SBC Eurasia Editorial Team is happy to present a quick recap of the gambling industry events, news, regulations and partnerships that happened last week.
Dmitry Belianin’s journey through the iGaming industry is a testament to the power of passion, risk-taking, and relentless ambition. Belianin answered SBC Eurasia’s 10 questions and reflected on his career’s defining moments, challenges, and lessons.
After a decade-long ban, Kyrgyzstan legalized gambling for foreigners in 2022, expecting significant growth in state revenues. 4H Agency provides a brief overview of the current gambling legislation in Kyrgyzstan, shares the latest updates, and offers perspective on the industry’s future development.
SBC Summit Rio returns next week for its second edition, now hosted at Riocentro, the largest exhibition space in Latin America. While SBC Summit Malta is expanding its educational programme to include in-depth explorations of sports betting, payments, and other key topics, ensuring a comprehensive reflection of the challenges and opportunities shaping the European betting and gaming industry.
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has responded positively to the EU Committee for Standardisation‘s (CEN) draft on a common gambling harm markers framework. While a report from the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has shown that the organisation received 219 alerts of suspicious betting activity in 2024.
The European Commission (EC) has received a proposal for new “requirements for remote gambling platforms” submitted by the government of the Republic of Lithuania. While Bosnia and Herzegovina’s legislative system faces a critical challenge in modernising its gambling laws.
With the first mandate of Bulgaria’s newly elected coalition government having to take on the challenges left by years of political instability, one priority has taken centre stage on the agenda — the fight against illegal gambling.
Spillemyndigheden, Denmark’s Gambling Authority, has published its market statistics for Danish gambling in 2024.
3 Oaks Gaming has announced a significant expansion of its presence in the Georgian market through a partnership with CrystalBet, a subsidiary of Entain. While QTech Games, a leader in game distribution across emerging markets, continues to strengthen its position in the premium segment with a new partnership with corporate solutions provider Upgaming.
Chinese President Xi Jinping raised the issue of her government’s plans to legalize casino gambling at a bilateral meeting with Thai Prime Minister Patongtarn Shinawatra. Additionally, the Thai government continues to adjust its plans for land-based casinos.
The Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has announced the imminent implementation of new regulations governing online gambling. While a new bill introduced to the Australian Parliament aims to force online gambling companies to clearly display users’ losses on their betting apps and websites.
Entain Plc has made further changes to its board of directors, following this week’s announcement that Gavin Isaacs has resigned with immediate effect as CEO of the FTSE-listed gambling group. Additionally, the fallout from Entain’s £600m ($765m) settlement with HMRC over a bribery case related to the company’s former Turkish business has escalated due to a legal action filed by former executives.
A decline in VIP gaming at the company’s Philippine integrated resort Okada Manila and a sharp drop in domestic sales of pachislot and pachinko machines have pushed Japanese gaming company Universal Entertainment Corp (UEC) to a loss of 15.6 billion yen (US$102.5 million) for 2024. A year earlier, the company reported a net profit of 28.4 billion yen (US$186.5 million).
North Star Network (NSN) has announced its acquisition of the fair-play online gambling portal Bojoko (Bojoko.com). While Saudi Arabian firm SURJ Sports Investment has agreed to buy a minority stake in DAZN.
The Star Entertainment Group has stated that it is considering a debt financing proposal from funds associated with Oaktree Capital Management. The Oaktree proposal includes a commitment letter and term sheet setting out the terms upon which the global asset management firm would be willing to provide AU$650m in two debt facilities with a five-year term.
The world’s largest sweepstakes casino operator Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW) has announced the raising of its minimum playing age from 18 to 21 marking a significant shift in the industry.
1xBet has become the exclusive betting partner of PGL for Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2. The Cypriot company, which signed an agreement until the end of 2026, has also received the rights to broadcast the matches, which will allow it to broadcast the games on its own platform.
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