Retail

This year’s Royal Ascot will feature the biggest international media exposure for the prestigious UK racing festival, hosted from Tuesday 15th to Saturday 19th June. Preparing the festival for its public return, welcoming +12,000 spectators to its racecourse each day, Ascot Racecourse has selected HBA Media to serve as its lead international media rights distributor. Expanding Royal Ascot’s global coverage, …

Camelot UK has declared that National lottery sales have exceeded £8bn for the first time during 2020/21, resulting in the best-ever returns to good causes from sales revenue alone. During the financial year 2020/21(April-to-March 2021), the National Lottery recorded total sales of £8.37bn, registering a £468m improvement on the previous year results.  Record sales were achieved against the backdrop of …

William Hill has lauded its newly signed title sponsorship of the three-day Northumberland Plate festival, confirmed in cooperation with the Arena Racing Company (ARC). The agreement will see William Hill benefit from prominent branding displayed around the racecourse, alongside race titles for the Saturday card and other feature races such as the Seaton Delaval Handicap, Hoppings Stakes and Gosforth Park …

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has confirmed the appointment of Andrew Rhodes as its new Interim Chief Executive. Rhodes will replace Sarah Gardner as the acting CEO of the Commission. Gardner took leadership of the regulator following the abrupt departure of Neil McArthur last March in light of regulatory failings surrounding the high profile collapse of Football Index.  Updating stakeholders, …

Renowned academic, Dr Mark Griffiths an expert in addictive behaviours and treatment of problem gambling disorders, has joined the advisory board of Allwyn – the UK enterprise of Czech gambling conglomerate SAZKA Group seeking to become the next steward of the National Lottery. Griffiths who leads the Behavioural Addiction unit at Nottingham Trent University, will serve as lead advisor to …

Intralot SPA has detailed confidence in achieving its business recovery objectives as the firm declares a positive opening to 2021 trading. Publishing its Q1 2021 trading results (period ending 31 March), Intralot registered group revenues of €102 million – up 9% on corresponding 2020 results of €93 million. The Athens-listed gambling technology group highlighted the recovery of its lottery games …

Italy’s bookmakers and gambling venues have begun to reopen their businesses following more than a year observing the government’s strict lockdown orders enforced across all regions. Approved by Italian Health Minister, Roberto Speranza, from 31 May, 2000 gambling venues (bookmakers, arcades and bingo halls) were allowed to reopen across the regions of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Molise, and Sardinia. Further reopening …

The Football Association (FA) has named Debbie Hewitt MBE as its designated chairwoman, who becomes the first female leader of English football professional body in its 157-year history. Hewitt, who will take leadership next January, was branded as the ‘unanimous choice’ by the seven-member selection panel. The business executive will succeed the interim FA Chair, Peter McCormick OBE, with the …

US private equity fund CVC Capital Partners is reported to be eyeing a disruptive shake-up of pro-tennis as it pursues a $600 million deal to merge the ATP men’s and WTA women’s tours. Sky News reports that CVC aims to combine the ATP and WTA organisations to form ‘One Tennis’ the new unified commercial identity for global tennis. As part …

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has published its latest ‘impact report’ tracking online gambling behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic as the UK government eases National Lockdown orders. Tracking the month of April, the Commission recorded a total online gambling GGY of £560 million, up 3% on March’s corresponding results of £546 million.  April’s total GGY growth was attributed to ‘a …