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1/st-content-widens-its-southern-african-scope-via-sublicensing-deal-with-4racing 1/st-content-widens-its-southern-african-scope-via-sublicensing-deal-with-4racing

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1/ST CONTENT widens its Southern African scope via sublicensing deal with 4Racing

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1/ST CONTENT – the leading provider of premium content for North American horse racing and a key division of 1/ST RACING, the biggest racing company in the Americas – has broadened its growing international footprint with the announcement of a progressive sublicense agreement with South African rights holder, 4Racing.

This multi-year deal revolves around commingling and fixed-odds betting for 1/ST CONTENT’s leading portfolio of racetracks and charges 4Racing with the managing the exploitation and distribution of these exclusive pictures and data to online and retail operators across South Africa and the wider SADC (Southern African Development Community) whose 16 Member States include the likes of Zimbabwe, Angola and Tanzania.

1/ST CONTENT already assembles well over 3,300 days of racing each year from top North American racetracks, such as Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita, Golden Gate Fields, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course, alongside Del Mar, Keeneland, Tampa Bay Downs and Woodbine. More recent international distribution partnerships (via NYRA, BetMakers and CDI) have made 1/ST CONTENT the pre-eminent player in the international-rights space.

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To which end, 1/ST CONTENT’s delivery of live pictures, data and multidimensional betting services now comprises an unrivalled network of over 70 North American tracks, equipping international operators with a highly-flexible programming schedule, supported by a steady stream of rapid-cycling betting opportunities that are proven to increase digital dwell-time for new and existing customers.

1/ST CONTENT’s acclaimed end-to-end solution, encompassing extensive content that maps approximately 90% of all U.S. racing, accordingly opens the door to many of the planet’s most prestigious horse races. Highlights include the Pegasus World Cup, every leg of the revered Triple Crown series (featuring the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes) and the season’s flagship finale at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships from Santa Anita (3-4 November).

This daily timetable of engaging action, whose chronology naturally complements international racing coverage across varied time-zones, provides 1/ST CONTENT’s global partners with a reliable source of fast-settling betting content at peak leisure-time viewing slots throughout South Africa, whose own daily domestic racing scene seamlessly transitions to East Coast start times at, for example, Gulfstream or Belmont Park.

Stephen Watson, Head of 4Racing TV, said: “1/ST CONTENT stands alone as the proven pacesetter for live North American horse racing content, providing rights, betting data, live broadcast and video streaming on behalf of its growing global portfolio of partners. So, naturally, we’re delighted to take charge of their portfolio under the terms of this progressive new sublicense agreement, allowing us to maximise the reach of North American racing not only in South Africa (a territory long-familiar with horse racing) but also in a broader span of the SADC’s emerging markets where a more educational play around this content is required in African States where football is king.

“More generally, 4Racing is reinvigorating the horse racing industry in South Africa and beyond with a commitment to diversity and transparency in its relationships with stakeholders, designing and implementing a series of new projects and strategies for the betterment of the sport.”

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Simon Fraser, Senior Vice President of International at 1/ST CONTENT, added: “1/ST CONTENT is thrilled to build on our strategic relationship with 4Racing to widen the international reach of North American Thoroughbred racing in South Africa and SADC. As a result, fans and bettors around the world can now enjoy more coverage of top-quality racing than ever before, as out service corrals the lowest-latency feeds from thousands of annual meetings, showcasing tens of thousands of races each year. North American racing continues to assist worldwide operators in engaging untapped audiences by delivering 24/7 horse racing, and helps us return the value to a host of U.S. racetracks and their key stakeholders.

“4Racing have previously proven to be a strong partner for us in the Southern African market, so it’s fantastic to be expanding on an already valuable partnership. The distributional scope of their operators is second to none, across both retail and digital.”

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SunBet Extends Online Betting Platform Contract with Bede Gaming Amid Record-Breaking Performance

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SunBet Extends Online Betting Platform Contract with Bede Gaming Amid Record-Breaking Performance

Bede Gaming has secured a further contract extension with South African online sports betting brand SunBet, the digital arm of Sun International and one of the fastest growing operators in the SA online market.

The new contract renewal comes as SunBet reports record-breaking digital growth in its H1-24 performance report, including a 72% year-over-year (YoY) growth in revenue and 72% increase in active players, driving an 89% improvement in EBITDA.

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As a leading supplier of software to the igaming industry, Bede has supported the ambitions of this customer with tailored features and services to achieve SunBet’s business objectives while delivering the highest cost efficiencies.

Since the launch of the SunBet Slots offering in 2022, Bede has provided various additional optimisations, including integrating 7 new game providers to SunBet.co.za, releasing enhancements to the existing Kambi Sportsbook integration functionality, and delivering bespoke training on product features such as Bede’s powerful rules engine and bonusing suite.

