Industry News
ZenSports’ New Funding is for Customer Acquisition Drive
ZenSports has completed a busy 12-month period since the launch of its new betting app, with substantial funding now in place to help generate increased marketing activities.
The startup had generated $675,000 in funding last October as part of a broader $1m-plus seed round from the launch of the app in March 2019. In December, additional interest from potential angel investors, combined with new funding round, helped the company close an additional $770,000 through several investors.
“After officially closing our $1m-plus seed round in October 2019, we felt more than comfortable that we had enough funding to execute on our growth strategy for 2020. However, we had numerous angel investors who approached us about putting more money into our company,” Mark Thomas, Co-founder and CEO of ZenSports said.
“We decided to offer a time-boxed raise without a target amount for these investors who approached us and shared our vision of how decentralised, peer-to-peer sports betting using cryptocurrencies was the future. We were fortunate to have a lot of choices in the investors we decided to ultimately bring on board, and we’re thrilled to be working with them as we continue to grow and scale ZenSports,” Mark Thomas added.
Thomas added that heavily new funding will be allocated to paying consumer procurement platforms.
“Up to this point, we haven’t spent any money on paid marketing to acquire new customers. Instead, we’ve focused on optimising the post-customer acquisition and retention funnel through constant product iteration and via our SPORTS Rewards Program. We’ve got incredibly loyal customers who are very active on a daily basis in placing bets in our app. It’s now time to get very aggressive in growing our overall customer base via paid marketing,” he said.
Industry News
RAW iGaming unveils RAW Riches: A site-wide progressive jackpot overlay built for scale
RAW iGaming announces today the launch of RAW Riches, a site-wide progressive jackpot overlay designed to deliver jackpot moments without adding operational complexity.
Launching as part of the RAWVerse ecosystem, RAW Riches introduces a new approach to jackpots, prioritising seamless integration, player engagement, and operator control.
A fully embedded experience
RAW Riches introduces a multi-tier progressive jackpot layer deployable across an operator’s entire portfolio, regardless of game supplier. Unlike traditional jackpot mechanics that require separate integrations or fragmented systems, RAW Riches operates as a fully embedded experience within the operator’s brand, creating a single, unified jackpot.
Tom Wood, CEO of RAW iGaming, said: “The industry built jackpots in silos. We built one that connects everything.
“RAW Riches gives operators a site-wide jackpot running across every entity and every game supplier, configured to their exact needs and brand, all from a single solution.
“We pride ourselves on producing the industry’s most distinctive and disruptive game concepts and RAW Riches is no different.
“This is the kind of product that changes how operators think about jackpots entirely.”
A seamless player experience
Players opt in and continue playing as normal. When triggered, the jackpot experience takes over instantly. Every trigger results in a win, with no losing outcomes, before the player is returned to their original game to continue playing.
Scaleable without complexity
RAW Riches solves one of the industry’s most persistent operational challenges in scaling jackpots across multiple providers, brands, and markets. Key features include:
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Single deployment across all games and brands
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Full operator control over jackpot configuration and branding
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Multiple delivery options, including bespoke branded game builds
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Seamless deployment within any existing RAW integration or delivery partner
RAW Riches is available today across regulated markets in Europe.
The post RAW iGaming unveils RAW Riches: A site-wide progressive jackpot overlay built for scale appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Carsten Koerl
Sportradar Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Sportradar Group has announced the financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2026.
Carsten Koerl, CEO of Sportradar Group, said: “Sportradar’s first quarter growth reflects our premier position as the scaled leader in the expanding global sports data ecosystem. We continue to deepen our relationships across our expansive distribution network, providing additional content, products and services to our sportsbook, media and technology clients. Our recently acquired portfolio of IMG content has further bolstered our diverse offering and is resonating with customers worldwide while also expanding our margins as we increasingly leverage our existing infrastructure. Maximizing the opportunities our market leadership position and long-standing relationships remains our priority as we also begin to capitalize on new avenues of growth, including prediction markets and iGaming. Driving value for our partners and clients has always been our focus and continuing to do so should build additional shareholder value in the months and years ahead. Our confidence in our trajectory is demonstrated by the increased buyback activity this past quarter as well as the enhanced open market share repurchase program announced today.”
