Latest News
Five Startup Finalists Announced For The Second Edition of SBC First Pitch Barcelona
Five innovative industry start-ups have been selected as finalists for the second edition of SBC First Pitch Barcelona at this month’s SBC Summit Barcelona. The finalists will compete for an exclusive prize package valued at over €60,000, to aid in the growth and development of the winning company.
The competition, powered by Yolo Investments, will serve as a platform for the five aspiring companies to present their products and business plans in front of a live audience of industry leaders. The winner will be chosen by a judging panel consisting of venture capital and investment experts.
The First Pitch Competition will be hosted at the Fira de Barcelona Montjuïc, on Wednesday 20th September, and will feature as part of the ‘Future of Technology’ conference track.
Rasmus Sojmark, CEO & Founder of SBC, said: “As event organizers, we believe that SBC First Pitch Barcelona occupies a central role in facilitating innovation in the industry. Competitions like this serve as a platform for emerging talents to showcase their groundbreaking products and services, whilst also gaining invaluable experience presenting in a public space and networking with industry elite.”
“SBC First Pitch is essentially about innovation meeting opportunity, ultimately encouraging the industry to grow, welcome new ways of thinking and foster an environment that nurtures innovation and collaboration.”
The five finalists of the SBC First Pitch Barcelona are:
- We are the Bookie: an online B2C sports betting platform with a 50% monthly Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) rebate for losing customers.
- Rdentify: a platform that identifies vulnerable customers during customer conversations in real-time and flags them to the safer gambling team and triggers customisable interventions as soon as behavioural risk has been flagged
- Snap Screen: Leveraging the user’s mobile camera to recognise live events on TV and streaming, Snap Screen is akin to a ‘Shazam for sports betting,’ allowing operators and affiliates to integrate SnapOdds into their websites.
- SQR Group: simplifies compliance and reduces fraud by enabling seamless identity verification without storing sensitive documents, using Secure QR Code® technology.
- Sport Exchange Market: a web app platform where fans can trade virtual shares of football teams, experiencing the same adrenaline as when they are betting or playing fantasy sports games
The First Pitch competition will be hosted by Anton Kaszubowski, (Managing Director, SBC Advisory Partners) and feature a star-studded judging panel of industry experts. The panel consists of Adam Rosenberg (Senior Advisor, Gaming & Leisure. Blackstone), Evert Einroos (Partner, Yolo Investments), Peter Heneghen (Senior Associate, Bettor Capital), Hilary Stewart-Jones (Independent Consultant, Harris Hagan) and Claudia de la Riva (Angel Investor, Various), who will each cast their vote to determine the winner.
The winning start-up will receive a prize package comprised of:
- A two-day workshop trip to Tallinn with Yolo Investments Founder Tim Heath, including flights, hotel, and covered expenses – valued at €25,000.
- An SBC Media promotional package including a magazine ad in SBC Leaders Magazine, two featured editorials promoting the business and a guest appearance on the iGaming Daily Podcast – valued at €7,000.
- A prize pack from Receptional, in which a dedicated team will collaborate with the winning company to provide a tailored digital marketing package – valued at €10,000.
- A Square in the Air press pack that includes a corporate video filmed on-site at the event, two press releases distributed on the Square in the Air social channels, a free social media audit, competitor analysis and a strategy guide to help build the company’s profile – valued at £5,000.
- An exclusive brand or web design package from Vegas Kings, the leading iGaming design and development agency – valued at €2,500.
- A 3x3m booth, including a turnkey standbuild, sponsorship mention, and 4 complimentary tickets for the SBC Summit 2024 – Valued at €15,000.
Last year’s edition of SBC First Pitch Barcelona saw Kero Gaming, an in-game micro-betting and interactive social platform, crowned the winner. Paradox, a parimutuel betting protocol where all the commission charged is distributed proportionally to the people who bet before you, was the runner-up.
GamblingSites.com
GamblingSites.com Launches “Jackpot Meter” for Ultimate Online Gambling Transparency
GamblingSites.com is shaking up the online gambling world with the launch of its brand-new “Jackpot Meter.” Think of it as the Rotten Tomatoes of online casinos and sportsbooks — delivering clear unbiased reviews.
The Jackpot Meter does the heavy lifting, gathering real insights from both everyday players and seasoned pros to deliver unbiased ratings across some of the most popular betting sites. Criteria used includes bonuses, banking options, game libraries, and the site’s overall impression from current reviewers.
It’s time for transparency
Gone are the days of questionable, biased reviews — GamblingSites.com’s data-driven “Jackpot Meter” sparks a new wave of transparency and trust within the industry, giving players the tools to be confident and secure in their betting options.
Powered by over 24,000 user comments and scores from 120+ gambling sites at launch (with more on the way!), the Jackpot Meter cuts through the noise.
So, how does the Jackpot Meter work?
