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Exclusive interview with Jo Lambert, Head of Consumer at Verizon Media

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4 years ago

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It is always a pleasure and honor to work with experienced leaders and without any doubt, this is also the case when interviewing Joanna Lambert, Head of Consumer at Verizon Media.

So, I hope that you enjoy our Q&A with Jo, which you can read below.

Gaming Americas (GA):

Yahoo has been a global household name on the internet. Not many companies of that stature have entered the gaming vertical. Could you share a quick briefing into Yahoo Sport’s entry into gaming?

 

Jo Lambert:

That is correct. Today, sports betting serves as a key cornerstone of our holistic strategy at Yahoo Sports to serve as a single destination for sports fans. Years ago, we saw the growing rise of sports betting and pending adoption of online gambling in states across the country and leveraged it as an opportunity to diversify our revenue streams – combining the best-in-class features we already had as a trusted content provider with those of a gaming company.

With our strong roots as a media company and through our cutting edge BetMGM partnership, we’ve been able to successfully recast our approach, adopting a hybrid model that balances compelling content with sports betting opportunities to provide a one-stop-shop where fans of all levels can have it all, from AR (augmented reality) to “see” more of the game and get the inside information to ultimate fantasy control and the tools they need to wager on BetMGM.

 

GA:

It has been over three years since PSPA Act was repealed, opening the way for legalized sports betting in the US states. How do you rate the growth of the sports betting sector in the country both in terms of the increase in the customer base and in terms of the number of states that chose to legalize sports betting? What are the plans to start operating in other states where sports betting is legal?

 

Jo Lambert:

In November 2019 we launched a ground-breaking multiyear strategic relationship making Yahoo Sports an official Digital Media Sports Partner of MGM Resorts. Via the BetMGM partnership, we offer sports betting opportunities on BetMGM covering the NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL, college sports, and more and have integrated them into the Yahoo Sports and Yahoo Fantasy apps and desktop experiences. Today we are live in nine states that have legalized sports betting, including New Jersey, Indiana, West Virginia, Colorado, Tennessee, Virginia, Michigan, Iowa, and Pennsylvania.

Since the ruling, the popularity of sports betting has been growing steadily for hardcore sports fans, fantasy sports enthusiasts, and even casual fans. In fact, the number of consumers taking advantage of opportunities to wager on BetMGM continues to grow for us as over 80% of our converted bettors have come from Sports and Fantasy Products.

Additionally, interest in betting has increased from 43% to 58% across our consumers while opposition to it has declined from 21 to 17% over the past 2 years.

 

GA:

Tell us more about Yahoo Sports’ partnership with BetMGM, which is also a pioneering partnership of sorts for an organization dealing with news and editorial content, and how that fits into your overall strategy?

 

Jo Lambert:

We were one of the first digitally-native media companies to ink a deal of this type and to this day, remain one of the top betting affiliate partners of BetMGM. Up to that point, our success was due to our commitment to delivering great news and immersive editorial and a 20+ year track record of offering fantasy sports. Today, Yahoo Sports is combining the best-in-class features of a media company, content provider, and gaming company to provide a comprehensive 360 offering, surrounding users with research, insights, technology, immersive experiences, and a seamless connection to sports betting opportunities. As part of our strategy, we are working to create experiences within Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) and sports betting that serve both our casual users as well as our most passionate fans including providing users with opportunities to wager on the BetMGM platform via Yahoo Sportsbook as well as paid and free DFS contests for those looking for different ways to get in on the action.

 

GA:

As you mentioned, Yahoo Sports has been offering fantasy sports platform over the last two decades. Is there any change in customer response to the platform after sports betting options became available? What has been the reaction of your long-time fantasy players to this closer linking of DFS with sports betting?

 

Jo Lambert:

Our fantasy players love it. The data, tools, analysis, and content we are providing our users have resonated and those users in legal betting states are signing up and betting on BetMGM. And our fantasy integrations with player props have resonated as well, as we have consistently heard from our fantasy users regarding their interest in player props.

