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Exclusive Q&A with Alex Shybanov, Senior Sales Manager for CEE Region/PandaScore
What is the difference between PandaScore and big suppliers?
The biggest difference is that we’re solely focused on esports whereas a lot of the bigger suppliers concentrated on traditional sports. For PandaScore esports is the only priority. We’re also fast and agile – we can implement new products and features incredibly quickly allowing our partners to leverage the fast-growing nature of the sector.
Another major difference is the data-led approach we take. We combine this with AI, our own trading models and a team of highly skilled traders which allows us to present one of the best esports betting products in the market.
Our trading models are worth highlighting as this is what really sets us apart. They’re fully automated and cover all of the sports that we have. In comparison, most of the big suppliers are still using manual or semi-manual models.
Finally, the number of markets we offer and our uptime (the percentage of time that lines are open and available for players to place bets) is unrivalled. We are also open to feedback and regularly work with our partners to implement new tools and features.
This enables us to satisfy their individual needs and continually improve performance, something that the big providers cannot offer especially if esports is not considered a priority for them.
What do you have to say about the esports market in Central & Eastern Europe?
It is fast-growing, for sure, and is really well developed when compared with other European regions and markets like the UK. In fact, across CEE esports is often among the top five bets on sports in terms of revenues and turnover.
What is driving this? Several factors but in particular there are some really strong teams that are based out of CEE countries. This includes Na’Vi (CS:GO) and Team Spirit (Dota 2) – 2021 TI champions. This has helped to elevate the popularity of esports across the region.
To bet on esports, you really have to play esports and CEE is a big market in terms of the number of players that play video games. This in turn helps to drive esports engagement and betting on esports as there is a larger pool of consumers that understand how it all works.
What is interesting is the popularity of certain games in CEE, which differs from other European markets. CS:GO is by far the most popular game to play, with Dota 2 number two across the market. But globally, League of Legends is the most popular.
Why is your trading solution specifically suited for the CEE market?
There are several key reasons why PandaScore is perfectly suited for operators targeting the CEE market. The first is our local coverage; we offer odds and markets on all local tournaments across the region including in Poland, the Czech Republic and Russia.
Next, our data-driven approach and unique models allows us to achieve the best uptime. For CS:GO uptime levels are in excess of 90% and with Dota 2 it is 75%. This is between 20-25% more than our rivals which means our partners can offer their players more betting opportunities.
This is achieved via our automated models and not having to change the lines manually. With players able to bet 25% more during the game, this is a major value driver for operators. This is only set to become more significant with the continued growth of live esports betting.
Finally, we have comprehensive margin management, and this is important for operators targeting the region because esports bettors are sophisticated. They are not recreational players and have a deep understanding of how games work and the betting options available to them.
Our partners can set different margins across a range of factors such as pre-match, live, games, markets, and more.
This allows them to maximise their margin but also run promotions around particular games and markets, lowering the odds to make them more attractive on a specific game and then setting a higher margin on second and third-tier games to balance this off.
How do you balance this approach for your partner operators, who may have different needs?
Our trading dashboard has been designed to put the power in an operator’s hands. Their traders can manage everything from booking (such as by game, tournament tier, automated) to margin management (possibility to set different margins for different games, markets, tournaments) and more.We have many different markets, especially for live betting. For CS:GO, for instance, we have 60 pre-match markets and 24 live markets.
As an example, we have recently rolled out player markets for total kills over/under. This allows operators to increase revenues by offering markets on specific players and teams that are popular in that region or market. And it’s becoming more and more popular.
What are PandaScore’s goals for 2022 and esports?
Esports will continue on its rapid growth trajectory. It is already in the top five sports in some markets and I believe this will become the case in more and more regions in 2022. Offline tournaments are also returning which will be a further catalyst for growth.
Regarding PandaScore, we will continue to increase the scale and scope of our coverage and particularly when it comes to local coverage. This will be driven in part by cooperating with local tournaments and securing additional data partnerships.
We will keep building out our market and product offerings – player markets have launched with CS:GO but we plan to extend this to other games such as Dota 2. We are also working on offering multiples for specific games with a bet builder feature also in the works.
2022 is set to be another breakthrough year for esports and esports betting, and as always PandaScore will be at the cutting edge of this incredible sector.

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Peter Schmeichel Returns as SBC Awards 2025 Host as Finalists Are Announced
SBC has officially announced the shortlisted nominees for the 12th edition of the SBC Awards, set to take place at Lisbon’s MEO Arena on Thursday, 18 September, the final day of SBC Summit 2025.
