Sports betting operator Premier Bet has announced a partnership with Portuguese football club Benfica.
Under the terms of the agreement, Premier Bet has been named as the official betting partner of Sport Lisboa e Benfica in Angola and Mozambique, and is part of the football club’s move to boost its presence in Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP).
Domingos Soares de Oliveira, the CEO of Benfica, said in a statement to CasinoBeats: “The glorious history of this club has been built with many athletes from these countries who have contributed to countless titles. We have millions of supporters who passionately support us in all PALOP countries.
“This partnership is, therefore, a way for us to get closer to these supporters. It is also the first regional partner under the scope of our international growth strategy. We are sure that this relationship will be long-lasting.”
Christopher Coyne, the CEO of Premier Bet parent company Goat Interaction, commented: “Benfica are a legendary football name around the world, particularly in Portuguese speaking countries.
“Their success, both at a domestic and international level, over a long period of time, is phenomenal whilst their conveyor belt of talent from their academy marks them as the best in Europe for producing world stars.”
Coyne added: “As Premier Bet looks to strengthen its position in Angola and Mozambique, we intend for this unique partnership with Benfica to help create brand fame and cut-through, as well as providing their millions of Africa-based fans with new and exciting ways to experience Premier Bet. We’re excited to bring this partnership to all Benfiquistas in Angola and Mozambique.”
The above news comes after Benfica announced its first-ever sleeve sponsorship with gambling operator Betano. The firm
Meanwhile, developer Red Rake Gaming has partnered with Betfun to launch in Argentina.
Under the new agreement, a selection of Red Rake Gaming’s casino content has been made available with Betfun, an online casino in Argentina owned by Palermo Hippodrome.
Some of the games to launch in Argentina under the agreement include Super 15 Stars, Million 777, The Asp Of Cleopatra, 1st Of The Irish, Secrets of The Temple, and numerous other popular titles too.
Nick Barr, the Managing Director for Red Rake Malta, said in a statement: “We are thrilled to be a part of Betfun’s entry to the Argentinian market and are looking forward to being a part of the future growth in the region.
“The Red Rake Gaming content has always had a very strong following in the Latin American market, and we have seen significant market share growth across our slots and video-bingos in the past year. We are very confident that we will assist in Betfun’s delivery of the best gaming experience for its players in Argentina and looking forward to working closely with the Betfun team.”
Fernando Facal, the General Manager of the Palermo Hippodrome, added: “Through our products we offer quality entertainment and service. Our innovation work, which seeks to improve the experience of our customers, focuses on the incorporation of new games with a high level of technology and design to enhance their fun. Our public is very enthusiastic about the new proposals.”
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has praised Twitch’s decision to ban all gambling website links.
Earlier this month, live streaming platform Twitch updated its policies and added a “Restriction on Gambling Related Links” policy to ban gambling advertisements and all links after it was criticised for failing to regulate the promotion of gambling content to users, including minors.
Now, the USA’s NCPG has praised the move but suggested that the streaming platform must impose stricter regulations on gambling content to protect people and clamp down on gambling exposure.
Keith Whyte, the Executive Director of the NCPG, said in a statement to Focus GN: “Twitch has taken a good first step to help protect young and vulnerable users by preventing the sharing of links to gambling websites. However, much more must be done.
“Everybody should be concerned that Twitch still allows the broadcast of unregulated and illegal gambling and that sites like Stake and Roobet pay popular streamers to play casino games on their channels.”
Whyte added: “It is incumbent on Twitch to focus on the health of their users, especially young people who are susceptible to developing a gambling addiction thanks to what they are exposed to in the streaming platform.
“They should also be required to disclose any relationship with sponsors of gambling, including if the site or sponsor is providing them free play, if the streamer receives any fee or reward for referring users to the gambling site, and a responsible gambling message.”
The ban on gambling advertisements and links comes after Twitch was banned in Slovakia for breaching advertising codes. The country has strict laws against gambling but the platform allowed Slovakian Twitch star dDandis, who had over 35,000 subscribers, to stream himself gambling.
Sportsbook provider BtoBet has partnered with Aspire Global to launch a brand new sportsbook in the UK, primarily targeting the Irish market.
Aspire Global acquired BtoBet in October 2020 and Bettarget.com will be the first BtoBet brand to launch on Aspire Global’s operating platform, utilising BtoBet’s sportsbook service.
Aspire Global’s remaining brands will migrate to BtoBet’s sportsbook by the end of the year and the gambling operator has stated that more brands will migrate to BtoBet’s sportsbook service as it obtains additional regulatory approvals.
Tsachi Maimon, the CEO at Aspire Global, said in a statement to GamblingInsider: “With this launch, we have proven our ability to integrate a strategic product we recently acquired. Having our own proprietary sportsbook opens up for numerous growth opportunities with both existing and new customers, especially in Europe, the US, and Latin America.”
The news comes as BtoBet has worked to expand significantly around the world after obtaining certification for the United Kingdom and striking partnerships with gambling operators Betfair and William Hill in Colombia.
Meanwhile, operator Aspire Global announced a partnership with Ireland’s brick-and-mortar Funcair Casino in June. Under the agreement, Funfair Casino will use Aspire’s AspireCore Platform to enter the online casino market, launching a new casino website based on Funfair’s branding.
Finally, gambling charity GamCare has launched a trial programme in the UK to refer gamblers at risk of mounting debts to PayPlan, a debt-advice organisation.
According to SBCNews, gamblers referred from GamCare will be pointed towards PayPlan’s Special Advice Team and the two organisations will provide care to those at risk.
GambleAware launched its trial programme earlier this month and made its first referrals through the Leeds Community Gambling Service (LCGS).
Meanwhile, PayPlan has trained LCGS practitioners to provide information and support on debt advice while GamCare has trained PayPlan’s Special Advice Team on how gambling can affect a person’s finances and support network.
In a brief statement, GamCare said: “Learnings from this pilot will help develop best practices for supporting clients with gambling debts in both organisations.”
PayPlan is an organisation that was founded in 1992 and offers debt advice. The organisation gives debt management support to charities, businesses, government institutions, and local communities, and it has helped over one million people.
The news comes after GamCare awarded Playtech with its newly- developed B2B Safer Gambling Standard award, which assesses the measures gambling firms have put in place to protect customers from developing gambling-related harm.
