Kindred Group has announced that its Unibet brand has been selected as the official partner of the National Hockey League (NHL) in Sweden. The deal will be celebrated with a variety of activations and exclusive NHL-themed content.
Thanks to this arrangement, Unibet, which is the first Swedish betting company, will be able to engage fans of professional hockey with a plethora of NHL-themed dynamic marketing campaigns across its digital channels.
Kindred’s flagship brand already offers a strong suite of hockey-oriented betting offerings, which will now be further enhanced with the introduction of the aforementioned NHL campaigns. This way Unibet will be able to provide customers with a “more authentic experience,” Kindred believes.
According to the announcement, the partnership will be supported by Sportradar, a sports data specialist that serves as the NHL’s official betting data rights partner. The provider’s ad:s solution powers the NHL with data-driven marketing, helping it grow its online presence and find sports betting partners outside of North America.
Unibet Remains Committed to the North American Hockey Scene
John Lewicki, the vice president of business development and partnerships at the NHL, shared his thoughts on the new deal. He said that the league is thrilled to welcome Unibet as its official partner in Sweden and grow its presence in the Nordic country.
Lewicki praised Unibet for its exceptional commitment to responsible gambling and said that he is looking forward to working with Unibet.
We welcome this opportunity to work with Unibet to continue to engage our robust and expanding hockey fanbase in Sweden.
John Lewicki, VP business development and partnerships, NHL
Philip Lagström, the country manager of Unibet Sweden, also shared his sentiments, saying that he feels honored that Unibet is the first Swedish company to become an official partner of the NHL. Lagström added that he hopes to increase interest in ice hockey and the North American sports scene as a whole because there will be many exciting developments to follow in the upcoming years.
Ice hockey and NHL is very important for Unibet, and we have for a long time wanted to get more involved to cement the position as the customers’ first choice when they want to bet on ice hockey by offering the absolute best, safest and most secure gaming experience.
Philip Lagström, country manager of Unibet Sweden, Kindred Group
In other news, Kindred Group just released an update on its Journey Toward Zero program. Currently, only 3.3% of the company’s revenues come from problem gamblers – a number the betting specialist hopes to bring down to zero.
The Australian online racing and sports betting giant TAB has penned a new agreement with the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys, an Australian professional rugby league football club. As agreed, the operator will be named the team’s platinum partner.
Under the new deal between TAB and the Cowboys, the gambling company’s logo will appear on the sternum of the athletes’ jerseys throughout the 2023 season.
The Cowboys’ chief executive officer, Jeff Reibel, released a statement on the new agreement, sharing his sentiments about the agreement. According to him, the deal with TAB attests to the club’s dedication to providing sports fans with premium experiences.
Since the 1960s TAB has been a household name, having supported sports enthusiasts in every code to experience the thrill of backing their favorite team or athlete competing at the highest level.
Jeff Reibel, CEO, North Queensland Toyota Cowboys
Reibel added that the Cowboys and TAB share a passion for Australian sports and have reputation for “beating the odds time and time again to deliver extraordinary moments.” Successfully lobbying for a team in 1995’s Winfield Cup and winning the Premiership in 2015 are two of the club’s most notable achievements, attesting to its commitment to excellence.
The Club Is a Part of North Queensland’s DNA
Tabcorp, TAB’s parent company, also released a statement on the agreement with the Cowboys. The gambling company’s senior sponsorship manager, Katherine Morgan, said that her team is excited to join forces with the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys.
Morgan explained that the club is an integral part of the DNA of North Queensland. She said that Tavbcorp is delighted to forge this partnership with the club and grow the TAB brand. Morgan said that fans should stay tuned for the various activations the two parties have planned.
Queenslanders love their sport and we’re incredibly committed to investing in the growth and promotion of the state’s sports teams and race clubs.
Katherine Morgan, senior sponsorship and events manager, Tabcorp
The deal, as noted by Morgan, comes at an exciting time for TAB. The company recently launched a new TAB application, provided customers with new wagering products and enhanced the wagering experience for its fans. The complete transformation of the company is expected to drive more engagement, helping punters make unforgettable memories.
