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Top Sports Betting Moments of 2023 from Betano and Stoiximan by Kaizen Gaming
Real Madrid leads as most popular team in betting
Premier League pays out highest winnings
Over 11x more bets on the Saudi Pro League after Ronaldo’s transfer
2023 was a year of many ‘firsts’. For the first time ever, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo played club football outside Europe. Manchester City won its first and long-awaited Champions League trophy. Fluminense took its first taste of a Copa Libertadores triumph. The Spanish national team won its first World Cup in women’s football. And in the NBA, the Denver Nuggets secured its first NBA championship.
Kaizen Gaming, one of the biggest gametech companies in the world, sheds a different light on the events, teams and stories that stole the show in 2023 through data gathered from its sports betting platforms, Betano and Stoiximan, from 13 countries across four continents.
Across all markets, Premier League fixtures and Champions League matches featuring English clubs proved popular among bettors, as did local teams. Various Manchester City fixtures were in the top five betting events across many regions including its June match against Inter Milan in Greece, Cyprus and Czechia and its February RB Leipzig and its May Real Madrid matches in Bulgaria. Similarly, the Citizens’ December match against Everton and November game against Chelsea ranked as two of the top betting choices among Nigerian punters.
In Germany, most bets were placed on November’s match between FC Bayern Munchen and FC Copenhagen followed by November’s FSV Mainz 05 versus RB Leipzig game. In Brazil, November’s Flamengo RJ versus Palmeiras SP came out ahead.
Two Bizarre Stories from Liverpool
On May 28 in Southampton versus Liverpool, Betano and Stoiximan players were paid out regardless of the result they had bet on for two reasons: a special Kaizen Gaming offer paying players when the team they bet on gets a two-goal lead and a crazy scoreboard that saw both teams getting such a lead and ended in a 4-4 draw.
On September 30 in Tottenham vs Liverpool (2-1), a clearly wrong VAR call led to the cancellation of a goal by Luis Diaz as offside. Nonetheless, Kaizen Gaming decided to reward the players who placed a bet on Luis Diaz to score.
What else stood out from a gaming perspective in all markets where Kaizen operates?
Real Madrid Reigns Supreme
In 2023, Real Madrid didn’t manage to defend its 2022 Champions League and La Liga titles. Still, the Copa del Rey winners were the most popular team among bettors. The team that won it all, Manchester City, just fell short this time, being the second most betted club with Liverpool in third place.
In basketball, even though the Miami Heat lost the NBA finals to the Denver Nuggets, it was ‘crowned’ the most popular team in betting with its rivals in second place. The Milwaukee Bucks, starring Betano global ambassador Giannis Antetokounmpo, came third.
A Truly Celebratory Boxing Day
Boxing Day’s Premier League matches seemed to be the best time to bet in 2023. That day’s match between Everton and Manchester City (1-3) shared the most winnings to Kaizen’s customers in 2023. Placed second was Chelsea versus Crystal Palace (2-1) for the same Premier League fixture on December 27. Ranked third was Liverpool versus Real Madrid (2-5) for the Champions League Round of 16.
As for the matches where players placed the most bets, in Europe the winner is the second leg Champions League quarter final 1-1 draw between Napoli and AC Milan. Surprisingly, the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter (1-0) was just third. In South America, the most popular match was Cruzeiro versus Palmeiras (1-1) in the last fixture of the Brazilian Serie A, where Palmeiras were crowned Brazilian champions.
The Ronaldo and Messi Effect
After Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to Al Nassr, a lot of top names such as Neymar, Benzema and Kante, decided to make the move to the Saudi Pro League in what journalists and fans describe as ‘the Ronaldo Effect’. ‘The Ronaldo Effect’ extends to betting too, as his transfer increased bettors’ interest in the league by more than 1,000%. As for Messi’s transfer to Inter Miami, 25% of all Inter Miami relevant bets are on ‘Messi to score’.
2024 a Thrilling Year in Sports
At the end of 2023, Kaizen Gaming announced that its Betano brand has signed on as an Official Global Sponsor of UEFA Euro 2024 with its Stoiximan brand serving as official sponsor of the upcoming Euro for Greece and Cyprus. With the Paris Olympic Games and other major sporting events like Copa America and Africa Cup of Nations, 2024 is set out to be an all around thrilling year in sports gaming.

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INCENTIVE GAMES SIGNS DISTRIBUTION DEAL WITH ARISTOCRAT INTERACTIVE™
Incentive Games, a leading B2B games provider specialising in acquisition and retention, has announced that it is collaborating with Aristocrat Interactive™, Aristocrat’s online Real Money Gaming (RMG) division.
Under the terms of the agreement, Incentive Games will distribute its suite of high-quality Free-to-Play and Real Money Gaming content through the Aristocrat Interactive network. Its expert team will tailor the games to align seamlessly with the platform, ensuring it resonates with the Aristocrat Interactive’s valued operators and their players.
This agreement unites two industry leaders in iGaming, combining their strengths to deliver exceptional player experiences and elevate customer engagement.
