Press Releases
Retail Innovation a key theme for Spotlight Sports Group at ICE 2020
The future of retail was a key talking point at the new-look Spotlight Sports Group Cafe at ICE London. The group’s breadth of services was on display through new retail products recently launched in the state-of-the-art Ladbrokes Coral concept stores.
The Racing Post Betting Shop Display, an essential part of the experience for retail bookmakers for decades, has been transformed into interactive touch screens. Providing customers with up-to-date form on every horse running in Britain and Ireland, the offering has now expanded to territories across the globe including South Africa, France and the US. It also shows key information on virtual racing.
The expansion into supplying sports content has been well received in the marketplace, with Spotlight Sports Group’s range of expertise in the sporting sector now used to provide tipping content and up-to-the-minute data for more than 20 sports. This content can now be offered to retail bookmakers through off-the-shelf digital display screens that provide customers with all the essential information they need to place a bet, all available in more than 70 languages.
Speaking about Spotlight Sports Group, Director of Retail, Alan Pepperell discussed the positivity around the rebrand and the excitement surrounding new, innovative retail products.
“The ICE exhibition is a critical week for us and this year was especially important with the launch of our Spotlight Sports Group. Given our acquisition of ICS and Apsley in recent years it was important we demonstrated our expanded capabilities, and ICE allowed us to showcase our breadth of services.
“Having the latest version of the Interactive BSD (Betting Shop Display), as well as the Sports bet-prompt screen on the stand led to a number of positive conversations. Demonstrating how our coverage now extends to international horse racing as well as British and Irish, and how our talented sports team has expanded our offering with pre and in-play tipping, all of which can be translated into 70+ languages through the expertise at ICS-Translate, saw constant interest over the three days of ICE.”
Speaking about the conference, Alan highlighted a constant theme with the host of exhibitors: “Innovation was key at ICE this year, with a number of stands focusing on how they are looking to diversify. Self-service betting is a primary focus in retail and there seemed to be a number of new entrants to the market.”
BLAST
BLAST partners with MATCH on premium fan travel for 2026-27 events
Deal covers travel and hospitality packages across BLAST’s event slate, starting with BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals in November.
BLAST has signed a one-year partnership with MATCH to develop premium fan travel experiences and related commercial opportunities across BLAST events in 2026 and 2027, including the BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals 2026. The companies said the work will start immediately, with an initial focus on the BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals event in November.
BLAST VP of Destinations and Market Development James Woollard said: “We’re thrilled to partner with MATCH, a company with an unrivalled track record in delivering top-tier fan travel experiences at the biggest sporting events in the world. As BLAST continues to grow globally and attract growing numbers of travelling fans, this partnership represents an exciting opportunity to further elevate the live event experience for fans and audiences across esports.”
MATCH is best known for hospitality and accommodation programmes at major sports events, including four consecutive FIFA World Cups
from 2010 to 2022, as well as Ryder Cup tournaments, Formula 1 Grands Prix and ATP tennis tournaments. MATCH Director of UK Events and Business Strategy Richard Parker said: “Esports is one of the most exciting growth frontiers in live entertainment, and BLAST stands out as a world-class platform with incredible potential. At MATCH, we see a tremendous opportunity to bring our expertise in creating premium fan experiences into the esports arena. We are very enthusiastic about the possibility of working together with BLAST to deliver innovative, unforgettable experiences for esports fans worldwide.”
BLAST said MATCH will also bring its network of clients, sponsors, federations, agents and media partners to support international attendance and partner activation, alongside MATCH’s technology and operational infrastructure. The announcement follows BLAST’s 2025 live events activity, where the organiser said it delivered 15 arena shows across 10 countries spanning five titles and sold 194,421 tickets.
The post BLAST partners with MATCH on premium fan travel for 2026-27 events appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
BLAST
BLAST and MATCH Announce Strategic Partnership to Elevate Premium Esports Experiences Worldwide
Partnership to focus on fan travel experiences for BLAST events in 2026 and 2027, including the BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals 2026
BLAST, one of the world’s leading esports entertainment companies, today announced a new strategic partnership with MATCH, a globally renowned leader in premium sports experiences with extensive expertise spanning product development, production, marketing, sales and customer service.
