Author: Andrew Fletcher

Veikkaus, the Finnish state-owned gambling operator, has posted a return to growth in the first half of 2026 alongside a series of significant strategic announcements. The company recorded overall sales revenue of €471.3m for H1 2026, up 1% from €466.4m generated during the same period in 2025. Veikkaus has confirmed it will pay approximately €1bn in compensation to retain its exclusive lottery licence for a ten-year period, with much of that payment due on a front-loaded basis during 2026. The timing of the revenue upturn is particularly welcome given that substantial financial obligation, which places considerable pressure on the operator’s…

In the early days of iGaming, owning as much of the operation as possible felt like the obvious strategy for any ambitious operator looking to grow. Building technology in-house, assembling internal teams and developing expertise across every function gave operators a sense of control over how their business performed. Warren Jacobs, CEO of Betable, argues that while this logic still has merit, the reality of running an operator has changed considerably since those early days. Technology has grown more sophisticated, regulatory requirements have increased, and operators are now managing a growing number of products, suppliers and markets simultaneously. Behind every…

Flutter Entertainment has confirmed that up to 100 Paddy Power betting shops are under review as the company moves to cut costs amid rising tax pressures. The parent company of Paddy Power cited the near-doubling of remote gaming duty as a key driver behind the potential closures and redundancies. Flutter stated that approximately 400 roles could potentially be put at risk of redundancy as it implements measures to offset the impact of higher gambling taxes. The threatened closures would represent roughly a fifth of Paddy Power’s entire retail estate across the UK and Ireland. Paddy Power currently operates 506 betting…

Maverick Gaming is closing two of its Washington state properties in November, eliminating 238 jobs as the company continues restructuring under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company’s affiliate, Maverick Washington LLC, filed Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notices with Washington state officials on August 31, confirming the upcoming closures. Documents show that two Tukwila casinos, Riverside Casino and Great American Casino, are scheduled to shut their doors on November 1. Riverside Casino will account for the majority of the job losses, with 142 positions expected to be eliminated when the property closes. Great American Casino will account for the remaining…

David Flynn has been appointed chairman of Intro.community Inc. as the networking start-up prepares for an invite-only launch before a wider autumn rollout. The firm has confirmed a board and investor line-up that spans iGaming, sports media, and Nordic business communities across multiple regions. Intro.community Inc. has secured backing from 26 investors located across 11 countries, signalling strong international confidence in the platform ahead of its official debut. The breadth of the investor base reflects the platform’s ambition to serve a global audience within the iGaming and adjacent industries from the outset. Networking within the iGaming sector has long been…

Raphie, the iGaming-native customer support and CX provider, has achieved end-to-end automation for supported ticket categories in its operation for BetSaracen. The company built BetSaracen’s customer support and payments operation from the ground up in 2022, and that same operation has since evolved into a mature AI deployment. Raphie’s AI platform now handles 50% of ticket volume end-to-end, with that figure continuing to expand as more of the player journey becomes automated. Player satisfaction has remained above 90% throughout the transition, demonstrating that automation does not have to come at the cost of the player experience. BetSaracen operates in a…

BetMakers has reported a strong financial performance for FY26, with revenue climbing 8.8% year-on-year to AU$92.6m as the company navigates a period of significant change. The Australia-based, horse racing-focused business saw adjusted EBITDA soar by more than 200% year-on-year, rising from $4.6m to $14.1m over the past 12 months. That figure represents a $46m improvement over the last three years, underlining what the company describes as a sustained and disciplined operational turnaround. BetMakers attributed the impressive EBITDA growth to tight cost management and technology-led expansion across its global horse racing betting platform business. The firm also cut its net loss…

B2B sportsbook supplier BETBY has published a detailed report examining shifts in betting behaviour between the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cup tournaments. The report, titled ’10 World Cup Insights for the Next 10 Months of Football’, is designed to give sportsbook operators a clearer picture of how consumer expectations have evolved. Beyond presenting raw data, the report poses a central question about what actually sits behind the numbers operators collected during the tournament. BETBY aims to answer that question across every key layer of engagement, from match-result betting and player props through to sportsbook features, products, and promotional campaigns.…

Brazil’s gambling sector has been shut out of key strategy discussions as President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pursues an increasingly hostile stance toward the industry. The exclusion comes at a critical moment, with Brazil’s general election scheduled for 4 October 2026 and betting firmly established as a major political flashpoint. President Lula has made little secret of his disdain for the gambling sector, repeatedly speaking out against its financial and social consequences for ordinary Brazilians. In a recent podcast interview, Lula stated that “the tragedy of gambling is that you spend your whole life gambling to pay off the…

Mozzartbet has officially confirmed the end of its Malta-licensed .com brand, marking a significant strategic shift for the international operator. The company had operated its .com domain under a Malta Gaming Authority licence, which served as the foundation for its international market reach. The decision to close the Malta-licensed brand signals a deliberate restructuring of how Mozzartbet approaches its global licensing and operational footprint. Malta Gaming Authority licences are among the most widely recognised in the iGaming industry, making Mozzartbet’s move an unusual and notable development. Operators holding MGA licences typically use them to serve players across a broad range…