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Betting Brands may Shift Focus from Sports to Casino Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
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.
The slow death of grey markets in Europe and the increasingly clear line between regulated spaces and the black market is set to divide the entire industry in two, including suppliers.
With almost all major European markets having adopted or being well on their way to enacting a full licensing regime for online gambling, the battle lines between what is on- and off-shore are clearer than ever.
For those nations that persist with restrictions on some sectors, like the continued monopoly in Norway or France’s ban on online casinos, it’s becoming nearly impossible to justify doing business in spite of these prohibitions – even for suppliers.
Regulators in the rest of Europe increasingly expect their licensees to follow not just their rules, but those of their fellow authorities across the continent.
Where once expectations of good behaviour were reserved exclusively for operators, B2B companies are now subject to the same scrutiny.
For the past few years, there has been a general building of pressure on suppliers, but this year B2B compliance has moved from a growing trend to become the status quo for the sector.
Where do you stand?
The industry is being asked to pick a side and even to play the role of regulator itself, in some cases.
“We understand that at least one piece of recent B2B regulatory enforcement [in the UK] may have come as a result of a B2C operator effectively reporting one of its suppliers,” said Andy Danson, the head of Bird & Bird’s international gambling practice.
It’s becoming clear that a meaningful percentage of operators have fully bought into the idea that those who continue to exist in European black or grey are threats to their bottom line.
Speaking on a recent webinar organised by his firm, Danson added: “There is an increasing use of commercial pressure and accountability alongside regulatory enforcement, and there is this growing expectation that licensed businesses consider who they support.”
Danson notes that, in his view, the burden on operators to self-police their industry is probably becoming too large.
“How much can a regulator really expect B2C licensees to regulate their suppliers? It is ultimately the regulator’s job to do that, and B2C really should be able to rely on their suppliers having a local license.”
This backwards pressure is also being exerted on suppliers in jurisdictions where they are required to obtain their own licenses.
Regulators expect suppliers not to sell their content to operators who service their local black market and look dimly on supplying companies active in illegal markets in any part of the world.
Gone are the days when these authorities would accept the excuse that aggregators are ultimately responsible for providing game content to these offshore operators. Instead, suppliers risk enforcement if they do not have oversight of the entire supply chain their products exist in.
Dealmakers
This pressure coming in from every angle leads to only one inevitable conclusion: M&A activity.
As suppliers are forced to choose either to abandon their high profit margin offshore clients or their reliable onshore customers, the possibility of dividing into two parts becomes more and more compelling.
“I think businesses will very likely look to separate and restructure, particularly where they currently have a real mix of regulated and unregulated market activities,” said Danson.
“We certainly saw similar trends five to ten years ago when the regulatory focus on this sort of issue was more on the B2B side,” he added.
This move would be driven partly by modern regulatory complexities, but also the impact of US investors entering the gambling market more prominently over the past five years.
US-based capital tends to be more skittish about any activity with uncertain regulatory backing and its law enforcement authorities are not shy about exerting their authority extraterritorially.
“International market exposure is becoming more and more relevant in an investment and M&A context,” Danson confirmed.
A dilemma
Those gambling businesses choosing the regulated environment are at least finding their authorities more willing than in previous years to take proactive action against the black market.
In the UK, the Gambling Commission has received a grant of £26m from the government to step up its work against illegal online gambling, for example.
Regulators are also understood to be sharing more information than ever before about the main bad actors afflicting their markets, through organizations like the Gambling Regulators Europe Forum (GREF).
Although it’s worth noting that officials also say they are swapping notes on the activities of their licence-holders as well, in yet a further example of international compliance becoming a local issue.
This, along with an atmosphere of zero compromise when it comes to tightening regulations, has created a situation where the choice between on- and off-shore is not a simple one.
Andy Danson summed up the problem: “By creating an environment which has become so burdensome and challenging for regulated markets to operate, and then challenging operators and suppliers to pick a side, regulators perhaps shouldn’t be all that surprised when some operators out there might not necessarily choose the side that they want them to.”
The post European Online Gambling Industry Faces Tough Offshore Choice appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Brazil
EGB Group launches institutional portal to strengthen corporate presence in iGaming in Brazil
EGB Group (Esportes Gaming Brasil), owner of Esportes da Sorte, Onabet and Lottu, has launched its new institutional portal, bringing governance, strategy and corporate operations together in a single digital environment.
The initiative aims to structure the group’s institutional presence and increase transparency across its processes, operational pillars and expansion projects.
The portal features dedicated sections such as Compliance, ESG, Ecosystem and a fully structured Press Room, improving access for partners, media and regulatory authorities to compliance information and strategic initiatives.
