Absolute Sports, a subsidiary of Nazara Technologies and the parent company of Sportskeeda.com, announced today that it has signed definitive agreements, subject to closing conditions, to acquire two IPs, TJRWrestling.net and ITRWrestling.com. These business assets will be acquired from Titan Insider Digital. These IPs add to the already dominant global position of Absolute Sports in the combat sports publishing industry.

TJRWrestling and ITRWrestling established in 2009 and 2020 respectively, have built a robust audience base within the wrestling fan community through their high-quality and in-depth combat sports news and content coverage. Together, they currently attract 1.7 million monthly active users and generate 4.6 million monthly pageviews, predominantly from North America. They generated $722K (~INR 6.1 crore) in revenue in 2024.

The transaction, valued at $1.25 million (~INR 10.5 crore), will be an all-cash asset purchase via the company’s U.S. subsidiary, Sportskeeda Inc., and is expected to close within the next 45 days.

This strategic acquisition bolsters Sportskeeda’s position in the combat sports segment and expands its presence in the U.S., home to the world’s largest pro-wrestling fanbase. The integration of these platforms will also create deeper engagement opportunities for fans and advertisers across digital formats.

Ajay Pratap Singh, CEO of Absolute Sports, commented: “ITRWrestling and TJRwrestling are two of the most respected voices in the global wrestling community. This acquisition aligns perfectly with our vision to be the leading go-to destination for wrestling content worldwide. It also reinforces Absolute Sports’ dedication to expanding its footprint in the fast-growing U.S. media market through a targeted and impactful M&A strategy.”

A recent survey has confirmed that almost two out of three (63%) of Illinois residents support legalizing online casinos.

The survey, created by casino bonus and online casino review site BonusFinder.com, asked 1,000 Illinois residents their take regarding legalizing online casinos. The focus group covered voters across a variety of political backgrounds, age groups, and different geos.

Despite online casinos currently being illegal in Illinois, and the only way to access them is illegally, the survey found that one in four residents (26%) admitted to having played at an online casino.

According to a separate analysis, which delved into how much US States could be missing out on in online casino tax revenue, it revealed that Illinois could be missing out on up to $788m. Instead of going to the State, this potential tax money is being funneled to unregulated offshore gambling platforms.

When questioned, hypothetically, how residents would prefer the tax revenue to be spent they prioritized: public education (61.4%), mental health and addiction services (54.8%) and improvements in infrastructure (44%).

Other services that were still important, but less of a priority, to those questioned in the survey were: affordable housing (38%), crime prevention (33.1%), community programs (26.2%) and environmental initiatives (22.7%).

“These findings show that Illinoisans are ready for online casinos, as long as it’s done responsibly,” commented Luciano Passavanti, Vice President at BonusFinder.com.

“The message from voters is clear – they want safe, transparent platforms and strict oversight.

“They also want to know that tax revenue from online casinos will directly benefit their communities; whether that’s through education, healthcare, or local infrastructure.

“Illinois is already a major gaming market. Legalizing online casinos is the next logical step.”

While the majority of voters were in favor (63%), 19% were against legalization and 17.5% remained unsure.

The largest age group supporters of legalizing online casinos was the 45-54 age group, with 68.8% being in favor. However, the age group whose least in favor of legalization remained to be those aged 65 and over – with 51.2% being in favor of legalizing online casinos in Illinois.

The second-largest age group in favor of legalizing iCasinos are those aged 35-44 (64.1%), the third-largest group stood to be those in the 18-34 age bracket with 63.7% of voters supporting legalization.

When it comes to the battle of the sexes, men were found to be significantly more open to the idea of legalization, with 70.5% of men in support. However, in comparison, just 58.3% of women were found to be in support of legalizing online casinos in the State.

Furthermore, a variety of correspondents across different political views were also questioned; with findings revealing that Republican voters were slightly more in favor (65.4%) of legalization compared to Democrat voters (63.3%).