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IBIA publishes 2024 Sports Betting Integrity Report: 219 alerts reported
Football and tennis provide 61% of alerts
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), the leading voice on integrity for the licensed global sports betting industry, has published its 2024 sports betting integrity report. The report highlights that the total number of suspicious betting alerts reported in 2024 was 219, an increase of 17% on the revised 2023 figure of 187 alerts. However, the 2024 figure remains 11% below the annual average of 245 alerts during 2020-23.
Suspicious betting alerts spanned 12 sports across 53 countries in 2024, with Czechia (19) and Türkiye (11) topping the list. Football and tennis led the way in reported cases, with 75 and 58 alerts respectively, together accounting for 61% of all alerts in 2024.
There was a change geographically, with suspicious betting on sporting events in Europe falling from 113 alerts in 2023 to 80 in 2024. Meanwhile, alerts in Asia increased from 17 to 40, and Africa’s increased from 16 to 28. IBIA is keeping a close eye on these trends to determine whether they’re just anomalies or a growing trend that will require action.
IBIA data played a key role in sporting investigations, leading to 33 matches being deemed corrupted and 17 sanctions against clubs, players, and officials for betting violations.
Khalid Ali, CEO at IBIA, said: “The integrity position remains relatively consistent with previous years, with the focus of suspicious betting remaining primarily on football and tennis. A geographical shift away from European sporting events was observed, but it is too early to determine if this is an ongoing trend. As with all potentially corrupt activity, IBIA is analysing the data and working with its members and global integrity network to implement targeted countermeasures. IBIA’s growing membership are resolute in their commitment to identifying, disrupting, and preventing corrupt sports betting activity and to working with stakeholders.”
Key Findings from the 2024 Report
- Football (75) and tennis (58) continue to account for the majority of suspicious betting alerts, with a combined 133 cases (61%) – a slight decrease from their 64% share in 2023.
- There was a geographical shift in reported alerts in 2024, with Europe’s share dropping to 37%, with Asia having 18% and Africa 13% of all alerts reported.
- Alerts were reported across 12 sports in 53 countries during the year, with Czechia (19) and Türkiye (11) registering the highest number of suspicious cases.
- Sporting investigations finalised in 2024, which utilised IBIA data, resulted in 33 matches deemed corrupted, leading to 17 sanctions against clubs, players, or officials.
The post IBIA publishes 2024 Sports Betting Integrity Report: 219 alerts reported appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
GR8 Tech is enhancing sportsbook engagement with the new “Fancy Mode” feature—a UI upgrade that offers the look and feel of exchange betting while keeping operators’ revenue models intact
By introducing an exchange-inspired interface without modifying underlying bet calculation mechanics or risk models, GR8 Tech offers operators a powerful tool to expand their audience, differentiate their offerings, and ensure revenue stability during high-traffic events like IPL that starts this weekend.
“The exchange-style sportsbook UI gives operators a smart, low-risk way to appeal to exchange bettors without overhauling their platform,” said Denys Parkhomenko, CPO at GR8 Tech. “This is exactly the type of flexible, player-driven evolution we believe in—small but impactful changes that drive engagement and revenue.”
Key Functionalities of the Exchange-Style Sportsbook UI
Designed to expand audience reach while providing a frictionless betting experience, the feature introduces:
- UI Toggle: Players can switch between “Fixed” and “Exchange” views, with a customizable default setting for new users. Preferences are saved locally for future visits.
- Optimized Market & Odds Display: Odds automatically convert to a Back/Lay-style format, with distinct layouts to help exchange bettors navigate effortlessly.
- Cricket-Specific Enhancements: Dedicated updates to Cricket event pages ensure players experience a more intuitive and familiar interface.
- Refined User Experience: Adjusted CashOut, BetSlip, and BetHistory functionalities ensure smooth tracking and execution of bets.
“Operators need every advantage to capture and retain traffic during the world’s biggest sports tournaments. With the “Fancy Mode”, we provide a high-impact engagement tool that requires no operational risk but delivers significant player retention benefits,” added Parkhomenko.
Available now for Cricket single bets, the “Fancy Mode” can be enabled by operators as a default view or offered as a toggle-on feature within Cricket event pages. Contact GR8 Tech today to unlock a more flexible, high-performance Sportsbook experience—with a touch of fancy.
The post GR8 Tech Rolls Out “Fancy Mode” Sportsbook UI appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
Rocket League Championship Series Announces Progressive Insurance® as Presenting Sponsor for Entire 2025 Season
BLAST, an esports entertainment company, has announced an expanded sponsorship with Progressive Insurance, making it the Presenting Sponsor for the entire Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) 2025 season.
