David King
XLMedia Extension of Strategic Partnership Agreement & Update Ahead of North Carolina Sports Betting Launch
XLMedia PLC, a leading global digital media, has announced a two-year extension with long-term partner, Mile High Sports. Mile High Sports is a Colorado-based independent publisher primarily focused on professional sports with high quality multi-media content and a highly engaged sports betting audience.
Mile High Sports has been a strategic partner of XLMedia since the Group entered the US market in 2020, expanding the Company’s footprint in regulated states while delivering additional revenue for both businesses. This two-year extension further solidifies XLMedia’s Media Partnership Business (MPB) as an industry leader.
North Carolina Sports Betting Launch Update
In recent news, the Governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper (Democrat) publicly stated his intention to launch online sports betting prior to the 2024 March Madness NCAA basketball tournament.
The Group’s North Carolina media partner, WRAL.com, is performing well in neighbouring states where sports betting has already been legalised and is very well positioned in North Carolina ahead of its launch. North Carolina is the ninth most populous state in the US and home to a passionate community of professional and collegiate sports fans making it an attractive sports betting market.
David King, Chief Executive Office of XLMedia, said: “We continue to build our successful Media Partnership Business. The extension with Mile High Sports is further proof of the Business’ ability to partner with valued publishers.
“Our partnership with WRAL.com positions us well to drive new revenue in legal Southern US states whilst also enabling us to reach North Carolina’s large sports fan base in preparation for the upcoming launch of sports betting.”
Affiliate Industry
Six Major Affiliates Form RGAA to Protect Consumers and Advocate Responsible Gambling
Gambling affiliates create new group to protect consumers: Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association (RGAA)
The RGAA, founded by the six major United States gambling affiliates, will serve as a trade association to advocate for reasonable regulation, responsible advertising and consumer protection.
Today, we are proud to announce the formation of the Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association (RGAA), a coalition of like-minded companies dedicated to nurturing an environment where gambling affiliate companies can serve the commercial needs of the regulated online gambling market.
The RGAA’s mission is to champion responsible gambling marketing and advertising practices, empower gambling affiliate companies to influence sensible regulation and protect consumer interests while effectively participating in the market.
Comprising six major players in the United States online gambling affiliate sector, the RGAA includes Better Collective, Catena Media, Gambling.com Group, oddschecker Global Media, Spotlight Sports Group and XLMedia plc. These initial members have recognized that affiliate marketing providers must participate in broader industry initiatives in the United States to advocate for sensible advertising regulation that balances consumer protection and the practicalities of digital advertising.
Although gambling affiliates are subject to significant regulation, there is potential for further improvement in elevating the standards of the affiliate marketing sector.
The new trade association is built on five strategic pillars:
* Promotion of competitive gambling markets, emphasizing the importance of open and competitive online gambling markets to ensure consumers can access a diverse selection of modern online gambling services.
* Industry education through developing an upcoming slate of initiatives to heighten visibility and generate greater recognition within the gambling sector for gambling affiliates including inviting additional businesses to join in time.
* Consumer protection, empowerment and choice that steers consumers towards their locally-licensed and regulated options, promoting greater product innovation, elevated customer service standards and maximized consumer experience.
* Advertising codes of conduct to ensure ethical marketing and advertising practices that play an important role in minimizing problem gambling while serving the commercial needs of the broader gambling industry.
* Responsible business practices based on thoughtful dedication, intelligent advocacy and a profound sense of responsibility toward both the industry and the consumers it serves.
The RGAA is currently in the process of hiring a permanent President to act as the figurehead of the organization and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of responsible affiliate practices, advocating the needs and interests of its members, fostering collaboration with industry stakeholders and advocating for the highest standards of integrity. A forthcoming announcement will be made once an RGAA President has been appointed.
“We are committed to doing everything possible to help empower our industry to promote gambling as entertainment and enable our customers to enjoy our products and services responsibly,” the Chief Executive Officer North America for Better Collective, Mark Frank Pedersen, said. “Having the industry come together with a unified approach to creating standards and guidelines puts the best interests of our consumers, customers and their families at the forefront. Not only is this the right thing to do for our customers, it’s the best thing to ensure the success and longevity of the industry and our businesses.”
“The United States gambling market is swiftly regulating and affiliates are vital to the overall industry,” the Chief Executive Officer for Catena Media, Michael Daly, said. “Catena Media is proud to be a founding member of the RGAA, an association committed to promoting responsible, positive wagering experiences through legal, regulated operators.”
“All stakeholders in the American online gambling market need to understand the critical role affiliate companies play in helping regulated online gambling operators achieve their growth targets,” the Chief Executive Officer for Gambling.com Group, Charles Gillespie, said. “Gambling.com Group is proud to be part of the new Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association to ensure that standards remain high among our peers and that the voice and message of the affiliate marketing community is heard loud and clear.”
