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Initial details have emerged from Unibet's recent acquisition of iGame Group. The New Details Announced by Unibet last month, the deal called for a €59 million payment by Unibet to take control of iGame Group and subsidiaries. Now OCR has learned that the amount has been paid in full up front, with a potential sweetener on the table: potential earn-out payments based on iGame's performance results through June 30, 2016, while iGame continues to trade under its existing brands with no change in customer relationships or service channels. In kind, Unibet will now consolidate iGame online gambling business in performance results. Further, the company has secured additional credit to finance current projects and future investment to the tune of €120 million. Strategy This is in keeping with the Unibet strategy as charted by CEO Henrik Tjärnström, who said at the time of the acquisition that iGame brands held substantial potential for combining his own company's plans for “bigger scale, mobile, cross channel and product expertise” with Game's “local focus.” A change in leadership as a result of the deal has seen Unibet appoint Fredrik Kjell from NYX Gaming Group as its new head of gaming, after serving as commercial manager at NYX Gaming, and head of product NYX Poker at the company. This deal diversifies Unibet's holdings as well as player offerings for iGames. Other Deals In other expansion, Unibet is now set to launch a full suite of proprietary table games from online gaming supplier Felt, marking the introduction of Felt games such as seven blackjack sidebets games and the firm’s unique “Double Ball Roulette.” Felt CEO and former SkyBet casino head John Parsonage expressed his company's delight at the opportunity to work more closely with Unibet, pointing out how Unibet players would have access to “a mix of the most popular poker, roulette and blackjack side-bet games, many of which are already familiar to table game players across the world.” Unibet has also signed former England national football team manager and player Glenn Hoddle to become an ambassador for the company and provide football insights and betting tips through via Unibet’s digital channels. With these latest deals, Unibet is clearly gathering momentum.
The Green Bay Packers lead the NFC North after two hard-fought victories in the first two weeks of the 2015/16 regular season. Aaron Rodgers has been brilliant for Green Bay so far and the pre-season playoff prediction is looking more and more like it could be a Super Bowl berth as time goes on. The Pack have scored 58 points over the first two games and Rodgers is posting some incredible stats so far. The Packers' QB has completed 43 out of 56 passing attempts for 438 yards and 5 touchdowns, good enough for a QB rating of 128.4. These numbers are excellent for the beginning of the season and if the Offensive Line can continue to protect him, expect to see many more wins for the team. Kansas City are 1-1 and are currently last in the AFC West. The Broncos, Raiders and Chargers complete the historically tough division, but the Chiefs are far from pushovers. The chiefs pulled out a Week 1 win against the Texans and gave Peyton Manning and the Broncos a run for their money, but ultimately lost last week 31-24. To pull out a win tonight in Green Bay is a task bigger than most teams can handle, and this rings true for the Chiefs' chances. Alex Smith has yet to find his groove with a QB rating of 90.7. Smith has connected on 38-58 for 3 touchdowns, but has already thrown 2 interceptions, whereas Rodgers has not thrown one so far this season. Monday Night Football Betting The way that bet365 Sports has it the Packers are outright favorites at 1.33, while the Chiefs need to leave it all on the field with 3.40. The markets are competitive tonight and bet365 is also offering score props, team props, 1st and 2nd half props, markets per quarter and so much more. Pre-game markets combined with live in-play bets are a great way to maximize potential profits and it makes the entire betting experience much more interactive.
Despite putting up a good fight, pro-online poker proponents in California saw their hopes dashed last week when the 2015 legislative session in California came to a close on September 11, with no consensus reached between card clubs, tribal groups, outside firms and racetracks on the future on online poker. So while experts estimate that California has a potential online gaming market of $380 billion a year, none of that money will come into state coffers in 2015. It’s hard to say exactly what else got in the way of passing iGaming regulation in California, especially when there was so much outside support, such as, “Let California Play,” a poker tour geared towards raising awareness for the grassroots organization, Californians for Responsible iPoker. But one cause can definitely be seen in the tribal gaming disagreements; tribes were not able to come to an agreement about how to regulate online poker and who should be eligible to get licenses. (To get an idea of how powerful tribes are, crunch these numbers: Tribal gaming in the United States currently takes in $28.5 billion a year, with California tribal gaming making up $7.3 million of that pie.) But it wasn't only disagreeing tribes that did it; according to Chris Grove, founder of GroveIG, an independent consultancy serving stakeholders in the U.S. regulated online gambling market, a number of things went wrong in 2015, and these issues are what iGaming supporters should focus on in 2016: Increasing voter pressure, giving California’s regulatory agencies the resources they need to act, stopping to talk about specific poker companies and focus on poker, the game, and finally, getting a good deal for the racing industry, and get them to take it. An easy, 4-pronged plan, right? While in theory it seems possible, only time will tell whether the voters and lawmakers are ready to push for legalized online poker in the Golden State in 2016.
