The Gaming StartUp Challenge 6.0, held during the second day of the BEGE Expo 2024, concluded with an exciting announcement: FightScout was crowned the winner of this year’s competition. The event, hosted at the Inter Expo Center in Sofia, brought together four exceptional startups competing to showcase the most innovative ideas.

Competing alongside Ubitrack, Roni Games, and 2Play1, FightScout impressed the jury with its groundbreaking platform designed to revolutionize the world of combat sports. By merging gaming elements with real-world applications, FightScout offers fans and professionals a unique, interactive experience that connects communities in new and exciting ways.

Speaking about the victory, Lubomir Guedjev, Founder of FightScout, shared his excitement: “Winning the Gaming StartUp Challenge 6.0 is an incredible honour. This recognition confirms the potential of FightScout. We’re grateful to BEGE and the jury for this opportunity and look forward to expanding our reach”.

This year’s Gaming StartUp Challenge showcased diverse ideas across gaming, tracking technologies, and gamified applications. Each of the four startups presented their solutions to a jury of industry experts, followed by a lively Q&A session. The jury faced the difficult task of selecting a winner, ultimately choosing FightScout for its innovative approach, scalability, and potential for significant industry impact.

Innovation Capital, Southeast Europe’s leading pre-seed venture capital fund, was a key partner of the Gaming StartUp Challenge 6.0. With over 180 portfolio companies and investments of up to EUR 1 million per startup, Innovation Capital allocates over 5% of its budget to gaming and entertainment, supporting scalable ideas across various sectors.

As a founding member of the ULIS (United Lotteries for Integrity in Sport), EL has participated in this year’s Integrity Seminar in Lausanne.

In a dedicated panel discussion several EL members and national regulators came together to address the fight against illegals, one of the most pressing challenges in the sports and betting sector.

Lotteries and their national regulatory authorities share a common mission – to ensure a safe and secure environment for players. Yet, a significant challenge is the risk of overregulation. Panelists highlighted that striking the right balance of regulatory frameworks is essential to channel players towards safe and responsible betting products while upholding the highest standards of responsible gaming.

Global Challenge Requires International Collaboration

While national-level cooperation between lotteries and regulators remains crucial, the global nature of sports betting requires a broader, international approach. The panel emphasised the importance of the Macolin Convention, which offers a clear definition of “illegal sports betting” as any sports betting activity whose type or operator is not allowed under the applicable law of the jurisdiction where the consumer is located.

Key Takeaways from Panelists

The panelists including Jean-Luc Moner-Banet, CEO, Loterie Romande, Jens Nielsen, Sports Betting Director, Danske Spil, Andreas Arver, Integrity Officer, Svenska Spel and Simon Pedersen, Chief Adviser, Illegal Gambling, Match-Fixing & Market Statistics, Danish Gambling Authority, shed light on collaborative efforts to protect the integrity of sports and ensure fair play for all stakeholders. The panel was moderated by Alvise Angelini, EL’s Senior Policy Officer & Sport Secretary.

Jean-Luc Moner Banet stressed the importance of public awareness in combating illegal betting. Loterie Romande, as all other national lotteries, faces a continuous challenge: remaining attractive while at the same time mitigating the risks associated with gambling. By maintaining this balance, national lotteries can safeguard players, ensure sustainability, and contribute profits to the public good.

Panelists also agreed that certain sports, particularly smaller events and lower leagues, are more vulnerable to illegal betting activities. Lotteries play a key role here, for example with financial support, resources and knowledge to protect sports integrity, athletes and to fight the penetration of illegal betting offers.

Star Sports Group of Companies has named former MP Sir Philip Davies as Chairman after Russ Wiseman has stepped down from the role for personal reasons.

Davies joins Star Sports after nearly 20 years as the Member of Parliament for Shipley and will aim to build on a strong period of growth for the company.

Ben Keith, founder of Star Sports, said: “I want to thank Russ Wiseman for all the personal and professional support he has provided us over the last two years and totally respect his decision to stand down wishing him a speedy return to good health. I look forward to continuing mine and Star’s effective working relationship with Russ in 2025

“We are delighted to be announcing Philip as our new Chairman. He has a wealth of experience and is a valuable addition to our senior management team. We look forward to learning from him over the coming years.”

On his appointment, Davies said: “I am delighted to be joining Star Sports at such an exciting time in the company’s history. I have been lucky enough to get to know Ben [Keith] over the last few years and I have huge admiration for the business that he has built.

“Not many know that I started my working life in my mother’s betting shop (Marilyn Davies Bookmakers), so the industry is very much in my blood. I’m hugely looking forward to working closely with Ben and his management team to fulfil the group’s growth strategy and commitment to operating responsibly.”