Retail

Several media rights distribution deals for the Melbourne Cup and Breeders Cup, two of Australia and North America’s flagship racing fixtures, have been signed by HBA Media. Of significance to UK viewers, HBA has signed another contract with ITV, marking the return of stateside racing content to the free-to-air channel, as the network makes its second broadcast of the Breeders …

The UK National Lottery’s contribution to good causes has broken the £500m mark for the second time in five quarters after increasing by 18.7% sequentially.  The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) noted that Camelot, operator of the National Lottery,  contributed £501.8m to good causes for the three-month period ending September 30, up 18.7% on Q1’s total of £422.9m.   Meanwhile, the contribution …

Exactly one week after announcing its takeover of horse racing ratings firm Punting Form, BetMakers has confirmed that the acquisition is complete. The Australian sports betting platform provider intends to incorporate Punting Form into its Global Betting Services division, a move which it believes will improve back-end tools and relative trading margins, as well as drive more efficient pricing. On …

Conajzar, the gambling authority of Paraguay, has received seven business applications to compete in its tender to operate a ‘national sports betting franchise’. The tender was formally announced during the summer, as Conajzar promoted the competition via a nationwide advertising campaign, informing Paraguay’s public and business community of its intentions to launch a new sports betting franchise.  Yesterday, Conajzar lauded …

Allwyn Entertainment has entered “advanced discussions” to acquire Camelot UK in a move to bolster its operations ahead of its takeover of the National Lottery’s stewardship in February 2024.  This weekend, Sky News reported on “surprise negotiations” between the two businesses that had fought a highly contentious tender to win the UK government’s multi-billion contract to operate the National Lottery. …

XB Net has secured an extension of its agreement with the UK Tote Group, as the latter seeks to continue offering a diverse portfolio of horse racing fixtures. The agreement allows the Tote to offer ‘the overhauling majority of premier stateside races’ to its customers in the UK and Ireland, encompassing live pictures, data and betting services from XB Net’s …

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) tracks £1.62bn in tax receipts generated by UK gambling during the first half of the financial year for 2022/2023 (April 2022 to March 2023). The tax authority has published its latest data sets for ‘UK Betting and Gaming’ which include ‘provisional tax receipts’ on income generated during the interim months of 2022/2023 (April-to-September 2022). Generating …

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) has outlined the two preferred bidders for its media rights packages, selecting SIS (Sports Information Services) and Racecourse Media Group (RMG). The two packages cover separate areas of horse racing content distribution from across Ireland’s 24 racecourses, and both will be awarded for the 2024 to 2028 seasons. Covered under the first package are media rights …

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has confirmed the inbound appointment of Sarah Crowther KC as Chair of UK racing’s Independent Judicial Panel.  Crowther succeeds Brian Baker CBE, the inaugural Chair of the Judicial Panel, who will end his six-year tenure in January.   The Independent Judicial Panel serves as the disciplinary and appeals board for UK racing. The panel can hold …

Having secured terms to two major partnerships during the first quarter of FY23 (Q3 2022), BetMakers has closed the three-month period in a strong financial and commercial position. In a statement to its investors on the ASX, the sportsbook platform provider detailed that its total cash receipts for Q1 FY23 – July to September 2022 – stood at AUS$23.8m, a …