WENZHOU, China, May 31, 2022
/PRNewswire/ -- ZK International Group Co.,
Ltd. (Nasdaq: ZKIN) ("ZKIN", "ZK
International" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that
Nicki Minaj, the most successful female rapper of all time,
entrepreneur and media mogul is bringing her artistry and influence
to the world of sports betting through a multi-year, global
partnership with MaximBet, a ZKIN portfolio company.
ZKIN has invested US$25 million
into MaximBet and currently owns 16% of the company. Mr. Huang,
Chairman and CEO of ZKIN stated, "We remain committed to, and
excited by, our investment in MaximBet. Competitors in the space
have multi-billion-dollar market caps and we believe this
investment holds tremendous upside for our shareholders that is not
reflected in the current ZKIN share price".
Nicki Minaj is recognized for disrupting the male-dominated
industry of rap music and is planning to do the same with sports
betting. As a significant shareholder in MaximBet, Minaj brings her
style and ethos to not only illustrate the lifestyle of our brand,
but also to vastly broaden its audience. This includes inviting
many more women to participate in sports betting. A lifelong sports
fan, Minaj will work with MaximBet on branding, merchandise,
creative activations, partnerships and fan experiences to bring
together entertainment, sports, celebrities and betting.
MaximBet is currently live in the state of Colorado and is on track to launch in nine
additional U.S. states and the Canadian province of Ontario, bringing MaximBet's total coverage to
approximately 50% of the legal sports wagering market in
North America. MaximBet is the
only true lifestyle sports betting brand in the industry, rewarding
players with real-life, "money can't buy" experiences. The
ground-breaking partnership with Minaj allows the company to
accentuate experiential sports betting even more by continuing to
capitalize on the explosive growth of the sector. The total
addressable market in the United
States for online sports-betting and i-gaming is growing at
32% annually and is expected to reach US$58
billion by 2025 as confirmed by market research firm Eilers
&Krejcik.
"I don't think I've ever been prouder of a collaboration," Minaj
said. "Merging business savvy power moves with my natural,
creative, sexy, fun, and fashion-forward expression is just so spot
on as it relates to this partnership. I'm ready to fully step into
my potential as a young, influential Queen and owner and open doors
for others to dream big. Get ready for the sexy parties and
remember: scared money don't make NO MONEY!!!! HA!!! Place your
bets!!!! Let's GO!!!"
Minaj boasts 280 million social media followers and is the most
followed rapper, seventh most followed musician, and 18th most
followed person in the world on Instagram. Previous
partnerships have been widely successful including her
collaboration with Fendi which immediately sold out everywhere.
Merging her art and fashion, she quickly succeeded in reigniting
the brand's popularity for Fendi logo print items with just one
lyric in her 2018 hit song "Chun-Li." Minaj has recently achieved a
similar impact with the likes of Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Crocs, DSQUARED2, Marc Jacobs, and more to the point where if she
wears an item on social media, it instantly sells out online.
"Nicki Minaj is one of the most iconic and influential
entertainers in the world," said Daniel
Graetzer, CEO, MaximBet. "The conversion of entertainment
and sport is happening at warp speed, and we've built a brand that
can appropriately stand at the center of that. Nicki's business
experience and relationships open a wealth of opportunity for
MaximBet and her involvement as an owner will allow us to work
together on decisions in all parts of the business."
For the latest news on MaximBet, please follow the company on
Twitter at @MaximBetUSA. For Maxim, follow @maximmag.
About ZK International Group Co., Ltd.
ZK International Group Co., Ltd. is a China-based
engineering company building and investing in innovative
technologies for the modern world. With a focus on designing and
implementing next-generation solutions through industrial,
environmental and software engineering, ZKIN owns 28 patents, 21
trademarks, 2 Technical Achievement Awards, and 10 National and
Industry Standard Awards.
ZKIN's core business is to engineer and manufacture patented
high-performance stainless steel and carbon steel pipe products
that effectively deliver high quality, highly-sustainable and
environmentally sound drinkable water to the Chinese, Asia and European markets. ZK
International is Quality Management System Certified (ISO9001),
Environmental Management System Certified (ISO1401), and a National
Industrial Stainless Steel Production Licensee. It has
supplied stainless steel pipelines for over 2,000 projects, which
include the Beijing National Airport, the "Water Cube" and "Bird's
Nest", which were venues for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. ZK
International is preparing to capitalize on the $850 Billion
commitment made by the Chinese Government to improve the quality of
water, which has been stated to be 70% unfit for human contact.
In 2018, ZKIN established its wholly-owned xSigma Corporation to
develop innovative software solutions that support its core
operations while exploring new opportunities in smart contracts,
distributed ledgers, supply chain management and blockchain
architecture. The xSigma Labs team is made up of world-class
developers and engineers formerly of Facebook, Google, Amazon,
Ripple and 1inch, most recently launching its first DeFi project in
the Fall of 2020.
In March of 2021, ZKIN announced the formation of its new
wholly-owned subsidiary, xSigma Entertainment Limited. It was
established as part of ZK's integrated network of companies focused
on developing and investing in innovative software technology
platforms. xSigma Entertainment's mandate is to acquire assets in
the high-growth US gaming market. Sigma Entertainment aims to
increase shareholder value by targeting and investing in early
stage online gambling businesses that are poised for exponential
growth and exits.
For more information please visit
www.ZKInternationalGroup.com. Additionally, please follow
the Company on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube,
and Weibo. For further information on the
Company's SEC filings please visit www.sec.gov.
About MaximBet
MaximBet, which is owned and operated by Carousel Group and in
partnership with Maxim Magazine, is an immersive entertainment and
lifestyle experience, bringing the best in online betting and the
coolest real-world experiences all onto one platform. MaximBet
gives players incredible real-life and virtual access to
celebrities, athletes, and influencers, and let guests truly live
the Maxim lifestyle wherever they live and play. MaximBet is an
Approved Gaming Operator of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the
National Basketball Association (NBA).
Safe Harbor Statement
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words
such as "may," "will," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "intend,"
"could," "estimate" or "continue" or the negative or other
variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to
identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements
that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations
of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future
performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and
assumptions that are difficult to predict and many of which are
beyond the control of ZK International. Actual results may
differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements due
to risks and uncertainties, as well as other risk factors that are
included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission. Although ZK International believes that
the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are
reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove inaccurate and,
therefore, there can be no assurance that the results contemplated
in forward-looking statements will be realized. In light of
the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking
information included herein, the inclusion of such information
should not be regarded as a representation by ZK International or
any other person that their objectives or plans will be achieved.
ZK International does not undertake any obligation to revise the
forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or
circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of
unanticipated events.
For any questions regarding this release, please contact:
Di Chen
Cell Number: +86 15057357883
Email: super.di@live.cn
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pop-culture-icon-nicki-minaj-becomes-significant-stakeholder-global-ambassador-and-advisor-to-zk-internationals-portfolio-company-maximbet-301557610.html
SOURCE ZK International Group Co., Ltd.