Industry News
Ganapati PLC Teams Up With Usain Bolt
International iGaming company, Ganapati PLC, has announced a partnership with the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt
International iGaming company, Ganapati PLC, has announced a partnership with none other than the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt. The global game developer and champion sprinter have joined forces to create the very first official Usain Bolt online slot game, which will be launched this summer.
The company is working closely with Bolt in order to create a slot game which accurately reflects his love of sport-themed games, whilst incorporating entertainment-focused elements which Ganapati games are known for.
In preparation for the game’s launch, Bolt himself will be joining Ganapati at the iGaming industry’s biggest event of the year, ICE London, held at ExCel London in February. The game’s launch later this year will coincide with the opening of the world’s largest sporting event, held in Tokyo.
Originally established in Japan, Ganapati has a reputation within the iGaming industry for developing original online casino content, uniquely borne out of both Europe and Asia. Effectively implementing strategic sport sponsorship and brand opportunities, Ganapati considers itself to be a B2B brand with a B2C mentality.
This recent collaboration with Bolt, as well as the company’s production of the official Manny Pacquiao slot game last year, highlights Ganapati’s dedication to this strategy.
Regarding the collaboration, Usain Bolt commented: “2020 not only welcomes the biggest sporting competition in the world, but an exciting new collaboration between myself and iGaming developer, Ganapati. I am proud to be teaming up with Ganapati to create my first ever official online slot game – Ganapati’s goal to produce innovative and creative content fits perfectly with my brand, making this partnership a natural one for me. Ganapati and I have been working on this together for some time now, and I look forward to sharing the final product with you all.”
Ganapati PLC’s COO, Juliet Adelstein, said: “This partnership between Ganapati and Usain Bolt is hugely exciting and represents just how big we have grown in such a short space of time. Usain has worked closely with us to create this special game and neither of us can wait to release the official Usain Bolt slot game later this year.”
Celia Verot
FDJ UNITED Announces Changes to its Executive Committee
FDJ UNITED makes changes to its Executive Committee, with the appointment of Pascal Chaffard as Chief Online Betting and Gaming Officer as well as Group Strategy and Operational Transformation Officer, and Celia Verot as General Secretary.
Currently Chief Financial Officer, Strategy and Performance leader, Pascal Chaffard is taking over as head of the Online Betting and Gaming business unit. Pascal Chaffard will also be responsible for the Group’s strategy and operational transformation.
As Chief Online Betting and Gaming Officer, Nils Andén has overseen Kindred’s integration into the Group since October 2024; he is leaving the company to pursue new projects.
The appointment of the new CFO will be announced at the end of the recruitment process currently under way.
In addition, Celia Verot, who joined FDJ UNITED in 2024 as Chief Regulatory Officer, was appointed General Secretary, General Counsel and Chief Regulatory Officer for the Group on 1 January.
The post FDJ UNITED Announces Changes to its Executive Committee appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Industry News
Novig Raises $75M Series B to Build a Trader-First Sports Prediction Market
Novig, the fastest growing sports trading platform in America, announced the close of a $75 million Series B round led by Pantera Capital, with participation from Multicoin Capital, Makers Fund, Edge Equity, and existing investors Forerunner, Perceptive Ventures, and NFX. The round brings Novig’s total capital raised to more than $105 million.
The funding follows a period of growth for the platform, which reported a 10x increase in trading volume during 2025. Novig’s annualized trading volume currently exceeds $4 billion.
Although sports account for the majority of activity on most prediction market platforms, those products are not built with sports traders in mind. Novig, by contrast, is built for sports fans, delivering a fair, transparent, and commission-free trading experience.
Since launch, the platform has rapidly emerged as the leading sports trading platform in the US, proving strong demand for a trader-first alternative to traditional sportsbooks. Novig has officially submitted its application to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to become a licensed Designated Contract Market (DCM), a critical milestone in its transition toward becoming a federally regulated exchange available in all 50 states.
Unlike sportsbooks that operate an against-the-house model, Novig operates a commission-free, peer-to-peer exchange where traders compete against one another on a level playing field. By eliminating the hidden “vig,” unfair odds, and punitive limits on winning players, Novig has built the industry’s most equitable sports prediction platform.
“Our mission is to democratize and financialize sports markets, and we’re proud of the fact that Novig users are 10 times more likely to win than on traditional sportsbooks,” said Jacob Fortinsky, Co-Founder and CEO of Novig.
“We chose to partner with the best crypto venture firms in the world to further accelerate our plans to make Novig the most efficient and liquid sports prediction market in the world. Others are using prediction market technology to financialize new markets with unproven demand. We leverage it to fix broken markets where demand already exists.”
“Novig is proving that prediction markets can fundamentally reshape sports betting by removing the exploitative middleman,” said Paul Veradittakit, Managing Partner at Pantera Capital.
“Their peer-to-peer exchange delivers what traditional sportsbooks can’t: better odds, fairer market structure, and alignment between platform success and user profitability. When 23% of users are profitable compared to 2% on traditional platforms, it’s clear this is a foundational change to the industry. We’re excited to lead this round and support Jacob, Kelechi, and the team as they build a sports prediction market that actually puts bettors first.”
“Novig combines the cultural heartbeat of sports with the transparency and efficiency of prediction markets. Most prediction market volume today is on sports, yet those platforms weren’t built with sports or sports bettors in mind. We are delivering a better exchange that is built by sports traders, for sports traders,” said Co-Founder and CTO Kelechi Ukah.
The new capital accelerates Novig’s next phase of growth, including onboarding more institutional liquidity. Novig will utilize the investment to deepen product innovation and growth loops, launching first-of-its-kind functionality that combines the best innovation of financial markets with the excitement of live sports.
To support its next phase of growth, Novig has expanded its team to more than 50 personnel, including operators, engineers, and traders focused on developing the platform’s prediction market infrastructure and transparency features.
The post Novig Raises $75M Series B to Build a Trader-First Sports Prediction Market appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Gaming Laboratories International
GLI Promotes Patrick Cottingham to Director of Client Services, North America
Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has promoted Patrick Cottingham to Director of Client Services, North America. Previously, he served as Senior Manager of Client Services. Prior to commencing his career as an engineer with GLI, he served with the US Air Force.
Cottingham’s dedication to his clients was clearly evident both inside and outside of GLI. He transitioned to the Client Services team where he progressed and built a team laser focused on providing the very best customer service where his and his team’s clients have benefited from his engineering and gaming experience.
Ian Hughes, GLI Chief Revenue Officer, said: “We are thrilled to announce Patrick’s well-deserved promotion to Director of Client Services for North America. Patrick leads a team of dedicated and committed client services representatives who ensure our clients receive the best service during their compliance journey with GLI.”
The post GLI Promotes Patrick Cottingham to Director of Client Services, North America appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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