Sportech is pleased to announce that it has been accepted as an Associate Member of North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (“NASPL”).

Established over 4 decades ago, NASPL serves as a key representative of 53 lottery organizations, assembling and disseminating information to educate and communicate the benefits of state and provincial lotteries and advocating in matters of general policy.

With a complete business-to-business solution that encompass 200+ lottery draw games, unique games content, robust gaming management systems, lottery terminal hardware and software, interactive solutions, and both in-person and interactive digital charitable raffles, Sportech is well positioned to contribute to and benefit from participation in NASPL as an Associate Member.

As the State of Connecticut works to emerge from the COVID-19 outbreak, Sportech is once again speaking out in favour of sensible legalization and regulation of Sports Betting.

Ted Taylor, President of Sportech Venues in Connecticut, filed an opinion piece,  just as legislators consider a special legislative session, to draw attention to the artificial impediments that prevent Connecticut from adopting commonsense legislation to legalise Sports Betting in that State.

The piece is re-posted below.  Find the original post here.

The State Must Remove the Artificial Barriers to Sports Betting

By: Ted Taylor, President of Sportech Venues Inc.

Connecticut has a rare opportunity to mitigate a projected $128 million budget deficit driven by the extraordinary demands of the pandemic and deliver new revenue for the State by passing legislation this year to legalize retail and online Sports Betting by the State’s four existing licensed gaming operators – the approach previously supported by Governor Lamont.

Sports Betting has been debated for years in Connecticut’s statehouse and has bipartisan support backed by public acceptance and demand. So why can’t we get this done when we need revenue from Sports Betting more than ever?

Simply, and perhaps surprisingly for the neutral observer, the Tribes are the roadblock.

In the two years since the Supreme Court repealed the law that prohibited most states from offering Sports Betting, Connecticut lawmakers have faced obstructionism from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and the Mohegan Tribe of Indians, who insist that they somehow hold the exclusive right to conduct Sports Betting.

The Tribes argue that Sports Betting is an undefined “casino game” covered in their respective agreements with the State. While that argument has been disproven on numerous occasions, the Tribes have threatened that, if they don’t get their way, they will break their Compacts and cease paying Connecticut its share of slots revenue. This threat has stymied progress for years – hamstringing the State from advancing Sports Betting or any other gaming despite the legislative and executive will to the contrary.

Moreover, query why the Tribes do not currently offer Sports Betting if it is, as they contend, already an approved “casino game” under the Compacts.

The answer, and the simple truth, is that Sports Betting is not now nor has it ever been classified as a “casino game” by the Compacts, by Connecticut State laws, or by the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act which unequivocally defines and regulates Sports Betting as something other than a “casino game”.

In independent uncontested testimony submitted March 3^rd to the Public Safety and Security Committee, Attorney Daniel Wallach, a nationally renowned expert on sports wagering and gaming law, testified, “…there are three critical factors distinguishing sports betting from a commercial casino game: (1) they are contests of skill, whereas commercial casino games are considered games of chance; (2) they involve contests taking place – and determined – outside of a casino property, whereas commercial casino games are usually confined to the four walls of a casino; and (3) in most states that allow it, sports betting is not restricted to a casino property.”

Despite the overwhelming legal precedent explained in Mr. Wallach’s independent testimony, the Tribes continue to block Sports Betting advancement, to the detriment of Connecticut’s consumers.

The clear solution is for the State to break the stalemate and license the State’s existing gaming operators, including the Tribes.

Rather than allowing more time to pass, Connecticut can act now to protect its consumers and its financial stability this year, while there is still time to make a meaningful impact on State finances. The State will secure additional revenues and consumers will enjoy competitive choice, innovation, and safety in gaming entertainment.

If, as a result, a Tribe chooses to follow through with the threat to break their Compact and cease making payments to the State for their share of slot revenue, then that Tribe would likewise risk ceasing their slot operations and ceding their exclusivity. They would risk depriving themselves of their own profits from slots, which in the first six months of 2020 were $87 million for Foxwoods and $116 million for Mohegan Sun, and a broken Compact would open the State to further gaming competition, including commercial casinos. Obviously, that scenario is undesirable to many but none more so than the Tribes.

