Connect with us

Latest News

Racecourse Media Group generates £117.6m in media and data rights payments for British racecourses in 2022

Published

on

Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

Racecourse Media Group (RMG) will pay racecourses £117.6 million in payments generated from their media and data rights in 2022 – compared to £110m in 2021.

The payments are derived from a range of RMG businesses, including via betting shops (Racecourse Retail Business), online bookmaker streams (Digital Streaming), pay TV channel (Racing TV), international betting (Racing TV International) and non-betting distribution, mainstream TV (ITV agreement) and data (Racecourse Data Company).

Roger Lewis, the Chairman of RMG, said: “The RMG model has once again proved to be resilient and reliable – in the face of significant challenges – producing record results, and performing ahead of expectations. The results are a testimony and tribute to the vision and dedication of those racecourses who came together and stuck together to create, grow, and develop the RMG business.

“On behalf of everyone at RMG I thank all the racecourses, owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys, stable staff and our valued media, technical broadcast, commercial and betting partners for their help and support in enabling RMG to play its role effectively.

“I step down from the Board of RMG this year, having joined the company in 2012. It has been a huge privilege and a great honour to have worked with so many wonderful people. I sincerely welcome my successor, Conor Grant, formerly CEO of Flutter UK and Ireland, who takes up the reins as Chairman, on October 1, 2023.”

The 2022 results were achieved against the headwind of the long-running Gambling Act Review process. RMG has played its role by using its media platforms to bring attention to the Gambling Act Review and ensuring its consumers’ views and attitudes on the subject were made available to politicians, regulators, and media commentators.

The process has led to bookmakers ramping up levels of affordability checking, which has resulted in a clear and material reduction in betting turnover from the early summer of 2022 onwards.

Looking to the future, Martin Stevenson, Chief Executive of RMG, said: “We believe that innovation is key for the business and racecourses to help grow appeal and engagement with the sport, and provide a platform to deliver growth in licence fees to racecourses and the sport in the future.

“A fundamental building block in technical innovation for the business is the deployment of a highly reliable and accurate tracking system, which we have achieved via the award-winning Coursetrack.

“Beyond purely providing timing, the importance of tracking is that it provides a wealth of real time data that the business can now utilise to develop new products and innovations. These include the roll-out of in-play betting on RMG’s content, currently deployed by BetVictor and William Hill, and with more bookmakers in the pipeline.

“Another key application of tracking data is to help create stimulating, insightful data – a suite of new facts and statistics – to engage our audiences and support betting markets.

“In addition, our Self Service Betting Terminal (SSBT) racing product is being rolled out this month. It’s worth noting that c.80% of football bets struck in shops are placed via SSBTs, compared to just 10% for racing, so this could be a real opportunity for racing to generate additional consumer engagement and turnover in the important betting shop space.

“We have also significantly enhanced our broadcast output, with advances to the virtual studio, the roll-out of augmented reality graphics, the gradual move to remote production, and developments to the production of dedicated racecourse streams. This is bringing horseracing TV coverage up to the high levels that other sports, like football and cricket, enjoy.

“Our social media initiative, #raceday, which brings an influencer-led approach to the racecourse and engages with a young demographic, has surpassed 20m views, while our free-to-play games, run in conjunction with Paddy Power, have generated 2m entries and proved to be an excellent data capture platform.

“With media increasingly being consumed through digital channels, driving innovation is key to growing audiences and engagement through these platforms. This approach blends well with our focus on strengthening the core capabilities which have enabled us to grow to where we are today, ensuring the business remains ready for the future.”

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Latest News

Stake unveils new Stake Engine: Build. Launch. Earn. The Engine Is Yours

Published

on

stake-unveils-new-stake-engine:-build-launch-earn.-the-engine-is-yours
Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

Stake, the world’s largest online casino, today announced the launch of Stake Engine — a next-generation Remote Gaming Server (RGS) built to give developers the tools, infrastructure, and audience they need to succeed on their terms.

