The Sports Betting Hall of Fame will see five new members this year, and three of those inductees have already been confirmed by Sports Betting Community (SBC), the organization that curates the body.
The new members will be recognized and inducted during a ceremony at the National History Museum during Betting on Sports Week in London this September.
Industry Pioneers
The Sports Betting Hall of Fame is designed to honor individuals who have made instrumental contributions to the sports betting industry over the course of their careers. Nominees are expected to have extensive experience in the industry, have introduced some type of innovative products or ideas, and to have helped promote sports betting to the public.
The three confirmed nominees each helped to found organizations that have become giants in the betting industry. The first is Norbert Teufelberger, the co-founder of Bwin who now serves as the chairman of online gambling technology supplier EveryMatrix.
Teufelberger will be joined by Constantinos Antonopoulos, who was a founding member of Intralot and formerly served as the company’s CEO. In comments posted on the SBC News website, Antonopoulos spoke to the importance of leaders and pioneers in the betting industry striking a “great balance” between giving customers what they want but doing so in a responsible manner.
“The industry brings a lot of joy and entertainment to its customers, but also need to protect them through integrity, transparency, and social responsibility,” Antonopoulos said.
Also earning induction is Warwick Bartlett, who founded Global Betting and Gaming Consultants (GBGC) and was formerly the chairman of the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB).
“I’ve spent most of my working life in and around the betting industry, so it’s a great honor for me to be recognized by my peers in this way,” Bartlett said, according to SBC. “There are already some real inspirational names in the Sports Betting Hall of Fame and I’m looking forward to getting involved in September.”
Two More Inductees TBD
The 2018 class will be the third inducted into the Sports Betting Hall of Fame. Previously, three individuals were inducted each year. This year, a total of five new members will be selected, with nominations still open for the other two members to be honored this year.
Along with the induction ceremony, this year’s Betting on Sports Conference will close with a Hall of Fame panel that features members discussing the state of the betting industry and a variety of related issues.
While the Hall of Fame is relatively new – there are only six members prior to this year’s class – there are already clear patterns when it comes to the inductees. Members tend to be the founders or senior executives of notable betting firms or companies that service the sports betting industry.
Previous inductees include Pinnacle CEO Paris Smith, Betfred Group founder Fred Done, Sportradar AG CEO Carsten Koerl, and Howard Chisholm, owner of Chisholm Bookmakers.