According to Iury Tavares, Media Relations Manager at EGB Group, the launch reflects an already consolidated internal evolution.
“The launch of our institutional website materializes EGB Group as an ecosystem.
We are no longer seen only as isolated consumer brands, but as an integrated structure with different business fronts connected by a common purpose of innovation and market leadership.”
Camyla Lima, Branding and Creative Manager, added that the new platform also improves how this structure is communicated.
“The new corporate identity balances the energy of entertainment with the rigor of a structured operation.
We developed an interface that prioritizes institutional storytelling and ecosystem navigation, making it easier to understand how the brands are integrated.”
The more sober visual identity reinforces the group’s institutional positioning in a regulated market and reflects its organizational culture, recognized by its Great Place to Work certification and a workforce of around 1,000 direct and indirect jobs.
With employees placed at the center of the communication strategy, the launch was also supported by internal activations across offices in São Paulo and Recife and corporate channels.
Beyond governance, the portal highlights the group’s broader social impact initiatives.
It showcases support for street carnival blocks and official sponsorships of major Carnival celebrations across Brazil, including traditional hubs such as Recife and Olinda.
Social responsibility projects such as Costura Cidadã, support for waste pickers during major events, and partnerships with NGOs focused on river cleaning are also featured.
In sports, the group maintains sponsorships with clubs including Corinthians, Náutico, Ferroviária and Ceará, as well as support for inclusive sports initiatives.
A key highlight of the portal is the company’s investment in Brazilian technology development that underpins its operations.
The group details its use of proprietary platforms to ensure technical autonomy and compliance with requirements set by the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA/MF).
This structure also includes the use of artificial intelligence for personalization and security, contributing to formal job creation and revenue generation across digital advertising and sports-related sectors.
Esportes Gaming Brasil
Esportes Gaming Brasil is one of the leading betting groups in the country, operating under a fully Brazilian structure with an official licence granted by the Ministry of Finance through SPA/MF. The authorisation covers its three brands: Esportes da Sorte, Onabet and Lottu, with nationwide operations across Brazil.
A benchmark in innovation and a strong advocate of market regulation, the group is committed to responsible gaming and continuous investment in user protection technologies, while generating hundreds of jobs.
Beyond sports betting, Esportes Gaming Brasil invests consistently in sports, culture and social projects. It is a master sponsor of clubs such as Corinthians, Ceará, Ferroviária and Náutico, and supports major cultural initiatives.
This include Galo da Madrugada and Carnival celebrations across Recife, Olinda, Salvador, Maceió, Natal, Caicó, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, as well as the Parintins Festival. The brand also expands its digital presence through creative campaigns and influencer partnerships, strengthening its connection with audiences across online platforms.
The post EGB Group launches institutional portal to strengthen corporate presence in iGaming in Brazil appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Media Troopers brings its sports betting expertise to Peru ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Media Troopers, the leading digital and customer acquisition group, has announced it will enter Peru’s regulated market to offer its sports betting and prediction market services ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be played from 11 June to 19 July across the US, Canada, and Mexico, is a defining moment for the global online wagering industry, and one that Media Troopers aims to help operators capitalize on.
Peru is one of LatAm’s newest regulated markets, launching in 2024.
It’s home to more than 60 online operators, with its gaming regulator having granted 120 licenses since the launch.
In 2024, Peru’s regulated market was valued at $2.7 billion, with analysts expecting projected growth to reach $7.6 billion by 2033.
Media Troopers CEO Shmulik Segal says that Peru’s current regulated market represents the early stages of regulated sports betting in the US, noting that it currently boasts strong consumer demand and rapid operator expansion.
“Media Troopers is bringing mature-market expertise into Peru at precisely the moment the market is ready to scale,” Segal said.
By entering Peru, Media Troopers can offer its wide range of marketing and acquisition tools to operators in the region.
That includes providing operators with soccer-focused marketing channels, access to a variety of existing publishers and affiliates, and localized features that help operators scale their platforms to reach a more tailored audience, increase engagement, and build a trusting brand presence in the area.
Media Troopers has positioned itself as the gateway between exporting North American betting infrastructure into new, emerging markets, as it prepares for the next evolution of online wagering.
MediaTroopers was founded in 2019 with the vision of providing legal, safe, and responsible gambling alternatives to sports bettors and casino players.
Since then, the company has grown to operate in over 40 jurisdictions across North America.
MediaTroopers leverages decades of digital marketing experience, extensive in-house media buying knowledge, mobile advertising expertise, a robust technical infrastructure, and an extensive network of in-house and affiliated publishers to acquire paying customers for the world’s top gambling operators, including BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, BetRivers and more.
The post Media Troopers brings its sports betting expertise to Peru ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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