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Sergio Aguero: The history of the FA Cup meant it was always a special competition to play in
Stake’s global representative, Sergio Aguero, reveals his memories of playing in the FA Cup, why it was a special competition for him to win, how Pep Guardiola will keep his players motivated against Peterborough in their fifth round tie, and what this side could achieve this season.
The FA Cup has an amazing history and I am proud to have won the competition
The FA Cup was always one of my favourite competitions to play in because of its history and because of the many famous players and teams to have won it.
When I was living in Spain and here in Argentina, everyone knew about the competition and its history.
We came so close to winning the FA Cup in 2013 but were beaten by Wigan in the final. It was hard for us because we had a very good team, Carlos Tevez, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta all started that game.
But we were all very new to the club and it was only the start of our journey. I think we did okay in the end!
We were back at Wembley for my second FA Cup final in 2019 and that day went much better for us when we beat Watford.
We were so happy to win it and to be a part of FA Cup history was a very proud moment for me.
The tradition of the FA Cup is one of my favourite things about the competition, it was fun to meet Prince William to get my medal after the game and the celebrations with the fans afterwards was so special.
Everyone says that the FA Cup is magical and it is true, it was always really fun to play in and you felt proud to represent your team in the competition.
The day we played in the FA Cup was
always special because there was so much excitement in the team and the fans were always extra happy to see us play well.
Playing teams in lower divisions in the FA Cup is harder than you think, so Pep will have the City players focused ahead of the Peterborough match
Not many people know how hard it is to play in the FA Cup. In England, you play a lot of matches and a lot of competitions, but as a player, it’s really exciting because you have the chance to try and win lots of different competitions, and winning finals is something that you are always proud of as a footballer, which means every game is important.
To get to the final you have to play against lots of different teams and some new ones that you might not have ever played against before. Playing against new teams and new players and at new stadiums is always hard because you don’t know 100% what you’re going to be playing against. We watch the teams in the Premier League and Champions League a lot and we all have friends and international teammates that play for them, but when you draw a team in the FA Cup that you don’t regularly get to play against or know too much about, it’s always a difficult experience.
When we played against a new team or a side in a different division, we were always expected to win, but it’s not as easy as that. Every manager always made sure the preparation for an FA Cup game was exactly the same. The training was the same, we worked hard on our jobs for the match and we went into the game knowing what we had to do, it made no difference if it was the final or first round.
This is exactly what Pep Guardiola will be doing with the team this week. Pep is a winner and he hates to lose, you don’t win the number of trophies he has without this attitude. He will be making sure the Manchester City players are ready for the game against Peterborough in the same way as if it was any other match.
There’s added pressure on Manchester City to win in the FA Cup and Peterborough will look to familiar tactics to beat them
When you are the team in a higher league and you have to travel to a team in a league below you it is difficult because the crowd are always so excited that their team might cause an upset and get to beat a Premier League team! When you get to the ground you are quickly aware that everyone really wants you to lose – the fans let you know when you arrive. It’s not just the
home crowd that are extra excited to see you lose, but it is everyone watching at home also, we know this and try not to think about it and focus on our job for the day.
We played against Wigan, again, in 2018 in the Cup at their stadium and it was one of the hardest matches. They defended so well and frustrated us, we had all of the possession and so many chances, but they scored late and knocked us out, that’s how it is in knockout football. If Peterborough think that they can win then they should watch that game and do the same as Wigan did.
Peterborough will be tough for Manchester City because the team has just travelled to Portugal in the Champions League, had a tough game against Tottenham, then they’ll play away in the Premier League threes days before the match and then they have to play Manchester United after the FA Cup game, but the team has so many good players in every position and everyone is used to this way of playing now.
Manchester City are hungry to win every competition
At Manchester City, we wanted to win everything, every match and every trophy, and that will always be the case at the club now. I think Manchester City are in a great place to win the Premier League again, they also have a good chance in the FA Cup and in the Champions League too, but this might be competitive, but I think it is possible that they win all three. Winning a treble like this would be a huge achievement and they have a team and manager that can do it this season.
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The high-stakes action is back in South Korea on the heels of the recently
unveiled Triton One Series
The Super High Roller Series returns to Jeju, September 8–23, 2025, with another nosebleed schedule and non-stop live stream coverage. WPT® Global proudly continues its strong relationship with Triton as the event’s title sponsor.
Super High Roller Series Jeju II: What’s on the Cards
Super High Roller Series Jeju II brings a monolith of a schedule from September 8 to 23, with buy-ins ranging from $25,000 to $150,000. The action kicks off on September 9 with Event 1, the WPT Global Slam, featuring a $25,000 buy-in.
