Caesars Boosts Sports Betting Tech with ZeroFlucs Acquisition

Posted on: July 5, 2024, 06:46h. 

Last updated on: July 5, 2024, 06:46h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

In a move aimed at bolstering its sportsbook technology, Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR) said today it is acquiring ZeroFlucs Group Pty Ltd.

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Visitors entering Caesars Palace Las Vegas. The operator is acquiring ZeroFlucs to add to its sports betting tech stack. (Image: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg)

The Australian company is a software provider whose products allow sportsbook operators to efficiently update odds and pricing while maintaining existing data relationships. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The ZeroFlucs acquisition follows a successful integration of ZeroFlucs’ technology into the Caesars Sportsbook platform through a commercial arrangement that enabled the recent launch of new products, such as in-play same-game parlays (SGPs) and a vastly improved menu of ‘SGP-eligible’ markets for Major League Baseball,” according to a statement.

Caesars did not say when the transaction will close, but the buyer noted Steve Gray and Carly Christensen will remain at the helm of ZeroFlucs with Christensen joining Caesars Digital as senior vice president of price technology.

Sports Betting Tech Race Heating Up

The Caesars deal for ZeroFlucs is the latest sign of an intensifying race for sports wagering technology.

The transaction was announced less than two weeks after MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) said its LeoVegas unit would purchase the US iGaming and sportsbook operations of Tipico Group for an undisclosed sum — a move market observers believe is largely rooted in technology.

With live betting and SGPs prime avenues through which sportsbook operators can increase hold and profits, shoring up tech stacks becomes an essential objective because many bettors that are enticed by these long odds wagers will make decisions on where to place those bets based on operators’ tech offerings.

Regarding ZeroFlucs, “the acquisition cements a relationship between the companies that has already improved the customer experience and will continue to unlock exciting new product features and benefits for Caesars Sportsbook bettor,” added Caesars in the press release.

How ZeroFlucs Can Help Caesars

As technology further penetrates the world of sports wagering, speed is essential in boosting the menu of live wagers a sportsbook operator can offer bettors.

In nearly all major team sports, in-game odds can shift on a play-by-play basis — a touchdown, a home run, etc. Sluggish technology can force operators to only refresh odds during breaks in the action, but wise bettors know they might not be getting the best odds.

Specific to ZeroFlucs and Caesars, the acquired company’s competencies in baseball SGPs could be enticing because due to the slow-moving nature of that sport, it’s conducive to SGPs and live wagering. That fact isn’t lost on gaming companies and with better technology, it’s possible operators will lure more bets on baseball — a sport that trails football and basketball by handle by wide margins.