Connect with us

Press Releases

Expert Insights and Networking: SBC’s Exclusive Capital Markets Forum at the NYSE

Published

on

expert-insights-and-networking:-sbc’s-exclusive-capital-markets-forum-at-the-nyse

SBC is gearing up to launch its debut Earnings & More:Capital Markets Forum event at the iconic New York Stock Exchange on May 6, offering 200 attendees a blend of learning and networking opportunities with leading experts.

This exclusive event, organized in collaboration with Earnings+More, aims to unite top minds from investment banks, M&A, and strategic advisory firms, alongside financial analysts and senior decision-makers from the gambling industry. Together, through a series of conference sessions, they will discuss pivotal trends shaping the betting and iGaming space in the United States and globally.

Conference Sessions

As the era of readily available capital wanes, private equity finds itself under pressure to validate its value proposition. Experts Adam Rosenberg (Senior Advisor | Gaming & Leisure, Blackstone), Joel H. Simkins (Managing Director, Houlihan Lokey), Nanette Heide (Global Chair, Private Equity Group, Duane Morris), and John Decree (Analyst, Global Commercial Real Estate Services) will dissect the specific contributions private equity can make to the gaming industry by evaluating its industry-related historical performance. Among other topics, the ‘Private Equity and Gaming’ panelists will elaborate on which companies they identify as promising targets for private equity involvement, both in the public market and among privately owned enterprises.

The ‘Billion-dollar Babies: The Swing to Profitability’ panel will explore the implications of the shift towards profitability and the rise of billion-dollar EBITDA giants for the rest of the United States’ online sports betting and online casino industry. The panelists will answer questions such as the repercussions the substantial profits amassed by sector frontrunners will have on others in the field, as well as how those earnings are going to be utilized. Andrew Fabian (Investment Banking – Global Technology Group, Citi), Barry Jonas (Managing Director, Truist Securities), Cassandra Lee (Senior Associate, Bettor Capital), and Chad Beynon (Senior Equity Analyst, Macquarie) will also discuss whether the industry will witness increased merger and acquisition activities, among other key discussion points.

As the trend of European companies struggling to penetrate the North American market prompts questions about their ongoing aspirations, the ‘Safe European Home: What do Withdrawals from North America Say about Future Ambitions?’ panel will delve into the associated challenges of the companies retracting their presence from North America. With concerns over wasted capital and failed ventures looming large, Ramy Ibrahim (Managing Director, Moelis & Company), Matt Sodl (Founding Partner & President, Innovation Capital), and Robin Chhabra (CEO, Tekkorp) will discuss strategies for assuaging investor apprehensions and articulating future plans. Scott Longley (CEO, Clear Concise Media) will moderate the session.

As the trend of continuously expanding portfolios with bolt-on deals becomes more challenging, the ‘No More Worlds to Conquer: What Happens When the Bolt-On Deals Dry Up?’ panel shifts the discussion to the future of M&A activity. Sandford Loudon (Partner, Oakvale Capital), Thomas Nicholls (Managing Director, Strategic Advisory Group, PJT Partners), Adam Berger (Partner, Duane Morris), and James Brodie (Head of Interactive, International, MGM Interactive) will zoom in on the quest for value-enhancing deals in Europe and beyond and analyze whether the era of the bolt-on juggernaut is nearing its end, with such opportunities dwindling and shareholders growing increasingly wary of costly expansions.

While the spotlight has largely been on the expansion of sports betting in the United States, the slower progress of online casino legalization at the state level has received less attention. Panelists Davis Catlin (Managing Partner, Discerning Capital), Josh Swissman (Consultant, GMA), Lauren Seiler (Founder, Global Gaming Advisors), and Eric Hession (President, Caesars Digital) will discuss the opportunities in the online casino field and the potential rewards that operators can capitalize on during the ‘Short-term memory: Have investors forgotten about iCasino?’ panel. Caroline Ponsetti (Communications Strategist, Invariant) will moderate the session where one main question will be answered: are investors tuned in to this long-term potential?

Once the conference session concludes, attendees will be invited to join Networking Drinks directly on the Trading Floor at 6 pm.

