EXCLUSIVE: Madden Gaming Veteran-Led Photo Finish Teams Up With BlockBet To Expand Into Sports Betting, Simulcasting

Virtual horse racing game Photo Finish LIVE signed a partnership with blockchain-powered sportsbook and casino company BlockBet to expand its simulcast opportunities and utility in the sports betting sector.

What Happened: Photo Finish LIVE, which is a play-to-earn virtual horse race game utilizing the Solana SOL/USD blockchain, will integrate its $CROWN utility token into BlockBet.gg as part of the partnership.

BlockBet becomes the first-ever simulcast partner of Photo Finish LIVE as part of the agreement. Users will be able to wager on virtual horse races, real-world sports, casino games and more with the integration of $CROWN.

Users will also be able to bet on Photo Finish LIVE races through the simulcasting of thousands of races. Bettors will be able to wager using $CROWN, Solana, Bitcoin BTC/USD, Bonk BONK/USD, Ethereum ETH/USD and other supported tokens on BlockBet.

"Integrating Photo Finish Simulcast wagering into BlockBet's sportsbook is the first step in our strategic expansion into the sports wagering market," Third Time Games CEO and Founder Ian Cummings said.

Third Time Games owns Photo Finish LIVE. Cummings is experienced in the gaming space, where past roles include being the former creative director for the Madden NFL gaming franchise at Electronic Arts EA.

"This partnership reflects our commitment to revolutionizing the virtual sports experience and marks the beginning of a transformative year for Photo Finish Live as we bring the excitement of wagering on virtual horse racing to global audiences," Cummings added.

Growth Ahead: The partnership adds utility to the $CROWN token, which has been awarded to Photo Finish LIVE users over time as part of its horse racing ecosystem.

Users can now use their $CROWN on BlockBet, which is backed by the Blockasset Network. Blockasset is "the sports network you own" and has the $BLOCK token. Blockasset has partnerships with the UFC, ESPN and athletes that include Wayne Rooney and Alex Pereira.

"This partnership with Photo Finish is the next step in bringing great value to our $BLOCK community," Blockasset Chief Commercial Officer Ian Millman said. "Working with such a high-quality virtual sports product, the opportunities to deliver exceptional value and experiences to everyone using $BLOCK and $CROWN are endless."

Sol Big Brain of Big Brain Holdings, is an investor in both Photo Finish LIVE and Blockasset.

“Big Brain Holdings strongly believes in the transformative potential of these products. This partnership represents a significant step forward for the future of virtual sports wagering and crypto gaming while enhancing the utility of $CROWN and $BLOCK tokens,” Big Brain said.

Photo Finish LIVE and BlockBet are launching a joint promotional campaign that will award $CROWN rewards to the BlockBet users with the highest wagers on virtual sports. Photo Finish users making the largest in-game wagers will earn $BLOCK as part of the campaign.

Simulcast off-track betting continues to be a key growth focus for Photo Finish LIVE. An app has been approved for release on ROKU devices and smart TVs that could reach an audience of around 100 million users, with the launch anticipated in this fiscal year.

Photo Finish LIVE estimates the global horse betting market will grow from $44.3 billion in 2022 to $91.2 billion in 2032.

"By blending the timeless thrill of horse racing with the convenience of 24/7 digital wagering, Photo Finish LIVE continues to set new standards in virtual sports entertainment," the company said.

Photo Finish LIVE is also a partner of the Kentucky Derby, the annual race owned by Churchill Downs Inc CHDN.

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