We also recently introduced single-game, DFS multi-entry contests for all major events with significant prize pools, beginning with the NBA Playoffs as well as continue to offer paid and free DFS contests for those looking for different ways to get in on the action.

If anything, our success with fantasy sports has grown since sports betting has been an option. In fact, 80+ percent of total Yahoo Sportsbook users registered with BetMGM are also active in the Yahoo Sports and Yahoo Fantasy Sports apps.

Today, we reach millions of fans per month and in 2020 those fans consumed over 80 million pieces of betting content across our properties – so we believe we are well-positioned to continue driving adoption as user interests evolve, especially with the increased momentum around sports betting.

 

GA:

Could you elaborate on the cutting edge of content that Yahoo Sports offers to end customers compared with that of the other affiliate or betting websites?

 

Jo Lambert: At Yahoo, we have the unique opportunity to tap into our ecosystem that serves nearly 900 million users monthly. We’ve been strategically embedding new customer promos in our betting content to help seed the BetMGM accounts of our core sports followers in anticipation of major sporting events. We amplify that marketing strategy with content to help inform potential new bettors of everything they need to know to start betting responsibly while helping our existing betting audience form their own strategy in anticipation of marquee events.

At Yahoo, we truly have the unique position as BetMGM’s partner to be able to program multiple endpoints to reach all fans — one of the fantastic opportunities presented by major sporting events ranging from the NBA Playoffs to the Super Bowl. To add on to our strategy for core sports fans, you’ll see betting content on our homepage, in Yahoo Mail, on Yahoo Finance and In the Know, and more.

 

GA:

Tell us more about Draft Together, a recent feature in the fantasy league platform.

 

Jo Lambert:

Draft Together on Yahoo Fantasy Sports showcases our innovative spirit to deliver next-gen experiences that create connection and community. By leveraging Yahoo’s ecosystem, technology, and streaming capabilities, we have the unique ability to create the powerful and immersive entertainment experiences of the future today. Draft Together is a first-of-its-kind feature in the massively popular fantasy sports industry, enabling multiple fans to uniquely experience and interact with each other through video chat as they draft their fantasy baseball team on yahoo.com/fantasybaseball and create a personalized community of friends and family.

The experience is now available for live drafts and to private leagues with 12 teams or less. At launch, Draft Together will offer support for 12 rotating video frames to be displayed alongside the Yahoo Fantasy draft interface for the 2021 fantasy baseball season. For the first time, users can virtually smack talk, taunt their opponents, bond over all the action and more through video chat while drafting fantasy leagues in real time.

Draft Together continues to evolve the consumer experience of Yahoo’s first-to-market co-viewing product – Watch Together, that debuted in September 2020 and connects audiences to live news, sports and entertainment by providing them with the ability to video chat, interact and immerse themselves in top cultural events. The NFL was the first launch partner for Watch Together. Draft Together will be available to private baseball leagues at launch, with additional features and league support available in the coming months.

 

GA:

You have recently launched Yahoo Fantasy Plus. What’s new in it and how are the customers responding to it?

 

Jo Lambert

We’ve seen great responses so far to Yahoo Fantasy Plus, a new premium subscription product that offers tools to bring the fantasy experience to the next level and improve the user experience. Yahoo Fantasy Plus offers valuable features, including a Research Assistant, Start Optimal Players tool, Trade Insights, and Advanced Stats. Users have expressed excitement over several upcoming features including the Trade Hub and Draft Assistant. While we’ve only launched with Baseball to date, we will be rolling out Fantasy Plus across all Fantasy Sports we support as new seasons kick-off.  As far as early signs go, Fantasy Plus subscribers have displayed significantly increased engagement with the game they play over other fantasy players. Retention has also been a highlight as 90% of trialists have stayed on as subscribers.

 

GA:

What is your take on the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on fantasy sports and sports betting in general?  

