Latest News

HOW AUTOMATION WORKS FOR SPORTS BETTING PROMOTIONS? THE SMARTICO METHOD

Published

5 years ago

May 20, 2021

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Pass it to Maradona! It was an incredibly successful football strategy in the 1980s. Sometimes, even the God apparently lent a hand to the strategy’s success!

Similarly, ‘pass it to the machine’ must be an equally fruitful marketing strategy of our times. It basically means to automate the whole customer relationship management (CRM) process.

But how do you actually pass it to the machine?

Well, here is how it works. If you are not quite well-versed with the CRM and marketing activities, first let us quickly have a run down on how the marketing process works in a betting company’s CRM division. Then we will see how it is automated with Smartico’s platform.

A word about the platform before we begin. It has three major parts:

Real time marketing application
Gamification tool
Real time business intelligence (BI) module

Sportsbook Operator’s Conventional Promotional Method

The CRM division of every major Sportsbook works super efficiently to attract maximum players to punt on the games that they promote.

Let’s take a look at how the CRM division works before a major game of European football. The CRM division sends all sorts of promotions and intimations to players in their databases.

Promotions can be in the form of any format, mainly the following:

Emails
SMS on their phones
Messages on their social media feeds like Facebook or Twitter timeline
Push notifications to the app users
Pop-ups on the website

The operators have to get the text needed for emails and message notifications, videos and graphics for social media promotion for each game separately and schedule their sending on appropriate timings on CRM software.

Then there are the categories of players, or buckets as they are sometimes called. For example,

one bucket of regular, loyal customers,
another comprising occasional customers,
yet another having only newly joined customers,
another bucket comprising dormant customers and so on.

For each bucket, the promotional feature has to be customized. That is, different versions of emails, social media graphics and messages are ideally required for each category of players. Some clusters of customers will also need some kind of bonuses or offers to spur them into punt for this game. So the CRM operators have to add information about such bonuses manually too.

As you can see, it involves cumbersome manual work and there is a good chance that the intended message still may not reach the right player.

Automation can make the process easy and ensure that each player receives exactly the right kind of messages and intimations.

Inside the Automation Process with Smartico

Smartico’s three-pronged software application makes life easy for CRM operators.

The operators need to get the various kinds of creatives done as previously – text, graphics, video and all that. They have to create at least one template for each mode of communication too: for email, SMS push notification, social media posts and so on.

That’s all. The software will take care of the rest.

It uses special dynamic tags to deliver the right kind of content about the right match to the right players through the right channel by leveraging the real time BI module that churns live player data.

The CRM operators can select the games from a list of upcoming games across leagues that they want to promote. The software will initiate an automated marketing campaign at a scheduled time before each match.

One of the software’s most useful features is the Campaign flow builder, which allows the operators to create the flow and order of sending various modes of communication. For example, first send emails, then push notifications or SMS, then social media promotions and and finally show a popup when the player logs in to the website or app of the sportsbook.

Each of the communication will contain two kinds of creatives:

Fixed
Dynamic

Fixed communication will be the text, graphics and video that are intended to persuade the players to sign in and place bets.

Dynamic communication refers to the text and graphics that provide the information that keeps on changing from match to match: such as the names of the competing teams, the league, stadium, date and time of the match and such like. If the communication offers bonuses or special offers, the text and graphics depicting the bonus or offer are also will be part of the dynamic communication.

The software will automatically populate the dynamic elements in each communication based on the real time data of player behavior data and preferences. For this the software makes use of something called dynamic tags.

To sum up, the work flow of the operator changes as follows:

Create the templates of email, messages, graphics and videos
Choose the matches that need to be promoted
Select with the targeted population of customers (That is, the operator can opt for promoting Bundesliga matches just to the players who routinely bet on Bundesliga matches only)
Set the starting time for the campaign – how many day, weeks or even months before the match (even if matches are postponed or get cancelled for some reason, the software will alter the communication schedule accordingly)
Insert bonus offers, wherever needed.
Pick the order of communication modes through Campaign flow builder
Sit back and watch the results

This way, the operators can think about improving the overall quality of the marketing campaigns and look for innovations, rather than running hurriedly to tick each boxes of the communication mix.

The software saves time, delivers better results and better streamlines the operations.

So, pass it to the machine!

anime

G2 drops limited-edition One Piece streetwear capsule on June 25

Published

4 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

g2-drops-limited-edition-one-piece-streetwear-capsule-on-june-25

The esports organisation’s second anime apparel collaboration will be sold exclusively via g2esports.com/shop.

G2 is launching a limited-edition G2 | One Piece capsule collection on June 25, with the drop available exclusively through the organisation’s online store at g2esports.com/shop.

The collection is inspired by One Piece’s Gear 5 Monkey D. Luffy and includes hoodies, zip-ups, t-shirts, caps, sleeves, and tote bags. According to G2, the items use a black-and-white palette and feature a minimalist embroidered logo alongside a custom G2 | One Piece Jolly Roger that combines the G2 samurai emblem with Luffy’s straw hat.

“At G2, we’re continuing to push the culture and fashion of esports beyond competition alone, and this One Piece collection is a natural extension of that,” says Sabrina Ratih, COO of G2 Esports. “We wanted to create a capsule that continues to elevate the esports fashion space – understated, premium, and stylish enough for everyday wear, while still carrying the spirit of adventure, ambition, and individuality that defines One Piece and G2 alike. Every piece is designed to bridge the gap between fandom and everyday style, and continuing our mission to redefine what esports fashion can be.”

