• Tipico announces agreement to sell its award-winning U.S. platform
• Tipico will wind down its U.S. operations
• Transaction is subject to regulatory and customary approvals

Tipico Group Ltd. today announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its product and technology platform constituting the U.S sportsbook and online casino to LeoVegas Group, part of MGM Resorts International. Tipico will wind down its U.S. operations prior to the closing of the acquisition. As part of the transaction, LeoVegas will acquire certain of Tipico U.S. management, technology and trading teams across the US, Colombia, and Europe.

“For five years Tipico Group has heavily invested in the creation of its own proprietary sports betting and gaming platform for the U.S., working with some of the best talent to achieve excellence. On behalf of the board of Tipico Group I want to thank the teams in our U.S. operations for the last years of dedication, innovation and passion, that made our U.S. sportsbook and Online Casino platform the attractive venture it is today.”, says Joachim Baca, CEO of Tipico Group.

Adrian Vella, CEO of Tipico U.S. adds: “After an exciting journey of constant development, progress and unwavering belief in creating an excellent product offering, today marks the start of a new interesting chapter! Tipico has proven in one of the most competitive markets in the world that we can build proprietary technological solutions, whilst running sophisticated lean operations. Our rise from a start-up to an award-winning platform makes me very proud and I want to thank all my team, who made this story possible!”

Moelis & Company acted as exclusive financial advisor to Tipico Group Ltd. on this transaction.

The transaction is subject to regulatory and customary approvals and is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2024.

Tipico Group, the leading German sports betting provider, appoints Axel Hefer as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Axel Hefer, who previously served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Tipico, succeeds Joachim Baca. After eight successful years at the helm of the company, Joachim Baca takes over as Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

Under Joachim Baca’s leadership, Tipico has become the undisputed market leader for sports betting in Germany. At the same time the company has established itself as an innovative tech company, setting new standards in terms of product and technology. During this period, Tipico not only experienced strong growth but also developed a recognized brand, implemented modern compliance structures, and was one of the first providers to receive the German sports betting license. Moreover, the company was able to strengthen consumer protection – based on a scientifically sound player protection concept.

As the new CEO, Axel Hefer aims to further enhance Tipico’s product excellence and technology leadership and further drive innovation  to further strengthen Tipico Group’s market-leading position and foster further sustainable growth in a rapidly evolving market environment.

Daniel Pindur, Managing Partner of CVC and former Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Tipico Group, said, “Over the past eight years, Joachim has done a remarkable job in advancing the development  of Tipico and establishing it as an international sports betting and technology company. We are grateful for his outstanding contributions and are pleased that he will continue to play a key role as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. At the same time, we are delighted to have Axel as an experienced strategist and manager on board with Tipico. In his role as COO, Axel has proven he has the capabilities and vision to continue Tipico’s successful trajectory. We look forward to working together.”

Axel Hefer, CEO of Tipico Group, said, ”In recent years, Tipico has evolved from a startup to the definitive market and technology leader in sports betting in Germany. I am eager to continue this success story with the Tipico team and the owners. Together we are committed to providing sports fans with the best and most secure betting experience, extending our market leadership, and achieving additional sustainable growth.”

Joachim Baca, outgoing CEO and incoming Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Tipico Group, said, “Leading Tipico on its strong growth path, building structures and expanding the product portfolio has been a great privilege. We have thus set the stage for a prosperous future. I am proud of our collective accomplishments and look forward to remaining a part of the team and continuing to contribute to the ongoing success as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. I would like to express my gratitude to all my colleagues and the owners of Tipico for their trust and the exceptional collaboration.”

Axel Hefer was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Tipico Group in November 2023. In his role as COO, he focused on optimizing structures and processes across the group. He also has extensive experience in advancing dynamic digital companies, particularly in complex environments. Prior to joining Tipico’s Management Board, Axel Hefer spent several years as a successful manager in major German technology companies: most recently as a long-standing member of the Management Board of the travel search engine Trivago and before that as a member of the Management Board of the German online furniture retailer Home24. He gained extensive experience in the private equity sector as Managing Director of One Equity Partners and as Investment Director at Permira Beteiligungs GmbH. Axel started his career as a management consultant at McKinsey in the early 2000s.

 

• Top Favorite for the Title is England – France and Germany Close Behind
• Can Nagelsmann’s Squad Write a New Summer Fairytale?
• Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane Favorites for Top Scorer
• Kai Havertz on Shared Sixth Place

Can coach Julian Nagelsmann lead the German team to the final in their home European Championship? The excitement among players and fans is rising as the European Football Championship starts tomorrow – and in their own country! The current betting odds at Tipico, the leading provider of sports betting in Germany, already give exciting insights into who might have the upper hand at the football festival, from June 14th onwards, before the first whistle sounds.

In addition to the classic single match bets, bets can also be placed on the group tables, the tournament winner, the exact final pairing, the top scorer, the top scorers of the respective teams and much more.

Here are the most exciting trends:

England as Top Favorite, France and Germany Play at the Top

A pleasant surprise: After three disappointing tournaments in a row, the betting odds see the DFB team as a co-favorite, and this trend has become stronger in recent weeks. Coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team is unbeaten in 2024 and has even been able to beat France and the Netherlands in preparation. The home advantage and the euphoria in their own country could catapult the hosts to the top.

