Connect with us
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)
conor-niland’s-the-racket-wins-william-hill-sports-book-of-the-year-award-2024 conor-niland’s-the-racket-wins-william-hill-sports-book-of-the-year-award-2024

Latest News

Conor Niland’s The Racket Wins William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2024

Published

on

Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

Former Irish tennis professional Conor Niland has won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2024 with his memoir The Racket: On Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation.

The Racket becomes the first tennis book to clinch the world’s longest established and most valuable literary sports-writing prize in its history and Niland is the first author from the Republic of Ireland to win since Paul Kimmage’s Rough Ride: Behind the Wheel with a Pro Cyclist in 1990.

Niland’s autobiography describes the highs and lows of his career on the ATP Tour, revealing the hardships of the majority of players struggling to balance the books as they seek to breakthrough against the game’s best.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

The Racket is an underdog story that lifts the lid on the perils of match-fixing and doping in tennis, while also sharing light-hearted tales of Niland’s seven years on the road.

The debut release from the 43-year-old was one of six books shortlisted for this year’s award, which was decided by a six-person judging panel, with Niland beating off competition from the likes of double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes and Afghanistan women’s football captain Khalida Popal.

Niland’s memoir was crowned the winner by a judging panel comprising chair Alyson Rudd, Clarke Carlisle, Gabby Logan, Dame Heather Rabbatts, Mark Lawson and Michelle Walder. In addition to the prestigious trophy, Niland also claims the winning £30,000 prize.

Alyson Rudd, Chair of the judging panel, said: “We are delighted to present Conor Niland with the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2024 for his astonishing autobiography, The Racket.

“This prize seeks to highlight the best in sports writing and there is no doubting the fact that Conor’s work is of the highest calibre, offering a fascinating insight into his career as a tennis professional.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

“The book brings the reader into the world of elite sport, but also emphasises the relatable underdog story of an everyman fighting against the odds to fulfil their dreams.

“The panel wishes to praise all six nominated authors and another year of stunning releases, showcasing the rich diversity of perspectives and experiences.”

Winning author Niland said: “I accept this award with a lot of humility. The other shortlisted books are incredible stories so I feel very fortunate to have won and so grateful.

“This is all pretty improbable. My brother told me I would win the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award when he read this last Christmas, I took that with a pretty large pinch of salt, but he was right. It’s amazing.

“The pro tennis tour is a little bit of a misunderstood sport, we were able to show what the world is really like, for the guys a little bit further down the rankings.”

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

The post Conor Niland’s The Racket Wins William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

BOOST Lottery

BOOST Lottery Announces Gamified Global Lottery, BOOSTER Frenzy, and Marketplace Launch

Published

on

boost-lottery-announces-gamified-global-lottery,-booster-frenzy,-and-marketplace-launch

The project, built on the fast and transparent Elysium blockchain, merges gamified elements with NFT-based enhancements. It brings live lottery draws to life, giving players more control over both chances and rewards.

A New Era of Gamified Online Lotteries

With the $BOOST token as its native currency, the platform enables users to supercharge their lottery ticket with unique BOOSTERS. Supercharging improves users’ chances of winning, as well as the prize money they receive. Users can compete in the new event called BOOSTER Frenzy, collect, trade and upgrade BOOSTERS in the projects marketplace.

BOOST Lottery is the new definition of lottery gaming, with features such as catering to the modern player:

  • Global Accessibility: Open to participants of all geographical boundaries.
  • Gamified Engagement: Players actively impact their odds and prize potential.
  • Blockchain Fairness: It’s built on Elysium—the fastest blockchain—for fair play.
  • Live Draw Shows: A show of giveaways and interactive entertainment.
  • Charity Involvement: A share of the sales will go to benefit charitable causes through the “Play It Forward” program.

The core is the $BOOST token. It lays the foundation for seamless transactions and ensures that players’ activities are appropriately incentivized on the platform.

BOOSTERS and the BOOSTER Frenzy Event

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

BOOSTERS are revolutionary NFTs that power up the lottery tickets with multipliers for LUCK and WEALTH:

  • LUCK BOOSTERS improve the odds of winning.
  • WEALTH BOOSTERS multiply prize amounts, up to 10,000x.

Every new BOOSTER features a hidden multiplier revealed through an exciting scratch interaction. This trait adds a layer of chance and fun to ticket customization. The BOOSTER Frenzy event runs from January 8th to February 10th, 2025, offering players a chance to earn:

  • Weekly LUCK BOOSTERS by completing community tasks.
  • A special WEALTH BOOSTER by completing all tasks, with the chance to win one of three ultra-rare WEALTH BOOSTERS.

