Latest News
Real Madrid and Barcelona neck-and-neck as world’s most valuable football brands in the face of COVID-19
- Real Madrid remain world’s most valuable football brand, but Barcelona narrow the gap to just €6 million
- COVID-19 causes total brand value of top 50 clubs to decrease for the first time in 6 years – €751 million or 3.7% is knocked off
- English clubs dominate the ranking with six brands in top 10 and 19 in top 50
- Liverpool inches two spots up into 4th place, following historic Premier League win
- Bundesliga’s 1. FC Köln is this year’s fastest-growing brand, followed by Leicester City and RB Leipzig – all recording over 40% growth
- Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium takes top spot in Buro Happold’s Venue Performance Rating
Real Madrid remain the most valuable football club brand in the world for 2020, according to the latest edition of the Brand Finance Football Annual. Boosted by winning the LaLiga title for the first time since 2017, the club retained its position at the top of the table in the football industry, but against a backdrop of economic and social disruption, caused primarily by the COVID-19 pandemic, Real Madrid’s brand value has declined by 14% to €1,419 million.
Real Madrid’s disappointing on-pitch performance prior to 2019-20, which saw an earlier-than-normal exit from the UEFA Champions League in 2018-19 and a second successive season adrift of LaLiga champions Barcelona, eroded the club’s dominance of the Brand Finance ranking. The situation was exacerbated by COVID-19, along with a lack of stability around the management of the team. Barcelona, Real’s fierce rivals, are just €6 million behind Real with a brand value of €1,413 million, supported by strong and diverse revenue generation and continued domestic performance in Spain.
COVID-19 knocks off €751 million of brand value
Real Madrid is not the only club to see a drop in brand value this year. COVID-19 has caused the total value of the top 50 football brands to decrease for the first time in 6 years. Through its effect on the three main revenue streams – Matchday, Broadcasting, and Commercial – €751 million or 3.7% has been knocked off the cumulative brand value of the world’s top 50 most valuable football clubs.
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged professional football worldwide and across all levels. Matchday income for the 501 games remaining in the big 5 leagues dropped to zero, but it is often the smaller clubs and leagues which are more reliant on this revenue stream – in Scotland it makes up 43% of total revenue, compared to only 13% in England.
There have been some positive signs, as Southampton vs Manchester City on BBC broke the Premier League TV audience record with 5.7 million viewers, but the longer-term damage to the game’s economic structure has yet to be revealed.
Richard Haigh, Managing Director of Brand Finance, commented:
“Top-level football has been confronted with the largest existential threat since the Second World War. Loss of income, coupled with health concerns about mass gatherings, have raised question marks about the future of the industry and the financial resilience of clubs across all levels. The full damage of the COVID-19 crisis has yet to unfold and it is not inconceivable there will be casualties in the form of club bankruptcies and changes in ownership.”
Despite the huge implications of COVID-19 for football clubs and their financial results, the majority of the brand value is secured by the clubs’ long-term future – provided they can survive the initial shock. For example, only 21% of Real Madrid’s brand value is delivered by the next five years’ financial results.
Premier power
Real Madrid and Barcelona are followed by a cluster of English Premier League clubs in the Brand Finance Football Annual 2020 ranking, with Manchester United in 3rd position after their brand value fell by 11% to €1,314 million. Liverpool, who won their first league title since 1990 in runaway style, are in 4th spot jumping above Manchester City in terms of brand value, rising from €1,191 million in 2019 to €1,262 million, a 6% increase. Chelsea dropped one place in the table to 8th after their value fell for the fourth consecutive year to €949 million. This was arguably due to the club being absent from the UEFA Champions League and also suffering a transfer ban after being charged with breaking Financial Fair Play Regulations.
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Argentina
Win Systems deploys Wigos CMS at Casino City Center Rosario, linking 2,500+ slots
The Argentina rollout adds player tracking and QR-based cashless payments via Win Pay, the company says.
Win Systems has implemented its Wigos casino management system (CMS) at Casino City Center Rosario in Argentina, connecting more than 2,500 slot machines to operate and report in real time. The supplier announced the deployment on May 4, 2026.
According to Win Systems, the Wigos rollout centralizes operational management across gaming and customer-facing functions, with modular components spanning slots, tables, players, promotions, and payments. The company said the installation is designed to support operator oversight and decision-making through a single real-time view.
The project also introduces new functionality at the venue, including Player Tracking for player identification and management, and the activation of “Fun Plays.” Win Systems also said the site can enable a QR-based cashless option that allows players to load credit directly to a machine from a bank account or electronic wallet, via its Win Pay payment management platform.
Francisco de Moya, CEO of Halkkon Capital Partners, commented: “This launch represents an important step in the technological evolution of our operation, allowing us to optimize management, enhance the customer experience, and lay the groundwork for future developments.”