G2 described the drop as its second anime collaboration, following a previous apparel collaboration with Solo Leveling. The company positioned the release as part of its broader effort to connect esports, anime, and streetwear.

One Piece debuted in 1999 and remains one of the largest anime franchises globally. G2 cited over 600 million manga copies sold and more than 1,160 episodes for the series.

The post G2 drops limited-edition One Piece streetwear capsule on June 25 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Latest News

Ygam joins four UKRI-funded gambling harms research partnerships

Published

4 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

ygam-joins-four-ukri-funded-gambling-harms-research-partnerships

Projects sit within UKRI’s Research Programme on Gambling and the GHR-UK Evidence Centre, backed by the statutory levy.

Ygam has been named as a partner on four projects funded through the UKRI Research Programme on Gambling, supported by the statutory levy. The charity will work with academic teams including the University of Birmingham, Bournemouth University, the University of Plymouth, Lancaster University, and Liverpool John Moores University.

The four projects sit within the Gambling Harms Research UK (GHR-UK) Evidence Centre, which coordinates 19 one-year Innovation Partnerships under the programme. UKRI has been appointed by the UK Government to oversee research commissioned through the new statutory Gambling Levy. Under the levy, 20% of annual funding will be allocated to research, equating to £22.1 million in 2025/26.

Emily Tofield, Chief Executive of Ygam, said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with leading university partners, contributing our expertise in a key strategic area of our work. A defining strength of our approach is that it is grounded in robust insight and research, underpinning everything we do. This enables us to understand how and why harms emerge and translate that into practical, preventative education that is credible and scalable. We look forward to achieving these outcomes together and informing effective measures to prevent harms among children and young people.”

Ygam said its advisory panels — including young people, individuals with lived experience, community and faith leaders, gaming and esports representatives, and student ambassadors — will help shape the research to reflect “real-world experience and diverse community perspectives.”

The four partnerships are: INTEGRATE (University of Birmingham, Ygam, Al-Hurraya and Community Connexions), focused on intersectional gambling harm and interventions for children, young people and emerging adults; “From Evidence to Action: Safeguarding Neurodivergent Young People in Gamified Digital Environments” (Bournemouth University, Ygam, Work’n’Diversity CIC), focused on gambling-like risks in gamified digital environments; GRASP (University of Plymouth-led partnership including NatCen, NHS and third-sector organisations, and Ygam), mapping support pathways and gaps in prevention and recovery; and GRACE-Net (Lancaster University and Liverpool John Moores University with local authorities, NHS partners, third-sector organisations and Ygam), testing collaborative approaches in the North West of England and sharing learning more widely.

The post Ygam joins four UKRI-funded gambling harms research partnerships appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

eSports

Study: 400m Gen Z esports fans say brand activations drive purchases

Published

4 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

EFG, Hero Esports and Niko Partners survey 8,000 fans across eight markets; 74% report ads and brand presence influence buying.

ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), Hero Esports and Niko Partners have released a multi-country Gen Z esports study claiming around 400 million Gen Z consumers (20%) regularly engage with esports. The findings were published on 25th June 2026 in Cannes, France, in a white paper titled The Esports Generation: Who They Are & Why They Spend.

The report is based on survey data from 8,000 Gen Z esports fans aged 13-30 across eight markets. It positions esports as a high-attention channel for brands: 85% of respondents said they notice branding in esports, while 74% self-reported that advertising and brand participation in gaming spaces influences their purchasing behaviour. The study also reports that 66% have bought a product following a collaboration or co-branding partnership with an esports team, game or player.

On consumption and fandom touchpoints, the study found 71% regularly watch gaming content, including 66% who watch gaming livestreams and 33% who watch or listen to gaming podcasts. It also points to offline reach: 21% said they regularly attend gaming conventions and esports events, with the average respondent attending at least one in-person event in the past nine months.

The white paper also breaks out claimed purchase categories linked to esports collaborations over the past year, led by food and beverage (33%), electronics (33%) and fashion (32%). Beyond core categories, it reports 28% bought esports-related collectibles, 17% purchased makeup, beauty, or skincare products, and 10% bought from partnered brands in other categories.

Niccolo Maisto, CEO at ESL FACEIT Group said: “Esports has evolved into one of the most effective channels for companies looking to connect with Gen Z audiences at scale. What makes it unique is not just its reach, but the depth of engagement and trust that exists between fans, players, teams, and events. This research shows that esports fans are highly invested participants, not passive viewers, creating an opportunity for brands that show up authentically and build meaningful and lasting connections with this key audience.”

Danny Tang, Co-Founder and CEO of Hero Esports said: “This whitepaper confirms what we at Hero Esports have long believed: esports has evolved into a global cultural and economic force. The data shows an audience that is young, diverse, and deeply engaged. For brands, the message is clear—esports is no longer a niche market; it is the premier platform to connect with the next generation of consumers. We are proud to partner with Niko Partners and EFG to provide this blueprint for understanding and succeeding in this dynamic industry.”

Lisa Hanson, CEO at Niko Partners said: “Our data shows that, much like fans of other sports, Gen Z esports fans are incredibly passionate and have formed strong bonds within their communities. However, their media and consumer affinities extend well beyond gaming and esports, with our research revealing naturally connected interest areas that create valuable overlapping opportunities for brands and partners that show up authentically in this ecosystem.”

The post Study: 400m Gen Z esports fans say brand activations drive purchases appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.