Industry News

Better Collective becomes majority owner in Mindway AI

Published

5 years ago

January 2, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Better Collective increases its ownership to 90% of the shares in Mindway AI that specialises in software solutions based on artificial intelligence and neuroscience for identifying, preventing and intervening in at-risk and problem gambling. The investment supports Better Collective’s ambition to make betting more safe.

As of January 1st 2021, Better Collective has exercised its option to acquire a further 70% of the shares in Mindway AI for a total price of 17 million DKK. The acquisition follows a preliminary investment made in 2019 where Better Collective acquired 19.99% of the company for 4 million DKK. With the new investment, Better Collective now holds 90% of the shares in Mindway AI, whereas the reimaing 10% is held by Kim Mouridsen, Founder of Mindway AI and Professor at Aarhus University.

CEO of Mindway AI, Rasmus Kjærgaard, who has played an instrumental part in commercialising the business during its growth phase over the last 12 months, continues in his current position. Kjærgaard joined Mindway AI in December 2019 from Danish IT company, Signaturgruppen A/S, where he spent over four years as VP of Sales. Also, Professor Kim Mouridsen stays on board in the role as Chief Scientific Officer and member of the board of the company. Mindway AI will continue to operate as a stand-alone company within the Better Collective Group.

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Jesper Søgaard, CEO of Better Collective, says:

“Responsible gambling remains a strategic focus area for Better Collective where we continue to increase our efforts. We see Mindway AI’s technologies and software solutions as best-in-class and foresee the business will play an increasingly important role in the iGaming ecosystem, as responsible gambling continues to be at the very top of the industry agenda and in society as a whole. It has been impressive to follow the strong development of the company over the last year since our initial investment and I am excited to further build on the promising collaboration we have established and to find new areas where our core competencies can be crossed and utilized for the benefit of the partners and players.“

Rasmus Kjærgaard, CEO of Mindway AI, says:

“I am excited that Mindway AI now joins the Better Collective Group, an organisation that shares our purpose and values and has a genuine wish to create a safe and sustainable betting and gambling environment for players worldwide. With this investment, we now form closer ties to an organisation that has the industry network and muscles to further accelerate the development of our business. I look forward to continuing the strong growth journey Mindway AI has been on and to further expand our footprint globally.”

Strong momentum

Mindway AI is an award-winning company that develops state of the art software solutions for fully automatic monitoring and profiling of gamblers and for identifying, preventing and intervening in at-risk and problem gambling. At the core of Mindway AI’s DNA is a research-based foundation, and the development of the solutions is done by combining neuroscience, artificial intelligence and a deep collaboration with a team of industry experts. Common to Mindway AI’s software solutions, GameScanner, Gamalyze and GameChanger, is that they empower iGaming operators to create safer customer journeys as well as to become proactive if players show signs of having problems.

Mindway AI has over the last year accelerated its transformation from being an academic-based start-up focusing on building products and software solutions with a strong scientific foundation into commercialising the business. Today, Mindway AI plays an increasingly important role in the iGaming ecosystem supporting operators on a global scale such as Entain (formerly GVC Holdings), Flutter Group and Holland Casino to create safer iGaming experiences.

In October 2020, GameScanner, an AI-based solution that fully automatically 24-7-365 identifies and monitors problem gambling behavior, became the first responsible gambling solution to have its performance on detecting at-risk and problem gamblers tested and validated in a sample by Gaming Laboratories International® (GLI). GLI is the gaming industry’s leading testing and assessment company that provides gaming regulators, operators and suppliers with certification and testing with the highest level of independence and integrity. Currently, GameScanner has a patent pending for its innovative technology. Also, Mindway AI’s Gamalyze solution, a gamificated self-test of players, won the Compliance Innovation of the Year award at the Global Regulatory Awards 2020 that recognises excellence in compliance and responsible gambling.

Industry News

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

Published

12 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

1 day 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

2 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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