SIS Content Services, part of the SIS Group (Sports Information Services), has further expanded its United States footprint with bet365 offering its H2H Global Gaming League (H2HGGGL) eBasketball and eSoccer games in Ohio and Arizona.

After bet365 successfully launched H2HGGL eBasketball in New Jersey in late 2022, the product has since gone live in Colorado, Kentucky and, most recently, Ohio and Arizona. The product set has further expanded through the launch of eSoccer games, with bettors now enjoying the full range of industry-leading H2HGGL esports content.

Developed specifically for betting, SIS produces over 150,000 H2HGGL events annually, providing a full end-to-end solution with integrity at its core.

The short-form, events-based esports product, which sees professional gamers compete in eBasketball and eSoccer games from SIS’ self-contained UK studios, is proven to deliver superior margins around the clock, adding as much as 10% in value in the basketball and soccer verticals on sportsbook platforms.

The products feature ultra-low (sub-second) latency live streaming, visible ESIC-trained integrity referees for every game, live caster commentary, and on-screen graphics.

Richard Ames, Chief Executive, SIS, and President, SIS Content Services, said: “We are rapidly expanding the presence of our H2H Global Gaming League across the US, which is significantly boosting engagement and margin for our partners. With content live in five states, our relationship with long-term partner bet365 has been further strengthened as we continue to assist them with growth in the region.”

Michele Fischer, Vice President, SIS Content Services, said: “We are thrilled that our esports products are now live in Ohio and Arizona. Both states have significant fan engagement in professional and college sports, and the H2H Global Gaming League has already shown to have positive appeal to the bet365 customer base.”

BetMakers Technology Group Ltd announced that it has signed two-year market access and content agreements with bet365 relating to New Jersey and Colorado.

Under the agreements, bet365 will be licensed by BetMakers to offer fixed odds bets on thoroughbred horse racing to bet365 customers within New Jersey. Bet365 will also be licensed to distribute BetMakers’ thoroughbred racing content to bet365 customers in New Jersey and both thoroughbred and harness racing in Colorado. Bet365 will pay BetMakers a “Market Access Fee” based on a percentage of all fixed odds bets placed in New Jersey on all thoroughbred racing events it offers to its customers and a “Content Fee” based on a percentage of all fixed odds bets placed in New Jersey and Colorado on applicable BetMakers Global Racing Network content. The contracts will run for two years.

The structure of the market access agreement allows bet365 to seek BetMakers’ approval to offer fixed odds wagering on third party global thoroughbred racing content to its New Jersey customers from the many rights holders globally. Bet365 will be required to pay BetMakers the Market Access Fee in respect of online fixed odds wagering in New Jersey on all thoroughbred racing content, regardless of whether that content is provided by BetMakers or a third party.

Jake Henson, Chief Executive Officer of BetMakers, said: “We are very excited to be launching fixed odds betting on thoroughbreds in partnership with a leading sportsbook in the US. This is a significant milestone for BetMakers and aligns with our strategy for fixed odds betting on thoroughbreds in the US.

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“The sports betting market in the US is starting to mature and the interest from operators in horse racing as a product is expected to become even stronger. The high frequency of horse racing can deliver high engagement and high margin returns to operators. We believe the opportunity for both BetMakers and the racing industry more broadly to be significant in the long term.

“We are always actively working with rights holders to deliver opportunities for sustainable industry returns and open new opportunities in expanding growth markets. This opportunity in the US ticks both of those boxes and we look forward to helping our partners build out a global race book.”

CPL first to benefit from CA$300,000 education fund commitment by regulated sports betting operators.

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and its members bet365, Betway and FanDuel have partnered with the Professional Footballers’ Association Canada (PFA Canada) to design a bespoke two-year sports-integrity education program for players and staff in the Canadian Premier League (CPL).

In 2024, the program – which will start in May – will educate approximately 300 players and staff about the potential threat of sports-betting related match-fixing to the integrity of the Canadian Premier League, their careers, as well as its potential to defraud sports betting operators and customers. The agreement also stipulates a repeat training in 2025 to ensure new players joining the league are also able to protect themselves from criminals and corrupters and report any suspicious activity.

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “IBIA’s members take their role – as responsible regulated betting operators – in protecting the integrity of sporting competition and of betting markets seriously. Alongside balanced, efficient and evidenced-based regulation, protecting soccer players, staff and officials from being targeted by criminals is an essential first step to stamping-out sports-betting related match-fixing and fraud.”

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The program will include a combination of dedicated in-person trainings and online resources for players and staff in the CPL’s eight league teams. The in-person sessions will educate players on the environment in which they are operating, including rules and sanctions, as well as highlighting the scale and accuracy of technology enabled sports integrity monitoring.

Dan Kruk, Executive Director of PFA Canada, said: “IBIA has delivered sports-integrity education to over thirty-five thousand athletes in Europe since 2010, and we’re grateful that they can leverage that know-how to design a bespoke training for CPL players. At PFA Canada we understand that, despite being more resource-intensive, in-person sports integrity education is essential to gain the trust and understanding of busy athletes, and to enable full, frank and open conversations.”

The CPL’s sports-integrity education program has been enabled by a CA$300,000 commitment over three years by IBIA and its member operators bet365, Betway and FanDuel for the Canadian market, from which other sports are also expected to benefit.

“At FanDuel Canada, we recognize the critical role athlete education plays in maintaining sports integrity,” said Dale Hooper, General Manager of FanDuel Canada. “We are thrilled to expand our engagement with IBIA through this new partnership helping to build a curriculum that will help athletes understand their role in protecting sport.”

Joachim Bjerg of Betway stated: “We’re very proud to partner and support IBIA and the Professional Footballers’ Association Canada that will design, create and implement a bespoke course that will further enhance Betway’s global commitment to educating players and staff involved in sport.

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“As a responsible regulated betting operator, we see our role in this sector imperative to safeguarding the integrity of sports and we very much look forward to working with IBIA on this exciting and important initiative.”

Jean-Francois Reymond, IBIA’s Education Ambassador, who will work with the PFA Canada trainers on the May launch, said: “We look forward to working with PFA Canada to further protect the Canadian Premier League from the threat of sports-betting related match-fixing. Protecting the integrity of sport means protecting the integrity of athletes. Most often through a lack of awareness, it is the athletes who are risking their careers and livelihoods. IBIA’s objective is to help build a best-in-class program for all athletes that serves to protect the integrity of Canadian sport and the careers of Canada’s athletes.”

IBIA’s sports-integrity education program is a global offering, alongside IBIA’s not-for-profit model for sharing data on suspicious sporting events with sports regulators and law enforcement, player education can significantly reduce the threat of sports betting related match-fixing. In 2024, IBIA has already trained athletes at the EUBC’s European Boxing Championships in Serbia and is in active discussion with sports governing bodies in Canada and several other jurisdictions to ensure that as many athletes as possible can benefit from sports integrity education. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more.