Industry News

SportCaller continues winning run for Kindred retention with Streakr

Published

6 years ago

January 23, 2020

Unibet launch proves an instant success for ramping retention rates and improving CRM at the group’s leading brand

SportCaller, the free-to-play (FTP) sports-game specialist, has rolled out its latest innovative game, Streakr, with leading Kindred Group brand Unibet to instant acclaim.

Through SportCaller’s market-leading platform, Kindred has become the first operator to harness FTP as a central marketing tool with a long-term strategy at both group and local levels. Streakr is just the latest manifestation of these plans, focusing on driving deeper engagement and reliable retention among active customers at Unibet, as the brand bids to grow its international footprint.

Streakr is a free-to-play game which enables users to win free bets and cash prizes for accurately predicting consecutive correct results. The player with the longest winning streak scoops a jackpot-sized prize, but the game’s underlying premise embraces a softer marketing function to improve customer dwell time and repeat visits.

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Early results have already surpassed Unibet projections in the first week after launch. Over 60% of those customers have since returned to play on a daily basis, while 15% of them have already been awarded a prize from playing. This intuitive and accessible FTP format offers highly attainable prizes, ranging from £2 to a £30.000 jackpot, and is tailored to assist Unibet in driving and retaining active customers.

Streakr is just the latest original sportsbook offering to market off the SportCaller production rank, delivering low-cost acquisition levels with a trademark flair for innovation, coupled to trackable and provable results. These traits led to SportCaller being named as Best Acquisition & Retention Partner and Sports Betting Innovator of the Year at the prestigious EGR B2B Awards 2019.

More broadly, SportCaller’s burgeoning partnership with Kindred’s stable of global brands has seen the group roll out a total of 15 games across 14 countries and in 14 different languages over the past few months, running games from local leagues to international tournaments, with at least 20 different sports scheduled to feature by Q1 2020.

SportCaller’s game-changing, light-to-deploy platform empowers now partners to easily press “predictor” games, like Streakr, into the service of any sport or event. This new mechanic allows both operator partners and media owners to launch their own branded games with speed and flexibility to capture the enthusiasms of fans across the sporting calendar’s mass-market events.

Johannes Nijboer, Sportsbook Business Portfolio Manager at Kindred Group, said: “At Unibet, as with all Kindred Group brands, our cornerstone aim is to improve the user experience with customised, local solutions on the international stage. Which is why this companywide alliance with SportCaller makes so much sense for driving retention in a responsible manner Above all, it provides the elasticity and peace of mind for us to grow a regulated and sustainable sports betting market across our markets.

“The unique platform developed by SportCaller frees up our local teams to deploy games based on their territorial strategies in addition to catering for worldwide needs. Their proven track record, industry knowledge, and 24/7 support readily made them our preferred partner, while their rapid concept-to-actualisation game creation and fully-compliant deployment mean we can target and plan with precision, no matter what the territory.”

SportCaller MD Cillian Barry added: “We like to think that our FTP platform’s speed of integration and scalability set SportCaller apart. And Streakr is the latest incarnation in this ongoing evolution, demonstrating the varied benefits of our wide-ranging games, and promoting the sportsbook proposition via softer marketing techniques aimed at consolidating retention.

“Given that FTP has become a significant marketing function for Kindred as they look to enhance the customer experience through innovation, this is a partnership of which we’re particularly proud. We look forward to working in close collaboration with their family of brands over the years to come.”

In a standardised marketplace running out of ideas and regulatory rope for sign-up offers and bonuses, SportCaller is transforming free-to-play games into a standalone vertical for enhanced recruitment strategy, reactivation and retention through consequential engagement and organic gameplay across the sporting spectrum.

Industry News

FDJ UNITED Confirms Strong Half-Year Progress and Maintains 2025 Guidance

Published

17 hours ago

August 1, 2025

Niji Narayan

fdj-united-confirms-strong-half-year-progress-and-maintains-2025-guidance

Reading Time: 2 minutes

FDJ UNITED, a leader in lottery, betting and gaming in Europe, announced its results for the first half of 2025.

• First-half revenue of €1867m: up +31% compared with H1 2024 reported and down -2% on a restated basis

• Buoyant performance by the French lottery and retail sports betting BU with revenue of €1290m, up +4% on a restated basis

• Lottery revenue rose by +6% to €1065m. This performance can be attributed to the whole range of games and all distribution channels, particularly digital, which rose by +16% to €160m

• Point-of-sale sports betting revenue fell by -6% to €225m. This change reflects unfavourable sports results for the operator, despite stakes boosted by an attractive football offering (+4%)

• Online betting and gaming BU2 revenue of €466m, down -12% on a restated basis

• This change reflects a very unfavourable 2024 comparison base, due in particular to the Euro football tournament, as well as tax and regulatory impacts in 2025, particularly in the Netherlands and the UK. Excluding these two markets, revenue would be up 5% thanks to the performance of other countries, including France

• Second-quarter revenue came to €235m, up +2% compared with the first quarter of 2025

• Recurring EBITDA of €441m, representing a margin of 23.6%, or 24.4% excluding the cost of the employee share ownership plan (€14m)

• Adjusted net income of €222m

• This reflects the impact of the financing of the Kindred acquisition on the financial result and the one-off tax contribution on the profits of large French companies

• 2025 objectives reiterated: stable revenue versus 2024 pro forma, with a recurring EBITDA margin of over 24%

• Successful employee share ownership plan bringing the share of capital held by employees to 4.6%

• Taken up by more than half of employees and largely oversubscribed

“2025 stands as a transition year for FDJ UNITED, with the integration of Kindred well on track. In this context, our first-half performance is in line with the expected full-year trajectory. Besides, we are pleased by the success of the employee share ownership plan launched by the Group, reflecting our long tradition of sharing FDJ UNITED’s value creation with all stakeholders,” Stéphane Pallez, Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of FDJ UNITED.

