Press Releases
Intertops celebrates 25 years since online gambling first
A milestone in gambling and ecommerce history took place 25 years ago this month when Intertops became the first company ever to accept an online bet.
The Austria-based operator’s brand new Intertops website handled a $50 wager, placed by a Finnish punter, on Tottenham Hotspur to beat Hereford United in an FA Cup fourth round tie on January 17, 1996.
At odds of just 1.04, the Premier League side’s 5-1 demolition of their lower-league opponents meant the punter profited by just $2, but it was a game-changing day for the betting industry, which until that day had been restricted to in-person and telephone wagering.
That $50 wager was the first of billions placed in the intervening quarter of a century, during which time Intertops has remained at the forefront of online betting. In 2000, the operator, responding to the growing potential of cell phones, launched the first-ever mobile betting site, and two years later introduced live betting.
In the years since 1996 Intertops has expanded beyond sports, with the creation of Intertops Casino in 1998 and the launch of Intertops Poker in 2003, thus always ensuring that its valued players can enjoy a full range of online gaming entertainment.
Intertops marks a quarter of a century of online betting by this year launching its new, redesigned in-play Sportsbook.
“We remain proud of our unique place in gambling history,” an Intertops spokesperson commented. “Gambling in one form or another had been around for millennia, yet Intertops brought it into the digital world in January 1996 thanks to our foresight and pioneering spirit, which remains the same today.
“In the years since that historic day, we have striven to stay at the head of the gambling sector, offering entertainment to millions of players each year through our comprehensive Sportsbook, Poker and Casino platforms.
“We will always be the first, but the introduction of our new Sportsbook will also ensure that we remain the best.”
Intertops was actually established in London back in 1983, and initially offered bookmaking services to players in Germany through a combination of telephone interactions and cash sent through the post.
It relocated to Austria almost a decade later to avoid British postal delays, but even in 1992 the World Wide Web was still more than a year away from common usage. Pizza Hut is considered to be the first company to complete an online transaction through the sale of a large pepperoni pizza in 1994, and it was Intertops that soon after took gambling into cyberspace.
“After all the years of success in the past, we remain committed to the future and providing players with the games they love to play,” the Intertops spokesperson added. “Here’s to 25 more years of a fun in a safe gaming environment.”
Press Releases
Gentoo Media adds Time2Play and several other websites to QMRA
Quality Mark Responsible Affiliates (QMRA) is a quality certificate for iGaming Affiliates. Affiliates from various jurisdictions (among which Sweden, Germany, Spain, Ontario CA and more) are welcome to join.
Gentoo, former GiG Media, decided to make QMRA membership for its websites policy in June 2024.
This week, Gentoo added multiple geo’s from Time2Play.Com to QMRA (recently acquired from Kafe Rocks), as well as several other websites (covering markets like Germany, Ontario and more).
The added websites will be checked by the QMRA Compliance Team, after which they will receive the Quality Mark and an online certificate. After one year, every website will be recertified.
This application was the largest so far by Gentoo: adding 12 geo’s/websites. In total, Gentoo now has 24 websites and/or geo’s connected to QMRA.
iGB
Cellxpert looks to build on record year ahead of iGB Affiliate debut
Cellxpert is looking to iGB Affiliate to help build on a record 2024 during which it has doubled its client base, secured major partnerships in key growth regions, including LATAM and Asia, and continued to strengthen relationships with large multi-brand, multi-country, and multi-product European and global operators.
“In LATAM, we’ve partnered with standout operators such as Aposta Ganha, Grupo Esportes da Sorte, and Blaze,” explained Josh Swerdlow, CRO at Cellxpert. “With new local licensing regulations set to reshape the market, consolidation is on the horizon. We’re helping operators not only navigate these changes but also scale their affiliate programs with the tools and features they need to stay ahead.”
In Asia, a market brimming with growth potential, Cellxpert has earned the trust of industry leaders such as FUN88, W88 and BTC365. “These partnerships speak to the scalability and transparency our platform provides,” Swerdlow notes. “Asia presents unique opportunities, and our ability to anticipate operator demands ensures our clients are set up for success. I’m incredibly proud of the team and want to take this opportunity to thank them for their dedication.”
Cellxpert’s success is rooted in its long-standing commitment to building a platform designed for the iGaming industry. Since 2008, under the leadership of CTO and founder Assaf Dor, the brand has developed a feature-rich and highly scalable platform using cutting-edge software architecture which ensures unlimited scalability and near-zero downtime.
“What sets us apart is our ability to deliver measurable value to operators,” Swerdlow emphasizes. “Whether it’s through real-time integrations that drive data-rich reporting, advanced postback or API features for affiliates, or automated payment workflows, we’ve built a platform operators and affiliates trust to handle the complexities of iGaming affiliate programs with thousands of active affiliates.”
Swerdlow, who joined Cellxpert around the time of iGB Affiliate’s last London event, brings nearly two decades of experience driving growth for B2B companies, with over 10 years in affiliate and partner marketing. “Since joining, I’m extremely proud of our achievements. My focus has been on scaling the business commercially while ensuring our clients achieve long-term success.
“2024 was a year of validation, proving that our approach resonates deeply with operators. In 2025, our priority will be expanding into new regions, strengthening relationships with our clients, and helping operators unlock their full growth potential.”
Looking ahead, Swerdlow is confident Cellxpert will continue to establish itself as the go-to solution for operators managing multi-brand, multi-country, multi-product affiliate programs. “Our focus will be on ensuring operators unfamiliar with our offering understand the transformative value we bring,” he adds. “With trust, innovation, and execution at the core of what we do, 2025 promises to be another year of record-breaking growth and industry leadership beginning at January’s historic edition of iGB Affiliate Barcelona.”
partnerships
QMRA launched in Greece – Game Lounge offers launching member website
Quality Mark Responsible Affiliates (QMRA) is a Quality Mark for iGaming Affiliates. QMRA outlines Compliance Codes for various markets. Among which Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the UK, Italy and more. Affiliate websites that adhere to the market-specific codes will be allowed to carry the QMRA logo for one year, after which full recertification is initiated. Members will receive compliance reports, for instance to be shared with operators or authorities. Next to that, members have an online QMRA certificate for the duration of membership.
QMRA is a follow up of the Dutch Affiliate Quality Mark KVA, operating since 2021. KVA and QMRA members uphold the highest standards when it comes to iGaming Compliance.
As of today, QMRA is available for Greek iGaming Affiliates. Game Lounge, one of the first QMRA members, is launching member for QMRA Greece with HellasCasinos.Com.
Quote by Yiannis Mercouris, Head of Eastern Europe at Game Lounge: “Greece’s regulatory landscape is one of the strictest in the iGaming sector, and at Game Lounge, we take great pride in ensuring full compliance with these standards. Working with QMRA has been an excellent experience, and we’re committed to upholding responsible gambling practices for Hellascasinos.com. We look forward to strengthening this partnership as we continue to move forward.”
Quote by Steven Vrolijk, QMRA Director: “We are very happy to be live in Greece now, and proud to have a dedicated launching member right away. We thank Game Lounge, Yiannis Mercouris specifically, for having faith in our newest operation!”