Two weeks ago, Tabcorp partnered with EPIC Risk Management, which agreed to educate the gambling company’s workers about safer gambling and harm minimization. The company is committed to growing its brand while keeping its customers safe.
I recently came across a dollar 8/5 Super Aces Bonus Poker game and it’s been years since I played it. I know 8/5 Bonus Poker cold, and because the full house, flush, and straight are the same between the two games, the strategies must be similar. Still, they differ in the amount of the straight flush, quads, and two pair — all of which affect the strategy as well.
I thought it would be instructive to give you ten hands — three of which are played the same in the two games and the other seven are played differently. Even if you haven’t mastered both games, you might find it an interesting exercise trying to figure out which four are played the same before you look at the answers.
Don’t feel too bad if you miss a few. This is not a simple test. The table below highlights in yellow the differences between the two pay schedules.:
8/5
8/5
Bonus
Super Aces
Royal Flush
800
800
Straight Flush
50
60
Four Aces
80
400
Four 2s-4s
40
80
Four 5s-Ks
25
50
Full House
8
8
Flush
5
5
Straight
4
4
Three of a Kind
3
3
Two Pair
2
1
Jacks or Better
1
1
Return
99.17%
99.94%
Variance
19.5
63.4
Q♣ J♣ T♣ 9♣ 8♦
Q♥ J♥ T♥ Q♠ 3♦
A♠ K♠ Q♦ J♦ 8♦
K♥ J♠ T♠ 9♦ 5♣
T♠ 9♦ 8♣ 7♥ 7♠
Q♣ J♦ 7♠ 5♠ 4♠
K♦ T♦ 7♦ 6♣ 3♥
K♣ 2♥ A♠ 3♠ 5♠
A♥ K♠ J♠ T♦ 5♠
A♠ Q♦ J♣ 9♣ 8♦
Answers:
Both games, QJT98. Even though straight flushes pay 60-for-1 in SAB, a dealt straight is more valuable than even the most valuable 4-card straight flush draw. If straight flushes return 80-for-1 or higher (as in Triple Bonus Poker Plus and White Hot Aces), you’d go for the straight flush.
BP: QQ. SAB: QJT. Normally when the flush returns 5-for-1, a high pair is superior to all 3-card royal flush draws. But here we have the straight flush paying a bit more in SAB, so both KQJ and QJT so long as the fifth card is neither a flush nor straight penalty to the royal flush draw.
BP: QJ8. SAB: AKQJ. This is the most counter-intuitive example I could find. The choices are a straight flush draw (QJ8) and a mixed-suit straight draw (AKQJ). What is so strange is that the game that pays more for the straight flush (SAB) goes for the straight draw, and the game that pays less for the straight flush draw (BP) goes for the straight.
The reason for this apparent anomaly is the value of two pair. Holding QJ8 and drawing two cards, there are 27 different combinations that yield two pair. Specifically, there are nine ways to draw another QJ, another nine to draw Q8, and another nine to draw J8. This means there are 27 combinations earning an additional five coins apiece because BP pays 2-for-1 for two pair and SAB pays 1-for-1. This adds 135 coins (27 times 5) in the direction of going for the straight flush.
Holding the same QJ8, there is only one way to end up with a straight flush, namely drawing both the nine and ten of diamonds. While this does pay 50 coins less in BP compared to SAB, it doesn’t totally make up for the 135 coins that are added due to the higher return for two pair.
BP: KJ. SAB: KJT9. When two pair returns 1-for-1, 4-card inside straights with two high cards are eligible to be held. When two pair returns 2-for-1, 4-card inside straights must contain at least three high cards to be eligible to be held.
Both games, 77. While you do tend to hold 4-card straights and inside straights more when two pair pays 1-for-1, in SAB the only time you hold a straight draw over a low pair is when the draw contains at least one high card, namely KQJT, QJT9, or JT98.
