Retail

UEFA and ESSA have entered into an information sharing agreement, designed to strengthen the European football administrative body as it continues its campaign to rid the sport of match-fixing. Aleksander Čeferin, President of UEFA, has recently stressed that the fight against match-fixing remains a major priority, developing and financing several initiatives to protect the integrity of the European game. As …

The Gambling Commission has outlined fresh plans to make gambling online in Britain safer, undertaking an overhaul to gambling marketing whilst also delivering a fresh approach to age verification.  A key focus of the new plans involves further protecting children from potentially being exposed to gambling, by banning operators from providing free-to-play demo games until a consumer’s age has been …

The UK Court of Appeal has rejected Ladbrokes Coral’s £71 million tax avoidance claim, siding with UK Revenue & Customs (HMRC) over the decade-long legal dispute. In October 2017, Ladbrokes Coral governance had taken its dispute to the Court of Appeal, having lost a three-year-long hearing at the UK Tribunal Court. The Ladbrokes legacy tax avoidance case relates to a …

Issuing a market update, Australia ASX-listed Tabcorp Holdings has confirmed that it has secured a US $1.4 billion long-term debt note from US private investors. The debt bond financing will be used to assist Tabcorp’s enlarged operations having secured its merger with Tatts Group (approved December 2017). Tabcorp governance details that the debt note will comprise four US $ denominated …

Arena Racing Company (“ARC”), the largest racecourse group in the UK, has acquired a majority stake in Vermantia, a leading provider of multi-channel content solutions worldwide. As part of the deal, Vermantia Founder and Chief Executive, Filippos Antonopoulos will remain in his position as a shareholder in the business and shall carry on in his executive role. The deal ensures ARC …

Despite domestic political uncertainty dominating the Italian business agenda, the governance of Betaland will push ahead with its international expansion strategy. This week, Betaland’s operating company OIA Services communicated that it had retained the services of top Italian gaming lawyer Quirino Mancini of Tonucci & Partners, who will consult the operator on entering foreign jurisdiction and its licensing procedure. Seeking new ground, …

Crown Resorts has today announced the resignation of well-known billionaire director James Packer. There was no official reason given for the move, but a number of mainstream media outlets cite an unnamed spokesperson who claims the decision relates to Packer’s mental health. The Australia-listed company thanked Packer in a brief statement earlier this morning. “We have appreciated James’ contribution to …

Playtech BGT Sports (PBS) has unveiled a multitude of retail cash-out improvements, designed to heighten a punters retail wagering experience, while bringing the high street in-line with its online counterparts. Detailed the improvements, PBS states that its cash-out option is to stay open for longer on matches with strong favourites, therefore heightening the tools availability in multiples bets. Players would …

Luxembourg-based private equity firm Novalpina Capital has put forward a bid to acquire Tallinn (Estonia) listed gambling firm Olympic Entertainment Group (OEG) outright. Issuing a market update, Novalpina details that it has placed a €1.90 per share offer for OEG’s enterprise through its investment vehicle Odyssey Europe AS. Offering a 3.3% premium on OEG’s ‘average exchange price’ for the past six …

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) is to launch a review after six horses died at last weeks Cheltenham Festival. During the first day (Tuesday 13 March) of the four-day event, Mossback and Report to Base died, while Sandsend broke a leg in the County Hurdle in a race to the finish on the final day (Friday 16 March). Also on …