The UK government has been warned of technical shortfalls and entry barriers in its path to unlocking an open banking system to reducing SME costs and to change retail banking processes benefitting the consumer. PaymentExpert drills down on the ‘Future of Payments’ report by Joe Garner, former Chief Executive of Nationwide, on how the UK can overcome existing challenges and deliver banking transparency …

Swedish horseracing stakeholders have stated that the governance structure of ATG (Aktiebolaget Trav och Galopp) must be addressed in 2024.  The statement was made by Anders Källström, Chairman of Svensk Travsport at the autumn meeting of the Stockholm Harness Racing Society.  ATG, which serves as the totalizer and betting network of Swedish racing, was founded as a government initiative in …

The Prosecutor’s Office of Bulgaria has launched an investigation against the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) President Borislav Mihaylov.  A statement by government officials said that the probe relates to a number of media publications where it is alleged that Mihaylov has been directly involved in manipulating the outcome of football matches, as well as dealing with unlicensed foreign operators – …

This November, Better Collective executed its second biggest M&A acquiring Playmaker Capital for €196m, a deal which significantly amplifies its media network for sports audiences across South American markets. Simon Hovmand-Stilling, Better Collective CEO of South America, tells SBC of the active commercial opportunities on-boarded by the Playmaker acquisition and how Better Collective will apply its most diverse and localised …

 In a move set to make waves in the gaming and esports world, London based Esports Insider and SMH Global, with its HQ in Tbilisi, Georgia, have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at conquering the realms of esports and gaming in  Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Middle East. Sam Cooke, Co-Founder and MD of Esports Insider said of the news: …

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has called on the Chancellor to rethink its tax plans on the UK gambling sector, as land-based casinos face a £5m a year stealth tax.  Under measures announced by the Treasury’s Autumn Statement saw Gaming Duty Bands applied to UK casinos frozen. As such, gaming duties will not rise with inflation, effectively creating a …

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has announced the completion of a key corporate project, the publication of the “Gambling Survey for Great Britain Experimental” data release. Head of Statistics Helen Bryce documents that three years ago, the UKGC initiated a project to enhance data collection on adult gambling participation and problem gambling prevalence in Great Britain. The project, adopting a …

The government of Kazakhstan will require all gambling businesses to submit direct reports on the gambling activities and profiles of Kazakh citizens.  The command was approved by the deputies of the Mazhilis (Parliament), who instructed for new gambling reporting duties to be added to the Tax Code of Kazakhstan.   As reported by SBCCIS: “As dictated by the deputies of Parliament, …

Sky Betting & Gaming (Sky Bet) has donated more than £250,000 to fund life-changing support at one of Yorkshire’s leading charities – the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund. Hundreds of staff and guests gathered at SBG’s Annual Charity Gala in Leeds on Wednesday for a night of fund-raising activity, hosted by ITV Racing’s Oli Bell and Ed Chamberlin. A silent auction, …

The Economic Affairs Commission (CAE) of the Senate of Brazil has concluded its review of the tax and fiscal modalities of Bill 3,626/23 – submitted by the government to regulate a federal fixed-odds betting market.  The review marks the final assessment of Bill 3,626/23 by a legislative advisory, as the Senate will forward the Bill to the Plenary of the …