Total revenue for the first quarter was €347 million, up €35 million, or 11% year-over-year, driven by 15% growth in Betting Technology & Solutions, partially offset by a 4% decline in Sports Content, Technology & Services.
Betting Technology & Solutions revenues of €288 million were up 15% year-over-year primarily driven by a 20% increase in Betting & Gaming Content due to contributions related to the acquisition of IMG ARENA, uptake of the Company’s content and products, as well as U.S. market growth, partially offset by the significant impact of foreign currency movements. Managed Betting Services revenues declined 2%, as higher turnover in the Managed Trading Services business was offset by unfavourable sporting outcomes during the quarter.
Sports Content, Technology & Services revenues of €59 million declined 4% year-over-year primarily driven by a 9% decline in Marketing & Media Services, due primarily to a reduction in marketing campaigns from certain existing customers during the quarter, partially offset by increased revenue from Integrity Services.
The Company generated strong revenue growth globally with Rest of World up 14% and the US up 4%. Foreign currency movements, particularly due to the U.S. dollar relative to the Euro, continue to negatively impact earnings. As a percentage of total Company revenues, US revenue represented 26% of total Company revenue in the first quarter as compared to 28% in the prior year quarter.
Loss for the period was €6 million, down €31 million, compared to a profit of €24 million in the same quarter a year ago, as the Company’s strong operating results were more than offset primarily by a foreign currency loss of €9 million versus a gain of €28 million in the same period a year ago, due principally to unrealised currency fluctuations mainly associated with U.S. dollar-denominated sports rights. The first quarter of 2026 also included higher depreciation and amortization and finance costs primarily related to the acquisition of IMG ARENA, partially offset by lower income taxes.
Adjusted EBITDA
First quarter Adjusted EBITDA was €66 million, up €7 million, or 12% compared to €59 million in the same quarter in 2025. The increase was largely driven by the 11% revenue growth, primarily offset by the inclusion of costs related to IMG ARENA, most notably sport rights.
Business Highlights
Announced key addition to Sportradar’s leadership team, naming Sameer Deen as Chief Operating Officer, commencing May 18, 2026.
Launched Playradar, a dedicated iGaming brand delivering hybrid sports-casino content to global operators across slots, table games, virtual sports, arcade and crash games, operating exclusively in regulated markets.
Expanded the Company’s multi-year partnership with Hard Rock Bet, adding official PGA TOUR and UFC data and enhanced in-play betting capabilities including 3D shot tracking and micro markets.
Extended and expanded the Company’s integrity services agreement with FIFA for an additional five years through 2031, providing AI-driven bet-monitoring, intelligence and investigation support, and risk assessment services across FIFA’s 211 member associations and competitions worldwide.
Announced a multi-year partnership with the Liga Nacional de Basquete for worldwide rights for official data as well as audiovisual betting, completing Sportradar’s presence across Brazil’s three most popular sports.
The post Sportradar Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
game-mechanics
Microgaming rolls out Link & Merge mechanic with three-slot launch on 29 April
Microgaming is launching a new slot mechanic, Link & Merge, on 29 April via the simultaneous release of three titles: Almighty Zeus Wilds Link&Merge, Lucky Twins Wilds Link&Merge and 123 Soccer Link&Merge.
The Link&Merge feature is positioned as a variation on Hold & Spin-style gameplay. When five or more adjacent Coin symbols land, they link and merge into a single higher-value symbol. The merge then triggers one of three bonus outcomes: Jackpot, Multiply or Spread, with the potential for additional Coin symbols to land and create further merges.
Microgaming is pairing the mechanic with three themes at launch: Almighty Zeus Wilds Link&Merge, Lucky Twins Wilds Link&Merge and 123 Soccer Link&Merge. The supplier said each title uses the Link&Merge bonus within a shared core framework that includes cluster wins, Wild Meter progression, Free Spins and Multiplier Trail functionality.
A Microgaming spokesperson said: “Link&Merge gives us a mechanic with real forward momentum. Each merge has the potential to change the shape of the feature, open up new opportunities and keep the round moving in a way that feels both familiar and fresh. By launching three games around it simultaneously, we are able to give the mechanic a much bigger stage from day one and show the range it can bring to the Microgaming portfolio.”
The post Microgaming rolls out Link & Merge mechanic with three-slot launch on 29 April appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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