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Euros and Ascot ‘perfect storm’ point towards record-breaking user growth for UK gambling industry

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  • Gambling app industry records strong H1 2024 with Android gambling app downloads up 30% in the week prior to Euro 2024 vs. the same period last year
  • Gambling apps on average see approximately 69% increase in downloads around major horse racing events – week of Grand National saw 124k new users and Cheltenham 143k – compared to weekly average of 79k
  • Period of World Cup 2023 saw 369k new gambling Android app users 
  • Euros and Ascot could combine to see highest ever month of downloads – with Olympics to follow 
  • Sports betting sector reaches 20 million lifetime downloads on Google Play Store
A new analysis of sports betting apps on the Google Play Store by app growth solutions company, SpliMetrics, predicts that the sector may see its strongest ever month in terms of new users due to the Euros and Royal Ascot coinciding.
SplitMetrics found that the UK’s other major horse racing events – The Grand National and Cheltenham – led to download numbers increasing by an average of 69% in the week leading to the races. On average new download numbers in 2024 for the UK’s top 17 gambling apps on Android were 79k per week, however, the Grand National saw 124k and Cheltenham 143k – the highest download weeks of the year by a considerable margin.
Similarly, the first week of World Cup 2022 saw 122k downloads – with 369k recorded over the course of the tournament.
The gambling industry as a whole has seen a strong start to the year with downloads up by approximately 30% compared to 2023.
These factors could combine to see the UK’s top seventeen gambling apps registering their largest month on record and, with the Olympics still to come, put the industry on course for its largest year of growth ever.
The top 17 sports gambling apps analysed through the App Radar by SplitMetrics platform, experienced an approximate 15% increase in Android downloads in the two weeks running up to the start of Euro 2024 (3-16 June 2024) when compared to the same period in 2023 (110k vs 96k downloads).
The apps that added the most Android downloads in those two weeks are bet365, Sky Bet, Paddy Power, Coral and Ladbrokes.
Overall, sports betting apps reached an estimated 20 million lifetime downloads on 16th June 2024. These apps have gained an estimated 2 million new users in 2024 up until 16th June.
The top five apps in terms of lifetime downloads are bet365, Sky Bet, Paddy Power, William Hill and Ladbrokes.
Thomas Kriebernegg, General Manager, SplitMetrics Agency, said: “Our new study shows that major UK horse racing events lead to a dramatic increase in downloads for gambling apps – almost the same number per week as we see for huge global events like the World Cup.
“The combination of Royal Ascot, the Euros, and the high growth rate of the gambling app industry this year could combine into a perfect storm – generating unprecedented new customer numbers. With the Olympics also coming up, 2024 could easily become the biggest year for customer growth in the smartphone era.
“Each download represents a new user for these businesses which, if converted to long-term customers, would have a huge impact on their bottom line. An accessible and seamless user experience will be a big factor in whether these apps will be able to retain the new users and convert them into loyal customers.
“Big global events bring a lot of potential new customers to different parts of the app market but they also bring a lot of competition. Businesses that invest in smart, targeted marketing can differentiate themselves from their competitors. It’s also an opportunity for smaller businesses to punch above their weight and supercharge their growth.”

The post Euros and Ascot ‘perfect storm’ point towards record-breaking user growth for UK gambling industry appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Huge Jackpot at King Billy Casino: C$3,658,306!

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King Billy Casino, launched in 2017, has had some impressive players wins during the “reign of King Billy”. A few of them include Live Game winnings of €135,223, daily winnings from 2 or more slots of $164,000, and €250,000 won on a single spin. However, the latest win by a King Billy Casino player dwarfs every big win that has come before this. Actually, it’s bigger than all previous big wins combined for the operator!

Because, we are talking about C$3,658,306.

This amazing six-digit number was the result of a player going on a safari in her (and millions of other players) beloved Mega Moolah progressive slot from Games Global. In an autumn, the player stepped into eternal summer by wagering a small C$6,25 bet and winning 562.816 times her bet! This is the power of Mega Moolah, as evidenced at King Billy.

King Billy people had only warm words for the occasion. A representative of the casino has stated: “We are elated, for this huge big win. We can never forget that our first big win, many years back, was more than 200,000 Canadian dollars, so we have special ties with the region. And it’s now amazing to see our VIP-player making such a cashback and echoing that big win! Congratulations to our player”.

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A few words about Mega Moolah. It was an Internet sensation when it was launched with its beautiful graphics and sounds, and immersive gameplay and it is a sensation today, still going strong after almost 20 years. The slot, which has spawned more than 20 variations, and has given millions in cash to players all over the world (including 5 millionaires in 2024 alone) features 4 types of jackpots that make it stand out from the competition.

About Games Global

Games Global is a supplier of the online gaming industry delivering force and direction to gaming with more than 1,300 top class games. The company has made a commitment to deliver the industry’s more disruptive ideas and compelling data-driven gaming experiences. Games Global features a total of 40+ partnered and in-house studios, services 600+ branded websites and boasts record-breaking jackpots with its worldwide network. 

