Colossus Bets

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Colossus Bets
IndustryGambling
FounderBernard Marantelli, Zeljko Ranogajec
HeadquartersLondon, England
Key people
David O’Reilly (CEO)
ProductsSports betting, sports technology, pools betting
Websitewww.colossusbets.com

Colossus Bets is a British bookmaker specializing in pools betting, with head offices based in London, England. It was founded by former Monsanto PR operative Bernard Marantelli[1] and Zeljko Ranogajec in 2012 and set out to modernize pools betting by incorporating modern betting features such as Cash Out and Syndicates, as well as offering lottery-sized jackpots.

History[]

Colossus Bets launched in the UK in 2013, initially providing solely football pools.[2][3] They would go on to add horse racing, greyhound racing, American football, ice hockey, basketball and darts pools, making them the only multi-sport pools provider in the country.

In 2017 Colossus launched Syndicates, a group betting product that would allow its users to share the cost of their bets, and any potential winnings, with fellow players.[4] The introduction of horse racing pools in July 2018 meant that, for the first time, the Tote were no longer the sole horse racing pools operator in the UK market.[5][6] The Place 6 pool was introduced as a direct equivalent to the Placepot. In addition to offering their sports and racing pools on their website, the Colossus Bets pools have also been integrated into a number of partner websites across the world including; Bet365,[7] Betway Africa,[8] Dafabet,[9] Matchbook,[10] Racebets,[11] Mr Green,[8] Nairabet,[12] Football Pools,[9] eStave,[13] and Paf.[14]

Partnership with British Racecourse Consortium[]

In August 2017 Colossusbets announced that they had entered into a partnership with 54 British racecourses in order to supply betting pools. Chief operating officer David O’Reilly said: "Pool betting on horseracing is a sleeping giant and we look forward to working with British racing to bring cutting edge features and technology to racing punters, with life-changing prize pools."[15] However in May 2018 a number of newspaper articles were published revealing that Zeljko Ranogajec was the principal backer of the company using the alias of John Wilson.[16][17][18] Subsequently the consortium of 54 racecourses (Britbet) cancelled their arrangement with Colossusbets in favour of The Tote.[19]

Conscious Colossus[]

In 2020, Colossus Bets launched ‘Conscious Colossus’,[20][21] a charitable initiative created to “target several areas of responsibility and covering a wide range of causes, including the advancement of sport within communities, responsible gambling education and animal welfare.”[22] Conscious Colossus announced that they would be supporting three charities in their maiden year; Alive and Kicking, The Greyhound Trust and YGAM.[23] In 2021 they announced an updated line up of Alive and Kicking, YGAM and Clime-It Brothers for their second year.[24]

Key Dates[]

2012 – Founded by Bernard Marantelli.[25]

2013 – Colossus Bets launch in the UK with Michael Owen named as a brand ambassador.[26][27]

2014 – Winner of the ‘Rising star’ award at the EGR Operator Awards.[28]

2017 – Colossus Bets launch Syndicates product.[29]

2017 – Colossus Bets announces partnership with consortium of British racecourses[30]

2018 – Colossus Bets launch horse racing pools.[31]

2018 – 54 British racecourses repudiate Colossus bets as their pools betting partner[32]

2019 - North Dakota Racing Commission licenses Colossusbets as a service provider[33]

2019 – Oregon Racing Commission grants Colossusbets a totalizator license[34]

2019 – Colossus Bets launch greyhound racing pools.[35][36]

2019 - Announces a long-term licensing agreement with Bet365 that will allow the operator access to its cash-out patent portfolio in the US.[37]

2020 – Colossus Bets launch ice hockey and darts pools.[38]

2020 – Winner of the ‘Best use of a brand ambassador’ award at the EGR Operator Marketing and Innovation Awards for their partnership with Fallon Sherrock.[39]

2020 - Colossus Bets agreed a five-figure sponsorship deal with the Greyhound Grand National.[40]

2020 – Bernard Marantelli is terminated as a director of the company.[41][42]

2020 - David O'Reilly appointed as Chief Executive Officer[43]

2021 - Esports betting and technology company Esports Technologies Inc concludes agreement to licence Colossus Bets patent portfolio.[44]

2021 - Colossus Bets sued Draftkings over patent infringement.[45]