John Gordon, CEO of Incentive Games, commented: “We are thrilled to work with Aristocrat Interactive, a renowned industry leader and exceptional aggregator that we know will showcase our games with the care and attention they deserve. The agreement marks a landmark moment for our company, opening the door to new markets and enabling us to bring our best-in-class products to new audiences worldwide.”
Ashley Bloor, Director of Partnerships at Aristocrat Interactive Content & Aggregation, said, “We are delighted to offer Incentive Games content through our aggregation platform, further enhancing our ability to provide diverse and dynamic experiences for our customers. This is an exciting opportunity to expand our portfolio, and we look forward to working closely with Incentive Games to create exceptional, tailored experiences that help us deliver premium gaming experiences to our global audience.”
The post INCENTIVE GAMES SIGNS DISTRIBUTION DEAL WITH ARISTOCRAT INTERACTIVE™ appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Boomerang make statement appointment with Justin Browning-Smith joining as Product Director from Aspers Casino
Boomerang Digital, the technology-driven entertainment solutions provider built by Andrew Ludlow and Air Dice has announced the appointment of Justin Browning-Smith to the newly created post of Product Director.
Justin, whose industry career started as a Gaming Machine Manager with Scottish and Newcastle in 1994 joins from Aspers Casino where he was Director of Electronic Gaming.
Reporting to Chief Operating Officer Chris Wrigley Justin will take responsibility for Boomerangs growing suite of products, services and innovations ensuring the expanded portfolio is completely aligned and represents best-in-class delivery and value to our customers.
Confirming the news which he described as an ‘appointment of intent’ Boomerang Group Chief Executive Andrew Ludlow said: “I am personally and professionally delighted to be able to announce what is a Tier 1 appointment to a role which will be pivotal to the growth of Boomerang and to our drive to consistently exceed the expectations of our growing customer base across every sector we now supply.
“This is a dynamic new role and Justin’s track record of delivering high profile, industry leading projects including Gala Touchpads for Gala Bingo, Virtual Racing streaming channels and the shop of the future to Ladbrokes and Coral as well as the Aspers’ betting office confirms the calibre of industry talent that we are attracting.”
“Boomerang is about deploying best in class technologies in order to meet the specific operational requirements of our customers and Justin is ideally qualified to help us achieve this. With the exception of a period at PwC, his entire career has been in land based gaming working across the pub, betting, bingo, adult gaming centre and casino sectors.
Justin Browning-Smith added: “Over the past 15-years my focus has been on product development and I am seriously looking forward to continuing that core delivery with Boomerang, a company that is built on enterprise and which has innovation running through its veins.
“The Boomerang culture is underpinned by a real energy and enthusiasm and I am relishing the opportunity to work alongside a highly talented team and of course contributing to Boomerang’s compelling future vision and success story.”
The post Boomerang make statement appointment with Justin Browning-Smith joining as Product Director from Aspers Casino appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Plaza Hotel & Casino hosting Nike Pickleball Camp, March 14-16 Registration deadline extended to March 13 but only a few spots remain
Offering 16 rooftop pickleball courts, the most of any Las Vegas resort, the Plaza Hotel & Casino in downtown Las Vegas will host a three-day Nike Pickleball Camp led by nationally-ranked professional pickleball player Rick Witsken, this weekend Friday, March 14 through Sunday, March 16, from 1 to 4 p.m. each day.
Open to players 18 years or older and at any skill level (beginner, intermediate, or advanced), the weekend camp gives participants the option to attend one, two, or three days of pickleball lessons and play that are designed to address specific needs, increase knowledge of the game, and help improve play in a fun and friendly environment.
The Nike Pickleball Camp will be led by Rick Witsken, a top ranked senior pro and co-founder of the National Pickleball League (NPL). Previously world-ranked on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) in both singles and doubles play and currently ranked #1 on the Association of Pickleball Players (APP) Senior Pro Men’s standings, Witsken has won more than 100 senior and open pro medals and has served as director of over 50 camps. He currently hosts the “RipSken Pickleball” podcast and posts instructional videos online via the Midwest Pickleball club. He also founded the first public scholastic middle school pickleball team at Zionsville Middle School in Whitestown, Indiana.
The first day of the camp will focus on short and soft game skills, like dinks and drops. The second day highlights aggressive game skills, including drives, serves, returns, speed ups. The final day will culminate with strategy and positioning lessons.
All camp participants will receive a Nike Pickleball Camp t-shirt and prizes with their registration. They must bring their own athletic shoes and water bottle, and if they do not have their own paddle, one will be provided free of charge.
Upon arrival, all participants are evaluated by camp staff so that their personal instructional needs can be addressed throughout the weekend. Participants are grouped by ability first then by age per the camp director’s discretion, and adjustments are made as needed during camp.
Interested players can register for one, two or all three days of the camp online at plazahotelcasino.com/pickleball/. The deadline for registering has been extended to Thursday, March 13 but only a few spots remain.
The Plaza Hotel & Casino will also offer exclusive hotel room packages for participants that can be booked online. Depending on demand, additional Nike Pickleball Camps at the Plaza may be scheduled in the future.
The post Plaza Hotel & Casino hosting Nike Pickleball Camp, March 14-16 Registration deadline extended to March 13 but only a few spots remain appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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