Canada
INSIDE THE POCKET SECURES INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT FOR GLOBAL EXPANSION IN THE AMOUNT OF $4M
Free-to-play specialist, led by former senior NFL executive, attracts core investment from key heavyweights to accelerate growth
Inside The Pocket (ITP), the leading free-to-play (F2P) aggregation platform, has secured institutional investment of $4m from a consortium of heavy-hitting investors, spearheaded by WinSure Global, as it bids to expand its global footprint.
The core financing will be used to power further development of its proprietary platform for international growth. As a result, Inside The Pocket’s experienced leadership team, led by CEO and former senior NFL executive Hussain Naqi (previously SVP of both Fan Engagement and International Development at the Jacksonville Jaguars) will also be able to draw on the added expertise of senior WinSure Global executives, alongside other notables in this formative funding round, including The Rokker Network and its CEO Andy Rogers.
This strategic funding accordingly positions Inside The Pocket for a defining Series A round later this year, bolstering its reach into untapped territories. There, its proven international scope and flair for localization promises to drive diversified fan engagement around targeted free-to-play sports games. Thanks to its open-aggregation approach, Inside The Pocket already offers the broadest and best-curated mix of games available, with one platform integration acting as a gateway to virtually unlimited content.
As a pioneering free-to-play aggregation platform for the gaming industry, Inside The Pocket is committed to being an agile customer acquisition and retention tool, driving engagement through a range of games whose formats responsibly acquire and retain customers at low cost but also remain fully compliant as regulation continues to roll out across regions from the U.S. to Asia, Africa and LatAm. Its agnostic platform offers a strategic solution which works territory-by-territory, educating uninitiated audiences with fully-integrated games.
Consequently, this pre-Series A round, bolstered by the backing of some of the industry’s most successful proponents in the F2P domain, marks a significant milestone for the company. Inside The Pocket’s technical know-how sets it apart in the crucial F2P domains of game development, player management and, above all, multi-level data. Its dashboards provide clients with the full picture on player activity, thanks to aggregated cross-network player data (e.g. from individual customer journeys to in-play data, and other shared insights on player segments).
Hussain Naqi, Founder and CEO of Inside The Pocket, said: “Inside The Pocket provides the most modular and democratised strategic F2P platform around, assembling the best minds and models for a new era in sports fan engagement, localized to specific global markets. When you’re signed up individually to one or more developers, you can end up with a set of expensive integrations or all your eggs in one basket. Our open-aggregation platform takes the sting out of such outmoded deals by providing the requisite flexibility for maturing markets.
“We’re supremely well-positioned to leverage this opportunity because we can diversify content, leverage consumer data and partition it for our partners as the international markets’ shifting sands coalesce. Harte Hanks, the world’s leading consumer-data provider, also grants us unique consumer insights that will allow us to hyper-segment our audience communication over time, including the World Cup 2022 football.
“It’s a real validation to be backed on our journey by such proven players, many of whom have fantastic track records in building, investing and marshalling innovative digital companies to larger scale and leadership positions in the ever-evolving global gaming landscape.”
Andy Rogers, Founder and CEO of The Rokker Network, commented: “At Rokker, we provide a natural habitat for rapid growth among some of the emerging forces in the igaming sector. We’ve monitored and supported Inside The Pocket’s impressive development, and are keen to assist them in this, a key moment in the evolution of their agnostic F2P platform whose core philosophy is truly democratising gaming for global operators. These game-changing steps cohere with our own vision around the power of tech in digital sports betting.”
James Bridges, Director at WinSure Global added: “We specialise in identifying best-in-breed solutions across a range of asset classes and investment strategies. Indeed, WinSure Global undertakes to generate capital growth by holding long-term strategic investments in companies that can influence the future of industry. Inside The Pocket’s offering, on both B2B and B2C fronts, immediately improves and delivers a step change for F2P aggregation, so it’s another strong story for WinSure to get behind.