External links[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Bernard Marantelli - Powerbase".
  2. ^ "Courses team up with Colossus Bets to 'transform' pool betting". Racing Post. 17 August 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Colossus Bets launches weekly £1m HDA15 football jackpot". SBC News. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  4. ^ Allen, Brad (15 February 2017). "Colossus Bets launches Syndicates betting product". EGR Intel. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  5. ^ McClymont, Kate (17 May 2018). "Meet the Joker: the Australian who is the biggest gambler in the world". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  6. ^ "Revealed: 'world's biggest gambler' is partner to new racecourse betting firm Britbet". The Times. 17 May 2018. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Bet365 to license Colossus Bets' US cash-out patents". Gambling Insider. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Sports betting but BIGGER". AGBrief. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Colossus Bets". Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  10. ^ Griffith, Mark (19 November 2015). "Matchbook launches Colossus Bets pools". InterGame. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  11. ^ Evans, Jake. "RaceBets goes live with Colossus jackpots". EGR Intel. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Optima launches Colossus Bets pools". 19 October 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  13. ^ 6306228. "Bb117 digital". Issuu. Retrieved 13 May 2021.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ Narayan, Niji (6 September 2018). "Paf partners with Colossus to launch world's biggest jackpots". European Gaming Industry News. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Courses team up with Colossus Bets to 'transform' pool betting | Horse Racing News | Racing Post". www.racingpost.com. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  16. ^ "Aussie known as world's biggest punter takes 'high risk' bet on British racing". NewsComAu. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  17. ^ Writer, Mark Souster, Racing. "Revealed: 'world's biggest gambler' is partner to new racecourse betting firm Britbet". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  18. ^ McClymont, Kate (17 May 2018). "Meet the Joker: the Australian who is the biggest gambler in the world". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  19. ^ "Tote, britbet Enter Standstill Period". TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  20. ^ Streeter, Joe (31 July 2019). "'Conscious Colossus' and the role of sport in disadvantaged communities". Insider Sport. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  21. ^ Narayan, Niji (26 July 2019). "Colossus Bets Launches "Conscious Colossus" Charity Initiative". European Gaming Industry News. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  22. ^ "Introducing YGAM: Informing, educating and safeguarding young people against problematic gambling". Colossus Bets Blog. 23 July 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  23. ^ Streeter, Joe (24 July 2019). "Colossus Bets backs the Greyhound Trust with charitable campaign". Insider Sport. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  24. ^ "Clime-it Brothers Interview". Colossus Bets Blog. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  25. ^ "Colossus Bets founder, CEO no longer at the helm". CalvinAyre.com. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  26. ^ "Colossus Bets names Michael Owen brand ambassador (Press release)". Casino City. 9 September 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  27. ^ Stoker, Liam (10 September 2013). "Colossus Bets signs up former England striker Michael Owen". EGR Intel. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  28. ^ "Colossus Bets wins Rising Star at EGR Operator Awards". SBC News. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  29. ^ "Bernard Marantelli - Colossus Bets - Building a Crowd Pleaser with Colossus Syndicates". SBC News. 21 February 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  30. ^ Williams, Callum (17 August 2017). "British Racecourses and Colossus Bets Announce Partnership to Transform Pool Betting on British Racing". Colossus Blog. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  31. ^ Cranham, Mark (12 July 2018). "No revolution but still a new start for pool betting as Betfred monopoly ends | Horse Racing News | Racing Post". Racing Post. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  32. ^ "No revolution but still a new start for pool betting as Betfred monopoly ends | Horse Racing News | Racing Post". www.racingpost.com. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  33. ^ Acteson, Ed (1 August 2019). "Colossus celebrates its sixth anniversary". Colossus Blog. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  34. ^ "Colossus Bets obtains totalizator license in Oregon". www.yogonet.com. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  35. ^ "SIS pens new partnership with Colossus Bets". SBC News. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  36. ^ Miller, George (30 October 2019). "Colossus Bets secures first U.S. customer for SIS World Greyhound Tote Pool jackpots". European Gaming Industry News. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  37. ^ https://www.gamblinginsider.com/news/7917/bet365-to-license-colossus-bets-us-cash-out-patents
  38. ^ "Colossus launch NHL pools!". Colossus Bets Blog. 24 September 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  39. ^ "Colossus Bets - Back to the future". Gambling Insider. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  40. ^ "Colossus Bets steps in to sponsor Greyhound Grand National". Insider Sport. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  41. ^ "Colussus Bets Confirms Bernard Marantelli CEO Departure". SBCNews. 14 October 202. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  42. ^ https://jpst.it/2uvUk
  43. ^ https://www.gamblinginsider.com/news/10191/david-oreilly-succeeding-bernard-marantelli-as-colossus-bets-ceo
  44. ^ https://floridanewstimes.com/esports-technologies-aims-to-enhance-the-cash-out-experience-through-an-exclusive-partnership-with-colossus-bets/265903/
  45. ^ "Colossus Bets sues DraftKings over cashout patent infringement". www.fortunegames.com. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
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