About King Billy Casino

Established on St Patrick’s Day in 2017, King Billy is a renowned new generation casino with more than 26 awards and accolades. The casino is available in English, German, French and Finnish, and created a unique user experience, building on the theme of King Billy and his Kingdom. King Billy ensures that all its players, “Citizens” in the casino language, receive the care and attention they deserve.

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Boyd Interactive

Play’n GO announces landmark partnership with Resorts Digital Gaming

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Play’n GO, the world’s leading casino entertainment provider, has today announced its latest US operator partnership, with Resorts Digital Gaming, in the state of New Jersey.

Resorts Digital Gaming was acquired by Boyd Interactive in September 2024, and this announcement sees the group’s players on the www.resortscasino.com and www.mohegansuncasino.com brands in New Jersey gain access to a multitude of classic Play’n GO game titles, such as the legendary Book of Dead, Rise of Merlin, and Rise of Olympus.

Play’n GO entered New Jersey in September 2022, shortly after first launching in the US via the state of West Virginia in July of that year. It has since seen its games live in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and most recently, Connecticut.

Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer at Play’n GO, commented “New Jersey has been of crucial importance to our US operations for over two years now, so it is with great pleasure that we make this announcement in conjunction with Resorts Digital Gaming.

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“The company joins together two instantly recognizable operator brands, and the addition of Play’n GO’s games will be of enormous mutual benefit. We confidently describe ourselves as the world’s leading casino entertainment provider, and partnerships like this one are of great importance to us in establishing that idea. We’re excited to see this partnership flourish.”

Jim Ryan, Chief Executive Officer at Boyd Interactive, added “The whole Resorts Digital Gaming team is excited to bring Play’n GO games to our players. Play’n GO is one of the world’s leading iGaming brands, and we’re confident that our players are as excited as we are to see those Play’n GO titles on both www.resortscasino.com and www.mohegansuncasino.com.”

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Interviews

Exclusive Q&A w/ Radek Pšurný, CEO at Match Hype

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Match Hype has just won two industry competitions. Talk us through your product.

Match Hype brings engagement from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram into the sportsbook. Our technology automatically turns raw sports data into short videos full of sports and betting insights. We have the capacity to create up to a million videos daily in more than 30 languages. We also provide hosting and streaming of the videos, and we track everything in the video thanks to our own player. The high level of video experience and the scale make us unique in the market, and we believe that this innovation is extremely needed in the industry—and the judges in the competitions probably agree with us.

 

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What technologies are you leveraging to deliver such a cutting-edge tool/product?

We have more than six years’ experience in developing dynamic video solutions for clients like Microsoft, HBO, and SAP, and a decade in high-end video production for similarly well-known clients. Match Hype is the essence of this. We have developed our own robust cloud infrastructure that enables us to work on a huge scale. We can also leverage the integration of third-party solutions that help us make the video content rich and engaging. The AI boom came at the right time to help us make the experience for the viewer even better.

 

Who is Match Hype aimed at?

We focus mostly on sportsbook operators, where we think we can bring the biggest value. But we also have clients on the affiliate and media side. Our “competition” at the moment are creative professionals who are able to create one video at a time. To cover hundreds or thousands of events daily, you need huge manpower. With Match Hype, you don’t need that—it’s all automated. Anybody who appreciates this level of efficiency will benefit.

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The end users are any sports fans who enjoy engaging videos. So basically everybody.

 

Has this industry been slow to embrace video content and unlock the potential it offers? If so, why?

It’s hard for us to talk about the whole industry, as we haven’t been part of it for that long. But iGaming feels like a conservative industry where only truly meaningful innovations make it. Fingers crossed for Match Hype being one of them. We are confident because of our track record in other industries, and mostly thanks to the results of our dynamic videos that are already used by significant igaming industry players.

 

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What makes video content so effective at customer acquisition? How can Match Hype be used in this regard?

People just love video content. In the last review, TikTok said that the average user spends around 90 minutes a day on their platform. Platforms like Spotify used to be music and podcasts only; now they are full of videos. You just can’t ignore that. Video killed the radio star, and a static sportsbook is next to die.

 

And what about retention? How can it be used to keep players engaged and coming back for more?

Imagine that a 30-second video gives you the exact insights to help you make a betting decision without spending dozens of minutes on different resources to gather all the information. People don’t want to read anymore. This is probably an even bigger strength of Match Hype than user acquisition.

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What can we expect from Match Hype in the coming months?

We will establish Match Hype as an industry standard for dynamic video content. We’ll bring many more sports like tennis, basketball horse racing and. We are preparing real-time video use cases—for example, half-time updates in football—and new distribution channels like integration directly into streams. The potential is huge. Stay tuned.

 

Any final thoughts?

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For the last year, we have talked with literally hundreds of iGaming experts, investors, and executives. Almost every one of them sees fan engagement as a huge topic in the upcoming months and years. And video will definitely play a key part in it.

Video says more than a thousand words. Give it a go—watch one of our 30-second videos and see for yourself.

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