Affiliate Industry
Better Collective acquires leading US sports betting media platform, Action Network, for 240 mUSD
With the acquisition of Action Network, Better Collective gains clear market leadership within sports betting media and affiliation in the US and now expects to increase its revenues in the US to more than 100 mUSD by 2022.
Sports betting media group, Better Collective, today announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares in Action Network, Inc. (“Action”) for 240 mUSD (198 mEUR) on a cash and debt free basis. Founded in 2017 and launched in 2018, Action is uniquely positioned in the US market as the premium sports content and product destination for US sports bettors. A trusted source for sports fans, Action’s media platforms provide an enhanced experience for its users through original sports news content, premium insights, deep menus of odds and proprietary betting tools and data. Action’s diverse revenue model includes a rapidly-growing affiliate marketing business focused on customer acquisition for betting operators in the US as well as subscription products, anchored by Action Pro, Action Labs and Fantasy Labs.
Action continues to benefit from the expanding legal sports betting market in the US. In 2021, Action is expected to achieve revenues approaching 40 mUSD, an increase of over 100% year-on-year, while also generating positive operational earnings in 2021. As more states legalize online sports betting, the potential to further deepen and expand Action’s commercial partnerships with large US-based sportsbooks such as BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel and PointsBet is significant. Action is headquartered in New York, and has approximately 100 employees.
The Transaction
The purchase price amounts to 240 mUSD (198 mEUR) on a cash and debt free basis and will be settled in a cash payment and a 12 mUSD issuance of new Better Collective (BETCO.ST) shares to Action’s management, key employees and certain other individuals. 10 mUSD of the cash payment will be paid on a deferred basis as settlement of certain existing share options in Action. The number of Better Collective shares issued will be determined by the volume-weighted BETCO.ST share price 5 trading days prior to the date of this announcement. Further, the issued Better Collective shares will be subject to a lock-up of between 6 and 24 months following completion of the transaction.
The cash component of the purchase price will be provided through bank financing.
The acquisition is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed in Q2 2021.
Better Collective in the US
While the US sports betting market has grown rapidly since the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) removed a federal ban on online gambling, only 13 states have legalized online gambling at this point. Many more are expected to follow in the coming years, with the addressable market significantly expanding as a result. Total online sports betting revenues in the US are forecasted to reach 4 bnUSD in 2022 and amount to nearly 40 bnUSD in 2033*.
Following the execution of Better Collective’s acquisition strategy and ongoing investments in the US market, Better Collective’s US business has developed successfully, with high growth and a rapid increase in profitability. The acquisition of Action consolidates Better Collective’s leading position in the affiliate and customer delivery verticals within online sports betting, enabled through a number of strong product platforms. In light of this, and given the continued pace of new states regulating, Better Collective expects the US market to continue growing and its US revenues to surpass 100 mUSD by 2022, with positive and increasing operational earnings.
Action will become an integral part of Better Collective US and will continue to operate as a separate business unit with its current brands, management team, and employees, led by CEO Patrick Keane who will report to Group Management through US CEO, Marc Pedersen. Action will integrate with Better Collective’s current organization where relevant in order to generate efficiencies.
Jesper Søgaard, CEO of Better Collective, says:
“I am thrilled to welcome Action and its employees to Better Collective. This acquisition, which is the largest in Better Collective’s history, gives us a leading position within affiliation in the US and a strong foundation for profiting from the continuous regulation of the US betting market. We add three new, very well positioned US sports media brands to our portfolio and welcome around 100 new colleagues, together representing an invaluable pool of knowledge and expertise on the US sports betting media market. By all accounts, this is a great day for Better Collective.”
Patrick Keane, CEO of Action, says:
“Today marks a great achievement in the history of Action. In just a few years, our team has managed to build a leading sports betting product and media business in the US market, making us attractive to a leading international player. I am thrilled about this outcome for our employees and investors and we look forward to continuing to forge great relationships with our league, media and sportsbook partners. Under Better Collective’s ownership, we become part of a company with many years of experience and all the resources necessary to further grow our position and develop our offering, to ultimately enhance the betting and entertainment experience for sports fans. We gain new colleagues, career paths and perspectives. I’m looking very much forward to the journey ahead. ”
Financial Targets
Better Collective will consolidate Action into the Better Collective Group from the time of closing. In connection with the acquisition, Better Collective is updating its Financial Targets for 2021:
- Total group revenue is now expected to exceed 180 mEUR (previously more than 160 mEUR); and
- Operational profit is now expected to exceed 55 mEUR (previously more than 50 mEUR).
Better Collective will share more details in connection with its Q1 2021 earnings report that will be released on May 12, 2021.