We at Sportech remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached to provide Connecticut residents with Sports Betting choices and the State with vital revenues.

The arguments for exclusivity made by the Tribes are groundless and the clear path is to provide existing gaming operators – including the Tribes, Sportech and the Lottery – the opportunity to offer their Sports Betting products to consumers before Connecticut loses the game for not fielding a team.

Sportech Racing and Digital, a division of Sportech PLC, is pleased to announce the signing of a new agreement with Racecourse Media Group (RMG), the holding company responsible for a range of media rights management businesses involving 34 racecourse shareholders in the United Kingdom.

Under the new agreement, Sportech will provide commingling services through its European Quantum™ Data and Operations Centre, utilizing its Quantum™ System software to facilitate betting pool commingling between racecourses in the UK and Ireland and RMG’s global partners.

Bruno Gay, Sportech’s Vice President of Sales and Business Development EMEA, remarked: “Sportech is pleased to extend our relationship with RMG as they work on behalf of their shareholders to strengthen and expand their reach in international markets. Reliable solutions for commingling are critically important as racing and betting operators adjust their strategies to include expanded distribution and Sportech are proud to be at the forefront of this trend with partners like RMG.”

Nick Mills, Commercial Director of Racecourse Media Group stated, “We are delighted to extend our partnership with our friends at Sportech. This new agreement will further bolster RMG’s reputation at delivering the best possible global reach for our shareholder racecourses, while at the same time, significantly growing wagering opportunities on their horseracing around the world.”

About Racecourse Media Group (RMG) (www.racecoursemediagroup.com)

RMG is the umbrella organisation for the 34 racecourses which hold an interest in Racing TV (including coverage from all 26 Irish racecourses), Racing TV International (international betting broadcast service) and Racecourse Data Company (licensing and control of Pre-Race Data). Racecourse Retail Business is the vehicle which represents 37 racecourses’ content in the LBO (licensed betting office) market. Pictures are shown in c. 8,000 LBOs in Britain and Ireland.

Bump 50:50 is New Digital Platform for 50/50 Split the Pot raffle beginning with Stanley Cup Qualifiers.

Sportech’s Bump 50:50 announced today that they have been selected as the new digital platform provider for The Florida Panthers Foundation’s 50/50 Split the Pot raffle.

“The Florida Panthers Foundation is thrilled to partner with Sportech’s Bump 50:50 as the new digital platform for the Foundation’s 50/50 Split the Pot raffle,” said Florida Panthers Foundation Senior Director John Colombo. “We look forward to partnering with Bump 50:50 to give our fans the opportunity to win big by participating in our 50/50 Split the Pot raffle beginning with the Stanley Cup Qualifiers and beyond.”

Fans can participate in the 50/50 raffle online during each of the Panthers Stanley Cup Qualifying games by visiting FloridaPanthers.com/5050 either through desktop or mobile. The prices are 10 for $10, 60 for $20 and 150 for $40. Participants must be 18 or older to purchase a raffle ticket.

“We are very happy to welcome the Florida Panthers to the Bump 50:50 family and are excited to enhance the Panthers’ in-stadium raffles with new features like our contactless payments and to deploy our online raffle platform,” said President of Sportech’s Bump 50:50 Dave Kurland. “Now more than ever, Bump 50:50 is helping our partners engage with their fans so they can continue to fulfill their charitable missions and we look forward to working with the Florida Panthers to deliver an excellent result.”

About the Florida Panthers Foundation 

The Florida Panthers Foundation was established to benefit the South Florida community by focusing on four priority areas: building the game of hockey for children and youth, supporting health and education initiatives for children, advocating for and supporting veterans’ issues, and raising awareness about the endangered Florida Panther. For full information on our charitable organization please visit PanthersFoundation.org.

Sports fans and charity foundations to benefit from Bump 50:50’s upgraded in-stadium payments through Paysafe’s omnichannel offering with Handpoint.

