BNXT League and PepperMill Casino join forces

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1/ST, North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and leading pari-mutuel wagering company, has today announced a breakthrough partnership with France Galop, the governing body of French horse racing.

This new initiative sees both parties come together to form a series of high-class partnerships that will power increased international participation across a host of top-quality Graded contests and marquee race days, beginning with the $100,000 Grade 3 Gallorette Stakes on Preakness 149 race day at 1/ST’s Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland on May 18. The winner will be automatically qualified to run in the €250,000 Group 1 Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet Stakes at Deauville on August 18. The Galorette winner will also receive a free equine travel stipend to cover its subsequent travel costs to France.

The collective aim is to establish long-lasting links between revered races in France and valuable turf contests at 1/ST racetracks across North America, boosting the international profile and prize funds of all participating contests and increasing the number of runners entered in these races which, in turn, will engage a wider international audience and drive global wagering turnover.

This innovative collaboration with France Galop leverages natural synergies between two powerhouses of the sport. Moreover, it builds on similar global “gateway” partnerships which 1/ST has already formed with Ascot Racecourse (via Gulfstream Park’s Royal Palm series for Royal Ascot’s juvenile races) and the UK Jockey Club around the Group 1 July Cup and the Eclipse Stakes, now twinned as qualifiers for the newly minted California Crown taking place at Santa Anita Park on September 28, marking California’s richest day of racing.

As an automatic qualifier for France Galop’s Prix Jean Romanet, the Gallorette Stakes also shines the spotlight on a high-profile undercard for Preakness 149. This year’s Preakness 149 race day will be the most lucrative in the event’s history with $3.3 million on the line, highlighted by the running of the 149^th Preakness Stakes, the middle jewel in the Triple Crown, featuring an increased $2 million purse. These enhanced purses reflect 1/ST’s vision for the future of the highest standard of world-class Thoroughbred horse racing, combined with unique and elevated guest experiences, and exciting opportunities for owners, trainers and bettors to usher in a new era for racing.

Aidan Butler, President of 1/ST, said: “1/ST is thrilled to create another great global partnership, breaking new ground in France with our friends at France Galop. This Gallorette-Romanet pathway is an exciting trial for hopefully more reciprocal race days in France, considering France Galop’s rich heritage in staging many of the most prestigious turf contests in Europe at courses like Deauville, Chantilly and Longchamp.

“We look forward to announcing more global racing partnerships over the year ahead. Whether we’re bolstering the brand, increasing horse-recruitment numbers, or driving wagering dollars overseas, it’s high time for more innovative moments on the worldwide racing stage.”

Henri Pouret, Chief Operating Officer at France Galop, added: “We’re naturally delighted to be teaming up with 1/ST on this compelling initiative which will introduce many new French racing fans to Preakness 149 and add some welcome transatlantic flavour to the Group 1 Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet Stakes, now in its 20^th year of attracting the best middle-distance horses in the business.

“The travel stipend is an excellent incentive for facilitating stress-free long-haul travel, helping to secure a stellar field of global contenders for the Romanet, and proving that racing is a sport whose worldwide appeal is no barrier to worldwide participation, be it in France or the States. We look forward to welcoming the Gallorette victor to Deauville later this summer and building on the success of US-trained horses at other elite European events, such as Royal Ascot.”

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OpenBet’s robust betting engine and sophisticated trading system to enhance Australian operator’s user experience and operational efficiencies

OpenBet, a leading content, platform and service provider to the sports betting industry, has been selected to supply its scalable betting engine and advanced trading system to Australian wagering giant Tabcorp as the tier-one operator pursues ambitious growth plans.

OpenBet will integrate a series of online and retail products including its fixed-odds betting platform and trading system for its world-class content portfolio to help amplify the offering for Tabcorp’s flagship brand, TAB.

Underpinned by a dedicated excellence team working with TAB for continuous development and innovation, OpenBet’s pioneering technology and services will provide improved agility, scalability and speed-to-market for new and differentiated products that will redefine the TAB user experience. Tabcorp will also benefit from enhanced operational efficiency and streamlined processes through OpenBet’s proven solutions.

As Australia’s largest gaming and betting operator, Tabcorp has a rich history of providing market-leading products to its customers. With more than 3,000 employees, the company continues to grow and aims to further increase its market share over the coming years.

OpenBet’s expertise in operating within some of the world’s strictest regulated markets was a major factor in Tabcorp’s decision in selecting the company as its latest technology provider. Integrating OpenBet’s globally respected platform and products within Tabcorp’s technology ecosystem comprising of proprietary capabilities across trading, digital experience and data is a perfect fit for market leading innovation, enhanced operational capability and delivering an unparalleled user experience to Tabcorp’s customers.

This deal strengthens OpenBet’s reputation as a trusted provider to the global sports betting industry. It currently processes almost half of all digital sports bets placed in the Australian market and with this deal will significantly increase that and, for the first time, bring our retail sports betting capability to Australia. Coupled with Tabcorp’s clear progress on accelerating its transformation and innovation with a focus on agility, product delivery and customer experience, this has the ingredients for a great partnership.

“Being selected by Tabcorp to augment its user experience is an exciting move for us and further cements our position as a trusted provider of robust, hybrid products that drive growth,” the Chief Commercial Officer for OpenBet, Cathryn Lai, said. “We’re looking forward to working alongside the TAB team and providing it with tailored products and services that will usher in a new era for its sportsbook offering. We have no doubt that the operator’s customer base will benefit from an enhanced experience through our unbeatable technology and trading services.”

“We’re thrilled to be strategically partnering with OpenBet to enable our growth ambitions and beyond,” the Trading General Manager for Tabcorp, David Beirne, said. “The combined strengths of Tabcorp’s category expertise and internal capabilities and OpenBet’s advanced core creates a market leading relationship that will lead to increased customer engagement, market share and sustainable profitability.

“This partnership will propel Tabcorp’s trading capabilities to the top of the market as it will allow Tabcorp to utilise OpenBet’s cutting-edge technology to deliver a first-class digital and retail experience for our customers at pace in exciting and innovative ways.

“This partnership is a significant step forward in modernising and supporting our ambitious plans to deliver the next generation sports betting user journey.”

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Hub88 has partnered with live casino supplier LiveGames, further strengthening its product offering by adding a unique range of content to its platform.

LiveGames provides fully customisable online live dealer games and branded tables including the first vertical roulette table in the sector, along with crash games and the widely played Tombola.

The supplier delivers experiences with a player-focused design, easy to use mobile interface, and high-resolution broadcasts.

The partnership will support LiveGames’ goal to further expand in international markets, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America where Hub88 has a strong presence.

The deal showcases Hub88’s commitment to grow its ecosystem of partners, offering a diverse portfolio of products and content.

Ollie Castleman, Head of Hub88, said: “We’re thrilled to unveil this strategic partnership with LiveGames which sees us add a great provider to our platform, one that utilises modern technology to offer bespoke and personalised gaming experiences to players.

“We are looking forward to collaborating and strengthening our content library with their diverse games.”

The LiveGames Team said: “Our journey started in a small studio and as a team, we are excited about now expanding to every corner of the world together with Hub88 and their extensive operator network.

“We are committed to promoting innovation in the industry and this partnership will support us on that mission.”