iGaming Daily

In today's episode of iGaming Daily Host Charlie Horner is joined by special guest Pontus Lindwall CEO of Betsson AB and SBC Editor-at-Large Ted Menmuir as the trio delve into Betsson’s Q1 2026 results, navigating the stark contrast between record B2C customer engagement and the mounting margin pressures of a maturing European market.

Tune in to today's episode to find out:

• How Betsson is managing a significant 47% slump in operating income amid rising global gaming taxes.
• The primary reasons behind the sharp €40m revenue drop in the B2B segment and the path to recovery.
• Why Latin America remains the group’s "crown jewel" for growth while Central and Eastern Europe face regulatory headwinds.
• The strategic logic behind the €65m Rhino Entertainment acquisition and what it means for Betsson’s Canadian ambitions.
• Whether the gambling industry has officially entered a new era of "commercial maturity" defined by higher costs and tighter regulation.

Host: Charlie Horner
Guests:  Ted Menmuir & Pontus Lindwall
Producer: Anaya McDonald
Editor: Anaya McDonald

Learn how Optimove’s Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove’s Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.

Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service. 

In today's episode of iGaming Daily, Host Fernando Noodt is joined by SBC Editor Ted Orme-Claye and Editor-at-Large Ted Menmuir as the trio discuss FDJ’s underwhelming Q1 performance in France and the legislative race against time for gambling reforms in Italy.

Tune in to today’s episode to find out:

• Why FDJ has downgraded its full-year guidance following stagnant lottery results and a rising tax burden.
• The status of the Kindred integration and whether it is finally delivering growth for FDJ’s online unit.
• The latest updates from Rome on the Reorganisation Decree for Italy’s land-based gambling sector.
• Whether Sports Minister Andrea Abodi will successfully overhaul the Dignity Decree’s strict ban on gambling advertising.
• How the political fallout from the Italian national football team’s World Cup absence is pressuring regulatory decisions.

Host: Fernando Noodt
Guests:  Ted Menmuir & Ted Orme-Claye
Producer: Anaya McDonald
Editor: Anaya McDonald

Learn how Optimove’s Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove’s Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.

Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service. 

In today's episode of iGaming Daily Host Charlie Horner is joined by Arjan Korstjens Principle at Casino Marketing Academy and Dan Phillips, CEO, Founder, Investor & NED offering Advisory / Fractional Services at NEL Advisory (iGaming consultants) as the trio discuss the evolution of land-based marketing techniques and the strategic role of fractional advisory in driving global iGaming growth.

Tune in to today's episode to find out:

• How traditional casino marketing principles are being adapted for the digital age.
• Why fractional leadership is becoming a vital tool for scaling gaming businesses.
• The most effective ways to bridge the gap between land-based and online operations.
• How expert advisory services help operators navigate increasingly complex global regulations.
• What the future of player retention looks like in a hyper-competitive market.

Host: Charlie Horner
Guests: Arjan Korstjens & Dan Phillips
Producer: Anaya McDonald
Editor: Anaya McDonald

Learn how Optimove’s Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove’s Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.

Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service. 

In today's episode of iGaming Daily, host Charlie Horner is joined by Ivan Filletti, CEO of GamingMalta, as the duo discuss why Malta remains a premier global hub for the iGaming industry and how the nation is evolving through new verticals like e-sports and video game development.

Tune in to today's episode to find out:

• How Malta established itself as the "Silicon Valley of iGaming" by becoming the first European jurisdiction to regulate the industry in 2004.
• The ways the Maltese government is integrating iGaming into its long-term "Vision 2050" to consolidate and grow the sector.
• Why the island is diversifying its ecosystem to include e-sports, immersive technology, and predictive markets.
• How local educational programs and student internships are being used to nurture domestic talent for the gaming industry.
• What the "RESPECT" initiative represents in Malta’s effort to advocate for the industry as a legitimate form of global entertainment.

Host: Charlie Horner
Guest: Ivan Filletti
Producer: Anaya McDonald
Editor: Anaya McDonald

Learn how Optimove’s Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove’s Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.

Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service. 

In today's episode of iGaming Daily, Host Charlie Horner is joined by iGaming Expert Editor Joe Streeter and SBC News Editor Ted Orme-Claye as the trio discuss the bombshell confirmation that Bally’s Intralot is in talks to acquire evoke plc for 50p per share.

Tune in to today’s episode to find out:

• The Big Reveal: What evoke officially confirmed to the markets this morning following a weekend of intense speculation.
• The 50p Question: Why a valuation of just £225m for the owner of William Hill and 888 has sent the markets into a frenzy.
• The Debt Dilemma: How two companies with a combined debt mountain of over £6bn plan to make a merger work.
• UK Market Bullishness: Why Bally’s Intralot is doubling down on the UK despite recent tax hikes and regulatory headwinds.
• Synergy or Survival: Whether this deal is a strategic masterstroke by Robeson Reeves or a necessary rescue mission for evoke.