This year alone, Bede has partnered with SunBet’s operations to –

  • Optimise environmental infrastructure, aiming to deliver run cost efficiencies that will reduce the total cost of ownership by 30% by the end of the year.
  • Develop a bespoke aggregator tool to achieve cost-effective game content customisation via a streamlined South Africa-specific solution.
  • Enter into the new regulated markets of Namibia and Botswana (due to launch in 2024).

Colin Cole-Johnson, Bede Chief Executive Officer.“It’s been fantastic to see SunBet grow throughout the course of our partnership, and I’m delighted by their commitment to Bede at this crucial point in their journey. Securing another extension on this contract is testament to our dedication to our customers.”

SunBet’s partnership with Bede dates back to 2017, when digital offerings to this market were restricted to sports betting and live casino. With the change to slot content regulation in the South African market in August 2022, SunBet has expanded its online offering through Bede’s platform environment and has seen substantial growth in revenue and performance as a result.

Simon Gregory, SunBet Chief Executive Officer Bede has been a strong long-term partner for us, supporting and delivering on SunBet’s growth ambitions with quality and expertise. I’m very much looking forward to these next steps, especially now as we approach new African expansions.”

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The post SunBet Extends Online Betting Platform Contract with Bede Gaming Amid Record-Breaking Performance appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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EveryMatrix secures largest African turnkey deal with MBet partnership

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EveryMatrix has sealed its largest turnkey platform partnership in Africa to date and will migrate MBet from its existing software to EveryMatrix technology.

The turnkey sportsbook agreement will see EveryMatrix power MBet with its award-winning technology in Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

MBet’s sports betting offering will be transformed via the high-performing, ‘always-on’ OddsMatrix digital sportsbook platform that includes access to a content catalogue of 170,000+ monthly live sportsbook events, empowering Odds Management control tools and comprehensive 11-sport pre-live and live Bet Builder.

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The East African operator will also gain access to a suite of player-friendly localised products including in-house lightweight front end, USSD betting, SMS functionality, Do It Yourself manual event creation tools and a dynamic betslip engine supporting 50+ accumulator selections.

This enhanced sportsbook platform package will be further supplemented by the integration of additional EveryMatrix core turnkey products including casino productivity platform CasinoEngine, cross-product reward system BonusEngine and player management platform GamMatrix.

Migrating from 11-year-old proprietary technology to an EveryMatrix tech stack, MBet becomes the latest ambitious operator to join the rapidly expanding EveryMatrix platform network. Fresh from the recent acquisitions of FSB Technology and Fantasma Games, the industry’s fastest growing iGaming technology supplier now has more than 1,100+ staff across 15 global offices.

Established in 2013, MBet has developed into one of the leading sportsbook brands in the competitive East African region following the creation of a customer-centric proposition aided by a portfolio of local sports partnerships.

Ebbe Groes, CEO and co-founder, EveryMatrix, said: “This tier-1 African turnkey partnership sends a strong signal that EveryMatrix is rapidly becoming the ‘go-to’ platform provider for ambitious operators in the exciting Africa region.

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“Africa presents a unique set of scalability challenges for platform providers and, with millions of bets processed daily across our OddsMatrix sportsbook platform, this is a region tailormade for the transformative capabilities of the EveryMatrix technology.

“I’m particularly pleased to see this deal follow our acquisition of FSB Technology. FSB has developed a strong client base across the African continent and the experience and product readiness from FSB was instrumental in EveryMatrix winning this landmark deal.

“We are pleased to welcome MBet to the EveryMatrix platform and look forward to propelling their offering into a market-leading proposition in Tanzania, DRC and beyond.”

Javier Diaz, CEO, MBet, said: “We are immensely proud of everything MBet has achieved in the last decade. Securing leading positions in Tanzania and the DRC has demonstrated the growth journey we’ve been on.

“What has become clear in the last 18 months is that to take us to the next level in our operations we need to be aligned with a leading third-party technology provider.

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“After a thorough search we are confident that we have selected the right partner in EveryMatrix. The hyper growth they have achieved globally in the last several years has been inspiring and their end-to-end turnkey offering provides us with the content, tools, features and localised capabilities to differentiate our daily offering and scale MBet upwards onto a new level.”

The post EveryMatrix secures largest African turnkey deal with MBet partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Emerging Markets: Opportunities and Strategies for iGaming Expansion

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Itai Zak, Digicode’s Executive Director of iGaming at Digicode, shares how the company seamlessly connects client needs with customized strategies. 

The iGaming industry is standing on the threshold of one of the most remarkable transformations as emerging markets have become accessible. Both LATAM (Latin America) and Africa are unique opportunities but also come with special challenges for iGaming operators. In this article, promising emerging markets will be explored alongside effective strategies for entry and expansion, according to expert insights.

Promising Emerging Markets

LATAM (Latin America)

Brazil is one of the important focal points in LATAM, considering that it has a huge population base accompanied by a developing middle class. It is rewriting the regulatory landscape concerning online gambling, and recent developments in the case show a much more structured approach. With the market opening up, Brazil is on course to emerge as the iGaming hotbed of investments. However, operators have to keep a close watch on regulatory changes and be ready to tweak strategies accordingly.

