Manchester United surprised the oddsmakers last week by playing 2-2 with Barcelona at Camp Nou. This Thursday, the two meet again, but this time, the venue is Old Trafford where the Red Devils have been sensational this season.

Manchester United vs Barcelona Odds

*Odds taken from bet365 on Monday, February 20, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: Old Trafford in Manchester, England
• Date: Thursday, February 23, 2023
• Time: 3:00 PM ET
• How to Watch: Paramount+

Manchester United Looking Unstoppable Right Now

The Red Devils have been playing sensational soccer since the start of 2023. So far this year, they’ve won 10 matches in all competitions, while also drawing three, and losing only one game. The loss in question happened to Premier League leaders Arsenal in London.

At home, however, Erik ten Haag’s men are without a single defeat since September. In fact, they’re 14-1-0 in their last 15 home games. The last time they played at home, we saw them destroy Leicester City 3-0. Marcus Rashford scored twice that day, which isn’t surprising given how this guy’s been playing lately.

Rashford has scored at least a goal in each of his previous five games, including the one with Barcelona last Thursday.

Barcelona Won’t Back Down Easily

Same as Manchester United, Barcelona too has been amazing over the last couple of weeks. In fact, Xavi’s boys are in an even better run than the Red Devils, with 10 wins, three draws, and no losses in 2023.

They even played very well against Man United last week, but it was an own goal by Jules Kounde that caused trouble for them. They did show resilience, however, despite going 2-1 down, which paid off in the 76^th minute of the game when Raphinha scored the equalizer on an assist by Kounde.

They fought until the end in that match, and we think they’re going to do the same this time as well even if things don’t go as planned at the start.

Manchester United vs Barcelona Prediction

Neither team is afraid to attack, which means that we’re probably going to witness one hell of a game on Thursday. The Red Devils have a slight edge over Barca in our opinion, considering that the game is played on their turf. Still, Barcelona’s roster is packed with talent, meaning that anything can happen.

We do, however, think this game is going to be very similar to the one played last week. We’re probably going to see plenty of goals, but it wouldn’t surprise us if the game finished in a draw.

Picks: Manchester United and Barcelona to draw

Esports Entertainment Group (EEG) has announced that it will be selling its Bethard online gambling brand. The buyer will pay a total of $10.14 million (converted to USD from Euro) for the Malta and Sweden-licensed brand.

As announced, the sale sum will be comprised of $1.76 million of cash on closing and $6.94 million of purchase considerations attributed to the EEG’s release from payment of its contingent consideration liability from the Bethard deal. The buyer will also assume liabilities of around $1.28 million, the announcement reads.

According to EEG, the deal, which is still subject to customary closing conditions, will close within two weeks of the initial purchase agreement.

EEG Has Been Streamlining Its Business amid Financial Trouble

The sale of the Bethard brand comes in the wake of an earlier announcement when EEG noted that it is closing its UK-oriented Argyll brand. At the same time, the EEG-owned SportNation and RedZone businesses announced their decision to leave the United Kingdom.

In 2022, EEG also closed its esports-oriented sportsbook Vie.gg. The wagering site, which was available in the United Kingdom, Spain and New Jersey, was shut down on November 1, a few days following the announcement. Maintaining the site was simply too costly, EEG cited as a reason for terminating the brand.

The news came amid troubled times for EEG, as it recorded liquidity problems and parted ways with Damian Mathews, its former chief financial officer.

EEG plans to now focus on Lucky Dino iGaming, a brand operating on the group’s in-house Idefix platform. Overall, the group’s current strategy is to minimize its debt while focusing on its core iGaming assets.

The Company Cut Its Debt in Half

Between September 30, 2022, and February 16, 2023, Esports Entertainment Group was able to reduce its debt from $32.2 million to $15.5 million.

Alex Igelman, the chief executive officer of Esports Entertainment Group, commented on the company’s activities. He noted that he is delighted by the success of the company’s efforts to reduce debt and instead focus on key online gambling assets.

Igelman added that EEG remains keen on becoming a globally-renowned company for esports wagering.

We remain committed to building a world-class esports gambling operation that is global in reach and that provides esports content and strategic services to those involved in esports gambling, as well as those seeking to enter the market.

Alex Igelman, CEO, EEG

The CEO concluded that he is very encouraged and pleased with how efficient EEG’s senior management has been when it comes to effectuating the company’s ambitions.

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has announced that the cancellation of BetDino Ltd’s authorization MGA/B2C/276/2014 has already gone into effect starting January 18, 2023. 

However, the decision to suspend the operator’s business-to-commercial gaming service license was only recently announced by the gaming authority. 

The ruling came as a result of BetDino Ltd failing to comply with regulation 10 of the Gaming Compliance and Enforcement Regulations, as discovered by the MGA. 

What Regulations Did BetDino Breach?

The authority decided that BetDino will no longer be able to use its service license to provide services for the purpose of engaging with end consumers after it was found guilty of breaching regulation 9 (1) (c) and (l) of the Gaming Compliance and Enforcement Regulations.

