Author: Andrew Fletcher

The Hundred cricket tournament will allow gambling logos on team shirts this season after multiple franchises failed to secure commercial partners in time. The England and Wales Cricket Board had previously opposed betting sponsorship because the tournament was designed for a family audience. That stance has now been softened under pressure from the eight competing teams, with the relaxation approved for a single year only. Three teams remained without front-of-shirt sponsors less than two weeks before the competition was due to begin, with others also close to missing out. The Hundred Board approved betting partnerships for 2026 subject to a…

A Las Vegas woman has pleaded guilty to bigamy and fraud after allegedly marrying 14 men she met online and collecting over $100,000 in cash from them. Jiaying Chen, 33, reportedly used a consistent playbook: marry quickly, claim a sick relative in China, collect a five-figure loan, and disappear before anyone asked questions. One man reportedly handed over $23,000 immediately after their wedding, while another gave around $30,000 after the pair discussed saving for a house together. Authorities say Chen lost more than $300,000 at Wynn Las Vegas over the past year, with police believing the money obtained from her…

Italy’s gambling regulator, the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM), has added prediction market platform Polymarket back to its list of blocked websites. The ADM ordered internet service providers to block access to 293 unauthorised gambling websites as part of its ongoing crackdown on illegal online gaming. Polymarket.com is among the newly blocked domains, returning to Italy’s blacklist despite previously winning a favorable ruling before the Regional Administrative Court. Internet service providers have been instructed to complete the blocking process by July 27, 2026, under Article 102 of Decree-Law No. 104/2020. This is not the first time Polymarket has faced a…

Bragg Gaming Group has announced a second major round of layoffs in 2026, reducing its global workforce by a further 19% to drive cost efficiencies. The latest cuts are expected to deliver approximately €6 million in annualised cost savings for the struggling iGaming technology company. This follows an earlier round of redundancies in January, which targeted a 12% reduction in the company’s global headcount. Combined, the two restructuring efforts are estimated to generate annualised savings of €10.5 million, though Bragg has acknowledged related costs of around €0.6 million are now expected. CEO Matevž Mazij commented: “We believe that the steps…

Germany has increased the maximum stake limit for licensed online slot machines for the first time since regulating the market, with changes taking effect from 1 July 2026. The previous flat €1-per-spin limit has been replaced with a tiered system that takes into account factors including player age and gambling history. Gamblers under the age of 21 will remain subject to the existing €1 maximum stake, preserving stricter protections for younger players. Adults aged 21 and over can now wager up to €3 per spin under the new framework introduced by the Joint Gambling Authority of the Federal States (GGL).…

EveryMatrix has significantly deepened its relationship with the Merkur Group by agreeing a major new omnichannel sportsbook deal covering Belgium and Denmark. The agreement with Belgian operator Betcenter will see EveryMatrix replace the operator’s existing in-house sportsbook platform with its full technology stack. The deal covers both Betcenter’s online sportsbook and its extensive retail estate, with EveryMatrix also handling customer operations migration. A new front-end will be introduced as part of the agreement, designed to deliver a more seamless betting experience across all channels. Betcenter is one of Belgium’s leading sports betting operators, running more than 50 betting shops alongside…

UK Tote Group has strengthened its senior leadership structure by promoting Paddy Desmond to Chief Operating Officer and bringing in a new B2B Chief Commercial Officer. Eugene Delaney has joined the pool betting operator in the newly defined B2B CCO role, adding significant commercial experience to the group’s leadership bench. Delaney arrives with a strong industry background, having previously served as B2B Director at Spotlight Sports Group before taking on that position. He also held the role of Commercial Manager at Paddy Power earlier in his career, giving him broad experience across both media and bookmaking sectors. Desmond’s journey within…

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Danish Gambling Authority to strengthen cross-border regulatory collaboration. The agreement covers key areas including compliance monitoring, supervision, information sharing, and enforcement across both jurisdictions. Both regulators oversee many of the same gambling operators, making coordinated approaches to market oversight increasingly important in a digital-first environment. A meeting between GRAI CEO Anne Marie Caulfield and Danish Gambling Authority Director General Anders Dorph provided the platform to exchange perspectives on shared regulatory challenges. The two officials used the meeting to align approaches where possible, particularly as online gambling…

Playtech has forecast its full-year adjusted EBITDA at a minimum of €270 million, significantly above the current analyst consensus figure of €219 million. The UK-based gaming supplier delivered first-half adjusted EBITDA of over €155 million, representing a 70% year-over-year increase for the six months ending June 30, 2026. Strong performances across the United States and Latin American markets, particularly Mexico and Colombia, were credited as the primary drivers behind the impressive half-year results. CEO Mor Weizer said: “We achieved an excellent performance in the first half of 2026, reflecting continued momentum in regulated markets, notably the Americas and certain European…

T5C has officially launched as a standalone sports betting technology brand following its separation from Checkd Group, where it previously operated as the internal development unit known as Checkd Dev. The new studio went live in July 2026, marking a significant structural shift for a team that had spent years building the technical foundations underpinning one of igaming’s most prominent affiliate operations. With a 17-year industry track record, the group behind T5C was responsible for the technology infrastructure that helped drive Checkd Group’s growth across multiple social media channels and audience engagement platforms. Operating independently, T5C will focus exclusively on…