Each week, CasinoBeats breaks down the numbers behind some of the industry’s most interesting stories. This week’s edition looks at a successful sponsorship for Unibet, as well as the latest figures from the European Gaming and Betting Association.
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The European Gaming and Betting Association has released its set of key findings from a variety of industry data for 2017, underlining that its members “are leading the way in popular digital entertainment”.
Within the collection of firms accounted for within the data, 134 different online gambling licences are possessed, providing services to 19 EU member states and averaging seven licenses held per member state.
Delving deeper in the European market, the gross profit generating from the online sector is expected to continue its upwards trend, with projections at current growth rates placing the sector’s worth at €24.7bn in 2020, up from €19.6bn last year.
Online gambling also enjoyed a 20.7 per cent share of the market’s total gambling activity, expecting to increase to 24.9 per cent by 2020, with 79.3 per cent land-based, including lotteries, casinos and bookmaker shops.
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The significant success of this November’s Fide World Chess Championship match between Norway’s Magnus Carlsen and American Fabiano Caruana – has been branded as one of Unibet’s most successful sports sponsorships.
Following 51-hours of play featuring 12 drawn matches, FIDE’s London event has been labelled by chess aficionados as the sport’s ‘tour de force’, rivalling the all-time classic matches of Bobby Fischer Vs Boris Spassky (1972) and Anatoly Karpov vs Garry Kasparov (1985).
Going down to the wire, with the Championship decided through a ‘time-limited – tie-break’, Magnus Carlsen retains his title of FIDE World Champion for a further two-years.
Last August, Unibet marketing raised eyebrows announcing that it had become the first betting partner for FIDE’s World Championship event, as sports betting rivals raced to secure football partnerships, following World Cup Russia 2018.
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Sweden’s gambling authority the Lotteriinspektionen has granted the licence applications for sixteen gaming companies, with the country poised to welcome its re-regulated market on the first day of next year.
Hailed as a “historic day,” the authority detailed that a total of 95 licence applications were received, 70 of which involve online games, before emphasising that this is the first in a line of decisions set to be brought forward.
Organisations not on the list, but who submitted fully complete applications within the time-frame duly specified, have been advised that a decision on their case will be announced in the coming weeks, depending on its complexity.
“This is a historic day. I am very proud that the Lotteriinspektionen’s staff under severe pressure, with a whole new legislation, worked out the first license decisions,” said Camilla Rosenberg, director general of the Lotteriinspektionen.
Swedish state-owned operator Svenska Spel made the list, alongside AB Trav and Galopp, in addition to bet365, Nordic Bet, Bwin, Casumo and Interwetten.
The Betsson Group, who secured its licence for online gaming and betting, took its total number held to 12, and commented in a media release: “The gaming licence enables competition on equal terms and gives Swedish customers access to the games they desire under a Swedish regulation, which on the long term is positive for customers, operators and shareholders”.
“It is good that Sweden opens up the gaming market for free competition in a controlled environment. We look forward to operate on our Swedish home market as a recognised operator on equal terms,” added Betsson CEO Pontus Lindwall.
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Television presenter Kirsty Gallacher and three-time UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year Peter Schmeichel will host this year’s SBC Awards, on Tuesday 4 December at the stunning HAC Artillery Garden.
The awards recognise the achievements of operators and affiliates, as well as suppliers from across all the major disciplines including payments, marketing, platform providers and data.
The event will see five CasinoBeats Awards being handed out, with Rising Star in Gaming, Game Developer of the Year, Best Gaming Innovation, Innovation in Live Casino and Casino Operator of the Year making up the categories.
Gallacher will be joined on stage by Schmeichel, the legendary goalkeeper who enjoyed a trophy-laden eight year spell at Old Trafford, and helped his native Denmark to unexpected success at the 1992 European Championships in Sweden.
Schmeichel commented: “It is a pleasure to be associated with the SBC Awards, an increasingly important indicator of the highest performing companies in sports betting – a sector that continues to play a significant role in the world of sports, and particularly football.”
Gallacher added: “Having witnessed first-hand the excitement around SBC organised events, I can’t wait for the SBC Awards 2018. Given my long association with football, it is particularly exciting for me to share the stage with a true footballing legend.”
