Every Friday, Covers takes a look back at the week that was in the sports betting industry. With a collection of sports betting news and notes, we intend to cover all the bases.
Kambi Group secures Nevada gaming license
Sports betting service provider Kambi Group announced that it has secured licensing approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission to launch its sports betting services statewide.
The licenses allow Kambi Group to provide its sportsbook technology to non-restricted gaming establishments throughout the Silver State. Kambi entered the United States sports betting market in 2018 and has since gone live in 15 states as well as one Canadian province, providing its online and retail services to 45 operators.
"Securing approval for our licences in Nevada is an important milestone for Kambi and a testament to our market-leading technology, regulatory expertise and corporate integrity. Nevada is widely known as the gold standard for betting and gaming regulation, insisting on a standard that few companies can meet, and is therefore recognition of Kambi’s unwavering commitment to excellence," said Werner Becher, CEO of Kambi Group.
Before Kambi’s Nevada launch, the group also partnered with the online gaming company Stake at the beginning of the new year to launch its turnkey sportsbook technology in Brazil and regulated markets worldwide.
“Launching in the newly regulated market of Brazil is a major milestone for us and we are excited to have partnered with Kambi to leverage their Sportsbook solution to support our global regulated market expansion,” said Brais Pena Sanchez, Chief Strategy Officer of Stake’s parent company Easygo.
Underdog Fantasy signs new contract with Gil’s Arena
Online fantasy sports provider Underdog Fantasy has announced that it has extended the contracts of the Gil’s Arena podcast cast in a new multi-year deal.
"Underdog built us a platform and more importantly created a real partnership to share our unfiltered takes with fans. We're building a one-of-a-kind basketball network here, and this is just the beginning – we have big plans for the future," said Gil's Arena host, Gilbert Arenas.
5-STAR ALIJAH ARENAS IS MAKING HIS COLLEGE DECISION LIVE ON @GILSARENASHOW TODAY‼️ pic.twitter.com/cTuxVP4qSJ
— Underdog (@UnderdogFantasy) January 30, 2025
Gil’s Arena is a basketball-focused podcast and the fifth-largest daily sports show in the United States. It features prominent hoopers, including legendary NBA All-Stars Gilbert Arenas and Kenyon Martin. Joining them are executive producer and host Josiah Johnson, NCAA champion Rashad McCants, NBA champion Nick Young, Hall-of-Famer Sheryl Swoopes, Mr. Basketball USA Brandon Jennings, and WNBA champion Lexie Brown.
"This partnership is at the center of our media network expansion and proof of concept for our belief in bringing fans unvarnished and incredibly deep sports content. Working with Gil and his team has been incredible, and we are going to continue to elevate our sports content and build the best sports entertainment experience for our customers," said Liz Marro, Chief Marketing Officer of Underdog Fantasy.
Underdog Fantasy was founded in 2020 and offers a range of fantasy sports games and licensed sports betting. The company also supports a media network comprising former professional athletes, sports analysis, and industry-related news.
The new contract extension marks a positive outlook for Underdog Fantasy. After receiving a cease-and-desist from Kansas gaming regulators last year, the sports fantasy platform returned to the Sunflower State in a new September launch.
Spinomenal makes U.S. debut in New Jersey market
iGaming content supplier Spinomenal is now live in the U.S. as part of an agreement with Pariplay in New Jersey.
As part of its New Jersey market arrival, Spinomenal will launch a variety of its games through Pariplay's Fusion aggregation platform. "Demi Gods II," "Majestic Wild Buffalo," and "Kitsune's Scrolls" are now available to players in the state.
New Jersey set a new revenue high in 2024, as casinos brought in nearly $5.7 billion in total revenue, topping the previous best of $5.2 billion. With the addition of sports betting revenue from horse racing tracks, the total for the year was $6.3 billion.
The state performance was mainly buoyed by the continued expansion of two of the fastest-growing verticals of the industry: iGaming and sports betting. iGaming alone contributed about $2.4 billion in revenue, up more than 24% from a year earlier.
The New Jersey market could change significantly in 2024 following the proposal to regulate sweepstakes casinos. Bill A5196 would require sweepstakes casinos to receive a license from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and pay state taxes.
Greentube Partners with American Sportsbook bet365 to Launch in Brazil
Online game developer Greentube announced a new agreement to launch in the Brazilian iGaming market with American sportsbook operator bet365.
As part of the collaboration between Greentube and bet365, Greentube will provide some of its fan-favorite slot title games to bet365's online platform, including "Piggy Prizes," "Diamond Link," "Sizzling Hot Deluxe," "Lucky Spins Jackpots," and "Diamond Mystery."
“We are thrilled to launch with a key partner like bet365 on day one of this newly regulated market. This collaboration will allow us to expand our gaming footprint in Brazil further. The new regulatory environment represents an exciting opportunity to continue to offer our top-tier gaming content while guaranteeing a secure and enjoyable experience for players,” said David Bolas, Commercial Director at Greentube.
Brazil’s iGaming market became regulated at the start of the new year, giving Brazilian players over age 18 the chance to play online casino games and bet on sports. With the launch, a number of North American iGaming operators also gained approval to enter Brazil's market, including bet365, which went live in Brazil on Jan. 6.
Wynn Las Vegas premiers new House of the Dragon slot with Steve Toussaint
TV star Steve Toussaint unveiled Aristocrat’s new "House of the Dragon"-themed slot machine at Wynn Las Vegas.
"House of the Dragon" is an Emmy-winning HBO series. In the show, Toussaint plays Lord Coralys Velaryon, who appears in the slot game.
The slot game is part of Aristocrat’s continuing partnership with Warner Bros and will be featured on its King Max cabinet for casino players to enjoy. The slot game will also debut new gaming mechanics, including mega prize, boost prize, double all, award all, and instant win.
In recent news, Aristocrat Gaming also revealed that its franchise of NFL-themed slots would be debuting outside of the United States in a 13-casino deal in Puerto Rico.
Aristocrat’s NFL Triple Score is the first of the franchise to launch and was introduced at the Casino del Mar in San Juan on Jan. 22.
In June , the Dallas Cowboys also signed an exclusive deal with Aristocrat Gaming, agreeing to a multi-year partnership in which Aristocrat gained the licensing rights to use the NFL team in its advertising.
Cover the Bases for Jan. 20-24
Cover the Bases for Jan. 13-17
Cover the Bases for Jan. 6-10
Cover the Bases for Dec. 9-13
Cover the Bases for Dec. 2-6
Cover the Bases for Nov. 25-29
Cover the Bases for Nov. 18-22