BP: QJ. SAB: 754. The higher value of the straight flush and the general tendency to hold more straights makes the play on this hand differ between the games. Although there are straight draws from both QJ and 754, it’s much easier to end up with a straight drawing two cards than it is drawing three.
Both games, K. A flush penalty to KT means you hold just the king in both of these games.
BP: A35 SAP: A. Because of the big value for four aces in SAB, ace-low 3-card straight flushes are never held in this game.
BP: KJ. SAP: AKJT. In BP, two suited high cards are always superior to any inside straight with three high cards. In SAP, you hold the inside straight over AK, AQ, AJ, KQ, and KJ if there is a flush penalty in the hand. In this case, the 5♠ is the same suit as the KJ, so that’s the flush penalty.
BP: QJ. SAP: A. Even though QJ98 is eligible to be held in SAP (but not BP), the high value of quad aces makes holding the single ace superior.
A lucky lottery player in Washington matched all six numbers from the Monday draw to win the Powerball jackpot that has been eluding players since November.
Fifth-Largest Powerball Winning
As the first Powerball draw to see a jackpot winner this year, the draw on Monday registered a winning that ranks among the top ten in the US lottery history as final ticket sales pushed the Powerball jackpot to $754.6 million at the time of the drawing, lottery officials stated in a press release.
The multi-million Powerball jackpot ranked as the ninth-largest in all-time lottery history and the fifth-largest in the history of Powerball and compared to the previous jackpot that was won in Kansan on November 19, 2022, which amounted to $92.9 million, the current jackpot is more than eight times larger.
The holder of the lucky Powerball ticket will have to choose between receiving the winnings in an annuitized prize of $754.9 million, comprising of one immediate payment and 29 annual payments each of which would escalate the amount by 5%, or as one lump sum payment of $407.2 million. Both options are before taxes.
In total, the Powerball jackpot was won seven times last year: in January, February, April, June, August, and twice in November, one of which was the $2.04 jackpot won in California that holds the current world record.
The record jackpot winning is still to be claimed by its lucky winner but it already brought the man owning the business in Altadena where the lucky ticket had been sold a $1 million bonus.
Powerball Jackpots in 2022
In August, a lucky Powerball ticket purchased in Pennsylvania won $206.9 million, following the previous jackpot win of $366.7 million registered in Vermont in June. Prior to that, a $473.1 million Powerball jackpot was won in April in Arizona, a $185.3 million jackpot was won in Connecticut in February, and a $632.6 million jackpot was won at the beginning of the year and was split between winners in California and Wisconsin.
According to the Powerball website, the jackpot for the next drawing of the lottery play available across 45 US states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, amounts to $20 million.
Last year also saw huge Powerball wins in New Zealand, including the NZ$ 16 million ($9.36 million) won by a couple living in Wellington in October, and the NZ$24 million ($14.88 million) won by a mystery customer who had bought the lucky Lotto ticket at Bell Block Supermarket in New Plymouth in November.
Announced Tuesday, the new collaboration will see Hutchison spearhead the company’s revenue growth strategy. Having an industry expert as a chief revenue officer, Digitain is planning to further expand its global presence and footprint within the fast-growing iGaming sector.
Hutchison brings more than two decades of experience after being part of leading digital marketing, sports-betting affiliates, start-ups and live trading companies. Moreover, he brings invaluable managing experience after being in charge of large-scale teams. As an industry expert, Hutchison has a track record in delivering growth for companies by leveraging development strategies and conducting organizational transformations.
Before joining Digitain, Hutchison was a part of Genius Sports, a company that delivers leading sports data, betting and media solutions, for more than 15 years. While a part of the company, he held different leadership-level roles such as sales director, commercial director and chief revenue officer. His professional background includes a sales director position with Connextra as well as a marketing director role with Waysearch, among other C-suite positions.