Secure your spot at the Capital Markets Forum with a pass priced at $300. Availability is limited.

Conveniently timed, the event precedes the SBC Summit North America, the foremost iGaming & Sports Betting Event in North America, scheduled for May 7-9 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey. This ensures convenience for those interested in attending both events.

FanLabel

SCCG Management Partner and Portfolio Company FanLabel Launches FanLabel SongPicks App, Bringing Skill-Based Music Contests to Fans Nationwide

Published

on

sccg-management-partner-and-portfolio-company-fanlabel-launches-fanlabel-songpicks-app,-bringing-skill-based-music-contests-to-fans-nationwide

FanLabel also submits comment to the CFTC outlining a responsible framework for music-oriented prediction markets

SCCG Management, a global leader in iGaming advisory, business development, and strategic growth with more than 33 years of experience in the gaming industry, today congratulates its partner and portfolio company FanLabel on the official launch of FanLabel SongPicks, a paid-entry, skill-based music contest app that lets fans use their music knowledge to compete for cash prizes.

SCCG Management is a shareholder in FanLabel and has supported the company’s growth as a strategic partner across business development, market positioning, and industry relationships. The launch of FanLabel SongPicks represents the latest milestone in FanLabel’s expanding music gamification and prediction market entertainment ecosystem, and further validates SCCG’s investment thesis that interactive, data-driven fan engagement represents a significant commercial opportunity across entertainment verticals.

A New Way for Music Fans to Compete

FanLabel SongPicks builds on the company’s FanLabel Classic app, which lets music fans compete in free fantasy-sports-style music challenges. With SongPicks, players put their music knowledge to the test by ranking songs, predicting streaming trends, and competing on leaderboards for real cash prizes. The app currently features two contest modes: Ranker, where fans rank songs from most to least streamed, and Best of Five, where players pick the top-performing song from a group.

FanLabel’s products are powered by real-world music data and backed by direct licensing agreements from major and independent record label groups and rights holders. The company has partnered with Luminate as its official stream and chart-data source and Tuned Global as its metadata infrastructure provider, ensuring contests are built around objective data rather than subjective fan voting.

FanLabel also works with Approvely, another SCCG partner company, to support KYC (Know Your Customer) and identity-verification functions, alongside Plaid for banking services. The Approvely integration reflects SCCG’s broader strategy of connecting its partner ecosystem to create end-to-end solutions for emerging entertainment and gaming verticals.

“Our team is very proud to have FanLabel SongPicks officially out in the world,” said Jeff Sloan, Founder and CEO of FanLabel. “We believe that the SongPicks experience will provide music enthusiasts with a new way to engage in their love of music while at the same time benefiting the industry by driving music discovery, consumption, and an entirely new way to generate monetization.”

FanLabel’s CFTC Engagement Signals Regulatory Leadership

FanLabel recently submitted comments to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) outlining its position that music-related event contracts can create new opportunities for fan engagement, price discovery, and future risk-management tools for rights holders when tied to objective data and designed with appropriate safeguards. The filing was one of the few music-focused submissions in a docket dominated by sports, gaming, crypto, and regulatory comments.

In its comments, FanLabel drew a distinction between music contracts tied to objective, third-party metrics such as streams and chart rankings, and more speculative contracts with outcomes that may be influenced by a small group of insiders. The company argued that responsible music prediction markets should be developed in coordination with rights holders, data vendors, and regulated exchanges.

FanLabel holds five issued U.S. patents, with additional applications pending, covering music gamification and the use of music-based contract formats in prediction markets. Several label groups hold an ownership interest in this intellectual property through their equity in FanLabel.

SCCG’s Strategic View

Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management, commented: “FanLabel represents exactly the kind of company we look for in our portfolio: a team that combines deep domain expertise, defensible intellectual property, and a responsible approach to regulation with a genuine understanding of fan behavior. The music prediction market space is at a pivotal moment, and FanLabel’s CFTC engagement, combined with the SongPicks launch, positions them as a category leader. As a shareholder and strategic partner, SCCG is proud to support FanLabel’s growth and to help connect their platform with the broader gaming, entertainment, and prediction market ecosystem.”