Every casino and sportsbook site featured on GamblingSites.com gets its own badge of honor (or shame). Here’s how the scores stack up:
• All-In Jackpot Certified: The best of the best! Sites with an approval rating of 85% or higher earn the All-In status, the highest status of trust a gambling site can snag.
• Jackpot Certified: A solid win. Sites that earn the Jackpot status have an approval rating of 60% or higher, making them a high-quality betting option with minimal negative reviews.
• Bust: Womp womp. Sites that earn the Bust status hold a below-average satisfaction rating of 59% or lower, so players know to steer clear.
Las Vegas Grand Prix
Union Workers’ Strike Ongoing at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas Casino
The strike at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is continuing as the standoff between management and laborers seeking higher pay and benefits showed no signs of resolution. With no new talks scheduled, the open-ended strike—Nevada’s first of its kind since 2002—continues to disrupt operations just a week before the high-profile Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The Culinary Workers Union, representing roughly 60,000 members across Nevada, is pushing for wage increases and benefit improvements similar to those negotiated at other Las Vegas casinos last year. Approximately 700 workers, including guest room attendants, food servers, bartenders, and kitchen staff, joined the picket lines at Virgin Hotels.
The timing of the strike could have significant implications for Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, as the upcoming Formula 1 race is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of fans to the area. However, no new discussions are in sight, with both sides remaining firmly entrenched.
Virgin Hotels described the terms of union agreements reached by other casinos, which included 32% salary increases over five years, as “economically unsustainable.” The company said it is committed to achieving a “reasonable agreement” for its 1710 employees and accused union leadership of refusing to engage in “meaningful negotiations.”
Union spokesperson Bethany Khan confirmed that no negotiations were scheduled between the parties. To support striking workers, the union is offering $500 per week to those who participate in picketing shifts. The union previously staged a 48-hour job action at Virgin Hotels in May, urging management to agree to a new five-year contract.
Virgin Hotels recently reached a contract agreement with the Teamsters Union, covering 105 employees, including front desk, valet, and call center staff. The Culinary Workers Union’s strike, however, underscores a broader labor push in Nevada’s hotel and casino sector.
Betly
Delaware North selects Playtech as new platform provider for Betly mobile sportsbook and casino
Delaware North, a global hospitality and entertainment company with a portfolio of regional casinos and an interactive gaming division, has selected leading online gaming platform, content and services provider Playtech to power its Betly mobile sportsbook and casino.
Playtech is the new platform provider for the Betly sportsbooks, starting with Betly Ohio, which launched this month and replaces MVGBet in an affiliate license partnership with Miami Valley Gaming, a Delaware North joint-venture property located between Cincinnati and Dayton. The Betly sportsbooks in Arkansas, Tennessee and West Virginia, a state where Betly also offers an online casino in addition to sports betting, will be migrated to the Playtech platform in the coming months.
“We are very pleased to partner with Playtech to provide Betly customers with an enhanced mobile sports betting and online casino experience powered by an industry leader,” said Lee Terfloth, chief interactive gaming officer for Delaware North.
“Not only that, but our team can now offer players robust promotional features through the Playtech platform, which will allow Betly to offer customers an array of enticing and personalized offerings, including bonus bets, boosts, drawings and tournaments. As a result, customers will experience tailored content to engage them based on their historical betting activity,” Terfloth said.
Responsible Gaming
Betly is committed to promoting and encouraging responsible gaming and offering users informational resources to support and identify problem gambling, as well as promoting intelligent tools that allow players to set deposit, loss, session time and money-spent limits.
With the migration to the Playtech platform, Delaware North has access to the suite of Playtech’s responsible gaming solutions. This includes BetBuddy, which features best-in-class responsible gaming technology that provides enhanced insights into potential at-risk player behaviors and supports operators with the insights to enable early intervention and personalized messaging for those exhibiting at-risk behavior.
Delaware North has also partnered with Birches Health, a leading national behavioral addiction program providing online treatment for addictions to gambling, sports betting and other activities. Through this relationship, Delaware North will integrate customized behavioral health assessments into the Betly application. This will provide individuals on the platform a real digital resource to gauge their relationship with gaming and seek help from certified mental health counselors. Birches Health will provide all Delaware North staff with clinician-led responsible gaming training and access to curated responsible gaming content.
The Betly Sportsbook Ohio statewide mobile sports betting app is now live on Apple App Store for iOS, Google Play Storefor Android and on desktop at oh.betly.com.
Additional Features
Betly Sportsbook Ohio is expanding its customer support services with a larger team available via phone support for an optimized experience and reduced wait times for customers. Betly now also features an enhanced customer onboarding process, a variety of payment options, player journey automations, diverse bonusing capabilities and enhanced responsible gaming and customer intervention.
Wagering capabilities include same-game parlays, regional curated odds boosts, a variety of pre-match and in-play player props, minimized suspension times on in-play sporting events, teaser bets and automated promotional functionality on results-based outcomes. Betly Sportsbook Ohio will feature official National Football League data via Genius Sports.
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