“Our consumers are at the heart of everything we do so we, together with our fellow founding members, wanted to lead the way in promoting social responsibility in the affiliate industry and creating a safer gambling environment for consumers in the United States as that market continues to grow,” the Chief Executive Officer for oddschecker Global Media, Stuart Simms, said. “Our ambition is that the RGGA will support fair play for all.”
“Spotlight Sports Group has always been at the forefront of the responsible gambling ecosystem, consistently looking to go above and beyond regulatory requirements,” the Chief Executive Officer for Spotlight Sports Group, Mark Renshaw, said. “We are extremely proud to be a founding member of the Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association, which I believe will play a key role in ensuring the highest standards are set among the affiliate industry.”
“XLMedia is very proud to be a founding member of the RGAA, an association committed to promoting responsible online gambling,” the Chief Executive Officer for XLMedia plc, David King, said. “As an affiliate marketing company, we play a critical role in providing consumers with choice while supporting regulated online gambling operators to reach customers and grow their business.”
Learn more about the RGAA here: www .RGAA .org.
Casino.exe
Rivalry Expands Casino Offering with Entry into Slots Category
Rivalry Corp. (the “Company” or “Rivalry”) (TSXV: RVLY) (OTCQX: RVLCF) (FSE: 9VK), the leading sportsbook and iGaming operator for Millennials and Gen Z, today released a custom-branded slots category on its interactive casino platform, Casino.exe.
“Rivalry’s entry into the casino segment last year has quickly grown into a meaningful source of player activity and revenue,” said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO, Rivalry. “Slots are far-and-away one of the most popular online casino genres and will markedly complement our existing iGaming offering in terms of both betting handle and player satisfaction. We’ve also maintained our high product standard by uniquely incorporating slots into our proprietary Casino.exe platform, which will allow us to continue scaling our iGaming catalog without compromising the premium experiences that users come to Rivalry for.”
The release will add more than two dozen slot-style games to Rivalry’s fast-growing casino offering, which generated C$57.5 million in betting handle in Q2 2023. The addition of slots will support greater capture and retention of the iGaming audience, which is estimated to be approximately 14% larger than online sports betting on a global basis.
Rivalry Slots features its own custom-branded page within Casino.exe, leaning into early-2000’s internet design to present games to users in a unique and relevant visual environment. The slots page includes several interactive elements and Easter eggs intended to surprise and delight users as well as differentiate Rivalry’s overarching product suite by weaving entertainment into the betting experience.
“Our product philosophy is at its core about creating fundamentally entertaining experiences,” said David King, Director of Product Design, Rivalry. “Rivalry Slots delivers that entertainment factor by wrapping an ordinary product in design nostalgia to not only be relevant to a young Millennial or Gen Z customer, but also strategically differentiate our offering from the countless other online casinos players have to choose from.”
Rivalry’s slots category is available today in most of its international markets and will be released in Ontario in the coming weeks.
Canada
Rivalry Corporation Launches Same-Game Parlays for eSports
Rivalry Corporation (TSXV: RVLY) (OTCQX: RVLCF) (FSE: 9VK), an internationally-regulated sports betting and media company, today announced the launch of its eSports same-game parlay product, allowing users to combine multiple bets within a single esports match for a higher potential payout. The new product feature, which will be known as Same Game Combos on Rivalry, is available for top League of Legends, Counter-Strike and Dota 2 eSports matches.
“Finding success among ‘Millennial’ and ‘Gen Z’ customers means being first to introduce new sports wagering experiences at the edge of technical and product innovation where this audience lives,” the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer for Rivalry Corporation, Steven Salz, said. “Same Game Combos brings one of the most popular bets on the board to an audience of deeply engaged eSports fans while extending Rivalry Corporation’s position at the vanguard of betting entertainment.”
Same Game Combos will tap into what has quickly become one of the most popular ways to bet globally and wager of choice for casual users seeking the experience of a small wager that can return a large payout. The product feature, made capable through data feeds provided by PandaScore, will lend itself to improved player acquisition and hold across Rivalry Corporation’s core eSports betting offering, which accounted for over 90% of sportsbook handle in 2022.
Same Game Combos will also feature custom branding and animations to further elevate the entertainment value on Rivalry Corporation and create a proprietary sports wagering experience geared specifically for the next generation of fans. This includes unique visuals and interactive elements tailored to ‘Millennial’ and ‘Gen Z’ entertainment preferences.
“It’s important to add depth to our products and more options for our users,” the Product Design Director for Rivalry Corporation, David King, said. “We are building for an under-30 demographic that has high expectations for the entertainment products it consumes. Delivering on that level of entertainment, while creating a meaningful user experience, adds material value to the Rivalry Corporation platform.”
Same Game Combos are available immediately to all Rivalry Corporation users globally. The company intends to continue developing the product and design over time, incorporating more depth, betting markets and new esports titles such as Valorant and more.
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