The post SCCG Management Partner and Portfolio Company FanLabel Launches FanLabel SongPicks App, Bringing Skill-Based Music Contests to Fans Nationwide appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Continue Reading

George Weaver

Weaver and Ward target more Royal Ascot glory via the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes at Gulfstream Park

Published

on

weaver-and-ward-target-more-royal-ascot-glory-via-the-royal-palm-juvenile-stakes-at-gulfstream-park

Trainer George Weaver will send Easy Life to Gulfstream Park this Saturday for her career debut in the $125,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies with the hope that the filly, owned by R A Hill Stable, BlackRidge Stables LLC and SGV Thoroughbreds, is destined for a future on turf.

“We don’t know if she is turf or dirt to be perfectly honest with you, but we’re going to ask her to turf to see if she can run at Royal Ascot,” Weaver said.

The Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies will co-headline Saturday’s Gulfstream card with the $125,000 Royal Palm Juvenile. The winners of both five-furlong turf stakes for 2-year-olds will each earn an automatic entry into one of six juvenile stakes during the Royal Ascot meeting (June 16-20) at Ascot Racecourse and a $25,000 equine travel stipend.

Weaver has enjoyed considerable success in Gulfstream’s Royal Palm stakes since their inception in 2023, when he saddled Crimson Advocate for a Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies victory and No Nay Mets for a win in the Royal Palm Juvenile. Crimson Advocate went on to capture the Queen Mary (G2) at Ascot Racecourse. No Nay Mets ran off the board in the Norfolk (G2).

“It’s a very, very hard place to win. It’s some of the best racing in the world that you can get. It’s not only great racing, it’s a great social scene, a great atmosphere,” said Weaver, who won the Royal Palm Juvenile last year with Sandal’s Song, who went on to finish third in the Norfolk at Royal Ascot. “When you’re there you feel like you’re participating in something special.”

Easy Life, a daughter of 2022 Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) winner Life is Good, was purchased out of the OBS March sale for $300,000.

“She came out of the 2-year-old sale and had a nice breeze over there. She’s got some speed and we’ve been having a little progress with her since we got her,” said Weaver, who will also be represented at Gulfstream Saturday by Automatic Press in the Royal Palm Juvenile.

J.G. Torrealba has the mount on the filly who is priced at 6-1 on the morning line.

Joker’s Chic, trained by Wesley Ward, enters the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies with one-race experience, however disappointing her fourth-place finish may have been. The Twin Oaks Bloodstock LLC’s daughter of Practical Joke had trained sharply in preparation for her debut, particularly at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

“She had a work at Palm Meadows on March 15 on turf. Joel Rosario breezed her. We sent her off behind two very nice fillies – two, three lengths behind – and she sat back there and she just eased out and went rolling by them,’ Ward recalled. “It was a very impressive workout.”

Joker’s Chic, a $200,000 purchase at the 2025 Keeneland September sale, prompted the early pace on her debut in a 4 ½-furlong maiden test over Keeneland’s main track before fading to fourth under Irad Ortiz Jr.

“When she ran, I was pretty confident with her. She broke and Irad had her in a beautiful position, but she didn’t make that explosive move she made at Palm Meadows,” Ward said. “I told the owner, ‘This must be a grass filly.’ If she runs back to her work at Palm Meadows, she’s going to be double tough to beat.”

Joao Moreira was named to ride Joker’s Chic at the time of entry but was unable to be released from commitments in Hong Kong. Joe Bravo will replace the international star aboard the Ward trainee, who is rated at 6-1 on the morning line.

Dew Sweepers’ Pot’s Right has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite in a field of nine fillies on the strength of her debut victory at Keeneland. The daughter of Bolt d’Oro overcame a slow start to rally for a 1 ½-length debut victory in a 4 ½-furlong maiden test on dirt.

The Phillip Antonacci-trained filly returned to Palm Meadows to become acquainted with turf during a four-furlong breeze last Friday.

Luis Saez will ride Pot’s Right for the first time on Saturday.

Arindel’s Boots, an impressive 3 ½-length winner of her 4 ½-furlong debut at Gulfstream April 16, is rated second on the morning-line for her turf debut in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies. The homebred daughter of Brethren, who debuted for trainer Jorge Delgado, will make her first start since being transferred to Carlos David.