The acquisition of Action will bring Better Collective’s estimated debt leverage (Net Interest Bearing Debt/EBITDA) above the company’s financial target of <3.0. Due to Better Collective’s strong operating cash flow, the Board of Directors has decided that for the time being, it is acceptable for the company’s debt leverage to exceed the financial target of 3.0, which target remains in place for 2021. The Board will therefore decide upon any potential changes to the company’s long term capital structure in due course.
Advisors
Morgan Stanley acted as sole financial advisor, Bruun & Hjejle and GreenbergTraurig acted as legal advisors, and PwC acted as accounting and tax advisor in connection with the acquisition for Better Collective. Nordea Bank will be providing financing to facilitate the closing of the transaction.
Moelis & Company LLC acted as sole financial advisor and Venable LLP acted as legal advisor to Action. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP acted as advisors to The Chernin Group, the largest shareholder of Action.
Powered by WPeMatico
Affiliate Industry
Alberta’s Next Step into a Regulated Commercial Gambling Market: What it Means for Operators and Affiliates
Alberta is set to become Canada’s second commercial online gambling market, following in the footsteps of Ontario, which went live in 2022. With a summer launch expected, Alberta will soon shift from a single-operator market (PlayAlberta) to a competitive market in North America.
The change comes in the form of Bill 48, otherwise known as the iGaming Alberta Act. The measure was introduced in March 2025 to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta by Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, Dale Nally. The bill later received royal assent in May.
As seen with the emergence of new markets in the US, Alberta will be no different for operators and affiliates, offering more than just new gaming opportunities, but also the progression of a digital marketing ecosystem.
Understanding the Regulatory Shift
Alberta represents a big shift from one operator to many. With an evolving market comes more opportunities for operators, but also concerns regarding addiction and the cannibalization of retail venues.
Alberta’s new framework introduces a system that protects players, especially in the offshore gambling market, and also outlines ways in which iCasinos and land-based casinos can operate in relative harmony.
Looking more closely at Bill 48, it’s clear that the measure takes on similarities to Ontario’s established market but tweaks and expands on it to focus more on Alberta and how operators can thrive in the province, separate from Ontario.
To start with, the measure would create a new regulatory framework under the watchful eye of the Alberta iGaming Corporation, while the province’s current regulator, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC), would continue issuing licenses to prospective operators.
The Alberta Government also released its Standards & Requirements for Internet Gaming in January, an 85-page document that laid out the new regulatory framework. As part of this framework, it detailed mandatory licensing fees for operators and an 80/20 revenue split, with operators keeping 80% of the revenue they generate.
Why Alberta Matters Strategically
Alberta represents an ever-evolving and expanding iGaming-regulated market in North America. Focusing on Canada, it also provides insurance for other provinces to follow suit and expand their own markets to include commercial operators.
Alberta is home to five million residents, and according to a report from Canadian law firm BLG, it has one of the highest per-capita gambling spend in the country. While that is sure to entice operators to join the newly regulated market, reports also suggest the market is poised to generate $400 million in annual revenue.
Another reason Alberta has legalized commercial iGaming is to combat offshore operators. According to Nally, the province’s offshore market was estimated to have taken up 70% of Alberta’s online gambling market.
Another report commissioned by Ontario gambling regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), revealed that prior to the province’s regulated market, the offshore market was also expected to account for 70% of all iGaming. A year after the regulation, AGCO found that 86% of respondents preferred using regulated sites.
The growth of iGaming in Ontario can serve as a model for how Alberta will progress over the coming years.
Marketing and Affiliate Opportunities
Media Troopers is set to play a crucial role in Alberta’s new regulatory framework, especially in player acquisition. With Media Troopers’ assistance, operators can trust they are in reliable hands.
As a leading digital marketing and customer acquisition group, its presence in Alberta’s market can provide operators with up-to-date tools to capture players, including localized marketing channels, access to affiliate partnerships, and acquisition strategies structured around Alberta’s regulatory environment.
Media Troopers is dedicated to providing operators with the resources to grow in new regulated markets, with affiliates positioned as the key to building brand recognition in those markets.
Alberta’s Regulatory Standards
As Alberta shifts from a closed to an open market, it brings new regulations. Operators need to adhere to the province’s licensing, auditing, and advertising standards.
The Alberta government has also reiterated its commitment to responsible gaming, introducing a range of measures to protect players.
As part of these protections, the government partnered with Responsible Gambling Canada, and, through them, operators must achieve and maintain the organization’s RG Check accreditation to ensure platforms are up to date with responsible gambling measures, including gambling help and responsible messaging, among other things.
Those operators who take the new regulations in stride are sure to have the most success in the region.