The Company Remains Committed to Growth
Now, Hutchison’s appointment with Digitain marks an important moment for the company on its way to further growth and expansion. Ultimately, Digitain seeks to seize emerging opportunities within the iGaming sector and his appointment will undoubtedly boost this process.
Digitain’s founder, Vardges Vardanyan, welcomed Hutchison to the company’s team and acknowledged that he brings a unique skill set and experience which will help its global growth. Finally, Vardanyan pointed out: “Iain’s track record speaks for itself and we are confident that his leadership and vision will help drive Digitain to even greater heights.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Iain to the Digitain team.“
Vardges Vardanyan, founder of Digitain
The latest announcement comes on the heels of another senior-level appointment announced by Digitain. Only recently, the company promoted Simon Westbury, who held the position of chief business officer, to the position of CEO of its subsidiary Sport Generate.
At the time of the announcement, Vardanyan said that it is thrilling to see Westbury start in his new role. He predicted that Westbury will leverage his extensive experience and leadership qualities to help Sport Generate reach a new level of growth.
Before that, in mid-January, Digitain announced it opened a new office in Romania. Seeking at taking the quality of its services to a new level, the company opened the doors of a new office located in the capital of the country, Bucharest.
Infront’s betting-oriented division, Infront Bettor, announced a new global partnership with bet365, one of the biggest sports betting companies in the world. As agreed, bet365 will distribute Infront Bettor content for the next few years.
The multi-year agreement will see the operator distribute a total of 18,000 hours of content from more than 30 rights holders. As a result, as many as 80 million customers from 160 countries across the globe will have their sports experiences enhanced with premium sports streams.
Some of the distributed content will include streams from famous pro sports competitions, including the English Carabao Cup, Coup de France, Turkish Superlig and more. It will also include a suite of ice hockey rights for leagues such as the Champions Hockey League and the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship – events that are exclusively marketed by Infront.
Bet365 and Infront Bettor will seek to minimize system latency during streams and reduce it as much as possible. The two companies realize how latencies and discrepancies between data and video can negatively impact customer experience and wish to work on this issue. Thanks to a new tech created in collaboration between Infront Bettor and iGameMedia, the former company will help bet365 significantly improve betting experiences.
The Deal Is a Testament to Infront Bettor’s Hard Work
Infront Bettor’s head, Chris Catling, commented on the deal with bet365 and called it a major milestone for his company. He noted that the months prior to the launch of the Infront Bettor division have been busy as the company was busy securing betting rights. However, this hard work paid off, as attested by the new deal with an industry-leading operator.
To agree terms with a partner who has led the digital revolution of online betting and is as forward-thinking as bet365 validates the hard work up until this point. I am excited to deliver our content to bet365 and to work with industry leaders to develop our proposition even further.
Chris Catling, head, Infront Bettor
Catling added that he sees a new horizon for video products that drive betting engagement and interactivity. He is happy to see a big operator such as bet365 embrace real-time streaming.
Amikam Kranz, the vice president of media sales and operations at Infront’s sports and media unit, also shared his thoughts. He revealed that he is thrilled to pen an agreement with bet365, which he sees as a significant achievement for the divisions and the company as a whole.
Our partnership with a market leader like bet365 is a testament to our commitment and we look forward to this partnership growing and making the breadth of Infront’s offerings available to them.
Amikam Kranz, VP media sales and operations, Infront Sports and Media
Bet365 is one of the biggest operators in the world and is available in multiple regulated jurisdictions. The company turned out to be the second biggest taxpayer in the United Kingdom, according to a new study.
The developer of online casino platforms and games invites players to conquer the mesmerizing Sin City streets in search of bonus rounds and big wins alongside Ben G and his gang of hip-hop stars on the rise.
Gamers with an interest in urban cityscape-themed slots are encouraged to follow their peculiar journey from the grimy streets of Las Vegas to a music studio and all the way to the Vegas Fight Night ring.