Backed by the technology behind 300 billion bets and a global community of over 20 million players, Stake Engine offers an instant path to revenue with full end-to-end game development tools and the most developer-friendly commercial model in iGaming: 10% GGR (Gross Gaming Revenue), paid monthly.

Whether you’re an indie creator or a full-scale studio, Stake Engine offers everything you need to build, deploy, and grow games on your terms.

Studios are already winning.
Over the past 12 months, games built on Stake Engine have generated $3.31 billion in turnover. In the most recent quarter, three titles ranked among Stake’s top 50 games by total bets: Massive Studio’s Jawsome at #17, Serpentina at #23, and Twist’s Samurai Dogs Unleashed at #25.

Who can build?
Any developer. From math devs and indie studios to full-stack teams, if you can design and deliver engaging games, you’re welcome here.

What can you build?
Anything your imagination allows. Slots, wheel mechanics, card-based logic, original IP, Stake Engine has no templates, no restrictions, and no gatekeeping. If it plays well and meets our standards, you can build it, launch it, and own it.

Why build on Stake Engine?
Stake Engine gives developers everything they need to launch faster, without the barriers that slow down traditional game development.

No need to build your own infrastructure, negotiate publisher deals, or spend months integrating with legacy Remote Gaming Servers (RGS). With Stake Engine, you can go from idea to live game in days.

Stake handles the infrastructure, distribution, and visibility, so you can focus on what matters: building great games. There’s no pitching, no storefront politics, and no delays.

Behind the scenes, Stake Engine powers everything with a full front-end SDK, integrated math engine, balancing toolkit, and real-time analytics dashboard — putting real performance data at your fingertips.

And once your game goes live, you get paid monthly, with 10% GGR royalties and zero lockups.

Proven at Scale

  • Over 300 billion bets placed on Stake

  • 10 billion monthly wagers processed

  • Stake is behind 4% of global Bitcoin transactions
    Capable of handling 1 million+ bets per second

    Stake Engine: Key Features

  • Stake Engine delivers unmatched scale and performance, supporting over 1 million bets per second and powered by the same infrastructure behind the world’s most popular crypto casino.

  • It offers a full end-to-end developer stack, including a front-end framework, integrated math engine, and balancing toolkit — everything needed to build rich, interactive games quickly and at scale.

  • Developers have complete creative freedom with no templates or restrictions. Build any game, upload it, and launch directly to Stake’s global audience.

  • Instant deployment tools allow developers to upload, test, and go live in minutes, with full versioning and real-time testing capabilities.

  • Stake Engine provides transparent analytics, offering real-time insights into game performance across players, markets, and engagement cohorts.

  • It features an industry-leading commercial model with 10% GGR perpetual royalties — the most aggressive terms in gaming, paid monthly without delays or hidden fees.

  • Stake Engine is built by developers, for developers. Created by the engineers behind some of iGaming’s top studios, it is focused on speed, control, and fixing everything broken about legacy game launch processes.

  • Stake also handles all positioning, marketing, and growth — giving developers full visibility and freeing them to focus purely on building great games.

Brais Pena, Chief Strategy Officer at Easygo, the technology powerhouse behind Stake, said: “Stake Engine is built for creators, with speed, freedom, and scale baked in.”

“Stake Engine is more than just infrastructure, it’s a launchpad for the next generation of iGaming creators. We’ve taken everything we’ve learned building the world’s most popular online casino and packaged it into a platform that removes barriers, unlocks creativity, and delivers scale from day one.”

“Stake Engine is what happens when the biggest operator in iGaming builds for the builders. It’s not just a platform. It’s our commitment to the next generation of game creators.”