The one-year agreement will see MATCH work alongside BLAST to deliver premium fan travel experiences and commercial opportunities across BLAST’s global esports events portfolio, with an immediate focus on the upcoming BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals in November.
MATCH, and its associated group of companies, are internationally recognised for delivering world-class hospitality and accommodation programmes at some of the globe’s biggest and more commercially successful sports events, including four consecutive FIFA World Cups
between 2010 and 2022, multiple Ryder Cup tournaments, Formula 1 Grand Prix and ATP tennis tournaments.
The partnership comes amid continued global growth and demand for elevated live esports events. In 2025 alone, BLAST delivered 15 arena shows across 10 countries spanning five of the world’s leading esports titles, selling 194,421 tickets to fans worldwide as esports continues to establish itself as one of the fastest-growing sectors in live entertainment.
James Woollard, VP of Destinations and Market Development for BLAST, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with MATCH, a company with an unrivalled track record in delivering top-tier fan travel experiences at the biggest sporting events in the world. As BLAST continues to grow globally and attract growing numbers of travelling fans, this partnership represents an exciting opportunity to further elevate the live event experience for fans and audiences across esports.”
Richard Parker, Director of UK Events and Business Strategy for MATCH, said: “Esports is one of the most exciting growth frontiers in live entertainment, and BLAST stands out as a world-class platform with incredible potential. At MATCH, we see a tremendous opportunity to bring our expertise in creating premium fan experiences into the esports arena. We are very enthusiastic about the possibility of working together with BLAST to deliver innovative, unforgettable experiences for esports fans worldwide.”
Through the partnership, MATCH will bring its extensive global network of clients, sponsors, international sports federations, agents and media partners to BLAST events, helping expand international attendance, elevate fan experiences and further position esports within the premium live entertainment landscape.
The collaboration will also leverage MATCH’s proven technology, infrastructure and operational expertise that has supported some of the world’s largest sporting events, creating scalable fan travel solutions tailored for esports audiences and commercial partners.
MATCH’s integrated model combines rights-holder expertise with full-service delivery capabilities, enabling efficient setup, operational consistency and premium guest experiences across global events. The company’s proven international reach attracted attendees from more than 150 countries during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
, demonstrating the scale and effectiveness of its worldwide hospitality and marketing network.
The partnership reinforces BLAST’s continued ambition to innovate and expand the esports event experience globally, creating new opportunities for fans, brands and commercial partners alike.
The post BLAST and MATCH Announce Strategic Partnership to Elevate Premium Esports Experiences Worldwide appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
AI Suite
BetConstruct AI is Heading to Peru Gaming Show 2026
BetConstruct AI will be at Peru Gaming Show 2026, June 17–18, Lima, Peru, Stand N.56. PGS is Latin America’s most established iGaming event, and this year’s edition lands at a uniquely high-stakes moment for the industry.
By the time PGS opens, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will already be live. The conversation at Stand N.56 won’t be about preparation; it will be about real-time performance. BetConstruct AI will be on the floor with tournament-ready solutions operators can activate immediately: Special Bets for live market management and Bet on League for instant, zero-development tournament deployment.
Alongside the World Cup offering, the full AI Suite will be on display — CRM AI, Umbrella AI, AI Game Recommendation System, and Betting Mate AI — covering churn prediction, unified risk management, personalised casino experiences, and conversational sportsbook engagement.
The platform foundation: 140,000+ pre-match events and 90,000+ live matches monthly, 45,000+ casino games from 350+ providers via a single API, and the Affigates Affiliate Ecosystem with 7,000+ vetted affiliates and AI-based scoring.
New partners unlock exclusive commercial terms on setup!
All the visitors are welcome to Stand N.56!
The post BetConstruct AI is Heading to Peru Gaming Show 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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