The Tipico bookmakers currently see the German national team in a strong third place with betting odds of 6.30 – the favorite is England (4.50) with Bayern striker Harry Kane, followed by runner-up world champion France (5.00): The team around superstar Kylian Mbappé was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2021 European Championship and is eager to make amends. Current European champion Italy, on the other hand, is only in 6th place with a current odds of 15.00, behind Spain (8.50) and Portugal (7.50), with the team around veteran star Cristiano Ronaldo having recently significantly increased its chances. Belgium and the Netherlands complete the circle of further favorites with a odds of 18.00 for the tournament victory. Underdog? Neighboring Austria, which remains a clear underdog with a odds of 65, but Ralf Rangnick’s team has worked its way up further and further in recent weeks with strong performances. At the bottom of the field are the outsiders Slovenia (300), Albania (350), Slovakia (400) and Georgia (500), whose elimination in the preliminary round seems almost predetermined.

Group Winners and Knockout Rounds

Before the European champion is determined in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on July 14, the focus is on the group phase and the knockout rounds. In Group A, there should be no worries – at least according to Tipico: The German team is almost guaranteed to advance to the round of 16 with a odds of 1.03. A German group victory has a odds of 1.35. The chances of winning for Switzerland (6.50), Hungary (8.00) and bottom side Scotland (11.00) are already significantly lower. A German victory in the opening match is important to ignite football enthusiasm – and the chances against outsider Scotland are very good with a current odds of 1.27.

“The European Championship in Germany promises to be very exciting. There are quite a few favorites, so anything is possible during the tournament. However, the German team is a very attractive tip with odds of 6.30! We’re hoping for a strong tournament and lots of cracking games in the knockout phase,” says Benjamin Speckenbach, head bookmaker at Tipico.

In Group B, Spain are currently on course to win (1.80), followed by Italy (3.20). Tournament favorites England (1.37) are in first place in Group C ahead of Denmark (5.00). According to Tipico, the favorite to win Group D is France (1.50), followed by the Netherlands (3.80). According to Tipico, Belgium (1.35) will win Group E and in Group F, the odds see Portugal (1.45) in first place ahead of Turkey (5.00). The optimistic outlook for the DFB team is also reflected in the odds for the knockout rounds: The odds of 1.03 suggest that Germany will at least reach the round of 16 – and the bet on a finalist “Germany” is at 3.40!

Who will leave the pitch as top scorer?

And then there’s the most important thing in soccer – the goals. Who will be the superstar of the European Championship, who will score the most goals? The answer is likely to be decided by the goal scorers themselves: With Tipico odds of 5.50, high-flyer Kylian Mbappé is just ahead of FC Bayern star and England captain Harry Kane (6.00). Still in third place: Portugal’s veteran Cristiano Ronaldo (10.00). Germany’s hopes rest on Kai Havertz in 6th place (20), Niclas Füllkrug (30) and Jamal Musiala, who, like Florian Wirtz, has odds of 35. It is quite possible that the German strikers will hit the net in the opening game against Scotland: The Tipico odds for Germany to score three or more goals in the opening game are 2.15.

More information and everything to do with Tipico’s European Championship betting: https://www.tipico.de/wett-tipps/em-2024

 

• Motto of the campaign: “You control the game, do not let the game control you.”
• Support for the “Check Your Game” initiative of the German Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) 
• Campaign reaches millions of viewers on ARD-Sportschau and on YouTube
• Focus is on prevention and risk awareness

Tipico, the leading German sports betting provider, has sent out a strong message about gambler protection. In the final weeks of this year’s Bundesliga season, Tipico used its advertising reach to prominently promote a visually stunning TV commercial for prevention and education among soccer fans. The clip was broadcast in seven editions of ARD-Sportschau, where it reached an average of 3.7 million viewers; the clip also received a further half a million views on YouTube since March. This makes Tipico the first provider in the regulated German sports betting market to use its advertising time for a gambler protection initiative and use its reach for this purpose.

Under the motto “You control the game, do not let the game control you.” Tipico highlights the “Check your gambling” initiative of the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA). With this campaign, Germany’s most successful sports betting provider is once again reaffirming its commitment to gambler protection and sending a clear signal for responsible betting behavior as well as prevention and education to ensure that gambling does not lead to problems.

The commercial was developed in collaboration with the Hamburg-based creative agency deepblue networks, the American director Wes Walker and the production company BWGTBLD. It wants to motivate viewers to visit the BZgA helpline “check-dein-Spiel.de”. There, gamblers and their relatives can obtain information and advice on gambling-related risks. It includes a self-test, a knowledge test, and information and documentation on the suspension of players who are concerned about developing problems.

As a result, Tipico is using its reach not only during the decisive phase of the Bundesliga, but also in the run-up to the upcoming European Football Championship in Germany to draw attention to gambler protection, raise awareness of risks and promote prevention measures.

For many years, Tipico has been a leader in the development of gambler protection measures

Safety is an integral part of the product promise at Tipico. It was private providers who pioneered the provision of real behavioral data from online gambling for research purposes in Germany in the early 2010s. This research led to the development of the first predictive and early detection models for problem gambling, which have been used to protect customers of Tipico for almost ten years. These are now an essential part of current regulations.

As early as 2012, Tipico published the first gambler protection concept. Since then, it has been continuously developed. It was fundamentally revised in 2017 and has since been regularly reviewed and assessed as suitable by regulatory authorities. Tipico is involved in the further development of gambler protection standards in the German market and the concept is continuously evaluated and improved on the basis of the evidence gained. In its latest edition, the gambler protection concept covers around 90 pages and is publicly available.

Tipico gambler protection concept:
https://www.tipico-group.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Spielerschutzkonzept-1.pdf

“Du bestimmst das Spiel” (“You control the game”) commercial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9pRdKzhXN4

 

Consulting services offered by the BZgA:  

www.check-dein-spiel.de