Sports betting has been around for centuries, but industry growth has rocketed since the inception of the internet. Today – online sportsbooks allow punters to wager on just about everything. Novelty and cultural betting is on the rise – you can now place wagers on the name of the next royal baby, and on the next winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. We stumbled across a great infographic by gambling review portal RightCasino.com that charts the meteoric rise of sports betting. According to the infographic – the online sports betting industry is now worth $74 billion to $100 billion —…

DraftKings has agreed a deal to become the official daily fantasy sports offering across all platforms operated by US sports broadcaster and Disney subsidiary ESPN. Under the agreement, the terms of which were not disclosed, both companies will benefit from branding and promotional opportunities across multiple ESPN and DraftKings platforms. Such opportunities will include integration into digital properties and television programming. Walt Disney Company-owned ESPN has already established itself as one of the leading fantasy sports providers in the US, having provided games and content in the country for over 20 years. According to figures from the broadcaster, more than 12…

Ladbrokes has opted to delay a planned business review presentation due to the ongoing talks over a possible merger with rival operator Gala Coral. As reported by iGaming Business, both parties confirmed last week that they had begun discussions over the possibility of merging to form a larger operation. The proposed deal would involve Ladbrokes and Gala Coral-operated Coral Retail, Eurobet Retail and the company’s online business. Ladbrokes was due to make a business review presentation of its own tomorrow (Tuesday), but has now opted to defer this until further notice. Upon announcing the delay, the bookmaker also confirmed that…

William Hill has announced that it is to exit the Estonia and Portugal gambling markets by the end of the month due to “recent regulatory developments”. In an email to affiliates, the bookmaker said that none of its products will be available to access in the two countries as of June 28. Players will still have access to their accounts in order to withdraw any existing funds, but affiliates will be required to remove all marketing materials from their websites that relate to Estonian and Portuguese punters. “We would like to inform you that following recent regulatory developments in Estonia…

US fantasy sports operator FanDuel has moved to further expand its presence in North America by entering into partnerships with almost half of the teams in the National Basketball Association. The operator has signed multi-year deals with a total of 13 teams, with a number of these serving as extensions to previous deals. The Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz have all agreed new partnerships with FanDuel. Under the wide-ranging deals, FanDuel will gain access to various marketing assets…

BetVictor has struck a deal to become the global betting and gaming partner of English Premier League champion Chelsea. Under the agreement, the terms of which were not disclosed, the online casino and sportsbook operator will benefit from branding placement throughout the team’s Stamford Bridge home stadium. BetVictor will also work with the football club on a range of joint social media and digital campaigns for the new 2015-15 season, which will begin in August. To mark the new deal, BetVictor will create a range of special betting offers and markets for Chelsea fans. “We are delighted to welcome BetVictor…