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Post Event – The second edition of Prague Gaming Summit brings the event to the next level

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Prague – 17 April 2018 – The curtains have closed three week for the second edition of Prague Gaming Summit and the organizers are delighted to announce that the growth of the event was noticeable.

The second edition of Prague Gaming Summit was held at Vienna House Prague on the 29th of March and it was a sold out event. The initial plan included seating of 100 top level delegates, however due to the high demand, the event was extended to 120 delegates.

Click to view slideshow.

View the full 2018 gallery here….

The organizing team would once again like to thank the supporting sponsors of the event:

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The main highlights of the day

The event started smoothly with delegates starting to network straight away and eagerly waiting for the information to be shared by expert speakers. The delegates were greeted by Betty, Tereza and Christina, who handled the smooth registration and made sure everyone has all the information about the program that has commenced at 9:30 AM (Prague local time).

“Prague Gaming Summit is definitely the most important event when it comes to learning and networking with the experts of the industry from Central European countries. NetEnt is always interested in finding partners that comply with local laws and we have dedicated ongoing efforts in order to provide the best solutions in regulated markets. Being among the delegates who also attended the inaugural edition in 2017, I can say that this year’s event has doubled in participant numbers and has taken the event’s experience to the next level.”

Nadiya Attard – Head of New Sales at NetEnt

 

“The 2nd edition of Prague Gaming Summit was really an amazing one. In comparison with the first year there was visible improvement and I hope it will continue next year as well. Perfectly organized, nice place for conference and also good panels to discuss. Always good to be here and meet the right persons from industry. See you next year in Prague”

Vladimir Horak – Business Development Manager at Betgenius

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The first panel of the event was dedicated for the local market and highlighted the main developments of the Czech Gambling Market. The panel was moderated by Dr. Joerg Hofmann (Melchers Law Germany) who introduced the speakers of the panel. Dr. Hofmann was joined by Jan Rehola (PS Legal), Jakub Kolomicenko (Endorphina), Ivan Sagál (Bird&Bird), Tal Zamstein (Fortuna Group).

Dr. Hofmann started by saying that “30 years ago it was fun to be a regulator, it was fun to be a legislator, because there was no internet. Regulating the gaming industry or supervising the gaming industry was land based only. If something happens, you walk around the corner, you call the police and everything is fine. Than in the 90s, something came up which is now part of our lives. Imagine not having your mobile phone with you or your computer. It is unthinkable how our days are different. There are so many challenges being a regulator today and generations have to learn, have to be ahead of technology, ahead of development.

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He pointed out that regulators have to take into consideration the fast development of internet gaming and create the legislations accordingly.

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The panel discussion stressed on legal advice, regulatory advice, supplier perspective and operators perspective about the market in Czechia.

Ivan Sagál (Bird&Bird) has continued with introducing the history of online gambling in Czechia and the new law which has changed the regulatory landscape. He stressed on the fact that the new regulation has brought the online sector into focus which is important for the developments of combating the grey area. The news law also gives a chance for international companies to apply for licenses as the state realized it’s better to liberalize and tax the industry. He also added that the new law is much more modern and captures a much wider scope of services than the previous one by also setting a fair rule.

The new law is an improvement to the old law, but there is still a long way to go until it’s actually we will be able to say that the new law has brought an improvement of the business environment. So far it is an improvement of the regulatory environment.” added Ivan.

Jan Rehola (PS Legal) has added to the discussion and highlighted the fact that the regulation looks good on paper compared to other EU countries and the regulation of online gambling is very complex.

However, when speaking about practice, according to the new law there are 81 licenses which were issued to 41 entities. Meaning that many of these companies own several licenses. When it comes to online, there are 16 licenses from which 8 were issued for online technical games, 3 online sports betting, 3 online lottery and 2 for online live gaming. The concern is that there is only one foreign operator among the licensed companies (PokerStars) and this should change in the future.

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Jan also added that he thinks that the issues is “the way how the regulation is interpreted and how the things that are in the regulatory framework are needed to meet by the operators. The licensing procedure is very formal and it’s not substance oriented and for many operators it’s very hard to meet the requirements. There are unique and the operators are not used to having them there. Some of the large operator don’t understand the terms.

Tal Zamstein (Fortuna Group) has added his view about the market. He highlighted the operations of Fortuna in Czechia and also pointed out the fact that as they operate on several regulated markets in Europe, he can make a good comparison.

Tal pointed out the fact that his company is not challenging the law and that it was a bit difficult at the beginning, but once the audience understood the verification of the players it important and the hard days were over.

