DraftKings Partners with NHL as UKGC Investigates Sorare

DraftKings has signed a deal to work with the NHL, operating as “an Official Sports Betting, Daily Fantasy Sports, and iGaming Partner of the league.” In addition, DraftKings will complement the deal with an agreement with Turner Sports “to be the exclusive sportsbook and daily fantasy sports provider for their coverage of the NHL”

DraftKings will also be presenting some of its own content on Turner Sports’ platforms, related to sports betting and DFS. It will also have access to NHL assets to further enhance its own brand. Jason Robins, CEO, chairman and co-founder of DraftKings, said: “The NHL has some of the most passionate fans in all of sports and we are delighted to be working with the league once again, while developing a rich and engaging viewership and content experience that matches this fanbases' enthusiasm through our deal with Turner.”

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission is investigating the unregulated NFT platform Sorare. The French firm is operating in the British market without a UKGC license, insisting that its business model does not constitute gambling. Sorare offers a NFT-based fantasy football game where users buy, trade and exchange NFT’s of game clips along with digital football cards. A spokesperson for Sorare told the media: “We are very confident Sorare does not offer any forms of regulated gambling. When a product with a nascent technology becomes successful, such as Sorare’s digital collectable cards and game, it is normal and expected to be regulatory questions.”

Sorare has built its customer base up to an impressive 600,000 users, which has boosted sales revenue past the $150 million mark since the start of 2021. This kind of growth has seen it sign deals not only with the top Spanish football league, La Liga, but also the top two flights of the German Bundesliga. The Sorare board has indicated that they want to agree similar deals with the 20 biggest football leagues in the world.

Permission has been given by lawmakers for the building of a new hotel-casino property in Las Vegas, called Durango Hotel and Casino. This marks the end of a protracted process that has been ongoing since Station Casinos bought the land back in 2000. Various forms of opposition have put the project on hold but it finally looks like the city will soon have another resort to showcase, albeit one that is a 15-minute drive from the Las Vegas Strip.

Casinos in Macau have posted unexpectedly high revenue figures for September, rebounding from harsh restrictions imposed only a month before. A total of $735 million was collected from gamblers last month compared to $554 million in August. There is a lot of change currently underway in the world’s largest gambling market; a change in regulatory approach and Covid-19 restrictions periodically tightening.

PokerStars is running a special event to celebrate 20 years in the poker industry. The Big 20 Rewind series will run from November 14 through December 4, dedicated to the best PokerStars moments over the last two decades. The Big 20 Finale is scheduled for December 5, a $55 buy-in event with a $5,000,000 guarantee and $500,000 in added prizes to sweeten the deal. It’s not just tournaments that are being boosted for the celebration, all of your favourite games will be getting some kind of leg up with The Big 20 Boost. From November 1 Spin & Go Leaderboards and Daily Cash Game Leaderboards will be turbocharged with more extras to come during the month.

The 2021 PokerStars Southern Europe Championship of Online Poker (SECOOP) kicks off on October 31, and will take on a Halloween theme for the events laid on for players in France, Spain, and Portugal. A whopping €7 million is guaranteed across the 232-event schedule, which runs through November 21. Schedule highlights include: €250 Main Event, 6-Max PKO Freezeout, €500,000 guaranteed, November 14.€30 Spooky Bounty Builder, €75,000 guaranteed, October 31.€100 Halloween Special PKO 6-Max, €150,000 guaranteed, October 31.Ten €250 Championship events, awarding a total of €555,000.