Eric Benchimol, CEO of Win Systems, added: “The deployment of Wigos at City Center Rosario is a clear example of how our technology adapts to large-scale operations, enabling operators to optimize processes, improve the player experience, and evolve toward increasingly digitalized models.” Darío Zutel, Executive Chairman of Win Systems, said: “This implementation is part of our growth strategy in the region and reflects our commitment to supporting operators with robust, scalable, and future-ready technology.”
The post Win Systems deploys Wigos CMS at Casino City Center Rosario, linking 2,500+ slots appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Latest News
Win Systems drives its expansion with the implementation of Wigos CMS at Casino City Center Rosario
Win Systems takes another step forward in its international expansion plan with the launch of Wigos CMS at Casino City Center Rosario, strengthening its presence in one of Argentina’s leading entertainment destinations. The installation connects more than 2,500 slot machines, all operating and reporting in real time, reinforcing the operator’s efficiency, control, and decision-making capabilities.
Wigos is the casino management system designed to centralize operations, optimize processes, and provide a complete real-time view of the business. Its scalable and modular architecture allows it to adapt to large-scale operations, integrating slots, tables, players, promotions, and payment management, all under the highest security and regulatory compliance standards. This implementation at City Center Rosario further reinforces Wigos’ role as a key platform for the modernization and digitalization of casino operations.
Casino City Center Rosario is one of the country’s most important entertainment complexes, recognized for its broad offering of gaming, hospitality, gastronomy, and live shows, as well as for its continuous commitment to innovation and operational excellence. Its vision, focused on modernization and the continuous improvement of customer experience, makes it a benchmark within the gaming industry in the region.
This milestone also marks the beginning of new key functionalities within the operation, such as the implementation of Player Tracking for player identification and management, along with the activation of Fun Plays, which bring greater dynamism, engagement, and value to the player experience. In line with the industry’s shift toward increasingly digitalized environments, the project also introduces the possibility for players to load gaming credit directly onto the machine from a bank account or electronic wallet, securely and instantly, through an interoperable QR code. This solution, part of the Win Pay payment management platform, drives a more agile and secure cashless model aligned with the evolving demands of the market.
Francisco de Moya, CEO of Halkkon Capital Partners, commented: “This launch represents an important step in the technological evolution of our operation, allowing us to optimize management, enhance the customer experience, and lay the groundwork for future developments.”
Eric Benchimol, CEO of Win Systems, added: “The deployment of Wigos at City Center Rosario is a clear example of how our technology adapts to large-scale operations, enabling operators to optimize processes, improve the player experience, and evolve toward increasingly digitalized models.”
“This implementation is part of our growth strategy in the region and reflects our commitment to supporting operators with robust, scalable, and future-ready technology,” said Darío Zutel, Executive Chairman of Win Systems. “Moving forward together with a benchmark such as City Center Rosario allows us to further strengthen our positioning and deliver real value to the operation.”
With this new installation, Win Systems reinforces its commitment to the Argentine market and continues to steadily advance its expansion strategy, supporting leading operators with state-of-the-art technological solutions.
The post Win Systems drives its expansion with the implementation of Wigos CMS at Casino City Center Rosario appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Aggregator
SOFTSWISS wins ‘Aggregator of the Year’ at SBC Awards Europe 2026
SOFTSWISS has solidified its leadership position in the European iGaming market by winning the Game Aggregator of the Year category.
The recognition took place during the prestigious SBC Awards Europe 2026 ceremony, held on April 30 in Malta.
The event served as the official closing of the SBC Summit Malta, bringing together the industry’s top operators, suppliers, and regulators.
The award highlights the platform’s ability to provide content scalability and high-impact engagement tools for its global partners.
Technical performance and scale at the industry’s core
With a portfolio exceeding 40,000 titles, the SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator connects operators with over 300 providers across 24 regulated jurisdictions.
Beyond volume, technical stability remains a key pillar, maintaining a 99.999% uptime even during peak traffic loads.
Tatyana Kaminskaya, Head of SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator, celebrated the win in Malta, often considered the capital of the iGaming world.
According to Kaminskaya, the award reflects the team’s dedication to creating a practical tool for the daily management of operator brands.
Innovation in retention and new prediction markets
The victory at the SBC Awards follows the recent launch of new features, such as the Tournament Report and Instant Tournaments.
These tools allow operators to monitor campaign metrics in real-time and adjust marketing strategies without switching platforms.
The company has also diversified its B2B offering with the introduction of its Prediction Markets Platform.
This solution focuses on fixed-odds for real-world events, covering areas ranging from politics and economy to technology.
With over 15 years of experience and a team of 2,000 professionals, SOFTSWISS reaffirms its role as a global technology hub in the gaming ecosystem.
The post SOFTSWISS wins ‘Aggregator of the Year’ at SBC Awards Europe 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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