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Entain credits ‘Wrexham Effect’ and blockbuster docuseries for attracting new and engaged sports fans
Wrexham AFC is making its debut in League Two of the English Football League this weekend, after scoring a promotion from the National League and climbing to Hollywood fame with the docuseries, Welcome to Wrexham. To mark this milestone, Entain, the global sports betting, gaming, and interactive entertainment group, reveals the ‘Wrexham Effect’ in sports betting.
After Hollywood icons Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over Wrexham AFC in November 2020, Entain’s Ladbrokes and Coral brands in the UK recorded an increase of 59% in the number of bets placed during the National League’s 2021/22 season from 2017/18. This far outpaces that of the Championship League, League One and League Two, which saw a 15%, 32% and 24% increase respectively, and demonstrates the powerful impact that the docuseries has had on the popularity of non-league football.
Other non-league clubs have seen the impact too – including Wrexham AFC’s previous rival, Notts County FC, who finished in second place in the 2022/23 National League season and saw an 89% increase in the number of bets on the team from 2021/22.
The ‘Wrexham Effect’ has also taken over on the other side of the world, with Entain Australia recording an increase of 781% on the number of bets placed on Wrexham AFC football games, from 2019/20 to 2022/23. And across the pond in the US, the number of BetMGM bets placed on any Wrexham game has increased a staggering 3818% from the 2020/21 season to the 2022/23 season. Thanks to the celebrity status of the new owners, Wrexham AFC has seen a surge of popularity in the US, with Google Trends data even revealing that the Red Dragons have become one of the most searched for teams, more than the nation’s top soccer league, Major League Soccer (MLS).
It is not just football that has benefited from the boom in sporting docuseries, with the NBA experiencing a surge in popularity following the release of The Last Dance on Netflix in April 2020, which followed the success story of the Chicago Bulls’ dream team:
- Data from Entain’s global brands reveals that the number of bets placed on NBA games increased by 46% from the 2019/20 season to 2020/21.
- In the home of the NBA league, data from BetMGM evidences growing interest in the sport, with a 61% increase in the number of bets from 2021 to 2022.
Likewise, Formula 1 has attracted a cohort of new fans, spearheaded by the popularity of the Drive for Survive series on Netflix. Viewership figures for the docuseries get better every season, with the debut of season five seeing nearly 570,000 viewers over its first week, a 40% jump over 2022’s season four debut:
- Data from Entain’s global brands reveals that the number of bets placed on Formula 1 races increased by 16% in 2022 compared to the year prior, and by 63% compared to 2019, when the first season of Drive for Survive aired.
- Mirroring this growth, data from BetMGM in the US shows a 142% increase in the number of bets placed on Formula 1 in 2022, versus 2021.
Dominic Grounsell, Chief Commercial Officer at Entain, said: “We’ve seen a huge step change in the way fans engage with their favourite sports, and behind-the-scenes access in sporting docuseries has only heightened this further. They highlight the importance of finding new and innovative ways for fans to interact with sports and support their favourite teams, but also attract new fans to the sport – and they want to extend their entertainment by backing a team with a bet.
“At Entain, we’re constantly monitoring how this movement is evolving, listening to our customers, and creating content that resonates with them. Coral’s ‘Taking the Reins’ documentary series is a prime example of this and reinforces our commitment to bringing moments of excitement to fans beyond the track, pitch, or court.”
Entain Australia, in collaboration with Racing Victoria, has also produced a sport docudrama based around the running of the All-Star Mile in Melbourne. The documentary plans to give viewers a behind-the-scenes perspective in the lead-up to the running of one of Australia’s richest races. It will air later on this year.
David Mann Chief Commercial Officer at Swintt
Swintt bring players four times the fun in Lucky Fortune Door Wild
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Sought-after software provider’s enhanced Premium release sees players step into the glow of the Far East as wild symbols and Quadspins combine for huge rewards
With Swintt having already opened the way to a world of wonder in the original Lucky Fortune Door, this month the award-winning software provider is back in action again with Lucky Fortune Door Wild – an exciting reboot that gives players even more ways to win!
Like its SwinttPremium predecessor, Lucky Fortune Door Wild is a five-reel slot that can be played with either five or ten paylines. Boasting an engaging Far East theme, the slot combines dragons, yin and yang pendants and coins with new golden ingot wilds that substitute for all other symbols.
The good news for fans of the original game is that the slot’s signature Quadspin mechanic again makes a welcome return. Activated whenever a win of at least 4x the bet is triggered, players will have the choice to either claim their current prize or gamble a portion of it to activate Quadspins.
Should they decide for the latter option, the gameboard will be divided into four separate reel sets to potentially quadruple the prizes on offer – and of course, with substitute wilds now also in play, the chances of players landing the slot’s maximum 6,000x win multiplier will be greatly increased.
As a further incentive, during Quadspins, an extra mystery symbol is also added to the reels. Should any instances of this icon appear on any of the four reel sets, they will be replaced by a random matching symbol to create additional payline wins and generate potentially huge prizes.
