Author: Andrew Fletcher

France remains one of Europe’s most closely watched gambling markets, with online casino regulation continuing to dominate industry debate heading into the second half of 2026. Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, President of French gambling regulator ANJ, has spoken candidly about the challenges surrounding iCasino regulation in the country. Her comments came as part of an exit interview examining the state of the French market, touching on illegal gambling growth, major operator influence, and regulatory balance. Falque-Pierrotin acknowledged the tension between restrictive legal compliance requirements and the unintended growth of illegal operators that such restrictions can encourage. “Indeed, it’s a question that can…

Wildz Group has unveiled Beazt Casino, a new platform built around fast transactions, mobile-first design, and a stripped-back approach to online gambling. Cofounder Lasse Rantala has spoken publicly about the thinking behind the launch, describing it as a return to the core values of the industry. The platform is designed to cut through the excess that has come to define many modern casinos, focusing instead on what players actually want from their experience. Beazt Casino is expected to become available to players before the end of the year, with the Wildz Group building anticipation around its no-frills philosophy. One of…

Operators across multiple markets have shared punter data revealing which nations fans are backing ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Three betting firms contributed to this breakdown: England-focused Bet St George, multinational operator Entain, and Greek international brand Kaizen Gaming, a market leader in Brazil. Bet St George, which builds its entire identity around English national pride, surveyed 1,000 bettors on whether England can finally win a World Cup. Four in ten, or 40%, of Bet St George customers firmly believe the Three Lions will return home as Champions of the World this summer. The most optimistic age group…

Flutter Entertainment has officially confirmed that July 31, 2026, will be its final day of trading on the London Stock Exchange, with formal delisting taking effect at 8:00am on August 3. The news was delivered via a notice to investors this morning, bringing clarity to a process that has been building for several months across the group’s capital markets operations. Investors were first informed of a review of Flutter’s London listing at the company’s AGM on May 7, as part of the publication of its Q1 2026 financial results. Flutter officially began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under…

Vyking Ventures, the investment arm of Vyking, has announced a strategic investment in prize draw business PrizeKings, signalling a clear push into fast-growing entertainment markets. PrizeKings is a technology-led company focused on building transparent, locally relevant competition platforms designed to serve players across multiple international territories. The business was founded by senior gaming executives with deep experience building, scaling and operating regulated entertainment and gaming brands at a global level. That operational pedigree is central to PrizeKings’ pitch, bringing proven discipline to a prize draw category that is attracting growing interest from investors and players alike. PrizeKings operates prize draw…

bet365 is celebrating two significant milestones simultaneously, cementing its dominance in Spain while expanding its marketing presence back home in the UK. The multinational betting operator maintained a strong growth trajectory in Spain between September 2025 and February 2026, becoming the most downloaded online sports betting app throughout that entire period. That sustained momentum is backed by an impressive user sentiment score, with the app averaging 4.5 stars across a total of 228,000 reviews from Spanish bettors. A YouGov study added further weight to the brand’s Spanish dominance, finding that 47% of Spanish users recognise bet365, making it the most…

Brightstar Lottery has confirmed a significant shake-up of its senior leadership structure, with its global lottery CEO preparing to exit the business at the end of June. Renato Ascoli, who has served as CEO of global lottery at Brightstar Lottery, will officially step down from his role on 30 June after one year in the position. Prior to joining Brightstar, Ascoli held various executive roles at IGT before the wider business underwent its break-up last year. Marco Tasso, currently chief operations officer for international and Italy operations, has been appointed to the newly created role of executive vice president and…

The FIFA World Cup represents one of the most intense stress tests any online sportsbook platform can face, combining massive traffic surges with enormous retention challenges. For operators, the tournament delivers a genuine commercial opportunity, with user registrations spiking and betting activity reaching levels that ordinary sports calendars rarely produce. However, extreme peak loads can expose critical weaknesses in platform infrastructure, and after the final whistle many operators face a sharp drop-off from players who came solely for the World Cup. 01.tech Sportsbook has built its architecture specifically to handle high-load pressure, with Kirill, Product Manager at 01.tech Sportsbook, explaining…

In 2026, iGaming suppliers are being told clearly by operators that marketing built around pipe dreams is actively costing them partnerships and credibility. The message from the buy-side is consistent and direct: stop promoting fantasy outcomes and start delivering realistic, evidence-backed promises that operators can actually act on. John Cook and Martyn Elliott have co-authored a joint op-ed examining why supplier campaigns are failing to resonate with operators across the European iGaming landscape. Martyn Elliott serves as Media Director at SBC and is often one of the first points of contact that suppliers have when engaging with the media team.…

Jennings Bet owner and CEO Greg Knight has pushed back against the prevailing negativity surrounding UK retail betting as his company hits a significant milestone. The independent bookmaker surpassed 200 shops following the acquisition of 15 locations from Star Sports in May, and has since opened a further eight venues to bring its total estate to 212 shops. The expansion bucks a wider industry trend, with Gambling Commission statistics pointing to a gradual decline in customer participation across retail betting in recent years. Major operators including Entain and evoke-owned William Hill have been closing venues, contributing to the perception that…