World Snooker Tour is delighted to announce Midnite as the new official UK betting and casino partner of the Halo World Championship.

Snooker’s greatest event, the Halo World Championship, will run from April 19th to May 5th at the Crucible in Sheffield.

Kyren Wilson will be defending the title in a field of 32 of the world’s best players, all dreaming of lifting the famous trophy which was first contested in 1927.

The Crucible, famous across the globe as the home of the event since 1977, will be packed through the 17 days as fans flock to see the all-time greats competing for a top prize of £500,000.

A global audience of 500 million will watch the event live on BBC, TNT Sports, Eurosport, CCTV5, WST Play and many other platforms worldwide.

Midnite is one of the UK’s fastest-growing betting companies thanks to its player-first experiences and a next-generation app that brings fans closer to the games they love.

Midnite is promising to delight snooker fans by delivering a series of memorable moments throughout the 2025 World Championship, including giving away three pairs of Century Club tickets for the final session.

Midnite’s sportsbook was launched in 2018 by Nick Wright and Daniel Qu, who previously created daily fantasy sports platform Dribble in partnership with Sky Bet.

Midnite co-founder Nick Wright said: “We are dedicated to bringing fans closer to the game they love. It doesn’t get any more intimate than the fan experience at the Crucible for the World Snooker Championship, where the sport’s most unforgettable moments are created.

“Our partnership will be more than just a logo in the background. We are looking forward to unveiling a series of fan-first activities throughout the tournament and making sure Midnite is in the middle of more magical memories.”

Peter Wright, Chief Commercial Officer of WST, said: “We are thrilled to join forces with Midnite for the first time on our biggest tournament. They are an ambitious brand, committed to the user experience and to bringing fans together to enhance interaction using technology which pushes boundaries. Most importantly, they place the highest priority on having fun in a responsible way on their platforms.

“They are excited to join our journey as a sport because, through the World Championship, we can offer massive exposure for Midnite’s brand on a global scale. We look forward to working with their team across the 17 days. There have been so many great moments at the Crucible, my own favourite is the last frame of the 2023 final when Luca Brecel won the title as it was incredible to see such a flamboyant young player bring the crowd to its feet with his style of snooker.”

Snooker stars’ memorable moments

Naming their favourite Crucible moments, leading stars said:

Kyren Wilson: “It has to be winning the title last year. I remember stretching for the final red and knowing that if I potted it I was World Champion. I looked up to my family and my son Finley was clenching his fist saying ‘come on!’ In the celebration afterwards I cuddled my kids and Finley shouted ‘Dad, you’ve done it, you’re World Champion!’”

Mark Selby: “Making my debut at the Crucible in 2005. I had never even been there to watch, so when I qualified for the first time it was an amazing feeling. Then I was drawn against John Higgins, so that was extra special, to walk out for the first time and to play against a legend like John.”

Neil Robertson: “In terms of a single moment, it has to be my 147 in 2022. As a kid I grew up watching the videos of Cliff Thorburn, Jimmy White, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan making 147s at the Crucible. It was something I always wanted to do, and when it happened my mum was in the crowd as well which made it something I will never forget.”

Stats Perform, the sports industry’s leading provider of AI technology, live data and insights, announced that tech marketing veteran Charles Kaplan has been appointed as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), effective April 21, 2025. In this role, Mr. Kaplan will lead the Company’s marketing capabilities, in addition to its Opta data insights and editorial services. He will also manage Stats Perform’s sports news teams and the Opta Content Agency, which provides data-led features, compelling storytelling and creative campaign support to help sports organizations, brands and media outlets engage fans and grow their audiences.

Mr. Kaplan brings nearly 25 years of marketing, product management, and revenue growth expertise to Stats Perform, with a strong track record of driving business expansion and market leadership on a global scale. He most recently served as Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Wynshop, where he helped launch the company on a path to becoming the leading provider of digital commerce and fulfillment solutions for local store-based retailers. Previously, Mr. Kaplan held leadership roles at Mi9 Retail, including Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Marketing Officer, where he directed go-to-market strategy, revenue generation, and business growth. Earlier in his career, he gained extensive experience in international marketing, business development and product management through leadership roles at MicroStrategy, Lexmark Enterprise Software, and Brainware. Mr. Kaplan received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.

Carl Mergele, Chief Executive Officer, said, “A dynamic company like Stats Perform requires equally dynamic and forward-looking thinking with its marketing, and Charles is the ideal fit to lead our marketing function. His unique skillset makes him a valuable overall addition to the Stats Perform management team as we continue to execute on our growth strategy and revolutionize the way sports are viewed. Coming off our most successful year yet, we are excited to benefit from Charles’ leadership and marketing prowess and build on the momentum generated in the first quarter of 2025.”

“I am thrilled to be joining the Stats Perform team at such a critical time in the company’s history,” said Mr. Kaplan. “I have long admired Stats Perform for its unmatched depth and breadth of data, AI, sports research, news and video content capabilities that have effectively shaped – and transformed – the sports technology and data industry. I look forward to working closely with the executive team as we meet the rapidly growing demand for in-depth sports insights and data-driven content, delivering comprehensive and real-time AI-powered solutions and performance analytics to enhance understanding, prediction, and fan engagement in sports.”