This week in B2B news (4 August)
All of the latest news from the supplier side of the industry, including updates from SoftSwiss, NeoGames and Huddle
NeoGames hires Robert Wesley as VP of North America customer development
NeoGames have named Robert Wesley as its new vice-president of North American customer development.
Wesley spent 25 years with the Virginia Lottery where he was most recently deputy executive director of lottery and in his new role, will help to enhance the interactive lottery experience across North America with NeoGames.
Moti Malul, NeoGames CEO, said: “Robert is hugely respected within the lottery industry and has an incredible track record of delivering ilottery growth during his time with Virginia Lottery. As we have consistently demonstrated, our ilottery offering is the industry leader and we want the right people to drive our efforts as we look to accelerate our customers’ success.”
Wesley added: “It is a thrill to join NeoGames and work with such an impressive portfolio of lottery partners. The North American ilottery market is one that continues to grow rapidly and NeoGames is in a prime position to support lotteries who are interested in enhancing the interactive gaming experience they offer.”
Huddle agrees pricing deal with BVGroup
Huddle has partnered with BVGroup to power its pricing on various US sports.
Huddle will price BetVictor’s markets on several sports including NFL, NBA and MLB while also supporting BVGroup’s partner brands in Europe and Asia.
Richard Garman, BVGroup’s director of pricing and innovation, said: “US sports is increasingly becoming the new battleground and we were looking for a supplier to take our offering to the next level. That meant bespoke new and innovative markets, improved pricing and most importantly a partner we could work with over a period of time to develop a market-leading product for professional and college US Sports.
“Huddle immediately impressed us with their commitment to meeting those challenges and delivering something unique.”
Francesco Borgosano, Huddle CEO, added: “We are incredibly proud of our new partnership with BVGroup. This collaboration reflects the mutual belief in shared values and the pursuit of excellence in product and customer-centric approach.
“Becoming a partner of a trusted industry leader such as BVGroup is validating for our incredible team whose unwavering dedication and hard work have played a pivotal role in securing this opportunity.”
EPIC Risk Management launches gambling-related harms podcast
EPIC Risk Management has released a podcast called The Gambling Harm Podcast.
The first episode was released on 1 August and subsequent episodes will be released every week in August to form a five-part series, available on Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
The series will look at lived experiences and the efforts EPIC is making to reduce the impact of gambling-related harms.
Steve Cotton, experienced journalist and host of the podcast, said: “Hosting the first series of The Gambling Harm Podcast for EPIC Risk Management has been an absolute pleasure. Every guest has really bought into the concept of the series, sharing their insight and personal experience with me and the audience.”
Adrian Ward, communications manager at EPIC, added: “Our lived experience team have provided some moving and informative insight to several other excellent podcasts which touch upon the issue of gambling-related harm, so we’re delighted to be putting their skill for presenting to perfect effect via the release of our own podcast series.”
SoftSwiss gives AI implementation update
SoftSwiss has provided an update on its implementation of AI into its operations.
The supplier’s research and development (R&D) department developed an anti-fraud service to detect suspicious cases and pass them on to the anti-fraud team.
The R&D department also created a machine learning driven system that identifies potential issues and analyses key business indicators to prevent negative impacts.
Vitali Matsukevich, COO at SOFTSWISS, said: “AI is an effective tool for analysing large data sets in real time, but the final decision still should be left to an expert. While AI offers speed and efficiency, relying solely on AI for business decisions may not be advisable.”
AI at SoftSwiss is also used to analyse player behaviour and personalise content for consumers.
Matsukevich added: “When it comes to players, this approach helps reduce the time between bets and increase their amounts and player long-term value. When players easily find exciting events tailored to their preferences, their gaming experience becomes more enjoyable, positively impacting overall business performance.”
Altenar partners with WSF Odds
Altenar has struck a deal with WSF Odds to add its goalscorer odds and pre-match player props to its platform.
The markets will be available for games in both US and European competitions.
Stella Avgoustidi, account manager at Altenar, said: “We are delighted to have agreed a landmark deal with WSF Odds. This latest partnership will enable Altenar’s players to get the very best in player odds before any soccer game and WSF’s technology is the quickest and most accurate on the market.
Yevgeniy Levin, head of data engineering at WSF Odds, added: “We are very proud to strike this agreement that will strengthen our global presence. We were already operating throughout a variety of European markets and Altenar’s launch of our products that covers dozens of European and American competitions creates a great opportunity for us to expand our offering even further.”
NetBet Italy strikes partnership deal with Wazdan
NetBet Italy has agreed a partnership deal with supplier Wazdan.
The online casino will integrate Wazdan’s portfolio onto its platform, strengthening its commitment to offer and deliver a variety of options for its players.
Andrzej Hyla, chief commercial officer at Wazdan, said: “Our focus on growing in major regions is clear and our latest partnership with NetBet Italy allows us to bring cutting-edge content to Italian players. With a vibrant portfolio of top-performing games and innovative features, we’re confident we can deliver incredible gaming experiences to players across the country.”
Claudia Georgevici, NetBet Italy PR manager, added: “We are thrilled to join forces with Wazdan and introduce their exceptional games to our players. Wazdan is known for its commitment to innovation and quality, and we believe their games will perfectly complement our existing portfolio.”