Retail

Penta Investments is reported to be weighing up a ‘possible sale’ of its gambling asset, Fortuna Entertainment Group (FEG). As reported by Reuters, the Central and Eastern European private equity fund is open to offers to acquire Fortuna Entertainment, recognised as the biggest betting firm of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The private equity fund of Czech moguls Jaroslav Hascak …

William Hill has been announced as the sponsor of the Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster Racecourse. The British bookmaker is set to sponsor the entire seven-race card, with the one-mile flat handicap race being added, as well as the Spring Mile, Cammidge Trophy and Brocklesby Stakes also being featured under the William Hill title.   Lee Phelps, Head of Broadcast and PR …

Racecourse Media Group (RMG) has promoted Ben Dowding to the new role of Chief Betting Officer (CBO). The internal promotion follows RMG’s merger of its British and International betting teams, where Ben Dowding had previously served as Director of Betting at RMG. As detailed by Nick Mills, CCO of RMG: “With many bookmaker clients increasingly approaching rights acquisition on a …

David Taylor, Head of Evidence Assurance and Evaluation at the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has outlined an “proportionate approach” to evaluating the potential measures of the Gambling Act Review and their effectiveness. Taylor noted that the UKGC’s involvement in the changes to gambling regulation in the UK does not end once the changes have been implemented, as alongside the Department for Culture, …

Representatives from Peru’s League 1 club Los Chankas have made accusations about a potential match-fixing incident in a league match. On social media, the club’s management alleged that their 1-0 loss to Atlético Grau in a recent match from the Liga 1 Te Apuesto has caused concerns over a potential pre-game settlement agreement.  The post said: “Unfortunately, we are obliged …

The board of Grupo Codere SA states that it is in “advanced negotiations” with existing bondholders to proceed with a “global recapitalization” of the Spanish and LatAm gambling group. Codere confirmed that it had recruited investment bank Houlihan Lokey and law firm Allen & Overy as advisers for its intended recapitalisation program aimed at improving its capital structure and fostering …

Sports integrity analyst Starlizard Integrity Services (SIS) has released its latest report on global football matches, identifying 167 games as suspicious throughout 2023.  The study looks closely at more than 65,000 matches, with the 167 number representing 0.26% of the total. This however is an increase of 16% compared to the 144 potential cases of manipulation from 2022 that SIS …

As a British general election looks to be on the agenda in the second half of the year, Bacta is making sure to position itself in a favourable spot for a potential Labour government. The latest engagement programme from the industry body organised a CEO roundtable where Executive Director George Mcgregor and Luxury Leisure CEO Tom Allison met with Shadow …

Julie Harrington, CEO of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), has issued a statement regarding British Jump racing following the 2024 Cheltenham Festival. The BHA has voiced concerns over British Jump racing after Ireland dominated the Grade 1 racing at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival, where Irish trainer Wille Mullins surpassed 100 total Festival wins, emphasising the lack of competition that British trainers pose. …

Bacta has confirmed that it’s moving its 21 April National Council meeting from London to Leeds with members invited to meet with the Council over lunch and participate in an informal Open Forum. Bacta will hold its next National Council meeting on 21 April in Leeds instead of London, the industry body confirmed to stakeholders. This comes as part of …