Wikipedia

Colossus Bets

Colossus Bets is a British bookmaker specialising in pools betting, headquartered in London. The company was founded in 2013 by Bernard Marantelli and Zeljko Ranogajec,[1] and holds several US patents covering cash-out and pools-betting functionality.[2]

Colossus Bets
IndustryGambling
Founded2013; 13 years ago (2013) in UK
FounderBernard Marantelli, Zeljko Ranogajec
HeadquartersLondon, England
Key people
David O’Reilly (CEO)
ProductsSports betting, sports technology, pools betting
Websitewww.colossusbets.com

History

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Colossus Bets was launched in the UK in 2013, initially providing solely football pools.[3][4] They would go on to add horse racing, greyhound racing, American football, ice hockey, basketball and darts pools, making them a multi-sport pools provider.[5]

In 2017, Colossus launched Syndicates, a group betting product that would allow its users to share the cost of their bets, and any potential winnings, with fellow players.[6] The introduction of horse racing pools in July 2018 meant that, for the first time, The Tote was no longer the sole horse racing pools operator in the UK market.[7][8]

Colossus Bets pools have been integrated into a number of partner sites,[9][10][11] including Bet365,[12] Betway Africa[13] and Dafabet.[14]

In August 2017, Colossus Bets announced that they had entered into a partnership with 54 British racecourses in order to supply betting pools.[15] However, in May 2018 a number of newspaper articles were published revealing that Zeljko Ranogajec was the principal backer of the company using the alias of John Wilson.[16][17][18] Subsequently, the consortium of 54 racecourses (Britbet) cancelled their arrangement with Colossus Bets in favour of The Tote.[19]

In October 2020, Marantelli left his role as chief executive and director;[20] David O'Reilly was appointed as his successor.[21]

In May 2021 Esports Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: EBET) announced an exclusive alliance with Colossus Bets.[22] Under the terms of the agreement Colossus Bets became a shareholder in Esports Technologies Inc.[23]

In 2021, Colossus Bets filed patent-infringement proceedings against DraftKings in the United States[2] and against Tabcorp in Australia, alleging unauthorised use of its cash-out functionality.[24] In July 2022, a US magistrate judge in the District of Delaware recommended that seven of the eight patents in the DraftKings case be upheld as valid, while finding one patent invalid.[25]

In September 2024, Colossus Bets submitted a proposal to replace the Tote as the on-course pool betting provider at British racecourses, with the offer made to Arena Racing Company, the Jockey Club and the Large Independent Racecourses group.[26]

Conscious Colossus

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In 2019, Colossus Bets launched Conscious Colossus, a charitable programme that has supported organisations including Alive and Kicking, the Greyhound Trust and the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM).[27]

Dates of Significance

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2012 – Founded by Bernard Marantelli.[28]

2013 – Colossus Bets launch in the UK with Michael Owen named as a brand ambassador.[29][30]

2014 – Winner of the ‘Rising star' award at the EGR Operator Awards.[31]

2017 – Colossus Bets launch Syndicates product.[32]

2017 – Colossus Bets announces partnership with consortium of British racecourses.[33]

2018 – Colossus Bets launch horse racing pools.[34]

2018 – 54 British racecourses repudiate Colossus bets as their pools betting partner.[34]

2019 - North Dakota Racing Commission licenses Colossusbets as a service provider.[35]

2019 – Oregon Racing Commission grants Colossusbets a totalizator license.[36]

2019 – Colossus Bets launch greyhound racing pools.[37][38]

2019 – Announces a long-term licensing agreement with Bet365 that will allow the operator access to its cash-out patent portfolio in the US.[39][40]

2020 – Colossus Bets launch ice hockey and darts pools.[41]

2020 – Winner of the ‘Best use of a brand ambassador' award at the EGR Operator Marketing and Innovation Awards for their partnership with Fallon Sherrock.[42]

2020 – Colossus Bets agreed a five-figure sponsorship deal with the Greyhound Grand National.[43]

2021 – Esports betting and technology company Esports Technologies Inc concludes alliance agreement with Colossus Bets.[44]