Later on he added that his feeling about the current regulatory framework is that “the law is very conservative compared to other jurisdictions and he is not predicting any changes or amendments in the upcoming year.”

The technical requirements for the suppliers was commented by Jakub Kolomicenko (Endorphina), who added that “the biggest issue the suppliers are facing is the limitation of the maximum win”.

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He also pointed out that in order to comply with this rule, they have to make the game worse and limit the winnings. Amendments and changes are needed in order to make it attractive for foreign operator, not to mention the hardness of the licensing process.

The current legislation, from the supplier’s point of view, is that they are not protecting the players, and they are forcing them work from other jurisdictions.”

The audio recording of the panel is available for the registered delegates, who attended the event.


The discussions continued with the second panel which was also moderated by Dr. Joerg Hofmann, who invited Dr. Robert Skalina (WH Partners), Jaka Repansek (Republis Slovenia), Dr. Mag. Klaus Christian Vögl (Fachgruppe Wien der Freizeit- und Sportbetriebe) and Dr. Simon Planzer (PLANZER LAW) to the stage. The second panel discussion focused on the state of the gambling industry in Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Austria.

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The discussion was initiated by Dr. Robert Skalina (WH Partners) who gave presentation about the Slovakian gambling market. He pointed out that some positive changes are expected this year in Slovakia. Many companies are reaching out to the government to ask about licensing after the blacklisting of unlicensed operators started.

The interesting compare between the Czech and Slovakian market is while both of them are pretty much close for foreign operators on paper and in practice. The only difference is that the Czech law is complaint with EU law and this a general acceptance. The Slovakian law is not considered compliant with EU laws. This is why the Ministry is preparing a new law or amendment to comply. The question is what the basis will be for this new law.

The discussion continued with Jaka Repansek’s (Republis Slovenia) exciting news about Slovenia who has brought fresh news in regards to the gaming regulation.

It’s about a new amendment which was passed in the government which liberalizes the market with unlimited number of licenses that have some entry criteria. The amendment only tackles the betting sector.

The amendment was vetoed by the Upper Chairman of the Parliament, so the House of Representatives are obligated to pass it again in maximum 30 days.

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This is a huge step for the Slovenian market and it might see the end of the monopoly in the country. Most important that it comes during the time of elections.

(The European Gaming Congress which will be held on the 16th of October in Ljubljana is specially designed to also focus on the local market. You can read more about the event here.)

The conversation continued with a report on Austria, by Dr. Mag. Klaus Christian Vögl (Fachgruppe Wien der Freizeit- und Sportbetriebe) who said that he could not recommend applying for a gambling license in Vienna or almost anywhere else in Austria. The demand is high, however the commercial gambling operation laws are so restrictive that you can’t obtain a license.

Dr. Mag. Vögl also added that he receives questions about the market daily, but “To be honest, I must tell people, please forget about this in Austria. Open a sports business, or become a tour guide.

Dr. Simon Planzer (PLANZER LAW) continued the conversation and gave the insights of the Swiss gambling market, which is currently at an important turning point.

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He started mentioning the fact that, Switzerland is a country takes pride in modern democracy and according to their laws, any law passed by Parliament can be challenged by the people in collecting signatures against it. This is because the ultimate legislator in Switzerland is not the Parliament, it’s the voters.

He was referencing about the gaming act which was passed in October 2017 by the Swiss Parliament and was challenged by the people. Thus, the coming into force of this act will be decided by referendum on the 10th of June by the voters. Either the results, it will be a vote of major significance for the online gambling market.

The audio recording of the panel is available for the registered delegates, who attended the event.

One of the rare moment where you can discuss about Regulation in Eastern part of Europe.

Catherine CHAUVIN – Area manager at PMU

This event is characterised by a very personal atmosphere. Always worth to attend.

Dr. Joerg Hofmann – Senior Partner MELCHERS law firm and former President of IMGL

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The event continued with the first networking break of day, during which all delegates engaged into discussions and enjoyed a 30 minutes break from learning.

The 3rd panel of the day focused on the gambling industry in Poland and Bogdan Coman (ROMBET) has managed to get all the insights from Piotr Dynowski (Bird&Bird), Zdenek Lang (Superbet Poland) and Kamil Popiołek (Kancelaria Popiolek).

Click to view slideshow.

The panel discussion highlighted the most important challenges operators are facing when entering the market.

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The audio recording of the panel is available for the registered delegates, who attended the event.

Prague Gaming Summit always provides an interesting insight into the gaming licensing submissions, how the situation is now and what to expect for the future. Dynamic, interesting, rewarding and the most important ‘not heavy to digest’ ;). Thanks to all the assistances for the great contributions and of course to Zoltan for the awesome organization and care. Really worth to attend!