Paysafe, a leading specialized payments platform, has expanded its omnichannel payments offering for Bump 50:50, the Sportech division providing a digital raffle solution to sports and nonprofit charity foundations. As North American in-stadium sports return, fans will be able to enter raffles safely and securely through Paysafe-processed contactless card payments at points of sale (POS) from Handpoint, a pioneer in defining integrated payments.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has driven strong growth in contactless payments in the U.S. market. Fifty-nine percent of American consumers are happier making an in-person payment using an NFC-enabled card than they were a year ago, according to Paysafe’s April 2020 research.

Responding to this trend and innovating during the current shutdown of in-stadium spectator sports, Paysafe and Bump 50:50 have brought to market the charitable raffle space’s first fully integrated contactless payments solution. When fans return to stadiums, Bump 50:50’s partners, which include the foundations of over 120 professional, collegiate and nonprofit organizations (numbering dozens of NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL teams), can enable them to purchase raffle tickets from in-venue sales staff using card tap-and-pay at Handpoint’s lightweight mobile POS terminals.

Transactions are processed seamlessly through the proprietary Bump 50:50 application installed on in-stadium sellers’ mobile tablets. The contactless enhancement is supported by both Android and Apple iOS versions of the solution’s app.

Paysafe’s omnichannel offering also allows sports fans to win raffle prizes and raise money for charities by using Bump 50:50’s online platforms at home or on-the-go via their own mobile devices, with all card-not-present transactions processed by Paysafe.

Carla Erlick, Senior Vice President, ISV Channel at Paysafe, said: “Sportech’s Bump 50:50 has become one of our flagship independent software vendor (ISV) partners, truly showcasing our omnichannel payments offering. Further complementing our card-not-present payments relationship with Bump 50:50, we’re delighted to strengthen our card-present support for Bump 50:50’s partners to better meet the new North American reality of in-person transactions.”

David Kurland, President of Sportech’s Bump 50:50, commented: “Bump 50:50 is pleased to offer our partners contactless pay through our integration with Paysafe. This is one more example of Bump 50:50’s continuous pursuit of new technologies and platform enhancements designed to help our partners reach their fundraising goals. We are also mindful of the fact that contactless pay is especially critical at this time, as our partners are developing safety protocols that will help them return to in-person events.”

About Sportech’s Bump 50:50

Sportech’s Bump 50:50 provides technologies and services that allow foundations, many affiliated with professional and collegiate sports teams, and nonprofit philanthropic organizations to offer innovative digital 50/50 raffle programs in stadiums and online. Charitable raffles harness the passion of sporting and entertainment events to help foundations raise funds to support their philanthropic missions. The raffle winners and the foundations share the net raffle proceeds equally, making both partners in the success of the program. Sportech, Bump’s parent company, is a leading global provider of betting technology solutions to licensed gaming operators worldwide. For more information about both Sportech and Bump 50:50, visit www.sportech.net.

About Paysafe

Paysafe Group (Paysafe) is a leading specialized payments platform. Its core purpose is to enable businesses and consumers to connect and transact seamlessly through industry-leading capabilities in payment processing, digital wallet, card issuing, and online cash solutions. With over 20 years of online payment experience, an annualised transactional volume of over US $98 billion, and approximately 3,000 employees located in 12+ global locations, Paysafe connects businesses and consumers across 70 payment types in over 40 currencies around the world. Delivered through an integrated platform, Paysafe solutions are geared toward mobile-initiated transactions, real-time analytics and the convergence between brick-and-mortar and online payments. Visit us at: www.paysafe.com.

About Handpoint

Handpoint has been a pioneer in defining integrated payments and next-generation POS, from advancing the checkout experience with mobile technology to launching open payment integrations for all emerging POS platforms on 3 continents. We provide solutions for merchants, acquirers, ISOs, and ISVs who are delivering on the cutting edge of payments: where customer experience and management matter, where payments are embedded seamlessly, and where mobile technology fuels growth. Handpoint’s software terminal, international gateway, and terminal management system enable the future of acquiring, from mPOS and integrated POS to a future without terminals. Visit us at www.handpoint.com.

Sportech Racing and Digital, a division of Sportech PLC, congratulates Monmouth Park leadership in delivering a record-breaking day of betting during the TVG.com Haskell Stakes held July 18^th at Monmouth Park.