Benji Killed in Vegas Metrics Overview
Reels: 5
Rows: 3+
Paylines: 7776
RTP: 96.04%, 94.02% (DX1), 92.09% (DX2)
Hit Freq: 23.24%
Max Win: 10,000x
Volatility: High
Min/Max Bet: 0.20-100
Release date: February 7, 2023
Get Ready to Bounce
The slot, which has been described as “all about the Benjamin$” by the company’s head of product Per Lindheimer, has taken the popular Vegas theme and kicked it up a notch using Nolimit City’s unique style.
Players can get ready to embark on a wild Dead Presidents’ trip to Las Vegas while admiring the eye-catching art style and excellent animations.
The state-of-the-art graphic design combines well with the carefully selected hip-hop soundtrack prone to make a lot of heads bounce uncontrollably.
The base game comes with a spectacular 3-3-3-3-3 layout and an impressive selection of game mechanics. The list includes the Nolimit xMechanics xSplit feature, xNudge, and two available variants of xBet which players can tackle in three different ways.
xBET BLUE and xBET RED cost players additional bets. They guarantee a pair of scatters and overlay multipliers, which means players can expect to see the chances of landing a massive win go up considerably when the bonus rounds are engaged.
xBET BLUE for an additional cost of 50%, players are guaranteed a Scatter symbol per spin, along with more than 3x the chances of joining the Vegas$ Spins, and 2x enhanced chances to enter B.I.G. Vegas$ spins.
For an extra cost of 9x the base bet, players will enjoy two Overlay Multipliers x2 and x3 while activating the Enhancers when choosing the xBET RED.
Players can also land additional Scatters as well as enjoy a 15x higher chance to enter Vegas$ Spins. The chance of entering B.I.G. Vegas$ Spins is 50x times higher than the standard when this option is used.
The xNUDGE WILD is a three-row high Wild that replaces all symbols except for Scatters. The Wild always nudges, causing the win multiplier to go up by one unit, before becoming fully visible on the entire reel.
Players who land a minimum of three VEGAS$ SPINS scatter symbols receive nine free spins. This causes the Enhancers to be engaged, turning the Scatters into x2,x3, and x4 Overlay Multipliers.
When landing four or five B.I.G. VEGAS$ SPINS Scatters, players receive 11 or 13 free spins. Additionally, the Enhancers are engaged, turning the Scatters into x2, x3, x4, x5, and x6 Overlay Multipliers.
Last July, the company with offices in Malta, Sweden, India, and Romania signed a partnership agreement with bet365. During the same month, Salsa Technology announced it would add Nolimit City to its aggregation platform.
The Super Bowl is one of the most watched sporting events annually, but it’s not just the football people tune in for.
Each year, A-list performers put on the show of their lives to the NFL halftime crowd, bringing a bunch of memorable – and shocking – moments with them.
Global pop superstar and self-proclaimed ‘bad gal’ Rihanna has got the job for Super Bowl LVII, taking place in sunny Arizona in February 2023.
This got us thinking about some of the most iconic halftime shows over the years. One thing is for sure, they’re never dull.
Read our 10 most memorable Super Bowl halftime shows and get ready for the good, the bad, and the ugly.
10. Michael Jackson – Super Bowl XXVII
Image: Constru-centro/Wikimedia Commons
The standards are high when it comes to memorable Super Bowl halftime shows. That’s why the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, only makes it to number 10 on our list.
This performance stands out because for the first 90 seconds Jackson stood utterly still, staring out into the frenzied crowd. At first, it was cool, but after the first minute, many viewers began to wonder if this MJ was actually a waxwork after all.
Luckily, he eventually started his act and treated his adoring fans to classics including “Billie Jean” and “Black or White” before a finale of “Heal the World.”
He was joined by a choir of 3,500 children from LA – yep, this doesn’t age well…
It was certainly a memorable close to the show that took place less than a year after the 1992 LA riots.
9. Paul McCartney – Super Bowl XXXIX
Image: Dena Flows
Paul McCartney has done almost everything a musician could do. He had the call up for the Super Bowl back in 2005, cementing his now five-decade reign at the top.
