Europe

Italy’s 6,000 betting shops reopened this Monday (15 June) to yet another ‘new dawn’ facing the government’s additional 0.5% wagering tax applied across all betting-related verticals (retail, digital and virtual sports). The temporary GGR tax is calculated on betting turnover and will be combined with existing net betting duties of 20% for retail, 22% for virtual games and 24% for …

Claire Murdoch, the director of mental health at NHS England, has urged betting companies to avoid ‘aggressive advertising campaigns’ following the return of the football season. Murdoch suggested that the NHS’ problem gambling centres will struggle to cope with ‘avoidable harm’ as a result of excessive gambling advertising, emphasising that the industry must not ‘open the floodgates of addiction’. “The …

Confusion reigns with regards to Irish bookmakers reopening their venues, as the government orders betting shops to remain closed until 29 June.  This week, a reported 800 Irish betting shops reopened their businesses on Monday 15 June, believing to have complied with the Irish government’s ‘phase two’ Coronavirus national plan.  However, within 24 hours Irish betting firms were instructed to …

Cyber.bet has become the latest to secure a partnership with the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) to focus on tackling match fixing and corruption within the esports betting domain. Cyber.bet will work alongside ESIC to provide information needed for initiating and conducting investigations on match fixing and betting fraud. Ian Smith, Commissioner of the Esports Integrity Commission said: “It is an …

Bethard Group has confirmed that it will terminate its entire UK online gambling market presence next month.   The Malta-based gambling operator communicated to UK customers that its flagship Bethard brand would no longer accept wagers or further transactions from the 6 July.  UK customers have been given until the 10 August to withdraw funds and clear their player accounts, as …

Real-time sports updates and results provider LiveScore hopes to deliver a ‘front-row’ experience for UK football fans after confirming that it will be launching its first streaming service. LiveScore has confirmed that all remaining matches in Italy’s Serie A season will be broadcast to UK fans after securing live streaming rights. The deal will also see LiveScore secure the rights …

XLMedia has this morning confirmed the appointment of Ken Dorward as President of North America and a member of its Global Executive Committee. Dorward joins the London AIM digital publisher having formerly served as Chief Operations Officer of leading US affiliate network Rakuten Inc, where he spearheaded global partnerships, media assets and publisher management. The appointment of Dorward as North …

William Hill Plc has achieved its bookbuild funding target, raising £224 million in working capital for its future growth strategy, maintaining its digital growth momentum, and accelerating its US wagering partnerships. Closing trading on Tuesday 17 June, William Hill announced that it had sanctioned a new share placement for 19.99% of the firm’s existing share capital. In less than 24-hours, William …

GVC Holdings will back tennis’ ‘Eastern European Championship’ charity initiative to raise vital funds in support of international COVID-19 relief efforts. Held in Belgrade at the ‘Tipsarevic Academy’, the Eastern European Championship is a six-week exhibition tournament (15 June – 23 July) created by former tour pro Janko Tipsarevic to raise funds for COVID-19 and tennis development charities. The special event marks …