Genii has announced a partnership with Omega Gaming to continue a whirlwind of corporate activity and expansion over the last two months. Omega Access In the seventh deal for Genii in the last two months, Malta-based platform provider Omega now gains access to Genii's portfolio of over 130 casino games, including Genii's Spin16 product category. Omega joins LeoVegas, TAIN, Gaming Innovation Group, Iforium, Altenar, Dukes and Starfish Media in the ranks of companies that have recently signed deals with Genii. Genii's platform will be offered via the Omega Core system. The CORE solution provides a single point of management for all aspects of the gaming infrastructure, such as gaming systems, payment processors, bonus systems and third party services. The Partnership Omega managing director Peter van Tuyl explained his company's interest in Genii in the fact that Genii has accomplished so much in a relatively short amount of time, particularly in the distinction and innovation of the Spin16 slots category. Genii sales director Nick Barr added his company's appreciation for Omega's unique approach to helping clients achieve their goals as complementary to his company's own “customer and partner-focused platform.” He also looks forward to the rest of the industry seeing the strength of Genii products as a result of the deal as well. Infrastructure for iGaming Deepens The deal is a great example of how partnerships are proliferating and diversifying in the iGaming industry. While regulation takes its own pace in each region, the infrastructure for full scale service and support is being set by the many deals being struck for platforms across multiple channels such as the one between Omega and Genii.
The NFL and College football regular seasons are in full swing. With the first Touchdowns of the New Year being scored, millions of punters around the world earned lucrative cash, while making legal bets on NFL and college football games; but this is simply not the case in America. Americans Banned from Betting on American Sports Even with legalization of online gambling in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware, there were still millions of punters seeking to make bets in the other states, only to realize that they cannot bet on an American game on teams that they grew up watching. Punters in New Jersey and Delaware are still not legally allowed to bet on sporting events, as the only states exempt from the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act are Nevada, Oregon, Delaware and Montana. This is not the case in most every other country in the world, as online sportsbooks like bet365 Sports, William Hill and 888 Sports continue to deliver competitive NFL and College football odds ahead of each game this season. The NFL is one of the most highly bet on sports in the world today, as is college football, but due to outdated laws in the US, American's are breaking the law when they make a bet. The American Gaming Association (AGA) has projected that there will be way-over $93 billion in illegal wagers made on the weekly games and there are very few ways to stop it. Wasted Tax Revenue That is tax revenue, which could be put into much needed areas of American's lives like education, healthcare, security and more. The 93 billion that the AGA claims will be made this year is way more than the $2 billion that was made in week 1 of the NFL season legally at online sportsbooks in Nevada. Superbowl numbers are even crazier, with last year's final between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks seeing $3.8 billion in bets made illegally, which was an astonishing 38 times greater than legal bets in the US. “Illegal sports betting is reaching new heights of popularity in America, related Geoff Freeman, chief executive of the AGA. “It’s clear that a federal ban on traditional sports betting outside of Nevada is failing," he continued.
