Author: Andrew Fletcher

Gordon Moody has appointed a new chief executive officer as the UK gambling harm treatment sector enters a transformative period shaped by the statutory levy. The organisation is one of the UK’s leading specialist providers of gambling harm treatment and support services, with a strong national presence. Gordon Moody received £4.5m in funding from the Office, marking a significant financial development for the charity as it prepares for the challenges ahead. The leadership revamp signals a clear strategic intent to position the organisation effectively within a rapidly shifting regulatory and funding landscape across the UK. The statutory levy represents a…

Gibraltar has emerged as a potential gateway for prediction markets seeking a compliant route into the European regulatory landscape. Despite significant lobbying efforts, European regulators have consistently pushed back against the expansion of prediction markets across the continent. Regulators have described prediction markets as having a questionable regulatory status, a characterisation that directly undermines existing gambling regimes throughout Europe. Andrew Lyman has argued that Gibraltar is uniquely positioned to shape a safe and compliant framework that could open doors for prediction markets in the region. The expansion of prediction markets is widely regarded as one of the most explosive and…

Scotland is heading back to the World Cup after a 28-year wait, and the excitement among the Tartan Army is reaching fever pitch ahead of the tournament. The last time Scotland graced the world’s biggest stage was at France 98, a tournament that many feared might mark the end of a long era of Scottish football presence on the global scene. Few Scottish football fans watching that 1998 campaign could have imagined the nation would spend nearly three decades waiting before finally securing another World Cup berth. McBookie, one of Scotland’s most recognised homegrown bookmakers, has spoken about what this…

Boomerang Partners’ Chief Marketing Officer Anton Eshtokin is challenging the traditional assumptions that have long underpinned sports marketing strategies worldwide. For years, sports marketing operated on a simple and reliable premise that major events attracted massive audiences and visibility alone was enough to deliver results. That straightforward model, however, has been fundamentally disrupted, and by 2026 brands can no longer rely on exposure alone to drive meaningful outcomes. Anton Eshtokin argues that the shift represents not just a tactical adjustment but a wholesale rethinking of how sports marketing delivers value in the modern landscape. Boomerang Partners, as an affiliate marketing…

Andrew Rhodes, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Great Britain Gambling Commission, has taken up a new position at international strategic advisory firm Hawkbridge. Hawkbridge describes itself as a betting industry-focused firm, making it a natural landing spot for someone of Rhodes’ extensive regulatory background and experience. The confirmation of Rhodes’ next career move comes just over a month after he formally vacated the leadership role at the Gambling Commission. His departure from the regulator was not entirely sudden, as it had been publicly announced as far back as February before he officially stepped down. Rhodes spent a significant…

Avanti Studios, Sentient Studios, and Evolution are at the centre of a growing debate about whether artificial intelligence will fundamentally transform the live casino industry. The live casino sector has long been dominated by giants such as Evolution, Pragmatic Play, and Playtech, who built their competitive positions on expensive physical studio infrastructure and high operational costs. A new wave of start-ups now believes that AI-powered virtual dealers can replicate the live experience at a fraction of the cost, presenting both a threat and an opportunity across the market. Avanti Studios, founded by ex-LeoVegas chief Gustaf Hagman and former Authentic Gaming…

Betfair is set to face a landmark High Court trial this week over allegations it failed in its duty of care to a client before his death. The case centres on Luke Ashton, who died by suicide in April 2021 after gambling extensively with the Flutter Entertainment-owned operator. Ashton’s widow, Annie, along with other family members, filed the lawsuit against Betfair following his death. The trial is expected to begin on 4 June and will take approximately three weeks to complete, according to City AM. The case raises fundamental questions about the obligations online gambling platforms owe to customers who…

Former Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes has officially joined Hawkbridge as a principal consultant, marking his first major move since leaving the regulator. Rhodes departed the UKGC at the end of April 2026, with his exit having been confirmed publicly in early February of the same year. The Welsh civil servant had led the Gambling Commission since June 2021, bringing nearly five years of regulatory leadership to his new advisory position. In his new role, Rhodes will advise clients on international regulatory strategy, government and regulatory engagement, and governance and operational standards. On what lies ahead, Rhodes commented: “The next…

The European Gaming and Betting Association has welcomed a new pan-European standard designed to identify players showing signs of risky gambling behaviour. The standard, known as EN 18144, was published on 31 May 2026 through national standardisation bodies of the European Committee for Standardisation. It represents the first common voluntary baseline for detecting and responding to problem gambling behaviour across European operators. EN 18144 sets out nine behavioural markers that operators can use to identify risky gambling patterns before they worsen or cause serious harm. Those markers include changes in stake volume, deposit frequency, session duration, and the use of…

Evoke’s chief risk and intelligent automation officer, Harinder Gill, has spoken openly about how the operator is deploying artificial intelligence across the entire player journey. The interview forms part of the State of AI Adoption in iGaming 2026 report, set to be published by The Playa and NEXT.io on 3 June. At Evoke, artificial intelligence is helping the company better understand what its players are communicating, fundamentally revolutionising how customer research is conducted. “Historically, feedback from customers was collected mostly from our UK users, which was often difficult to get any actionable insights from. To address this, we combined the…