Europe

Kindred closes tough 2023 on stable results as key investors back FDJ takeover

SBC News Kindred closes tough 2023 on stable results as key investors back FDJ takeover

Kindred Group Plc has detailed improved financial results and corporate KPIs, closing full-year 2023 trading. The board of the Stockholm-listed online gambling group published a preliminary trading update due to the €2.6bn takeover offer tabled this morning by Groupe Française des Jeux (Groupe FDJ). Q4 results saw Kindred achieve period revenues of £313m, reflecting a 2% increase on 2022 comparatives …

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Bulgaria’s pursuit of unlicensed igaming providers reaches 600 bans

SBC News Bulgaria’s pursuit of unlicensed igaming providers reaches 600 bans

In the last three months of 2023, Bulgaria’s National Revenue Agency (NRA) blocked more than 600 igaming websites on the grounds of missing a valid licence. The watchdog’s most recently published list of breaches include domains like 22bet, luckyhit, leon casino, and more.  According to the NRA, the commissioned analysis found that the websites offered options to set up a …

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Bobby Longhurst joins as CCO on EveryMatrix’s ‘accelerated growth path’

EveryMatrix overcomes Germany hurdles to hit €65m profits

EveryMatrix has announced the appointment of Bobby Longhurst as the group’s new Chief Commercial Officer. Ahead of ICE 2024, Longhurst, former Managing Director of SportingTech, now assumes responsibility for commercial strategy including account management, sales, and marketing, working closely with each business unit to enhance EveryMatrix’s global efforts. Ebbe Groes, Group CEO at EveryMatrix, explained that the igaming software provider …

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FDJ moves on €2.6bn all cash acquisition of Kindred

SBC News FDJ moves on €2.6bn all cash acquisition of Kindred

 Groupe FDJ has outlined its ambitions to create a “new European gaming champion” by launching a €2.6bn all cash tender offer to acquire Kindred Group Plc outright.  The Paris Euronext exchange was informed this morning of FDJ’s opening offer to acquire Stockholm-listed Kindred Group, putting forward a SEK 130 (€11.40) per share offer to the firm’s board.  As detailed by …

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Kindred further fuels exposure of MFC Foundation’s ‘life-changing work’

SBC News Kindred further fuels exposure of MFC Foundation’s ‘life-changing work’

Kindred has donated its branding space on Middlesbrough FC’s first team shirts to the MFC Foundation logo for this weekend’s match against Rotherham. As the Championship club’s principal sponsor, Kindred supports the move as part of the club’s ‘Foundation Weekend’ in removing its Unibet branding for the cause. The initiative aims to highlight the Foundation’s ‘life-changing work’ for participants of …

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Malta NRA notes igaming AML improvements but stresses financial flow monitoring 

SBC News Malta NRA notes igaming AML improvements but stresses financial flow monitoring 

The government of Malta has detailed that it has strengthened policy and compliance in the gambling sector to minimize exposure to threats and vulnerabilities stemming from money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF). Measures were outlined by the ‘National Risk Assessment (NRA) on Money Laundering (ML) and Funding for Terrorism (TF)‘, a review of financial risks across Malta’s business sectors. …

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UN: Expanding casino crime gangs in Asia pose threat to UK gambling

SBC News UN: Expanding casino crime gangs in Asia pose threat to UK gambling

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has highlighted that casinos in East and Southeast Asia have become the main vessels of local underground banking and money laundering syndicates to facilitate their illicit activities.  In the report “Casinos, Money Laundering, Underground Banking, and Transnational Organized Crime in East and Southeast Asia: A Hidden, Accelerating Threat”, the UNODC noted …

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Kindred faces high-profile customer liability lawsuit in Stockholm

SBC News Kindred faces high-profile customer liability lawsuit in Stockholm

Kindred Group faces a high-profile legal challenge in Sweden as Stockholm’s District Court begins the hearing of a lawsuit brought by Per Holknekt. The fashion designer and founder of Odd Molly has accused Kindred Group and its subsidiary Spooniker Ltd of “feeding his gambling addiction, which spiralled out of control”. Prior to the lawsuit, Holknekt admitted to Swedish media that …

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BoyleSports and HRI agree sponsorship deal on Summer Series

ARC finalises Vermantia acquisition

Irish bookmaker BoyleSports has renewed its deal with HRI Racecourses for the sponsorship rights of the Irish Grand National.  The partnership will run until 2027, taking the length of the collaboration between the two entities to a total of 13 years.  Thanks to the new arrangements, the Irish Grand National will accumulate a total prize fund of €500,000, which makes …

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