Industry News
Sports and Gaming – Playing by a New Set of Rules
The pandemic has brought the sports industry to its knees but against the backdrop of global crisis, opportunities have arisen for others. While the sports business is set to lose as much as US$61.6 billion1 in missed revenues by the end of the year, the gaming sector, on the other hand, will generate revenues of $159.3 billion, a +9.3% year-on-year increase.2
Although largely driven by unforeseen circumstances, the pandemic has highlighted the large gulf in the prioritisation of fan experience between the two. As OZ Sports CEO Gudjon Gudjonsson explains, the sports industry has much to learn from gaming if it is to maintain and grow its global fanbase.
If there is one positive element to come out of this all for the sports industry, it is that leagues, federations and teams have had to rethink their way of doing business. The pandemic has accelerated innovation on various fronts. This is especially the case with the return of sport behind closed doors, with the need to remotely manage the production of leagues and make fans feel part of the live experience from the comfort of their homes.
The temporary state of the live sports sector, with limited or no fans in stadiums, has only amplified a bigger and more recognisable challenge. Pandemic or no pandemic, studies show that 90% of fans are unable to watch their favourite team in their home stadium due to factors such as location or finance.
At OZ Sports, what COVID-19 has taught us is that we need to accelerate our vision in making the fan experience more interactive and engaging. The new generation of fans expects to be able to share their experiences without geographical boundaries. OZ is keeping sports more relevant, broadening the fanbase by opening up the physical stadium.
This is where we have looked to gaming. The prioritisation of user engagement has seen games companies constantly explore new ways to deliver content to consumers. As a result, gaming platforms are becoming social networks in their own right and established social platforms are seizing this opportunity to invest further in games to maintain and grow their user database. Gaming is driving forward the reality of the metaverse – virtual social spaces that are always open, always on, and always expanding.
So, what does that mean for the sports industry? We are still in the early days of sports broadcasting, and there is a lot we can learn from gaming. Our thinking around the intersection of sports and gaming can be seen everywhere in the OZ Sports strategy. It’s in how we think, how we work, and how we innovate as a company. As a tech business with influential investors from the gaming industry, we foster a different culture than traditional sports broadcasting companies.
Our tech stack is ours, from end-to-end. We mostly leverage technologies on how we do sports production that has until now mostly belonged to gaming companies, which opens up a totally new world for us. At the core, we have our gaming engine, built on a robust machine learning software stack that analyses what is going on in the game, in real-time. From there we further develop our broadcasting technologies, with a layer for services like augmented graphics and avatars, to applications like tracking or a more intuitive replay system, to name but a few. This allows us to work differently as a team of innovators and compete more creatively as a company.
By embracing everything that the gaming industry is positively doing to engage with its fans, we see the world of sports broadcasting becoming far more interesting than it is today. Out of the pandemic, we will see new companies that have succeeded, and these new leaders will foster far more vibrant communities around live events. Gen Z will have emerged with different needs and the more popular short format of sports storytelling will continue to rise.
New exciting technologies will continue to surface in the market that better serve fans’ sports esteem. Use of avatars will be the everyday normal, by representing the digital you in the new metaverse. Fans will be able to instantly express their emotions in the moment of the game, wherever they may be in the world, empowering fans to communicate in ways that are difficult to accomplish in today’s world.
The future of live sport is an exciting one; by embracing gaming technologies OZ Sports will continue to innovate at this intersection. Sports broadcasting as we currently know it is about to change forever, and we’re excited to be at the forefront of that transformation!
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Deloitte Private
Seminole Gaming/Hard Rock International Named a 2024 US Best Managed Company
Seminole Gaming / Hard Rock International have been selected as a US Best Managed company for the fourth consecutive year. The award, sponsored by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal, recognizes the achievements of U.S. private companies and the successes of their management teams.
“We are proud to be selected a US Best Managed Company in this prestigious program for the fourth year in a row. This is continued recognition for our leaders and team members around the world who create a great place to work and build a career, while providing a memorable guest experience across Hard Rock and Seminole Hard Rock casinos, hotels, resorts, cafes and Rock Shops,” Jim Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming, said.