The $100,000 Main Event, Event 9, begins on September 16 and is expected to draw the biggest names and deepest stacks of the series. Players and fans can expect poker’s most notorious faces, from Phil Ivey to Jesse Lonis, chasing titles at one of the most prestigious series in the industry.
Xuan Liu Makes History for WPTG in Montenegro
Earlier this year, former WPT Global Ambassador Xuan Liu made poker history by becoming the first female Triton champion. She defeated Daniel Dvoress heads-up in the $25,000 WPT Global Slam in May, earning $860,000. The event drew 155 entries and generated a $3,875,000 prize pool, marking a career-best score for Liu and placing her 15th on the Women’s All-Time Money List.
The post WPT® Global Returns as Title Sponsor for Triton SUPER HIGH ROLLER SERIES Jeju II appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Aristocrat Interactive
Logifuture goes live in Mexico with Zoom Soccer via Aristocrat Interactive integration
Logifuture, a leading supplier of award-winning iGaming products, has entered the Mexican market with Zoom Soccer, via its integration with Aristocrat Interactive
.
Zoom Soccer is a one-of-a-kind 24/7 virtual sports feed that delivers ultra-realistic, fully simulated matches and outcomes, featuring teams and leagues designed to feel familiar to fans. Built to complement real football offerings, it provides an immersive betting experience.
With over 30,000 additional pre-match and in-play betting events each month, Zoom Soccer ensures sportsbooks stay engaging – not just during off-seasons but also during quieter moments of the day or week when real football options are limited. Thanks to existing partner integrations, it attracts tens of millions of bets every month.
The integration of Zoom Soccer is facilitated by Logifuture’s existing relationship with Aristocrat Interactive. Through Aristocrat Interactive’s digital gaming platform, Logifuture is bringing its sophisticated products to millions of players across emerging markets, including Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Central America.
Niccolo Cassettari, Chief Business Development Officer at Logifuture, shared: “We’re thrilled that sports fans in Mexico will now have the flexibility to experience Zoom Soccer, our 24/7 feed of virtual leagues, at their convenience. Offering both pre-match and in-play betting, it delivers an experience that closely mirrors real football, keeping users continually entertained.
“As the demand for engaging sports content grows, this integration helps operators deliver. With a broader pre-match lineup and a live section constantly packed with soccer events, Zoom Soccer enhances the sportsbook experience for customers in Mexico.”
“At Logifuture, we’re dedicated to meeting the need for dynamic, captivating sports products, and expanding Zoom Soccer’s presence helps us achieve that goal and we’re excited to continue working together to bring the excitement of virtual sports to the Mexican market.”
Malte Hegeler, VP Sports Product at Aristocrat Interactive iGaming & Sports, said: “We are always looking for new gaming innovations to entertain our customers’ audiences.
“The addition of Logifuture’s Zoom Soccer in Mexico is an exciting example of our ever-expanding digital portfolio curated to provide regulated markets with the highest quality, immersive betting content.”
The post Logifuture goes live in Mexico with Zoom Soccer via Aristocrat Interactive integration appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
We sat down with Otto Bonning, Head of Sales at DATA.BET, to understand the vision behind their expansion from esports dominance into sports, and what this evolution means for operators worldwide.
Why did DATA.BET choose to expand from esports into traditional sports?
Otto: It’s a natural evolution for us. Over the past three years, we’ve built exceptional performance in esports for our clients, and now we’re ready to bring this expertise to the broader market. We have around 150 trading professionals, time-tested models, and proven capabilities – it only makes sense to expand our product offering. This isn’t just an add-on, it’s the next revolution in DATA.BET’s history.
What market gaps led you to develop a unified solution for these betting verticals?
Otto: The market lacks robust sportsbook solutions. Most operators face a choice: either sign up for a complete platform that includes everything from casino to payments, or piece together multiple providers. We identified a massive opportunity for our high-quality, plug-and-play solution that works seamlessly whether you’re a betting operator or a platform provider.
To meet this market demand and ease the integration journey, the DATA.BET team developed a Single Page Application (SPA or iFrame). Its key strengths lie in its flexibility, deep customization options – both visually and technically – and seamless integration.
For casino operators, it’s a simple solution to add quality betting without creating additional pain. It is as simple as adding a new game provider and can be completed in under a month. For betting operators and platform providers, it’s not only an addition of high-quality traditional sports, but also premium esports coverage that will help them earn more. This is a convenient option because they can connect our Odds Feed via API, or our SPA (iFrame) to their platform.
