Retail

The Dubai World Cup horse racing fixture on 25 March is set to be shown by 40 global broadcasters. Dubai Racing Club, its distribution and production company Racecourse Media Group (RMG), and the latter’s agency HBA Media, have secured several big names in sports broadcasting. These include Fox Sports in the US, ESPN / Star+ in South America, SuperSport in …

The Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) – the sole Arabian Racing Authority in Britain –  has been purchased by Arena Racing Company (ARC). Operating with the support and permission of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), the ARO manages all elements of the integrity, fixture list and promotion of the sport. ARC are long term supporters of ARO, having hosted events at …

The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTTP) is apparently looking to further divest its lottery holdings, with UK and Irish media reports indicating the group is evaluating a sale of Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI). This would further reduce the OTTP’s presence in the European lottery market, as PLI has been the operator of the Irish National Lottery since 2014, managing the …

Svenska Spel vows to deepen monitoring of ‘at-risk behaviours’ as Swedish cost-of-living concerns have grown since the start of the year.  Sweden’s state-owned gambling operator announced that it had registered no increase in problematic gambling behaviours in its business activities during the first two months of 2023. The assessment comes despite the ongoing financial challenges Swedish citizens face due to …

Betfred and SIS (Sports Information Services) have inked a new production, distribution and content agreement. As Betfred becomes the first to broadcast in high-definition, the long-term partnership allows for the bookmaker’s UK retail customers to access ‘top-quality content live from the iconic racing events worldwide’ in HD. Mark Stebbings, Group Chief Operating Officer at Betfred, commented: “We constantly strive to …

OpenBet has revealed that it processed just over half a billion transactions across its sportsbook platform during last week’s Cheltenham Festival. The platform, content and service provider to the sports betting industry explained that the annual four-day national hunt racing meeting produced an ‘exponential’ amount of activity. Highlights amongst OpenBet’s customers included more than 65 million bets being processed and …

Speculation surrounding the future of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR) has intensified as the government evaluates plans to privatise the state-owned gambling operator and regulatory body. News sources in Manila report that the government of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos seeks to ‘reorganise PAGCOR’ by divesting its casino properties “whilst maintaining its regulatory and licensing functions”.  Dealmakers supporting the …

Flutter Entertainment has reported strong trading across its full UK and Ireland brand portfolio from last week’s Cheltenham Festival, particularly bolstered by the unique timing of this year’s racing calendar. The FTSE100 betting and gaming group recorded total stakes of over £250m and 37 million online bets over the four days of the festival across its Paddy Power, Sky Bet …

MyRacehorse has announced the hiring of two-time Classic-winning Jockey Ted Durcan as the group’s new Bloodstock Consultant in the UK and Ireland The micro-share horse racing syndicate will work with Durcan to select horses both at public and private auctions as the company looks to expand its portfolio of horses available for customers to purchase. Kate Hardy, Director of Operations …

The upcoming Gambling White Paper requires balance, not just between protecting the vulnerable and maintaining betting’s sustainability, but also ensuring it continues to support various affected sectors. Caroline Nokes, the MP for Hampshire’s Romsey and Southampton North constituency, put this argument across in a recent article on ConservativeHome, emphasising in particular the betting industry’s contribution to rural communities. This support, …