Super Group (SGHC) Limited, a leading betting and gaming company, has recently announced the resignation of John Collins from its Board of Directors, effective 31 December 2023. Collins’s decision to step down relates to his investment in a National Hockey League (NHL) team. However, Super Group stressed that the two parties did not have any disagreements regarding the company’s practices.

The Departure Should Not Affect Current Operations

Collins is currently the chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board and a member of the Audit Committee of the Board. Jonathan Jossel, who joined the company in May 2022, will take up the former position, ensuring Super Group can maintain its operations without disruptions.

Collins has been an integral part of Super Group’s growth and an influential figure during a year marked by significant development for the company. His departure comes at a time of impressive growth. In its recent third-quarter report, Super Group disclosed revenue of €356.9 million ($381.4 million), a notable 16% year-on-year increase.

The company attributed this growth to its expanding operations in Europe, North America, Africa, and the Middle East, despite declines in markets like South/Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Neal Menashe, CEO of Super Group, highlighted the remarkable third-quarter revenue, record monthly active customers, and predicted further expansion within the global iGaming sector for the company.

Collins Will Leverage His Sports Management Expertise

Collins’s decision to step down from his position on the Super Group board likely stems from his increasing focus on his interests within the NHL. He joined the New York Islanders ownership group in July 2023 as the Operating Partner for the Club. Collins’s rich history within the League shows his enduring dedication to the sport, and he will likely continue with his contributions.

Collins is more than qualified for his management position with the Islanders, drawing on his experience as COO of the National Hockey League, President and CEO of the Cleveland Browns, and a senior executive at the National Football League for fifteen seasons. He has been responsible for some pioneering developments within the NHL, and his business acumen will be invaluable to the team.

Collins’s decision to focus on his involvement in the NHL marks a transition for Super Group, which continues its trajectory of growth and expansion in the dynamic betting and gaming industry. While Super Group loses a seasoned industry veteran, it has the talent to ensure enduring success. Meanwhile, Collins is now free to pursue his priorities.

The post John Collins Resigns from Super Group’s Board to Focus on NHL Investments appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto was recently suspended from the National Hockey League because of his involvement in sports betting. Prohibited from participating in the next 41 games, the player has now sparked concerns about the prevalence of wagering.

The Canadian Press spoke with experts on the matter. According to gambling researchers, young athletes are very vulnerable to the temptation of betting.

The American Hockey League is currently discussing whether changes to its gambling-related policies are needed. The Canadian Hockey League, in the meantime, created a new sports betting policy prior to the start of the current season.

The CHL’s new athlete program includes gambling education that helps athletes realize the dangers of gambling and provides them with knowledge of the risks they take when placing a wager.

The NHL Should Protect Younger Athletes

Professor David Hodgins from the University of Calgary, who is a member of the Alberta Gambling Research Institute, believes that operators’ aggressive advertisement makes it impossible not to have such cases. Hodgins said that it is “inevitable” that some athletes would be enticed to involve themselves with gambling.

The professor advised the NHL to not ignore the issue and to recognize the dangers of gambling addiction.

Andrew Kim, another University of Calgary professor, said that leagues need to realize the dangers that gambling poses to young people. He pointed out that younger adults are usually at much greater risk of developing addictive tendencies. Unfortunately, not all problem players exhibit clear signs of their addiction, Kim added.

Kim added that young NHL players might be unhappy to be prohibited from gambling while fans the same age as day are allowed to be exposed to gambling and bet on games. The professor said that the situation is “intertwined” and very complex.

Kim concluded that many young athletes turn to betting because of false security in their knowledge of the sport. He said that many players believe that they are experts in predicting outcomes and analyzing games, just because they are playing professionally. Kim said that this might be true for some but pointed out that gambling, by design, makes it more likely to lose than win.

In the meantime, the NFL recently introduced changes to its gambling policies coming shortly after a gambling scandal involving young Iowan athletes. Some players in that case were even accused of “tampering with records,” although lawyers refuted these claims as ludicrous. One legal representative noted that the state shouldn’t be so surprised when young athletes demonstrate interest in betting.

The post Experts Say the NHL Should Better Protect Younger Athletes appeared first on Keno Wizard.

The National Hockey League (NHL) announced it has entered into a new partnership with sports gamification expert, Low6, to enhance fan experiences and popularize its product.

Shared Values of Engagement and Innovation

Under the collaboration, Low6 became an official free-to-play gaming provider of the NHL and its free-to-play games are seen as second-screen interactive experiences bringing shared values of fan engagement and digital innovation that can help the league captivate more fans of ice hockey globally.

Commenting on the partnership, Low6 co-founder and chief executive officer, Jamie Mitchell, outlined the company’s plans for the near future, thrilled to see the platform being selected by the NHL as the league’s provider of free-to-play games.

“Over the next two years, we will be providing highly innovative games, actionable data and a whole heap of fun for users,” Mitchell said, emphasizing that Low6’s gamification suite will benefit the league and its commercial partners by “activating revenue.”

Low6 launched its first free-to-play NHL game, NHL PrePlay, in partnership with Canadian-based online sportsbook operator BET99 in December, asking hockey fans in Canada to provide answers to a set of questions linked to the outcome of the matches throughout each game day of the NHL season, competing for a chance to win C$100,000 ($73,800), weekly ticket giveaways and NHL shop gift cards.

Included in BET99’s marketing communications, the free-to-play game helps BET99 receive brand exposure and facilitates its objective to provide betting education to its users.

Another NHL free-to-play game produced by Low6 is the Pepsi Zero Sugar NHL Goalie Challenge in which fans are asked to choose three goalies from the NHL and match them with one of three options: getting a win, racking up the most saves or having the fewest goals scored against them. With an interactive element to it, the game allows players to drop cans of Pepsi on which goaltender they thought would earn a shutout.

Free-to-Play NHL Games

Half a dozen new NHL free-to-play games were launched by Low6 in the past three months, including NHL Stats Streak presented by SAP, NHL Winter Classic, NHL Stadium Series, NHL All-Star Bingo, the 2023 NHL All-Star Fan Vote presented by Guaranteed Rate, and 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge presented by Geico.

A new NHL game is already down the pipeline, the 2023 Stanley Cup Final Bingo, and will soon be launched by the sports gamification expert.

Outside of hockey, Low6 has been producing free-to-play games for other sports, including basketball, soccer, and even esports, actively supporting its partners to engage with their fan bases through gamification.

The post NHL Names Low6 Its Official Free-to-Play Gaming Provider appeared first on Keno Wizard.