UK

2017’s industry agenda and context has been dominated by the UK government’s pending October triennial review of industry gaming machine stakes and advertising standards. Industry leadership and investors eagerly await the government’s judgement in what has become a high stakes political battle. Following 2015/2016’s mass industry consolidation, 2017 was initially marked as the ‘year of corporate integration and assimilation’, as …

Entering the final day of trading for its ‘Man Booker Prize 2017’ market, Ladbrokes has placed first-time novelist George Saunders ‘Lincoln in the Bardo’ as 6/4 outright market leader to be crowned ‘best fiction novel written in the English language.’ Saunders’ ‘Lincoln in the Bardo’ has garnered high critical praise, telling the emotional story of Abraham Lincoln’s conflicting grief at …

LeoVegas.com has been helping to build a bridge between Norfolk based sports outfits Leicester Tigers and Norwich City. The Swedish mobile gaming and sports betting operator is the shirt sponsor of City and official betting and gaming partner of the Tigers. They presented England internationals Ben and Tom Youngs, fellow Tigers Will Evans and George Catchpole and development talents Harry …

Speaking at the ESSA Sports Betting Integrity Conference at Lord’s cricket ground yesterday, Chris Watts head of integrity assurance at the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) outlined what he identified as the ‘biggest threat’ to eradicating corruption from the sport. The former anti-corruption manager for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was speaking on the opening panel at the event, analysing …

Gordon Strachan has inevitably been relieved of his duties as Scotland manager following the disappointing 2-2 draw with Slovenia in Ljubljana five days ago. That result ended any hopes of a second placed finish in Group F and a playoff berth, with the 2018 Russia World Cup now a mere pipe dream, one that will mark twenty years since the …

12BET has secured another association with a sport played successfully across Asia, after being recognised as an official partner of this year’s World Taekwondo Grand Prix and World Para Taekwondo Championships (19-22 October). The partnership between GB Taekwondo and 12BET was arranged by Sport Collective, a UK based sports marketing agency, for an event which will see the best Taekwondo …

Placing social responsibility at the forefront of the industry, the first ever ‘Responsible Gambling Week’ (RG Week – 12-18 October) has been met with great enthusiasm by sector stakeholders. Driven by the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling (IGRG), every vertical of the UK gambling industry (arcades, bingo clubs, bookmakers, casinos and digital) will take initiative in driving the message of …

At the culmination of its second consecutive year as sponsor and passionate supporter of the Bobby Moore Fund’s Football Shirt Friday, William Hill CEO, Philip Bowcock presented the England idol’s widow, Stephanie Moore a cheque for just over £24,000. Bowcock described it as a ‘privilege’ to sponsor the initiative, which has raised over £120,000 in total towards funding life-saving bowel …

Entering a new financial year, London AIM-listed mobile gambling operator and systems supplier Nektan Plc has posted a strong Q1 2018 performance (period ending 30 September). Driven by new product inventory and the continued growth of its European gaming brands, Nektan would report a double in period cash wagers to £126 million (Q1 2017:£56 million). The ‘mobile-first’ gambling firm, noted …

Updating the market, FTSE-listed William Hill Plc has confirmed that Non-Executive Director Mark Brooker has been appointed the new Chair of its group Corporate Responsibility Committee. Brooker who joined William Hill’s Non-Executive Advisory last November, will replace Ashley Highfield who departs the bookmaker’s board of governance. Brooker is the former Chief Executive and Executive Director of Betfair Group Plc (pre …