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Smarkets raises Series B funding round to supercharge international and domestic growth

Published

5 years ago

on

June 10, 2021

By

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Smarkets, one of the world’s largest betting exchange and prediction market platforms, has announced the closing of a significant minority investment from Susquehanna Growth Equity (SGE).

Having raised just £3.8m ($5.4m) since its inception in 2008, with its Series A round coming back in 2013, Smarkets has built a leading exchange platform that processes billions of pounds in traded volume each year. The company has offices in London, Los Angeles, and Malta, licensed customer-focused operations in five countries, and in 2019 released innovative sportsbook app SBK.

Smarkets is delighted to welcome SGE, which joins existing investors Passion Capital and Deutsche Telekom in supporting the company’s mission to fix betting with the fairest odds in the industry.

This new investment will allow Smarkets to accelerate its rollout in the US, where it is already live in Colorado with sportsbook app SBK and set to go live in Indiana soon. The funding will also bolster SBK’s position in the UK mainstream betting market after its successful launch in August 2019.

The new investment will contribute to:

Furthering the company’s US presence, including market-access deals in new, regulated states
Capturing an even greater share of the UK betting exchange market and accelerating SBK’s growth in the UK’s mainstream sportsbook market
Expanding Smarkets’ development of new products for customers and focus on industry-leading prices on sports, politics, and current affairs
Continuing to capture the best and brightest worldwide engineering talent with a view to doubling headcount by the end of 2022
Further expansion into new and recently entered markets such as Denmark and Sweden

Jason Trost, founder and CEO of Smarkets, said:

“This is an incredibly exciting day. I’ve always been amazed what the passion and energy of a comparatively small group of committed people can accomplish against much bigger rivals; Smarkets and SBK are the product of exactly that. At Smarkets we have always been guided by our vision of fixing betting with the best prices and products, and SGE is just as excited as us to challenge the status quo. This is a huge endorsement of our technology and will allow us to further upend the industry by offering bets as close to fair value as possible.

“We are super proud of what we have achieved so far in the UK betting space, and this new investment will help take us to the next level and beyond in the UK, US, and other international markets. I’d like to thank the women and men that work and have worked at Smarkets for getting us to where we are.

“I truly believe the best is yet to come. This investment will allow us to fight with greater resources, move faster, and be bolder in our mission. We’re so excited about the opportunities this investment unlocks.”

Scott Feldman, Managing Director with Susquehanna Growth Equity, said:

“We are delighted to be able to join Smarkets on their upward journey. We immediately identified with their vision of using technology to take on the betting industry’s big operators by providing the fairest odds in the world and maintaining a clear focus on product excellence.

“Smarkets have achieved a huge amount with little investment to date and we can’t wait to see them go from strength to strength as they expand further into both the US and UK mainstream market.”

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Affina Partners

Affina Partners Presents Alawin: A New iGaming Brand Born from Magic and Adventure!

Published

1 hour ago

on

February 11, 2026

By

Wladimir P.

Affina Partners has officially launched Alawin, a new iGaming brand that brings the spirit of medieval legends and timeless storytelling into a fully integrated, multi-vertical gaming platform.

Created with both players and affiliate partners in mind, Alawin combines immersive design, diverse content, and powerful loyalty mechanics to deliver an engaging experience built for long-term growth.

A Gaming Journey Inspired by Classic Tales

Alawin transports players into a world of mystery and adventure, where every session feels like the start of a legendary quest. From spinning slots to exploring live casino tables, chasing jackpots, or placing bets across dynamic sports markets, the experience unfolds like a story filled with hidden rewards and unexpected discoveries.

Drawing inspiration from classic folklore, the platform captures the sense of uncovering fortune beyond palace doors — only here, the adventure begins the moment players land on the website.

The Affina Partners Team commented:

“In classic tales, fortunes were found beyond palace doors. With Alawin, they begin the moment players enter the website. Every session is designed to feel like opening the first page of a story—where curiosity leads the way, rewards reveal themselves naturally, and each step forward carries the promise of something more, all within a model built for long-term partner growth.”

A Unified Multi-Vertical Platform

Alawin integrates multiple gaming verticals within one seamless ecosystem, offering:

Casino & Live Casino
Progressive and Network Jackpots
Sports & Live Betting
Virtual Sports
Top Games by Country, highlighting regionally popular titles

This unified structure ensures a streamlined user experience while catering to diverse player preferences across key markets.

Reward-Driven Mechanics Designed for Retention

To boost engagement and retention, Alawin incorporates interactive gamification tools, including:

Challenges – Players complete tasks to earn coins
The Shop – Coins can be exchanged for Free Spins, Bonus Money, Free Bets, or Bonus Games
Casino & Sports Tournaments – Featuring substantial prize pools to drive competitive play

These mechanics are designed not only to increase player lifetime value but also to deliver measurable performance results for affiliate partners.

Built for Scalable Partner Growth

With a distinctive brand identity, story-driven positioning, and strong reward infrastructure, Alawin is built to support scalable acquisition and sustained engagement across multiple markets.

Affina Partners is now inviting affiliates to promote Alawin and introduce players to a gaming experience where adventure begins from the very first click.

About Affina Partners

Affina Partners is a global affiliate program focused on strategy, market insight, and long-term collaboration. By combining international expertise with deep local market understanding, the company helps affiliates grow smarter and achieve stronger performance within the iGaming sector.

Its expanding portfolio includes Alawin, Millioner, FunBet, and WildRobin — brands recognized for refined design, engaging user experiences, and consistent results.

With flexible commission models, transparent analytics, and dedicated support, Affina Partners transforms partnerships into measurable success.

Affina Partners — where every partnership begins with ambition and ends in success.

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