Caesars Entertainment, seeking a stronger foothold in the same-game parlay market, announced Friday it has acquired Australia-based sports betting technology company ZeroFlucs.
The two companies had a pre-existing relationship, with Caesars Sportsbook integrating ZeroFlucs technology as part of a recent upgrade to its parlay offerings for the current Major League Baseball season, including in-play same-game parlays.
“We are excited to welcome the talented ZeroFlucs team into the Caesars family,” Caesars Digital President Eric Hession said in a joint statement. “Their expertise in data science and trading technology coupled with their passion for sports makes them a perfect fit with our team as we drive to offer our customers the best sports betting product that complements our award-winning Caesars Rewards program.”
Caesars and other mobile sportsbooks are trying to cut into FanDuel‘s market share for same-game parlays, with the online titan being the first mover to market for such offerings.
SGPs have consistently grown increasingly popular since being introduced and have helped boost operator hold across the nation. The year-to-date hold on gross revenue from states that publish handle and revenue is 9.3% — more than 30% above the industry standard 7% — against $58 billion worth of total bets placed.
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— Caesars Entertainment (@CaesarsEnt) July 5, 2024
ZeroFlucs’ technology allows sportsbooks to augment price offerings while permitting operators to leverage their own data points. That’s important when it comes to same-game parlays, as each sportsbook’s platform can arrive at different pricing for the same parlay constructed.
Only a handful of states offer parlay handle and revenue figures, but five of the six states that furnish numbers show that parlay handle has accounted for at least 20% of total wagering in 2024. Additionally, those same five states — New Jersey, Illinois, Colorado, Oregon, and Mississippi — have shown that parlay revenue represents at least 44% of total operator winnings this year.
In Illinois, the lone state where operator figures are available for parlays, Caesars has posted a 15.7% hold to claim $6.3 million in revenue from a $40.1 million handle in the first four months of 2024. Year-over-year parlay handle is up just 0.2%, but revenue has risen 17.2% as the win rate is 2.3 percentage points higher this year.
“We are thrilled to be joining forces with the team at Caesars and can’t imagine a better home for our people or a platform for our product to shine on,” said Steve Gray, ZeroFlucs’ Founder and Chief Executive Officer, who joins Caesars Digital as Senior Vice President of Pricing Initiatives. “Our team has always been passionate about being at the forefront of what’s possible in sports betting, and with the resources and reach of Caesars, we can now focus on taking these experiences to the next level.”
Caesars Entertainment was trading at $37.32 on the NASDAQ market as of 12:50 p.m. EDT on Friday, down 41 cents for the day.