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What is Sky Queen?
Two blockbuster developments in the casino space earlier this year seemed to indicate an increasingly bullish bet on the sector, including Fertitta Entertainment’s acquisition of Caesars Entertainment in May. The other is a subsequent takeover offer of MGM Resorts from its largest shareholder, Barry Diller’s People Inc. But a negative shift in market conditions could affect both deals.
In July, Fertitta’s General Counsel Steven Scheinthal told the Nevada Gaming Control Board that the company had a letter of intent from banks to finance the transaction but was waiting for better borrowing conditions. Fertitta is assuming nearly $12 billion in Caesars’ debt and is committed to a $6.6 billion financing package.
“Our hope is that in the next few months there will be a window of opportunity where the market will be hotter and [it’s] a more interest rate friendly environment where we can go raise the money and then just put it in an escrow account,” Scheinthal said at the time.
What is Sky Queen?
Kambi is now rolling out AI trading across other sports, including basketball, ice hockey and American football. Its longer-term ambition extends beyond automating established processes to using the technology to create products that could not previously be delivered at scale.
The aim is an on-demand sportsbook capable of offering the right bet to the right customer at the right time. Lamb believes Kambi’s network of more than 70 partners provides an important advantage in pursuing that goal. More than €17 billion in annual liquidity and billions of bets placed each year give its models a depth of information that can improve pricing, risk management and product development.
“The term AI is everywhere across the world of technology, and the betting and gaming industry is just one where its impact is being felt,” Lamb says. “Taking AI beyond being a buzzword, building and deploying the systems and automation necessary to maximise its potential and deliver the right results is the challenge each of these industries face.”
About Sky Queen
Alongside this, the AiA wants to use the lessons from the inaugural week to broaden participation and establish the campaign as a permanent fixture.
“Our ambition is to expand participation each year and make the week an established feature of the African gambling calendar,” Kesitilwe continues.
“Success should not be measured only by whether all countries participate in one year. It should also be measured by whether we have created a credible foundation that more can join.”
