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Data.Bet joins surge into short-term crypto markets to supplement esports betting
Sportsbook supplier Data.Bet is now offering clients short-term crypto and commodity prediction markets to supplement its esports betting product. somethingsdifferent.biz
The markets will allow users to wager on whether the prices of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum will rise or fall in short time spans. Additionally, users can wager on the price changes of commodities such as oil and gold. There will be five settlement periods: five minutes, 15 minutes, one hour, four hours, and 24 hours.
“Prediction Markets was built to give operators a fast-moving, always-on offering that runs independently of the sports calendar,” said Rostyslav Likhtin, Head of Product at DATA.BET in a press release.
“We’re making it faster to trade, easier to read, and easier to deploy, and this is only the first step in how far we’re taking this.”
Prediction markets supplement rather than replace sports
Data.Bet first launched prediction markets in April, but has focused on non-sports markets so far. The company sees it as a complement to its betting products, which have a large focus on esports wagering.
“Building them as a standalone vertical, without blending sports, esports, and virtual sports content into the same category, we ensure clear product structure and positioning for operators and platform providers,” said CEO Yurii Berest.
Live esports betting driving Data.Bet revenue
Data.Bet’s revenue has grown recently on the back of its esports betting product, particularly in-play wagering. In the first quarter of this year, revenue doubled, with turnover from esports betting up 70%.
Much of that increase is from more in-play betting. The company reported that over 70% of wagers at the Esports World Cup were live bets.
The short-term crypto markets mimic in-play bets, such as on the next kill or next map winner.
“Short-cycle markets settle in minutes rather than months, giving Prediction Markets a fast, repeatable betting rhythm alongside its longer-horizon political and economic events,” the company said. “For operators, this means more betting opportunities within a single session that runs independently of any sports schedule.”
Fellow esports-focused sportsbook supplier BETBY also announced the launch of SlotBets this week. The new interface could turn esports betting into a casino-style slot game experience. The product similarly promises to keep users constantly engaged in betting.
Short-term markets explode at prediction markets
The two leading verticals at prediction markets are overwhelmingly sports and short-term crypto and commodities. An analysis from Gambling Insider showed that in August, sports and the short-dated markets accounted for over 95% of all money staked at Kalshi.
Polymarket and Kalshi started offering the short-term markets last year. At Kalshi, 15-minute Bitcoin trading saw $643 million in volume in April, rising to over $4 billion in July.
Adding in all cryptocurrencies, the 15-minute markets saw $4.69 billion in volume in July, more than 75% of the total crypto volume.
The expansion of live sports markets has also seen a huge rise in volume. Flagship events such as the Esports World Cup and The International have seen record trading volumes at Kalshi and Polymarket.
Much of the live trading is driven by bots, hoovering up any price discrepancies to maximize profits, as revealed in an analysis by Predictbook.
While sportsbooks would usually ban any automated betting bots, prediction markets are incentivized to encourage higher trading volumes, regardless of their source. As a result, DraftKings also launched short-term crypto markets on its prediction market exchange last month.
The post Data.Bet joins surge into short-term crypto markets to supplement esports betting appeared first on Esports Insider.
Le Maroc met en garde l'Espagne contre une instrumentalisation politique de la crise migratoire
Plus d’un mois après l’irruption à Ceuta de plus de 70 000 personnes venues du Maroc, la déflagration causée par cette crise migratoire sans précédent continue d’agiter la classe politique et la société espagnoles. Dans les médias et les déclarations de certains responsables, principalement de droite, le Maroc est mis en cause, accusé d’être responsable de ce franchissement massif de la frontière. Silencieux depuis le début de la crise, le ministère marocain des Affaires étrangères a publié cette semaine un communiqué pour mettre en garde le voisin espagnol contre l’instrumentalisation de la tragédie de Ceuta.
