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Shaking up the Court
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Professional betting is a barely discussed and underinvested part of the betting ecosystem, but underneath the bonnet professional betting syndicates are hugely important and highly cash generative. The world’s largest betting syndicates wager billions of dollars each year by exploiting a unique ‘edge’ across sports and horse racing. And 2022 has seen a new talent emerging.
Perhaps the most famous betting professional, often called ‘the cleverest man to place a bet’ is Tony Bloom. Based on publicly available information, his syndicate Starlizard is one of the world’s largest syndicates. Starlizard bets billions of dollars annually on many sports, with expertise in football. Bloom is the owner and chairman of Premier League football club, Brighton & Hove Albion, and is a majority owner of Belgian First Division A team, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.
Now it seems, there’s a new generation breaking through. A betting syndicate was launched in 2020 by one of Starlizard’s breakaway stars, Thomas Dry. Focusing on tennis, Tom cut his teeth working at Starlizard as a football analyst and data-scientist.
Tom grew up in Portsmouth, UK and is 28 years old. Growing up with three brothers, he regularly played strategic games, which instilled the concepts of risk/reward, exploiting informational advantages, and game theory from a young age. As a child, Tom played, studied, and followed almost every sport: football, cricket, tennis, athletics, F1, snooker, darts, etc. This obsessive, historical, and first-hand knowledge of sport has given Tom a rare understanding of the ‘deep nature’ of different sports, which has subsequently proved very valuable.
He is a totally self-taught coder, and a totally self-taught statistician / data-scientist. He built a snooker model in his spare time and became obsessed with winning, improving the model, and sourcing and modelling ever more predictive proprietary data, culminating in a computer vision model which could extract the coordinates of the balls on the table and evaluate the difficulty of the position for the player.
Tom is now concentrating on tennis. Currently, almost all of Tom’s betting volume is focused on the Match Winner market, with nearly all bets placed pre-match. Betting on derivatives markets such as handicaps and totals, and building an in-play model, would substantially increase his volumes.
Over the next year, Tom will continue to expand betting turnover in tennis, remaining entirely focused on only pre-match betting.
In the grand slams, and latter stages of the biggest tournaments, where there is the greatest liquidity, Tom could do much larger volume with minimal effect on price / return. Furthermore, by finding more high-level betting partners, he will be able to increase volumes across the board, from Grand Slams down to Challengers.
Women’s tennis currently represents only ⅓ of his total volume, which has room to grow and reduce overall risk. Tom also hopes to begin betting on one other major sport over the next year, following the same template that has worked for tennis, by using unique, proprietary data and finding sport-savvy, elite mathematicians to build models and make trades. Over the next three years, Tom wants to add in-play betting to his tennis betting and add betting on a further three sports.
Tom’s operations are highly cash-generative and well-positioned to grow through increased betting on tennis, other sports and the provision of data and form services. At just 28 years old, he has a long runway to become the next Tony Bloom.
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GGPoker Launches Online Poker Millionaires – A New Docuseries Showcasing The High-Stakes Online Poker World Of GGPoker
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Online Poker Millionaires Episode 1 to premiere on GGPoker’s YouTube channel this Wednesday, November 12
GGPoker, the World’s Biggest Poker Room, is excited to launch Online Poker Millionaires, a new docuseries that takes viewers inside the world of high-stakes online poker. The series trailer will go live on GGPoker’s official YouTube channel on Monday, November 10, with Episode 1 featuring Alex Theologis made available on Wednesday, November 12.
Series Description
Online Poker Millionaires is produced in association with POKERfilms and reveals how the game’s most dedicated players turn a laptop, ambition, and discipline into real financial success. Online poker isn’t just a game – for some, it can be a path to financial success, where real money and real careers are built at GGPoker.
Each episode follows a different high-stakes player, uncovering the mindset, routines, and drive required to compete for life-changing prizes from behind the screen. The debut episode features Alex Theologis – a GGMillion$ and WSOP champion with over $9 million in GGPoker tournament earnings – offering an unfiltered look at the grind, preparation, and passion that define one of online poker’s most respected professionals.
