Canada's OLG selects Bede Gaming as new platform provider

Bede Gaming was awarded the contract following an open procurement process and aims to roll out OLG's new platform in early 2020.

The contract award follows OLG's initial request for proposals in May 2017 for platform suppliers capable of improving the lottery's online player experience and responsible gambling measures, and marks Bede's first entry into the North American market and lottery sector.

"I'm absolutely delighted to welcome OLG to Bede and am extremely proud of the team effort involved in bringing this agreement to fruition," said Bede Gaming co-founder Michael Brady.

"It is a huge recognition of the strength of our offering and firm proof of our status as a leading gaming platform in the industry. This is a landmark contract win for Bede and I am sure will be the start of a long and successful relationship with one of the most respected names in the worldwide lottery sector."

In addition to player management and games integration, Bede's platform offers OLG a number of options to help manage responsible gambling in real-time, such as the ability to set fine-grained limits, self-exclusions, and other support tailored to players needs.

OLG chief operating officer Greg McKenzie commented: "We are investing in digital technology and product solutions to improve the customer experience and ensure we are responsive to changing customer expectations.

"The platform Bede will provide a central point of integration for OLG’s products and channels. We are looking forward to developing our relationship with Bede as OLG continues its digital transformation."

via gaming intelligence

UltraPlay enhances eSports live betting model

Online betting solutions provider UltraPlay has announced that its live betting model has been further extended to offer more exciting players’ experience for betting on their favourite eSports.

Having been known for its leading eSports betting role in the iGaming industry, UltraPlay has recreated the years of eSports experience and profound knowledge into its sophisticated live betting model, which will provide more markets for players to place bets on.

Among the new markets are Decider Map Played, Correct Score, Map Advantage, which every player can choose from during the game and enjoy the enhanced live betting powered by UltraPlay. The wider markets provision on live betting gives a greater advantage to the operators trying to catch the interest of the savvy eSports punters.  

Peter Ivanov, head of trading at UltraPlay has commented: “We are proud to provide the most advanced and competitive eSports live betting model on the market right now.

"The highest-quality product comes as a result of more than a year research and development in order to meet the expectations of both operators and players for dynamic eSports betting. The model will also serve as a solid ground for introducing more games into live betting in the future.”

More markets and new game titles are expected to be added to the model throughout the year with the main focus of the game objectives and personal markets.

The new model is already available through the company’s match-predicting system Odds.gg, which serves to hundreds of leading iGaming operators across the globe entering or expanding their eSports betting coverage.

Through Odds.gg bookmakers use the rich portfolio of UltraPlay, consistent with 25 competitive game titles, 3000+ eSports events per month, 1500 in-play events as well as 50+ markets.

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UNIKRN WILL ROLL OUT REAL-MONEY WAGERING ACROSS EUROPE

The esports betting platform Unikrn has announced its expansion throughout Europe. The Seattle-based startup recently secured its Malta license, which will allow the company to start offering services across the continent.

NEW LICENSE ACCOMPANIED BY NEW PARTNERSHIP

The recently obtained Malta license will enable Unikrn to massively expand its wagering business. Moreover, the company has partnered with leading French betting operator RBP.

Best known for horse racing and sports betting, RBP draws in more than a million unique visitors each month.

“For a little over a year, Unikrn EU has been working with the Malta Gaming Authority to acquire our new license,” said Unikrn CEO Rahul Sood. “Malta has some of the highest regulatory requirements and processes, they are by every measure the gold standard and one of the most respected authorities for responsible and ethical wagering.”

The joint venture between the two organizations will be called Unikrn EU. Unikrn currently serves two countries – Australia and the UK – and the new development should add about 80 percent of Europe to the mix. The platform will allow real-money, as well as UnikoinGold betting.

“RBP will be a strong partner to Unikrn to help bring regulated, safe, and legal esports betting in markets across Europe, and we look forward to working with their exceptional team,” said RBP co-founder Emmanuel de Rohan Chabot.

UNIKOINGOLD – THE LARGEST TOKEN SALE IN ESPORTS

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The Europe expansion comes in the midst of Unikrn’s UnikoinGold token sale, the first cryptocurrency to hit the esports industry. The ICO has already seen massive success. It raised over $30 million USD in Ethereum in over 112 countries. According to the announcement, the token sale is “on track to be the single most successful and widely distributed token in the esports and gaming industry.”

The company hopes the new token will become an integral part of the competitive gaming industry.

“Through continued expansion of Unikrn, and with new industry partners, the UnikoinGold token is well-positioned to become the universal token for use in esports and gaming across the industry,” the announcement reads.

Many big players in the venture capital world have participated in the ICO, including Mark Cuban. The Dallas Mavericks owner has been with Unikrn since early in its life. Other notable investors were CoinCircle, Blockchain Capital, Pantera Capital, BrockPierce, and Draper Dragon.

UNIKRN – ESPORTS PIONEER

There’s a good reason why Unikrn is such a big name in esports. The company has been near the top of the competitive gaming industry since it launched in 2014.

The organization has consistently expanded its presence by acquiring competitive teams and other industry startups and also introduced novelties in esports on an ongoing basis.

Last year, Unikrn put forth an initiative to bring esports and casinos closer together. By introducing esports to casinos, many industry members hope to attract the millennial crowd, a demographic that shows less interest in traditional casino games.

Unikrn also consistently strives to partner with other market participants. Through a recent pact with Betgenius, the company aims to launch an immersive betting platform.

The new UnikoinGold product and the company’s European expansion plans put it in a prime market spot.

via esportsbets

Traditional Bookmakers Struggling With Esports Betting Profitability

The profitability of esports for the majority of traditional sports betting operators has been called into question, with experts speculating that many offerings will struggle to attract enough of the audience to be viable.

Dozens of traditional bookmakers having added esports to their product suite in recent years with mixed results, some said during the recent Betting On Esports conference.

From traditional sports to esports

One such is Danske Spil, the ex-monopoly operator in Denmark which launched an esports bettingoffering on its Oddset site in January 2014. Asked how the operation was faring, Kasper Nemeth, head of esports at the company, admitted that despite the evidence of growth in terms of turnover, profitability remained elusive to date.

“To be honest, we are not making that much money yet and (the chief financial officer) has been knocking at our door asking us ‘why are you not making any money, you spent a lot on marketing’,” he told the audience at London’s Olympia.

Danske Spil doesn’t break out its esports revenues from the rest of its business. In the second quarter, the company’s overall sportsbetting business achieved net gaming revenues of DK386 million ($61.8 million), slightly up on the DK379m from the first quarter.

While he admitted that the esports business was “really quite tough,” he was keen to point out that the company still stood by its strategy of attempting to capture a younger demographic through the medium and that the management understood that it needed to be “in the esports business for the future.”

“We are saying this is for the long-term,” he said. “We are right at the beginning of the market and you can see that it is a very difficult market to trade in. You need to educate a lot of people.”

Asked whether he “had a long runway,” he was optimistic. “I think we are getting there. It is growing fast. We don’t see any other area growing as fast as esports.”

Struggling with low margin

While notable traditional bookmakers turned esports experts such as Betway were name-checked as going about the job of providing millennial-friendly esports offering in a successful fashion, Suraj Gosal, co-founder at Blinkpool, suggested this experience was far from common.

“I have heard across the board from the sportsbooks that have started esports betting, they have discovered that all their customers are the wise guys,” he said. “They are quite low margin and they are losing quite often.”

He said the reasons for this were twofold. “First, the esports punter being much more informed than the bookie on average, and second, the rate at which esports changes that is so fast and can make it quite difficult to price.”

‘Their odds are wrong’

Gosal’s comments were backed up by Rahul Sood, chief executive at esports-only betting operator Unikrn who suggested that up to 95 percent of traditional bookmakers who had launched with esports were losing money “because they don’t know what they are doing.”

“We are part of ESIC (the Esports Integrity Commission) and I don’t know how many times we have had calls from them saying ‘Hey, have you seen this weird betting anomaly on this map, the bookies are losing their shirts on this’ and the answer is always no, their odds are wrong,” he said.

He added: “It’s simple. They don’t understand the game, they don’t know the teams, they don’t know the audience, so they are going to continue to lose.”

Sood added that not only were these operations unprofitable, but they would also fail to retain what audience they do attract.

“They will not stay with you; you are not building an experience that resonates with them or they are comfortable with. If all you are doing is taking some odds from somebody and throwing them on your site, you will not have any retention, they will come and they will leave. That’s the way it is.”

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ICOs and the future

Unikrn is this week in the process of launching one of the largest gambling-related initial coin offerings (ICOs), hoping to raise up to $100 million through the sale of Unikoin Gold tokens.

Sood admitted the launch of a blockchain-based token offering had come largely at the instigation of Unikrn’s major investor, Mark Cuban. After initial skepticism he was keen on how the token might be used in a white-label sense.

“One of the intentions with Unikoin is that we’ve had bookies come to us to license our odds,” he said. “But if we white-label our platform with Unkrn odds, and allow them to license that in markets we are not it, then they can use Unikoins. We are speaking to various bookmakers about that.”

Intriguingly, he also suggested Unikrn has been approached in recent months about a potential acquisition but that they had been rejected out of hand.

“We are not interested,” he said. “Believe it or not, you can build a sustainable business in this space that doesn’t rely on other sports. And our approach of building a brand first will carry us into the future.”

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Esports’ future is female

The esports industry is one of the fastest growing segments in sports and entertainment, on pace to generate as much as $5 billion in revenue by 2020 — and advertisers obviously want in. One of the primary reasons that esports has such tremendous growth potential? The involvement of women. Brands need to be aware that the industry is seeing more and more women enter not only as spectators, but also as players, infrastructure builders, game designers, and more.

Women create, play and compete

This growth of women in gaming can be seen across multiple areas, including game developers, collegiate players, professional athletes, and mobile competitors. The International Game Developers Association found a significant jump in the number of female game developers between 2009 and 2014, with the amount doubling to 22 percent.

Earlier this year, Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri became the first all-female school to announce a varsity esports program supported by scholarships. More women than ever are moving to the professional level, such as the all-female Counter Strike: Global Offensive Team Dignitas squad. I’ve also directly witnessed the rise of women in esports. Today, over half of the 12 million registered gamers on the Skillz platform are women.

Women engage and purchase more

A study this year also found that women lead men in mobile gaming engagement, as they’re more likely to register and spend within mobile games. This makes women the ideal, preferred consumers in what is now the largest digital gaming market in the world. Women also now comprise about a third of the U.S. esports audience, and are projected to account for half of viewer growth over the next 12 months. And according to one study, more women than men self-identify as being involved in esports.

Clearly, data shows that women are a significant demographic in gaming and esports. For these industries to continue to thrive in the future, female participation will be crucial. So, the fact that women have to prove themselves worthy to be part of the gaming world is not only contradictory — it’s a detriment to business.

Yet women are disregarded

As a woman who has been a gamer her entire life, and as the head of engineering at the world’s leading mobile esports provider, one thing about the gaming industry has been an ongoing disappointment to me: the industry’s systematic disregard and discrimination toward the female demographic that has proven essential for its continued growth and success.

Sadly gaming and esports are widely considered “male industries,” a characterization that disenfranchises the women in the field, as well as the millions of female esports fans around the world. Perhaps the most serious consequence of this characterization is that it permits, and sometimes even encourages, the mistreatment of women in gaming. It’s something we’ve seen time and again from online communities, live-stream viewers, and even professional esports athletes.

Women face adversity

Unfortunately, examples of this behavior are continuing to emerge. The infamous #GamerGate in 2014 saw anonymous online attackers threaten developer Zoe Quinn and many others with violent and sexist threats. This had a chilling effect on women and other marginalized people across the entire game industry.

Meanwhile, one study last year found that comments on female Twitch channels are characterized by objectification from viewers about the streamer’s physical appearance and relationships, while male Twitch channels mostly see comments about the game being played. Earlier this year, two professional Overwatch athletes solicited female esports fans – some of them underage – for photos and private meetups.

This attitude toward female gamers isn’t just an abstract concept happening to a select few. I have also noticed a difference in how I’m treated by fellow competitors when I’m playing online. A lot of games provide few, if any, female avatars, so sometimes I just use my favorite avatar regardless of how it relates to my gender. Due to this, fellow players usually just assume I’m male, and are surprised if they discover that I’m actually a woman. It just makes me wonder why my gender comes up at all. We’re playing a game: gender shouldn’t affect that.

But it does. Inappropriate behavior, sexually-charged comments, and hostility regarding the perceived inferiority of women’s gaming skills work to push women toward the margins of gaming. However, this marginalization seems rather counterintuitive in an industry that’s increasingly thriving, due in large part to female consumers.

Women need support

As the VP of Engineering at Skillz, I feel extremely fortunate to be developing a product that offers everyone, regardless of gender, background, or skill level, a chance to compete in mobile esports. However, a broader shift in thinking is needed across the entire industry.

If you’re still not convinced by the data, take it from someone who’s witnessing the democratization of esports and the rise of female gamers firsthand. For the esports industry to reach its true potential, the continued participation of women will be critical. Isn’t it about time for the industry to truly support and encourage women, whose involvement will make or break modern esports?

Miriam Aguirre is the Vice President of Engineering at Skillz, the worldwide leader in mobile eSports, which was recently named the fastest-growing company in America by Inc. Magazine.

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The eSports competitive video gaming market continues to grow revenues & attract investors

This is a preview of a research report from BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. To learn more about BI Intelligence, click here.

What is eSports? History & Rise of Video Game Tournaments

Years ago, eSports was a community of video gamers who would gather at conventions to play Counter Strike, Call of Duty, or League of Legends.

These multiplayer video game competitions would determine League of Legends champions, the greatest shooters in Call of Duty, the cream of the crop of Street Fighter players, the elite Dota 2 competitors, and more.

But today, as the history of eSports continue to unfold, media giants such as ESPN and Turner are broadcasting eSports tournaments and competitions. And in 2014, Amazon acquired Twitch, the live streaming video platform that has been and continues to be the leader in online gaming broadcasts. And YouTube also wanted to jump on the live streaming gaming community with the creation of YouTube Gaming.

eSports Market Growth Booming

To put in perspective how big eSports is becoming, a Google search for "lol" does not produce "laughing out loud" as the top result. Instead, it points to League of Legends, one of the most popular competitive games in existence. The game has spawned a worldwide community called the League of Legends Championship Series, more commonly known as LCS or LOL eSports.