Stokke expects even bolder All Blacks
Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick expects Richie Mo’unga’s return to make the All Blacks an even greater attacking threat in Saturday’s series finale in Baltimore.
The Boks face a reshuffled All Blacks lineup in Baltimore on Saturday, with the tourists desperate to draw the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series 2-2.
Coach Dave Rennie made significant changes for the crunch fourth Test, with Richie Mo’unga starting at flyhalf, Josh Moorby back on the wing and Anton Lienert-Brown at outside centre.
MORE: Lienert-Brown plots Bok defeat to a fine detail
Stick admitted the coaching staff anticipated the shake-up.
“We know Richie Mo’unga is world-class. As the coaching staff, we expected that selection. Even Ruben Love, the way he’s been playing as an upcoming star, he’s been great for the All Blacks,” Stick said.
“They will be even more bold tomorrow when it comes to keeping the ball alive and trying to use the space in the wider channels, and we know how dangerous he is.
“We’ve played against him many times, and we’ve done our homework. The key thing for us is that we enforce our game onto them and ensure that we pitch up physically on the day.”
ALSO: Stateside showdown for No 1 ranking
The Boks hold a 2-1 series lead but know New Zealand’s quality means there is little room for error.
“We’ve seen in the past three games that if you’re not at your best, they’ve got what it takes to punish you because of the quality of players in their team,” Stick said.
“If you look at the outside centre position, they have a guy like Anton Lienert-Brown with his experience.
“It is a world-class team; we know they’re desperate to level the series, but in the same breath we want to make sure that we keep on making our people back at home proud, so we’ll give our best.”
MORE: Siya wired to win the Springbok way
Stick, who has been involved in some of the Boks’ biggest matches in recent years, says nothing compares to the demands of this series.
“In my experience, it doesn’t get tougher than this; it’s like playing four World Cup finals in four weeks,” he said.
Photo: All Blacks/Facebook
The post Stokke expects even bolder All Blacks appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
ESI business roundup: BLAST’s Mongolian expansion, Riot Games considers prediction market deals, 1xBet extends PGL partnership
The world of esports business never slows down. Whether it’s tournament organizers expanding their presence into new markets or organizations inking deals with new sponsors to support their ambitions, partnerships are happening all over the world.
Compared to high-profile tournaments and blockbuster roster moves, business deals often fly under the radar, even though some can change the industry landscape. After a quiet start to September, the second week of the month was packed full of notable announcements and revelations.
Here, we take a closer look at five of the biggest business moves from across the industry and the ramifications they are likely to have on their respective ecosystems.
Editor’s Note: Welcome to the first-ever ESI business roundup! We’ll be bringing you the latest partnerships, sponsorships, and behind-the-scenes esports industry dealings all in one place every week.
BLAST expands into Mongolia
Over the past few years, BLAST has expanded its global presence by hosting its Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 tournaments in several locations. On September 8th, 2026, the tournament organizer unveiled a partnership with the Mongolian Esports Association (MESA).
As part of the collaboration, BLAST will host a Tier 1 Counter-Strike tournament in the city of Ulaanbaatar in May 2027. The event will see 16 world-class teams competing for a share of a huge $1.25 million prize pool.
Thanks to the success of The MongolZ at BLAST’s Austin Major and victory at the 2025 Esports World Cup, Mongolia’s interest in Counter-Strike has skyrocketed. Alongside new players reaching the big stages, thousands of fans are attending watch parties to support their favorite players.
For BLAST, the deal is further expansion into the Asian market. Last August, the tournament organiser joined forces with the Singapore Tourism Board in a similar deal, bringing Valve’s first-person shooter and MOBA titles to the country.
Riot Games considers prediction market sponsorships
September 10th saw Riot Games make the headlines after a Bloomberg report revealed the makers of VALORANT and League of Legends are considering sponsorships with prediction market operators Polymarket and Kalshi.