References

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  1. ↑ "About | Colossus Bets". corporate.colossusbets.com. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 O'Boyle, Daniel (2 December 2021). "Colossus Bets sues DraftKings over cashout patent infringement". iGB. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "Courses team up with Colossus Bets to 'transform' pool betting". Racing Post. 17 August 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  4. ↑ "Colossus Bets launches weekly £1m HDA15 football jackpot". SBC News. 14 August 2014. Archived from the original on 2 October 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  5. ↑ "Colossus Bets strikes deal with SIS for British & Irish greyhound racing". Yogonet International. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  6. ↑ Allen, Brad (15 February 2017). "Colossus Bets launches Syndicates betting product". EGR Intel. Archived from the original on 19 February 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  7. ↑ McClymont, Kate (17 May 2018). "Meet the Joker: the Australian who is the biggest gambler in the world". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  8. ↑ "Revealed: 'world's biggest gambler' is partner to new racecourse betting firm Britbet". The Times. 17 May 2018. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  9. ↑ Griffith, Mark (19 November 2015). "Matchbook launches Colossus Bets pools". InterGame. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  10. ↑ Evans, Jake. "RaceBets goes live with Colossus jackpots". EGR Intel. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  11. ↑ Narayan, Niji (6 September 2018). "Paf partners with Colossus to launch world's biggest jackpots". European Gaming Industry News. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  12. ↑ "Bet365 to license Colossus Bets' US cash-out patents". Gambling Insider. 30 September 2019. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  13. ↑ "Sports betting but BIGGER". AGBrief. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  14. ↑ "Colossus Bets". Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  15. ↑ "Courses team up with Colossus Bets to 'transform' pool betting". Racing Post. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  16. ↑ "Aussie known as world's biggest punter takes 'high risk' bet on British racing". NewsComAu. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  17. ↑ Souster, Mark. "Revealed: 'world's biggest gambler' is partner to new racecourse betting firm Britbet". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  18. ↑ McClymont, Kate (17 May 2018). "Meet the Joker: the Australian who is the biggest gambler in the world". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  19. ↑ "Tote, britbet Enter Standstill Period". Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  20. ↑ "Colussus Bets Confirms Bernard Marantelli CEO Departure". SBCNews. 14 October 202. Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  21. ↑ Poole, Tim (14 October 2020). "David O'Reilly succeeding Bernard Marantelli as Colossus Bets CEO". gamblinginsider.com. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  22. ↑ "Esports Technologies Announces Exclusive Patent License Agreement, New Alliance with Colossus Bets". nasdaq.com. 20 May 2021. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  23. ↑ "FORM 8-K". quotemedia.com. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  24. ↑ Bolza, Miklos (27 July 2021). "Tabcorp sued for patent infringement over 'Cash Out on Quaddie' feature". Lawyerly. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  25. ↑ Yasiejko, Christopher (19 July 2022). "DraftKings Bid to Nix Array of Patents Mostly Fails, Judge Says". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  26. ↑ Hughes, Matt (18 September 2024). "'Loch Ness Monster' of gambling bids to replace Winston Churchill's Tote". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2026 – via Yahoo Finance.
  27. ↑ Narayan, Niji (26 July 2019). "Colossus Bets Launches "Conscious Colossus" Charity Initiative". European Gaming Industry News. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  28. ↑ "Colossus Bets founder, CEO no longer at the helm". CalvinAyre.com. 15 October 2020. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  29. ↑ "Colossus Bets names Michael Owen brand ambassador (Press release)". Casino City. 9 September 2013. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  30. ↑ Stoker, Liam (10 September 2013). "Colossus Bets signs up former England striker Michael Owen". EGR Intel. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  31. ↑ Menmuir, Ted (25 November 2014). "Colossus Bets wins Rising Star at EGR Operator Awards". SBC News. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  32. ↑ Menmuir, Ted (21 February 2017). "Bernard Marantelli - Colossus Bets - Building a Crowd Pleaser with Colossus Syndicates". SBC News. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  33. ↑ Williams, Callum (17 August 2017). "British Racecourses and Colossus Bets Announce Partnership to Transform Pool Betting on British Racing". Colossus Blog. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  34. 1 2 Cranham, Mark (12 July 2018). "No revolution but still a new start for pool betting as Betfred monopoly ends". Racing Post. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  35. ↑ Acteson, Ed (1 August 2019). "Colossus celebrates its sixth anniversary". Colossus Blog. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  36. ↑ "Colossus Bets obtains totalizator license in Oregon". www.yogonet.com. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  37. ↑ Gallagher, Erin-Marie (8 October 2019). "SIS pens new partnership with Colossus Bets". SBC News. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  38. ↑ Miller, George (30 October 2019). "Colossus Bets secures first U.S. customer for SIS World Greyhound Tote Pool jackpots". European Gaming Industry News. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  39. ↑ "Terms and Conditions". 19 May 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  40. ↑ "Bet365 to license Colossus Bets' US cash-out patents".
  41. ↑ "Colossus launch NHL pools!". Colossus Bets Blog. 24 September 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  42. ↑ "Colossus Bets - Back to the future". Gambling Insider. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  43. ↑ "Colossus Bets steps in to sponsor Greyhound Grand National". Insider Sport. 6 October 2020. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  44. ↑ "Esports Technologies aims to enhance the cash-out experience through an exclusive partnership with Colossus Bets. - Florida News Times". Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
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