmaker from the UK represents the first land-based gaming machine partnership for Net, and is the latest in a series of cooperative agreements between the two. As a result of the deal, the games that Net Entertainment offers will be made available in a wide range of licensed betting offices (LBO's) belonging to William Hill. With 2,300 LBO's in the UK, this represents a significant splash for Net into the land-based market. The entry of online casinos into the land-based sector is a rarity, more novel than the opposite industry innovation of land-based casinos expanding into online service. Expanding Distribution Bjorn Krantz, Entertainment Malta's Managing Director and head of global marketing, expressed excitement on behalf of Net Entertainment to utilize the retail channels that William Hill represents, enthusiastically explaining that “The deal will allow Net Entertainment to maximize its distribution reach through William Hill's major channels which includes retail, online and mobile.” Wish Master bolsters Net value Complementing the momentum of this bold new expansion was Net's announcement earlier this week of the release of The Wish Master, its newest video slot. Featuring 5 reels and 20 lines, the video slot game them of magic and adventure in pursuit of hidden treasures and jackpots, playing on the theme of other successful Net games such as Arabian Nights. Key Innovation The key graphic innovation is the Wish Master feature, which brings the genie out of his lamp whenever a scatter symbol is visible once activated. Once the genie comes out, a whole range of bonus features appears, from random symbols to expanding wilds and multipliers, and an full wild reel. Nets Shares Rise After the announcement of the new William Hill deal, Net Entertainment AB trading shares in Sweden were up 0.98 per cent at SEK154.50 on the Stockholm exchange.
The Cambodian government is considering regulating the online gaming market, and government officials have begun drafting new gambling reforms. Local Benefits Preliminary discussions surround changing gaming laws to harness localized benefits from heavy gaming activity in the greater region. The proposed reforms to gambling legislation would increase tax base by enabling local operators to attract players from areas where there are a high concentration of users, such as Macau, or from areas where online gaming is quasi-legal, or just being legalized, such as the United States. Sports-betting in the Mix The government also is considering sponsoring sports betting as a way to stifle organized crime bookkeeping and match fixing. The casino law now in the study phase would attract larger casino operators, according to a Ministry of Economy and Finance’s gaming and casino department spokesperson statement to the Phnom Penh Post. Ripple Effect on Casinos If the legislation were to pass, the country's land-based casino industry would be impacted considerably, with what one land-based operator called in a local newspaper a “ripple effect” throughout the entire Cambodian casino sector. Land-based Casino Expansion The news of these new considerations comes on the heels of the entry of Kambi Sports Solutions into Cambodia’s land-based gambling market with a new Alderney license to provide a land-based sports book through one of the country’s largest casinos. Kambi Wins Competitive Tender Kambi, listed out of Stockholm, signed the deal with Cambodia's NagaWorld Hotel and Entertainment, to win a veritable eight month bidding war between major online gaming providers such as Betfair and SBOBET to conclude during an eight-month tender period.
A white paper recently written by expert gambling consultant Aideen Shortt and published by Bullet Business sheds some interesting light on the emergence of mobile gaming. Here are some highlights from the paper. An Evolutionary Leap From the get-go, the paper asserts that mobile phones shouldn't just be considered mere portable devices anymore, but rather, mobile devices present an evolutionary leap to an era of ubiquitous computing where users can seamlessly move from one device to another – something they expect their preferred brands and services to do the same. The "Always-On" Reality Smartphones in particular and other mobile devices have introduced a whole new reality which completely alters the way people communicate with each other and with businesses. Research shows that consumers spend over 1 hour a day on smartphones and that's just the phones: People seamlessly move from phones to tablets and computers and vice versa – this works to create a reality of "Always-On". Mobile Daily Routine The "Always-On" reality is shown through access point tracking made by Latitude ThinkWorks on the day of the UK FA Cup Final Day last year. It shows how people switch devices throughout the day – they wake up with their smartphones, eat breakfast with their tablets, use desktops in mid-day then they watch the game with their smartphones. Mobile Wagering to Skyrocket by 2017 The bottom line of the paper is that gambling operators must shape themselves in light of the rapidly changing mobile demand by consumers as this is growing to be a huge market nobody can afford to miss. Predictions have it that by 2017 alone, total gambling turnover on mobile devices will reach $100 billion. Currently mobile sports betting represents 70% of the turnover, however in three years ordinary mobile gaming and gambling are expected to command this 70% share.
