Online gaming group 888 Holdings, the parent behind 888, William Hill, SI Sportsbook and Mr Green brands, announced today the launch of Mr Green in Germany.

Building German Presence

The launch of Mr Green in Germany represents the first time when the online gaming brand is available to play on the 888 proprietary technology platform following the acquisition of William Hill by the Gibraltar-based gaming group in July last year.

Commenting on the launch of Mr Green in Germany, Amit Berkovich, vice president of poker and managing director, ROW, outlined the important role the online gaming brand is expected to play for the wider group in the country.

Mr Green will be the Group’s spearhead brand in the German market, alongside our 888 brands,” Berkovich said, hailing the launch of the brand as “a great example of what focus, collaboration, and dedication can deliver.

Amit Berkovich, VP of poker & MD ROW, 888

“We’ve been live since late March, thanks to the existing 888 platform in Germany and the powerful collaboration of all teams across the business who have enabled a totally new set-up in record time,” he added.

The gaming group sees Germany as one of the markets offering strategic growth opportunities and is planning to build a strong presence in the country by enticing local players with a customer-focused approach and best-in-class products and brands.

We are excited to introduce thousands more players in the market to our enhanced offer, and look forward to bringing other Mr Green markets onto our single technology platform in the coming months.

Amit Berkovich, VP of poker & MD ROW, 888

Following the acquisition of a gaming license in early 2023, 888 Holdings moved quickly to launch its Mr Green brand, leveraging the group’s in-house proprietary technology platform and the strong existing brand awareness across European gaming jurisdictions.

Mr Green’s Regulatory Woes

It was not all smooth sailing for Mr Green in European regulatory waters, though, after the brand faced some headwinds in the Netherlands, where the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) sanctioned it in 2018 for taking bets from Ditch citizens without a license in 2017, and last year Mr Green lost the legal battle.

Another market where Mr Green faced significant challenges was the UK and in August last year, the brand announced the end of Mr Green Sportsbook in the country, while keeping its sportsbook offering in Ireland operational.

The flagship brand acquired by 888 Holdings from Caesars Entertainment, William Hill, was also subjected to regulatory enforcement actions after being slapped recently with a record £19.2 million ($23.67 million), of which £3.7 million was allocated to Mr Green.

The gambling association in the Netherlands, Van Kansspelen, announced Wednesday the appointment of Henry Meijdam as its chairman following the trade body’s general meeting for members in Waalwijk.

‘Put Van Kansspelen Further on the Map’

Van Kansspelen members elected Meijdam to succeed Aad Kobus as chairman of the association starting on April 1. Kobus held the role of Van Kasspelen chairman on an interim basis for some time.

Commenting on his successor, Kobus outlined that Van Kasspelen members found an experienced director in the like of Meijdam to serve as the association’s chairman and help the organization navigate the “various challenges in and around politics and entrepreneurship.”

With Henry’s experience and profile, we want to put VAN Kansspelen further on the map and optimally represent the sector.

Aad Kobus, chair, Van Kansspelen

Elected with a large majority of the vote, Meijdam was excited to have the opportunity to leverage his extensive experience gained from roles as a director across various organizations for the benefit of Van Kansspelen.

His professional career includes positions as a deputy of the province of North Holland, mayor of Zaanstad and Lelystad, advisory, commissioner and director roles at organizations and companies, as well as interest groups of provinces such as the Interprovincial Consultation where he was the director for five years.

“The slot machine industry is buzzing and the members are proud of their profession,” Meijdam commented, “happy to take up the challenge together with the members to propagate this professional pride and to put the sector even more on the map.”

Collaboration with Members Is Key

He then outlined his intention to work in collaboration with the members of the association and committed to perceiving Van Kansspelen’s agenda and interests. Meijdan also expressed his wish to get to know the members and the association’s various stakeholders in the coming months.

He finished his comments by highlighting that as many people in the Netherlands enjoy what Van Kansspelen members as gaming operators have to offer them, the association should “serve them in a modern way where fun and responsible gaming go hand-in-hand.”

Van Kasspelen has been the number one regulated games of chance authority in the Netherlands for almost 50 years, guaranteeing a secure and enjoyable gaming offering in the country while advocating the health of the sector responsible gaming-wise by ensuring prevention and adequate gaming staff training.

Businesses which provide games of chance in a responsible manner such as gaming machine operators, lotteries, physical casinos and online gaming brands, are welcome to the association as long as they follow the membership code.

Sports betting media group Better Collective announced today it has entered into a content and commercial media partnership with a prominent digital media publisher in Nigeria, PUNCH Nigeria Limited.