 

Jo Lambert:

People are social and want to connect, whether that is with their friends, families, or their favorite sports. With empty stadiums during the peak of the pandemic and the inability to gather together to watch the game or host a fantasy draft has, in my opinion, created a void… a void which fans previously filled with all the excitement and action of live, in-person sports shared with others, whether that was in a bar or at the stadium. Our unique range of offerings, including Draft Together, Watch Together and integrated sports betting enable fans to enjoy the social aspects and excitement of sporting events by delivering immersive experiences around the sports they love while also enabling them to enjoy connecting with others.

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Bragg Gaming Group Enteres into New Financing Agreement with Bank of Montreal

Published

2 days ago

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September 15, 2025

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Bragg Gaming Group, a leading global B2B iGaming content and technology provider, announced it has entered into a new financing agreement with the Bank of Montreal (BMO), a leading North American financial institution, pursuant to which BMO has made available to the Company certain credit facilities in a maximum aggregate amount of up to US$6.0 million to support its ongoing working capital and general corporate requirements (the BMO Facilities).

In connection with the closing of the BMO Facilities, Bragg has successfully repaid in full the outstanding promissory note with entities controlled by Doug Fallon (the Prior Note Indebtedness). The new BMO Facilities replace the Prior Note Indebtedness, signalling a significant step in the Company’s financial strategy to partner with a major commercial bank to support its growth.

“We are very pleased to establish this new relationship with the Bank of Montreal, a recognized leader in financial services. This new credit facility strengthens our balance sheet and provides us with a flexible capital structure to execute our strategic plan. The ability to secure financing from a major North American bank underscores the confidence in our business and our long-term growth prospects. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with BMO,” said Robbie Bressler, CFO of Bragg Gaming Group.

The BMO Facilities are secured by, amongst other things, a first-ranking security interest over all of the assets of the Company and certain of its key operating subsidiaries, and are uncommitted and are repayable upon the earlier of (i) demand by BMO, (ii) the occurrence of certain insolvency events, and (iii) on the one-year anniversary of the closing date, unless a one-year extension is granted at BMO’s discretion.

The agreement includes customary legal and financial covenants, including a requirement for the Company to maintain a Total Funded Debt to EBITDA ratio not exceeding 2.50:1.00, and a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of not less than 1.25:1.00. These financial covenants are to be tested on a consolidated basis at the end of each fiscal quarter.

The Company currently expects to draw on the BMO Facilities in Canadian dollars, which would result in estimated borrowing costs of 6.9%–7.9% for Prime-based loans or 5.9%–6.9% for CORRA-based loans, depending on the period of the draw and the Company’s leverage ratio. Standby fees on the unused portion of the revolving facility will range from 0.75% to 1.75% per annum, depending on leverage.

Management believes that based on the terms of the BMO Facilities, the Company’s borrowing costs on an annualized basis will be less than half of its Prior Note Debt.

Matevž Mazij, CEO of Bragg Gaming Group, said: “Securing this BMO facility represents a critical milestone in our strategic plan to strengthen Bragg’s financial foundation and accelerate value creation for our shareholders. With our cybersecurity incident contained and our borrowing costs cut by more than half, we are laser-focused on executing our strategic shift toward higher-quality earnings. The Company is prioritizing margin and cash generation over lower-margin revenue, and synergies realized post-quarter end to become a leaner operation. We’ve already realized EUR 2 million in annualized synergies and are on track to achieve our 20% Adjusted EBITDA margin target for the second half of 2025.

“Our recent leadership additions in AI and innovation, combined with our expanding partnerships with operators like Fanatics and Hard Rock Digital, position us to pursue highly accretive growth opportunities methodically. The Company remains focused on growing the business in a sustainable and margin-accretive manner, with strong momentum in the proprietary content and technology pipeline positioning Bragg for long-term profitable growth.

