Latest News

GLMS Issues its 2021 Q1 Monitoring & Intelligence Report

Published

5 years ago

April 26, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Global Lottery Monitoring System (GLMS) has published its Q1 2021 report, identifying Europe as the continent most responsible for suspicious betting alerts.

Overall, 323 alerts were recorded during the first quarter of 2021, with Europe the only continent demonstrating triple figures, accounting for 160 suspicious betting activity warnings.

Asia followed with 66, with South America close behind at 58, whilst North America, Africa and Oceania generated 14, eight and seven warnings respectively. A further 10 alerts were classified as “international”.

Of the 160 European alerts, football was the sport with the most suspicious wagers, reporting a total of 94 warnings, whilst basketball accounted for 30. Ice hockey, esports, tennis and volleyball and handball also witnessed suspicious betting activity.

In contrast, esports saw extensive illicit betting in Asia, with 24 alerts generated for this sector – the same number of warnings generated by football across the continent, whilst basketball also reported the second-highest activity levels at 17.

The statistics demonstrate a noticeable difference from those uncovered by the International Betting Integrity Association’s (IBIA) 2020 report, largely due to the significance of tennis in the latter’s findings.

Of the 270 cases reported by the IBIA – a 48% increase on the 2019 figure – tennis accounted for 98 alerts, with 39 handled by the International Tennis Integrity Association (ITIA).

In total, football dominated the total number of alerts sent to GLMS members at 196 in Q1 2021, followed by basketball at 56, esports at 40 and ice hockey at 15, whilst volleyball and handball generated only one each.

“As sports events globally are starting up again, as seen with March Madness in the US, we believe our lottery sports customers are going to have a great 2021,” Jennifer Welshons, Senior Vice President of Marketing of GLMS member organisation Scientific Games, said.

“We are already experiencing record weeks in Delaware in the US and in Turkey, and we are thrilled to support this with one of the most advanced sports betting platforms in the industry.

“We believe that modernization is the clear path to protecting lottery funding for the vital programs and good causes they support.”

Additionally, the organisation outlined that 188 of the 323 alerts were classified as “green alerts”, relating to factors such as team-related news, wrong starting prices, member information and situations in which a one person or entity owned a sports club and its sponsor.

A further 67 yellow alerts were reported, generated by unexplainable odds changes, tournament structure and rumours of match fixing from news outlets, betting forums and social media.

Finally, of the 323 alerts, 13 were red alerts – warnings supported by rumours of match fixing from a named source as well as unexplainable odds changes, betfair volume and tournament structure.

“The past year has presented exceptional challenges which have had a profound impact across the industry,” Edward Peace, Managing Director of Sporting Solutions, said.

“Our response has been guided by a commitment to do the right thing for our people and partners, reflecting a set of company values that long pre-dates the COVID-19 pandemic.“

“We worked hard on event and competition integrity, both internally and with external providers, to ensure new content that filled the COVID-19 void was is in line with our high standards.”

eSports

Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028

Published

1 hour ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-foundation-names-faker-game-ambassador-for-ewc-and-enc-through-2028

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen in the Esports Foundation’s Ambassador Program.

The Esports Foundation (EF) has appointed Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok as a Game Ambassador for the Esports World Cup (EWC) and Esports Nations Cup (ENC) through 2028, the organization said on July 15, 2026 in a statement issued from Riyadh and Paris.

EF said Faker joins Cristiano Ronaldo, listed as the Foundation’s Global Ambassador, and Magnus Carlsen as part of the Esports Foundation Ambassador Program. The Foundation said Faker will represent “the perspective of esports players” across its international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums.

“You can’t talk about esports without mentioning Faker. He is the defining athlete of competitive gaming: a champion whose excellence, discipline and longevity have inspired an entire generation,” said Ralf Reichert, Chief Executive Officer of the Esports Foundation. “As our Game Ambassador, Faker represents something fundamental to the Ambassador Program: esports creates its own global sporting icons. Across EWC, ENC and NGSC, he will help ensure that the players who built this sport have a voice in shaping where it goes next.”

Faker said: “Competition has shaped my life, and I am proud to join the Esports Foundation as Game Ambassador. I want to continue competing for the biggest titles with T1 while representing the players and fans who have helped esports grow worldwide. Through the Esports World Cup, Esports Nations Cup and the Foundation’s wider platforms, I hope to inspire the next generation to pursue excellence, remain resilient and believe in how far competitive gaming can take them. There is still much more to achieve.”

EF highlighted Faker’s competitive record, describing him as a six-time League of Legends World Champion, EWC 2024 winner, two-time MSI champion and ten-time domestic champion with T1. The Foundation also said Faker became the first esports athlete to receive the Blue Dragon Medal in 2026, describing it as the Republic of Korea’s highest sporting honor awarded by President Lee Jae-myung.

The post Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Brand Partnerships

Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season

Published

8 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

midnite-signs-as-middlesbrough-fc-principal-partner-for-2026/27-season

Midnite has agreed a partnership with Middlesbrough FC that will see the UK bookmaker become the club’s principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2026/27 campaign, which Middlesbrough describes as its landmark 150th season.

The companies announced the deal alongside a fan activation at Riverside Stadium on Thursday, July 9, branded “This Season’s On Us”. The initiative offered supporters prizes including 2026/27 season tickets, 2026/27 shirts, match tickets, or a £25 club shop voucher, with fans required to answer Middlesbrough trivia and complete a football challenge.

Middlesbrough former players Craig Hignett and David Wheater attended the event, and, according to the company, took bonus attempts on behalf of participants who missed out.

Andrew Mook, Midnite’s Head of Brand Marketing, said:

“Middlesbrough have a storied history and we’re delighted to announce this partnership during such a monumental year with the club celebrating their 150th anniversary.

“It was great to see so many Middlesbrough fans at the “This Season’s On Us” activation, we hope they enjoyed taking part and meeting club legends, with David Wheater hitting top bins on several occasions and allowing fans to win big with season tickets.

“We can’t wait to get to Riverside Stadium in August to kick-off a new season and we’re excited to say that we have plenty of new and captivating campaigns planned.”

Lee Fryett, Middlesbrough FC Chief Commercial Officer, added:

“We’re delighted to welcome Midnite as our new Principal Partner.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with Midnite to develop engaging campaigns, content and unique experiences that bring our fans even closer to the club.

“We’re confident this partnership will provide real value for our supporters while supporting our ambitions both on and off the pitch.”

The post Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AGCO

ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch

Published

8 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

thrilltech-secures-agco-supplier-licence-for-ontario-launch

ThrillTech has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to launch in Ontario’s regulated market.

The licence allows ThrillTech to deploy its opt-in side bet jackpots technology with regulated online casino, sports betting and lottery operators across the province.

Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”

The company said its “ThrillPots” mechanics sit as an independent, player-funded side bet and do not alter the underlying game’s return-to-player mathematics.

ThrillTech said the Ontario approval enables its existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to launch its side bet jackpots locally, while it also holds talks with potential new operator partners. The company lists its regulated footprint as including the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil and Peru.

The post ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.