A Continent of Sports Betting Enthusiasts

The new content partnership Better Collective signed with PUNCH represents the group’s first step in Africa where the population of sports betting enthusiasts is continually growing, and presenting new growth opportunities for the group.

Commenting on the important development, Jesper Søgaard, co-founder and chief executive officer of Better Collective, said how proud everyone at the group feels to partner with “a well-established news media like PUNCH.”

Not only will we be partnering with Nigeria’s market leader but this partnership also allows us to establish a presence on the African continent.

Jesper Søgaard, co-founder & CEO, Better Collective

As Nigeria’s leading news media group, PUNCH publishes and distributes media content via websites, videos, podcasts and social media channels, and the partnership allows Better Collective to run a sports betting section on PUNCH’s digital platform and Punchng.com, the country’s number one website.

Managing director and editor-in-chief of PUNCH, Adeyeye Joseph, also commented on the agreement, expressing his excitement at the opportunity to partner with a sports media business such as Better Collective.

“We are excited to work with a passionate technology-driven partner like Better Collective,” he said, hoping that the collaboration “will help PUNCH to serve Nigeria’s growing sports betting community with high-quality content while also helping [the] company to further its audience and revenue goals.”

Running a Sports Betting Section on PUNCH

Throughout the contract, Better Collective will leverage its innovative technology and expertise in content creation to run a commercial sports betting section with high-quality English content for PUNCH readers.

Better Collective’s section on PUNCH is expected to help the Nigerian media’s readers to make informed decisions and navigate the different aspects of the rapidly growing world of digital sports entertainment.

Seeking to inform, educate and entertain via the content it creates, PUNCH, one of the oldest and most respected news sources in the country, aligns with the values and mission of Better Collective to educate sports fans and make the sports entertainment industry more engaging and fun.

The agreement with PUNCH is the first agreement of the sports betting media group in Africa. While serving primarily the Nigerian market, PUNCH’s presence extends to other parts of Africa and audiences in Europe, North America and Asia.

Last month, Better Collective released its interim Q4 2022 report posting growth in revenue and EBITDA of 63% and 115%, respectively, year-over-year.

The fast-growing developer of popular iGaming content, Apparat Gaming, announced a new partnership with the award-winning iGaming platform and sportsbook solutions provider, Gaming Innovation Group (GiG). Announced Thursday, the freshly-inked deal sees Apparat deliver its unique slots with a German accent for GiG’s partner operators.

Under the terms of the new deal, leading slots from the game developer will be added to GiG’s platform. This will help the iGaming developer engage with new customers and expand the reach of its popular games. Such titles include The Warlock’s Book, Total Eclipse, Pharaoh Princess, King of the Vikings, Heimdall’s Horn, Black Book of Pirates and Jack Potter & The Book of Dynasties, among other popular games.

Besides existing games, the new partnership involves upcoming releases from Apparat. Via the new deal, GiG’s partners will benefit from upcoming slots and recent releases such as Easter seasonal Eggciting Fruits Hold & Spin and The Griffin. The duo did not rule out the addition of at least one new game per month.

Undoubtedly, the new deal marks an important step for Apparat Gaming. The company, founded in August 2020, has been quickly growing within the iGaming vertical, delivering unique games that feature quality graphics and mathematical models. Now, thanks to the deal with GiG, Apparat’s products will receive a further boost on a global scale and reach new clients.

The Deal Brings Excitement to GiG, Apparat

Marcel Elfersy, GiG’s chief commercial officer, shared his excitement about the new deal saying that the company is delighted to expand its offering by adding content from Apparat. He pointed out that the developer’s games stand out with quality and deliver engaging experiences. Finally, Elfersy noted that GiG remains committed to expanding its presence around the globe and delivering quality localized content that helps its partners grow.

“We’re pleased to welcome Apparat to the extensive list of quality games providers on our iGaming platform.“

Marcel Elfersy, chief commercial officer at GiG

Martin Frindt, Apparat Gaming’s chief product officer, added that the company is excited to join forces with GiG. Additionally, he pointed out that Apparat is delighted to see its content expand its reach to new international markets.

“It’s great to see that GiG understands our strengths, and is willing to add our slots to its portfolio to increase our international reach and visibility.“

Martin Frindt, chief product officer at Apparat Gaming

According to Frindt, the company offers games that are unique. “They combine our German accent with a deep knowledge of providing high-quality entertainment to players,” he explained. Finally, Frindt predicted that the deal will bring benefits for the two companies.