Launch Week Schedule
- Monday, November 10 at 17:00 UTC | 12:00 EST: Official Trailer Launch on GGPoker’s YouTube Channel: YouTube.com/@GGPoker
- Tuesday, November 11: GGMillion$ live broadcast – Alex Theologis joins Jeff Gross as guest commentator at 18:15 UTC
- Wednesday, November 12 at 17:00 UTC | 12:00 EST: Online Poker Millionaires Episode 1 Premiere exclusively on GGPoker’s YouTube Channel
- Thursday, November 13: Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) with Alex Theologis on r/poker, discussing the making of the episode and his online poker journey
“Online poker let me build a life I never thought was possible when I started out,” said Alex Theologis, online poker professional. “It’s tough sometimes, but I wouldn’t trade this job for anything. I just want people who watch Online Poker Millionaires to get a real, honest look at what it means to be a professional player.”
Mike Bailey, Director of Online Poker Millionaires, added: “When GGPoker approached me to create Online Poker Millionaires, I felt empowered; I wanted to show viewers the real people living real lives behind the monitors. These high-stakes pros may not care for the limelight, but I felt it was important to be able to highlight the talent and dedication that goes on behind closed doors on a daily basis.”
To be ready to catch every moment of the upcoming Online Poker Millionaires, please subscribe to GGPoker’s official YouTube channel at GGPoker.TV.
The post GGPoker Launches Online Poker Millionaires – A New Docuseries Showcasing The High-Stakes Online Poker World Of GGPoker appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: < 1 minute
The International Esports Federation (IESF) proudly announces the 19 nations set to compete in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) at the 16th World Esports Championships (WEC25), hosted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
This year’s MLBB competitions will see teams from Egypt, South Africa, Dominican Republic, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Iran, Türkiye, Belarus, Romania, Uzbekistan, and host nation Malaysia come together in the spirit of unity, passion, and competition.
From South America to Central Asia, and from Europe to Southeast Asia, the World Esports family will once again gather under one banner, celebrating the values that define the IESF: inclusivity, integrity, and the joy of play.
“Each year, the World Esports Championships bring together athletes and fans who share the same dream, to connect, to compete, and to grow,” said Boban Totovski, IESF General Secretary. “We’re proud to see Mobile Legends: Bang Bang continue to bridge cultures and inspire players around the world. Malaysia will be an incredible stage for this year’s competition.”
The WEC25 MLBB tournament will shine a spotlight on both rising stars and champions, with every nation bringing its own story, its own energy, and its own pride to the world stage.
As the host country, Malaysia is ready to welcome the world with open arms, offering a unique blend of culture, passionate fans, and an esports scene that continues to grow year after year. WEC25 will once again prove that esports is more than a game, it’s a moment where nations unite, athletes rise, and communities grow stronger together.
The post 19 Nations Set to Compete in MLBB at The World Esports Championships 2025 in Malaysia appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Yaspa, the award-winning Pay by Bank fintech, today announced a new partnership with Sterling Lotteries, the UK’s market-leading External Lottery Manager (ELM). Sterling has selected Yaspa as its primary open banking payments provider for prize-led fundraising, enabling faster, safer, and more efficient supporter payments across its charity lottery programmes.
Sterling powers weekly lotteries and raffles for 800+ UK charities, from local organisations to national causes. By integrating Yaspa, Sterling can offer a streamlined Pay by Bank experience that confirms entries in real-time, reduces processing costs, and strengthens fraud protection, thereby freeing up more funds for impact.
Yaspa’s Head of Commercial, Amie Kadhim, said: “Sterling sets a high bar for reliability, security, and supporter experience. We’re proud to power their next chapter with instant bank payments that help charities move faster, enhance engagement, and achieve more with every donation.”
The partnership aligns with Sterling’s ongoing modernisation of the charity lottery model, bringing the convenience supporters expect, while improving cashflow and operational efficiency for fundraising teams. Entry confirmation is immediate and funds settle instantly, helping charities plan with confidence and reduce admin overheads.
Richard Dixon, Managing Director at Sterling, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Yaspa to deliver an open banking solution that represents a true sector-first innovation. From the outset, it was clear that Yaspa shares Sterling’s vision for using technology to drive meaningful change in the charity lottery space. Open banking has transformed retail and financial services and now we’re bringing that same innovation to fundraising. It’s faster, more secure, and significantly more cost-effective for charities. By harnessing open banking, we offer charities a bold, efficient, and future-proof way to engage supporters, especially digital-first donors who expect a seamless experience.”
Key benefits for Sterling and its charity partners include:
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Instant payment settlement and immediate entry confirmation
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Lower processing costs compared with traditional methods i.e. debit and credit cards
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Reduced fraud and chargeback risk, utilising bank-grade security
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A smoother, mobile-first, user journey for supporters
The post Sterling Lotteries selects Yaspa as its primary open banking payments partner appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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