Juan Martin – Sales Manager at Greentube Internet Entertainment Solutions GmbH

 


The panel was followed by a Complimentary Networking Lunch which was sponsored by PLANZER LAW.

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All delegates got the chance to take a one hour break from the learning and enjoy a selected meal while also keeping up with the information shared by attending delegates.


The second part of the day started with the “Innovation Talks Live” panel, which focused on the role of cryptocurrency in the gambling industry and was moderated by Konrad Gill (ViARSys & iGamingRadio)

The panel was shared by Tom Light (SBTech), who started with a clear presentation of understanding what the role of Bitcoin is in the online gambling industry and continued with a shared discussion among the panelist, Max Krupyshev(Cubits) and Bernhard Blaha (Herocoin.io & Herosphere.gg).

The very informative panel which highlighted some important aspects of smart contracts and the use of cryptocurrencies in the gambling industry was follow by a short “fire side” discussion between Dan Illiovici (President of the National Gambling Office, Romania) and Dr. Simon Planzer (PLANZER LAW).

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The short panel focused on an important topic, which was titled as “How NOT to do it – Avoiding regulatory failure

Dan Iliovici pointed out that there are many lessons to be learned from national efforts to regulate gaming, in Europe and beyond. All too often, similar mistakes happen along the road. The session pointed out some of the major legislative and regulatory mistakes the regulators often make.


As most of the regulatory related panels have been exhausted, the education continued with a panel dedicated to Conversion and Retention which was titled “From Conversion to Retention – how do you make a successful gaming operation profit

The panel was moderated by Tal Itzhak Ron (Tal Ron, Drihem and Co. Law Firm), who was joined by Quirino Mancini (Tonucci & Partners), Jon Peters (Theomobex), Tal Miller (Fibonatix).

Tal Itzhak Ron (Tal Ron, Drihem and Co. Law Firm) also moderated the “Effective Marketing and Communications in the Sports Betting Industry” panel discussion where he has invited marketing and communication experts Michal Shinitzky (Pangea Localization Services), Assaf Stieglitz (odds1x2.com), Tom Light (SBTech) on stage.

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Click to view slideshow.

The panelists emphasized on the fact that it is vital that all marketing campaigns need to be clear, fair and most important optimized with localization.

We had a great time at the Prague Gaming Summit! Not only were the discussions very insightful and informative, the schedule was always on point. There were no delays, they were right on time and the sponsors were at the top of their game. We would definitely consider attending the next one!

Michal Shinitzky – Managing Director at Pangea Localization Services

The agenda continued with the final Networking Break of the day and has finalized with the awaited panel which discussed Responsible Gambling, AML and Gambling Licensing Procedures in the European Union.

The panel was moderated by Pieter Remmers (Assissa), who has unparalleled knowledge of Responsible Gambling implementation and was joined by expert speakers Martin Arendts (ARENDTS ANWÄLTE), Alex Henderson (The Ritz Hotel Casino London), Dan Iliovici(Romanian National Gambling Office – ONJN) and Tom Edmonds (Harris Hagan).

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Click to view slideshow.

The discussion pointed out some of the main challenges companies are facing when combating AML and also trying to keep track of their Responsible Gambling Programs.

The event finalized at 18:00 and it was declared and the delegates have managed to gain access to quality content which focused on compliance, marketing and responsible gambling.

However, the program wasn’t over at 18:00 as the delegates were invited to join a final networking session, “The Official Networking Party”.

Click to view slideshow.

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The networking party was held at one of the most popular venue Prague has to offer, NEBE Kremencova, where delegates got the chance to engage in a final networking session in a much more relaxed manner. Not to mention, enjoyed some of the finest beer in the world.

 

Prague Gaming Summit 2018 was an excellent event with renowned speakers, interesting content and an impressive number of delegates who represented variety of industry players. There were lots of networking opportunities, both during formal and informal parts of the conference. I am already looking forward to the next year event in which I will surely participate.

Bartosz Andruszaniec – Legal Advisor at RM Legal Kancelaria Radców Prawnych

 

 

The organizing team would like to once again thank each delegate for attending the second edition of Prague Gaming Summit and would also like to let you know that based on the feedback received from the event survey, preparations for Prague Gaming Summit 2019 are already under way.

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Make sure you follow the social media channels of Prague Gaming Summit and European Gaming Media to get the latest information about upcoming events and announcements.


Source: European Gaming Media and Events

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What makes Turbo Games’ provably fair games so special?

