Super Group winds down sports betting operations in US, EveryMatrix makes play for FSB

Tectonic shifts happened in the gambling industry this week, after Super Group and EveryMatrix both caught headlines with major announcements.

For starters, there is Super Group, the company behind such acclaimed gaming and betting brands as Betway and Spin, which has announced that it will be withdrawing its sports betting operations from the United States.

The announcement will impact operations in nine states and it will be carried out in the foreseeable future.

Super Group has acknowledged that the company will have to pick up the bill for the rapid withdrawal but confirmed that its internal revenue had established that the sportsbook segment could not turn a profit for the company, prompting the plug.

The company follows in the footsteps of PointsBet, MaximBet, and evoke (previously 888 Holdings) all of which have withdrawn from the fiercely competitive sports betting market.

In another major piece of news, EveryMatrix, a ground-breaking 360-degree technological company for the iGaming and sports betting industries, has acquired FSB Technology, a fellow tech firm, in an all-cash deal.

The exact amount of the transaction was not disclosed, but EveryMatrix welcomed the opportunity to acquire the company’s assets. FSB Technology has built robust products across both sports betting, and importantly – horse racing.

The company’s bespoke products will help EveryMatrix strengthen its position in the sports betting vertical while also synergizing between the two team’s expertise and knowledge of the sector.

Another huge headline this week comes from Isle of Man where the Gambling Supervision Commission’s Chief Executive of 17 years, Steven Brennan, has announced that he is stepping down in a LinkedIn post.

"I’ve enjoyed my time enormously and hopefully contributed, is some way, to the advancement of regulating, and regulation of, online gambling," Brennan said, adding that the hunt for his replacement was already in progress.

Shifts in the United States and beyond

In this week’s news torrent, you may have missed out on the fact that bookmakers are keeping tabs on the US presidential election due in November.

According to several prediction models, Kamala Harris, the Vice President, has for the first time surpassed her boss, President Joe Biden, as a likelier candidate to become her party’s nominee for the November race.

However, Harris’ approval and popularity ratings are in the doldrums, making such a move highly unlikely. As an aside, betting on politics is not allowed in the United States.

In the meantime, a New Jersey bill seeks to end a ban on betting on college sports that involve local athletes and teams.

This comes at a time when there is a growing choir of disapproval against college proposition bets which have been alleged to have corrupted young and vulnerable athletes and pushed them into complying with bad actors.

Speaking of New Jersey, this week, an anonymous person claimed the $221m Powerball jackpot. They had purchased the ticket at a local store and bagged the reward under a condition of anonymity. The person who won chose to claim the lump sum of the prize which after tax cuts amounted to $104.7m.

In the meantime, the lottery has been trying to get wind of the $1.13bn jackpot winner who won the biggest Mega Millions jackpot in the history of the state in March but has failed to claim it just yet. They have until March 2025 to step forward and scoop the reward.

Responsible gambling efforts around the world

In the meantime, a new website has been launched by the state of Vermont in the United States. The website’s goal is to raise awareness for problem gambling in the state.

Backed by the Vermont Department of Mental Health, the initiative’s goal is to help those who may already be at risk or are grappling with gambling-related harm to get the help they need and deserve.

Vermont follows in the example of other states in the US that have mounted similar banner efforts, among which are Ohio and New Jersey, both of which have passed or proposed stricter problem gambling legislation.

In the meantime, Better Change and RG24seven have teamed up in the United Kingdom to offer free training courses for employees of gambling businesses as how to spot gambling-related harm and act preemptively, as well as generally raise employee understanding of safer gambling.

"Our best-in-class virtual training is effective and free to all UK gambling employees. It transforms the way employees learn about Safer Gambling through engaging and interactive videos presented by the best minds in the industry," said RG24Seven Virtual CEO Wendy Anderson.

A recent decision by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the United Kingdom has upheld a complaint against Electronic Art’s Golf Cash game and a marketing material produced for the game.

According to ASA, EA had failed to properly and fully communicate to players that it had loot boxes featured as part of the game’s main mechanics.

Heading for the industry’s biggest events

A quick scoop of upcoming and future events in the gambling industry this week begins with Clarion Gaming’s call to action to attend iGB L!VE due next week and to get a quick scoop of the upcoming ICE 2025 which will be previewed as part of a new creative marketing campaign. iGB L!VE is taking place at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Via on July 16-19, 2024.

You can find out more about iGB L!VE here.

SBC Events has announced several important developments about its upcoming SBC Summit due to take place in September this year. One is the introduction of the Affiliate Leaders Summit and the other – is the hosting of the StartupSphere, a further commitment by the hosts to nurture and develop the culture of startups within the gambling industry.

Due on September 24-26, the SBC Summit will also open with a keynote by skater legend Tony Hawk.

Catching up with the industry

For starters, we had the pleasure of catching up and talking to Martin Stålros, Relax Gaming’s recently appointed Chief Executive Officer, who walked us through much of what to expect from the studio next.

Stålros spoke passionately about the brand identity and reputation Relax Gaming has been able to establish, growing and expanding into new verticals and geographies. Find out more about what Stålros’ plans for the company are in our interview with the leader.

We also had a catch-up with Portfolio Director, iGB Events Clarion Gaming Naomi Barton with whom we spoke about her role in the company and the succession of industry-defining events that she has helped manage and navigate.

She talks about brand identity, the significance of the vents Clarion Gaming is hosting, and how recent changes are impacting the industry. Read our full conversation with Barton here.