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Betting Brands may Shift Focus from Sports to Casino Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

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COVID-19 has shaken up the world. No one and no business has been left unaffected by the virus, and that includes the betting industry. Land-based casino and betting shops have especially felt the impact of the novel coronavirus, which has forced these establishments to close to help stop the spread of the disease. Even the biggest sports betting brands in the UK have suffered online and offline from the widescale suspension, postponement or cancellation of major sporting events.

There’s no question that as far as the gambling industry is concerned, brick and mortar betting shops and casinos have taken the hardest hit, with one of the worst cases being in Nevada, which shut down every casino on its famous Las Vegas strip back in mid-March. Nevada depends on tourism more than any other U.S. state and is used to catering to tens of millions of visitors annually. Unemployment rates are expected to go up by a minimum of 30% in the state, according to the Nevada Resort Association. This has left many to wonder and worry if Vegas’ big names like Wynn Resorts, MGM Resorts, and Sand Crop. will survive the virus’ economic impact, even with help from the financial relief plan.

That said, the closures caused by the coronavirus have been felt across the industry. For instance, the impact on big groups like GVC has resulted in the company taking steps to do what it can to alleviate the strain that has been placed on its operations. Like other companies, GVC has been working hard to lower costs and re-prioritize activity to preserve free cash while making sure its customers continue to be able to enjoy great experiences. Among these re-prioritisations has been reducing the amount spent on sports content, online sports marketing, and trading costs.

Photo source: Shutterstock

Even online Sportsbook is not Immune to Coronavirus

Naturally, the online gambling industry has a massive advantage over its land-based counterparts. No one needs to social distance online and gambling can be enjoyed safely from home 24/7 via a computer or mobile, whether one is self-isolating or in full quarantine. However, in spite of this fact, online sportsbooks continue to find it a challenge to make the most of the internet advantage.

With no active mainstream sports, online bookies have been forced to fill the void with more emphasis on the virtual world of sports, including animated versions of major horse races like the Grand National, which was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Virtual Grand National, like other virtual races, was a computer-simulated race. It included virtual spectators and virtual ambulances that followed the runners and riders around the courses.

Beyond virtual sports, digital bookmakers have also placed greater focus on eSports as well as other lesser known events. Still, even with the focus on these other events, all online bookmakers have seen a dramatic decline in depositors and increased churn rates because it is simply far too difficult to retain players when the major sports betting markets are at a standstill.

Many of the big name gambling operators have watched the value of their shares suffer from the COVID-19 outbreak. Some of these include:

  • William Hill shares have dropped by more than half since the 21st of February 2020
  • GVC Holdings (owner of Ladbrokes Coral) has seen a drop in share prices by more than 20%
  • Flutter Entertainment (owner of Paddy Power Betfair) has seen its share value tank by over 15%

Sportsbooks May Shift their Focus to Online Casinos

Online casinos, which offer online slots, virtual table, and card games, scratch cards, live casino games, etc. are in much better shape than their sportsbook cousins and that’s because they don’t depend on sports or other major events to continue carrying on with business as usual.

As such, many bookies that also offer a casino platform may consider cross-selling their online casino products to their existing sports betting customers in an attempt to recoup some of the money they’ve lost. This tactic could work as bored housebound punters, who previously focused solely on sports, can be keener to engage in casino entertainment until they can bet on their favorite football matches or horse races again.

Since March, COVID-19 has shut down most economies and sent more than a billion people into lockdown. Like many other businesses considered non-essential, land-based gambling establishments have closed their doors until the outbreak and restrictions ease. While only time will tell how well gambling operators will fare once the worst of the pandemic has run its course, for now, all they can do is focus on their online operations and survive as best they can. For some, online casinos could potentially provide the life raft they need to stay afloat.

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Boomerang Partners

Overtime begins: Boomerang Partners launches the final stage of the Golden Boomerang Awards 2026

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The Golden Boomerang Awards 2026 by Boomerang Partners is moving into its decisive phase. The third and final stage of the tournament – titled “Overtime” – will run from 20 July to 31 August. It marks the last opportunity for participants to reshape the leaderboard and compete for the season’s main prize – an exclusive private dinner with a football legend in September 2026.

Overtime mechanics: points allocation

To intensify competition during the final stretch, Boomerang Partners is introducing an updated scoring system. From now on, affiliate teams will earn 3 points for every FTD generated on any partner brand from the Agency’s clients’ portfolio. In the previous stage, participants received 3 points for each sports FTD and 1 point for each online casino FTD. Now, the value of all FTDs is identical.

Overtime mechanics: performance boosts

Within the Overtime stage of the Golden Boomerang Awards 2026, a set of performance boosts remains active. These mechanics give participating teams the opportunity not only to catch up but also to overtake the leaders.

  • Welcome Boost – x2 points for the first 14 days after entering the stage
  • Lucky Five – +5 points for achieving 10 Casino FTDs per week
  • Last Minutes Winner – x3 points during the final 7 days of Overtime

Martin Černý, CEO at Boomerang Partners said: “Overtime brings the Golden Boomerang Awards 2026 to its most competitive stage. At this point in the tournament, every result can influence the leaderboard, and teams still have the opportunity to improve their positions. We expect the final weeks to bring strong competition and determine the final standings.”

A final stretch where every day counts

With fewer than 40 days left in the GBA 2026, the competition enters its most volatile phase. The leaderboard remains open, and even small performance shifts can significantly alter final standings. Participants are now entering a stage where strategy, timing, and consistent activity define the outcome – and where the final push may determine the season’s ultimate winner.

