Author: Charles Shephardson

A guaranteed minimum of 5% monthly GGR growth is the headline commercial proposition GR8_TECH is placing in front of operators as it moves into prediction markets. The iGaming technology and software provider is integrating prediction markets directly into its GREAT_TURNKEY and GREAT_CRYPTO TURNKEY solutions, available to both existing and new partners. The product carries a strong set of compliance credentials, including PCI DSS, ISO 27001, GLI, and MGA certifications, and the company claims 99.99% uptime across the offering. Operators eligible to offer prediction markets in their territories will face no additional implementation costs, and GR8_TECH says they can be live…

An extraordinary spike in user engagement defined BETBY’s third quarter, with active players across its sportsbook nearly doubling compared to the same period last year. The sportsbook supplier reported an 82.7% year-on-year rise in active players for Q3 2026, a figure that significantly outpaced its already impressive gross gaming revenue growth of 33.4%. Two major sporting spectacles drove much of that momentum, with the concluding stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Esports World Cup both falling within the quarter. BETBY also credited its proprietary esports product, BETBY Games, as a key pillar of the performance, alongside sustained…

A UK gambling affiliate has been formally warned by the advertising regulator after its paid search ads appeared in front of users actively trying to step away from betting. The Advertising Standards Authority determined that anyone typing “self exclusion bookies” into a search engine was most likely seeking guidance on distancing themselves from gambling, not looking for new bookmakers to join. Regulator Optival, which operates the affiliate site bestbookiesandbettingsites.co.uk, had a paid-for ad surface against that exact search phrase, prompting a complaint that was subsequently investigated by the ASA. The ASA’s ruling means the ad in question must no longer…

A quirk in British horseracing’s levy framework means dozens of smaller betting operators pay hundreds of pounds annually to verify profits they owe no levy on. The Horserace Betting Levy Board collects a 10% charge on bookmaker profits from qualifying British horseracing bets, but only where those profits exceed £500,000. Yet operators whose racing profits sit above £250,000 must still commission and fund an independent accountant’s report each year, regardless of whether any levy is actually due. Those verification exercises cost affected bookmakers up to £2,000 apiece, a recurring overhead that the HBLB now acknowledges may be disproportionate for smaller…

Industry estimates are pointing to thousands of job losses and hundreds of venue closures if the UK government follows through on a significant gambling tax increase. Betting shops, Adult Gaming Centres, and bingo halls are among the businesses most exposed to the proposed changes, with the sector bracing for a heavy blow. The uncertainty stems from conflicting reports about how far Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey intends to raise the current 20% tax rate on gambling. Some within the industry fear the rate could double to 40%, while other sources suggest the final figure may rise by only 5%,…

A combined potential payout of nearly £50,000 sits at the heart of the first prosecution the Gambling Commission has ever brought to court over insider election betting. The regulator pursued the case under section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005, and all three defendants had pleaded guilty before sentences were handed down at Southwark Crown Court on 23 October 2026. Each of the three had access to privileged information about when the 2024 UK General Election would be called, and used that knowledge to place bets on the election date market. Anthony Lee, the Conservative Party’s former Director of Campaigning,…

Brazil’s regulated online betting market faces an existential threat from the very president who brought it into existence just over a year ago. Lula da Silva, who approved the 2024 Bets Law that formally launched the country’s legal wagering industry on 1 January 2025, now wants that same legislation reversed. The left-wing president made that intention clear nine days before the first round of voting on 4 October, placing the industry in a state of acute uncertainty heading into polling. His re-election to a fourth term has now removed any lingering hope that the policy announcement was merely electoral noise…

The online gaming and betting industry continues to shift as players look for platforms that are easier to access, simpler to understand, and more efficient to use. In a competitive digital environment, the user experience has become one of the most important factors for gaming platforms trying to build visibility and trust. Modern players often expect more than a large selection of games. They also consider how quickly a platform loads, how easy it is to navigate, and whether the information presented on the website is clear. These expectations have encouraged online gaming brands to improve their digital presence and…

France’s regulated gambling market posted only marginal overall growth in the first half of 2026, with the FIFA World Cup masking a significant deceleration in underlying performance. Total market GGR excluding casinos reached €5.66bn between January and June, representing a modest 0.5% year-over-year increase that stands in stark contrast to earlier momentum. That figure compares poorly to the same period in 2025, when the French market delivered a far healthier 4.1% year-over-year growth rate across comparable segments. Online gambling emerged as the clearest bright spot in an otherwise subdued picture, generating €1.45bn in GGR and recording 11% growth year-over-year during…

OpenBet has completed a full platform migration for Switzerland’s Loterie Romande, marking a significant step in its strategy to become the sportsbook platform of choice for state lottery operators. The migration moves Loterie Romande’s JouezSport omnichannel sportsbook entirely onto OpenBet’s own platform, covering online, self-service, and over-the-counter betting channels. Loterie Romande serves as the state lottery for Switzerland’s six French-speaking cantons and operates across 2,350 point-of-sale retail locations nationwide. The deal between the two organisations was signed in March 2026, roughly one year after OpenBet began its new chapter following a management buyout that separated the company from Endeavor Group…