The NFL wanted a controversy-free halftime show after the scandal in 2004 (more on this later), and Macca didn’t disappoint. He tore through the classics “Drive My Car,” “Get Back,” and “Live and Let Die” before closing with “Hey Jude.”
This Beatle took the crowd along for an epic show, and one we’ll never forget.
8. Madonna – Super Bowl XLVI
Image: MTV International/Wikimedia Commons
Unsurprisingly, this list is full of huge names, and Madonna can hang with the best of them.
The Queen of Pop has had many memorable TV moments over the years, including kissing Britney Spears at the 2003 VMAs and falling on stage at the 2015 Brit awards.
Still, it was actually one of her guests that caused a big stir at the Super Bowl in 2012.
Madonna was joined on stage by Nicki Minaj, LMFAO, Cee Lo Green and M.I.A., with the latter causing controversy for sticking her middle finger up to the camera during the song “Give Me All Your Luvin’.”
Despite M.I.A. grabbing a lot of the headlines and making the performance particularly memorable, Madonna still broke viewing figures as the most-viewed Super Bowl halftime show at that point.
7. Aerosmith, Britney Spears, ‘NSync, Nelly, and Mary J. Blige – Super Bowl XXXV
Image: Julio Aprea/Wikimedia Commons
If you didn’t see this halftime show, you could be forgiven for thinking there was a typo here.
Yes, Aerosmith, Britney, ‘NSync, Mary J. Blige, and Nelly (just for good measure) really did perform together.
Oh, and Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, and Chris Rock got in on the act, too, as part of a pre-recorded sketch before the performance.
The cross-section of fans who love all these artists must have been pretty small, but somehow, they made it work. Or at least they made it memorable.
After ‘NSync kicked off the performance, rock legends Aerosmith took over and delivered a great rendition of their unforgettable ballad “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing.”
A short while later, things started getting pretty strange.
In a group performance of Aerosmith’s classic “Walk This Way,” ‘NSync, Britney, Mary J Blige, and Nelly paced around the stage and took turns strutting, screaming and shouting into the mic with varying levels of skill.
There was also a bizarre but thankfully short dance-off between Steven Tyler and Justin Timberlake.
I need to lie down just writing about it.
6. Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band – Super Bowl XLIII
Image: Takahiro Kyono/Wikimedia Commons
What do you get when you combine an American rock legend with a packed stadium and massive TV audience? An unforgettable show for everyone, that’s what.
In 2009, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band rocked the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, but the Boss wanted to ensure everyone at home was just as involved.
As the band started playing the intro to “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” (including obligatory fireworks), Bruce grabbed the mic and told the TV audience, “I want you to step back from the guacamole dip! I want you to put those chicken fingers down! And turn your television all the way up!”
If the American public were going to listen to anyone, it would be the Boss.
The chicken fingers were promptly discarded, and people were rocking in their living rooms from Washington to Florida.
Apparently, Springsteen had previously turned the show down, so fans worldwide were ecstatic he finally came to his senses. His performance at Super Bowl XLIII will live long in the memory.
👉 9 Stars Who Refused The Super Bowl Halftime Show
5. Beyonce – Super Bowl XLVII
Image: Twitter/beyoncepress
Who runs the world?
Well, it was undoubtedly Queen B on Super Bowl Sunday back in 2013. The pop superstar took to the stage in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, racing through hits including “Love on Top,” “Crazy in Love” and “Baby Boy.”
She was then joined on stage by former Destiny’s Child members Kelly Roland and Michelle Williams to sing classics “Bootylicious” and “Independent Women.”
Finally, Kelly and Michelle left the stage and let Beyonce have the limelight again. She closed the show with her heartfelt anthem “Halo” which left fans in the stadium and at home reeling.
How can one person have that amount of energy, talent, and charisma? Who knows, but God, it’s fun to watch.
4. Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, P. Diddy, Kid Rock, Jessica Simpson, and Nelly – Super Bowl XXXVIII
Image: J0 anna/Wikimedia Commons
You were promised there would be the good, the bad, and the ugly in this list – and here you have it.
This Super Bowl halftime performance by Janet Jackson is arguably the most infamous of all time. The fallout from an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction was extremely ugly and frankly ridiculous.
At the end of an otherwise regular halftime show, Justin Timberlake tore off part of Janet Jackson’s outfit as he sang the rather fitting lyric “better have you naked by the end of this song” from his 2002 hit “Rock Your Body.”
Whether intentional or not, this resulted in Janet Jackson’s nipple being revealed (for half a second) to the TV audience. Yes, 500 whole milliseconds.
Times were different in 2004, and this probably accidental reveal caused an epic fallout.
Jackson’s music was shockingly barred on several platforms, NASCAR, and the NFL tightened indecency rules.
CBS, the parent company of the production, was fined a record $550,000 for indecency, and just months later, the United States House of Representatives passed a bill to raise the maximum fine for indecency.
Many commentators also suggested that “nipplegate,” as it became known, even influenced the 2004 Democratic Party primaries. Jackson herself said the incident was used by George W Bush as a distraction technique.
With hindsight, the whole debacle was blown way out of proportion, but it was definitely memorable.
3. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, and Anderson Paak – Super Bowl LVI
Image: Jason Persse/Wikimedia Commons
Recency bias? Maybe. Hip-Hop fan? Definitely.
But those issues aside, this iconic Super Bowl halftime performance was memorable for the sheer amount of talent on stage, if nothing else. Some halftime shows have one fantastic artist. This show had seven.
It was also a perfect celebration of Los Angeles, where the Super Bowl was being held. The LA Rams completed the party when they closed out a 23-20 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Dr. Dre was the headline act here, but the supporting cast and outstanding visuals were what really stood out and made the performance unforgettable.
2. U2 – Super Bowl XXXVI
Image: U2start/Wikimedia Commons
America and the rest of the world were still in shock when U2 took to the stage at the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002.
Less than six months after the September 11 attacks, the Irish rock superstars delivered one of the most memorable live music performances ever.
In a moment of pure beauty, U2 performed their hit “Where the Streets Have No Name” while the names of the victims were projected behind them.
In the song’s climax, lead singer Bono revealed the inside of his jacket adorned with the star-spangled banner.
A truly memorable performance and an amazing tribute to the victims of 9/11.
1. Prince – Super Bowl XLI
Image: Twitter/whoxmike
What could be more memorable than the iconic and incomparable Prince performing an epic version of his classic “Purple Rain” as the actual rain hammered down onto adoring fans in Miami?
Well, in terms of Super Bowl halftime shows, nothing.
Widely regarded as the best Super Bowl halftime performance from one of the greatest performers ever, there was really only going to be one winner on this list.
Prince’s set included covers of Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” and the Foo Fighters’ “Best of You.”
But the magic moment came at the end of his set when he played his most famous track, “Purple Rain.”
As the unrelenting rain came down, Prince did his thing on the guitar then whipped the crowd up into a sing-along crescendo that will live long in the memories of NFL and music fans alike.
The executive director held his speech during the ICE World Regulatory Briefing. Miller took the opportunity to issue a warning regarding the existence of illegal betting options while emphasizing the need to protect Britain’s regulated gambling market.
“Gambling Today Is in Many Ways a Global Tech Industry”
Miller, who is responsible for research and statistics, policy development, and the national strategy for reducing gambling harms, expressed the commission’s view on today’s gambling industry. He explained what the new changes represent for gambling regulators. Calling today’s gambling “a Global Tech Industry,” Miller touched on the topic of the way large gambling organizations currently operate in the industry.
He mentioned the advanced research and development adopted by these companies, along with their ongoing efforts to create innovative products and the expansion of their digital and multinational operations. Together, all these transformations look and feel “more like international ‘Big Tech’”, said Miller, comparing gambling companies’ operations from two decades ago.
