Author: Charles Shephardson

Gaming1 is shifting its strategic focus toward broader entertainment experiences, aiming to increase player dwell time without driving up overall spending. The company’s approach centres on transforming its platform into a leisure destination rather than a purely transactional gambling environment, drawing comparisons to a physical casino resort. Speaking on the direction of the business, Choffray explained: “We need to move increasingly towards entertainment and away from being solely focused on gambling.” He added that the platform must reflect this shift “through new, gaming-inspired products we are integrating, through free-to-play gamification features, and by increasing the time players spend on our…

Mindway AI has appointed Will Mace as head of strategic programmes, tasking him with leading a major research initiative into effective player harm interventions. The AI-led supplier has long argued that the industry’s attempts to tackle harmful gambling have fallen short, particularly when it comes to acting on identified risk. Mace, formerly group player safety director at evoke, brings nearly two decades of operational, regulatory, and clinical experience to his new role. Mindway AI CEO Rasmus Kjaergaard praised the appointment, saying Will Mace’s “phenomenal track record across major operators, regulatory working groups, and clinical support networks gives us the perfect…

Entain has reportedly been weighing the future of its CEE business, with one prominent analyst offering a clear-eyed view of what a potential sale could mean. David Brohan, head of gaming research at Goodbody, spoke to NEXT.io about the key drivers that could push Entain toward divesting its CEE operations. While the impact of UK tax rises is a significant factor in the wider conversation, Brohan believes it is just one of several motivating forces behind any potential deal. In his assessment, a sale would likely be “quite straightforward” and “well-received” by the market, suggesting investor appetite for such a…

Entain has agreed to sell a 20% stake in its Central and Eastern European joint venture to existing partner EMMA Capital for approximately €425m. The FTSE 100 gambling group will receive €395m upon completion of the deal, with an additional payment linked to business performance arriving in early 2027. The transaction values Entain CEE at around €2.1bn, equivalent to roughly 10 times EBITDA, representing a significant sum for a business largely built around Croatian and Polish operations. Completion is expected during Q4 2026, subject to the necessary regulatory approvals being secured across relevant jurisdictions. The disposal forms part of Entain’s…

The Dutch gambling trade body VNLOK has declared the country’s regulated market is at a “dangerous crossroads” following a damning assessment of recent tax policy outcomes. A joint report from the Ministry of Finance and the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) revealed gambling tax increases generated just €2m in additional revenue in 2025, falling dramatically short of a €108m target. Officials acknowledged that a declining tax base had significantly reduced the expected revenue gains stemming from the increased tax rates introduced last year. The report noted it was difficult to isolate the precise impact of higher tax rates due to simultaneous…

Georgia’s parliament is actively considering legislation that would establish a dedicated licensing regime for online gambling operators targeting customers outside the country. The proposal, initiated by members of the ruling Georgian Dream party, would introduce three new permit categories covering online casino, internet slots, and sports betting services. Each licence would run for a five-year term and would be aimed exclusively at foreign players, according to GBC, with Georgian citizens prohibited from accessing the platforms. Operators securing a licence would be required to conduct all activities through dedicated domains, ensuring a clear operational separation from any domestic-facing services. Annual permit…

Kenya’s gambling operators are racing to secure licences before a June 30 deadline under a sweeping new regulatory regime now facing a legal challenge. The deadline represents the most significant regulatory transition Kenya’s gambling sector has experienced in more than half a century, reshaping the entire industry landscape. Last year, the Gambling Control Act 2025 replaced a framework dating back to the 1960s, establishing the Kenya Gambling Regulatory Authority to replace the Betting Control and Licensing Board. Peter Maina Karimi was appointed in February as the new regulator’s director general, tasked with overseeing the licensing transition and the new regulatory…

New research using open banking data suggests the £150 net-deposit threshold for financial risk checks may be catching too many low-risk gamblers. The study was published in the journal Addiction and carried out by researchers Robert Heirene from the University of Sydney and Philip Newall from the University of Bristol. Researchers reanalysed open banking data from 424 UK gamblers, combining transaction records with self-reported Problem Gambling Severity Index scores to simulate real-world impacts of the Gambling Commission’s financial vulnerability check regime. Over a 12-month period, roughly two-thirds of at-risk gamblers and nearly half of those classed as low- or no-risk…

Spanish bettors will face new deposit restrictions spanning all licensed operators in the country, introduced through a royal decree approved on Tuesday 23 June. The decree establishes a daily deposit limit of €700, a weekly limit of €1,750, and a four-week limit of €3,300 across all licensed platforms simultaneously. Prior to this change, individual operator limits stood at €600 daily, €1,500 weekly, and €3,000 monthly, meaning players could previously multiply their allowance by holding accounts across multiple operators. The Directorate-General for Gambling Regulation, known as the DGOJ, will oversee a centralised deposit control system tracking player activity across the entire…

Multiple UK gambling charities have yet to receive any statutory levy funding, despite the new system launching on 1 April 2026. The prevention-focused charities transitioned to a new funding model that included a competitive application process for a £12 million pot. Nearly three months after that transition date, several organisations have not received a single penny of the promised money. Other charities only received their funding relatively recently, with continuing delays around technical aspects of finalised bids, including setting KPIs to assess the work. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities had stated the first tranche of funding would be…