The BOOSTER marketplace will enable players to buy, sell, and trade BOOSTERS with revealed multipliers. The marketplace feature will be live the week of February 10th, 2025. This strategic tool allows players to optimize their tickets and unlock exclusive bonuses.

Continue Reading

Brazil

TG Lab makes Brazil debut with Stake

Published

on

tg-lab-makes-brazil-debut-with-stake

Global omni-channel platform provider TG Lab has entered the regulated Brazilian market, where it will power leading sportsbook and casino operator, Stake.

The entry into Brazil marks TG Lab’s third market launch with Stake, following Colombia and Peru earlier in 2024. This strategic partnership is expected to flourish in 2025 with further regulated market entries in the pipeline.

TG Lab’s milestone entry into Brazil underscores the leading platform provider’s commitment to empowering global and regional gambling operators in regulated markets, with its proven, innovative and highly localised platform.

Stake will gain access to TG Lab’s omnichannel platform, which offers a full-stack solution as well as a flexible set of modules for the operator to elevate its offering across this newly regulated market.

This expansion is bolstered by TG Lab’s recent acquisition of local Brazilian platform provider and game studio, SysGaming – which has allowed the leading platform provider to deliver bespoke, real-time content and support to LatAm partners in their local language.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Commenting on the announcement, TG Lab Chief Executive Officer Ugnius Simelionis said: “Stake is a true powerhouse of the gambling industry, having become a household name around the world. Our track record of success with them across LatAm is the reason why they have chosen us to take the brand live in Brazil.

“TG LAB has ambitious plans to make big moves across Latin America – and Brazil presents the perfect opportunity for us to showcase how we offer the best localised B2B product on the market.”

TG Lab has continued to grow its footprint across regulated markets over the last 12 months, having entered six new regulated territories – including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Paraguay and Kazakhstan.

Throughout 2025, the platform provider plans to continue this expansion across regulated markets around the world. Having made significant headway in dominating the Latin American market, TG Lab is also eyeing up new growth opportunities in North America after being granted a licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) in December 2024.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)
Continue Reading

BacanaPlay.bet.br

PlayUZU.bet.br and BacanaPlay.bet.br and to make a splash in the brand new regulated Brazilian market

Published

on

playuzubetbr-and-bacanaplaybet.br-and-to-make-a-splash-in-the-brand-new-regulated-brazilian-market

Global gaming powerhouse SkillOnNet is among the first companies to receive provisional authorisation to operate in Brazil. The first SkillOnNet localised brands to launch in the newly regulated market are PlayUZU.bet.br and BacanaPlay.bet.br, two already successful European and Latam casinos but with very different features and USPs providing a wider choice to casino players in Brazil.

The licence represents a new milestone in the Latam market for the Malta-based gaming and entertainment giant. In recent years, SkillOnNet, through its awards winning PlayUZU brand, has made inroads into the regulated markets of Mexico, Peru, and Buenos Airies City in Argentina.

The new licensing regime came into force on January 1, 2025 after Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a bill into law to regulate and tax online gaming in December 2023.  Regulatory intelligence analyst Vixio predicts Brazil’s online gaming and betting will exceed $2.9bn in annual gross revenue in 2025, rising to almost $6.3bn in 2028.

Since its launch in Portugal in 2020, BacanaPlay has become a household brand name. In Portuguese, the world “bacana” means “cool,” which encapsulates the fun, friendly vibe of the brand.

PlayUZU.bet.br is the Portuguese language version of SkillOnNet’s flagship Spanish brand, which has already proved hugely popular in Latin America. PlayUZU is marketed as a “fair” online casino that offers players a unique package of benefits including no wagering requirements and money back on every bet, win or lose.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

SkillOnNet operates more than 40 brands in multiple regulated markets, globally. It also boasts one of the richest and most diverse gaming platforms in the world, with premium casino content from top software providers and a host of exclusive slots and dedicated Live casino tables.

Pedro Garcia Country Manager for Brazil at SkillOnNet said: We believe Brazil will quickly become one of the biggest online gaming markets in the world. Our goal is to be a tier-one casino operator in this hugely significant new market by investing aggressively in marketing and brand development and establishing a strong local team. Our licensing in Brazil is a reflection of our commitment to regulatory compliance and to fair and responsible gaming, and we’re excited to showcase our specially localized high-quality content to a massive new audience.”  

Continue Reading

Trending