After the group stage is done, most people assume that they more competitive soccer will be in the round of 16. Eight times out of 10 that is the absolute truth but tonight's first match between the Netherlands and Mexico might be a blowout. Even though both teams have performed incredibly well up until now there are proportions that need to be taken into account when speaking about their respective success. Mexico made it through with 7 points beating Croatia and Cameroon but drawing with Brazil. The Netherlands were not fazed in even one game as the 2010 World Cup Runners Up destroyed Chile, Australia and the winners of the 2010 World Cup Spain whom were ousted after a terrible 2014 campaign.Playing for KeepsThe Dutch want redemption and this could be the very tournament to do so. They should be able to breeze past Mexico but cannot take them for granted as they are playing excellently well this year. Mexico should be at full strength for the match tonight and one player that they need to keep in top form is 35-year-old Rafael Marquez. The legendary Mexican all-star has scored in 3 different World Cup's and has won a Man of the Match this year. The problem for Mexico is that the Netherlands are also at full strength and even have star striker Robin Van Persie back after his second yellow card against Australia had him on the bench against Chile. Holland's attack is unmatched by any other team with names like Robben, Sneijder and Van Persie which is one of the biggest and best trios in soccer to date. Following the match against Chile and before the round of 16, Arjen Robben commented, "There was a lot of passion on the pitch, we defended really well, I am proud of the way the team defended. I think we did a great job and this is not where we want to stop. It is a fantastic result and a fantastic performance and we don't want it to end here. We need to change our mindset as we want to move forward."It will be a wild ride for Mexico but lets see if they can hold on tonight against the Netherlands.
In-play betting during this year’s World Cup has reached an all time high, but it stands to rise even higher as some bookmakers use the event as a launching point for a new variation on in-play betting, namely, high frequency, micro-bets. Coral Interactive is one of the companies embarking on this new endeavor. They debuted their new product, Rapid Fire, last week, which allows customers to place bets on football markets that last no more than 60 seconds. Concurrently, BetVictor has launched its new “Minute to Win It” product on all World Cup matches. The ultimate goal is to make it available on a wider scale during the upcoming football season. SBTech will also be offering similar software to its clients. How It WorksBoth Coral Interactive and BetVictor’s products work like this: They take a minute-long period of the game, and offer odds on things such as throw-ins, free kicks, goal kicks, red cards, yellow cards, goals, etc. This creates bite-sized bits of excitement throughout the game that contribute to players' involvement and interaction.Rising Popularity of In-Play BettingThe rise in popularity of in-play betting cannot be ignored, as it increasingly makes up a large part of sportsbook revenues. In fact, in-play betting accounts for 70% of bet365’s sports betting revenue and 60% of Ladbrokes’ sports betting revenue.It seems that operators have discovered that these high-frequency, micro-markets have the potential of a second screening on mobile, which in turn means the potential to generate higher turnover per player.As of now, BetVictor’s “Minute to Win It” has exceeded the expectations of Eoin Ryan, head of the sportsbook. He commented, “We believe there is a big opportunity and the early feedback and uptake would suggest that is the case. These markets are unique, they are immediately settled as each minute elapses and they offer a customer a new and exciting way to follow the action.”
Recife's Arena Penambuco hosts the Round of 16 game between Costa Rica and Greece tonight, kicking off 9pm UK time. Costa RicaOne of the tournament's bigger surprises, Costa Rica conquered the "Group of Death" as it valiantly faced its competition, beating both Uruguay and Italy and finishing a goalless draw with England when the Costa Ricans were already confirmed for the Round of 16. Costa Rica has a strong defense which pressures the rival team's offense. Coupled with skilled goalie Keylor Navas, they look good in the back, and with forward Joel Campbell who already has 4 goals to his name this World Cup, they will pose a serious threat to Greece. Costa Rica must be wary though, especially in stationary situations, as Greece brings a lot of experience especially in free kicks and corners. GreeceThe Greeks have their admirers and haters – it's hard to argue that they always play "beautiful" football but at the same time it's hard to argue they don't know football at all. Quite the contrary: The winners of Euro 2004 know exactly what to do in order to advance in tournaments. This knowledge alongside their experience and Georgios Samaras' penalty kick against Ivory Coast in the 93th minute brought them to climb the pitch today. This is the first-ever knockout stages appearance for the Greeks in World Cup history, and coach Fernando Santos cooled the excitement when he said that Greece cannot underestimate their Costa Rican rivals today. Bet LiveFor today's game, William Hill is offering over 140 interesting betting markets to the delight of punters with a great variety in 5 minute markets, player markets, correct score and the likes. In match betting, Hill offers 6/4 on Costa Rica, 21/10 on Greece and 2/1 on a draw before extra time.
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