Alberta’s Position as a Catalyst for iGaming in Canada
Alberta’s transition into a regulated commercial market is sure to be the cornerstone of iGaming in Canada. Following Ontario’s lead and curating its own gaming ecosystem, only time will tell whether other provinces follow suit.
That said, securing Alberta early should be important to operators, as it is already showing signs of becoming a major market in North America.
By: Shmulik Segal Founder and CEO of Media Troopers
The post Alberta’s Next Step into a Regulated Commercial Gambling Market: What it Means for Operators and Affiliates appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Affiliate Industry
Catena Media Launches MRKTPLAYS+ to Expand Strategic Partnerships in North American iGaming
Catena Media announced a strategic evolution of its successful MRKTPLAYS subaffiliation platform, designed to meet market demand and deepen long-term partnerships across the regulated North American online casino and sports betting markets.
The launch of MRKTPLAYS+ enhances Catena Media’s existing subaffiliation model, introduced in 2025, by adding a modular partnership framework built to accelerate partner growth for publishers and adjacent digital businesses that have demonstrated product-market fit.
Alongside standard campaign access, MRKTPLAYS+ will offer tailored marketing and operational support including content and marketing advisory services, as well as working capital solutions and minority equity participation – all in accordance with partner needs and maturity.
The expanded offering will help high-potential partners scale more efficiently while strengthening long-term collaboration within Catena Media’s partnership network.
Pierre Cadena, Catena Media Chief Operating Officer, said: “MRKTPLAYS+ is a natural evolution of our subaffiliation model. It enables us to work more closely with selected partners by combining access to campaigns with operational support and, where appropriate, strategic capital. This approach is designed to support sustainable partner growth while reinforcing the quality, resilience and diversification of our revenue streams.”
The MRKTPLAYS+ launch aligns with Catena Media’s broader strategy of diversifying revenue streams, deepening strategic partnerships and building scalable platforms that support long-term value creation. The platform will be open to partners globally, with a core focus on North America.
The post Catena Media Launches MRKTPLAYS+ to Expand Strategic Partnerships in North American iGaming appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Affiliate Industry
Beyond Bonuses: Shaun Decesare’s Mission to Redefine Affiliate Integrity in iGaming
Reading Time: 5 minutes
Vision & Motivation
You mentioned this was a “pipedream 10 years in the making.” What finally gave you the push to take the leap into owning and rebuilding an affiliate site?
It was always a dream of mine to have my own business and ‘be my own boss’ so to speak. I’ve taken an interest in the iGaming sector from a very young age and I knew this was instantly a passion of mine. What gave me the impetus to take the leap was twofold. The first being that I had been delaying this for too long, I decided that this is it, I will take the leap of fate and live and die by my decisions. The Second being I wanted to get out of the monotonous 9-5 routine. Having a young family, I want to prioritise spending as much time with them as possible. Doing this has allowed me to do that.
What does success look like for you with CasinoBonus360—not just in terms of traffic or revenue, but in how the brand is perceived by users?
Taking the site back to its glory days of the late 2010s, having witnessed first hand the success of this whilst at my former role within Catena Media, I know its potential is through the roof. I want CB360 to be a trusted, well reviewed site that users can check out all brands with confidence that this is not just a money grab. The users are being put first.
Why is trust such a central pillar in your vision for the site? What do you think has eroded trust in this space, and how do you plan to rebuild it?
Trust is at an all time low in this industry, scams are everywhere you look. As a consumer, this is evident in all forms of the gambling industry. I want to right the wrongs of others and attempt to restore the faith back to what it once was. We plan to rebuild it through various means, such as delivering a top quality service to all our new and existing users. One that is meaningful and long lasting. This will triumph over any quick financial gain.
Editorial Direction & Content Strategy
You’ve emphasized tougher editorial standards and evergreen content. What does your editorial process look like now compared to the previous version of the site?
We are not comparing ourselves to anyone else because we do not know how other teams operated. The shift has to happen inside the own workflow. In the past, things were faster, more intuitive and less documented. Today the process is far more deliberate with clear research steps, structured fact checking, internal reviews, consistent criteria and a final quality pass. It is a more mature and more disciplined version of how we used to work, still personal but with higher standards and better control.
How are you ensuring your reviews and guides are genuinely useful to users rather than just SEO-driven?
We start with real user questions and not with keyword lists. Every claim needs a source or a test reference. If a keyword does not fit naturally, we leave it out. The content must read smoothly and help the reader get clarity and make a decision. Useful content performs better in the long run than keyword tactics.
Can you walk us through how your team scores or tests casinos? What makes your approach different from competitors’?
