Author: Andrew Fletcher

Austria has taken a significant step toward reshaping its gambling landscape by submitting proposed Gambling Act reforms to the European Commission for review. The Austrian Finance Ministry confirmed the draft has entered the EU’s Technical Regulation Information System, known as the TRIS notification procedure. This submission triggers a three-month standstill period during which the Commission and other member states can examine the draft and issue formal comments. Austria cannot adopt the legislation as law until that review window has closed, giving European partners an opportunity to raise concerns or objections. The draft, certain details of which were revealed in May,…

The Jockey Club has announced it is withdrawing its membership from the Racecourse Association, dealing another significant blow to the struggling horse racing trade body. The decision follows the conclusion of the RCA’s governance review, a process that had been running since March of this year before producing its key recommendations last Saturday. The Jockey Club joins Ascot in walking away from the organisation, with Ascot having already signalled its intention to quit the RCA before the end of the year. The RCA’s governance review proposed moving away from the existing one member, one vote structure in favour of a…

Continent 8 Technologies has appointed Mike Small as its new chief executive, ending Michael Tobin’s 28-year tenure at the helm of the company he founded. Small officially assumed the role on 15 July 2026, with Tobin transitioning to chairman after leading the business since its launch in 1998. The leadership change arrives as Continent 8 pursues an ambitious expansion of its global footprint across cloud, cybersecurity, infrastructure and AI-enabled technology services. Small brings more than 25 years of experience in the technology sector to the position, having held senior roles across several major global organisations. Most recently, he served as…

ThrillTech, a provider of side-bet jackpot technology, has appointed Amy Santos as its new chief operating officer effective 3 August 2026. Santos brings with her an extensive background across some of the most recognised names in the gambling industry, including Rank Group, William Hill, and Pragmatic Solutions. Most recently, Santos served as director of client relations and programme at Pragmatic Solutions, a position she held for over four-and-a-half years before stepping down. Before joining Pragmatic Solutions, she spent almost two years as strategic programme manager at William Hill, building a strong foundation in operational delivery. Her earlier career included two…

Sportradar delivered a strong second-quarter revenue performance in 2026, but the Swiss sports technology firm simultaneously cut its full-year financial outlook, unsettling analysts. The company reported revenue of €378m for the three months ending 30 June, a 19% increase compared with €318m recorded in the same period a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA also rose 19% to €76m, with the margin edging slightly higher to 20.2% during the quarter. CEO Carsten Koerl said: “Strong demand for our premium content, data and technology solutions, including increased monetisation of our IMG ARENA rights portfolio, drove double-digit growth while deepening our relationships across our…

SOFTSWISS has published a detailed analysis of betting behaviour across the FIFA World Cup 2026, uncovering major shifts in how players engaged with its Sportsbook platform. The tournament produced a threefold increase in activity on the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook, underlining the scale of engagement that major international football events consistently generate. Global wagering on the tournament reached approximately $210bn according to preliminary estimates, representing roughly double the volume recorded during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Under normal conditions, live betting accounts for approximately 80% of activity on the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook, with pre-match wagers making up the remaining 20%. During the World…

Romania has launched a significant overhaul of how player winnings from gambling are taxed, marking a major shift in the country’s regulatory approach. The new regime places fresh financial obligations on players who receive winnings from licensed gambling operators operating within the Romanian market. Romania has been steadily tightening its gambling regulations in recent years, with authorities keen to bring the sector in line with broader European standards. The updated tax framework is expected to affect a wide range of gambling verticals, including online casino, sports betting, and other licensed gaming activities. Player winnings taxes are increasingly common across regulated…

SBC Summit will run from 29 September to 1 October 2026, bringing together 40,000 industry professionals at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa and MEO Arena. The three-day event will combine networking, exhibition, and an expanded education programme designed to give delegates meaningful, practical takeaways. This year’s Education+ offering introduces specialist Masterclasses as part of an optional upgrade available to both SBC Summit and Affiliate Leaders Summit attendees. Three expert-led Masterclasses will cover Sportsbook Trading, Electronic Gaming, and Responsible Gaming Marketing, targeting professionals who want operational depth. These sessions are structured to move delegates beyond high-level discussion and into practical, skills-focused…

BoaBet, a casino-first operator, achieved a 150% rake increase by adding a managed poker vertical without hiring a single additional employee. The story was revealed in a conversation involving Dmitry Starostenkov, CEO of EvenBet Gaming, Gasper Janezic, CEO of WePlay Network, and Antonio La Vigna, Head of Poker at BoaBet. La Vigna admitted he was the biggest internal skeptic when the idea of launching a poker product was first raised at BoaBet. His team had deep expertise in slots, sports betting, and casino retention, but poker felt, in his own words, like a completely different universe. La Vigna’s central concern…

ICONIC21 has launched HiLo, a new card title built around one of the oldest and most familiar decisions in gambling history. The iGaming content provider has stripped the concept back to its purest form, asking players a single question at every step of each round. Higher or lower is the only call required, and crucially, the probability and multiplier for each option are displayed upfront before any choice is made. A correct prediction multiplies the player’s stake on the first step, with the potential win amount then multiplied across every subsequent decision that follows. Players are never locked into continuing,…