Soft2Bet has signed a multi-year turnkey agreement with leading Nigerian media company Channels Media Group to provide its powerful platform solution and Managed Services in the largest regulated market in Africa.

As part of the deal Soft2Bet will power Waddibet, Channels Media Group’s online sports betting and casino offering, driving value for the group by managing its entire customer acquisition and retention strategy through its market-leading ‘Managed Services’ offering.

The partnership will make full use of Channels local knowledge and Soft2Bet’s online sports betting and casino expertise as the broadcaster leverages its reach to deploy Soft2Bet’s Motivational Engineering Gamification Application (MEGA), the gamification solution that enables operators to deliver market-leading ROI by providing quality content and driving player engagement in regulated jurisdictions.

Advertisement

Regulatory expansion

Soft2Bet’s regulatory footprint grew significantly in 2023 as the group entered major markets like Sweden, Denmark, Romania and Italy and in 2024 this has continued and it is set to forge ahead on this path with worldwide expansion into Africa’s largest economy and most populous country with Channels TV.

As the company executes on its strategic roadmap throughout 2025 it will continue integrating new partners to its B2B platform and adding to its content library to deliver the richest and most complete turnkey solution for its partners.

Martin Collins, Chief Business Development Officer of Soft2Bet, said: “As a group, Soft2Bet is truly delighted to announce its first African partnership with a high-calibre media partner like Channels TV. Nigeria is the continent’s largest economy and a vibrant market and the combination of Channels TV’s strong brand equity and our highly localised and powerful solutions will deliver strong growth in this major market.”

Advertisement

Tobi Momoh, Group Strategist & Consultant of Channels Media Group, added: “Our joining forces with Soft2Bet will see us  blend our local expertise with their cutting-edge online sports betting and casino operations. We’re also highly excited at the thought of integrating Soft2Bet’s MEGA gamification and are confident in our ability to deliver premium content and elevate player engagement across this market. Together, we’re committed to setting new industry standards and establishing a leading iGaming brand that will provide unmatched entertainment to our players.”

Leading horse racing and sportsbook provider, Pythia Sports, has announced its latest client partnership with global sports betting operator Betmaster. The collaboration sees Betmaster go live with Pythia’s full managed trading services racing betting product, enhancing its offering for racing enthusiasts worldwide.

This partnership, which launched in December 2024, marks another milestone for Pythia Sports as it continues to expand its presence in the global racing industry. The agreement was facilitated in collaboration with Racing1 Markets by leveraging the racing packaged from Racing1, as well as the newly formed racing alliance from 1/ST Content, Arena Racing Company (ARC), Racecourse Media Group (RMG), and Tabcorp.

This gives Betmaster a 24/7 racing package in just one contract and one integration, further strengthening the ties between the racing ecosystem’s major stakeholders.

Advertisement

Betmaster’s adoption of Pythia’s managed trading services will provide its customers with a seamless horse racing experience for global meets across the UK and Ireland, as well as USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Japan, complete with expert pricing from Pythia.

Betmaster has further integrated select derivative markets with a full rollout expected later this year, alongside in-running betting.

Stephen Davison, Head of Commercial Operations at Pythia Sports, said: “We are delighted to partner with Betmaster to bring our state-of-the-art managed trading services to their platform. This partnership represents our commitment to delivering high-quality, innovative horse racing solutions to operators worldwide. We’re confident this launch will resonate with Betmaster’s customers and we are excited to see how horse racing and greyhounds can inspire growth at the company as they offer this proposition for the very first time as an operator.”

Jack Whitaker, Racing1 Markets spokesperson and Commercial Manager at ARC, said: “Racing1 Markets is all about making racing easy for customers that want a tier 1 product, with as little hassle as possible – our partnership with industry leading supplier Pythia Sports enables customers like Betmaster to receive exactly that. Betmaster, an existing brand across Ireland with global aspirations, are a perfect fit to align with Racing1 Markets’ goals.

Betmaster CPO Andrey Rozanov added: “Working with Pythia Sports as a part of the Racing1 Markets package is a game-changer for Betmaster. Their racing expertise and product set allows us to enhance our horse racing product, providing our customers with a comprehensive and dynamic betting experience. We’re thrilled to bring this product to market and look forward to seeing its impact play out as we approach the major racing events in the 2025 calendar.”

Advertisement

This agreement underscores the growing demand for robust horse racing solutions within the online sports betting industry and solidifies Pythia’s reputation as a trusted partner.

Pythia will be exhibiting its risk management service as part of the newly formed Racing1 partnership at ICE in Barcelona at Stand 5E38.

About Pythia Sports

Pythia Sports was established in 2014 with a focus on predictive sports modelling and data collection, primarily in racing. It works in partnership with data rights holders such as Arena Racing Company and Racecourse Media Group (RMG). It has recently worked with the latter to launch an in-play betting feed, for which Pythia provides the pricing to clients including William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral and William Hill.

Pythia Sports has built a fully automated risk management service, encompassing fundamental pricing capabilities and advanced risk management algorithms. This has been designed as an end-to-end service for bookmakers, allowing them to offer a market-leading product with guaranteed returns and no operational overhead requirements. The product is fully customisable based on each client’s operational and trading requirements.

Advertisement

Bitblox, the disruptive provider behind popular crypto price prediction games Up or Down? and 3 in a Row, has announced it will receive an investment from YOLO Investments, an innovative venture capital firm with interests in blockchain and fintech.

YOLO has long been an admirer of Bitblox, with the group’s proprietary igaming platform solution, Hub88, being among the first to adopt the company’s innovative titles when it launched in the summer of 2024.

Bitblox games have since gone from strength-to-strength in the industry, with the company’s unique hybrid of skill-based games (SBGs) and games of chance attracting interest from both sports bettors and casino players alike.

Advertisement

Now boasting a portfolio that includes a sped up version of its flagship title, Up or Down? Turbo, and a more light-hearted game in Bitslap, Bitblox is set to make further in-roads in the igaming space over the coming months and already has a number of new releases in its pipeline for 2025.

The company’s ambitions will, of course, now be furthered by the additional support being supplied by YOLO Investments and both parties are optimistic about embarking on a mutually beneficial partnership that should help to bring crypto-based betting further into the mainstream.

Brandt Page, Chief Executive Officer at Bitblox, said: “YOLO Investments is a company with a proven track record for identifying opportunities in the cryptocurrency-focused igaming space, so we’re very happy to have received a huge vote of confidence from them in the form of this partnership.

“As one of the early adopters of our games on its Hub88 platform, Yolo has witnessed first hand the potential Bitblox titles have in driving engagement from both sports bettors and casino players and I’m confident with their backing, we’ll be able to achieve more great things in 2025.”

Klen Kaljulaid, Principal at YOLO Investments, said: “We value innovative products that break away from the traditional 3×3 reels so beloved by the industry. Bitblox games provide a sense of control, reminiscent of cash games. I particularly appreciate knowing that the results are tied to real-world price movements rather than relying on RNG. While I understand the future is inherently unpredictable, I can, at least in theory, hold onto the illusion of knowing where the market might move—and if proven right, take satisfaction in my understanding of market dynamics.”

Advertisement