Joe Hixson, Communications Lead at Riot Games, told Bloomberg that it is “evaluating with a focus on safeguarding competitive integrity, potential value for teams, impact on the fan experience, and alignment with broader ecosystem goals.” Notably, neither Kalshi nor Polymarket has commented on whether discussions have taken place.
Entering a deal with a prediction market could be the next logical step for Riot Games’ sponsorship expansion. In June 2025, Riot Games revealed it will allow betting sponsorships in its esports scenes for the first time, enabling teams to collaborate with bookmakers and build sustainability.
Both Kalshi and Polymarket already offer a range of markets across several esports events. The latter is already the official prediction partner of BLAST, demonstrating the potential for prediction markets to integrate further into the world of esports.
Riot Games already has several safeguarding checks in place for existing betting sponsorships. If a deal with a prediction market does materialize, it will be interesting to see how they’re integrated across League of Legends and VALORANT.
1xBet and PGL extend partnership
After first collaborating in early 2025, tournament organizer PGL announced an extension of its existing deal with bookmaker 1xBet. Running until the end of 2029, 1xBet will remain the exclusive bookmaker of PGL’s Dota 2 and Counter-Strike tournaments.
The 1xBet logo will appear across PGL broadcasts and social media channels, in addition to the bookmaker organizing a variety of fan activations while a tournament is taking place.
“Building a sustainable tournament ecosystem is important to us,” said a representative for PGL. “Together with 1xBet, we’ll be able to develop new formats, reach wider audiences, and work on projects designed not just for one season, but for years to come.”
Esports betting is becoming an increasingly important part of the esports industry, with various companies sponsoring tournaments and collaborating with the world’s biggest organizations. With another four years of 1xBet and PGL’s deal and joint initiatives planned, we’re excited to see what’s in store.
Twisted Minds inks Shikenso deal
Esports data has become an increasingly important tool for organizations to analyze various elements of their operations. September 9th saw Saudi Arabian organization Twisted Minds secure a deal with esports data platform Shikenso for greater insight into sponsorship performance.
Shikenso’s analytics tools will track sponsorship exposure and engagement across all of Twisted Minds’ esports rosters and social media channels. Video analysis tools will also look at brand visibility across streams and online content to determine which are making an impact and where there’s an opportunity for growth.
Twisted Minds isn’t the only organization to collaborate with Shikenso. The platform has also partnered with the likes of GamerLegion, ESL FACEIT Group, and Team Falcons in recent months and years.
Having the ability to see which sponsorships are striking a chord with fans and where there are areas for improvement makes all the difference when operating an organization. With Shikenso on board, Twisted Minds knows exactly what’s working and if there’s scope for more additions to its growing portfolio.
Riot Games and Coinbase offer Bitcoin as prize
Riot Games makes the headlines for a second time this week. This time around, it has joined forces with online cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and prominent VALORANT content creators for the One Shot Tournament.
Open to amateur players, esports pros, and content creators, the one-versus-one tournament offers the largest prize pool ever seen in a Riot-backed community event. The winner will walk away with one Bitcoin worth approximately $57,536.
Coinbase has collaborated with Riot Games across global VALORANT and League of Legends events as the exclusive cryptocurrency exchange and blockchain technology partner of international tournaments.
Former VCT champion turned content creator Tyson “TenZ” Ngo is among the content creators taking part. TenZ will also be hosting the action across his channels. With such a large prize up for grabs, the One Shot Tournament is set to bring together all corners of the VALORANT community for a tournament like no other.
The post ESI business roundup: BLAST’s Mongolian expansion, Riot Games considers prediction market deals, 1xBet extends PGL partnership appeared first on Esports Insider.
ALG : Première victoire pour le MCO et le CRB
La victoire fut longue à se dessiner, mais elle était au bout pour le MC Oran face au CR Témouchent (2 – 0) et pour le CR Belouizdad tombeur de l’Entente de Sétif (1 – 0), pour le compte de la 2e journée du championnat de Ligue 1 professionnelle.
