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Aintree and Cheltenham festivals bring big boost to audiences for Racing

Rachael Blackmore’s win in the Randox Grand National generated record interest © focusonracing.com
The Randox Grand National Festival and the Cheltenham Festival has brought unprecedented interest in horseracing from audiences stuck at home, according to Racecourse Media Group (RMG), which described the last few weeks as a “watershed” period for the sport.
With most of the nation at home due to lockdown restrictions, which have resulted in the closure of retail betting shops, pubs and clubs, and exclusion of spectators at the racecourse, media distribution has been critical to bringing the action from the racecourse to fans at home – and more people than ever are watching.
ITV posted record audiences for every day of the Cheltenham Festival, with an average audience of 1.14m across the week (23% increase on 2020), capped by a peak of 1.9m watching the WellChild Gold Cup, while it registered an audience of 8.8 million for the 2021 Randox Grand National, and record figures for the opening day’s racing from Aintree and the Opening Show.
The TV audience at Aintree was bolstered by more than 3m video streams for the three-day fixture, generated via RMG’s Watch & Bet service. This is more than double the number of streams that the previous staging of the festival produced in 2019.
The media rights company, responsible for the interests of 34 racecourse-shareholders, including Aintree and Cheltenham, also reported that there were 345,000 streams of the Randox Grand National itself, nearly double the 2019 running. The streaming figures reinforce the recent news that the Randox Grand National was Britain’s biggest ever online sports betting event.
The appetite for the festival was bolstered by the international coverage which RMG generated. More than 25 broadcasters took live coverage while more than 30 outlets covered the race for their news bulletins. CNN International, which reaches over 370 million households, covered the race for World Sport programmes, while the likes of Fox News (US), CGTN (China and International), Globo (Brazil), Sky News Arabia and Channel 10 (Australia) also offered the fixture valuable airtime.
The Aintree festival contributed to RMG’s subscription channel, Racing TV, breaking through the 65,000-membership barrier for the first time, while its website, www.racingtv.com attracted 3.3m page views, up more than 50% against 2019.
The streaming numbers for Aintree come on the back of an even more successful Cheltenham Festival, where video streams for the four days totalled more than 6.5m, 60% up on 2020 – the highest number ever seen for a racing fixture.
Martin Stevenson, CEO of Racecourse Media Group, said: “The last few weeks have been a watershed period for the sport, headlined by Rachael Blackmore’s brilliant win in the Randox Grand National and it represents RMG’s highest performing period in terms of audiences.
“While lockdown restrictions will undoubtedly have contributed to the growth, it emphasises how important our first-rate television production and presentation is, and how important our digital platforms are, given how betting and the consumption of racing is transitioning more and more to online.”
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The Free Bet Wheel: Betting.bet Increases Player Engagement with New Gamification Tool

One of the UK’s leading betting aggregators, betting.bet, has introduced the Free Bet Wheel, a new free-to-play tool designed to increase user retention and interaction. Tied to the weekend’s Premier League football, this gamified feature offers users the opportunity to earn free bets and a weekly £100 cash reward.
At a time when most iGaming affiliates are focused on developing foreign markets such as Latin America and Africa, the function illustrates betting.bet’s ongoing commitment to the UK.
About the Free Bet Wheel
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Weekend Availability: The Free Bet Wheel runs every weekend, aligned with major Premier League and international football matches.
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Multiple Chances to Win: Players receive up to four spins to try their luck each weekend.
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Winning Free Bets: Match three free bet colours within five spins to win a free bet on the featured match.
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£100 Cash Jackpot: Land on the jackpot segment five times consecutively to win £100 in cash.
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Loyalty Rewards: Players also collect bCoins, Betting.bet’s exclusive loyalty currency, which can be redeemed for a range of prizes, vouchers and rewards.
Strengthening Operator Partnerships Through Enhanced User Experience
By launching the Free Bet Wheel, betting.bet is not only elevating the player experience but also delivering tangible benefits to its network of partner operators. The feature offers a new avenue to profile selected betting partners, direct qualified traffic to safe free bets and reinforce affiliate partnerships through increased user activity and conversions.
Steve Gummer, Director of Betting.bet, stated: “We at betting.bet are dedicated to developing products and experiences that not only interest players but also provide clear value to our partners. Designed to benefit our UK community in a fun, frictionless manner, the Free Bet Wheel also supports important weekend traffic and sportsbook conversions.”
Driving Retention Through Gamification
This launch is part of a broader strategic focus on gamification and loyalty at betting.bet, aligning user enjoyment with commercial objectives. As the UK version of the platform continues to grow, features like the Free Bet Wheel are designed to support player acquisition, maximise LTV and drive weekend re-engagement.
The Free Bet Wheel is now live at betting.bet and available to all UK users aged 18+,
The post The Free Bet Wheel: Betting.bet Increases Player Engagement with New Gamification Tool appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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GR8 Tech Powers Smarter Betting with New Match Trackers

