Australia
Victoria Racing Club, Tabcorp and Nine Enter Landmark Deal for Melbourne Cup Carnival
The Victoria Racing Club (VRC), Tabcorp and Nine Entertainment (Nine) announced a groundbreaking broadcast, media and sponsorship deal for the world-famous Melbourne Cup Carnival from 2024 to 2029.
The landmark agreement will see the VRC and Tabcorp enter a game-changing partnership combining enhanced year-round sponsorship, and domestic and international media rights for the Carnival.
The Melbourne Cup Carnival will be broadcast on all SKY platforms and the TAB app, with Tabcorp having the right to on-sell the coverage to wagering providers.
Nine will be the free to air partner of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, including audio-visual rights for broadcast, streaming, mobile, digital and social platforms. Tabcorp will be the exclusive wagering integration partner for Nine’s broadcast of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
The new rights package means that Nine will be the broadcast home of Penfolds Derby Day, Lexus Melbourne Cup Day, VRC Oaks Day and TAB Champions Stakes Day. All four days of the Carnival – one of the nation’s most significant cultural events – will be broadcast live and free in high-definition on Channel 9 and streamed on 9Now.
The partnership allows the VRC to invest strategically for the long term in the key areas of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, member engagement, the year-round racing programme, Flemington Racecourse tracks and facilities and the broader community. It will also bring significant new investment to the racing industry which will support and fund innovations on and off the track, create new jobs and further enhance equine welfare initiatives.
The agreement represents a partnership encompassing broadcast, content, partnership rights and race naming rights. This partnership will create significant exposure for the brands and their partners as it brings together the biggest names in sport.
VRC Chairman Neil Wilson said that this was an important strategic announcement for the industry, Tabcorp, Nine and the VRC.
“The VRC is delighted to extend and enhance its long-term partnership with Tabcorp. As Australia’s first major event, the Melbourne Cup Carnival will sit very appropriately in the calendar of Nine’s Wide World of Sport major event coverage,” Mr Wilson said.
“The Melbourne Cup Carnival is Australia’s pre-eminent racing event, and the partnership continues the VRC’s unwavering commitment to showcasing the very best the sport of racing has to offer and attracting new fans to the sport.
“The iconic nature of the event was highlighted by a successful 2023 Melbourne Cup Carnival, with more than 262,000 racing fans at Flemington and millions more engaging with the Lexus Melbourne Cup at home and abroad.
“The Melbourne Cup Carnival is one of Australia’s most culturally and economically important major events, and it is right here in Melbourne – considered by many as the sporting capital of the world.
“As its custodians, the VRC places significant emphasis on protecting the history and tradition of Cup Week, which is loved by so many Australians, while innovating for the future and investing in our club and the major event that is the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
“This landmark partnership is not only good for Melbourne and Victorian racing, but it also guarantees our sport has primacy across multiple platforms and channels.
“The partnership will enhance the community engagement and economic contribution that followed the 2023 Melbourne Cup Carnival, which saw more than $500,000 raised for different charity groups, an estimated 16,000 jobs generated and the delivery of thousands of visitors to Victoria from interstate and international locations, highlighting the broader impact of the event,” Mr Wilson said.
The Melbourne Cup Carnival delivered $422.1 million in economic benefit to Victoria in 2022, making it the largest economic contributor to the state of any major annual sporting event in the past decade, with early modelling suggesting the 2023 economic impact will be even greater than 2022.
In 2022, one in two adult Australians engaged with Lexus Melbourne Cup Day in some way and in 2023, the race itself was broadcast to 209 countries and territories with a potential global reach of 750 million people.
A key component of the partnership will see the VRC take the reins on managing the production for racing coverage through VRC Media, working closely with Tabcorp and Nine to elevate the way racing is broadcast across the globe.
VRC Chief Executive Officer Steve Rosich said the partnership underlined the club’s strategic commitment to being a world leader in racing, media, sponsorship and event experience.
“The partnership with Tabcorp and the arrangements with Nine have been developed by our close strategic alignment and a desire to grow and innovate in our industry,” Mr Rosich said.
“We are thrilled that in 2024 the Melbourne Cup Carnival will join the Nine big event stable alongside the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Australian Open and State of Origin.
“Nine’s capability to showcase coverage of Melbourne Cup Carnival racing and events across the depth of their leading broadcast and streaming assets make for a compelling partnership outcome.”
Mr Rosich also thanked previous Melbourne Cup Carnival broadcast partner Network 10.
“The VRC acknowledges and thanks Network 10 for bringing together exceptional coverage of the Melbourne Cup Carnival since 2019. In partnership with Network 10 the VRC has expanded the range and reach of Cup Week across domestic and international audiences, and we were delighted to finish the partnership on a high, with increased viewership on Network 10 and 10 Play.”
Tabcorp CEO Adam Rytenskild said: “Tabcorp’s partnership with the VRC and Nine is the most innovative in Australian sport and we can’t wait to bring our entire digital, broadcast and retail ecosystem together to grow and promote the Melbourne Cup Carnival together.
