Latest News
Flutter Awards Bumper £400K Lifeline to Community Clubs
Cash-strapped community clubs across the UK and Ireland will share in a £400,000 windfall after betting and gaming group Flutter UKI unveiled the winning bids for its “Cash4Clubs” grassroots sports programme.
Flutter UKI – home to Paddy Power, Sky Betting & Gaming, Betfair and tombola – is awarding grants of £2000 a time to 200 clubs involved in everything from badminton and skateboarding to American Football, wheelchair rugby and surfing.
Community clubs and charities were able to bid for vital funding to improve their facilities, purchase new equipment, help fund coaching programmes or to invest in the sustainability of their operation.
A particular emphasis this year was placed on clubs in impoverished areas and those aiming to reach under-represented communities.
The awards come just months after the Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer announced the UK Government’s “Get Active” strategy to drive participation in sport by improving access to physical activity.
Flutter UKI originally set aside £200,000 for the 2023-24 “Cash4Clubs” awards but decided to double the fund after receiving an unprecedented 1282 applications.
“The Cash4Clubs fund will help to deliver on our ambition to get an additional 3.5 million adults and children physically active by 2030, and provide important support for community sport clubs. Staying active is vital for our health and wellbeing which is why the Government is investing over £400 million in grassroots facilities to make sure every community has access to the facilities they need,” Gambling Minister Stuart Andrew said.
Winning “Cash4Clubs” bids this year include the Team Solent wheelchair rugby club, which needed funding to survive and enter national competition, the Taibach Tigers Rounders Club in Wales and the Northern Powerhouse Boxing Academy in Todmorden, Yorkshire.
Flutter UKI CEO, Ian Brown, said: “Community clubs are the bedrock of sport in the UK and we are committed to doing everything we can to help small clubs make a real difference to people’s lives. I’m delighted we were able to double the size of this year’s Cash4Clubs fund to £400,000 after seeing a record number of applications come in. We are convinced Cash4Clubs will have a real impact in those areas that need it most.”
Since Cash4Clubs was launched in 2008, nearly £5 million has been invested into community sports by Flutter through its brands. Research shows that for every £1 invested in sports, an average of £6 is returned in social value.
Hayley Williams, captain at the Taibach Tigers, said: “It’s fantastic that we’ve been awarded a Cash4Clubs grant. We’re delighted and excited to see how we can improve the team and attract new members to the sport.”
Josie McNamara, general manager of the Northern Powerhouse Boxing Academy, said: “As a club involved in community work, receiving grants that directly support essential roles like our Head Coach is vital. A big thank you to Cash4Clubs and Flutter UKI.”
Flutter UKI worked with leading UK community sports charity Sported to deliver the Cash4Clubs programme.
Canada
Scientific Games Partnership Wins 2024 Gutenberg Award for Sustainability
Scientific Games, in partnership with Loto-Québec, Sustana Papers and Recyc-Québec, won the 2024 Gutenberg Award for sustainability at the 42nd Gala Gutenberg. The Gutenberg Awards are the Québec printing industry’s premier event, highlighting the talent, creativity and expertise of printing artisans.
The partnership’s winning entry was the Le Billet Vert (The Green Ticket) lottery instant scratch game launched by Loto-Québec in April 2024. The game was printed on 100% recycled board provided by Sustana Papers, with 100% water-based inks. Scientific Games enhanced the sustainability of the production process by packing completed games in boxes containing 60% recycled fiber and delivering them on reused European Pallet Association pallets.
The game promotes the recycling of lottery tickets, inviting players to download Recyc-Québec’s Ça va où? (Where Does It Go?) mobile app. The app teaches users to correctly sort recyclables and shows them drop-off locations for various types of household waste.
Isabelle Jean, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Lottery Games for Loto-Québec, said, “Since our first scratch game printed on 100% recycled paper stock debuted in 2021, our sustainability efforts have only increased. Congratulations to our team members from Loto-Québec, Scientific Games, Sustana Papers and Recyc-Québec for their vision. Together, we are reducing the environmental footprint of our games.”
