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About The Wild Machine
“So this is not an either/or. It is a B2C acquisition that we expect to strengthen our B2B pipeline on the continent.”
GiG exited the B2C space in 2023 when, after a strategic review, the company split its media and platform divisions, the former of which was rebranded as Gentoo Media.
The 888Africa acquisition announcement raises questions about why GiG have opted to return to the B2C sphere. Richards warns against over-analysing the deal as a wholesale return to B2C, insisting that GiG remains a B2B platform and tech business at its core.
How to play The Wild Machine
With just over a month since the season started, the condensed but pandemic riddled season has seen some teams play as many as 20 of their scheduled 56 matches, whereas others have had games postponed and played as little as 13. That’s still enough for the pundits to have favorites, and for sportsbooks to have started creating these lines.
At the top of the odds, we have a matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and either the Colorado Avalanche or Las Vegas Golden Knights. Tampa looks like a favorite thanks to their Goal Differential of +20, although they aren’t even top of the Discover Central division at this point, trailing both the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes.
Meanwhile, Colorado and Vegas are both competing to win the Honda West division, but 2019 champions St. Louis also up there in the standings, but with an even goal differential.
About The Wild Machine
The competition between prediction markets and sportsbooks is intense and there is some evidence that the former is encroaching on the latter’s customer base.
A survey by Fullstory, a behavioral data analytics company, says that amid the evolution of yes/no exchanges, 60% of bettors said prediction markets are altering how they use sportsbooks with 35% admitting that they’ve reduced usage of traditional sports wagering platforms as access to sports event contracts increased.
“Consumers are being presented with more options for how they can participate in online gaming, creating a more competitive landscape where a seamless digital experience is increasingly becoming part of the value proposition,” said Jason Wolf, president of Fullstory, in a statement. “The brands that understand how consumers are navigating, comparing, and engaging with their platforms in real-time can identify where friction is getting in the way of trust and retention.”
