SBC Eurasia Editorial Team is happy to present a quick recap of the gambling industry events, news, regulations, and partnerships that happened last week.
SBC Eurasia is excited to introduce iGaming Accent, a brand-new podcast delivering exclusive insights, expert analysis, and in-depth discussions on Eurasia’s gambling and sports betting industry. The debut episode drops on April 9, featuring Maksim Afanasev, Director at Sportradar. Tune in on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.
With the debut of SBC Summit Americas, SBC is merging into a single, unified event, delivering a broader pan-American outlook. Moreover, global EDM icon and Grammy-nominated DJ Steve Aoki is set to headline the INFINITY Florida closing party, kicking off its debut at SBC Summit Americas.
SBC has announced a series of promotions in its media division, facilitating a new structure that will allow SBC Media to enhance its coverage of the B2B gaming industries and continue its expansion across multiple platforms.
State intervention in market processes should be balanced and consider long-term economic and social consequences, according to George Mamulaishvili, the head of the Georgian Gambling Association (GGA). In its analysis, the GGA discusses how Armenia’s flawed regulatory policies are dealing a severe blow to businesses, tax revenues, and social stability.
On November 1, 2024, Finland officially notified the European Commission of its draft Gambling Act, marking a pivotal move towards the liberalization of its gambling sector. Ivan Kurochkin, Partner and Head of the Consulting Department, 4H Agency, shared his insights on the potential impact of liberalizing the national gambling sector with SBC Eurasia.
The HDZ government of Croatia has been warned that radical reforms to implement a new Gambling Law will indirectly impact 15,000 jobs. While Bulgaria has amended its national self-exclusion register for gambling, increasing the minimum exclusion period for registered individuals to one year.
It’s no surprise that the gambling industry in Europe continues to grow — by €13.5 billion ($14.72 billion), according to the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA). The latest report from the association revealed that casino games account for 51% of the total online gaming gross gaming revenue in 2024, which increased by 15% year-over-year, and this is only among EGBA members.
New Zealand has taken a huge step forward in its bid to introduce a regulated online casino market as early as 2026. Additionally, New Zealand has turned its attention to influencers promoting casino content at a time of heightened political focus on the betting and gaming sector.
The testimony of former gambling addict André Rolim shocks the CPI of Bets, which will recommend urgent actions to protect vulnerable customers from engaging with gambling. Additionally, Liverpool City Council and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) have launched a large-scale campaign to address the consequences of gambling, following a study that revealed key issues affecting the city’s residents.
Playtech Plc has achieved its “elevated targets” as part of its 2024 transformation, with the FTSE250 technology group transitioning to a purely B2B model. Moreover, Macau’s Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) is recovering from COVID, and the trend is expected to continue through 2025, according to the latest Macau Gaming Monitor report from financial research group CreditSights.
DAZN has announced that it has completed its acquisition of Foxtel Group, one of Australia’s largest sports media companies, from News Corp – the deal, reportedly worth $2.1bn. Additionally, BlueBet has stated that it is nearing a market share between 10%-15% after completing its acquisition of TopSport this week.
Digitain has taken its European expansion forward with a new strategic partner in Poland, Betters.pl. While OpenBet has partnered with Swiss lottery and betting group Loterie Romande, which provides its services in the country’s French speaking regions (cantons).
7777 Gaming, a leading online casino content provider, has received certification in Croatia for its innovative portfolio. While Gamban has improved the accessibility of its gambling support with its services now available in the language of Finnish.
Sports Illustrated has secured a deal to enter the emerging prediction markets business. According to a Bloomberg report, the storied sports media brand is partnering with British digital marketing company Galactic to enter the prediction market space, allowing users to engage with sports event contracts. The new venture, SI Predict, will be available to users in eligible markets around the world in Q2 2025, pending regulatory approvals.
VBET will remain the official sports betting partner of AS Monaco for a further four years. The extended deal will see the SoftConstruct subsidiary continue to feature on the front of the Monegasque players’ shorts in Ligue 1 games and during training until 2029. While Birmingham City FC’s partner, God55, which is partially owned by Tom Brady, has come under investigation after Insider Sport and iGaming Expert discovered that the operator’s website misleads users by falsely claiming to hold a license from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA).
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