Industry News
OZ Sports uses Augmented Reality to put football fans at the heart of closed-door broadcasts

OZ Sports partners with RVX to launch OZ ARENA, using innovative AR technologies that are set to bring fans from home into live broadcasts when football resumes in the wake of COVID-19.
Virtual fans can personalise their experience with their own avatars, club shirts, genuine cheers from home via an app – and even appear in their preferred seat.
OZ ARENA while standalone, also forms part of the OZ Connected Stadium, the one-stop-solution for leagues and federations to augment their sports by capturing, enhancing and distributing content.
Throughout history, there have been pivotal moments of disruption that have completely redefined the norm. Coronavirus is accelerating change, almost subconsciously, that will completely change the face of business, industry, our entire daily life, including sport.
When football returns post-lockdown, it will be in unprecedented circumstances. For the millions of match-starved fans around the world, there won’t be a quick fix to live match withdrawal symptoms once Coronavirus restrictions are lifted. Yet, there are opportunities for federations, leagues and broadcasters to transform and revolutionise the home viewing experience.
Venues might be physically deserted, but through cutting edge augmented reality and visual effects – the likes of which have been embraced in the world of esports and streaming – fans will still be able to be at the heart of the action. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Introducing the new game: welcome to OZ ARENA.
OZ Sports and RVX, whose most recent work has been seen in various Hollywood blockbuster movies and TV series, are rolling out new technology and services for rights-holders of leagues to make the experience more engaging for the fans.
With the new solution, which also integrates into the wider OZ Connected Stadium, spectators can be dynamically added to live broadcasts with the use of advanced augmented reality technology. Fans can pick their avatar, club’s shirt, have their face painted, and even appear in the stadium in their favourite seat. Fans can also get their voice heard, by participating as either audio-only or with immersive visual participation in the live broadcast.
OZ ARENA tech can either completely replace the stadium entirely or augment spectators into existing empty stadiums. The process is added to each camera feed in the workflow opening up support for multi-camera processing.
OZ ARENA has advanced audio support, where fans can use an app to add live audio to the broadcast. The servers aggregate all fan audio, using low-latency time synchronisation and AI algorithms, to manage volume levels, enabling fans to yell as loudly as they like remotely, without overpowering the audio stream. These solutions enable broadcasts to maintain full integrity and sound effects during fan-free games.
“Due to Coronavirus, we will see more games to be played behind closed doors with bans on large-scale public events. It is our job to keep the experience still as exciting as during the non-pandemic world. We do that by learning from esports, bringing new exciting elements into the real-world broadcasts. Our augmentation filters can be customised based on the branding strategy and the creative plan of the league,” said Gudjon Gudjonsson, CEO of OZ Sports.
“The idea is to protect the integrity and experience of the game, by turning the attention away from the empty stadium, and instead replacing it with appealing surroundings to make the game more interesting, and as close to reality as possible. These are times to explore and experiment, to make sports even more appealing and to bring it closer to the latest developments in esports” continued Gudjonsson.
“We have brought together world-class 3D visual artists, developers and technologists, with a range of honours and awards – including numerous Emmys, VES and D&AD Awards,” said Dadi Einarsson, CEO of RVX. He continues: “The team for this solution has previously delivered visual effects for blockbusters films, TV, video games and VR projects including Everest, Gravity, The OA, 2 Guns and Sherlock Holmes. Our experience with AAA quality visuals coupled with cutting edge AI and AR solutions put us in the perfect spot.”
The AI and machine learning team include PhDs and specialists on both player and ball tracking that have developed a low-latency perception framework for a detailed semantic understanding of sports games. This framework is a combination of state-of-the-art object detectors, trackers and classifiers which are trained to perform in sports environments. OZ Sports technology can uncover the true state-space of the sport and infer meaningful sport-specific abstractions from the game from velocity vectors in a 3-dimensional space.
The OZ ARENA solution can be applied to live production as a per-match service. It supports both audio-only and the full immersive audio-visual solution. The OZ ARENA system is an integrated part of the OZ Connected Stadium, and can also be installed at broadcaster’s facility, OB truck, or at the stadium.
Rights-holders and broadcasters can contact OZ Sports for quotes on deployments by visiting www.oz.com.
About OZ Sports:
OZ Sports mission is to give every sports league affordable technologies to create immersive and spectacular video experiences with no sacrifice in quality.
Centred around our global roll-out of the OZ Connected Stadium system at sports venues worldwide. A simple, one-time setup, offering sports leagues an outstanding fan experience with exceptional production, VAR, visual augmentations, player tracking, and global distribution via branded apps.
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Industry News
PTSB Launches ln-app Voluntary Gambling Block to Support Customer Financial Wellbeing