Sportech’s Quantum™ System Software, managed from the operations center in New Jersey, processed over $20.5 million on the Haskell card, smashing the previous record set in 2015 when the popular Triple Crown winner American Pharoah took the honors.

The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significantly lower attendance but Sportech’s national and global commingling infrastructure supported Monmouth Park initiatives to overcome the challenges and deliver a seamless day of betting to participants who could not attend in person.

Bill Russell, Sportech’s Vice President of Sales and Business Development for North America, commented, “Sportech wishes to congratulate Monmouth Park for overcoming the challenges of COVID-19 to produce a successful record-breaking day of racing and betting. We are proud of the role Sportech’s employees and platforms played in delivering this successful event and acknowledge the team members who work tirelessly with our clients who continue to keep racing and betting fans all over the world engaged.”

Sportech Racing and Digital, a division of Sportech PLC, announced the promotion of Bill Russell to the position of Vice President Sales and Business Development for North America.

Bill has been with Sportech since early 2019, first in a consulting capacity in client relations management, and has been Director Sales and Business Development for North America since the beginning of 2020.

Bill brings diverse expertise as an international sales and sales management leader with over 40-years’ experience in the US, Europe and Africa. Prior to joining Sportech, Bill held numerous management and directorship roles including Managing Director of European Futures at Citigroup and Director of the Futures and Options Association (UK), and he has owned and managed companies in the US, UK, South Africa and New Zealand.

As Vice President Sales and Business Development, Bill will work with Sportech Racing and Digital team members in North America to develop and implement enhanced client relations and business development programs and he will continue to manage Sportech’s relationships with a number of key Racing and Digital clients.

Sportech PLC is pleased to announce key changes to its Bump 50:50 team, including the promotion of Dave Kurland to the position of President, to create the charitable raffle industry’s most experienced and innovative leadership team.

Bump 50:50 (“Bump”) is a leading provider of digital fundraising raffle solutions to philanthropic organizations with clients across the US and Canada, many affiliated with professional sports franchises. Bump also enjoys a rapidly-growing list of nonprofit clients in healthcare, the arts and human services.

Dave Kurland joined Bump in 2011 as its first Director of Business Development. Dave’s deep roots in professional sports, philanthropy and fundraising raffles greatly informed the design and execution of Bump’s successful growth strategy, helping the company grow from just one client in 2011 to over 120 today. For 22 years prior to joining Bump, Dave led the Community Relations Department and team foundation for the Chicago Bulls and in 1995 helped develop the first 50/50 raffle for a professional US sports team, raising tens of millions to support charitable causes in the Chicago area.

The Company also announced the elevation of key commercial team members to senior roles to align with Bump’s growth and online raffle expansion strategy.

Dennis Sampier has been named Vice President, Bump Nonprofit Division to spearhead the continued growth of Bump’s non-sports related charity clients. Bump has recorded significant  growth in its nonprofit client base, delivering solutions to over twenty additional nonprofit clients for Bump’s online 50/50 and progressive raffle platforms in the last few months.

Dennis spent 20 years with the Detroit Pistons, where he oversaw their social responsibility platform. He led community programming and fundraising, collaborating with nonprofits in metro Detroit and across Michigan to develop innovative partnerships in support of health, education, basic needs, and volunteerism. To help generate additional funding and awareness for nonprofits, he was pivotal in introducing the electronic 50/50 raffle concept to the broader Detroit sports market, including the Tigers, Red Wings, Lions and Michigan International Speedway, all of which are now Bump clients. Dennis has been with Bump since 2015.

Jeff Schultz has been named Vice President, Bump Sports Division. In this role, Jeff will maintain the company’s focus on delivering innovative platforms and unmatched services for in-stadia and web-based 50/50 raffles that have produced record-setting jackpots for clients. Jeff is an experienced and talented sports industry veteran who, prior to joining Bump in 2015, spent 17 years with the Chicago Bulls, playing a key role in driving their successful raffle platform.

Rounding out the commercial team, Bump welcomes Chris Mallory as Director of Business Development and Activation. Chris brings 17 years’ experience working in the professional sports industry; 14 years with the NBA® Phoenix Suns and three with the NFL® Las Vegas Raiders.