Celebrating excellence across the global betting and gaming industry, the ceremony will spotlight standout achievements from operators, industry leaders, and suppliers across a broad spectrum of sectors, including payments, marketing, and platform innovation.
This year’s edition has already broken records, with the highest number of nominations ever received across its 37 diverse categories, reflecting the industry’s growing commitment to delivering exceptional performance.
Leading the shortlist are Pragmatic Play and Sportradar, each earning seven nominations. Close contenders include BetConstruct and Betsson Group with six nominations apiece. Other standout nominees include Bragg Gaming, Campeon Gaming, Novibet, Playtech, and Top Bet, each securing five nominations.
Returning to co-host the ceremony is football legend Peter Schmeichel, former Manchester United goalkeeper and UEFA European Championship winner, who previously brought his trademark charisma to the stage in 2024.
The 2025 edition of the SBC Awards will also mark the first year without dedicated affiliate categories. Instead, SBC will host a dedicated and expanded Affiliate Leaders Awards on Wednesday, 17th September, at the same venue.
Commenting on the upcoming SBC Awards ceremony, Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC, said: “This industry never stands still. New talent, ideas, and technologies are constantly changing the game. The SBC Awards are our way of recognising those who are making a real impact and giving the community a moment to celebrate together.”
In the operator categories, alongside Betsson Group’s notable six nominations, TotoGaming also stands out with four nominations, including Marketing Campaign of the Year and Innovation in Casino & Gaming Entertainment. Meanwhile, Kaizen Gaming and Campeón Gaming return to defend their titles in the Operator of the Year – Medium and Large categories, respectively.
The hotly contested Casino Operator of the Year category includes names such as LeoVegas, Bally’s, Codere Online, and Winbet. 1xBet, EstrelaBet, and Sportsbet.io are among the frontrunners for Sportsbook Operator of the Year.
In the operator and supplier categories, competition for Employer of the Year includes Alea, Flutter Entertainment, Parimatch, and Play’n GO, all aiming to take the crown from reigning champions SOFTSWISS. The Socially Responsible Initiative of the Year category features nominees such as Associação de Mulheres da Indústria do Gaming (AMIG), BGaming, EveryMatrix, and Pay4Fun.
The highly anticipated Leader of the Year award will be kept under wraps until the night, with nominees and the winner to be revealed live during the ceremony.
In the payments and compliance categories, Noda and payabl. lead the way with nominations in all three awards: Payment Solution of the Year, Payment Innovation of the Year, and Fraud & Compliance Solution of the Year. MiFinity, Monnet Payments, OKTO, Pay4Fun, Paysecure, and Trustly have also earned multiple nods across the categories.
The supplier categories, which will span 22 awards, will include several new additions this year, such as Aggregator of the Year and Crash Game of the Year.
Fast Track and BETBY will look to retain their titles in Acquisition & Retention Partner and Esports Supplier of the Year, respectively. Meanwhile, Delasport, Evolution, Evoplay, iGP, Optimove, and Spotlight Sports Group are among the fifteen companies competing for the Industry Innovation of the Year award.
Soft2Bet will return in pursuit of back-to-back wins for Innovation in Casino Entertainment and Innovation in Mobile, while Digitain will aim to defend its title as Sportsbook Supplier of the Year.
The sought-after Platform Provider of the Year award features a strong field of contenders, including EGT Digital, GiG, GR8 Tech, Sportingtech, and White Hat Gaming.
Continuing SBC’s commitment to shining a light on the future stars of the industry, the evening will once again feature four ‘Rising Star‘ awards: Rising Star in Casino, Rising Star in Sports Betting, Rising Star in Sports Betting Innovation / Software, and Rising Star in Casino Innovation / Software.
The post Peter Schmeichel Returns as SBC Awards 2025 Host as Finalists Are Announced appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Sportradar Reports Second Quarter Financial Results and Raises Full Year 2025 Outlook
Sportradar Group AG (NASDAQ: SRAD) (“Sportradar” or the “Company”), a leading global sports technology company focused on creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors, today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2025.
Carsten Koerl, Chief Executive Officer of Sportradar, said: “Our second quarter results, including record quarterly revenue, expanding operating margins and significant cash flow reflect our sustained operating momentum and execution against our growth strategy. Our industry leading scale, including our premium content and product portfolio and leading technology and AI, is driving customer uptake and above market growth. The inherent leverage in our business, combined with our focus on efficiencies, is driving sustainable margin expansion and cash flow generation. Looking ahead, given our momentum we are raising our full year expectations and anticipate the acquisition of IMG ARENA will further expand our capabilities, creating even greater value for our clients, partners and shareholders.”