GR8 Tech has unveiled a powerful new upgrade to its high-performance sportsbook platform: high-quality, real-time Match Trackers—designed to bring more action, insight, and excitement to players. Match Trackers are available across all of GR8 Tech’s sportsbook solutions, including iFrame and the Hyper Turnkey.
“We’re always looking for ways to elevate the player experience and give our partners a competitive edge,” said Denys Parkhomenko, CPO at GR8 Tech. “Match Trackers have smart features that drive engagement, boost retention, and power faster betting decisions in real-time.”
With broad coverage across football, basketball, tennis, hockey, volleyball, and handball, the trackers are live for pre-match analytics and in-game updates. Key features include:
- Detailed Stats: From xG in football to rebounds in basketball and aces in tennis, players get live and historical stats tailored to each sport.
- Key Moments & Summaries: Goals, assists, red cards, substitutions, and more delivered in real-time.
- Pitch Animation: A dynamic, visual alternative to video streaming, showing key moments as they unfold on the field.
- Lineups & Live Updates: Full team sheets, coaches, and live substitutions, so players are always in the know.
- Live Standings: Updated rankings and tournament tables across all supported sports.
By providing operators with the tools to deliver everything players need in one place, GR8 Tech enhances the sportsbook user experience, enabling more confident betting and driving longer player sessions.
The launch of Match Trackers marks another step in the company’s long-term strategy to deliver a best-in-class, sportsbook-driven platform and become the leading sportsbook provider by 2028. Coverage will soon expand to even more sports to meet operators’ needs.
The post GR8 Tech Powers Smarter Betting with New Match Trackers appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Midnite creates free limited-edition beer for fans to enjoy at World Snooker Championship

Midnite is the new official UK betting and casino partner of the World Championship, Snooker’s greatest event, which will run from April 19 to May 5.
To celebrate the partnership, Midnite has created a FREE limited edition lager – with one free beer available per person – which will be served at a local pub throughout the tournament.
The one-off lager will be served at The Graduate, an iconic Sheffield pub a short walk from The Crucible, with fans able to enjoy a new beer on tap while the World Championship comes to the city.
Midnite has partnered with London-based brewery Drop Project to bring the concept to life. Drop Project creates the freshest, premium flavoursome beers with consistent high-quality results, and pushes creative boundaries and brews the beers that both inspire their passions for the industry and our lifestyles.
A Midnite spokesperson, commented: “We have worked with Drop Project to bring fans a Midnite lager that they can enjoy throughout the whole tournament. We wanted to create something tangible that snooker fans can enjoy throughout, and to have been able to create our own beer is something we’re pleased with.
“The World Snooker Championship brings real excitement to the city, and fans can head straight from The Crucible, to The Graduate and enjoy a pint or two of our specially brewed lager, just for the occasion.”
Midnite is providing the beer free of charge – one free drink per person of Midnite Lager Only and for ticket holders to the Snooker World Championship (18+). Redeem by showing your matchday ticket at The Graduate. While stock lasts.
The post Midnite creates free limited-edition beer for fans to enjoy at World Snooker Championship appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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