The sustainable materials and game production techniques used for Le Billet Vert saved 110 mature trees, the equivalent of 326 10-minute showers, and the electrical power of 882,587 60-watt lightbulbs in one hour (Sustana Solutions eco calculator).
Marc-Andre Doyon, Vice President Canada for Scientific Games, said, “Through this collaboration, Scientific Games and our partners lead the global lottery industry in instant game sustainability. It’s truly an honor to win the Gutenberg Award for our efforts.”
Le Billet Vert is the thirteenth 100% recyclable game created for Loto-Québec since 2021 when Scientific Games and the Lottery began collaborating on a project to bring sustainable instant games to the lottery industry. Another game from this collection, Folie des plantes (Plant Madness), won the Gutenberg Award for sustainability in 2022. Other 100% recyclable Loto-Québec games produced by Scientific Games include Evasion (Escape), Code secret (Secret Code), SLINGO 10X and C’est quoi ton signe? (What’s Your Sign?).
Scientific Games is Loto-Québec’s primary instant game partner, producing the Lottery’s first instant game more than 50 years ago. The company has employed generations of Québécois professionals from their Montréal production facility, which produces instant games for Canadian and European lotteries.
With products that generate more than 70% of global instant game retail sales, Scientific Games is the world’s largest instant games creator, producer and services provider, and the primary provider to nine of the Top 10 performing instant game lotteries in the world (La Fleur’s 2024 World Lottery Almanac).
Industry Awards
Soft2Bet’s Betinia shortlisted in five categories of the EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards
Nominations in five categories of the EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards is further recognition of Soft2Bet’s cutting-edge gamification solutions and innovative approach.
Soft2Bet, a leading provider of iGaming turnkey solutions, is delighted to announce that Betinia, its renowned brand in Denmark and Sweden, has been shortlisted in five categories of the EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards 2024.
The nominations are recognition of the incredible work that has been achieved by the Betinia team in two of Europe’s most competitive and regulated markets.
Betinia’s shortlisting in the following categories:
- Best Native App,
- CRM Campaign,
- Innovation in Sports Betting,
- Innovation of The Year,
- Responsible Gambling Marketing Campaign of the Year, demonstrates how it has grown into being one of the most innovative and progressive operators in the industry.
Soft2Bet was recognised in February when its Motivational Engineering Gaming Application (MEGA) gamification solution won the Innovation of the Year at the EGR Nordics Awards and it is delighted to see its achievements gain further recognition with these shortlist nominations.
Oksana Tsyhankova, CMO of Soft2Bet, commented: “Being shortlisted in five categories is a great achievement and huge credit goes to our technical, product and marketing teams. Betinia’s success in two of Europe’s most competitive and regulated markets is also highly satisfying because it showcases our B2C expertise in driving engagement, retention and revenues.”
The post Soft2Bet’s Betinia shortlisted in five categories of the EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Betmotion
Betmotion leads campaign to aid victims of the Rio Grande do Sul floods
In response to the recent and devastating floods in Rio Grande do Sul, which have displaced over 100,000 people and severely affected 70% of the state’s municipalities, Betmotion, through its Corporate Social Responsibility project, BetSocial, is mobilising efforts to assist the victims of this catastrophe.
BetSocial has launched an initiative to support the actions of the NGOs Ação da Cidadania and CUFA, which are leading the charge in providing immediate aid to the impacted communities. At this critical moment, BetSocial is reinforcing the call for everyone to unite in solidarity and make donations that will be crucial for reconstructing affected lives.
“The tragedy that has struck Rio Grande do Sul requires a swift and coordinated response. At Betmotion, we believe in the power of solidarity and in our community’s ability to make a difference in times of need,” states Bianca Passos, founding member of BetSocial. “Every contribution, no matter how small, has a significant impact on the lives of those facing such difficult days.”
To facilitate donations, BetSocial has provided information on how to make contributions via PIX to the two partner organisations:
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Ação da Cidadania: [email protected]
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CUFA: [email protected]
Betmotion and BetSocial thank you in advance for your support and solidarity. They reiterate their commitment to work to alleviate the hardships faced by this catastrophe’s victims and continue promoting significant social impact actions.
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