SECOND QUARTER AND YEAR TO DATE FINANCIAL RESULTS
Revenue
Three-Month Period Ended June 30, |
Six-Month Period Ended June 30, |
|||||||||||||||||
in € thousands (unaudited) | 2025 | 2024 | Change | % | 2025 | 2024 | Change | % | ||||||||||
Revenue by product | ||||||||||||||||||
Betting & Gaming Content | 199,579 | 180,980 | 18,599 | 10 | % | 393,386 | 352,568 | 40,818 | 12 | % | ||||||||
Managed Betting Services | 59,187 | 49,103 | 10,084 | 21 | % | 115,402 | 97,431 | 17,971 | 18 | % | ||||||||
Betting Technology & Solutions | 258,766 | 230,083 | 28,683 | 12 | % | 508,788 | 449,999 | 58,789 | 13 | % | ||||||||
Marketing & Media Services | 40,992 | 35,414 | 5,578 | 16 | % | 87,601 | 69,692 | 17,909 | 26 | % | ||||||||
Sports Performance | 12,222 | 9,892 | 2,330 | 24 | % | 23,633 | 19,198 | 4,435 | 23 | % | ||||||||
Integrity Services | 5,810 | 3,031 | 2,779 | 92 | % | 8,999 | 5,425 | 3,574 | 66 | % | ||||||||
Sports Content, Technology & Services | 59,024 | 48,337 | 10,687 | 22 | % | 120,233 | 94,315 | 25,918 | 27 | % | ||||||||
Total Revenue | 317,790 | 278,420 | 39,370 | 14 | % | 629,021 | 544,314 | 84,707 | 16 | % | ||||||||
Revenue by geography | ||||||||||||||||||
Rest of World | 229,823 | 210,865 | 18,958 | 9 | % | 454,953 | 411,197 | 43,756 | 11 | % | ||||||||
United States | 87,967 | 67,555 | 20,412 | 30 | % | 174,068 | 133,117 | 40,951 | 31 | % | ||||||||
Total Revenue | 317,790 | 278,420 | 629,021 | 544,314 | ||||||||||||||
1 Non-IFRS measure or Operating Metric. See the sections captioned “Non-IFRS Financial Measures and Operating Metric” and “IFRS to Non-IFRS reconciliations” for more details.
Revenue
Total revenue for the second quarter was €318 million, up €39 million, or 14% year-over-year, driven by 12% growth in Betting Technology & Solutions and 22% growth in Sports Content, Technology & Services.
Betting Technology & Solutions revenues of €259 million were up 12% year-over-year primarily driven by a 10% increase in Betting & Gaming Content due to both existing and new customer uptake of our products, as well as strong U.S. market growth. Managed Betting Services revenues of €59 million were up 21% driven by strong growth in Managed Trading Services from increased turnover and higher trading margins.
Sports Content, Technology & Services revenues of €59 million increased 22% year-over-year primarily driven by 16% growth in Marketing & Media Services, due to increased spending from technology and media companies and from contributions related to our expanded affiliate marketing capabilities. Integrity Services revenues nearly doubled in the quarter driven by uptake of products and services from league partners, and Sports Performance revenues increased 24% largely due to increased pricing.
The Company generated strong revenue growth globally with the United States up 30% and Rest of World up 9%. As a percentage of total Company revenues, United States revenue represented 28% of total Company revenue in the second quarter as compared to 24% in the prior year quarter, due to continued market growth and customer uptake of our premium content and solutions.
Customer Net Retention Rate of 117% further demonstrates our ability to cross sell and up sell to our clients, as well as the market growth in the United States.
Profit for the period
Profit for the period was €49 million, up €51 million, compared to a loss of €2 million in the same quarter a year ago, driven by strong operating results and a foreign currency gain of €54 million, as compared to a €8 million loss last year, due to unrealized currency fluctuations mainly associated with the U.S. dollar-denominated sport rights. These increases were partially offset by higher income tax expense of €12 million as compared to €1 million last year due to higher pre-tax income.
Adjusted EBITDA
Second quarter Adjusted EBITDA was €64 million, up €15 million, or 31% compared to €49 million in the same quarter a year ago. The increase was largely driven by the 14% revenue growth, partially offset by increased sport rights costs primarily related to the continued success of the ATP partnership deal and our renewed partnership with Major League Baseball, as well as increased adjusted personnel expenses1 to support growth initiatives and higher adjusted purchased services1 driven by investments in developing our product portfolio.