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A partnership between game developer Turbo Games and iGaming solution provider and aggregator Slotegrator began in November 2022 via the APIgrator game integration solution. Since then, the collaboration has been developing successfully — and now it’s time to analyze what made it successful.

Turbo Games has noticed how the new technologies spreading throughout the industry can work for the good of brand transparency and player loyalty: “We can already see how blockchain technology has made it possible to make betting checks more accessible to players. All you need is a blockchain-hash and a decoder service. We think we will continue to move in this direction. Many traditional online casinos do not offer the possibility to check the bet. Sooner or later we all have to come to this. Perhaps the development of artificial intelligence will help here, because we are already seeing its involvement in all spheres of human life.”

Turbo Games specializes in provably fair games. Provable fairness is a concept where players can verify their wins or losses using blockchain technology — the outcome of the game is dictated by a smart contract and is absolutely random, barring the possibility of any human involvement. Using cryptographic hashing algorithms, the gambling site and the player’s device both generate seeds (random strings of numbers). Players receive a key that allows them to check the results; if the results are the same as the game round they witnessed, it proves that there was no foul play.

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According to statistics from Turbo Games, the audience for provably fair games is mostly between 18 and 25 years old. However, there are also players aged 35-40 who prefer traditional games but would like to try something new, and have turned their attention to provably fair games.

There are good odds that the technology of provably fair games will become more popular, if not even commonplace, because it gives players a feeling of transparency and proves that the business is trustworthy without the need to search through dozens of reviews. Whereas many innovations in iGaming simply add entertainment, provable fairness addresses security concerns and reassures players that they’re not being exploited, which is invaluable.

Provably fair games are beneficial for both players and online casinos. Vadim Potapenko, Head of Sales at Turbo Games, comments: “It often happens that the users are not satisfied with the result, because gambling is not only about big wins, but also possible losses. By allowing them to check the fairness of a bet, we make life easier for platforms and players. Of course, this allows us to communicate with partners and users that we work honestly and that’s why they should trust our games.”

Ayvar Gabidullin, Business Development Manager at Slotegrator, adds that “this type of game is now becoming more and more popular and has great potential for both players and game providers in the future. On the part of the player, the advantage is that the player can always be sure that his game is fair and he can independently check any of his bets. And for the game provider, this also simplifies the process of implementing casino games, since now it will not be necessary to obtain the appropriate certificates from independent laboratories before launching new games, they can immediately enter the market with these games and where anyone can check the result and make sure that that there is no cheating with players. Many game providers are starting to look towards this type of game. And as far as I see, many operators are starting to think about adding these games.”

What do players in 2023 need? The iGaming industry is all about reputation and trust. Players have a huge number of platforms to choose from, making them pickier and pickier. There’s an abundance of forums where players leave reviews, so if players view a brand as untrustworthy, there are plenty of places they can share their opinion. Provable fairness not only stops that from happening, it provides evidence to the contrary, giving players something else to talk about.

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Slotegrator also recommends investing time and effort into localization and creating an effective and detailed marketing strategy — before trying provably fair technology players need to get to the platform, and there is no acquisition without marketing.

 

 ABOUT SLOTEGRATOR

Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.

The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.

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The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.

Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.

More information: https://slotegrator.pro/

 

ABOUT TURBO GAMES

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Turbo Games — a provably fair games provider that belongs to Turbo Stars company — has an ambitious goal to establish widespread recognition throughout the iGaming world. Even though it is young, the company consists of professionals who have been working on the brand for over five years and are even planning to introduce a new brand for a wider audience soon.

Turbo Games also works in Europe, India, and South Africa, where the company sees the most potential and expects the same “hype” as in Brazil.

The portfolio of Turbo Games consists of 21 titles, including well-known games like Mines, Crash X, DoubleRoll, Hi-Lo, and Plinko. The studio releases a game every month. However, not all games are developed from scratch. Wicket Blast and Spin Strike, the last two releases, are based on cricket and the Indian Premier League. Crash X remains the most popular fast game in the Turbo Games portfolio, and the studio reports that crash games enjoy stable levels of popularity. Overall, the main focus of the brand is provably fair games.

More information: https://turbogames.io/

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Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.

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Looking to take your career to the next level in the games industry? Then, Nordic Game Talents is the place to be! Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.

From Oct 27-29, the online and interactive event is dedicated to recruitment and career building in the creative & games industry within the Nordic region. The event empowers participants to be part of a bigger community and motivates them to explore new paths in achieving their career goals.

