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British Bookmakers Set to Make Record Contribution for Rights to Show Horse Racing
British bookmakers are on track to make a record contribution to horse racing next year – with the bill for media rights forecast to increase by nearly £30m.
The Betting and Gaming Council’s five biggest members for horse race betting, Entain, Flutter, bet365, 888/William Hill and Betfred, expect to see a record cost increase to broadcast races.
In 2022, BGC members paid £270.1m for the rights to live stream races for customers and show them in bookmakers.
But that cost is forecast to rise to £285.3m this year, an increase of 5.6%, with members estimating a further increase to £315.2m in 2024, a further bump of 10.5%.
The combined increase for media rights costs is now expected to rise by 16.7% between 2022 and 2024.
The figures are based on data supplied by the Betting and Gaming Council’s five biggest members for horse race betting, then adjusted to include smaller operators, who must also pay for media rights.
Michael Dugher, CEO of Betting and Gaming Council, said: “BGC members are already making a record contribution to horse racing and these figures show that is only going to increase.
“This comes despite a reduction in betting turnover on racing in the last five years and a worrying decline in participation in horse race betting overall.
“Horse racing remains a hugely important, world-leading sport, enjoyed by millions of fans and like the betting industry it continues to support large numbers of jobs.
“I know racing is trying to modernise and reach out to new fans, while also trying to bounce back from the Covid pandemic and deal with some difficult economic headwinds, plus deal with the hit on its funding caused by the Government. The betting industry is dealing with many of the same pressures on our revenues and costs.
“The BGC and our members remain fully committed to working together with the leadership of the sport, including the BHA and others, to ensure a better future for racing. But the fact that we are making a record and growing contribution to the sport cannot be ignored.”
The forecast costs come after the BGC announced their members directly contributed £384m to British horse racing last year in levy, media rights and sponsorship deals.
These figures showed an increase on previous estimates for the regulated sector’s contribution, which had placed it at around £350m a year.
In addition, bookmakers spent £125m on marketing to promote racing and betting through advertisements and partnerships, which helps secure vital terrestrial coverage of the sport and raise revenue for print newspaper titles.
As well as the increased costs for media rights, levy payments are projected to be £99m in 2022/2023, according to the Horserace Betting Levy Board.
This record investment also enabled horse racing to use some of these revenues to deliver record prize money of £179.3m in 2022.
Horse racing is the second biggest sport in the UK, second only to football, with more than five million people attending around 1400 fixtures annually across 59 racecourses.
However, its popularity is in decline. In 2007, 17% of the population participated in horse race betting in the previous year, but that fell to 10% in 2018.
Meanwhile football overtook horse racing betting around the same time between 2017/2018.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has committed to reviewing the Horseracing Levy by next year.
The Horseracing Levy, which is administered by the Horserace Betting Levy Board, goes towards improving the sport, breeding and boosting veterinary care.
Betting operators are working closely with the British Horseracing Authority and racing stakeholders on much needed reforms to the fixture list and race programme which should increase commercial returns from the levy and media rights.
The regulated betting industry fully supports this once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernise horse racing so it can realise its full commercial potential.
The BGC is also working closely with the government on the proposed reforms from the White Paper to ensure those who enjoy betting can continue to do so without unnecessary intrusion, while introducing improved safeguards for the minority who struggle.
Betting shops currently support around 42,000 jobs, contribute £1bn a year in tax to the Treasury and another £60m in business rates to local councils.
The wider regulated betting and gaming industry contributes £7.1bn to the economy, generates £4.2bn in tax and supports 110,000 jobs.
In April DCMS unveiled the Government’s new White Paper on gambling reform, including a number of key measures the BGC had campaigned for.
Those included a new mandatory Ombudsman for the regulated sector, enhanced spending checks online and a new mandatory levy to fund research, education and treatment to tackle gambling related harm and problem gambling.
Each month in Great Britain around 22.5m adults have a bet and the most recent Health Survey for England estimated that 0.4% of the adult population are problem gamblers.
Meanwhile the unsafe, unregulated gambling black market online is growing in the UK, with the numbers betting on these sites doubling in recent years, and the amount staked in the billions.
Gaming Corps – a publicly-listed game development company based in Sweden, has partnered with Torrero, the B2B aggregator and white-label provider, in a deal that sees Gaming Corps’ full suite of content rolled out across Torrero’s extensive network of operator brands.