Overtime has begun. TIME TO WIN THE TITLE.

About Boomerang

Boomerang Partners is a rapidly growing global marketing agency offering a wide range of services. In 2024, it launched the inaugural Golden Boomerang Awards – a global tournament for affiliate teams. More than 400 affiliate teams participated in the second season of the tournament in 2025. Martin Černý – Boomerang Partners’ CEO since June 2025.

The Agency’s clients’ portfolio contains brands offering affiliate and entertainment services across multiple markets in compliance with local regulations. These products provide incentive programs and 24/7 multilingual support.

The post Overtime begins: Boomerang Partners launches the final stage of the Golden Boomerang Awards 2026 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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GR8_TECH

The World Cup Is Over. GR8_TECH Opens “The Locker Room” to Count What It Was Worth

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The trophy has been lifted. Now comes the most interesting part for operators: counting the revenue, assessing what worked, learning from what didn’t, and deciding what to change before the next betting event.

On Thursday, August 20, at 4:00 p.m. CEST, GR8_TECH will host “The Locker Room: World Cup Numbers”, a closed-door benchmarking session created to help operators make sense of their tournament results and see how their performance stacked up against the room and the wider market.

Led by Dinos Doxiadis, Head of Sportsbook Business at GR8_TECH, the session will combine anonymized benchmarks with in-depth post-World Cup platform data on margin, player behavior, retention, and peak-load performance. It isn’t a tournament recap, but a working session built around deeper analysis than GR8_TECH releases publicly.

A First Look at the World Cup Numbers

Initial aggregated data from the GR8_TECH platform shows an average tournament margin of over 12%, alongside a significant increase in staking during the knockout stages.

Average stakes during the play-offs were 53% higher than during the group stage, while the average stake on the final was 89% above the tournament average.

Player interest was highly concentrated. Matches featuring Spain, Argentina, England, or France generated 42% of the total World Cup turnover. Argentina was the tournament’s most-bet-on team, accounting for 12.5% of all bets, although Spain finished only 0.09 percentage points behind Argentina by turnover.

The final also created one of the tournament’s most demanding operational moments. Within one minute of the final whistle, GR8_TECH’s platform settled more than half a million bets, demonstrating the level of processing performance required when a global audience reaches the same outcome simultaneously.

Inside The Locker Room, participants will examine what happened across:

  • Live betting and bet builders
  • Margin and staking dynamics
  • Peak-load and settlement moments
  • Acquisition compared with player reactivation
  • Retention beyond the final whistle
  • Unexpected geographic performance
  • Operational, product, and campaign failures
  • Priorities for the next major event

“The World Cup generates a huge amount of data, but the value comes from understanding what sits behind it,” said Dinos Doxiadis, Head of Sportsbook Business at GR8_TECH. “This session is about identifying the patterns operators might miss in their own reporting, challenging assumptions, and turning one month of World Cup activity into better decisions for future events.”

See How Your World Cup Stacked Up

Leave the session with anonymized benchmarks, exclusive GR8_TECH platform insights, and a clear view of where your World Cup performance led—or lagged—the market.

Turn the lessons into your next strategy. Join The Locker Room: World Cup Numbers on Thursday, August 20, at 4:00 p.m. CEST.

Register here to secure your place.

GR8_TECH. Platform for Champions

GR8_TECH is an award-winning provider, delivering high-performance sportsbook and iGaming solutions that empower operators to lead and win in competitive markets. GR8_TECH’s comprehensive portfolio includes the GREAT_TURNKEY and GREAT_CRYPTO TURNKEY solutions, GREAT_SPORTSBOOK, and GREAT_CASINO AGGREGATION.

With a geo-specific approach to solutions, a focus on practical innovations, and an operator-first mindset, GR8_TECH helps its clients achieve measurable results in their target markets quickly and efficiently. Trusted by top operators worldwide, GR8_TECH has over 100 successful cases and earned multiple recognitions, including the title of Platform Provider of the Year by SBC Awards 2025.

The post The World Cup Is Over. GR8_TECH Opens “The Locker Room” to Count What It Was Worth appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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ELA Games

ELA Games launches Age of Cleopatra slot with Hold & Win bonus

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ELA Games has released a new slot, Age of Cleopatra, adding another ancient-Egypt theme title to its portfolio. The studio positions the game as a medium-volatility release and says it is available to demo now.

Age of Cleopatra runs on a 5×3 reel set-up with 25 paylines. ELA Games lists RTP at 93.75% / 95.73%, with Buy Bonus RTP at 93.8% / 95.9%. The maximum win is x5000, according to the company.

In the base game, a Collect Symbol gathers coin prizes visible on the screen, while “colored coins” charge pyramids that can unlock additional value, ELA Games said. The slot’s Hold & Win Bonus Game awards three respins by default (or four in an “Extra Respin” version), with modifiers tied to collected coins.

Features named by the studio include Multipliers, Extra Respins, and an Expand Grid mechanic that increases the layout from 3×5 to 5×5. ELA Games also states that multiple features can trigger at the same time.

“You can’t do justice to a legendary theme with just background art. Building a world around Cleopatra meant it had to feel truly authentic, a standard we apply to all our releases. At ELA Games, we consistently look beyond the visuals to craft an original universe, keeping storytelling through the mechanics at the center of our titles.” Marharyta Yerina, Managing Director at ELA Games.

The post ELA Games launches Age of Cleopatra slot with Hold & Win bonus appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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