Hiring creative & games studios – Supercell, Funcom, Panzerdog, Tactile Games, Gamecan, Fingersoft, Dazzle Rocks, Redhill Games to name a few from the Nordic region will be participating in the event. These studios will share information on their latest projects, work culture and what it takes to be part of their team. The individual games associations from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia will share insights through live sessions on the booming games industry in their respective countries. Career development topics pertinent to job seekers like – How to have a successful first interview, Creative Portfolio reviews will also be discussed.

Experienced game industry professionals and individuals beginning their careers from around the world are welcome to join the event. One-to-one interviews with the hiring studios can be scheduled through the event platform. A great opportunity to get to know the studios and network with game professionals from around the world.

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Participating in the event

As a job seeker attending Nordic Game Talents, take a few minutes to fill out a simple registration form. After filling the registration form you will receive a link to the online event platform – PINE, to join the event on 27th October. Participants joining Nordic Game Talents will also receive a free-of-charge pass to the Nordic Game Conference.

To view the complete agenda, please click here and to learn more about the event please visit Games Job Fair

About Games Factory Talents

A Helsinki-based talent attraction agency dedicated to the games & creative industry. Our services include direct recruitment, organizing game job fairs and managing a community of game industry professionals through our GameDev Talent Board.

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To learn more about Games Factory Talents visit – Games Factory Talents

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810 THE SPREAD

Cumulus Media Launches 810 THE SPREAD, the Bay Area’s First Sports Station Focused on Sports Betting

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Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) announces that it has launched the Bay Area’s first Sports radio station focused on sports betting, 810 THE SPREAD. The new station brings sports and sports betting news, information, and insights to the burgeoning and underserved sports betting audience in San Francisco. 810 THE SPREAD will deliver behind-the-book perspectives from experts in a highly entertaining and engaging format. 810 THE SPREAD goes live today on the legendary 810am frequency that has been the 80-year home of historic Talk Radio KGO-AM. Cumulus San Francisco also launched the station’s new website at www.810thespread.com. Kevin Graham, Program Director of Cumulus’ sister sports stations KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT, adds Program Director duties for 810 THE SPREAD.

Larry Blumhagen, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus San Francisco, said: “810 THE SPREAD joins our sports brands KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT for a trifecta of dynamic sports content across four signals and streaming everywhere. We are excited about this new chapter and look forward to serving the Bay Area’s passionate sports fans in an incomparable way.”

Blumhagen added: “This is a bittersweet day for us, as it’s hard to say goodbye to the legendary KGO, which has been a part of listeners’ lives for so many years. We want to thank all the people who have been a part of KGO’s historic run these many years – and the listeners who loyally tuned in to the station. Times change, and we must change with them.”

Kevin Graham, Program Director, 810 THE SPREAD, said: “810 THE SPREAD will be the Bay Area’s best bet for sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts, and we are pleased to introduce sports-betting radio to our community. The station will feature a lineup of expert personalities that deliver unique sports talk and sports betting insights that entertain, inform, and engage, along with Cal Football and Basketball as well as select professional and college sports play-by-play events. While 810 THE SPREAD will feature specific gambling information, we believe our entertaining presentation will make it a favorite for all Bay area sports fans and a perfect complement to the legendary KNBR and KTCT. With its addition, it truly shows Cumulus’ commitment to the Bay area as ‘The Sports Leader’!”

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The weekday programming lineup for 810 THE SPREAD includes:

6am-9am – Bet QL Daily – The must-consume show for sports fans and betting fans alike. Hosted by Joe Ostrowski, Joe Giglio, and Erin Hawksworth.

9am-12pm – Jim Rome - Aggressive, informed sports opinions, rapid-fire dialogue, and plenty of sports smack. As one of the most prolific sports talk hosts in America, Rome draws massive tune-in with legions of fans known as clones, who live for Rome’s take on the day’s largest issues in sports.

12pm-4pm – You Better You Bet – Nick Kostos and Ken Barkley have you covered for the best bets on the biggest matchups, the latest line movement and updates in the futures market. We’ll have up-to-the-minute coverage of backdoor covers and bad beats, and the cheers and tears that come with them. It’s sports betting conversation like you’ve never heard before.

4pm-8pm – Bet MGM Tonight – Live sports betting updates for all the night’s games as they happen – plus live “look-ins” for Major League Baseball games in progress. Get the latest scores, sides, totals, props, parlays, futures, and much more with hosts Quinton Mayo, Trysta Krick, and Ryan Horvat.

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8pm-12 Midnight – CBS Sports Radio

BetQL Network programming is provided by Cumulus Media’s Westwood One through a partnership with Audacy.

For more information or to stream 810 THE SPREAD, visit: http://www.810thespread.com.

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