Following its successful sponsorship of the Rocket League World Championship in Fort Worth, Texas, last year, Progressive is deepening its investment in Esports by extending its presence across all Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) events in 2025, including Qualifiers, RLCS Majors, and the Rocket League World Championship.
Progressive is the second largest personal auto insurer in the United States, a leading seller of commercial auto, motorcycle, and boat insurance, and one of the country’s top 15 homeowners insurance carriers.
The sponsorship will see Progressive featured both digitally and physically across the RLCS 2025 season and includes logo placement on the Rocket League ball in RLCS broadcasts, branded broadcast content and a number of in and out of game logo integrations.
The RLCS is the official competitive league for Rocket League Esports, which features the world’s best teams and players competing across the year for a place in the much-anticipated arena events – fans can look forward to events such as the RLCS Major in Birmingham, UK and Raleigh Majors and the Rocket League World Championship in Lyon, France.
Progressive first sponsored Rocket League Esports last September for the Rocket League World Championship in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, where Team BDS claimed the lion’s share of the $1,165,500 total prize pool and coveted world title.
Alexander Lewin, SVP of Commercial Revenues for BLAST, said: “The expansion of our sponsorship with Progressive highlights the growing global reach of Rocket League Esports, along with its brilliant passionate fanbase and the exciting arena events on offer across the year. We are looking forward to further integrating Progressive into the Rocket League esports ecosystem in 2025.”
Sean Freeman, Media Business Leader at Progressive, said: “We’re excited to help bring a fun and competitive Rocket League Championship Series season to the Esports community in 2025. We look forward to connecting with the passionate fans of Rocket League both in-game and in the arena all season long through this expanded sponsorship.”
The post Rocket League Championship Series Announces Progressive Insurance® as Presenting Sponsor for Entire 2025 Season appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Charles Gillespie Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Gambling.com Group
Gambling.com Group Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2024 Results
2025 Guidance Mid-points Imply 35% and 40% Year-Over-Year Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA Growth
Gambling.com Group Limited, a fast-growing provider of digital marketing services for the global online gambling industry, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2024.
Charles Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Gambling.com Group, commented, “Our record fourth quarter and full-year results were driven by our team’s prioritization of iGaming across the markets where we operate. Our team delivered outstanding performance in the quarter, especially when compared to the launch driven results in the prior-year period. We anticipate growth and continued market share gains in our performance marketing business across all geographic regions in 2025, including North America. The consolidation of Odds Holdings, Inc. from January 1st marks the start of the Company’s next phase of growth as we layer on sports data solutions to our existing, high-growth, high-margin business. Our competitive positioning is strong across the globe.”
“We capped an active and productive year during which we set the stage for continued strong growth in 2025 and beyond,” said Mr. Gillespie. “In 2024, we extended our record of delivering full-year revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow growth with those metrics improving 17%, 33%, and 81%, respectively, year-over-year. In addition, we strengthened our product and market positioning organically as well as through the complementary, accretive acquisitions of Freebets.com and Odds Holdings. With the biggest and most talented team we have ever had and an enhanced product offering, we are making great progress towards our goal of reaching $100 million in annual Adjusted EBITDA.”
Elias Mark, Chief Financial Officer of Gambling.com Group, added, “Fourth quarter revenue and Adjusted EBITDA increased 9% and 39% year-over-year, respectively, and over 80% of Adjusted EBITDA converted to free cash flow, reflecting the continued success of our strategies to optimize the returns from our global portfolio of owned and operated assets. As expected, we generated strong online casino growth across all our geographical regions, while our North American business continued to be resilient against challenging comparables. As reflected in our full-year guidance, we expect to generate significant year-over-year revenue and Adjusted EBITDA growth in 2025, and we are well-positioned to carry this operating momentum forward.”