A recently-published Schedule 14A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reveals financial data about DraftKings’ co-founder and CEO, Jason Robins’, expenses. The financial document points out that DraftKings spent nearly $2 million on airplane and security costs for Robins throughout 2022. Moreover, the CEO and co-founder also had some $131,607 expenses attributable to the Super Bowl.

Additional details from the SEC filing reveal that DraftKings’ security spending on Robins last year was close to a million, or $968,990. Another $975,191 was spent on airplane costs. This brings the total to $1,944,181 spent on security and airfares for Robins and his family.

The $131,607 in Super Bowl allocated to Robins was spent on purchasing gameday tickets, as well as special events. Additional expenditures included travel and accommodations for Robins and his family during the Super Bowl week.

DraftKings’ Leadership Sees Equity-Based Pay of Approximately $40 Million

Robins, Mathew Kalish, DraftKings’ president of North America, and Paul Liberman, the company’s president, global technology and product, all received $1 in annual salaries in 2022. However, the trio’s equity-based pay for the fiscal 2022 was approximately $40 million each, based on the company’s filing with SEC.

In detail, Robins’ stock awards for 2022 were $43.7 million, while Kalish and Liberman saw $40 million in stock awards each. The non-equity incentive plan compensation of Robins for the fiscal 2022 year was $1.4 million, while Kalish and Liberman had $776,156 each. Separately, for the fiscal 2022 year, Robins’ “other compensations” were listed as $2.3 million. Kalish saw $104,169 in other compensations while Liberman reported $155,751 in 2022.

Recently, Robins took to Twitter, revealing his plans for the future of DraftKings and what the company’s growth would look like. He explained that despite some ups and downs, DraftKings plans to grow further while at the same time optimizing its processes and cutting down on costs.

You can think of the Newcastle vs. Manchester United game as a battle for the top 4 finish in the Premier League. The Red Devils are 3^rd in the standings, but they got just two points more than the 5^th-placed Newcastle. Tottenham is in-between, but the Spurs have troubles of their own – they’ve just sacked Antonio Conte as their manager.

Knowing all this, the clash on Sunday could prove crucial for the teams involved, meaning that their players will be 100% motivated. Plus, their coaches have had more than two weeks to prepare for the game, which means we could see some new tactics being employed by Newcastle and Manchester United.

Newcastle vs. Manchester United Odds

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: St. James’ Park in Newcastle, England
• Date: Sunday, April 2, 2023
• Time: 11:30 AM ET
• How to Watch: Telemundo

The Magpies Putting Hopes in Their Defensive Wall

Newcastle is 12-11-3 (47 points) this season in the Premier League, with a score differential of 39-19. The Magpies haven’t scored too many goals, but their defense is the best in the league. They’re conceding just 0.73 goals per game on average.

Their defensive stats are even better when it comes to home games. At St. James’ Park, they’ve conceded just 9 goals in 13 games played this season, which accounts for 0.69 goals per game.

Defense isn’t something that should concern them too much ahead of the game with the Red Devils. The offense, however, could be a problem. The thing is that scoring goals is their Achilles’ heel in 2023, and things might become even worse if their scoring leader Miguel Almiron doesn’t recover from an injury soon.

The man who’s scored 11 goals for Newcastle in the 2022-23 EPL is almost certainly going to miss Sunday’s game. Unfortunately for the Magpies, he’s not the only one. Ryan Fraser is also out, the same as Anthony Gordon.

Manchester United Going to Tyneside to Grab All 3 Points

This is a must-win game for the Red Devils, not because they need points, but because they need a morale boost. The thing is that their impressive form came to an end on March 5, when Liverpool obliterated them 7-0.

After the humbling defeat, they played another EPL game, but failed again. This time, they drew 0-0 with bottom-placed Southampton. Those two were embarrassing results for Erik Ten Haag and his men, but they haven’t caused too much of a problem for Man United in the Prem. The Red Devils are still flying high in the top English flight.

But they mustn’t slip again! In fact, they need a win to boost their confidence as they still have a lot of hard work to do this season. We’re not just talking about their EPL campaign, but also about the FA Cup (where they’ve reached the semifinal stage), and the Europa League (in which they’ve made it to the ¼-finals).

Newcastle vs. Manchester United Prediction

The Red Devils shouldn’t feel threatened by Newcastle’s offense. Instead, the key to winning Sunday’s game for them is to find a way to the Magpies’ net. Luckily, they’ve got players who can do such a thing. Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Antony, and all the others definitely have what it takes to find the net at least once.

Pick: Manchester United to win