Samy Camacho has the return call on Boots.

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will be represented by D.J. Stable LLC’s Pros and Cons and Gary Barber’s Sass Sass, in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies. Pros and Cons, a $375,000 son of Triple Crown champion Justify, and Sass Sass, a homebred daughter of War of Will, will both make their debuts on Saturday.

Edwin Gonzalez has the call on Pros and Cons, while Martin Chuan will ride Sass Sass.

Mark B. Davis’s Dee Snook, an Irish-bred daughter of Sioux Nation trained by Doug O’Neill, and John Franklin and Diane Franklin’s Mo Town Foxy Brown, a Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained daughter of Mo Town, are entered to make their respective debuts.

Leonel Reyes has the mount on Dee Snook, while Nick Juarez has the call on Mo Town Foxy Brown.

Teresa and David Palmer’s Liberty Rings enters the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies off a rallying third-place finish, beaten by a half-length, on her debut on dirt at Gulfstream on April 19.

Miguel Vasquez has the return mount on the Nicholas Palmer-trained daughter of Awesome Slew.

Key takeaways from the Royal Palm>

  • Winners of Gulfstream Park’s Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes (fillies’ and colts’ contests) receive free entry & travel stipends to any of Royal Ascot’s two-year-old races (six to choose from).
  • Now in its fourth year, Gulfstream Park’s Royal Palm Juvenile Series started with a bang in 2023’s fillies’ division when Crimson Advocate landed a rare transatlantic double, before 2024 Juvenile victor Gabaldon finished second in the Windsor Castle Stakes.
  • Five of the six Royal Palm winners have subsequently taken up their Royal Ascot engagements (with Lennilu and Sandal’s Song flying the flag by both recording third-placed finishes in 2025).
  • Crimson Advocate was also subsequently bought by Wathnan Racing, rehomed in the UK, before going on to win last year’s Duke of Cambridge Stakes, demonstrating the long-term prospects of these juveniles.

The post Weaver and Ward target more Royal Ascot glory via the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes at Gulfstream Park appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Continue Reading

Funding

EasyWin closes second seed round at $20m valuation

Published

on

easywin-closes-second-seed-round-at-$20m-valuation

Real-money casual puzzle tournament startup says an EU private investor backed the April 2026 round.

EasyWin, a U.S.-based real-money gaming startup, said it has closed its second seed funding round at a $20 million valuation. The company announced the round in April 2026 and said it was backed by a private investor from the European Union.

The company previously closed its first seed round in December 2025 at a $15.5 million valuation. That round included funding from Velo Partners, Vladimir Nikolsky and several private angel investors.

EasyWin was founded by Ivan Leshkevich, a former executive at mobile game publisher and developer Mamboo Entertainment. The startup, which currently has a team of eight, says it has built a global tournament platform for casual puzzle games with cash prizes and operates across major markets.

Since launching in 2025, EasyWin reported 25% month-over-month growth in user spending and a 4.9 average user rating. It also said it has expanded into 12 countries with localized legal opinions and payment infrastructure, received PayPal approval for its MCC, and completed payments-stack integrations with global providers.

The company also said it has obtained GLI certification “confirming compliance with U.S. regulations for skill-based gaming products.” Leshkevich said: “In the long term, we aim to become a leading global skill-based gaming platform. To achieve this, we focus on a strong product USP and new AI-based dev tools.”

The post EasyWin closes second seed round at $20m valuation appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Continue Reading

Trending

Get it on Google Play

Fresh slot games releases by the top brands of the industry. We provide you with the latest news straight from the entertainment industries.

The platform also hosts industry-relevant webinars, and provides detailed reports, making it a one-stop resource for anyone seeking information about operators, suppliers, regulators, and professional services in the European gaming market. The portal's primary goal is to keep its extensive reader base updated on the latest happenings, trends, and developments within the gaming and gambling sector, with an emphasis on the European market while also covering pertinent global news. It's an indispensable resource for gaming professionals, operators, and enthusiasts alike.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 - Recent Slot Releases is part of HIPTHER Agency. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania