Sporting Risk, an expert in sports betting, forecasting and analytics, has appointed the experienced Andy Phillips as its new chief commercial officer, the company announced. The new hire will reinforce the company’s growth, helping it expand its business.

Phillips Has Joined the Company as CCO

Phillips, who said that he is glad to join Sporting Risk, will be responsible for channeling more clients toward Sporting Risk’s products and helping the company augment its operations.

The appointee boasts over a decade and a half of experience and has worked for many companies within the media, betting tech and sports data sectors. Before joining Sporting Risk as a CCO, Phillips served as an independent consultant for more than five years. Between 2019 and 2021, the expert served as Nasdaq’s head of business development of sports and gaming. Earlier, Phillips worked in the position of commercial director at APSdata.

One of the most important entries in Phillips’ CV, however, is the nine years he spent at Genius Sports. Between 2008 and 2017, Phillips occupied various positions at the company, honing the skills which he will now use to grow Sporting Risk.

Phillips Wants to Attract More Clients

Phillips shared his thoughts on joining Sporting Risk, praising the company for its unique data and innovative products. He noted that the company’s talented team has developed many relevant cutting-edge solutions that provide robust predictive models for sports.

The new CCO noted that these impressive tools allow the company to help operators get more value from their sports data. As data is becoming more and more complex, such solutions are increasingly relevant and popular, he added.

Phillips pointed out that Sporting Risk is already working with some of the big names in sports betting and concluded that he is really excited about working with the company and inking deals with more sportsbooks in 2023.

Sporting Risk’s chief executive officer, Henry Newman, welcomed the new hire to the company. He lauded Phillips as a sports data and betting technology expert whose experience will be crucial to the company’s sales strategy in 2023.

Newman is certain that Sporting Risk’s ability to present pricing and insights from one source is a unique one and will be a “game-changer” for any operator wishing to engage its fans with unique sports betting experiences.

In other news, a few months ago, Sporting Risk unveiled PropFutures, an innovative product for player prop and interval-based markets.

There are currently ten English Premier League (EPL) clubs that are in partnership with eight Asia-facing betting brands. What all those brands have in common is that they are all tied to an Isle of Man-based company called TGP, an investigation by The Mail on Sunday reveals.

Currently, TGP Europe is licensed by the gambling regulator in the UK, the Gambling Commission. The company is reportedly related to other Isle of Man-based businesses including Xela Holdings, as well as TGP Holdings but its owner is currently anonymous. Possible links between TGP Europe, TGP and SunCity Group lead to the conclusion that Chau may have been involved in the operations.

SunCity Group was founded back in 2007. As a leading junket operator, the company engaged in an activity that involved catering to rich Chinese businessmen who visited Macau. Although gambling is prohibited in China, Macau is a special administrative region of the country where the activity is legal.

Helping wealthy businessmen from China visit Macau and gamble resulted in millions of earnings for SunCity group. In fact, the entire junket sector soared before the crackdown on the market. Back in November 2021, Chau was arrested over allegations of ties with criminal organizations, marking the start of the crackdown on junket operators. After that, only recently, Chau was sentenced to 18 years in prison after being found guilty of charges including illegal gambling and fraud. He was also identified as a leader of an illegal gambling organization.

Investigation Is Needed, Urges APPG

It is unlikely that the Premier League clubs were aware that the Asian-facing brands were possibly linked to an organization that is tied to criminal activities. Following due-diligence requirements, the clubs probed into the operations of the companies before joining forces with them. However, in light of the recent report, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on gambling harm admitted an investigation into the matter will be launched if the Gambling Commission and the Premier League don’t adequately address the flagged concerns.

APPG’s vice-chair, Sir Iain Duncan Smith said that the reputation of the globally-recognized EPL is at risk which “is not to be taken lightly.” He outlined that the APPG is greatly concerned about the possible links between the GC-licensed TGP and brands that may be tied to SunCity. Smith acknowledged that Chau, who used to be the leader of SunCity was sentenced for his ties to criminal activities. This, according to Smith raises eyebrows considering that the Premier League clubs benefit from support provided by betting operators.

The award-winning online gaming development company has decided to add the Bonus Buy feature to its already popular title that focuses on Harry, the mustached fisherman who is always napping in the shadows. Once again, players will accompany Harry on his mission to catch a giant fish packed with Free Spins – Scatter symbols. 

Mega Greatest Catch Slot Bonus Buy Metrics Overview 

• Reels: 5
• Rows: 4
• Paylines: 12
• RTP: 96.03%
• Hit Freq: 18.77%  
• Max Win: 750,000
• Volatility: Medium High
• Min/Max Bet: 0.10 – 75
• Release date: November 2022 

The Fresh Upgrade Brings Players Closer to Big Wins

The new game preserves most of its predecessor’s mechanics, graphics, and elements that turned it into a popular title soon after its launch last September. The addition of the Bonus Buy upgrade, however, gives players the opportunity to buy 10, 15, or 20 Free Spins, bringing them closer to the big wins.

The Fishing and Dynamite features are once again part of the offering. The two features helped the original game turn into a top performer in Europe in terms of gross gaming revenue and SlotCount in the last few months. 

To trigger the Fishing feature in the new game, players must first engage in the Free Spins game. There, they need to come across Wilds and Fish symbols on any location on the grid. All Wild symbols collect all the values of all the Fish symbols found on the reels. 