US Best Managed Companies is part of a global Deloitte Private program. Honorees are selected by an external panel of judges who evaluate applicants based on strategy, ability to execute, culture, governance, and financial performance. They join an ecosystem of organizations from more than 44 countries.
Industry News
1spin4win Unveils “Treasure Hunt” Network Promotion for Online Casinos
1spin4win, a renowned provider of online casino games, announced the launch of its new network promotion, “Treasure Hunt”. Set to run from June 1 to 9, 2024, this thrilling event invites players on an enchanting adventure across 11 captivating games, with a total prize pool of €20,000 waiting to be claimed.
The nine-day “Treasure Hunt” promotion is designed to significantly enhance player interest and engagement, boost GGR and betting volume, and elevate the brand image of participating online casinos. Players will have the chance to win one of 515 randomly awarded cash prizes, adding an extra layer of excitement to their gaming experience.
Each bet placed during the promotion can result in a maximum of one prize, with no limit on the number of prizes a player can win. Notably, all prizes are deducted from the GGR prior to invoicing, ensuring a smooth and transparent process for operators.
The “Treasure Hunt” promotion features a stellar lineup of participating games, including Sun Treasure, Lucky Robbery, Cash the Gold Hold and Win, Cash the Gold, Mega Cash the Gold, Hold the Gold, Book of Corsairs, Lucky Jane & Aztec Book, Lucky Jane in Egypt, Lucky Gold Miner and Dolphin’s Wealth.
To cater to a global audience, all participating titles support 16 fiat and cryptocurrencies, including EUR, USD, BTC, ETH, LTC and USDT.
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Industry News
Allwyn Appoints Ifor Evans as Group Chief Technology Officer
Allwyn announced the appointment of Ifor Evans as its new Group Chief Technology Officer. Ifor will replace Tony Khatskevich, who, after six years of dedicated and exemplary service, has decided to move from his current role as Group Chief Technology Officer and become an Advisor to the CEO and Board of Directors. In this role, Tony will focus on offering strategic counsel on innovation, technology, IT and security matters. Ifor will take up the CTO role at Allwyn on 1 June 2024.
Ifor is an accomplished CTO with over 25 years of extensive experience in software engineering, systems and data architecture, IT management and project leadership. He joins Allwyn from Gamesys PLC/Bally’s Corp, where he has been Group Chief Technology Officer since 2019 and where he developed, maintained and operated highly capable gaming platforms.
Prior to Gamesys, he held the role of Group Chief Technology Officer (Southeast Asia) for Lazada, part of the Alibaba Group, working in Singapore. He also established Lazada eLogistics (LEL) as a separate entity within the Lazada Group, and led a team of over 400 individuals to create and implement a comprehensive technology strategy.
Robert Chvátal, CEO of Allwyn Group, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ifor as our new Group Chief Technology Officer to continue enhancing the innovation of the lotteries we operate. Allwyn wants to make its lotteries even more entertaining and attractive to new audiences, and in doing so have even more of a positive impact on society.
“Ifor is a dynamic business leader who has an excellent track record of delivering technology solutions across the gaming and IT sector. He has exceptional strategic capabilities, proven operational effectiveness and strong experience in our markets.
“I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Tony for his exceptional contribution and commitment to Allwyn over the past six years. He played a pivotal role in establishing a strong technology function for Allwyn, and conceived and led technology initiatives that have helped to drive innovation across the Group. In addition, Tony played a key leadership role in Allwyn’s winning bid in the UK and management of the transition. I’m very pleased that we will continue to benefit from Tony’s wisdom, knowledge, ideas and warm personality in his new role, where he will continue to help us to fulfil our business growth and ambitions.”
Ifor Evans said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as Group Chief Technology Officer of Allwyn. The company’s commitment to social impact is evident across its global footprint. I look forward to helping the team to develop even better lotteries and new game formats through the power of cutting-edge technology and future thinking.”
The post Allwyn Appoints Ifor Evans as Group Chief Technology Officer appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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