Preparing for a new UK racing season, William Hill has issued an early warning predicting the domination of Willie Mullins and his champion jockey Ruby Walsh at the 2016 Cheltenham Festival. The bookmaker predicts that the ‘Mullins/Walsh juggernaut’ will once again takeover Cheltenham this March, pricing Mullins at 1-5 to be ‘Festival Top Trainer’ at with Ruby Walsh 4-11 to …

Having agreed to broadcast Bookmakers Afternoon Greyhound Service (BAGS) greyhound racing on multiple digital verticals, SIS Commercial Director Paul Witten details to SBC the partnership plans which aim to open the sport to new consumers. ______________________ SBC: Hi Paul, SIS will have access to almost 30,000 BAGS greyhound races from 20 UK tracks and a remit to build a digital …

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) thas announced that Vivien Kyles, Chief Executive of Hamilton Park racecourse, will join its Board at the start of 2016, replacing Arena Racing Company Chairman David Thorpe as the Racecourse Association’s (RCA) Member Nominee Director. Kyles was appointed to her role at Hamilton Park in June 2008. She is also Vice Chairman of the RCA, …

FTSE listed online gambling technology provider Playtech has confirmed the appointment of John Jackson as its new Non-Executive Director. Jackson will advise Playtech from 1 January, replacing Deputy Chairman & Non- Executive Director Hilary Stewart Jones (2014-2015), who has officially resigned from the board. As Non-Executive Director, Jackson will sit on Playtech’s Board of Remuneration and Audit Committee. Jackson will additionally …

Toronto listed Amaya Inc’s ongoing Kentucky compensation dispute has hit Christmas headlines as Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate ups the operators fine to $870 million. Ruling in favour of the state’s compensation claim against Amaya subsidiary PokerStars, in relation to online gambling services offered to Kentucky consumers between 2006 and 2011. Judge Wingate allowed Kentucky State to triple its damages claim …

County Kildare (Ireland) Punchestown Racecourse is set to undergo a €6.2 million renovation project, which will see work begin on a new €3.8 million grandstand, following 2016’s Punchestown Festival in April. The redevelopment project has been approved by the board of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), who will contribute €2.5 million through a capital development grant. Punchestown Racecourse management will now …

European sports betting operator Unibet has confirmed that Albin de Beauregard will take over as new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) from Graham Stretch who is set to exit the leadership role this coming March. De Beauregard will step up to the role of CFO, having served as Head of Unibet Internal Auditing since April 2015. Unibet further detailed that Stretch …

There will be no time to celebrate Christmas for Paddy Power and Betfair governances as the shareholders of both companies have agreed outright to approve the £6.2 billion merger deal. Holding simultaneous ‘extraordinary meetings’ on Monday 21 December in which shareholders filed their votes, the merger deal saw a 99% investor approval, gaining a further significant step towards the creation of …

In its bid to strengthen the integrity and credibility of sport and for the successful protection of clean athletes, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today published the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions. A first of its kind, the Code aims to provide the Olympic Movement and its members with harmonised regulations to protect all …

The governance of Toronto listed igaming operator Intertain Group (Intertain) has labelled New York hedge fund Spruce Point Capital Management as a “self identified short-seller of the company’s common shares”. Intertain governance further stated that its damning 120 page dossier published last week attacking the firm’s acquisitions, governance, corporate performance reporting and financial management were simply “self-serving and misleading”. The …