SBK, the sportsbook app created by Smarkets, spoke to jockey ambassador Tom Bellamy after it was confirmed that Eclair Surf had made it into the Grand National as number 39 out of 40

Published

3 years ago

April 7, 2022

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Emma Lavelle-trained Eclair Surf was confirmed this morning as number 39 in the list of declared runners for Saturday’s 2022 running of the Grand National, so we spoke to SBK ambassador Tom Bellamy, who will be hoping to guide the eight-year-old to victory.
On Eclair Surf’s recent form:
- “He’s got a good chance. His form looks rock solid thanks to Win My Wings who won the Scottish National very well at the weekend. We gave that horse 10lbs in the Eider at Newcastle and got to within two lengths. I think Win My Wings came forward from Newcastle, whether that was fitness or she was just in a better frame of mind. The form is there in black and white though, so we go there with every chance.”
On how Eclair Surf will handle the Grand National test:
- “It will go one way or the other. He will either take to it and it will define him as a horse or he won’t get away with it. He has got better as time has gone on and hopefully there aren’t any mistakes. He just lacks a bit of concentration at the odd fence. Around Aintree, the fences come up so quickly that I don’t think he’ll get a chance to think about anything other than looking forward and jumping.”
On who he would ride if he had a choice of all the runners:
- “If I could ride one horse in the Grand National I would stick with the one I’ve already got in Eclair Surf. I’m very lucky to have a good ride going into the race so I really can’t wait.”
On his National record, and general thoughts on the race:
- “My time in the National hasn’t been great – pulled up, fell, fell! So I’m hoping to improve on that this time. I’ve watched the National for as long as I can remember, my Dad rode in it a couple of times so I went and watched him in 2000 but it was all over by the first fence! It’s a race steeped in history and it’s great to be a part of it, and winning would be a dream. There are 40 other jockeys saying that though, not just me. Everyone wants to win the Grand National and to have a horse with a chance is very special.”
Eclair Surf is fifth in the current Grand National betting on SBK at 15/1, behind Delta Work and Snow Leopardess (both 9/1), Any Second Now (12/1) and Escaria Ten (14/1).

Meanwhile, SBK tipster Tom Collins gave his thoughts on Eclair Surf’s prospects as well as his main fancies in the race, Escaria Ten and Enjoy D’allen.
On Eclair Surf:
- “It’s fantastic to see Eclair Surf get in at the foot of the handicap after a nervy wait this week, providing SBK ambassador Tom Bellamy with a ride in the Grand National. Racing fans and punters alike want to see the best horses running and Eclair Surf, who won the Classic Chase at Warwick in January before running subsequent Scottish National winner Win My Wings close in the Eider, fully deserves his place in the field. He’s officially 4lb well-in off a mark of 143 and looks a live player given his confirmed stamina.”
Collins’ two main Grand National selections, both of which are Irish raiders:
- “There is little doubt in my mind that Escaria Ten is a Graded horse running in a handicap, and the Grand National has been his target all year. His jumping is impeccable and he’s weighted to win.”
- “JP McManus purchased Enjoy D’allen after his latest run over hurdles at Leopardstown, which proves connections were trying to keep his chasing mark in the high 140s. He’s not the most prolific of performers but he’s been crying out for a stamina-sapping test.”

Huge Jackpot at King Billy Casino: C$3,658,306!

Published

15 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Zoltan Tundik

huge-jackpot-at-king-billy-casino:-c$3,658,306!

Reading Time: 2 minutes

King Billy Casino, launched in 2017, has had some impressive players wins during the “reign of King Billy”. A few of them include Live Game winnings of €135,223, daily winnings from 2 or more slots of $164,000, and €250,000 won on a single spin. However, the latest win by a King Billy Casino player dwarfs every big win that has come before this. Actually, it’s bigger than all previous big wins combined for the operator!

Because, we are talking about C$3,658,306.

This amazing six-digit number was the result of a player going on a safari in her (and millions of other players) beloved Mega Moolah progressive slot from Games Global. In an autumn, the player stepped into eternal summer by wagering a small C$6,25 bet and winning 562.816 times her bet! This is the power of Mega Moolah, as evidenced at King Billy.

King Billy people had only warm words for the occasion. A representative of the casino has stated: “We are elated, for this huge big win. We can never forget that our first big win, many years back, was more than 200,000 Canadian dollars, so we have special ties with the region. And it’s now amazing to see our VIP-player making such a cashback and echoing that big win! Congratulations to our player”.

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

A few words about Mega Moolah. It was an Internet sensation when it was launched with its beautiful graphics and sounds, and immersive gameplay and it is a sensation today, still going strong after almost 20 years. The slot, which has spawned more than 20 variations, and has given millions in cash to players all over the world (including 5 millionaires in 2024 alone) features 4 types of jackpots that make it stand out from the competition.

About Games Global

Games Global is a supplier of the online gaming industry delivering force and direction to gaming with more than 1,300 top class games. The company has made a commitment to deliver the industry’s more disruptive ideas and compelling data-driven gaming experiences. Games Global features a total of 40+ partnered and in-house studios, services 600+ branded websites and boasts record-breaking jackpots with its worldwide network.