Financial Highlights Three Months Ended December 31, 2024 vs. Three Months Ended December 31, 2023
(USD in thousands, except per share data, unaudited)
|
|
Three Months Ended December 31, |
|
Change |
|||||
|
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
|
% |
|||
|
Revenue |
35,308 |
|
|
32,530 |
|
|
9 |
% |
|
Net income for the period attributable to shareholders |
7,933 |
|
|
6,372 |
|
|
24 |
% |
|
Net income per share attributable to shareholders, diluted |
0.23 |
|
|
0.16 |
|
|
44 |
% |
|
Net income margin |
22 |
% |
|
20 |
% |
|
|
|
|
Adjusted net income for the period attributable to shareholders (1) |
12,172 |
|
|
8,622 |
|
|
41 |
% |
|
Adjusted net income per share attributable to shareholders, diluted (1) |
0.35 |
|
|
0.22 |
|
|
59 |
% |
|
Adjusted EBITDA (1) |
14,736 |
|
|
10,569 |
|
|
39 |
% |
|
Adjusted EBITDA Margin (1) |
42 |
% |
|
32 |
% |
|
|
|
|
Cash flows generated by operating activities |
13,698 |
|
|
7,140 |
|
|
92 |
% |
|
Free Cash Flow (1) |
13,162 |
|
|
6,511 |
|
|
102 |
% |
|
__________ |
|
(1) Represents a non-IFRS measure. See “Supplemental Information – Non-IFRS Financial Measures” and the tables at the end of this release for reconciliations to the comparable IFRS numbers. |
Fourth Quarter 2024 and Recent Business Highlights
- Delivered more than 145,000 new depositing customers (“NDCs”)
- Repurchased 486,312 shares at an average price of $9.80 per share
- Won Casino Affiliate of the Year at the 2024 EGR Operator Awards
- Completed accretive acquisition of Odds Holdings, Inc. on January 1, 2025 for initial consideration of $70 million in cash and $10 million in shares
- Expanded credit facility to $165 million with a new syndicate
Three Months Ended December 31, 2024 Results Compared to Three Months Ended December 31, 2023
Revenue rose 9% year-over-year to a record $35.3 million. The Company delivered more than 145,000 NDCs to clients, a 9% year-over-year decrease reflecting a challenging comparison primarily due to ESPNBet’s launch in 17 markets in the 2023 fourth quarter period.
Gross profit increased 21% to $33.1 million, due to strong revenue growth and a $2.9 million year-over-year decrease in cost of sales related to the Company’s media partnerships.
Total operating expenses increased 21% to $23.3 million, primarily as a result of increased people costs and higher amortization related to the acquisition of Freebets.com and related assets.
Net income attributable to shareholders increased $1.6 million to $7.9 million and net income per share was $0.23 compared to $0.16 in the prior year period. Adjusted net income rose 41% to $12.2 million and adjusted net income per share increased 59% to $0.35.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 39% to a record $14.7 million, reflecting an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 42% as compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $10.6 million and an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 32% in the prior-year period.
Operating cash flow of $13.7 million compared to $7.1 million in the prior-year period. Free cash flow grew 102% to $13.2 million reflecting growth in net income and Adjusted EBITDA and positive working capital movements in the quarter.
2025 Outlook
Gambling.com Group today reiterated the 2025 full-year revenue and Adjusted EBITDA guidance originally provided on February 19, 2025. The Company expects full year revenue of $170 million to $174 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $67 million to $69 million. The midpoints of the new full year revenue and Adjusted EBITDA guidance ranges represent year-over-year growth of 35% and 40%, respectively, and an adjusted EBITDA margin of 39.5%.
The Company’s guidance assumes:
- Incremental Adjusted EBITDA contributions of approximately $14.5 million related to the acquisition of Odds Holdings, Inc. that was completed on January 1, 2025.
- No additional North American markets coming online over the balance of 2025. While online sports betting is expected to begin in Missouri in the second half of 2025, the Company’s guidance policy excludes any benefits from new state launches until such time as a definitive start date is announced by the appropriate regulatory body.
- An average EUR/USD exchange rate of 1.07 throughout 2025.
Financial Highlights Full Year Ended December 31, 2024 vs. Full Year Ended December 31, 2023
(USD in thousands, except per share data, unaudited)
|
|
Year ended December 31, |
|
Change |
|||||
|
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
|
% |
|||
|
Revenue |
127,182 |
|
|
108,652 |
|
|
17 |
% |
|
Net income for the period attributable to shareholders |
30,679 |
|
|
18,260 |
|
|
68 |
% |
|
Net income per share attributable to shareholders, diluted |
0.84 |
|
|
0.47 |
|
|
79 |
% |
|
Net income margin |
24 |
% |
|
17 |
% |
|
|
|
|
Adjusted net income for the period attributable to shareholders (1) |
42,120 |
|
|
32,207 |
|
|
31 |
% |
|
Adjusted net income per share attributable to shareholders, diluted (1) |
1.16 |
|
|
0.84 |
|
|
38 |
% |
|
Adjusted EBITDA (1) |
48,691 |
|
|
36,715 |
|
|
33 |
% |
|
Adjusted EBITDA Margin (1) |
38 |
% |
|
34 |
% |
|
|
|
|
Cash flows generated by operating activities |
37,638 |
|
|
17,910 |
|
|
110 |
% |
|
Free Cash Flow (1) |
41,582 |
|
|
23,000 |
|
|
81 |
% |
|
__________ |
|
(1) Represents a non-IFRS measure. See “Supplemental Information – Non-IFRS Financial Measures” and the tables at the end of this release for reconciliations to the comparable IFRS numbers. |
The post Gambling.com Group Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2024 Results appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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