Author: Charles Shephardson

ComeOn Group’s chief product and operating officer Daniela Vella has outlined the company’s approach to AI adoption, stressing that efficiency gains alone do not define a successful strategy. Vella, who has been with the group for 14 years, says she has witnessed a clear evolution in how technology is embraced across the organisation. The company has introduced automations that have since become industry standard, including instant player withdrawals, and later launched pay and play with its Malta-regulated brands. ComeOn views AI in the same way it has approached previous innovations, treating it as a core part of operations and daily…

Paris Saint-Germain defeated Arsenal on penalties in the 2026 Champions League final, held on May 30 at Budapest’s Puskás Aréna. The victory secured PSG’s second consecutive UEFA Champions League title, cementing the French club’s reputation as one of Europe’s most dominant football dynasties. Budapest served as the focal point of world football for the occasion, with the Puskás Aréna hosting what many have described as one of the biggest sporting events of 2026. The 120-minute final kept fans on edge throughout, with certain moments already being described as timeless classics in Champions League history. Interest in the match extended well…

New research from Paysafe has found that 83% of active and prospective US sports bettors are interested in using cryptocurrency to fund their online wagers. The findings come from Paysafe’s ‘All the Ways Players Pay: Crypto Edition’ report, which gathered survey responses from 2,550 individuals who are either active bettors or plan to bet within the next 12 months. The report covered participants from multiple states including Florida, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Virginia, alongside Wyoming and Colorado. Wyoming and Colorado are among the states where crypto deposits are currently permitted, with 45% and 59% of respondents…

Northern Shell, the investment company owned by media tycoon Richard Desmond, has been ordered to pay more than £40m after losing a legal battle with the Gambling Commission. The dispute centred on the award of the fourth National Lottery licence, which was granted to Allwyn in March 2022 following competition from multiple bidders. Allwyn secured the licence after seeing off competition from The New Lottery Company, Italy’s Sisal, and incumbent operator Camelot during the bidding process. The New Lottery Company and Northern Shell jointly challenged the decision, claiming the Gambling Commission had wrongly awarded the licence to Allwyn instead of…

Austria is preparing to replace its long-standing gambling monopoly with a competitive licensing system, following a draft law seen by NEXT.io. The draft legislation would end Austrian Lotteries’ Win2Day online monopoly, opening the market to multiple licensed operators for the first time. A recent study commissioned by Tipico found that 71% of the country’s GGR, approximately €500 million, was flowing to the black market. The draft law explicitly states that its goals include increasing channelisation to the white market and strengthening player protection levels. However, industry stakeholders are expected to push back on several provisions they view as overly restrictive…

Stake has secured a licence to operate in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, granted by the Provincial Institute of Lottery and Casinos. The approval allows Stake to offer its sportsbook and casino platform across Argentina’s largest province, which accounts for close to 40% of the national population. The Buenos Aires licence marks Stake’s fifth regulated market in Latin America, joining Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and Mexico in its growing regional portfolio. H2 Gambling Capital estimated Argentina’s total gambling gross win in 2025 at $5.03 billion, ranking it as the company’s 23rd biggest global market worldwide. Stake said it was attracted…

Evoke, the owner of William Hill, has appointed Janice Duncan as its new Group Finance Director while takeover speculation continues to surround the company. Duncan joins evoke after departing her previous role as Chief Financial Officer at Casumo, bringing significant senior leadership experience to the business. She carries 13 years of industry experience into the LSE-listed company, a background that spans several prominent roles across the gambling sector. Her career history includes previous positions at William Hill itself, making her appointment a notable return to familiar territory within the broader business. The appointment arrives at a particularly active moment for…

HELL Partners is heading to IGB Live 2026 at ExCeL London, and the affiliate network is arriving with considerably more than a standard booth presence. The team will be set up at Booth L40, a location the brand describes as not hard to find and even harder to ignore. HELL Partners operates a portfolio of in-house iGaming products, positioning itself as a performance-driven advertiser with conversion rates that do the talking before any pitch begins. The network places no restrictions on traffic sources, meaning affiliates can run whatever works best for their specific audience and strategy. A GEO pool spanning…

Greater Manchester Police executed a coordinated raid on an alleged unlicensed gambling venue on Chester Road in Manchester city centre last week. Officers from the Greater Manchester Police City of Manchester team carried out the operation on 28 May alongside the Gambling Commission and Manchester City Council’s licensing team. A 33-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Gambling Act 2005 and the Licensing Act 2003. Police found gambling tables, chips, records, account books, alcohol and other materials at the premises during the operation. Cash and mobile phones were seized, with specialist investigators from…

Global EDM icon Tiësto will headline the third edition of INFINITY Lisbon, closing SBC Summit 2026 with a standout performance at the MEO Arena. The event marks another major milestone for INFINITY Lisbon, which has grown into one of the most anticipated nights on the SBC Summit calendar. Tiësto brings a career spanning more than three decades to the MEO Arena stage, cementing his status as one of electronic music’s most enduring figures. His influence on the global electronic music scene has been felt across generations of artists, fans, and festivals worldwide. SBC Summit 2026 continues to raise the bar…