Inspired Entertainment Inc announced on Tuesday a licensing agreement for its virtual sports content with gaming technology provider Scientific Games Corp. The latter said it was a good addition to its product range at a time when many real-life sports were shut down or curtailed due to Covid-19.
Inspired Entertainment’s content will be made available through OpenMarket, Scientific Games’ aggregation platform for sports betting.
Virtual sports had already been a “great complementary product to live sports,” said Keith O’Loughlin, senior vice president sportsbook, digital for Scientific Games, in prepared remarks contained in Tuesday’s announcement.
“But with major professional sports on hold due to the Covid-19 crisis, virtual sports are helping fill a big void,” he added.
The executive said Scientific Games’ tie-up would allow its sports betting business partners to offer their customers “realistic computer-generated recreations of their favourite sports, and keep customers engaged between games once live sports are back”.
Inspired Entertainment says it provides content, technology, hardware and services for regulated gaming, betting, lottery operations, and leisure business across retail and mobile channels around the world.
According to Nasdaq-listed Inspired Entertainment’s corporate website, its executive chairman is Lorne Weil, who was chairman of Scientific Games and its corporate predecessor from 1991 to 2013.
A firm headed by Mr Weil had announced in 2016 it was acquiring the United Kingdom-based Inspired brand.