“We understand the importance of delivering results for our shareholders, and our board and management team are fully aligned and committed to executing the strategic initiatives that will drive value. With improved financial flexibility, a strengthened operational foundation, and clear milestones ahead, we believe we have the right strategy and team in place to unlock Bragg’s full potential. We remain committed to maximizing shareholder value as we build sustainable, profitable growth and ensure our strong operational performance translates into appropriate market valuation.”

Cyber Breach Update

The Company has also provided an update on its previously announced cybersecurity incident initially detected on August 16, 2025.

Immediately following detection, Bragg took appropriate steps to mitigate any potential impact of the breach. With the assistance of independent cybersecurity experts, the Company has followed industry best practices and considers that the incident is now resolved.

There continues to be no indication that any personal information was affected and the breach has had no impact on the ability of the Company to continue its operations. Bragg has also provided assurances to its customers regarding the security of its game titles. The Company has experienced no negative impact on its revenue or profitability and does not expect that the cost of responding to the incident will have a material financial impact on the Company.

The Company has already applied knowledge gathered from the investigation of the event to enhance its cyber security defenses.

The post Bragg Gaming Group Enteres into New Financing Agreement with Bank of Montreal appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Betty

Thunderkick commits to growth in Ontario with Betty partnership

Published

7 days ago

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September 10, 2025

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Independent slots studio Thunderkick has agreed a deal with Ontario-based operator Betty to supply the rapidly growing online casino with a diverse collection of globally popular titles.

Betty, an official partner of sporting franchises Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors, has risen to prominence since its 2022 establishment, when it was built following the consultation of 300 casino players to create the optimal iGaming environment.

Distinguishing itself from North American competitors by catering specifically to slot enthusiasts rather than sports bettors, the operator has curated a portfolio of 2,800 games, hand-picked to deliver customers maximum entertainment value.

Thunderkick’s content is the latest to be integrated into Betty’s online casino, and the agreement will see a selection of its most popular titles, including The Wildos 2, Midas Golden Touch 3, and Esqueleto Explosivo 3, made available to a greater number of Ontarian players.

Thunderkick marked its debut in the Canadian province in Q2 of 2024, and has since partnered with a network of leading operators to improve its market position. The collaboration with Betty will further amplify its visibility in a key jurisdiction as the provider looks to reinforce its reputation as a global slot developer.

Svante Sahlström, CCO at Thunderkick, said: “It’s our mission at Thunderkick to go deeper, not wider, in 2025. That means forging meaningful, lasting relationships in target markets as opposed to securing as many commercial deals as possible.

“Since entering Ontario over 12 months ago, we have worked tirelessly to enhance our presence in the province, and working with leading brands such as Betty allows us to bring our unique games to a deeper pool of Canadian players.”

Paraskeva Smirnova, Casino Operations Manager at Betty, added: “Betty’s USP has always been our drive to build a slot portfolio with the very best titles from the industry’s most creative suppliers.

“Thunderkick’s passion for slot development is there for all to see, and the introduction of its games to our casino further elevates the consumer experience.”

The post Thunderkick commits to growth in Ontario with Betty partnership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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BCLC

Save the Date: BCLC’s New Horizons in Safer Gambling Conference Returns November 2026

Published

1 week ago

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September 10, 2025

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BCLC is pleased to announce the return of the New Horizons in Safer Gambling Conference, taking place November 2–4, 2026, at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver.

This global event brings leading voices in research, policy and industry together to explore innovative approaches to safer gambling. Attendees can expect two days of forward-thinking dialogue, evidence-based insights and collaborative solutions to help shape the future of player health.

Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available

New to the 2026 conference, BCLC is excited to offer sponsorship opportunities to organizations that share BCLC’s passion for safer gambling. Benefits of sponsoring New Horizons 2026 include industry visibility, leadership recognition and meaningful engagement with a global audience. To learn more about sponsorship, please e-mail [email protected].

Registration and program details will be released later this fall.

The post Save the Date: BCLC’s New Horizons in Safer Gambling Conference Returns November 2026 appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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