Industry News
Zeal Network Continued to Grow in First Three Quarters of 2021 Despite Weaker Jackpot Situation
German lottery provider Zeal Network has achieved further growth in the first nine months of 2021, despite experiencing weaker jackpots.
In the first nine months of 2021, billings of the Zeal Group rose by 5% to EUR 493.2 million (2020: EUR 471.8 million), of which the Germany segment accounted for almost the entire amount (2020: EUR 470.9 million). Revenue increased by 1% to EUR 65.1 million (2020: EUR 64.5 million), of which EUR 61.5 million was attributable to the Germany segment (2020: EUR 58.4 million). At 12.2%, the gross margin in the Germany segment was thus stable compared to the prior-year figure (2020: 12.3%).
The market environment for lotteries in Germany during the first nine months of 2021 was comparatively weak: the jackpot of the European lottery “Eurojackpot” only reached the EUR 90 million mark three times (2020: six times), while the mandatory payout mark for the German lottery “LOTTO 6aus49”, set at EUR 45 million since 23 September 2020, was not reached at all (2020: three times). Low jackpots have a negative effect on Billings, gross margin and new customer acquisition.
Despite this market environment, the Company gained 446 thousand new registered customers in the Germany segment (2020: 787 thousand) and the acquisition costs per new registered customer (cost per lead, CPL) of EUR 27.57 (2020: EUR 27.58) were maintained at the previous year’s level. At EUR 18.6 million, marketing expenses in the first nine months of 2021 were below the prior-year level (2020: EUR 25.3 million) as a result of the significantly weaker jackpot development.
Personnel expenses and other operating expenses of EUR 14.5 million and EUR 33.2 million, respectively, were also well below the corresponding prior-year figures (2020: EUR 16.6 million and EUR 43.0 million). As a result of adjusting marketing expenses to the jackpot environment, Zeal significantly improved the profitability: for example, adjusted EBITDA for the first nine months of 2021 rose to EUR 17.6 million (2020: EUR 6.9 million) The Germany segment accounted for EUR 16.6 million of this amount (2020: EUR 5.2 million). EBIT and net profit of EUR 11.1 million and EUR 7.3 million, respectively, were also well above the prior-year figures (2020: EUR 2.9 million and EUR 6.6 million).
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Celia Verot
FDJ UNITED Announces Changes to its Executive Committee
FDJ UNITED makes changes to its Executive Committee, with the appointment of Pascal Chaffard as Chief Online Betting and Gaming Officer as well as Group Strategy and Operational Transformation Officer, and Celia Verot as General Secretary.
Currently Chief Financial Officer, Strategy and Performance leader, Pascal Chaffard is taking over as head of the Online Betting and Gaming business unit. Pascal Chaffard will also be responsible for the Group’s strategy and operational transformation.
As Chief Online Betting and Gaming Officer, Nils Andén has overseen Kindred’s integration into the Group since October 2024; he is leaving the company to pursue new projects.
The appointment of the new CFO will be announced at the end of the recruitment process currently under way.
In addition, Celia Verot, who joined FDJ UNITED in 2024 as Chief Regulatory Officer, was appointed General Secretary, General Counsel and Chief Regulatory Officer for the Group on 1 January.
The post FDJ UNITED Announces Changes to its Executive Committee appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Industry News
Novig Raises $75M Series B to Build a Trader-First Sports Prediction Market
Novig, the fastest growing sports trading platform in America, announced the close of a $75 million Series B round led by Pantera Capital, with participation from Multicoin Capital, Makers Fund, Edge Equity, and existing investors Forerunner, Perceptive Ventures, and NFX. The round brings Novig’s total capital raised to more than $105 million.
The funding follows a period of growth for the platform, which reported a 10x increase in trading volume during 2025. Novig’s annualized trading volume currently exceeds $4 billion.
Although sports account for the majority of activity on most prediction market platforms, those products are not built with sports traders in mind. Novig, by contrast, is built for sports fans, delivering a fair, transparent, and commission-free trading experience.
Since launch, the platform has rapidly emerged as the leading sports trading platform in the US, proving strong demand for a trader-first alternative to traditional sportsbooks. Novig has officially submitted its application to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to become a licensed Designated Contract Market (DCM), a critical milestone in its transition toward becoming a federally regulated exchange available in all 50 states.
Unlike sportsbooks that operate an against-the-house model, Novig operates a commission-free, peer-to-peer exchange where traders compete against one another on a level playing field. By eliminating the hidden “vig,” unfair odds, and punitive limits on winning players, Novig has built the industry’s most equitable sports prediction platform.
“Our mission is to democratize and financialize sports markets, and we’re proud of the fact that Novig users are 10 times more likely to win than on traditional sportsbooks,” said Jacob Fortinsky, Co-Founder and CEO of Novig.
“We chose to partner with the best crypto venture firms in the world to further accelerate our plans to make Novig the most efficient and liquid sports prediction market in the world. Others are using prediction market technology to financialize new markets with unproven demand. We leverage it to fix broken markets where demand already exists.”
“Novig is proving that prediction markets can fundamentally reshape sports betting by removing the exploitative middleman,” said Paul Veradittakit, Managing Partner at Pantera Capital.
“Their peer-to-peer exchange delivers what traditional sportsbooks can’t: better odds, fairer market structure, and alignment between platform success and user profitability. When 23% of users are profitable compared to 2% on traditional platforms, it’s clear this is a foundational change to the industry. We’re excited to lead this round and support Jacob, Kelechi, and the team as they build a sports prediction market that actually puts bettors first.”
“Novig combines the cultural heartbeat of sports with the transparency and efficiency of prediction markets. Most prediction market volume today is on sports, yet those platforms weren’t built with sports or sports bettors in mind. We are delivering a better exchange that is built by sports traders, for sports traders,” said Co-Founder and CTO Kelechi Ukah.
The new capital accelerates Novig’s next phase of growth, including onboarding more institutional liquidity. Novig will utilize the investment to deepen product innovation and growth loops, launching first-of-its-kind functionality that combines the best innovation of financial markets with the excitement of live sports.
To support its next phase of growth, Novig has expanded its team to more than 50 personnel, including operators, engineers, and traders focused on developing the platform’s prediction market infrastructure and transparency features.
The post Novig Raises $75M Series B to Build a Trader-First Sports Prediction Market appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Gaming Laboratories International
GLI Promotes Patrick Cottingham to Director of Client Services, North America
Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has promoted Patrick Cottingham to Director of Client Services, North America. Previously, he served as Senior Manager of Client Services. Prior to commencing his career as an engineer with GLI, he served with the US Air Force.
Cottingham’s dedication to his clients was clearly evident both inside and outside of GLI. He transitioned to the Client Services team where he progressed and built a team laser focused on providing the very best customer service where his and his team’s clients have benefited from his engineering and gaming experience.
Ian Hughes, GLI Chief Revenue Officer, said: “We are thrilled to announce Patrick’s well-deserved promotion to Director of Client Services for North America. Patrick leads a team of dedicated and committed client services representatives who ensure our clients receive the best service during their compliance journey with GLI.”
The post GLI Promotes Patrick Cottingham to Director of Client Services, North America appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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