Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.

Latest News

International Game Technology PLC announced that it is the first gaming industry supplier to receive the Internet Compliance Assessment Programme (iCAP) Ready accreditation for its iLottery operations from the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). Based on the original iCAP designed for gaming operators, iCAP Ready is a U.S. accreditation programme designed for gaming suppliers who are committed to upholding responsible gaming standards across their products and services. Supported by the NCPG, iCAP Ready utilises best practices from the Internet Responsible Gambling Standards to ensure suppliers implement and maintain responsible gambling policies, provide effective staff training and offer comprehensive player support tools.

Light & Wonder Inc. has announced Simon Johnson as the new CEO of the Company’s iGaming business. Simon has been with Light & Wonder since 2017 and has been instrumental in driving the international commercial efforts of the Gaming business in his most recent role as Senior Vice President and International Managing Director. As part of his new role, Simon will report directly into Light & Wonder President and CEO Matt Wilson and join the Company’s Executive Leadership Team.

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Las Vegas sports betting venture Circa Sports awarded $20,266,000 in prizes to the winners of its professional football contests, Circa Survivor and Circa Million VI. Highlights of the winnings included the largest Circa Survivor pool in contest history of $14.26 million. This was split equally among C3 Picks, DREAM STAKES, MEATBALL BROTHERS, PUMBAPACK9, TY1823, VODKA JOHNNY, WHATEVERYALLWANT and Whiskey Business. The $1 million Circa Million VI prize went to Team BP.

Partnerships

ESPN and PENN Entertainment announced that 10 additional retail sportsbooks at key PENN properties will be rebranded to “ESPN BET Sportsbook” in early 2025 (subject to all regulatory approvals), increasing the total number of ESPN BET branded sportsbooks at PENN properties to 19. The new ESPN BET locations will serve customers across Pennsylvania, Colorado, Ohio, Iowa, Indiana and West Virginia under PENN’s popular Hollywood and Ameristar Casino brands.

The Ottawa Black Bears announced an extensive partnership agreement with PowerPlay Online Sportsbook and Casino that will see the company’s logo featured on the club’s home and away jerseys. In addition to the jersey partnership, PowerPlay will also have branding elements inside the goal crease, behind the bench, on the LED display ring and along the rinkboards for Black Bears home games at Canadian Tire Centre. As part of the deal, PowerPlay also becomes the exclusive sportsbook and online casino partner for the Ottawa Black Bears.

The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, announced a multi-year partnership naming Cloudbet as the official and exclusive Sports Betting and Online Casino Partner of the PFL. This new collaboration will bring crypto-powered betting to PFL events, starting with the highly anticipated Road to Dubai Champions Series on January 25. Cloudbet has been a trusted name in the cryptocurrency world for over a decade. With this partnership, they will bring a whole new way to engage with MMA fans by combining their expertise in crypto sports betting with PFL’s innovative approach to fighting.

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SPAYZ.io, a global leader in payments technologies, has reflected on a remarkable year of milestones and achievements as it prepares for a series of exciting new industry initiatives. Its expansion into new markets, integration of next generation technologies, and active participation at industry events have collectively paved the way for strengthened partnerships and innovative solutions in 2025.

In 2024, SPAYZ.io launched new payment methods in established jurisdictions like Europe (Open Banking) and South Korea (Virtual Accounts) and emerging markets including Pakistan (Jazzcash, Easypasia), Malaysia (Touch’n’Go, FPX), Indonesia (Dana, OVO), Vietnam (MobileMoney, Viettel). Three new geos were also added; Kenya (M-Pesa), Ghana (MobileMoney) and Congo (MobileMoney).

SPAYZ.io made huge upgrades to ensure its platform,including enhanced provider balance management to optimise operational efficiency, increased fault tolerance to mitigate the impact of Distributed Denial of Service attacks, strengthened fraud prevention measures to safeguard transactions, and a tiered commissions policy.

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A key highlight was the enhancement of SPAYZ.io’s existing IT product block. A new structure for team integration and alignment, double productivity output, reducing development time by 20. This was backed by the processing of 77,000 requests, 210 requests per day, in 2024 by the customer support team, offering fast assistance anytime the day.

Alongside these launches, SPAYZ.io took part in 19 exhibitions across 13 countries with 4 booths, expanding its network of partners.

Finally, in line with SPAYZ.io’s philosophy of rewarding partnerships and simplifying collaboration, it launched a new tiered commissions policy in 2024. This structure ensures its partners can benefit from incentives, while providing access to SPAYZ.io’s suite of payment tools.

The past 12 months have laid down a strong foundation for 2025, positioning SPAYZ.io for even greater achievements. The team looks forward to providing regular updates to our expanding network, particular with the 2025 event season well underway.

Atlaslive, a dynamic iGaming Platform, has recently announced a strategic partnership with Split The Pot, a company renowned for lightweight, customizable, and enjoyable games. This collaboration will enhance the gaming experience for Atlaslive Platform users by combining top-notch, live technology with engaging and secure gaming solutions that also reach remote locations and all sorts of phone models.

Atlaslive is committed to delivering innovative iGaming solutions for operators that meet the changing needs of the gaming community. This partnership with Split The Pot aligns perfectly with Atlalsive’s mission to discover how far iGaming tech can evolve and to provide exceptional, user-centric gaming experiences.

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Lidiia Vakulenco, COO of Atlaslive, expressed her excitement about this collaboration: “We are thrilled to partner with Split The Pot and bring their engaging and intuitive games to our platform. At Atlaslive, we focus on offering solutions that combine innovative technology with ease of use, ensuring that operators can deliver outstanding gaming experiences to players worldwide. This partnership strengthens our commitment to providing user-friendly and secure options for all types of players.”

Split The Pot is a Swedish game studio led by experienced online gambling professionals. They create simple, fun, and intuitive games designed for a wide audience, with a strong focus on mobile-friendly design.

Christian Rajter, CEO of Split The Pot, shared his enthusiasm: “We are excited to start working with Atlaslive and are confident this collaboration will bring great results to all of us and immense value to players. Their platform is incredibly advanced yet adaptable, allowing our games to reach a broader audience, including players in remote areas and those using various devices.”

Through this partnership, Atlaslive continues to show its commitment to building the future of iGaming while ensuring that operators benefit from live technology while meeting the dynamic needs of the gaming community. Together with Split The Pot, Atlaslive is here to revolutionize gaming through inventive, accessible, and personalized tools.

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