Mexico and Colombia are on their way to regulated iGaming markets. In this respect, the very lucrative gaming market of Mexico and the already established regime of regulatory control over Colombian gambling make these markets quite attractive for expansion. The key to succeeding in those markets would be to tailor products according to local taste and to navigate the regulatory requirements.

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South Africa: Growth of the iGaming market in this African country is leading the pace. The mature regulatory environment and quite good digital infrastructure established in the country provide a stable platform for iGaming ventures. Other than the mature regulatory environment, companies entering South Africa would benefit from its relatively easy-to-navigate regulatory framework and a growing player base.

Nigeria and Kenya: Nigeria and Kenya are the two countries that are developing as the main claimants to the African iGaming scene. With large populations and growing internet access, these markets offer huge opportunities for growth. However, the regulatory environment in these countries is at an emerging stage and can be quite challenging. While the companies at the forefront keep a close vigil on these changing times, operators have to update themselves about the new regulations and develop strategies in keeping with local conditions. Manuscript Details

Successful Strategies to Enter and Succeed in the Market

  • In-Depth Research

It becomes imperative to understand local preferences and player behavior in emerging markets. Operators can then narrow down key trends from comprehensive market research and amend their product offerings accordingly to suit the local taste. This would include cultural nuances, gaming preferences, and legal requirements. Companies will want to modify their approach to make themselves more appealing and competitive within these markets; this should be aligned according to these local insights.

  • Local Partnerships

Market entry is contingent upon local strategic partnerships. This could include local operators, technology providers, or regulatory experts that make it easier to navigate the regulatory environment to fast-track the entry process. The value brought about by local partners in terms of market dynamics insights is immense and could build credibility among local players. Regulatory Compliance

Now, from the legal perspective, operations in emerging markets come under the purview of local regulations. A company has to keep itself updated with changing regulations and comply with all legal requirements, such as obtaining necessary licenses, proper KYC and AML policies in place, and protection of data. If they fail to do so, they will be met not only with legal problems but also threats against their brand image.

  • Localized Marketing and Customer Support

Developing marketing strategies that resonate with the local audience is the key to player acquisition and retention. It’s all about binding the player to the brand through tailored promotions, localizing payment methods, and culturally relevant content. Moreover, customer support in a local language improves the player’s rating of satisfaction and loyalty.

  • Mobile Optimization

In many developing markets, mobile is the leading source of internet access. Optimizing platforms for use on mobile enables reach and engagement for players. This includes responsive design, fast load times, and ease of use. A good mobile experience is very important to retain interest and reduce player churn.

Staying Ahead of the Curve

  • Innovate Constantly

In case one wants to be competitive, continuous innovation is a must. The new technologies, like AI-driven personalization and blockchain integration, advanced data analytics, shall be embraced to enhance the gaming experience. These innovations help in the offer of tailored game recommendations, provision of transparency, and gaining better insights into the player’s preferences.

  • Personalization and Engagement at the Forefront

Personalized gaming experiences are core to player retention. AI and data analytics afford the potential of individual game recommendations, dynamic bonuses, and personal customer support—players feel valued and engaged. The creation of an engaging experience, through personalization, can increase substantially loyalty and lifetime value.

  • Agile and Scalable Solutions

Such flexible and scalable platforms let companies quickly adapt to market changes and regulatory requirements. This forms a critical enabler for entry into new markets and competitive positioning. Scalable solutions ensure that, with growing demand, the increasing traffic and the addition of new features to the platform do not come with degraded performance. 

  • Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations

Partnerships with industry leaders, technology providers, and creators will genuinely develop offerings and increase their reach in the market. Such strategic partnerships will fuel innovation and give a competitive edge to the entities entering into the joint venture. Collaborations can also facilitate entry into newer markets and assimilate the latest technologies into the platform.

Future Outlook

The future of iGaming in emerging markets is, therefore, bright. Regulatory environments are slowly getting their frameworks in place, and a further improvement in digital infrastructure will unleash a wide range of opportunities for those who dare to invest in these areas. With proactive positioning, embracing technology, and more locally-geared strategies, iGaming operators can navigate the challenges and maximize growth potential in these dynamic markets.

iGaming Market Expansion in Emerging Markets: A Complex yet Potential Fertile Ground. To sum it up, one has to rely on market research, develop local partnerships, and be agile in compliance with regulations while continuously innovating to best capture the ever-budding opportunities such markets bring forth.

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At Digicode, we’re seizing the opportunities in emerging markets, bringing our innovative gaming solutions to new audiences around the globe. As the result – we ensure our clients can confidently expand into these exciting new markets, turning challenges into opportunities for success. So the time to turn untapped potential into real growth is now and we’re here to support you throughout this journey.

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