“This partnership builds on Tabcorp winning the 20-year Victorian exclusive wagering licence and will be a key pillar of our growth strategy. Together with our Brand and Customer transformation, this partnership gives us a terrific platform to grow in Victoria, throughout Australia and around the world as we beam the Cup to more than 60 different countries through Sky Racing.”
Australia
The Star Shuts Down EGMs and ETGs at All Three Australian Casinos Due to “System Performance Issues”
Electronic gaming machines (EGMs) and electronic table games (ETGs) at all three of Star Entertainment Group’s Australian casinos remained offline on Monday following what it describes as “system performance issues” related to the introduction of cashless gaming technology. The machines had gone dark on Saturday evening.
According to information released by the company via an ASX announcement, the issue relates to planned upgrades to The Star’s systems in readiness for the introduction of cashless gaming.
“Certain of The Star’s systems have been disrupted due to system performance issues identified in post-upgrade testing which resulted in the decision to switch off all Electronic Gaming Machines and Electronic Table Games in each of The Star’s three properties from 10:00 pm onwards on 13 July 2024 until the issue is resolved,” Star said.
“The decision was taken by The Star to ensure compliance with relevant regulations, and to maintain the company’s commitment to safer gambling procedures.”
Star explained that it is working with its systems provider Konami to address the issues but said its properties – Treasury Brisbane, The Star Gold Coast and The Star Sydney – remain open with table games still operational.
The post The Star Shuts Down EGMs and ETGs at All Three Australian Casinos Due to “System Performance Issues” appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Sportradar is participating at the Regulating the Game conference, and has secured the first pitch with a quickfire talk on “Effective Regulation Through Innovative Technological Solutions”.
Pitch! is a networking event that as part of the Regulating the Game conference seeks to ignite innovation, champion compliance, and propel the gambling industry “toward unparalleled excellence in regulatory achievements”.
“It is a stage for ideas that elevate operational capability, streamline processes, and confront compliance and regulatory hurdles head-on. More than just a platform, Pitch! is a crucible for change, offering insights into how policy can transition into practice for tangible improvements in regulatory policy and supervision,” the event’s organizers said of the Pitch! feature.
The event shines a spotlight on initiatives that foster ethical leadership, promote safer gambling, and bolster defenses against financial crime and money laundering. As the second networking highlight of the conference, Pitch! combines hospitality, food, and drinks with pitches and entertainment, orchestrated under the guidance of special guest host and sponsor Norths Collective.
The post Sportradar Secures First Pitch at Regulating the Game 2025 in Sydney appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
4D Lotto is a new regulated online lottery in Australia. With the games 2D Red or Black, 3D, 4D Classic and 5D the Lottery offers a fast gaming experience and the chance to win more prizes. With this, 4D Lotto is opening a completely new range of games for millions of Australians. These games are very successful in Asia and particular in the US.
For TQG Lottery Solutions, it was once again a confirmation of its product strategy. The new games 2D Red or Black, 3D, 4D Classic and 5D are implemented directly via the game configurator in the lottery management system TQG- LotterySuite. No programming is needed and the quality and performance are given. And the total project could be handled remotely.
The Player Account Management (PAM) was expanded to include specific customer requirements and Australian specifications. For example, a new payment provider and a specific auditing system for the Gambling Authority were integrated.
Thanks to the mobile-first approach, players now have access to a user interface optimized for smartphones. Fast payment via Apple Pay and Google Pay are just as much a matter of course as the provision of apps in the Apple Store and Google Play Store.
The entire system has been certified by an external auditor in accordance with the requirements of the Australian Gambling Authority.
“It was very important for us to select an experienced technical service provider that has a high level of expertise in the lottery market and can adapt flexibly to our requirements. The collaboration has confirmed that our decision was absolutely right,” Tatt Ghee Saw, Director of 4D Lotto, said.
“This is an important milestone for TQG. The TQG-LotterySuite has once again confirmed itself as a lottery platform and we are now also represented outside Europe with our range of services. We are proud of our product offering and the TQG team,” said Karsten Hagemeister, COO of TQG-LS and responsible for business development.
The post TQG Lottery Solutions Operates Australia’s Newest Lottery appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Uncategorized3 days ago
Musburger Media Purchases VSiN, The Sports Betting Network
-
Uncategorized2 days ago
GGPoker & Triton Poker Offer High-Roller And Super-High-Roller Events At 2024 WSOP Paradise
-
Uncategorized3 days ago
Betmotion unveils ‘Jogos do Betmotion’ competition to celebrate 2024 Olympics
-
Uncategorized2 days ago
Arizona Department of Gaming Releases May Sports Betting Figures
-
Uncategorized3 days ago
GGPoker & Triton Poker Offer High-Roller And Super-High-Roller Events At 2024 WSOP Paradise
-
Uncategorized1 day ago
QTech Games recruits David Camacho to take the lead for LatAm markets
-
Uncategorized1 day ago
QTech Games recruits David Camacho to take the lead for LatAm markets
-
Uncategorized1 day ago
QTech Games recruits David Camacho to take the lead for LatAm markets