NEW YORK, April 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- 4.8 million
viewers tuned in to watch the Virtual Grand National 2020 created
by Inspired Entertainment, Inc. (Inspired") (NASDAQ: INSE), the
Company announced today. Potters Corner won the virtual race, but
the real winner was NHS Charities Together, the UK National Health
Service organization that will receive the event's approximately
£2.6 million in profits, donated by Inspired and all bookmaker
operators as part of the fight against COVID-19.
Inspired's Virtual Grand National was televised on ITV in the UK
at 5:00 PM on Saturday, April 4, 2020
in place of this year's Randox Health Grand National, which was
cancelled due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns. Featuring a stunning,
fully accurate re-creation of the Aintree Racecourse, Inspired
delivered an ultra-realistic 3D CGI representation of The Grand
National, as officially licensed by the Jockey Club, allowing
viewers to experience the world's most exciting and iconic
steeplechase using the latest, best-in-class graphics
animation.
"Virtual Racing has predominantly been used as an added feature,
providing a continual stream of betting content during quiet
periods or leading up to some of the biggest sporting events.
However, this year's race has proven Virtual Sports are realistic
enough to take center stage," said Steve
Rogers, Chief Commercial Officer of Virtual Sports for
Inspired. "In addition to the extensive viewership, Virtual Grand
National was trending second worldwide on Twitter on
Saturday. This is a great example of how Virtual Sports can
plug the gap and bring people together for some relief during these
difficult times just as real sports do."
The Virtual Grand National TV special featured the 40 horses and
riders who were most likely to run in the Aintree spectacular. 18-1
shot Potters Corner, the Coral Welsh Grand National winner, clung
on to beat Walk In The Mill, earning a place in the virtual history
books. Tiger Roll, who won the 2018 Virtual Grand National and was
the 2018 and 2019 Grand National champion, was the 5-1 favorite but
finished fourth.
Major betting operators throughout the UK offered odds on the
Virtual Grand National and contributed their profits from the race
to NHS Charities Together as did Inspired. Announcing the
donation to NHS Charities Together, Betting and Gaming Council
Chief Executive Michael Dugher said,
"We are overwhelmed with the public support for the Virtual Grand
National and for NHS Charities Together. Millions joined in
the fun in honour of one of Britain's greatest sporting events and helped
raise a fantastic amount for our brave heroes in the NHS. It was
heartwarming to see pictures on social media of so many people
enjoying themselves."
Inspired's Virtual Sports uses life-like graphics to mimic the
experience of real sports betting, thanks to technology that has
evolved over nearly two decades. Each event lasts around 90 seconds
and games are designed to be easy to play. Inspired has the
largest array of sports available 24/7, providing a consistent
stream of sports betting content, even at times when live sports
are not feasible. Virtual Sports provide new revenue streams for
gaming providers that can be easily integrated into existing
sportsbooks and websites. Trailers and demos of the latest
Virtual Sports offerings are available at
www.inseinc.com/virtuals/.
About Inspired Entertainment, Inc.
Inspired offers an expanding portfolio of content, technology,
hardware and services for regulated gaming, betting, lottery, and
leisure operators across retail and mobile channels around the
world. The Company's gaming, virtual sports, interactive and
leisure products appeal to a wide variety of players, creating new
opportunities for operators to grow their revenue. The Company
operates in approximately 35 jurisdictions worldwide,
supplying gaming systems with associated terminals and content
for more than 50,000 gaming machines located in betting shops,
pubs, gaming halls and other route operations; virtual sports
products through more than 44,000 retail channels; digital games
for 100+ websites; and a variety of amusement entertainment
solutions with a total installed base of more than 19,000
devices. Additional information can be found
at www.inseinc.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release may contain "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S.
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements may be identified by the use of words such as
"anticipate," "believe," "expect," "estimate," "plan," "will,"
"would" and "project" and other similar expressions that indicate
future events or trends or are not statements of historical
matters. These statements are based on Inspired's management's
current expectations and beliefs, as well as a number of
assumptions concerning future events.
Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown
risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many
of which are outside of Inspired's control and all of which could
cause actual results to differ materially from the results
discussed in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly,
forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as
representing Inspired's views as of any subsequent date, and
Inspired does not undertake any obligation to update
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after
the date they were made, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, except as required by law. You are
advised to review carefully the "Risk Factors" section of
Inspired's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
September 30, 2018 and in Inspired's
subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, which are available,
free of charge, on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's
website at www.sec.gov.
Contact:
For Investors
Aimee Remey
aimee.remey@inseinc.com
+1 646 565-6938
For Press and Sales
inspiredsales@inseinc.com
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SOURCE Inspired Entertainment, Inc.