The changes are also influencing consumers’ experiences as well as the way regulatory bodies need to do their jobs, added the executive. Alongside the highly competitive markets found in numerous jurisdictions, the new state of things is currently triggering a number of trends that were flagged by the Commission during the ICE event.
Blurred Boundaries, Mergers and Acquisitions Cost More to Investigate
One of the first trends discussed by Miller referred to the ongoing, fast-paced, “multi-layered” mergers and acquisitions in Great Britain. These operations helped the top three gaming operators here reach a market share of around 50% in the past five years.
At the same time, the top 10 operators represent 77% of the total business-to-consumer gross gambling yield. Miller explained that the complexity of these mergers and acquisitions is forcing investigators to spend more resources to investigate wrongdoings.
Miller spoke about fresh and innovative products like cryptocurrencies, synthetic shares, and non-fungible tokens that continue to be hard to define and regulate. While used by gambling companies to reach new audiences, these products are also targeted by people “looking to make money around the edges of regulated gambling.”
The Need for Global Collaboration Between Regulators
The matter of illegal online gambling with an emphasis on “not on Gamstop” websites that target individuals who have self-excluded from gambling was also raised by Miller. Similar to other regulators in the industry, the UKGC continues to direct additional resources to combat this particular problem and disrupt illegal sites. At the same time, the UKGC is partnering up with other regulators while asking jurisdictions that host and license illegal platforms to stop.
Miller reiterated the idea that simply because illegal online options continue to exist should not force the regulated gambling industry in Britain to be subject to “lower, less fair, or less safe standards.”
Thanks to the strong bonds created between worldwide regulators, there is an increase in the number of discussions regarding bad practices and bad behaviors of some operators. In turn, this continues to help the UKGC keep an eye on the respective operators in their own jurisdictions.
Miller added that all regulatory bodies should keep making efforts to drive standards up while offering consumers a safe, top-quality experience.
In January, the UKGC fined TonyBet over anti-money laundering and social responsibility breaches.
Despite a valiant effort to reform to legal US sports betting, the former giant of offshore sportsbooks will not be making a triumphant entry into Ontario after all, sources close to the firm claim.
was supposedly about to gain a license to operate sports betting in Ontario
Instead, a Costigan Media news site reported on Friday that 5Dimes owner Laura Varela is planning on shuttering the sportsbook ahead of Super Bowl Sunday. The company was supposedly about to gain a license to operate sports betting in Ontario.
Sources close to Laura Varela, owner of 5Dimes and the widow of murdered American bookmaker William Sean “5Dimes” Creighton, report her as having “had it” with the “incompetence” and is on the “verge of a nervous breakdown.”
Redemption denied
Judging by the calls to “pour one out” on Twitter, the potential demise of 5Dimes is being met with a fond toast, a sign of the sportsbook’s popularity. Ultimately, however, popularity cuts no dice with the cash-thirsty nature of the industry.
Even though 5Dimes set up a new corporate entity in Delaware, got itself fully Gaming Labs International certified, and applied for a New Jersey sports betting license, in the end, sources say, Varela’s firm was “ill-prepared to spend any additional money on other aspects of the regulatory process.”
The news source also claims 5Dimes had big legal fees to pay. There are three law firms representing 5Dimes and some attorneys are allegedly “stringing [Varela] along.”
The sources said Valera has “worked tirelessly” to keep the 5Dimes brand going, but now “can do no more” and is planning to return to the US after Sunday’s Super Bowl.
End of an era
The end of 5Dimes has been ringing through the Costa Rica sports betting industry like a death knell in recent days. The insider source even states that “5Dimes has already notified Ontario regulators of its decision to pull the plug.”
While the sportsbook is said to have around 1,000 customers, the source revealed in the event of its closing, all of them “should be made whole.”
Twitter user Zoz Claxton called the news “the end of an era.” It’s certainly a sad ending to the story of one man and his team of technical wizards who built one of the world’s most popular offshore sportsbooks, servicing US clients for over two decades.
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