What started as friends gathering in each other's homes to host LAN parties and play into the night has become an official network of pro gaming tournaments and leagues with legitimate teams, some of which are even sponsored and have international reach. Organizations such as Denial, AHQ, and MLG have multiple eSports leagues.

And to really understand the scope of all this, consider that the prize pool for the latest Dota 2 tournament was more than $20 million.

Websites even exist for eSports live scores to let people track the competitions in real time if they are unable to watch. There are even fantasy eSports leagues similar to fantasy football, along with the large and growing scene of eSports betting and gambling.

So it's understandable why traditional media companies would want to capitalize on this growing trend just before it floods into the mainstream. Approximately 300 million people worldwide tune in to eSports today, and that number is growing rapidly. By 2020, that number will be closer to 500 million.

eSports Industry Analysis - The Future of the Competitive Gaming Market

Financial institutions are starting to take notice. Goldman Sachs valued eSports at $500 million in 2016 and expects the market will grow at 22% annually compounded over the next three years into a more than $1 billion opportunity.

And industry statistics are already backing this valuation and demonstrating the potential for massive earnings. To illustrate the market value, market growth, and potential earnings for eSports, consider Swedish media company Modern Times Group's $87 million acquisition of Turtle Entertainment, the holding company for ESL. YouTube has made its biggest eSports investment to date by signing a multiyear broadcasting deal with Faceit to stream the latter's Esports Championship Series. And the NBA will launch its own eSports league in 2018.

Of course, as with any growing phenomenon, the question becomes: How do advertisers capitalize? This is especially tricky for eSports because of its audience demographics, which is young, passionate, male-dominated, and digital-first. They live online and on social media, are avid ad-blockers, and don't watch traditional TV or respond to conventional advertising.

So what will the future of eSports look like? How high can it climb? Could it reach the mainstream popularity of baseball or football? How will advertisers be able to reach an audience that does its best to shield itself from advertising?

Robert Elder, research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled an unparalleled report on the eSports ecosystem that dissects the growing market for competitive gaming. This comprehensive, industry-defining report contains more than 30 charts and figures that forecast audience growth, average revenue per user, and revenue growth.

Companies and organizations mentioned in the report include: NFL, NBA, English Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, NHL, Paris Saint-Germain, Ligue 1, Ligue de Football, Twitch, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, ESPN, Electronic Arts, EA Sports, Valve, Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, ESL, Turtle Entertainment, Dreamhack, Modern Times Group, Turner Broadcasting, TBS Network, Vivendi, Canal Plus, Dailymotion, Disney, BAMTech, Intel, Coca Cola, Red Bull, HTC, Mikonet

Here are some eSports industry facts and statistics from the report:

• eSports is a still nascent industry filled with commercial opportunity.
• There are a variety of revenue streams that companies can tap into.
• The market is presently undervalued and has significant room to grow.
• The dynamism of this market distinguishes it from traditional sports.
• The audience is high-value and global, and its numbers are rising.
• Brands can prosper in eSports by following the appropriate game plan.
• Game publishers approach their Esport ecosystems in different ways.  
• Successful esport games are comprised of the same basic ingredients.
• Digital streaming platforms are spearheading the popularity of eSports.
• Legacy media are investing into eSports, and seeing encouraging results.
• Traditional sports franchises have a clear opportunity to seize in eSports.
• Virtual and augmented reality firms also stand to benefit from eSports.  

In full, the report illuminates the business of eSports from four angles:

• The gaming nucleus of eSports, including an overview of popular esport genres and games; the influence of game publishers, and the spectrum of strategies they adopt toward their respective esport scenes; the role of eSports event producers and the tournaments they operate.
• The eSports audience profile, its size, global reach, and demographic, psychographic, and behavioral attributes; the underlying factors driving its growth; why they are an attractive target for brands and broadcasters; and the significant audience and commercial crossover with traditional sports.
• eSports media broadcasters, including digital avant-garde like Twitch and YouTube, newer digital entrants like Facebook and traditional media outlets like Turner’s TBS Network, ESPN, and Canal Plus; their strategies and successes in this space; and the virtual reality opportunity.
• eSports market economics, with a market sizing, growth forecasts, and regional analyses; an evaluation of the eSports spectacle and its revenue generators, some of which are idiosyncratic to this industry; strategic planning for brand marketers, with case studies; and an exploration of the infinite dynamism and immense potential of the eSports economy.

Interested in getting the full report? Here are two ways to access it:

1. Subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and over 100 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. >> START A MEMBERSHIP
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