The changes to Bump’s commercial team complement enhancements made on the technology side with the 2019 appointment of Bump CTO Matt Annis. Matt is one of the original architects of the GLI-31 Electronic Raffle Systems Technical Standard and his years of experience in raffle technology, including 20 years in software development and 7 years in 50/50 raffles, along with his track record of innovation and strategic planning, have placed Bump on a strong technological footing.

Richard McGuire, Chief Executive Officer of Sportech PLC, stated, “We are delighted to strengthen our Bump 50:50 team with an unmatched group of specialists who, combined, bring decades of direct experience in the sports, raffle and nonprofit fundraising sector. This team have been pivotal to the growth of Bump. Their dedication to client service and product innovation aligned with the highest level of integrity continues to deliver impressive results and stronger relationships.”

“Sportech continues to invest in Bump’s talent, technology and infrastructure and as a result the division is recording unparalleled client growth, particularly online and with nonprofit organizations. I can think of no stronger professional than Dave Kurland to lead the division and of no greater commercial and technical team of dedicated professionals to propel Bump 50:50 forward.”

Sportech Racing and Digital, a division of Sportech PLC, is pleased to have once again delivered the international technology connectivity behind the UK Tote Group’s Tote Superpool at Royal Ascot.

Following on from the 2019 World Pool, the 2020 Tote Superpool was powered by Sportech’s Quantum™ System, the world’s most widely deployed pari-mutuel betting system, and supported with hosting and operational services from Sportech.

The Tote Superpool combined the betting pools on Royal Ascot races generated by UK Tote Group with tote betting from global outlets and the Royal Ascot pools hosted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Despite no on-track contribution to the pools as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 Tote Superpool generated £137 million in handle, up from £92 million in 2019. This year, Sportech facilitated the expansion of Superpools to all 36 races.

Sportech are proud to have once again provided the international pool connectivity and operational services to support the Tote Superpool and to assist our clients in forging valuable global connections between international commingling partners.

Sportech’s Bump 50:50 (“Bump”) is thrilled to announce that its first deployment of the Catch the Ace online progressive jackpot raffle (also sometimes known in the US as a “Queen of Hearts’ raffle) hit a major milestone in June, topping CN$1 Million in gross sales after just 20 weeks online.

Building upon the success of this first digital raffle,  Bump 50:50 has also just launched a similar progressive raffle in partnership with the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation at BlackhawksQOH.com, with the first weekly drawing to be held on Sunday, June 21, 2020.

Bump’s innovative Catch the Ace / Queen of Hearts raffle offers a unique opportunity for participants to win both a weekly prize and a progressive jackpot that accumulates week over week through Bump’s proven online fundraising platform.

Each week, a portion of charitable raffle ticket sales is set aside in a separate Catch the Ace / Queen of Heartsjackpot. Players choose from a virtual deck of cards an envelope that they think might contain the Ace of Spades or Queen of Hearts card. The winner who draws the designated card collects the progressive jackpot. If the designated card isn’t drawn, the entire progressive jackpot carries over to the next week.

With each weekly draw that does not result in a win, the virtual deck of cards is reduced by one so the odds of winning increase even as the jackpot grows. Best of all, fifty percent of all progressive raffle ticket sales goes to Bump’s partner charity.

Online 50/50 and progressive Catch the Ace / Queen of Hearts raffles are important new tools in the fundraiser’s toolkit when combined with Bump’s proven technologies and unparalleled support programs.

Dave Kurland, Senior Director of Business Development and Operations for Bump 50:50, remarked, “Our goal at Bump since our inception has been to offer our partners innovations that help them achieve their fundraising goals and fulfil their charitable missions. We were delighted to have launched the first-ever online Catch the Ace and we are over the moon that Bump 50:50 has helped our first Catch the Ace partner reach $1 million in ticket sales just a few months after launch. We are looking forward to helping more clients, including the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, reach their fundraising goals through these innovations.”

Following the success of its initial online progressive Catch the Ace / Queen of Hearts raffle, Bump is delivering more ground-breaking fundraising platforms to charitable foundations across Canada and the United States, with charities in Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Arizona poised to launch their own versions of the online progressive raffles in the coming weeks.