Author: Andrew Fletcher

Imagine Live has entered into a strategic partnership with iGaming aggregator Alea, marking a significant milestone in the provider’s ongoing international growth strategy. The agreement will give Alea’s operator partners access to Imagine Live’s expanding portfolio of live casino content, including its signature live dealer experiences and innovative game show formats. Localised tables developed for players across multiple markets and languages are also included in the content suite now available through the partnership. The collaboration goes beyond a standard distribution deal, representing a shared commitment to raising live entertainment standards across the broader iGaming sector. By combining Alea’s aggregation capabilities…

Australia’s financial crime regulator AUSTRAC has officially cleared Sportsbet after the Flutter-owned bookmaker completed a mandated anti-money laundering remediation programme. AUSTRAC confirmed it had finalised the enforceable undertaking that Sportsbet accepted back in May 2024, marking the end of a multi-year compliance process. An independent external auditor verified that Sportsbet had successfully implemented all required improvements to its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing controls. The undertaking was originally introduced following concerns identified during AUSTRAC’s supervision of the broader online wagering sector in Australia. Sportsbet was required to strengthen its governance frameworks, risk management procedures, customer monitoring systems, and internal reporting…

Virtual Gaming Worlds founder Laurence Escalante has resigned as CEO and executive chairman of the Perth-based social gaming company he built from the ground up. The company confirmed on 3 July 2026 that the decision took effect immediately, ending a leadership arrangement that had been in question for months. Escalante had been on a five-month leave of absence since January, after VGW became aware of charges brought against him by Western Australia Police. The charges include family violence, burglary, and drug possession offences in Perth, though Escalante has not yet entered pleas in the case. He stated in January that…

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has issued guidance warning recipients of statutory levy funding to abstain from attending industry-funded events. OHID is responsible for distributing levy funds earmarked specifically for gambling harm prevention, with independence from industry appearing to be the department’s overriding priority. The prohibition is framed as guidance, stating: “Things to avoid: Attendance or participation in industry funded events.” Presented alongside an absolute ban on accepting industry funding, the guidance has effectively prevented charities from attending this week’s iGB Live trade show. Self-exclusion charity BetBlocker was the notable exception, having only been notified of the guidance…

The 2026 World Cup group stage has delivered spectacular football but far less profit than bookmakers typically expect from a major international tournament. Bank of America estimates cited by the Financial Times suggest DraftKings may have lost as much as $50m during the opening phase of the competition alone. Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé all scored twice in the same week, creating a particularly costly combination for operators exposed to multi-leg bets. Parlays, known as accumulators in the UK, are ordinarily a reliable high-margin product for sportsbooks, requiring multiple outcomes to land before any payout is triggered. That…

The chairman of the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA), Michel Groothuizen, has called for everyone under court-appointed financial administration or legal curatorship to be added automatically to the Cruks self-exclusion register. Groothuizen made the argument in a blog post, stating that existing legal and financial protections afforded to these individuals do not currently extend to the gambling sector. His proposal centres on bridging that gap, with automatic Cruks registration seen as a necessary step toward shielding the Netherlands’ most financially and legally vulnerable consumers from gambling-related harm. According to Groothuizen, approximately 250,000 people in the Netherlands are under protective orders, with…

Lisa Nandy has announced she is leaving X, declaring the platform “isn’t healthy for our democracy” as she made her exit public. The Culture Secretary posted her decision directly on X on Thursday, writing: “I’ve decided to leave this platform and my Department will too.” Nandy argued that the platform had fundamentally changed its character, stating it “now favors abuse and misinformation over meaningful debate.” She confirmed she would continue engaging with the public through Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn following her departure from X. The minister had previously raised concerns about Elon Musk’s approach to user safeguarding and the spread…

The Australian government has formally introduced the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 to parliament, triggering immediate criticism from multiple political factions. The bill was tabled on 2 July 2026, with most of its measures having already been announced earlier in the year by the Labor government. Despite broad public support for tighter gambling regulation across Australia, the legislation has drawn fire from opposition parties, crossbench MPs, and the Greens. Critics argue the bill falls well short of the sweeping reforms recommended by the Murphy Inquiry into online gambling, which had called for far more aggressive action. Sarah Henderson,…

Two-thirds of new users acquired through promotions may not actually exist, making bonus fraud one of the most damaging threats facing iGaming operators today. A recent case study highlighted just how severe the problem can be, with a single affiliate campaign generating 314 new accounts for one iGaming platform. On the surface, everything appeared legitimate, with completed registrations, valid-looking emails, and bonuses claimed without any obvious red flags. However, a fraud prevention system quickly identified something was deeply wrong with the incoming traffic and the behaviour of those new accounts. The system flagged unusual device distribution, instant deposit requests, identical…

Ohio lawmakers have formally introduced legislation that would dramatically reshape the state’s legal sports betting market by banning online and mobile wagering. House Bill 971, dubbed the “Save Ohio Sports Act,” was introduced into the Ohio House on 1 July 2026 with the backing of 10 Republican representatives. The proposal was first unveiled in April and its formal introduction now marks the official start of the legislative process. If passed, the bill would restrict sports betting exclusively to in-person wagering at land-based casinos, effectively eliminating the online and mobile betting market entirely. The legislation would also ban live or in-play…