Author: Charles Shephardson

SBC Summit 2026 will dedicate a full track to exploring how online casino operators can build smarter, smoother and more engaging player experiences in a crowded market. The iGaming Product and Design track takes place on Wednesday, 30 September, hosted on the Tech and Innovation Stage at the event. Casino operators, game developers and technology experts will gather to examine what separates standout casino products from the competition in an increasingly saturated industry. Sessions will follow the complete player journey, from first registration all the way through to long-term retention strategies and loyalty programme development. Smarter onboarding, AI-powered game design,…

Curaçao authorities have launched an investigation into Random Consulting, the firm owned by former Malta Gaming Authority chief executive Mario Galea. The probe centres on allegations that Galea’s consultancy received annual payments of 8.3 million Caribbean guilders, equivalent to approximately €4.1 million, from the island’s gambling regulator. Charles Cooper, Curaçao’s minister of finance, disclosed the investigation through a press release, raising serious questions about the scale and justification of the payments. Cooper said: “The world of gaming shows that this figure – paying a person/company 8.3 million XCG per year – is very high for a company charged to provide…

Estonia has positioned itself as Europe’s next major iGaming hub, drawing comparisons to established jurisdictions like Malta and Gibraltar with an ambitious tax reform plan. The country plans to reduce gambling taxes to 4% of gross gaming revenue by January 2029, a move designed to attract international operators not yet considering Estonia as a viable market. However, the attractiveness of those tax cuts could be undermined if the government moves forward with tighter restrictions on gambling advertising. Diana Lints, Head of Services Supervision Office at the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA), shed light on a supervisory project that…

Bally’s Intralot has locked in a major debt facility to accelerate its acquisition ambitions, with the Evoke Plc takeover firmly in its sights. The company notified the Euronext Athens exchange that it had secured a senior secured sterling term facilities agreement worth £261.7m with institutional lenders. The loan will be deployed for what Bally’s Intralot describes as “general corporate and working capital purposes”, covering acquisition plans and refinancing of “other indebtedness”. Markets were told that “the new term financing will be drawn in two term loan tranches with a tenor of three years and is guaranteed and secured on a…

Kenneth Dart, the Cayman Islands-based US-born billionaire investor, has triggered a mandatory takeover threshold at Swedish gambling giant Evolution AB. Dart’s investment vehicle Candle Lake has raised its stake in Evolution to 30.02%, crossing the critical threshold under Swedish takeover rules. Under those rules, Candle Lake now has four weeks to either sell shares to bring its holding below 30%, or submit a formal offer for the remaining shares. The situation at Evolution may not be the only major decision facing Dart in the coming months, as his activity at Flutter Entertainment is drawing equal attention. Dart has been gradually…

Flutter Entertainment has announced an extension of its partnership with Leeds Rhinos Foundation, continuing its commitment to supporting community health initiatives in the region. The extended collaboration builds on Flutter’s existing relationship with the foundation, which has already seen significant financial investment directed toward grassroots community programmes. Leeds Rhinos Foundation is the charitable arm of the well-known rugby league club, delivering health, education, and social inclusion programmes across the Leeds area. Flutter, widely recognised as the world’s leading online sports betting and gaming operator, has made community investment a visible pillar of its broader corporate responsibility strategy. The partnership extension…

The UK Gambling Commission has firmly rejected suggestions it failed to properly engage with the racing industry over the planned rollout of financial risk assessments (FRAs). Acting UKGC CEO Sarah Gardner responded to concerns raised by Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, who wrote seeking clarity on the decision. Dinenage expressed concern that there “may be no representation from the racing industry” within the implementation groups being formed over the summer to support the rollout of FRAs. Gardner pushed back strongly, stating that stakeholders across the gambling industry were consulted during the process of…

Atlaslive has entered a strategic partnership with FIRST.bet, integrating the sportsbook provider’s technology directly into its platform ecosystem for operators. The agreement builds on Atlaslive’s ongoing strategy of equipping its platform environment with sportsbook technology built specifically for regulated market demands. FIRST.bet was founded by former SBTech leaders and operates as a fully managed, high-performance sportsbook engineered for speed, scale, and precision across LatAm, Europe, and Africa. The company holds licences from the Malta Gaming Authority and the Swedish Gambling Authority, and is also GLI-33 certified and ISO-audited, underlining its compliance credentials. FIRST.bet’s recent industry recognition is extensive, having been…

HMRC has directly contacted several UK prize draw businesses to clarify the correct VAT treatment of their paid ticket entries. B2B prize draw platform DrawHouse confirmed the outreach, stating that HMRC has raised questions over both future and historic VAT treatment of operators in the sector. The increased scrutiny follows a Parliamentary Question earlier in 2026, during which the UK Treasury confirmed HMRC’s position on the matter. The Treasury confirmed that paid entries into prize draws operating under the DCMS Voluntary Code are subject to VAT at the standard rate. Tax advisors, however, continue to argue that existing legislation does…

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has signed Senate Bill 2749 into law, significantly expanding the state’s approach to addressing gambling-related harm. The legislation amends the Substance Use Disorder Act to more fully integrate gambling disorders into Illinois’ broader public health framework. Key provisions include expanding prevention and education initiatives, alongside improving support services for residents experiencing gambling-related harm. The Illinois Department of Human Services will now collaborate with the State Board of Education to develop gambling disorder prevention and awareness resources for schools. The Department of Human Services will also support programmes designed to help parents speak openly with their children…