The Wild’s final value will represent the player’s winnings. The latter is added to the rest of the regular winning combos hit by players during the round.

To trigger the Dynamite feature, players need to come at the end of a losing spin with a minimum of one Wild. No Fish symbols must be found on the reels. During this feature, between three and six regular symbols get replaced by Fish symbols.

Players enter the Free Spins round whenever Scatter symbols are visible on any of the reels. Extra Scatter symbols trigger additional Free Spins and boost the winning potential up to x10,000 the original bet.

The New Release, “a Fantastic Catch” for Evoplay’s Players 

Speaking about the game, chief executive officer Ivan Kravchuk expressed Evoplay’s thrill to be able to introduce the title to its players. He also discussed the new Bonus Buy feature, calling it a “truly unique innovation” added to their portfolio.

Kravchuk commented on the original slot and its already-proven success. He also expressed hope that the “striking visuals and exciting gameplay” in the new game powered by the ultra-fast Spinential engine will turn the new release into an excellent catch for all players. 
Last November, Evoplay and Relax Gaming signed a content partnership agreement, with the latter adding Evoplay’s top-value games to their portfolios.

According to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, mobile sports betting contributed the majority of this revenue, with a total of $30.5 million generated. Retail sports betting also saw an increase, generating $6.4 million in revenue in December. 

Record Revenue Despite Decrease in Total Handle

The growth of sports betting revenue marks the fourth time that Louisiana sportsbooks have surpassed $30 million in a month, eclipsing the previous record of $31.8 million set in September. 

In comparison to November, the $30.5 million generated from mobile sports betting in December reversed a loss of $27.6 million, which was mainly caused by a major payout won by avid sports bettor and Gallery Furniture owner Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale.

Retail sports betting also saw an increase in revenue, with a total of $6.7 million generated. This is a significant increase from the previous month when revenue was a mere $2 million.

In terms of handle, Louisiana sports betting reached $254.3 million in December, down 5.3% from November’s record $268.6 million. Mobile handle accounted for slightly more than $1.96 billion, making up 85.1% of all wagers placed. 

Despite a declining handle, operators still managed to bring in a profit of $37 million. This was due to a hold of 14% in mobile wagers and 18% in retail tickets, which marked a total win rate of 14.5%. 

Football was a major contributor to the revenue generated by retail and mobile sportsbooks in Louisiana, with it being the highest-grossing sport for both channels in December 2022. Mobile operators saw a profit of $7.2 million, while retail operators saw a profit of $2.9 million, as a result of football-related bets.

State coffers received a little over $4.3 million in taxes in December, which was lower than in both November and October. However, that still brought the total for 2022 to almost $33.9 million, exceeding expectations set upon the launch of the market.

November Revenue Single-Handedly Brought Down by Mattress Mack

The big difference between the record revenue in December and the major loss reported in November is attributed to the massive payout of $75 million that Texas furniture mogul Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale won after placing multiple high-stake bets on the Houston Astros winning the World Series. 

Mattress Mack had placed wagers on the team totaling $10 million with several Louisiana sportsbooks including Caesars, Betfred, and Unibet, with the largest being $3 million with Caesars. McIngvale’s major winnings resulted in a revenue decline of 206% when comparing October and November and a reported revenue loss of $27.6 million in November.

Retail sports betting will initially launch with three casinos, which are frantically preparing to accommodate the expected rush of customers. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) is confident that the launch will be successful and is well underway with final checks and verifications. While online sports betting fans will need to wait a few more months, introducing the state’s first retail sportsbooks remains a high-profile event.

Certified Casinos Expect a Rush of Players

The MGC selected 10 a.m. January 31 is the official launch of sports betting in Massachusetts. The Commission deliberated hard on the exact time, preferring to avoid the busiest parts of the day to mitigate the risk of uncontrollable crowds. MGM Springfield, Plainridge Park Casino, and Encore Boston Harbor still expect strong attendance, as many residents of the state will undoubtedly be ecstatic to be among the first to try out the new system.

Final preparations are still underway as the MGC needs to ensure that every aspect of the sports betting experience at the three venues is up to standard. Kiosks and related equipment are getting a final check, and Commission members are working with casinos to iron out any last-minute questions. The MGC’s final operations certificate votes for each of the three casinos represent the final hurdle, but everything should hopefully go as planned.

The MGC Is Preparing for March’s Mobile Launch

Commission representatives plan to visit each casino on opening day to ensure gamblers enjoy a safe and productive experience. However, the MGC’s work will be far from over after that as it shifts focus to mobile sports betting and its planned March launch. Eleven operators have received permanent or temporary approvals for a Class 3 digital license, including industry heavyweights like Caesars, BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Betway.

With such heated competition, the MGC will be hard-pressed to monitor for operators trying to skirt the rules to gain an unfair advantage over their rivals. Initial signs appear promising, as Barstool Sportsbook almost missed out on the coveted license after responsible gambling concerns. The Commission was very strict with the operator, warning that any deviation from regulation would result in severe punishment.

Gambling advertisement is another hot topic on the MGC’s plate. The regulator is reportedly planning to introduce strict betting advertising restrictions, although details remain uncertain. The Commission’s focus on minimizing gambling harm and promoting sports integrity will serve it well in the upcoming months as Massachusetts takes its place alongside the dozens of other states benefiting from the growing sports betting industry.