Torrero’s aggregation platform features more than 8,500 games from over 130 providers, alongside sportsbook content spanning 20+ sports and over half a million sporting events — and now includes Gaming Corps’ diverse portfolio of Slot, Table, Mines, Multiplier and Plinko titles. Known for powering major global brands like Betmaster and Casinoin, Torrero offers a full-service solution that goes far beyond content, with integrated payments, compliance, multilingual customer support, and licensing services all managed under one roof.
Danielle Calafato, CCO at Gaming Corps, said: ” Torrero’s strength lies in giving operators exactly what they need — flexibility, speed and a content-rich platform. That makes them a natural fit for us. This partnership helps us reach new markets while giving Torrero’s partners access to a steady stream of distinctive, engaging content designed for today’s players — including some of our latest titles like 3 Pigs of Olympus, Hyena Heist and Penalty Champion 2. We’re excited to see our games go live across their network and to be part of a proposition that puts performance and player experience first.”
Aleksei Tolstov, Head of Business Development at Torrero, added: “Gaming Corps is a standout game developer that continues to grow in reputation and quality. Their content is a great fit for our platform and operator brands, particularly in terms of game variety and performance. We’re pleased to welcome them to our network and look forward to a successful collaboration ahead.”
The partnership is now live, with Gaming Corps’ games available to all Torrero partners from today.
The post Gaming Corps joins forces with Torrero to boost operator choice and content delivery appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Omnigame, the full-service iGaming business, is celebrating industry recognition after being awarded Gaming Mechanic/Feature of the Year at the SBC Awards Europe.
Hosted at the Hilton Malta, the awards recognised the achievements of the very best operators, affiliates, suppliers, payment providers, and game developers across the European betting and gaming industry.
Omnigame’s creative twist on traditional slot machines, its ‘Wheels of Reels’ mechanic, incorporates ‘wheels’ of differing lengths rather than the traditional rectangular matrix. The innovative spinning mechanic provided a new approach to slot gaming, allowing Omnigame to stand apart from its competition in the category.
The creativity of the mechanic has seen Stream of Luck become one of the most popular games in the Omnigame portfolio.
Peter Weinreich, CEO of Omnigame, said: “Receiving the award that highlights the innovative nature of our ‘Wheels of Reels’ mechanic at the SBC Awards Europe is a massive credit to the whole team at Omnigame. We are incredibly proud of our achievement, which has provided a fresh take on the traditional slot experience.
“We have worked hard to provide exciting games to players, and this recognition of our innovative approach is a fantastic moment for us.”
The post Omnigame celebrates win at SBC Awards Europe appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Pace named Marketing Operations Manager for full-service agency’s popular Fractional CMO division
GameOn has appointed former Swintt Marketing Manager, Michela Pace, as Marketing Operations Manager of its thriving Fractional CMO division.
Michela is a skilled marketer who started her career in the iGaming industry back in 2021 as a marketing intern at Swintt.
The slot studio quickly saw her potential, offering her a full-time role as Campaign Coordinator. She then progressed to Marketing Executive, a position she held for two years, before being promoted to Marketing Manager.
Across these roles, she has been involved in a wide range of marketing initiatives from managing game launch campaigns and content calendars to organising events, handling merchandise and working with media partners to drive brand visibility through interviews, press releases and editorial features.
She brings this experience and a passion for marketing and branding to the Marketing Operations Manager role at GameOn, where she will be responsible for supporting the wider CMO team, led by Alex Wilson, and working directly with clients on their marketing strategies and campaigns.
Alex Wilson, Head of Marketing Division at GameOn, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Michela to the team and for GameOn’s Marketing Division to benefit from such a passionate and talented marketer with tons of industry experience.
“Michela played a central role in building Swintt’s profile in the industry from the ground up, experience that our clients will absolutely benefit from.
“More than anything, Michela is a great person to work with, bringing enthusiasm and energy to the team. I’m really looking forward to working with her as we build out GameOn’s Fractional CMO offering and deliver value and results for our clients.”
Michela Pace, Marketing Operations Manager at GameOn, added: “I’m over the moon to be joining GameOn. I’ve always admired the company, especially the incredible team behind it, and feel very lucky to be starting this new chapter with them.
“I’m excited to work alongside the team and to support our clients by contributing to their strategies and campaigns. I’m also fortunate to be learning from the best in the industry while pushing creative boundaries as we continue to grow together.”
The post Former Swintt Marketing Manager Michela Pace joins GameOn appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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