Business Highlights
- Strengthened partnership with German Bundesliga to further entertain the league’s more than one billion global fans. Bundesliga will leverage Sportradar’s cutting edge innovations and suite of immersive products including player markets, 4Sight streaming and live match tracker, enhancing the in-game experience.
- Expanded our soccer offering with exclusive global betting rights, including live data, live odds and media content, to all 63 matches of the FIFA Club World Cup. Also safeguarded the tournament with our AI-driven Universal Fraud Detection System.
- Sportradar won two honors at the SBC Americas Awards, winning for Best Sports Data Product for 4Sight streaming and Best Live Betting & Gaming Product for emBET, with each product cited for its innovative use of AI to deepen fan engagement.
Balance Sheet and Liquidity
The Company’s cash and cash equivalents were €312 million as of June 30, 2025, as compared with €348 million as of December 31, 2024. Higher net cash generated from operating activities of €200 million due to strong operating performance was offset by higher net cash used in investing activities of €118 million primarily from payments related to sport rights licenses, and from higher net cash used in financing activities of €93 million. Financing activities included $65.5 million in share repurchases related to the secondary offering and a €10 million payment related to the acquisition of the remaining non-controlling interest in a subsidiary. Free cash flow for the six-months ended June 30, 2025 was €84 million, an increase of €25 million from €59 million in the same period a year ago.
Including an undrawn credit facility, the Company had total liquidity of €532 million at June 30, 2025, as compared to €568 as of December 31, 2024, and no debt outstanding.
2025 Annual Financial Outlook
Sportradar is increasing its fiscal 2025 outlook as follows:
- Revenue of at least €1,278 million, representing year-on-year growth of at least 16%
- Adjusted EBITDA of at least €284 million, representing year-on-year growth of at least 28%
- Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion of at least 210 basis points
- Free cash flow conversion1 rate still expected to be above the 2024 level of 53%
The 2025 guidance reflects the anticipated impact of foreign currency fluctuations but does not include any impact from the pending acquisition of IMG ARENA given the uncertainty around the timing of close. Guidance will be updated to incorporate the anticipated uplift resulting from this acquisition following the closing of the transaction.
Share Repurchase Plan
In March 2024, the Board of Directors approved a $200 million share repurchase plan. As of June 30, 2025 the Company has repurchased 4.8 million shares under the plan for a total of $86 million, including 3.0 million shares in conjunction with the secondary offering completed in April 2025.
Conference Call and Webcast Information
Sportradar will host a conference call to discuss the second quarter results today, August 5, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Those wishing to participate via webcast should access the earnings call through Sportradar’s Investor Relations website. An archived webcast with the accompanying slides will be available at the Company’s Investor Relations website for one year after the conclusion of the live event.
The post Sportradar Reports Second Quarter Financial Results and Raises Full Year 2025 Outlook appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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GR8 Tech Appoints Sarkis Basmajian to Lead MENA Regional Growth
GR8 Tech is accelerating its presence in the MENA region with a focused growth strategy and the strategic appointment of Sarkis Basmajian as Regional Sales Director.
As one of the fastest-growing iGaming regions, MENA presents immense potential, especially where demand for agile, tailored platforms quickly overtakes legacy solutions. With its Heavyweight tech and deep geo-specific expertise, GR8 Tech is ideally positioned to lead this evolution.
With nearly a decade of experience leading sales and key account operations in iGaming, Sarkis brings deep regional insight and proven commercial leadership across Tier-2 markets. He will spearhead GR8 Tech’s growth by forging strong partnerships and delivering locally relevant, high-impact solutions from day one.
“What excites me most about joining GR8 Tech is the clarity of vision. We’re building the infrastructure for the next era of iGaming. MENA is evolving fast, and operators here need more than localization. They need strategy, speed, and serious tech muscle. That’s exactly what we’re bringing to the table,” said Sarkis Basmajian.
GR8 Tech’s platform is already renowned for its geo-specific presets, from language and currency to payment integrations and performance optimizations, that adapt perfectly to diverse markets. Whether optimizing for low-bandwidth Africa or football-passionate Latin America, GR8 Tech’s sportsbook DNA and flexibility make it a natural fit for MENA’s market.
“Our goal is simple: expand smart, launch fast, and deliver Heavyweight performance wherever we go,” said Yevhen Krazahan, CSO at GR8 Tech. “With Sarkis leading our regional efforts, we’re set to unlock our platform’s massive potential across the Middle East and North Africa.”
The strategic hire marks the next milestone in GR8 Tech’s mission to power iGaming growth across various markets with Heavyweight infrastructure, local-first execution, and proven regional expertise.
The post GR8 Tech Appoints Sarkis Basmajian to Lead MENA Regional Growth appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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