Industry News
Sportradar Appoints Behshad Behzadi as the Company’s Chief Technology Officer and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer
Sportradar Group AG announced that Behshad Behzadi has been named Chief Technology Officer and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer of the Company (CTO and CAIO), effective May 1.
As Sportradar’s CTO and CAIO, Behzadi will be based in the organisation’s headquarters in Switzerland and report directly to Chief Executive Officer, Carsten Koerl. Working collaboratively across the organisation, Behzadi will drive the usage and adoption of AI and cutting-edge technology to enhance its product offerings and roadmap to deliver hyper-personalised experiences for sports fans. Additionally, his extensive experience in leading initiatives aimed at improving internal operational efficiency will help optimise processes and drive innovation across the business. Sportradar has the largest global coverage of sports data, fan insights and betting liquidity. The usage of cutting-edge AI will help to drive the Company’s future efficiency and can create significant value for clients and stakeholders.
Koerl said: “We are proud to welcome Behshad, a world-renowned leader in harnessing generative AI and other advanced technologies, who marries a unique blend of technical expertise and business acumen. His proven track record in developing and commercializing product strategies to accelerate growth and innovation, as well as spearheading initiatives aimed at improving internal operational efficiency, will bolster our leadership position, keeping Sportradar at the forefront of technological advancement.”
With more than 20 years of experience, Behzadi is a distinguished computer scientist and recognised global technology leader with expertise in algorithms, search ranking, natural language processing, speech recognition, machine learning and generative AI. Behzadi joined Google Zurich in 2006 and has played a key role in Google’s AI-first strategy as co-founder of Google Assistant, Google Lens, Google Smart Display and the Next Gen Assistant, a breakthrough in mobile assistant technology with on-device Machine Learning. Most recently, he led Google Cloud’s Conversational AI and applied Generative AI initiative focusing on applying the latest AI advancements to reimagine and automate customer services and operations for large enterprises. Behzadi earned a PhD in Bioinformatics from Ecole Polytechnique in Paris and did postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics.
Behzadi said: “Sportradar is an exceptional company and category leader operating at the global intersection of sports, technology and digital content. I am very excited to join an organization that pushes the boundaries on technology and puts a premium on innovation. I look forward to working alongside Carsten, the rest of the executive management team and their talented group of creators to continue Sportradar’s history of innovation as the Company enters its next exciting chapter.”
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Industry News
New KSA Campaign: Get Your Life Back on Track, Take a Gambling Break
The Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) launched a new awareness campaign to draw attention to the gambling stop. With the campaign “Pick up your life again, take a gambling stop,” KSA is aiming to increase attention to the risks of gambling and make the Cruks register more well-known.
Insights
The campaign is a follow-up to the pilot campaign from 2023. This pilot yielded many valuable insights, for example that more people are attracted to the word gambling stop. This name is therefore used in the new campaign.
Positive effect
The campaign focuses primarily on young adults who (possibly) no longer have their gambling under control. That is one of the reasons why the campaign is largely running via social media instead of traditional (mass) media. The focus is on the positive effect that a gambling stop has on the life of a person with gambling problems. The powerful moments of young people who pick up their lives again can be seen in online videos, social ads and social posts (Google, YouTube, Meta and Snapchat).
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Industry News
EGBA: Record Participation As European Safer Gambling Week Expands to 26 Countries
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) announced record-breaking results from its fourth annual European Safer Gambling Week, held 18-24 November. The initiative – which included a social media campaign and events programme – demonstrated the broader European sector’s strengthening commitment to safer gambling through new levels of participation and expanded geographic reach.
The campaign saw record engagement with 195 partners actively participating – a 20% increase from 2023. Eight national gambling authorities participated, more than double the previous year, by either joining the social media campaign or speaking at the various events.
The campaign’s reach also expanded significantly to 26 countries – a 30% increase from 2023 – with partners in Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine joining for the first time, reflecting the growing pan-European dimension of the campaign. This was helped by social media graphics being made available in the local languages of 27 countries.
The social media campaign reached 3.1 million users across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X platforms, generating 1169 social media posts – a 67% increase from the previous year.
A cornerstone of this year’s campaign was its comprehensive events programme, featuring 20 specialised events – an 11% increase from 2023. The events attracted record participation with 4500 registrations and 3000 attendees. Key discussions explored trends in AI, problem gambling prevalence reporting and innovations in safer gambling tools and messaging. The events featured 105 speakers, including senior representatives from gambling authorities in Belgium, Denmark, France and the UK.
The initiative builds on EGBA members’ year-round commitment to safer gambling, which in 2023 resulted in 67 million safety messages sent to their European customers. This dedicated week amplifies these ongoing efforts while encouraging greater collaboration between operators, regulators and harm prevention organisations.
“The success of this year’s edition reflects the sector’s deepening commitment to player protection. The significant increase in participation, especially from health organisations and regulatory authorities, demonstrates the common purpose and growing unity in our approach to safer gambling. Through this collaboration, we’ve reached a record number of Europeans with crucial safety messages during the campaign. Together, we’re making gambling safer and we already look forward to building on this success in next year’s edition,” said Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA.
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Industry News
CT Gaming to Participate in ICE Barcelona 2025
CT Gaming is going to participate in ICE Barcelona 2025, which will take place from 20 to 22 Jan 2025.
“It is always a pleasure to kick off the year at ICE. This year is particularly special as we explore a new location, which we anticipate will bring fresh connections and exciting opportunities,” said Biser Bozhanov, Director of Business Development and Strategies at CT Gaming.
Positioned at stand #3C56, CT Gaming will present an impressive lineup of its signature products alongside exciting new additions, including the multigame Diamond King 4.
“We are eager to showcase our latest offerings and engage with clients, colleagues, and industry professionals to gather their valuable feedback. This year’s selection is a strong testament to CT Gaming’s enduring legacy and commitment to excellence,” added Bozhanov.
Among the products displayed at stand #3C56 will be the slot cabinet NEXT, known for its ultimate comfort and functionality. This cabinet comes with 27″ or 32″ high-definition screens, an optional premium stand, a USB phone charger, a bill validator with a stacker and an enlarged CMS panel for seamless operation. Other representatives from the slot cabinet family are EZ Modulo 32/32/32 and EZ Tower. Both of these cabinets combine sleek designs with advanced technology set to deliver an unparalleled gaming experience.
Alongside the slot cabinets, the company will showcase its staple multigame titles, such as Diamond King 3, Mermaid’s Quest, Tower Link and the newest addition to the multigame portfolio – Diamond King 4. With 40 exciting games, 20 of which are linked to a progressive jackpot, the multigame takes player engagement to new heights. Unlike previous versions, players can now win any of the three jackpot levels directly from the base game, while the cascading white and pink diamonds promise thrilling rewards at every turn. Designed with the next generation of players in mind, Diamond King 4 features enhanced graphics, modern themes and an immersive experience that’s perfectly in sync with today’s gaming landscape. The newly conceptualized linked progressive jackpot, Diamond Tree Deluxe, presents an elevated reward experience with its upgraded features.
Last but not least, CT Gaming will unveil the latest updates to its Casino Management System – Rhino, designed to enhance operator functionality and player engagement.
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