The second Matchday of the 2015/16 Champions League group stage is set to kick-off tonight with big games across the board. After a wild week of round one action mid-September, the top teams and big upsets are easier to judge. Tonight will be a punters' paradise with hundreds of betting markets available on all games offered by online bookmakers like bet365, and with the right bet, one could be in for a real money winning kind of night. Group E Barcelona vs Bayer Leverkusen Barcelona are the defending Champions League champions and after their first draw against Roma, it is about time for Messi and the rest of the star-studded roster to get back to domination and need to do it at home tonight against Leverkusen. Barca are huge favorites to win tonight at 1.36, while Leverkusen come in, in need of a prayer to make up for the 9.50 they will need to overcome for a win. Prediction: Barcelona 2, Bayer Leverkusen 0 FC BATE Borisov vs Porto Porto was amazing against Barcelona and were able to hold on for the draw with the Spaniards in week one. BATE were crushed by Leverkusen in week one 4-1 and their chances against Roma tonight are just as ill-fated. Bet365 posts BATE at 4.75, while favorites Roma are at 1.90 in the visitor role. Prediction: BATE 1, Porto 3 Group F Arsenal vs Olympiakos Both teams lost in their Champions League opener and will be in need of a win to get back into business with Bayern and Dinamo Zagreb. Arsenal are the favorites tonight but they could be surprised with the talent on the side of Olympiakos. A draw could be the best bet at 4.75, but Arsenal are big favorites at 1.45, while Olympiakos come in at 8.00 flat. Prediction: Arsenal 2, Olympiakos 0 Bayern Munich vs Dynamo Zagreb The two leaders of the group take each other on tonight in Munich and this match will surely give valuable information as to which team is best in group. There are few chances that Bayern will lose or even draw with Zagreb, and odds maker bet365 tends to agree with the Germans at 1.083 and the Croatian team at 34.00. Prediction: Bayern 3, Zagreb 0 There are a number of additional matches in Groups G and H featuring Maccabi Tel Aviv (4.50) vs Dynamo Kiev (1.90), FC Porto (2.37) vs Chelsea (3.30), Lyon (2.75) vs Valencia (2.80), and Zenit St. Petersburgh (1.40) vs Gent (9.00).
Wednesdays and Saturdays are always special for American lottery fans, as this is the time of the week when the US Powerball Jackpot can be won. It’s been a while since someone got away with the first prize and as a result the jackpot has surged to new highs. It has crossed the threshold of $300 million and on Wednesday at 11 PM EST / 4 AM UKT, ticket owners will be watching the draw hoping to score a big win. On the other side of the Atlantic, the fateful hour is 4 AM GMT and thanks to online lottery ticket agents like The Lotter and Play USA Lotteries, anyone can now acquire tickets. The tiny amount that lottery fans are expected to pay has led to a constant growth of the participants base and the natural consequence is a string of big jackpots. Halfway Through with the Record The biggest amount ever won by a US Powerball player is $588 million, but we’re already half way through with a jackpot worth $301 million. Over the last few weeks, the jackpot grew at a faster pace, as more players tagged along and most of them acquired at least a couple of tickets. It currently grows and a rate of more than $50 million per week, so in case nobody hits the winning combination this Wednesday, one week from now the jackpot will inch closer to $400 million. The odds of winning the first prize are slim, but with millions of tickets purchased, it is mathematically reasonable to expect to have a winner in a not so distant future. With Internet vendors joining the fray and greatly simplifying the acquisition process, Americans are no longer the only participants. While online gambling is prohibited in the US, the Powerball is one of the exceptions worth mentioning, so those who choose to play don’t have to worry about breaking any rules.
Last night we saw the fall of Chelsea, Arsenal, and Roma, whom all lost their Matchday 2 games respectively. True, it is still early and Chelsea has a win and a loss, but Arsenal is down two matches and Roma has a draw and a loss, which will make it very hard to get a spot in the next round. Tonight blazes forward with another eight matches across Europe and we cannot wait to see the outcomes and upsets after tonight. Group A Malmo (12.00) vs Real Madrid (1.25) Malmo do not really have a chance, even with the home pitch advantage. Real are going to come in and play their game, which is just too strong for a team like Malmo to cope with. There is one thing working in favor of Malmo and that is the injuries to Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and on defense Pepe and Sergio Ramos. Prediction: 0-3 Real Group B Manchester United (1.80) vs Wolfsburg (4.75) United need to get a solid win here tonight at Old Trafford or they will be in the same position as Arsenal. According to legendary UK sportsbook, bet365 Sports, the odds are stacked against Wolfsburg, but a draw could be the smart bet here at 3.80. Prediction: 2-1 United Group C Atletico Madrid (1.55) vs Benefica (7.50) Madrid needs its very well paid new strikers to start doing something, as their lack-luster performances up until now have not satisfied. This is the perfect time for the home side to go up on the table with two wins and that is most-likely what will happen after 90 minutes. Prediction: 3-1 Atletico Group D Borussia Monchengladbach (4.20) vs Manchester City (1.90) Manchester City are down one loss and are missing a total of six essential players tonight. Captain Kompany, Clichy, Delph, Mangala and Nasri are all out for the visitors and the weight will be on the rest of the roster to bring home a win and save some face for Premier League teams in the Champions League this season. Prediction: 1-2 Man. City In addition to the highlights above, there are also matches between FC Astana (3.30) vs Galatasaray (2.40), CSKA Moscow (1.75) vs PSV (5.00), Juventus (1.85) vs Sevilla (4.75) and Shakhtar Donetsk (4.75) vs PSG (1.85).