About King Billy Casino

Established on St Patrick’s Day in 2017, King Billy is a renowned new generation casino with more than 26 awards and accolades. The casino is available in English, German, French and Finnish, and created a unique user experience, building on the theme of King Billy and his Kingdom. King Billy ensures that all its players, “Citizens” in the casino language, receive the care and attention they deserve.

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Boyd Interactive

Play’n GO announces landmark partnership with Resorts Digital Gaming

Published

17 hours ago

November 14, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

play’n-go-announces-landmark-partnership-with-resorts-digital-gaming

Play’n GO, the world’s leading casino entertainment provider, has today announced its latest US operator partnership, with Resorts Digital Gaming, in the state of New Jersey.

Resorts Digital Gaming was acquired by Boyd Interactive in September 2024, and this announcement sees the group’s players on the www.resortscasino.com and www.mohegansuncasino.com brands in New Jersey gain access to a multitude of classic Play’n GO game titles, such as the legendary Book of Dead, Rise of Merlin, and Rise of Olympus.

Play’n GO entered New Jersey in September 2022, shortly after first launching in the US via the state of West Virginia in July of that year. It has since seen its games live in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and most recently, Connecticut.

Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer at Play’n GO, commented “New Jersey has been of crucial importance to our US operations for over two years now, so it is with great pleasure that we make this announcement in conjunction with Resorts Digital Gaming.

“The company joins together two instantly recognizable operator brands, and the addition of Play’n GO’s games will be of enormous mutual benefit. We confidently describe ourselves as the world’s leading casino entertainment provider, and partnerships like this one are of great importance to us in establishing that idea. We’re excited to see this partnership flourish.”

Jim Ryan, Chief Executive Officer at Boyd Interactive, added “The whole Resorts Digital Gaming team is excited to bring Play’n GO games to our players. Play’n GO is one of the world’s leading iGaming brands, and we’re confident that our players are as excited as we are to see those Play’n GO titles on both www.resortscasino.com and www.mohegansuncasino.com.”

Interviews

Exclusive Q&A w/ Radek Pšurný, CEO at Match Hype

Published

18 hours ago

November 14, 2024

George Miller

exclusive-q&a-w/-radek-psurny,-ceo-at-match-hype

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Match Hype has just won two industry competitions. Talk us through your product.

Match Hype brings engagement from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram into the sportsbook. Our technology automatically turns raw sports data into short videos full of sports and betting insights. We have the capacity to create up to a million videos daily in more than 30 languages. We also provide hosting and streaming of the videos, and we track everything in the video thanks to our own player. The high level of video experience and the scale make us unique in the market, and we believe that this innovation is extremely needed in the industry—and the judges in the competitions probably agree with us.

What technologies are you leveraging to deliver such a cutting-edge tool/product?

We have more than six years’ experience in developing dynamic video solutions for clients like Microsoft, HBO, and SAP, and a decade in high-end video production for similarly well-known clients. Match Hype is the essence of this. We have developed our own robust cloud infrastructure that enables us to work on a huge scale. We can also leverage the integration of third-party solutions that help us make the video content rich and engaging. The AI boom came at the right time to help us make the experience for the viewer even better.

Who is Match Hype aimed at?

We focus mostly on sportsbook operators, where we think we can bring the biggest value. But we also have clients on the affiliate and media side. Our “competition” at the moment are creative professionals who are able to create one video at a time. To cover hundreds or thousands of events daily, you need huge manpower. With Match Hype, you don’t need that—it’s all automated. Anybody who appreciates this level of efficiency will benefit.

The end users are any sports fans who enjoy engaging videos. So basically everybody.

Has this industry been slow to embrace video content and unlock the potential it offers? If so, why?

It’s hard for us to talk about the whole industry, as we haven’t been part of it for that long. But iGaming feels like a conservative industry where only truly meaningful innovations make it. Fingers crossed for Match Hype being one of them. We are confident because of our track record in other industries, and mostly thanks to the results of our dynamic videos that are already used by significant igaming industry players.

What makes video content so effective at customer acquisition? How can Match Hype be used in this regard?

People just love video content. In the last review, TikTok said that the average user spends around 90 minutes a day on their platform. Platforms like Spotify used to be music and podcasts only; now they are full of videos. You just can’t ignore that. Video killed the radio star, and a static sportsbook is next to die.

And what about retention? How can it be used to keep players engaged and coming back for more?

Imagine that a 30-second video gives you the exact insights to help you make a betting decision without spending dozens of minutes on different resources to gather all the information. People don’t want to read anymore. This is probably an even bigger strength of Match Hype than user acquisition.

What can we expect from Match Hype in the coming months?

We will establish Match Hype as an industry standard for dynamic video content. We’ll bring many more sports like tennis, basketball horse racing and. We are preparing real-time video use cases—for example, half-time updates in football—and new distribution channels like integration directly into streams. The potential is huge. Stay tuned.

Any final thoughts?

For the last year, we have talked with literally hundreds of iGaming experts, investors, and executives. Almost every one of them sees fan engagement as a huge topic in the upcoming months and years. And video will definitely play a key part in it.

Video says more than a thousand words. Give it a go—watch one of our 30-second videos and see for yourself.

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