The reasons listed by the MGA include the casino operator failing to comply with one or more applicable obligations unrelated to regulatory instruments or any other applicable laws of the state of Malta. 

Another reason listed by the authority referred to BetDino’s failure to pay all fees that were due to the MGA on time. 

The MGA regulates numerous sectors part of the gaming industry that fall within its competence while making sure that casino’s licensed gaming operations are “fair and transparent to all players”.

The MGA is also busy fighting crime, money laundering, and corruption while keeping vulnerable players and minors protected against the potential harm of problem gambling and unlicensed services.

The operator based in Malta is no longer allowed and authorized to offer gaming services and carry out its operations for customers. 

At the same time, the operator has also been asked to remove all references to the MGA and its license from its pages.

The gaming authority can issue two types of licenses in the form of gaming service licenses and critical gaming supply licenses. The first category allowed operators to benefit from business-to-consumer licenses to offer and carry out gaming services. 

The second category of licenses allows operators to provide and manage the material elements or software of a game. 

MGA licenses are available for all entities based in the European Union or the European Economic Area, with the condition that they fully meet all Shared Capital and Financial Statements reporting requirements.

Operators who feel aggrieved by any of the MGA’s decisions are given 20 days to enter an appeal to the Administrative Review Tribunal according to article 43 of the Gaming Act. 

Last week, the MGA asked gaming operators with a license in European jurisdictions who do not possess an MGA license to self-report their activity.

The independent UK-based charity’s Lived Experience Council (LEC) which was officially introduced to the public in December 2022 has been designed for up to 12 members, including the chair. At the moment, the council is missing two members.

Accordingly, GambleAware has announced it is ready to receive applicants interested in joining the group of people who have been directly or indirectly impacted by gambling harms. 

Young Adults Ages 18-25 Are Encouraged to Apply

GambleAware is interested in seeing all communities being accurately represented on the LEC. 

This is why their new ideal recruits are young adults ages 18 to 25 who have been disproportionately affected by the harms associated with problem gambling. 

The group, which is currently missing the right type of representation, is ready to welcome Welsh residents, minority group representatives, people who suffer from a disability, and individuals who belong to groups that have been ostracized by society.

Anyone interested in sharing their story and using it as a source of inspiration for anyone trying to recover from gambling harm is welcome to apply for the new council position openings. 

The recruits will need to be able to recount their stories and explain the way their gambling habits or those of their relatives or friends have posed an impact on them.

LEC’s chair Ben Howard spoke about the two new seat openings, expressing his excitement for being “involved in the strategic development of GambleAware” by reuniting versatile voices including those who have personally experienced gambling harm and individuals affected by other person’s gambling habits. 

Ready to Engage with New and Valuable Members

Howard also spoke about the amazing efforts made by the LEC since its formation while expressing their thrill to be able to engage with fresh members and usher them into the “vital” process of cutting and handling the risk of gambling harm. 

The new members of the LEC will also automatically become important community ambassadors who will be used to set a good example among their peers and their local communities.

GambleAware plans to keep staying committed to changing people’s lives using the lived experiences of gambling harm while putting the limelight on the right people. 

Ultimately, through LEC, the charity wishes to generate a community made of individuals with a deeper knowledge and understanding of all gambling harms that result from their personal issues with gambling. 

This way, more trust can be built and more insight can be obtained and used to form fresh long-term term GambleAware policies for lawmakers and stakeholders.

Developer of casino slots and table games SYNOT Games announced its online casino content would soon become available to players in Lithuania via a new partnership with CBet.

‘The Best Gaming Experiences Possible’

The new casino content deal with CBet will allow SYNOT Games to deliver some of its most popular titles, enhance the regulated product offering at the online casino operator and help it affirm its presence in the Lithuanian gaming market.

Commenting on the new arrangement, Karolis Gogaitis, general manager at CBet, outlined that the new partnership was part of the operator’s efforts “to bring the best gaming experiences possible” to its players in Lithuania, and looking forward ” to working with SYNOT Games” to achieve that.

“Cbet has a lot of content that ramps up the excitement and eliminates any chance of boredom for players,” Gogaitis added.

Under the partnership, SYNOT Games will deliver some of its most exciting games such as Respin Joker, 81 Fruit Awards, Firebird Double 27, and others from its expansive portfolio of more than 100 slot titles to further expand game availability for CBet online casino players.

‘Another Crucial Step’

On behalf of SYNOT Games, Martina Hrabinska, chief commercial officer at the games developer company, commented on the new partnership, outlining CBet’s credentials as an operator and a partner.

“CBet is a feature-full gaming platform that covers a lot of ground,” Hrabinska said, convinced that the collaboration agreed with the casino operator represented “another crucial step” for SYNOT Games and its efforts to increase its presence in the Lithuanian market.

“We are convinced that this partnership will prove to be beneficial for both parties,” she boldly stated.

As an established provider of casino content, SYNOT Games delivers its gaming titles under licenses issued by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and the UK Gambling Commission, while its content is already certified across several major European gaming markets, including Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Sweden.

