Midas Links

What is Midas Links?

When walking back to our hotel after finishing CalvinAyre.com EiG coverage in October of 2013, I looked over to my producer (Rob) and camera operator (Mani) and said, “I think my calling is Bitcoin”. 

As a team that year we had already covered several Bitcoin events including Bitcoin London and Le Web, both featuring Bitcoin enthusiasts who were eager to educate the world on this groundbreaking technology. EiG 2013 attracted several professionals in the Bitcoin space as well, at the time with a focus on introducing Bitcoin as a payment system for iGaming operators.

Calvin took notice of Bitcoin in the early days, immediately identifying its vast potential for his “first love”, the iGaming industry. Little did I know just how significant Bitcoin would become for CalvinAyre.com, Calvin Ayre as a person and myself as a professional. Fast forward to February 2021 and its time for CalvinAyre.com to hang up its hat. Bitcoin has actually become my calling. 

What is Midas Links?

Lottomatica chairman and CEO Guglielmo Angelozzi noted the combination would create a more diversified business with significant opportunities for growth.

“With the combination of Lottomatica and Cirsa, two extremely successful companies, we create the undisputed leader in Italy and Spain, among the best gaming markets globally, complemented by leadership positions in other very high growth geographies,” he said.

Cirsa CEO Antonio Hostench added: “I am delighted to embark on this exciting journey together. The combination of Cirsa and Lottomatica creates a world-class diversified gaming leader with leading positions across its core markets and significant opportunities to accelerate profitable growth.”

What is Midas Links?

Enda Kendrick, chief executive of service provider Veltium, similarly says the largest UK and European sharp-betting groups have moved rapidly into US prediction markets. He believes there are also more than 100 smaller operations, ranging from individual traders to teams of around 10, interested in entering the regulated US market.

Yet the presence of professional counterparties complicates the customer-facing idea that prediction markets merely allow users to trade opinions with one another. As Kendrick puts it, two ordinary customers are not going to place $10 million or $20 million behind the Philadelphia Eagles. Markets at that scale require institutions.

For Marantelli, the exchange format could also cause some customers to lose money faster than they would with a conventional sportsbook. The ability to enter and exit positions creates a perception of flexibility, but that optionality can encourage users to commit more of their bankroll.