“Hussain and his team articulate a simple yet transformative vision: one single integration to open the door to the entire F2P marketplace. So, it’s this highly-flexible platform, combined with their ability to execute, which sets Inside The Pocket up for international expansion – particularly across some formative and fragmented markets which demand localized solutions.”
BCLC
INTRALOT Announces New Project with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation for Online Lottery Platform
INTRALOT S.A. has announced the undertaking of a new project between the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), the sole lottery operator for the Government of British Columbia in Canada, and INTRALOT Inc., its US subsidiary, for the provision of an online lottery platform. The project also includes the digitalization of the existing land-based network.
The solution will be based on the Player X platform, part of the Lotos X ecosystem, and adds to the company’s overall partnership with BCLC, which has been extended until 2028.
INTRALOT is a leading player in a changing world of gaming. With significant experience in looking forward and anticipating emerging trends, the company provides future-proof solutions to regulated lottery and gaming operators around the world.
Canada
Relax Gaming joins forces with PointsBet to strengthen footprint in Ontario
Relax Gaming, the iGaming aggregator and supplier of unique content, has significantly enhanced its presence in the Ontario market through an agreement with leading Canadian operator, PointsBet.
This partnership reinforces Relax Gaming’s aim to become a standout provider across North America, having already gained early success in Ontario. Relax became one of the first suppliers to deliver content to the region’s players in March 2022, debuting with over 120 games across multiple operators.
PointsBet pride themselves as one of Canada’s leading operators offering unmatched speed, ease of use, and a comprehensive array of pre-game and in-play sports betting options. This is complemented by a top-tier online casino which will now be boosted with the integration of Relax’s portfolio of slots and live dealer options.
With its authentic Canadian approach, PointsBet prioritises technology that minimises external dependencies to maintain control over its platform and has a commitment to responsible gambling best practices, ensuring a safe and secure environment for all players.
Martin Stålros, CEO at Relax Gaming, said: “Since we launched in Ontario we have enjoyed tremendous success, with our content hitting the sweet spot for the broad range of players in the Canadian province. This partnership with PointsBet will strengthen our presence in the market as the region’s leading operator integrates our rich content portfolio which will engage its player base.”
Scott Vanderwel, Chief Executive Officer at PointsBet, added: “Relax Gaming has established a strong reputation across North America and in Ontario in particular. The impressive range of content that will be integrated into our platform will increase engagement within our online platform and we are delighted to be able to provide more immersive experiences to our audiences.”
Established as one of the industry’s leading B2B suppliers, Relax Gaming was awarded GGA’s Product Launch of the Year in February 2023 for Dream Drop Jackpots. Money Train 3 names the 2023 CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards amongst its 6 Slot of the Year titles, while the brand also won the award for Skill Games Supplier at the 2023 EGR B2B Awards along with the Innovation in Mobile award at the 2023 SBC Awards.
Relax Gaming provides more than 4,000 online casino games, from its high-performing proprietary slots to a significant, varied library of content from hand-picked third-party studios via its partnership programmes.
Canada
Jackpot Digital Receives Approval from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority
Jackpot Digital, a leading manufacturer of electronic multiplayer dealerless poker tables, has announced that it has received approval from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) to act as a registered supplier of gaming supplies and services to regulated casinos in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.
The approval follows the Company’s news release dated February 6, 2024, announcing the signing of a licensing agreement with the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) to install the Company’s Jackpot Blitz dealerless poker ETGs into SIGA casinos.
SIGA operates seven casinos and Playnow.com in Saskatchewan. At the outset, SIGA proposes to install Jackpot Blitz machines at its Dakota Dunes and Gold Horse Casino properties, located in Saskatoon and Lloydminster, respectively.
Jackpot CEO Jake Kalpakian said: “We are excited to receive approval as a gaming equipment supplier in Saskatchewan. This represents the first major jurisdictional, non-tribal license received by Jackpot during our continuing expansion into the land-based casino market. We have many more license applications underway in the US and other Canadian provinces, which will dramatically impact our ability to accelerate the rollout of Jackpot Blitz across North America.”
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