UK

As the year draws to a close and the betting sector prepares for an exciting 2019, SBC is looking back on 12 months that was filled with innovation, regulation and an abundance of landmark moments. The Gambling Commission released its biannual report for September 2018, detailing the latest statistics in the gambling industry from throughout the year. The report covered …

Arena Racing Company (ARC), Chepstow Racecourse and Ladbrokes Coral have announced a five-year renewal of Coral sponsorship of the Welsh Grand National, making it the longest Graded race sponsorship in British jump racing. Under the renewed agreement, Coral will continue to sponsor Wales’ most prestigious race until 2022, which will be the 50th year that the operator has sponsored the …

Online bookmaker Betway has strengthened its horse racing sponsorship portfolio, confirming a deal with Irish trainer Ross O’Sullivan and former jockey Katie Walsh to become brand ambassadors. O’Sullivan, who enjoyed a successful amateur career, riding for Jessica Harrington began training horses in 2011, he will utilise this insight and experience to provide regular updates on the yard with blogs for …

The World Cup semi-final between France and Belgium came out as the top match in 2018 across the bettingexpert tipster community. The match finished 1-0 at the Krestovsky Stadium, as Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti scored the only goal to take Les Bleus into the final. As part of the Better Collective Spotlight series, SBC News also learned that France’s subsequent victory over …

David Lowden, a non-executive director on the board of UK betting and gaming operator William Hill, is to leave his position with the company in March. Lowden (pictured) has accepted a position as chairman and independent non-executive director of London-listed healthcare and communications group Huntsworth. He takes on the director role on 1 January and will become chairman of the board of Huntsworth …

Aly Lalani, Head of Marketing at BetRegal, discusses executing a strategic roadmap for 2018 that had to be ‘realigned considerably’, undertaking a periodic review of performance, and why this practice allows a business to properly facilitate large-scale change. The holiday season. A time of family and friends, fun and celebration and general merriment. Inevitably, the holiday season invokes a sense …

Online odds comparison site, Oddschecker has revealed that the market for Manchester United’s next manager was its third most popular of 2018. The only markets that Jose Mourinho’s successor trailed on was the Grand National and Eurovision, with Oddschecker analytics detailing 43% more traffic on the Manchester United manager page than the highest viewed market during the Cheltenham Festival in …

New research released has revealed that people who engage in live betting on sporting events show increased involvement in watching live sport, but also drink more alcohol and show a higher incidence of problem gambling behaviours. The collaborative study between Nottingham Trent and Bilbao University examined the motivations behind the consumption of sport by fans, and how emotional involvement in …

Tennis’ Independent Review Panel (IRP) has published its much anticipated ‘Final Report’ on betting related-integrity issues, measures and protections commissioned jointly by the sport’s governing bodies of the ATP, WTA, ITF, and the Grand Slam Board. The IRP concludes a two-year study headed up by leading UK sports QC Adam Lewis, whose research is supported by US attorney Beth Wilkinson …

New industry incumbent Bethard Group (Bethard) has confirmed that it has secured an Irish ‘remote operator licence’, granted by Ireland’s Tax & Customs Revenue Department. Issuing a short market update, Malta-based Bethard confirms that its Irish remote licence complements the firm’s core strategy of expanding its European regulated market profile in 2019 and beyond. Launched at the start of the …