The post Stake unveils new Stake Engine: Build. Launch. Earn. The Engine Is Yours appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs

PENN Entertainment Announces Plans for New Land-Based Hollywood Casino to Replace Riverboat Gaming Operations in Council Bluffs, Iowa

Published

on

penn-entertainment-announces-plans-for-new-land-based-hollywood-casino-to-replace-riverboat-gaming-operations-in-council-bluffs,-iowa

 

PENN Entertainment Inc. announced plans for an expected $180–$200 million project to relocate its Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs (Ameristar) riverboat casino operations to a new, state-of-the-art land-based property to be rebranded as Hollywood Casino Council Bluffs (Hollywood Council Bluffs). The proposal is approved by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission in conjunction with a 15-year extension of Ameristar’s partnership with the nonprofit Qualified Sponsoring Organization (QSO) Iowa West Racing Association. All commercial operators in Iowa are required to have an operating agreement with a QSO licensed to conduct gaming operations.

Under the proposed plan, the new Hollywood Council Bluffs is expected to include roughly 125,000 square feet of new development with approximately 58,000 square feet of gaming space. The new facility will complement the existing ESPN BET sportsbook, 160-room hotel and dining options in the landside portion of the current infrastructure. The existing riverboat, which presently offers gaming spread out over three levels, will be vacated upon opening of the new property.

“We are pleased to add another landside relocation to our pipeline of development projects. This project will enhance the quality and efficiency of our Council Bluffs location and significantly improve the property’s competitive positioning in the greater Omaha market. PENN’s diversified portfolio of casino properties is core to our omni-channel approach to entertainment, which combines our best-in-class retail operations and a database of more than 32 million PENN Play members with our robust interactive and media footprint. We thank the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission for their approval today and are grateful for the continued collaboration with our partners at the Iowa West Racing Association,” said Todd George, Executive Vice President of Operations for PENN.

“We are thrilled with the exciting development plans for the new Hollywood Casino Council Bluffs. For nearly thirty years, the Ameristar riverboat has been providing not only dining and entertainment, but thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in support of our community. PENN’s commitment to reinvesting in Council Bluffs is laudable and we are grateful for our ongoing partnership,” said Brenda Mainwaring, President & CEO of the Iowa West Racing Association.

Construction of the new facility is expected to take approximately 18-24 months following the design and permitting approval process. The Company is entitled to obtain financing for the project from Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. (GLPI) of up to $150 million at a 7.10% cap rate, which may be structured at PENN’s option as either rent or a 5-year term loan that is pre-payable at any time without penalty.

The post PENN Entertainment Announces Plans for New Land-Based Hollywood Casino to Replace Riverboat Gaming Operations in Council Bluffs, Iowa appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Continue Reading

Daily Fantasy Sports

PrizePicks Teams Up with San Francisco Giants as Official DFS Partner

Published

on

prizepicks-teams-up-with-san-francisco-giants-as-official-dfs-partner

 

PrizePicks, the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America, announced that it has been named the Official Daily Fantasy Partner of the San Francisco Giants. The new partnership strengthens the DFS leader’s presence in professional baseball and features digital and in-park activations at Oracle Park.

“We are thrilled to team up with a legendary organization like the San Francisco Giants. PrizePicks is committed to bringing unique experiences to our players around the country and is excited to strengthen our connection with baseball fans in San Francisco and across the United States,” said Mike Quigley, Chief Marketing Officer at PrizePicks.

As part of the multi-year partnership, PrizePicks branding will be showcased prominently throughout Oracle Park with rotating signage behind home plate and LED signage on each baseline. PrizePicks logos will be featured across the K-Counter in right field, creating an interactive experience for fans in the ballpark. Fans seated on top of the right field wall near the strikeout counter will have the opportunity to flip over the PrizePicks branded signs, revealing a “K” for each strikeout earned by a Giants pitcher.

When Giants pitchers combine for 12 strikeouts in a home game, fans can participate in a text-to-enter promotion with the chance to win a $12,000 free PrizePicks lineup and tickets to a future Giants game at Oracle Park.

“The Giants are always looking for innovative ways to enhance the fan experience. Partnering with PrizePicks provides our fans with new ways to engage with us and deepen their connection to both the Giants and baseball,” said Jason Pearl, Chief Revenue Officer at the San Francisco Giants.

The post PrizePicks Teams Up with San Francisco Giants as Official DFS Partner appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Continue Reading

Trending