Stake has witnessed unprecedented levels of sports betting activity during the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL).

The operator customised its global sportsbook for cricket-crazy customers this season by enabling deposits in Indian rupees (INR) for the very first time.

The Indian rupee is the latest of six fiat currencies available on the flagship Stake.com sportsbook, as well as 20 cryptocurrencies.

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The currency integration was launched in tandem with a generous promo, which saw punters paid out as winners, even if their team went on to lose the match, as long as they managed to hit a six during the first four overs.

The only stipulation was that bets must have been placed in INR with a maximum payout of up to US$25.

This occurred during 30 of 48 selected IPL matches, or 63%, leading to handsome rewards for punters who took advantage of the offer.

The bets would have been settled as losses on any other platform, but instead resulted in an extra US$30m of winnings for Stake customers.

The promotion also served as a savvy customer acquisition strategy. More than 80% of users to have redeemed the offer were new to Stake as first time depositors.

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“We are constantly striving to improve our product and want to make Stake easily accessible to as many players as possible,” said Stake’s director of commercial Jarrod Febbraio.

“With more than US$100m wagered this season alone, the IPL is soaring in popularity, and so is Stake.

“We wanted to spice things up for the 2024 season, and this promotion was perfect for our customers who don’t like cricket, they love it,” he added.

The IPL is the most popular cricket league in the world. The current season ends on Sunday 26 May.

Award-winning iGaming supplier in regulated markets Delasport has just signed a sports deal with Philippines’s number 1 operator OKBET.

The leading software developer will provide sports-services to their new partner, enhancing the experience of sports bettors in the Philippines even further.

“We’re proud to supply our services to such a strong partner as OKBET, and to an exciting and steadily growing market as the Philippines”, Delasport’s CEO Oren Cohen Shwartz comments on the agreement.

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Regulated Philippines is marking a stable 5% year-to-year growth with the number of users expected to reach almost 6 million by 2029.

This is yet another deal for Delasport, with the global supplier’s expansion in regulated markets happening at full force.

Same goes for OKBET who have been holding the number one operator spot in iGaming in the Philippines for a long time now.

“I’m excited that OKBET and Delasports are joining forces to redefine the landscape of online sports gaming in the Philippines”, OKBET’s COO Wayne Thong also comments on the deal. “This partnership combines OKBET’s local market expertise with Delasports’ global industry leadership, creating new opportunities for innovation and customer satisfaction. OKBET and Delasports share a common vision for the future: a vibrant and dynamic platform that caters to the diverse interests of sports enthusiasts. By combining cutting-edge technology with a deep understanding of user preferences, this collaboration aims to set new standards for the industry.”

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a decree on April 19 titled “On Measures to Improve the Regulation of the Organization and Conduct of Lotteries and Risk-Based Games in the Republic of Uzbekistan”. The document abolishes the ban starting from January 1, 2025, and introduces a legal framework for the organisation of risk-based games online and betting activities.

The issue of legalising betting activities has been a long-standing topic in Uzbekistan. In December 2019, the president signed a decree to legalise bookmakers, but this decision was revised in April 2022. In April 2023, the head of state instructed the development of a regulatory framework for betting activities.

The National Agency for Advanced Projects (NAAP), the authorised state body for regulating and licensing activities in this sector, provided insights on the necessity of introducing state regulation in the gambling sector in Uzbekistan. The agency emphasised the need to prevent illegal gambling businesses, protect players’ rights and generate additional income for the state budget.

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The president’s decree aims to introduce advanced foreign experience and modern technologies in regulating the organisation of risk-based games and lotteries to increase investment attractiveness, tourist potential and attract additional funds to the country.

The measures outlined in the decree include the creation of legal foundations for the legalisation of activities related to risk-based games online, betting activities, and lotteries, implementation of mechanisms to protect citizens’ rights and interests, prevention of gambling addiction and the generation of additional state budget revenue.

Starting from January 1, 2025, a taxation system will be introduced for license holders, where organisers of online games, betting activities and lotteries will pay a turnover tax. This system aims to prevent the concealment of taxable revenue and is expected to generate additional tax revenues for the state budget.

Overall, the implementation of the decree is intended to establish a reliable foundation for the legal regulation of activities related to organising risk-based games online, betting activities and lotteries in Uzbekistan, protect citizens’ interests, combat gambling addiction and provide additional sources of income for the state budget.