BETER ends all business partnerships with Russian-based operators and suppliers

Cyprus-based gaming provider BETER announced Wednesday it is terminating co-operation with all Russia-based business partners. 

Given the status of war between Ukraine and Russia, BETER's senior management now considers the wider BETER global community as "morally unable to continue doing business with a country that is an aggressor nation for many of BETER's partners and stakeholders", as the company stated in an official press release.  

Following the announcement, BETER will now cease all business activities with its operator partners in the country, as well as give notice on all co-operation with suppliers based in Russia.

Given the status of war between Ukraine and Russia, we terminate all cooperation with Russia. BETER considers it morally unable to continue doing business with a country that is an aggressor nation for many of BETER’s partners and stakeholders. #StandWithUkraine #beter pic.twitter.com/xrveYApvOk

— BETER (@beter_corp) March 9, 2022

Given the temporary closure of operations of tournament organizers Setka Cup and ESportsBattle in Ukraine,  BETER will continue to stream its services from its multiple locations situated across the EU.

The provider is also currently preparing plans to further boost its content in the coming weeks by scaling up its Europe-based operations in response to the crisis.

In an official statement, Gal Ehrlich, CEO at BETER, said: "With  the present situation we consider ourselves unable to continue doing business with a country that has affected the lives of so many of our BETER partners and stakeholders based in Ukraine. This is the reason why no one can remain indifferent. We are deeply concerned about the war that was started in Ukraine by Russia, that is why termination of all our operations in Russia with both operators and suppliers is a must. We stand with Ukraine in these troubled times. But still we see the potential of the Ukrainian market and hope soon to reopen our studios in several cities of Ukraine." 

This move comes after several countries, entities and companies decided to take action in the face of this bellic conflict. 

Sportsbooks in Colorado have been prohibited to offer any bets on events, players or contests linked to the two belligerent countries since late February. Some of the suspended entities include the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia, the Belarussian Ice Hockey Association, and the Russian Football Union, among others. The Colorado Division of Gaming enforcement is not the only regulator or industry representative to act. 

Russian and Belarussian’s national teams and clubs have also been suspended by FIFA and UEFA from international football until further notice. The move makes it likely that Russia will be excluded from this year’s World Cup and women’s Euro 2020 tournament. 

“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine”, FIFA and UEFA said in a joint statement. 

These punishments involving sports and politics came after the International Olympic Committee pushed dozens of sports governing bodies to exclude Russian athletes, stating it was necessary to “protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants”.

The European State Lotteries and Toto Association (EL) announced its decision to suspend memberships in Russia and Belarus, and also recommended its members to stop taking bets on Russian and Belorussian teams and leagues.

“As a part of the global community, the European State Lotteries and Toto Association is deeply concerned about Russia’s reasonless invasion of Ukraine and the resultant threats to peace, humanity and stability”, the Association wrote in an official statement. 

NagaCorp, a Hong Kong-listed company controlled by Malaysia’s Chen Lip Keong that operates two casinos in Cambodia, announced last week that it is suspending work indefinitely on the planned Primorsky Entertainment Resort City project in Vladivostok, Russia, “until the circumstance is clearer".