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Longlist Revealed For The William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2023 Award – and £30,000 Top Prize

Published

7 months ago

September 28, 2023

George Miller

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18 books selected for the longlist including current professional snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan, and three-time winner Duncan Hamilton
13 different sports featured including two fiction books
100% growth for longlisted female authors

The longlist for the 35^th William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award – the world’s most valuable literary sports-writing prize – has been revealed today (Thursday 28^th September), featuring a diverse selection of sports from squash and snooker to swimming and surfing.

The 18-book longlist was selected from more than 150 entries following a rigorous judging process from a panel with expertise in both sports and literature including The Athletic’s Nancy Froston, sports presenter Matt Williams and William Hill’s Neil Foggin.

Books making this year’s longlist celebrate a diverse world of sports literature, covering tales and insight from 13 different sports. From gripping memoirs to thrilling narratives and insightful analysis from some of the most compelling sporting stars, the longlisted books have one common thread: a profound passion for sports and sporting literature.

Six female authors make this year’s cut, doubling the number from previous years.

Three-time William Hill Sports Book of the Year winner Duncan Hamilton is in the running for this year’s Award, alongside arguably one of the greatest snooker players of all time, Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2023 Longlist (alphabetical by author surname):

1923: The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession by Ned Boulting
Hope and Glory: Rugby League in Thatcher’s Britain by Anthony Broxton
Inshallah United: A Story of Faith and Football by Nooruddean Choudry
Unfair Play: The Battle for Women’s Sport by Sharron Davies with Craig Lord
Good for a Girl: My Life Running in a Man’s World by Lauren Fleshman
The Silence of the Stands: Finding the Joy in Football’s Lost Season by Daniel Gray
Answered Prayers: England and the 1966 World Cup by Duncan Hamilton
Tinseltown: Hollywood and the Beautiful Game – a Match Made in Wrexham by Ian Herbert
Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson by Sally H. Jacobs
Nazaré: Life and Death with the Big Wave Surfers by Matt Majendie
Western Lane by Chetna Maroo

The Hard Parts: A Story of Courage and Triumph by Oksana Masters
Unbreakable by Ronnie O’Sullivan
Concussed: Sport’s Uncomfortable Truth by Sam Peters
On Days Like These: The Lost Memoir of a Goalkeeper by Tim Rich
Nowhere to Run: The Ridiculous Life of a Semi-Professional Football Club Chairman by Jonathan Sayer
Kick The Latch by Kathryn Scanlan
The Tour: The Story of the England Cricket Team Overseas 1877 – 2023 by Simon Wilde

Award panellist and renowned sports broadcaster, Matt Williams said: “This year’s longlist showcases the diversity of sports and the many ways in which they inspire, entertain, and unite communities.

“We received an unprecedented number of outstanding entries from talented authors this year, including a high volume of contributions from both female authors and international writers. Whittling these down was no small feat, resulting in an historic moment for the Awards as we reveal a list of 18 longlisted books, which encompasses fiction and non-fiction.

“These remarkable titles explore the depths of sportsmanship, triumphs and challenges across the sporting industry including sexism, and the devastating effects that head injuries have on sportspeople. All the longlisted books not only have a great story to tell but their writing captivates the reader and is the best in sporting literature.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading so many inspirational books from the most talented of authors and I’m excited to see which of the 18 books comes out on top.”

Now in its 35^th year, the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award is dedicated to rewarding excellence in sports-writing and provides authors and publishers a platform to showcase and promote their book. The first William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award took place in 1989, earning it the title of the longest-established competition in the industry.

The shortlist for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2023 Award will be unveiled on 26^th October, with the winner declared on 30^th November 2023 at an official award ceremony at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, London. The Award has a £30,000 cash prize for the winner and the shortlisted authors will each receive £3,000 and a leather-bound copy of their book.

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Scientific Games Partnership Wins 2024 Gutenberg Award for Sustainability

Published

2 hours ago

May 8, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

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Scientific Games, in partnership with Loto-Québec, Sustana Papers and Recyc-Québec, won the 2024 Gutenberg Award for sustainability at the 42^nd Gala Gutenberg. The Gutenberg Awards are the Québec printing industry’s premier event, highlighting the talent, creativity and expertise of printing artisans.

The partnership’s winning entry was the Le Billet Vert (The Green Ticket) lottery instant scratch game launched by Loto-Québec in April 2024. The game was printed on 100% recycled board provided by Sustana Papers, with 100% water-based inks. Scientific Games enhanced the sustainability of the production process by packing completed games in boxes containing 60% recycled fiber and delivering them on reused European Pallet Association pallets.

The game promotes the recycling of lottery tickets, inviting players to download Recyc-Québec’s Ça va où? (Where Does It Go?) mobile app. The app teaches users to correctly sort recyclables and shows them drop-off locations for various types of household waste.

