Author: Charles Shephardson

Australia’s Labor government has secured Coalition backing for a significant overhaul of gambling advertising rules, marking a major step forward in the country’s long-running reform debate. The two major parties have agreed to establish a single national register that would allow Australians to opt out of wagering advertisements across online platforms. The opt-out register represents one of the most consumer-facing elements of the proposed legislation, giving punters direct control over the gambling marketing they are exposed to. The reforms would also place strict new restrictions on inducements targeting vulnerable gamblers, a practice that has drawn sustained criticism from welfare advocates…

Allwyn UK, the operator of the National Lottery, has announced that Andria Vidler is stepping down as Chief Executive Officer after two-and-a-half years in the role. Vidler’s departure follows a tenure defined by significant milestones, including Allwyn’s formal assumption of National Lottery management in February 2024 under the fourth 10-year licence. Phil Walker has been appointed Interim CEO of Allwyn Entertainment Limited with effect from 7 September 2026, succeeding Vidler in the top position. Walker brings extensive iGaming and betting industry experience to the role, having held senior executive positions at some of the UK’s most recognisable gambling brands. He…

New Gallup polling shows that just 45% of US adults reported gambling in the past year, a significant fall from 64% recorded in 2016. The decline spanned every major demographic group measured in the poll, suggesting the trend is broad rather than concentrated in any single segment of the population. Lottery ticket purchases saw one of the sharpest drops, with only 31% of respondents saying they bought a state lottery ticket, compared to 49% a decade ago. Traditional lottery sales fell 5.1% in FY2025, largely because Powerball and Mega Millions produced fewer blockbuster jackpot runs during that period. Mega Millions…

RocketPlay has launched an experimental summer campaign designed to measure something the iGaming industry rarely quantifies directly: how entertainment actually feels to players. The Cosmic Department of Joy campaign moved beyond standard product metrics to explore the emotional language players use when describing why they play and what makes them return. iGaming brands routinely track RTP, volatility, bonuses, conversion, retention, deposits, clicks, and churn, all of which reveal how products perform and how players move through them. However, none of those numbers fully explain why a player says “That was fun,” or why they come back to a particular type…

BiggerZ is positioning itself as a transparency-driven betting platform, combining casino gaming, sports betting and prediction markets under a single account and balance. The platform’s philosophy centres on four core principles: transparency, clarity, verifiability and defined rules, applied at every key decision point a player encounters. Rather than simply claiming fairness, BiggerZ is focused on making the mechanisms behind outcomes and settlement rules understandable and accessible to players before they commit funds. One of the platform’s most distinctive offerings is BiggerZ Touch, an exclusive collection of short-format games including Mines, Dice, Plinko, Hi-Lo, Keno, Baccarat, Limbo and Soccer. Eligible BiggerZ…

Metaspins, the crypto-based online gaming platform, has added prediction markets to its expanding portfolio of products available to its community. The new feature allows users to trade on the outcome of real-world events through simple, market-driven experiences that reflect shifting public sentiment. The launch represents another step in the company’s broader strategy to diversify its offerings while giving its loyal user base fresh ways to engage with global markets. Prediction markets have evolved from purely financial tools into one of the fastest-growing segments in the wider digital ecosystem. By turning opinions into tradable markets with financial incentives, participants can now…

GR8_TECH is convening a select group of operators this Thursday for The Locker Room: World Cup Numbers, a closed-door working session focused on real performance data. The format was announced two weeks ago and is deliberately restricted, with no media presence and the Chatham House Rule in effect throughout the entire session. Rather than serving as a tournament recap, the session is designed as a working analysis of what operators actually experienced across margin, product tools, retention, and peak-load performance. Participants are being asked to arrive with eight specific numbers drawn from their own World Cup data, which GR8_TECH has…

Yggdrasil has strengthened its position in the Netherlands by forming a new partnership with JACKS.NL, one of the country’s leading regulated online casino operators. The deal delivers Yggdrasil’s extensive content catalogue to the JACKS.NL casino lobby, giving Dutch players access to a wide range of premium titles. The integration has been made possible through Yggdrasil’s existing strategic partnership with Bragg Gaming, demonstrating how the supplier leverages its distribution network to enter new markets. Player favourites including Valley of the Gods and the iconic Vikings Go franchise are among the titles now live on the JACKS.NL platform. The launch also features…

CreedRoomz, described as a global leader in innovative gaming solutions, has officially announced the launch of its new title, Crypto Market. The game blends speculative market mechanics with the safety of iGaming to deliver the fast-action experience that modern players increasingly demand. Crypto Market is hosted by a live dealer and features 10-second game cycles, making it purpose-built for high-turnover environments where every second counts. The title offers up to 99% payout on each round, with a dynamic reward system built around elastic multiplier logic designed to drive consistent player volume. A provably fair RNG engine sits at the core…

The assumption that narrative-driven slot series fade quickly after launch is being challenged by data from 1spin4win’s Japanese game collection. The established classic slot provider built its Japanese lineup around connected storytelling, recurring characters, consistent visual design, and proven Hold and Win mechanics. Four titles form the core of the series: Tiger’s Steps Hold and Win, Gentle Fox Hold and Win, Way of Honor Hold and Win, and Sound of Steel Hold and Win. Each game shares the same universe but developed a distinct regional footprint, suggesting that thematic atmosphere and character design influence performance beyond a shared storyline. Tiger’s…