The post FDJ UNITED Confirms Strong Half-Year Progress and Maintains 2025 Guidance appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Industry News

EGT Launches Linked United Platform

Published

2 days ago

July 31, 2025

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

EGT has launched Linked United, an innovative platform aiming to redefine profitability and immersion in gaming establishments in Spain. This product marks a significant milestone in the company’s strategy to enhance the performance of bingo and gambling halls across one of the most important European markets.

Linked United enables the seamless interconnection of numerous products at a single station, thus creating a more dynamic and engaging entertainment network. The platform enables operators to integrate popular titles from EGT’s portfolio, such as Bell Link Plus, Gods & Kings Link and Sands Princess, along with exciting new offerings. The company plans to include all releases launched on the local market from now on in Linked United.

A key differentiator of the platform is its innovative shared Grand Jackpot system: a single, progressive level, involving all interconnected games within a group. This way, players’ chances of hitting enormous winnings increase manifold, which generates unparalleled vibrancy in the gaming hall.

Along with enriching the gaming journey, the product also contributes to increasing operational efficiency through space optimization, allowing a greater variety of games to be offered in a smaller area. Linked United also stands out with its impressive flexibility in terms of installation, as it enables venues to adjust the game mix based on performance and tailor it to the specific preferences of their customers.

Linked United brings a number of advantages for operators. First, it increases perceived value for players thanks to the wider diversity of game offerings and the irresistible appeal of the unified GRAND Jackpot, which results in enhancing the overall experience and building loyalty. Second, this leads to extended playing sessions, as more dynamic and connected entertainment encourages players to prolong their visits. Third, it allows for maximum leveraging of existing hardware investment, as Linked United integrates with current infrastructure, which optimizes costs while extending equipment lifespan. Finally, operators benefit from significant cost savings by proposing more games per station and utilizing space efficiently.

Diego Scotti, Sales Director of EGT Spain, said: “We are at a turning point in our market strategy. With Linked United, we are not just connecting games; we are opening the doors to an ecosystem of unlimited possibilities. It’s a strategic response to our operators’ demand for solutions that not only captivate their clients but also maximize their return on investment in a tangible way.”

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FanDuel Sports Network

Main Street Sports Group Appoints Jim Keller as EVP of Advertising and Sponsorship Sales

Published

3 days ago

July 30, 2025

GamingAmericas.com

main-street-sports-group-appoints-jim-keller-as-evp-of-advertising-and-sponsorship-sales

Main Street Sports Group, owner of FanDuel Sports Network, announced the appointment of Jim Keller as Executive Vice President of Advertising and Sponsorship Sales. In this new role, Keller will lead the entire ad sales portfolio for FanDuel Sports Network, overseeing linear, digital, and programmatic efforts. He will report directly to Eric Ratchman, Chief Revenue Officer of Main Street Sports Group.

Keller brings more than two decades of experience driving innovation, operational excellence, and revenue growth across every layer of the media ecosystem, from national networks to digital-first platforms. Most recently serving as Chief Revenue Officer at Fuse Media, Keller previously held executive roles at Warner Bros. Discovery, Hulu, and NBC Universal, leading cross-platform sales teams through industry-shifting transformations and high-growth phases. His background includes oversight of digital, streaming, mobile, addressable, and data-driven advertising, as well as advanced monetization strategies across premium content portfolios spanning sports, entertainment, and news.

“Jim is a proven leader with an exceptional track record across linear, streaming, and digital platforms. As FanDuel Sports Network redefines what local sports media can be – more dynamic, more engaging, and more impactful – Jim’s leadership will be key in creating smarter advertising experiences that deliver real value to our brand partners and local fans alike,” said Eric Ratchman, Chief Revenue Officer of Main Street Sports Group.

“There’s nothing more powerful than the connection a fan has with their local team, and FanDuel Sports Network is building a platform that truly honors that connection. From my earliest days as a sports seller at NBC Sports, to leading some of the industry’s most innovative ad strategies, I’ve always believed that the strongest media experiences are rooted in content and community. FanDuel Sports Network’s focus on building relevant, local, multiplatform fan experiences is exactly what the industry and advertisers need right now, and I couldn’t be more excited to help drive the next phase of growth,” said Keller.

Keller’s deep expertise in building modern ad operations, forging high-impact partnerships, and unlocking value across multiplatform products will be instrumental as FanDuel Sports Network continues to evolve into the future of local sports media. Main Street Sports Group’s continued transformation is rooted in reimagining local sports coverage, not just distributing games, but uniting the brands, features, and experiences fans want, tailored to each market.

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