Isabelle Jean, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Lottery Games for Loto-Québec, said, “Since our first scratch game printed on 100% recycled paper stock debuted in 2021, our sustainability efforts have only increased. Congratulations to our team members from Loto-Québec, Scientific Games, Sustana Papers and Recyc-Québec for their vision. Together, we are reducing the environmental footprint of our games.”

The sustainable materials and game production techniques used for Le Billet Vert saved 110 mature trees, the equivalent of 326 10-minute showers, and the electrical power of 882,587 60-watt lightbulbs in one hour (Sustana Solutions eco calculator).

Marc-Andre Doyon, Vice President Canada for Scientific Games, said, “Through this collaboration, Scientific Games and our partners lead the global lottery industry in instant game sustainability. It’s truly an honor to win the Gutenberg Award for our efforts.”

Le Billet Vert is the thirteenth 100% recyclable game created for Loto-Québec since 2021 when Scientific Games and the Lottery began collaborating on a project to bring sustainable instant games to the lottery industry. Another game from this collection, Folie des plantes (Plant Madness), won the Gutenberg Award for sustainability in 2022. Other 100% recyclable Loto-Québec games produced by Scientific Games include Evasion (Escape), Code secret (Secret Code), SLINGO 10X and C’est quoi ton signe? (What’s Your Sign?).

Scientific Games is Loto-Québec’s primary instant game partner, producing the Lottery’s first instant game more than 50 years ago. The company has employed generations of Québécois professionals from their Montréal production facility, which produces instant games for Canadian and European lotteries.

With products that generate more than 70% of global instant game retail sales, Scientific Games is the world’s largest instant games creator, producer and services provider, and the primary provider to nine of the Top 10 performing instant game lotteries in the world (La Fleur’s 2024 World Lottery Almanac).

Industry Awards

Soft2Bet’s Betinia shortlisted in five categories of the EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards

Published

7 hours ago

May 8, 2024

George Miller

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Reading Time: < 1 minute

Nominations in five categories of the EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards is further recognition of Soft2Bet’s cutting-edge gamification solutions and innovative approach.

Soft2Bet, a leading provider of iGaming turnkey solutions, is delighted to announce that Betinia, its renowned brand in Denmark and Sweden, has been shortlisted in five categories of the EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards 2024.

The nominations are recognition of the incredible work that has been achieved by the Betinia team in two of Europe’s most competitive and regulated markets.

Betinia’s shortlisting in the following categories:

Best Native App,
CRM Campaign,
Innovation in Sports Betting,
Innovation of The Year,
Responsible Gambling Marketing Campaign of the Year, demonstrates how it has grown into being one of the most innovative and progressive operators in the industry.

Soft2Bet was recognised in February when its Motivational Engineering Gaming Application (MEGA) gamification solution won the Innovation of the Year at the EGR Nordics Awards and it is delighted to see its achievements gain further recognition with these shortlist nominations.

Oksana Tsyhankova, CMO of Soft2Bet, commented: “Being shortlisted in five categories is a great achievement and huge credit goes to our technical, product and marketing teams. Betinia’s success in two of Europe’s most competitive and regulated markets is also highly satisfying because it showcases our B2C expertise in driving engagement, retention and revenues.”

The post Soft2Bet’s Betinia shortlisted in five categories of the EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Betmotion

Betmotion leads campaign to aid victims of the Rio Grande do Sul floods

Published

8 hours ago

May 8, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

betmotion-leads-campaign-to-aid-victims-of-the-rio-grande-do-sul-floods

In response to the recent and devastating floods in Rio Grande do Sul, which have displaced over 100,000 people and severely affected 70% of the state’s municipalities, Betmotion, through its Corporate Social Responsibility project, BetSocial, is mobilising efforts to assist the victims of this catastrophe.

BetSocial has launched an initiative to support the actions of the NGOs Ação da Cidadania and CUFA, which are leading the charge in providing immediate aid to the impacted communities. At this critical moment, BetSocial is reinforcing the call for everyone to unite in solidarity and make donations that will be crucial for reconstructing affected lives.

“The tragedy that has struck Rio Grande do Sul requires a swift and coordinated response. At Betmotion, we believe in the power of solidarity and in our community’s ability to make a difference in times of need,” states Bianca Passos, founding member of BetSocial. “Every contribution, no matter how small, has a significant impact on the lives of those facing such difficult days.”

To facilitate donations, BetSocial has provided information on how to make contributions via PIX to the two partner organisations:

Ação da Cidadania: [email protected]
CUFA: [email protected]

Betmotion and BetSocial thank you in advance for your support and solidarity. They reiterate their commitment to work to alleviate the hardships faced by this catastrophe’s victims and continue promoting significant social impact actions.