It has been a great year for progressive jackpots so far as the spinning reels of the popular games have already made millionaires. The most recent addition to the list on which every player dreams of being is from the Mega Fortune Dreams slot machine and it is worth three million euros. A dream come true The Net Entertainment game is very popular for is extravagant theme and the fact that it can make the portrayed lifestyle a reality with just one spin. This is what happened for a player from Helsinki earlier this month as a bet of just 40 cents resulted in a win of €3 million while enjoying the game on a desktop computer. While very impressive, the September jackpot is actually quite a bit smaller than the other jackpot awarded by the Mega Fortune Dreams in July this year, when a player made news by hitting the €4.6 million prize. More jackpot highlights of the year NetEnt’s game Mega Fortune maintains a similar style to the above mentioned game and is also offering the chance to win a jackpot worth millions. This is what happened in late-July when the €3.1 million prize was hit from a bet of 50 cents on the Touch mobile version. And since we are talking about massive jackpots from Net Entertainment slots, we should also mention that the Mega Fortune slot paid and even bigger amount in January 2015. €5.7 million, to be more precise, was won by a LeoVegas customer while playing on a mobile device; setting a new record for the biggest jackpot ever won on the platform. The triggering bet was worth just €1.3. Tens of millions have been awarded across these two popular games and they can be found at leading casinos like LeoVegas, Casino Cruise and BETAT Casino, along with other large progressives and a whole lot of great games.
A new deal between Microgaming and Evolution Gaming has crowned Evolution the preferred provider of Live Casino services to Microgaming’s European customer base. The Long Road The first ever online casino back in 1994, Microgaming is now the leading online gaming software provider in the world, boasting over 600 games. The company also supplies its games to leading casinos such as Tivoli, Slotty Vegas, and Crazy Vegas Casino. The primary impact of the new deal appears to be the instant widespread availability of Microgaming's unique Live Casino technology solution, which sportsbook and gaming brand Betway will be the first to offer to players. As principal sponsor for English Premiership's West Ham United, the high profile Betway brand is set to offer Evolution’s Live Casino across desktop and mobile in many markets, leading off with the UK and Belgium. Multi-channel Streaming No doubt many other providers will integrate Live Casino and follow Betway's model of multi-channel streaming, which includes streaming Evolution standard and VIP live games from Evolution’s Latvia studio along with local Live Casino streams from native speaking tables at the Malta studio such as London Roulette. Reactions Evolution CEO Jens von Bahr could barely contain his excitement, calling the deal “one of the most significant strategic deals in the history of Live Casino gaming,” pointing out how this forges an alliance between traditional Live Casino market rivals Microgaming and Evolution. Jens accredited the high standards set by Microgaming to unite both companies with one shared goal of offering “the world’s best Live Casino to Microgaming’s extensive licensee base.” Microgaming CEO Roger Raatgever lauded “Evolution’s 100% focus on B2B Live Casino provision” and “sustained investment in skills and infrastructure” as a powerful enhancement to Microgaming's own capacity for offering operators and players alike a well-rounded and fully optimized Live Casino gaming experience. Raatgever also hinted at future integration with Evolution through offering Microgaming content via Microgaming's patented Quickfire platform.
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