Long Ball

How to play Long Ball

The combined company will be listed on stock exchanges in both Spain and Italy, which Cirsa and Lottomatica are already market leaders in.Italy accounted for 57% of a combined group pro format adjusted EBITDA in H1. Spain made up 23% of that figure, with Rest of World at 20%.

Once the deal is completed, 80% of its EBITDA is expected to come from those two markets.

According to the deal investor deck, the combined group expects online betting and gaming to be its largest vertical, as it accounted for 48% of the group’s combined pro forma adjusted EBITDA in H1.

What is Long Ball?

The objective, he argues, is to make it harder for operators to simply replace a blocked domain with another one. “If they knew there was a tool that would find those new sites as well, they might become more cautious.”

It is a philosophy that sits within a broader shift in the industry’s approach to the illegal market. Domain blocking remains important, but regulators are increasingly looking at payments, advertising, affiliate and acquisition channels and cooperation across jurisdictions.

For example, on the role of pirate sports streaming in driving traffic towards illegal gambling, while regulators in markets such as Turkey are confronting large-scale unlicensed activity. The more fragmented and technically sophisticated the illegal market becomes, the more important the intelligence behind enforcement is likely to become.

How to play Long Ball

In his new role, Konstakis will be responsible not only for OpenBet’s strategy, but also for its day-to-day business, growth initiatives, and tech priorities. At the same time, he will be tasked with “raising the bar” in how OpenBet serves its clients.

OpenBet emphasized that this change comes at a strong moment for the company and follows its incredibly successful delivery for customers through the World Cup. Throughout the tournament, OpenBet processed 175 million bets totaling $3 billion.

CEO Levin, who is set to transition to a chair role, commented on the shift, saying that he was very confident that Konstakis has what it takes to be CEO and drive OpenBet to new heights.