On top of this, should players continue to land wins of 4x their bet or greater during Quadspins, they can elect to remain in the feature for longer. With a maximum of 50 Quadspin available per set, the odds of them embarking on a prolonged winning streak are, therefore, much more likely.
To cap it off, all wins in Lucky Fortune Door Wild are paid from both left-to-right and right-to-left, meaning that no matter how aggressively players choose to play, fortune is only ever a spin away.
David Mann, Chief Commercial Officer at Swintt, said: “With Swintt’s signature Quadspin mechanic proving a hugely popular addition to our Premium line-up, we’re delighted to be giving the feature another outing in Lucky Fortune Door Wild. Offering the same great gameplay as the original release but now with added wilds, it’s sure to be a big hit with players and operators alike.”
The post Swintt bring players four times the fun in Lucky Fortune Door Wild appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
18Peaches
18Peaches’ Squid Gold X2 plunges players into a mystical treasure hunt
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Squid Gold X2 by 18Peaches invites players to dive deep into a world of mystery, magic and forgotten riches. Set within a sacred castle filled with ancient relics and hidden chambers, every spin feels like a step deeper into the unknown. The legendary golden squid is said to guard untold fortunes, and only the bravest adventurers will uncover its secrets.
The journey plays out across a 5×5 grid with 50 paylines, where expanding reels can unlock up to 100 paylines for even greater rewards.
With enchanting artifacts, secret rooms, and the electrifying Squid 500 feature, no spin ever feels ordinary. Add in Free Spins, Wild expansions and instant bonus access via Buy Bonus, and Squid Gold X2 becomes a pulse-raising treasure hunt built for thrill-seekers.
“With Squid Gold X2, our goal was to create a journey where every spin feels like a step closer to unlocking a forgotten legend,” says 18Peaches Chief Strategy Officer Arsen Tadevosyan. “We designed mechanics like Squid 500 and the X2 expanding reels to build momentum, each trigger feels like a gate opening, both visually and emotionally. It’s that feeling of chasing something mythical, where every feature builds anticipation and drives you deeper into the experience.”
“When reels expand, paylines double, and the chamber glows with energy, players feel the story unfolding through mechanics. That flow, the rise in tension, the surge of possibility, is what makes Squid Gold X2 such a captivating adventure.”
As with all 18Peaches’ releases, Squid Gold X2
is bursting with features that keep every moment alive. The highlight is the legendary Squid 500 mechanic.
Whenever a Wild lands and expands, it triggers the sacred Golden Gate, unlocking hidden energy within the castle walls. As the gate opens, the power of the golden squid surges through the reels, doubling your paylines and dramatically boosting winning potential.
There’s also our X2 Mechanic. During bonus rounds, when the Golden Gate rises it reveals additional rows, expanding the grid and transforming 50 paylines into a breathtaking 100-line battlefield of rewards.
Squid Gold X2 is the latest addition to 18Peaches’ fast-growing catalogue of hit titles that continue to resonate with modern players. Recent successes such as Leprechaun Jackpot Collector, Monster Load-Up Hold & Win, and the high-adrenaline Hacker Crash
Jackpot have firmly established the studio as a creator of distinctive, high-engagement experiences.
As with all 18Peaches titles, Squid Gold X2 is built for effortless market deployment. The platform supports Sweepstakes and Free Rounds via API, enabling operators to easily tailor promotional strategies across diverse regulatory environments.
The post 18Peaches’ Squid Gold X2 plunges players into a mystical treasure hunt appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Booming Games
Booming Games Takes Players Sky-High with Thunder Eagle Hold and Win Extreme 10,000
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Take to the skies and soar like an eagle, then swoop in and grab big wins by spinning the reels of Thunder Eagle Hold and Win Extreme from Booming Games. This action-packed, feature-filled slot is a wild adventure with a chance to win up to 10,000x.
Thunder Eagle Hold and Win Extreme is a 5×3, 25-fixed payline slot. The winning fun takes off when multiplier prize symbols land in the base game for a chance to trigger the Eagle Bonus feature that awards a spin on the Bonus Wheel, which can award Multiplier prize collect, Mini, Minor or Major Prize Pots or even an instant Hold and Win Extreme Bonus.
Hold and Win Extreme features four 3×5 grids and 3 Respins. Land multiplier prize symbols to unlock the other grids. Completing a grid will award a x2 Win Multiplier to all symbols or landing all 60 positions to complete all found grids award the majestic Grand Prize Pot worth 10,000x!
Play Thunder Eagle Hold and Win Extreme and fly to new heights!
Craig Asling, Director at Booming Games, said: “With Thunder Eagle Hold and Win Extreme, we wanted to take our popular Hold and Win format to new heights, both literally and figuratively. This game delivers an exhilarating experience with powerful visuals, immersive gameplay and incredible win potential up to 10,000x. It’s a perfect example of how Booming Games continues to innovate while keeping players fully engaged.”
The post Booming Games Takes Players Sky-High with Thunder Eagle Hold and Win Extreme 10,000 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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