We play for real. We register, verify, deposit, withdraw and talk to support. We score what happens, not what is promised. No gut ratings and no hidden deals. Every score follows the same criteria and the same pressure test. If a casino fails on trust or transparency, it gets called out.
What are some examples of content you’ve either removed or completely rewritten during the rebuild—and why?
Anything that wasted space or repeated nonsense is gone. Old fluff bonus pages, outdated lists, weak guides and duplicated topics were cut. Only the content that delivers real answers survived. Everything else was removed because it did not deserve attention.
SEO & Technical Evolution
You’ve worked with an SEO/site manager to shift toward a more data-driven SEO approach. What’s been the biggest mindset shift in how you approach SEO now?
We stopped chasing keywords and started aiming for accuracy. SEO is now a data tool, not a shortcut. We choose topics where we can deliver real value and real testing. No more trying to win fast. The goal is long term authority, not temporary spikes.
You’ve spoken about moving away from “keyword stuffing.” How do you balance SEO goals with writing content that feels natural and user-focused?
We write like humans and fix anything that sounds robotic. SEO helps with structure, but it never dictates the voice. If the text feels fake or over optimized, it gets rewritten. Users come first. Algorithms follow later.
What are the key technical improvements you’ve made (or plan to make) to the site’s infrastructure to support long-term stability and performance?
We stripped the site down and rebuilt it in a way that does not break every time the internet sneezes. The code is cleaner, the plugins are trimmed down, caching is actually doing its job and every asset is optimized instead of thrown in raw. The structure is modular so we can grow without creating a monster we cannot maintain.
We also stopped pretending that Google is the only gatekeeper. Search is shifting toward AI driven answers, so the site needs to be fast, clear and machine readable. That means better schema, tighter linking, cleaner layouts, consistent data structures and content that is easy for AI systems to interpret. The goal is not just ranking but becoming the source that AI tools pick because the information is solid and well structured.
Industry Insights & User Perspective
With your background in the gaming industry, what are the biggest misconceptions affiliate sites have about what players want?
Number 1 is surely welcome bonuses, these are a thing of the past. The average consumer is now smart enough to know that welcome bonuses are traps. They actually have the opposite intended effect of what they were originally designed to do. In fact, we are targeting brands that have as low of a wagering requirement as possible. We do not enlist brands that have over 20x wagering requirements. This is completely unrealistic to anyone to ever obtain any chance of a withdrawal. Gambling should be fun, it should not increase the anxiety of the user.
What red flags do you think users should be aware of when reading affiliate content on other sites?
Always check out the authors on site and see if they are real people, most sites put down fake characters for one reason or another which just erodes the authenticity of the brand. This is by far away my number 1 red flag.
How are you collecting feedback from users, and how does that inform your content and design decisions?
We are conducting surveys with our users on a monthly basis and asking for what they like and what they don’t like. This will allow us to adjust our articles and content accordingly. We firmly believe in consumer first at CB360 and this is the motto will stand by for the lifespan of our site.
Looking Forward
What challenges are you expecting in the next 6–12 months, and how are you planning to tackle them?
The number one challenge is to increase the traffic on site. Whilst we have overhauled all the outdated content with brand new, relevant, beautiful pieces of work, we are still struggling to see a big increase in traffic. This may be due to google updates that have hampered SEO of late. We are looking at all avenues into new avenues to increase traffic.
Do you see CasinoBonus360 expanding into new verticals, formats, or markets in the future?
For now, we shall take things one step at a time, we have a 12 month plan which we are executing, and should it come to fruition, we will examine our options further down the line.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone considering launching or rebuilding an affiliate site today, what would it be?
Get ready for a lot of work, it is easier said than done, but the rewards will be worth it.
The post Beyond Bonuses: Shaun Decesare’s Mission to Redefine Affiliate Integrity in iGaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Betsson5 days agoWhat the Betsson/Inter Milan case reveals about cross-border gambling branding when two restrictive regimes collide
-
Balkans5 days agoCT Interactive Expands its Certified Portfolio in Bulgaria
-
Africa4 days agoAmusnet and Goldrush Strike Strategic Partnership to Enhance SA Online Gaming
-
Betting and Gaming Council4 days agoBetting and Gaming Council Appoints Kane Purdy as New Chair
-
AGLC4 days agoInspired Entertainment Secures Alberta iGaming Supplier Registration
-
ABBIATI Casino Equipment5 days agoAbbiati to Exhibit at G2E Asia 2026
-
Anatel5 days agoEl choque entre crecimiento, política y supervisión en Brasil
-
1spin4win4 days ago1spin4win partners with OdiBets to strengthen its presence in Africa



Editorial Direction & Content Strategy