Author: Charles Shephardson

bet365 has confirmed its entry into Alberta’s newly regulated iGaming market, marking another significant step in the operator’s expanding Canadian presence. The UK-headquartered gambling giant joins Alberta’s market from day one, giving customers in the province access to its full sportsbook and online casino product suite. Alberta’s iGaming market officially went live on 13 July, with as many as 70 operator sites having expressed interest in participating ahead of launch day. bet365 was among several operators confirmed live and taking bets by 7:00am MT, alongside Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, PENN Entertainment, and Rush Street Interactive. The Alberta Gaming Corporation was set…

Gentoo Media has appointed Måns Svalborn as its new chief financial officer, with the experienced finance executive set to begin the role in early October. Svalborn steps into the position vacated by Mads Haugegaard Albrechtsen, who resigned on 28 May after guiding the business through a significant period of restructuring. Gentoo confirmed that its strategy, operations and financial outlook remained unchanged following Albrechtsen’s departure, signalling continuity despite the senior leadership change. Svalborn arrives with more than 20 years of finance experience, including over six years as group CFO at Raketech, a fellow listed gambling affiliate company. His responsibilities at Raketech…

Gibraltar has established the first dedicated regulatory regime for prediction markets anywhere in the world, carving the sector out from its existing gambling framework. The new rules came into force on 13 July 2026, exempting prediction market operators from certain provisions of the Gambling Act 2025. The regulations will be formally known as the Prediction Market Regulations 2026 and establish a standalone set of rules specifically tailored to the sector. This move marks a significant milestone, as no other jurisdiction has previously created a dedicated regulatory regime exclusively for prediction markets. Gibraltar’s Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry, Nigel Feetham…

A punter from the UK has revealed to GamblingNews.uk that bet365 is refusing to release his winnings following England’s dramatic World Cup victory over Mexico. He staked around £8,000 on the match and expected a straightforward payout once the final whistle blew. England edged past Mexico 3-2 in a chaotic Round of 32 tie that swung several times before the result was settled. Jude Bellingham scored twice in under two minutes to put England 2-0 up in the 38th minute, only for Mexico to pull one back before halftime and make a real contest of the second half after England…

The ECB and The Hundred Board have agreed an emergency clause permitting gambling firms to sponsor teams in the 2026 season of the competition. The move was triggered by three of the tournament’s eight teams failing to secure front-of-shirt financial backing just days before the competition’s 21 July 2026 start date. The Hundred was established by the ECB in 2021 with an explicit family-friendly focus, aiming to modernise cricket through live DJs, digital marketing, and free-to-air broadcasting deals. For much of its history, the competition’s commercial activity was centrally managed by the ECB, with KP Snacks serving as the overarching…

The Gambling Commission has confirmed plans to implement Financial Risk Assessments on UK gambling operators, triggering widespread condemnation from across the industry. The first phase of the FRA programme will target the largest operators, focusing on high-spend customers with a threshold set at £5,000 net deposits accumulated over a 24-hour period. Sophie Kemp, Partner and Head of Public Law at London-based law firm Kingsley Napley, warned that “there may be strong grounds for bringing a judicial review challenge” about the approach taken by the Commission. Kemp stated that “many in the industry view the Gambling Commission’s decision to proceed with…

AK Bets, the Dublin-based bookmaking firm, has completed a major acquisition that significantly expands its footprint across UK and Irish racecourses. The company has purchased 45 racecourse pitches from Pat O’Hare Bookmakers, a historic Irish betting operation founded in the 1950s by the late Newry businessman Pat O’Hare. Anthony Kaminskas, Chief Executive Officer of AK Bets, announced the deal publicly via LinkedIn and the company’s official X account. AK Bets paid €3.1m, equivalent to approximately £2.5m, for the pitches, according to a Business Post article shared in Kaminskas’ social media posts. The acquisition grows AK Bets’ total racecourse pitch count…

The European Gaming and Betting Association has taken direct aim at a Lithuanian payments provider, alleging it facilitated transactions to illegal online gambling operators. The EGBA filed a formal complaint with the Bank of Lithuania after identifying that locally licensed fintech firm Walletto had allegedly processed payments destined for unlicensed gambling platforms. The case has reignited a long-running debate about whether illegal gambling can ever be effectively stopped without targeting the financial infrastructure that supports it. The EGBA has long argued that payment providers represent a critical vulnerability in the illegal gambling ecosystem, and this investigation appears to back that…

England’s upcoming clash with Norway has captured the attention of sportsbooks worldwide, with betting patterns revealing a striking international consensus against the Three Lions. Data from global sportsbook markets shows that punters outside the United Kingdom are overwhelmingly favouring Norway to cause an upset against England in this high-profile fixture. The trend is a familiar one for England supporters, who have grown accustomed to their side being written off by international observers despite periods of genuine promise on the pitch. Norway enter the match as a side capable of causing serious damage to any opponent, boasting a formidable attacking threat…

Liverpool City Council has joined the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA), becoming the largest city outside London to support the campaign. The council’s membership marks a significant expansion of CEGA’s reach, adding one of England’s most prominent cities to an alliance already counting 16 local authorities among its members. Liverpool’s decision builds on its Reducing Gambling Harms Action Plan, launched earlier this year, which outlines a citywide strategy to tackle gambling-related harm through prevention and early intervention. Around one in six young adults in Liverpool experience gambling-related harm, with men and those facing financial disadvantage identified as being at…