Author: Charles Shephardson

Bally’s Intralot’s acquisition of evoke has drawn measured praise from analysts, who broadly welcome the deal’s strategic logic while flagging significant long-term risks. The two parties confirmed last week they had agreed terms on an all-share deal valued at £243.1m, with completion expected in Q4 2026 or Q1 2027, subject to shareholder approvals and regulatory clearances. Evoke chairman Mark Summerfield described the transaction as the “most attractive and deliverable” outcome for evoke shareholders, signalling confidence in the deal’s structure. Bally’s chairman Soo Kim said the combined entity will create a “diversified European gaming champion” with “greater scale, resilience and operational…

Amusnet is set to make a strong return to the Peru Gaming Show 2026, taking place on June 17-18 in Lima, reinforcing its strategic focus on Latin America. The company will use the event to present its latest portfolio of land-based and online solutions to operators and attendees across the region. Georgi Izov, head of Business Development LATAM at Amusnet, highlighted the importance of the market and the company’s ambitions for the event. “Latin America continues to be one of the most exciting regions for the evolution of gaming, and Peru plays a very important role within that vision,” said…

BETBY has formed a new partnership with gaming platform BC.GAME, adopting its rewards model powered by the $BC token. The integration means BETBY will now utilise BC.GAME’s BC Engine, which first launched in April as a tool designed to push the $BC token beyond traditional promotions. The token now serves as a core component for optimising player engagement and retention across casino games, rather than functioning as a simple bonus mechanism. Players automatically earn tokens when interacting with an iGaming offer, with the BC Engine distributing rewards based on each user’s total token purse. Since the engine’s April launch, BC.GAME…

Sportradar Group AG has announced a landmark multi-year global agreement with Kalshi, the world’s largest prediction market platform. The deal formally positions Sportradar as an official data and solutions provider for Kalshi across a wide range of major sports properties. Sports covered under the agreement include Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship, among others. The partnership also establishes a framework allowing Sportradar to enter agreements directly with Kalshi’s key partners, including brokers and market makers across the value chain. Sportradar will supply Kalshi with products drawn from its Prediction Services division,…

Emma Floyd has been appointed as director of sport and gambling at the UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport, known as DCMS. The role places Floyd at the centre of two major public-facing policy areas, covering sport and gambling at a senior government level. Sport policy under her remit includes elite competition, grassroots participation, major events, and the government’s relationship with sporting governing bodies. Gambling policy sits alongside sport because of the deep commercial links between betting, sponsorship, advertising, and consumer protection in the sector. Floyd replaces Ben Dean, who moved to the Cabinet Office earlier this year after…

Pragmatic Play is closing its sportsbook and bingo verticals following an internal strategic review, marking a significant shift in direction for the iGaming supplier. The Gibraltar-based company will also discontinue its virtual sports category as part of the same strategic pivot away from non-core product lines. The decision reflects a broader effort to concentrate resources on the verticals where Pragmatic Play holds the strongest competitive position in the market. A Pragmatic Play spokesperson confirmed: “Following a strategic review, we have made the decision to focus on our core market-leading verticals – in particular, slots, live casino, crash and RNG.” The…

Pennsylvania Representatives Tarik Khan and Jamie Flick have introduced a bipartisan package of gambling reform bills targeting operator marketing, credit card use, and self-exclusion protections. The package is specifically aimed at “addressing problem gambling as a public health issue,” according to both lawmakers, who are pushing for stronger consumer protections statewide. One of the key measures in the package is the Pennsylvania Online Consumer Protection Act, which would establish limits on online gambling deposits within a 24-hour period. The proposed Act would also restrict certain marketing practices, including push notifications and text message solicitations sent directly to consumers by gambling…

Pragmatic Play is set to phase out its sportsbook and bingo products following an internal strategic review, doubling down on its core business offerings. The Gibraltar-based supplier will also shutter its virtual sports category as part of the same strategic pivot away from non-core B2B products. The company intends to gradually wind down these offerings over the coming months, giving partners time to migrate to alternative platforms during the transition period. Pragmatic Play originally launched its bingo product in 2018 and added its sportsbook vertical in 2022, meaning both had been part of its portfolio for several years. A Pragmatic…

Former Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes has come under sharp political scrutiny following his appointment as principal consultant at London-based strategic advisory firm Hawkbridge. Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, who chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group for Gambling Reform, says the transition “appears to be a clear conflict of interest and raises real questions.” Duncan Smith, who led the Conservative Party between 2001 and 2003, has called on government departments to act quickly in reviewing the appointment and its implications. He argued that a cooling-off period should have applied, stating: “In such a job as CEO of the Commission, surely,…

iGaming content provider ICONIC21 has officially launched its live casino portfolio with international GameTech operator Novibet, marking a significant step forward for both companies. The deal expands ICONIC21’s distribution network while giving Novibet players access to a suite of live titles built around speed, quality, and player engagement. Novibet has established itself as a fast-growing international GameTech company powered by its own proprietary platform, continuously strengthening its entertainment offering through strategic collaborations. The partnership aligns naturally with Novibet’s broader approach to sourcing innovative and immersive gaming experiences for its player base across multiple markets. A headline feature of the deal…