We’re offering a high-quality, personalized solution that really works for both operators and platforms. The achievements that made us a top esports provider – performance, reliability, and ease of integration – now apply to our complete sportsbook offering.
How does DATA.BET differ from competitors when handling both esports and traditional sports?
Otto: Three key differentiators set us apart. First, our technical foundation is built by developers who excel at creating technically complex solutions that are actually easy to integrate and scale for clients. No headaches, just steady performance day after day.
Second, we don’t just provide odds – we create them. Our in-house trading team combined with our data scientists and sophisticated algorithms, delivers consistent, high-performance margins across all sports. We work with official data sources, and our models are continuously tested and improved. This ensures we provide the best coefficients and quality feed.
Third, our betting product suite is comprehensive. Just like with esports, we’re bringing Bet Builder, Widgets, Video Streaming, and full functionality to sports and virtual. It’s not about having separate systems – it’s one unified, high-performance solution powered by our technical expertise, official data, and data science capabilities.
What problems do clients typically face before switching to DATA.BET?
Otto: Integration nightmares are, unfortunately, common in our industry. What we wanted to do was make one product and make it exceptionally high-quality from a technical standpoint, so that integration becomes seamless.
If you’re a casino operator, you can be up and running within 10 days. For B2B integrations, we’ve seen major platforms go live in just five weeks.
Our partnership with NuBet is a great example – they chose us for our broad market coverage, fast and seamless user experience, and a strong feature set, including Bet Builder, Video Streaming, and detailed in-game Widgets. The integration was smooth and collaborative, with both teams working hands-on. As NuBet noted, feature delivery has been rapid, feedback is valued, and issues are resolved promptly, without being left hanging.
The key to success is our integration team – they work around the clock and take an extremely bespoke approach to each client. When our partners are ambitious to go live quickly, we make it happen. The speed ultimately depends on the their readiness, but we remove all the traditional technical barriers from our side.
How do you adapt your solutions for different markets, particularly emerging regions like LatAm?
Otto: Regional differences are significant, from sports preferences to regulatory requirements. Take Brazil, for example. It’s heavily football-focused, which is why we’re enhancing our football content and securing official data rights for major leagues, including the Brazilian Série A and other Latin American competitions.
But here’s what’s interesting: esports ranks among the top three most popular betting categories in Brazil. Since we know how to do esports, combining that with top-tier football coverage creates a perfect solution for the LatAm market. We’re not just translating our product – we’re building it specifically for these markets.
What’s your approach for operators using separate providers for esports and sports?
Otto: We focus on demonstrating superior performance in specific areas. While we respect operators’ existing relationships with other providers, we can showcase our strengths in particular sports and esports disciplines. We’re exceptional at basketball and table tennis, for instance. Our models in these areas consistently outperform the competitors’.
The key is showing operators that consolidating with DATA.BET simplifies their operations and improves its margins and player experience. We work within the frameworks of our partnerships while finding ways to add value that others can’t match.
What’s particularly valuable is feedback from clients who initially were signed for esports, then also expanded to sports, and saw better performance than they had with their previous supplier.
What betting trends are you most excited about, and how is DATA.BET preparing?
Otto: The continued growth of live betting is transforming our industry. Players demand more engaging, responsive experiences – everything needs to happen in real-time. This is where our esports heritage gives us an advantage. Esports taught us that speed, accuracy, and synchronization are non-negotiable.
We’re building products where odds and game statistics visualization are timely matched. There’s no tolerance for a broken streaming feed with 30-second delays while odds update faster – that ruins the betting experience. Our unified approach ensures everything works together seamlessly. Widgets, Video Streaming capabilities, extensive markets – all synchronized and working as one cohesive system.
What’s the core message you want operators to understand about DATA.BET?
Otto: Simple: Betting that works. Stress-free, hassle-free, high-performance.
We deliver a fully functional, customizable sportsbook solution that adapts to your needs. Want to launch a new brand? Easy. Expanding to new markets? We have templates ready. Need to change your entire look and feel? It’s just a few clicks.
Our promise is steady performance, day after day, with all the tools you need to succeed. In an industry full of complexity, we’re the solution that works.
DATA.BET continues to expand its presence globally, with particular focus on emerging markets in Europe and Latin America. Their unified sportsbook solution represents a significant evolution from their esports roots, bringing the same performance-driven approach to traditional sports betting.
The post Betting That Works: DATA.BET’s Performance-First Approach to Sports Expansion appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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