Expanding European Presence

The content deal agreed with CBet is the latest for the content developer with an online casino operator with a presence in a major European gaming jurisdiction, following just months after two major partnerships with operators in the Netherlands and Italy.

In October, SYNOT Games teamed with Italian operator Planetwin365 to provide the subsidiary of SKS365 Group with a suite of online casino games among which popular titles Book of Secrets 6, Skull Bonanza and 27 Joker Fruits.

Later in the same month, SYNOT Games joined forces with Play North to launch gaming content in three European markets: the Netherlands, via the Kansino brand; Malta, via the Piikakasino brand, and Estonia, via the Kiirkasiino brand.

The company confirmed Monday it expanded further its global presence by opening a new studio located in the Balkan country. Located in Bucharest, the new studio offers Eclipse Blackjack, Standard Roulette as well as Standard Blackjack tables.

The new studio leverages a unique localization digital branding environment that is built well and can create benefits for partner operators. The presenters of the live games are broadcast in English, as well as Italian and Romanian languages.

This makes OnAir Entertainment’s new studio a perfect fit for companies looking to enter those markets or deliver new and exciting experiences for its customer base. Besides the aforementioned titles, the company confirmed its plans to add more exciting games to its new studio.

“The state-of-the-art content of OnAir Entertainment is ready for those forward-thinking operators, who are already showing interest to add these tables to their game portfolios,“

reads a statement released by OnAir Entertainment

Moreover, OnAir Entertainment confirmed that it is already receiving attention from operators that are looking to expand its offering by adding the company’s leading products. This comes as no surprise, considering the popularity of OnAir’s content.

In fact, since it introduced its first live table, the company has entered 10 different jurisdictions. This was achieved in less than a year and a half. Now, considering the launch in Romania, OnAir confirmed it plans to enter into the regulated market in Italy as well as South Africa.

The Company Completes Another Successful Launch

The announcement brought excitement to OnAir’s business development director, Seval Kaya, who acknowledged that the company is delighted to deliver customized gaming experiences via its Italian and Romanian tables to its growing list of partners. The business development director explained that the company’s products stand out with quality and unique design. “Our service-minded approach combined with a strong game portfolio will be a great addition to the Romanian market,” added Kaya. Finally, the director explained that the company is excited to see its teams complete another successful launch.

“We are overjoyed to be able to provide our customized games experiences and outstanding opportunities for our customers with Romanian and Italian tables.“

Seval Kaya, business development director at OnAir Entertainment

The recent launch comes on the heels of another important announcement. Late last month, OnAir announced the release of Blazing Dragon Tiger, another new hit title for the growing online gambling market.

The two non-executive directors’ resignations are effective on 17 February 2023. Gregory and Jarman joined the operator in 2021, and both are highly-skilled professionals with years of relevant experience. They departed from Entain on a high note, as the company announced impressive growth during its 2022 financial report. Their time with the operator should add to their impressive resumes and aid them in their professional journeys.

Gregory Served on Several Committees

Mark Gregory signed up with Entain as an independent non-executive director in March 2021. During his tenure with the company, he served as chair of the remuneration committee and a member of the Audit and Nomination Committees. His decades of experience and in-depth industry knowledge were a substantial boon for Entain’s leadership core.

Before joining Entain, the former non-executive director held senior financial and business development roles with several high-profile companies, even serving as CEO of Merian Global Investors between 2019 and 2020. Upon announcing his resignation, Gregory noted that he would focus on other opportunities. His nearly forty years of leadership experience should be more than sufficient for him to continue his professional growth. 

Jarman Contributed Invaluable Asset Management Experience

Vicky Jarman joined the betting giant roughly the same time as Gregory after then-senior independent director Stephen Morana left the company. As non-executive director, Jarman joined Entain’s Audit and Remuneration Committees, leveraging her substantial management experience across many dynamic and evolving industries. As a chartered accountant first certified at KPMG, she contributed diverse knowledge from solid asset management and financial advisory background.

Before her position at Entain, she worked as chief operations officer for Lazard and Co, refining her senior management experience. She was also already managing several other non-executive director positions at other companies. The added experience with a leading operator like Entain should help propel her career to new highs.

Entertain Will Need to Fill the New Vacancies

With Jarman and Gregory’s departures, the number of Entain board members has dropped from eleven to nine. The operator will likely need to find new talent to fill the gaps. However, its reputation, track record of success, and impressive financial performance should attract many quality candidates. Entain chairman Barry Gibson did not offer additional information in the official press release, only expressing his gratitude towards the former non-executive directors.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Mark and Vicky for the important contributions both have made to Entain and wish them well for the future.

Barry Gibson, chairman of Entain

If Entain’s 2022 yearly report is any indication, Gregory and Jarman’s tenures at the company appear to have contributed to its current success. The operator recorded increased revenues across most verticals thanks to stable growth in active customers. Entain’s strong momentum will be instrumental in its mission to reach broader audiences across new markets as the operator maintains its focus on steady and sustainable expansion.