Author: Charles Shephardson

Australia’s 20 largest superannuation funds collectively hold at least A$14.8 billion in listed gambling-related companies, according to a newly published industry study. The Alliance for Gambling Reform commissioned the research, titled Bad Bets: How our superannuation companies are investing in gambling stocks, conducted by sustainability data firm SustainoMetric. The study examined direct equity holdings and responsible-investment policies across all 20 funds, identifying investments spread across 198 listed gambling-related companies. In total, the 20 funds held approximately A$1.18 trillion in listed equities, with gambling-related shares representing slightly more than 1% of that combined figure. AustralianSuper recorded the largest exposure at A$4.9…

Adrian Ford, general manager of Football DataCo, has taken a firm public stance against the scraping of official sports data, calling the practice equivalent to theft. Football DataCo is a jointly owned licensing arm established by the Premier League, the English Football League, and the Scottish Professional Football League to manage data and intellectual property rights. Ford made his comments speaking to NEXT.io, following a failed legislative attempt to make data piracy a criminal offence under UK law. Liberal Democrat peer Lord Foster tabled amendments to the Sporting Events Bill that would have criminalised the taking of sports data, but…

The UK government is moving to redirect financial penalties issued to gambling operators away from third-party recipients and into its own central accounts. The shift represents a significant change in how regulatory fines and penalties within the gambling sector are handled and distributed across the country. Previously, penalties handed down to operators by the Gambling Commission could be directed toward approved third-party organisations, including charities and research bodies. Under the new arrangements, those funds would instead flow directly into government coffers, giving ministers greater control over how the money is ultimately allocated. The change has been anticipated for some time,…

ONDISS has officially launched FIRST, a Tier-1 sportsbook technology provider, into the Argentine regulated online gaming market through City Center Online. City Center Online is one of the leading regulated .bet.ar operators in the region and a key strategic client of the ONDISS platform. The launch expands City Center Online’s entertainment offering by introducing a full online sports betting vertical, powered by FIRST’s internationally recognised sportsbook engine. This milestone follows the recent authorisation of online sports betting by the Santa Fe Lottery, the provincial regulatory body overseeing the region. City Center Online is now among the first .bet.ar operators to…

Germany’s gambling regulatory landscape continues to evolve as the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder, known as the GGL, advances plans for LUGAS expansion. LUGAS serves as a cross-operator player monitoring system designed to track gambling activity across licensed German operators in real time. The GGL has outlined ambitions to strengthen LUGAS as the lead evidence provider within Germany’s interstate gambling framework, marking a significant regulatory step. Germany’s Interstate Treaty on Gambling established the legal foundation for a unified licensing regime, with the GGL acting as the central supervisory authority across all participating states. LUGAS plays a critical role in that framework…

FIFA has confirmed that no match-fixing suspicions were identified at any point during the entirety of the 2026 World Cup tournament. The governing body for international association football deployed its sports integrity monitoring taskforce across all 104 games played during the competition. The taskforce operated at full capacity throughout the tournament, examining every match for signs of betting-related manipulation or suspicious activity. FIFA centralised the monitoring process by collecting betting reports and relevant data submitted by each of its taskforce member organisations. Large-scale coordination between multiple organisations allowed for a thorough and consistent review of betting patterns across the entire…

The British Horseracing Authority is navigating one of its most turbulent political periods in recent memory, as a new Chair steps in during a fierce industry-wide battle. Simon Cox was appointed the BHA’s new chair amid growing concerns within the body. The BHA has declared itself “hugely disappointed” following the Gambling Commission’s decision to confirm that Financial Risk Assessments will be implemented across the gambling sector. The racing body has warned that the introduction of affordability checks carries “severe financial implications” for the sport, adding urgency to its political campaigning efforts. Racing Post journalist Lee Mottershead penned a notable op-ed…

BETBY has recorded a solid quarterly performance, with the FIFA World Cup and its expanding esports portfolio identified as the primary drivers of that success. The supplier launched a dedicated World Cup package that proved popular with operator partners looking to capitalise on one of sport’s biggest global events. Central to that offering was an eWorld Cup simulator, designed to keep players engaged during off-hours when live FIFA World Cup matches were not being played. The eWorld Cup product reflects a broader strategic push by BETBY to blend traditional sportsbook content with esports simulation to maintain round-the-clock betting activity. This…

Bulgaria’s Finance Ministry has pushed back against calls for a complete ban on gambling advertising, rejecting opposition demands that would have significantly tightened marketing restrictions. The decision came amid a broader parliamentary debate over gambling regulation and tax reform that has made gambling marketing a deeply divisive topic in the country. Opposition politicians had pushed for sweeping measures, including a near-doubling of operator fees alongside the introduction of a comprehensive advertising ban across the country. Parliament ultimately approved only minor additional taxation focused on a specific niche, falling well short of the more aggressive regulatory overhaul that critics of the…

The British Horseracing Authority has appointed a new Chair while simultaneously fighting a fierce political battle over the Gambling Commission’s affordability measures. The BHA’s concerns centre on Financial Risk Assessments, the more extensive of two affordability tools being rolled out, with the lighter version being Financial Vulnerability Checks. The Gambling Commission’s decision to press ahead with FRAs has drawn significant criticism from racing and betting industry figures across the country. BHA’s Acting Chair David Jones contacted the Gambling Commission directly, requesting data from the regulator’s pilot of Financial Risk Assessments ahead of the decision being finalised. Jones also used that…