Author: Andrew Fletcher

The New South Wales government has announced an additional A$1.3 million in funding to bolster its GambleAware counselling and support programme statewide. The injection will expand GambleAware’s free services to 49 locations across the state, representing a 44% increase from the previous 34 sites. Five additional peer support workers will be hired as a direct result of the funding, bringing the total number of statewide workers to 16. Last year, GambleAware representatives assisted 4,170 people and provided crisis help to over 9,500 individuals through its dedicated helpline. Contracts for the expanded services were awarded through a competitive tender process, with…

Bally’s Intralot has agreed terms on a £243.1m acquisition of evoke, the parent company of William Hill and 888, in an all-share deal. Under the agreement, evoke shareholders will receive 0.537 new Intralot shares for each evoke share held, with a cash alternative of 52p per share available subject to a £117.1m cap. The offer represents a 138% premium to evoke’s closing share price on 9 December 2025, the day before evoke announced a strategic review amid concerns over rising UK gambling duties. It also represents a 77% premium to evoke’s volume-weighted average share price of 29.4 pence in the…

LSports has secured a landmark multi-year agreement with Caliente Interactive, the dominant digital sports betting operator across Latin America. Caliente Interactive is not a mid-tier operator trialling new technology but rather the established benchmark for sports betting throughout the entire region. Under the deal, Caliente will integrate LSports’ real-time data feeds to power both its pre-match and in-play offerings across its LATAM digital platforms. The scope of the agreement extends well beyond straightforward data delivery, reaching deep into the operational core of Caliente’s business. LSports’ technology will underpin Caliente’s fan engagement tools, odds management systems, and risk infrastructure, effectively becoming…

Play971 has officially launched as the United Arab Emirates’ first fully licensed sports betting platform, completing its rollout ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The platform completed a period of testing and soft launch before going live for UAE-based customers, remaining the only licensed provider offering regulated domestic sports wagering in the country. Although the UAE did not qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, local fans can still back regional teams including Jordan, Qatar, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia throughout the tournament. Play971 supports wagering on both mobile and desktop, complemented by a comprehensive iGaming offer featuring exclusive and…

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup now almost upon us, analysts and betting industry insiders are already staking their reputations on bold predictions across key categories. Thanos Ntakis, Cross-Functional Manager at Altenar, has declared France as his pick to lift the trophy when the tournament concludes this summer. “Spain, England, Brazil and Argentina will all be right in the mix, but France just looks like the safest pick: elite depth, tournament experience and the kind of match-winners who can drag them through tight knockout games,” Ntakis said. Ntakis pointed to France’s pedigree as a key factor, noting their 2018 World…

Simon Westbury, Strategic Advisor at 1xBet, has argued that higher quality education from both operators and regulators is essential to normalising player protection across the industry. Westbury cautioned against over-educating players to the point of inducing apathy, but stressed that operational transparency remains mandatory for delivering robust and meaningful protection. He used a relatable analogy to make his case, explaining that understanding return-to-player figures does not mean expecting exact returns, but it does help players make genuinely informed choices about their activity. “It’s very clear education needs to be given to the player to make an informed choice,” Westbury said,…

Sweden’s presence at the 2026 World Cup has ignited extraordinary betting enthusiasm, with LeoVegas reporting a surge in activity that is unlike anything seen during the regular season. Per Carlander, Director of Sport Strategy at LeoVegas, described the mood around Sweden’s campaign as electric, with the operator’s trading desks feeling the pressure of heavy patriotic backing on every Blågult fixture. Sweden arrives at the tournament carrying genuine star power, with Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres ranked among the Premier League’s most expensive strikers currently playing in England’s top flight. The national team’s road to qualification was far from smooth, with…

Bet365 has launched a new Fantasy Sports product timed to coincide with the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off on June 11. The free-to-play mobile game was developed in partnership with B2B sports gamification specialist LOW6, which focuses on building interactive F2P mobile experiences for sports fans. Available to users aged 18 and over across the United States and Canada, the app is accessible in all eligible markets with the sole exception of Washington state. The game blends fantasy sports competition with collectible athlete card mechanics, allowing users to open in-app player packs and build competitive…

UK gambling operators are facing fresh regulatory pressure following a new compliance initiative announced by the Committee of Advertising Practice and the Advertising Standards Authority. The joint initiative specifically targets social media content that could be considered appealing to under-18s, marking a significant focus on protecting younger audiences online. Both the Committee of Advertising Practice and the Advertising Standards Authority have long played central roles in shaping how gambling is advertised across the United Kingdom. The move reflects growing concern among regulators about the reach of gambling-related social media content and its potential exposure to minors browsing popular platforms. Despite…

The Advertising Standards Authority has announced it will use artificial intelligence to identify gambling advertisements deemed to have “strong appeal” to under-18s. The Committee of Advertising Practice updated its guidance back in October 2025, clarifying what content would breach CAP Code 16.3.12 by appealing to young people. Despite that updated guidance, the ASA found that non-compliant ads were still appearing on social media platforms, prompting the decision to take further action. From 11 June, the ASA’s Active Ad Monitoring system will conduct a sweep of social media to identify any offending gambling advertisements still in circulation. The Gambling Commission has…