La 2e journée du championnat de Ligue 1, saison 2026/2027, s’est poursuivie ce vendredi avec le déroulement de deux rencontres, l’une à Oran opposant le MCO au nouveau promu, le CR Témouchent, et l’autre, à Alger, avec à l’affiche le classique CR Belouizdad – Entente de Sétif.
Après le report de leur premier match face au MC Alger, les Hamraouas avaient rendez-vous avec leurs supporters au stade Miloud Hadefi d’Oran en accueillant le voisin du CR Témouchent.
La première période fut animée et assez équilibrée entre des Oranais qui voulaient à tout prix prendre l’avantage et les hommes de Mustapha Djallit, bien organisés sur le terrain et n’hésitant pas à lancer quelques tentatives.
De retour des vestiaires, les Rouge et Blanc vont mettre un peu plus d’entrain, en se procurant quelques occasions nettes comme cette tête d’Abdelaziz Moulay qui frôle le montant suite à un centre de l’international gabonais Edlin Randy Essang-Matouti (61e) ou bien ce but marqué par le même Moulay, mais refusé pour une position d’hors-jeu (64e).
Le MCO presse davantage et l’entrée en jeu d’Abderrahmane Bourdim va être déterminante en donnant plus de solutions en attaque, comme ce centre en direction d’Ahmed Kerroum, qui se fait bousculer dans la surface de réparation par le défenseur Boubaker Baouche.
L’arbitre Mehdi Oukil n’hésite pas à désigner le point de penalty, tout en restant à l’écoute de la chambre de la VAR qui confirme la faute. Kerroum se charge lui-même d’exécuter la sentence en prenant à contre-pied le gardien Mohamed Amine Saou (81e).
C’est la délivrance dans le camp oranais, même si dans le temps additionnel Ali Larbi a suscité des frayeurs et un réflexe inouï du gardien Moustapha Zeghba qui sauve miraculeusement sa cage (90e+1e). Mais dans la minute qui suit, Bourdim, bien placé dans la surface plein axe reprend du plat du pied un centre de Mokhtar Belkhiter légèrement détourné au passage pour battre de nouveau le portier Témouchentois (90e+2e).
Le MCO tient sa première victoire de la saison au grand bonheur de ses nombreux fans qui espèrent voir leur équipe briller et terminer avec au moins un titre.
Pour sa part, le CR Belouizdad a lui aussi attendu les dernières minutes pour arracher un succès inespéré sur la pelouse du stade du 5 juillet 1962 face à une formation sétifienne très bien organisée et qui aurait pu repartir avec le point du nul si Mohamed Hanek et le jordanien Hadi Al-Horani n’avaient pas manqué l’immanquable à un mètre des cages dans le temps additionnel !
Le Chabab a longuement possédé le ballon, dominé de façon désordonnée et raté quelques occasions, telle cette incursion et frappe sur le montant d’Alexandre Oukidja de Farid El-Melali, mais finira par sauver la mise sur un penalty signé Yousri Bouzok suite à une main d’un défenseur sétifien à la (81e).
Après le match nul ramené lors de la 1e journée de Chlef face à l’ASO (3 – 3), le CRB peut respirer en engrangeant ses trois premiers points de la saison.
La 2e journée se poursuivra samedi avec deux autres rencontres :
Le samedi 12 septembre :
- Ouargla, stade du 18 février (19h00) : MB Rouissat – Olympique Akbou.
- Constantine, stade Chahid Hamlaoui (21h00) : CS Constantine – ASO Chlef.
Matchs reportés :
- Tizi-Ouzou, stade Hocine Aït Ahmed : JS Kabylie – MC Alger.
- Béchar, stade du 20 août 1955 : JS Saoura – USM Khenchela.
L’article ALG : Première victoire pour le MCO et le CRB est apparu en premier sur Foot Afrique.