PTSB has launched a digital voluntary block for customers who wish to stop card transactions involving gambling merchants. This is an important initiative in promoting financial wellbeing and supporting customers in managing gambling-related harm.
The new feature allows PTSB customers to block debit and credit card transactions that are classified as gambling instantly through their PTSB App.
If customers choose to remove the block, a 48-hour impulse delay period will apply before gambling transactions can resume.
Along with betting sites, the block also covers online casinos, poker sites and lottery websites.
An analysis of PTSB banking data from January to June 2025 shows:
• 91% of gambling spend was completed online.
• 80% of gambling spend was completed by men, versus 20% completed by women.
• The age group with the highest spend on gambling sites for both men and women is 40-49.
• 2% of those who gambled in June 2025 spent over €1000, which falls into the threshold of problem gambling, according to ESRI Research.
ESRI research found that there are 130,000 adults with problem gambling in Ireland. There is also growing evidence that gambling offers lure people to bet more, particularly those at risk of problem gambling.
As part of the Bank’s 2025-2027 Sustainability launched earlier this year, PTSB is committed to playing its part in supporting customers with their financial wellbeing and has a continued focus on improving the financial literacy of its customers through education, inclusion supports and the delivery of digital tools. This includes raising awareness of the risks associated with problem gambling and providing support for those affected.
PTSB also has a dedicated Enhanced Customer Support team within their Contact Centre should customers need to access this support via phone.
Patrick Farrell, PTSB’s Retail Banking Officer, said: “At PTSB, the safety and welfare of our customers is of the utmost importance, and we’re committed to ensuring our customers have the knowledge and confidence to make informed financial decisions and plan for their future.
“Problem gambling is increasingly becoming a societal issue that warrants the closest attention, as it can have hugely damaging implications for individuals, their families and loved ones. We know from ESRI research that one in 30 adults in Ireland suffers from problem gambling, but worryingly a further 279,000 adults show moderate evidence of it. That’s why we have introduced this voluntary gambling block in-app so that it is accessible when our customers need it most.”
Oisín McConville of GamblingCare.ie said: “I am delighted that PTSB has introduced a Gambling Block feature to their app. Having this service available to customers digitally will make a huge difference as it is accessible to them on the go, which is particularly important given the prevalence and availability of online gambling.
“Initiatives like this from PTSB are crucial in supporting those who experience problem gambling and really complement the support services GamblingCare offers in managing gambling-related harm.”
The post PTSB Launches ln-app Voluntary Gambling Block to Support Customer Financial Wellbeing appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Apple iSports
Apple iSports Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire LBC Enterprises Pty Ltd

Apple iSports, a gaming, entertainment, and technology services company, announced that it has signed a Definitive Agreement with LBC Enterprises Pty Ltd (LBC or Lucky Bet), an online gaming, wagering, and payment systems company.
The proposed acquisition underscores Apple iSports’ ability to execute strategic transactions pursuant to its stated business strategy. This transaction will underpin the Company’s ambitions and excellent relationships in the gaming and entertainment communities by securing highly accretive gaming and wagering revenue streams from business-to-business (B2B) and consumers (B2C). In doing so, this will position the Company to become a highly competitive player in the U.S. online gambling services ecosystem.
Ian Parke, CEO of LBC, said: “The proposed acquisition of our company by Apple iSports validates the global opportunity we see in regulated, tech-driven gaming. By combining LBC’s platform and operational expertise with AiS’s capital markets presence and distribution network, we are primed to accelerate our expansion into new markets and scale our white label program. This partnership represents a major step forward for Lucky Bet and the broader LBC ecosystem.”
Joe Martinez, CEO and Chairman of Apple iSports, said: “The Board of Directors is excited to continue rolling out our stated objectives with our proposed acquisition of LBC. Our service offerings to B2B and B2C will now be significantly enhanced in a rapidly growing sector. Combined with our exceptional team, this transaction catapults us into the US and international gaming markets.”
Board member and director Lyndon Hsu, who is based in Singapore, said: “This defining transaction will expand our reach into gaming, wagering, and payment services markets via B2B and B2C opportunities. AiS will also be able to accelerate its stated capital raising objectives and further anticipated business acquisitions. Apple iSports remains on track to become a NASDAQ mainboard-listed company.”
The post Apple iSports Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire LBC Enterprises Pty Ltd appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Carlo Santarelli
Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. Names Carlo Santarelli Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations

Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. announced that Carlo Santarelli has been appointed Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations, a new position at the Company. Mr. Santarelli will begin his new position on August 18, 2025 and will report to GLPI President and Chief Operating Officer, Brandon Moore.
Mr. Santarelli brings over 25 years of Wall Street experience in Equity Research and Investment Banking to his new role and joins the Company from Deutsche Bank where he was Managing Director of Gaming & Lodging Equity Research. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Mr. Santarelli held similar positions at Bear Stearns, JP Morgan and Wells Fargo. He consistently ranked highly in Institutional Investor and other sell-side analyst research polls as a thought leader in the space, providing unique perspectives on industry events and trends with his data-driven approach and stock picking talent. Carlo Santarelli graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Economics in 2000.
Peter Carlino, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GLPI, said: “We’ve known and respected Carlo’s research work on the gaming, lodging and gaming REIT sectors for many years. Carlo brings to GLPI an in-depth knowledge of the industry and its participants, having experienced GLPI’s original formation of the gaming triple-net-REIT structure from a research analyst and capital markets perspective. We value his deep network of contacts among institutional investors, sell-side analysts and a wide range of gaming industry operators and we look forward to the value of his contributions.”
In his new role, Mr. Santarelli will work with Mr. Carlino and GLPI’s senior management to develop and evaluate growth opportunities and strategic relationships, and will oversee investor relations interactions.
The post Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. Names Carlo Santarelli Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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