Welcome to the Weekend Report, the place iGB appears to be like on the information that you might have missed throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This week: former Premier League footballer jailed for match-fixing, Veikkaus pens Finnish Ice Hockey Affiliation extension and Zeal reaches 25-year milestone.
A former Chinese language footballer who performed within the English Premier League for Everton has been jailed for 20 years for match-fixing.
Li Tie, who additionally managed China’s nationwide group, pleaded responsible in March to taking up $16.0 million (£12.7 million/€15.2 million) in bribes. The BBC reports that Li additionally admitted to each accepting and providing bribes.
The court docket stated the offences occurred whereas Li was an assistant coach on the Hebei China Fortune Membership, which beforehand performed within the Chinese language Tremendous League however was declared defunct final yr. Li labored for the membership from 2015 till 2021, when he give up as nationwide coach.
Li would settle for bribes to pick out sure gamers for the nationwide group. He additionally helped sure golf equipment win competitions.
Throughout his enjoying profession, Li made 92 appearances for China and performed on the 2002 World Cup. Li initially joined Everton on mortgage in 2002 earlier than making the transfer everlasting a yr later. He made 40 appearances in whole for Everton and likewise had a short spell at Sheffield United earlier than returning to China.
Norsk Tipping distributes thousands and thousands to sports activities organisations
In additional constructive sports activities information, the Norwegian Gambling Authority has revealed that Norsk Tipping has distributed NOK930 million to sports activities organisations within the nation.
A lot of the funding goes to the Norwegian Sports activities Federation and the Olympic and Paralympic Committee (NIF). The whole being distributed is NOK60 million greater than final yr.
The grant helps the NIF with its work on sports activities inclusion in Norway, together with kids and younger individuals and folks with disabilities.
As well as, NOK11 million is being allotted to Tverga, a useful resource centre for self-organised sports activities in Norway.
Veikkaus scores extension with Finnish Ice Hockey Affiliation
Staying within the Nordics, Veikkaus has signed a long-term extension to its partnership with the Finnish Ice Hockey Affiliation.
The brand new deal, confirmed by Veikkaus, will run by to 2030. Veikkaus has been working with the Affiliation for quite a lot of years throughout numerous actions and initiatives.
The multi-year partnership covers the Finnish males’s and girls’s nationwide groups, the under-20 nationwide group and the Aurora League.
“At Veikkaus, now we have a long-standing and profitable cooperation with Finnish ice hockey,” stated Reija Laaksonen, govt vp for individuals, tradition and communications at Veikkaus. “It’s essential to us that this lengthy and profitable journey continues for a few years to come back.”
The Swimming pools confirms extra senior appointments
Within the UK, The Swimming pools has continued its restructuring with a double senior appointment. Chris Williams is changing into head of product and Matt Knowles is taking over the position of head of CRM.
Williams joins with a decade of expertise within the sports activities betting trade. He has beforehand labored for SIS Betting, Sky Betting & Gaming and LiveScore Group.
Knowles has hung out at BV Group, Betfair, Gamesys and, most lately, the Betway Group. In his earlier position at Betway, Knowles led world initiatives aimed toward optimising buyer engagement and retention, loyalty and satisfaction.
In current weeks, The Swimming pools has additionally named Sharon Wright as advertising and marketing director and Phillip Donegan as chief expertise officer.
Zeal celebrates 25 years
Lastly this week, Zeal Community has been celebrating a serious milestone, marking 25 years in business.
Based in 1999 as Tipp24, the corporate was the primary in German to supply on-line lottery gross sales. An IPO in 2005 noticed the enterprise rebrand as Zeal Community, whereas it grew additional in 2019 when it acquired Lotto24.
Now headquartered in Hamburg, Zeal Community has over 1.3 million month-to-month customers throughout its numerous manufacturers.
“We’re very pleased with 1 / 4 century of Zeal,” CEO Helmut Becker stated. “What started 25 years in the past as a two-man start-up in Hamburg has now developed into a gaggle of corporations with greater than 250 staff.
“We’re extra profitable than ever in our core enterprise of lottery brokerage and are constantly increasing our market share and our enterprise mannequin.”