Host: Charlie Horner
Guests: Joe Streeter & Ted Orme-Claye
Producer: Anaya McDonald
Editor: Anaya McDonald

Learn how Optimove’s Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove’s Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.

Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service.

In today's episode of iGaming Daily, Host Charlie Horner is joined by SBC Editor-at-Large Ted Menmuir and SBC Researcher Ana Maria Menezes as the trio discuss the explosive move by Brazil’s Workers’ Party (PT) to repeal the country’s newly established legal betting framework and the political mystery surrounding President Lula’s silence.

Tune in to today’s episode to find out:

• The "Kill Bill" Shockwave: An on-the-ground look at Bill PL-1808/2026 and why 68 members of the governing party want to dismantle a market that officially launched just months ago.
• The Architect of Prohibition: Who is Pedro Uczai, and does his legal caucus have the authority to override the Ministry of Finance's regulatory work?
• Lula’s Calculated Silence: Why the President, despite his "no love for gambling" rhetoric, has yet to sign the bill, and whether he is playing a high-stakes game of political bargaining.
• Economic Harm vs. Fiscal Reality: Debunking the claims that "Bets" are destroying Brazilian society while the federal tax authority, Receita Federal, eyes $R\$13bn$ in critical revenue.
• A Market at Ground Zero: The potential fallout for Brazilian football, media rights, and the newly formed SPA if the government successfully hits the reset button on a decade of legislative progress.

Host: Charlie Horner
Guests: Ana Maria Menezes & Ted Menmuir
Producer: Anaya McDonald
Editor: Anaya McDonald

Learn how Optimove’s Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove’s Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.

Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service.

In today's episode of iGaming Daily, Host Charlie Horner is joined by Optimove's VP of Revenue Motti Colman and SBC editor-at-large Ted Menmuir as the trio discuss Optimove’s recent acquisition of Smartico , the distinction between AI decisioning and automation , and the critical role of personalised CRM strategies in maintaining operator margins ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

Tune in to today's episode to find out:

• The Strategy Behind the Smartico Deal: Why Optimove chose to keep the gamification specialist as an independent entity to leverage its unique founder led success and niche market share.
• The Evolution of AI in CRM: How Optimove transitioned from smart orchestration to sophisticated AI decisioning and automation to solve the bottleneck of content creation.
• Defining Brand Voice through Technology: Why teaching AI a specific brand voice is essential to prevent marketing from becoming generic or boring.
• World Cup Stress Testing: How operators can use real-time CRM adjustments to reposition customers instantly when major tournament events occur.
• Protecting Margins Against Wastage: Why understanding incrementality is key to avoiding unnecessary bonus costs for players who would have deposited regardless of an offer.

Host: Charlie Horner
Guests: Motti Colman & Ted Menmuir
Producer: Anaya McDonald
Editor: Anaya McDonald

Learn how Optimove’s Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove’s Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.

Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service.

In today's episode of iGaming Daily, Host Charlie Horner is joined by SBC Americas News editor Tom Nightingale as the duo discuss the latest Q1 business update from BetMGM and how the joint venture is navigating a landscape of cooling revenue guidance and the rising threat of prediction markets.

Tune in to today's episode to find out:

• The Financial Breakdown: Why BetMGM hit $25 million in EBITDA despite lowering its full-year revenue guidance.
• The Prediction Market Pivot: CEO Adam Greenblatt’s candid (and critical) take on the rise of PMs and their impact on traditional sports betting.
• iGaming Dominance: Why online casino remains the "shining light" for the brand and the roadmap for upcoming expansion in Alberta and Virginia.
• Market Reactions: How the mixed Q1 results have impacted the share prices of parent companies Entain and MGM Resorts.
• The Future of the JV: An analysis of whether Entain and MGM are satisfied with the status quo or if a structural change is on the horizon.

Host: Charlie Horner
Guest: Tom Nightingale
Producer: Anaya McDonald
Editor: Anaya McDonald

Learn how Optimove’s Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove’s Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.

Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service.

Affordability checks are back in the spotlight… but not for the reasons you’d expect.

After years of debate following the UK Gambling Act Review, one of the key voices behind affordability checks is now calling for a pause on their implementation raising serious questions about whether the policy is fit for purpose.

In today’s episode of iGaming Daily, we break down:

•  Why affordability checks were introduced in the first place 
•  The latest call to pause them — and why it matters 
•  Concerns around privacy, friction, and player experience
•  Whether the industry’s fears about the black market are becoming reality 
•  What this means for the future of UK gambling regulation 

With pressure mounting from both industry stakeholders and reform advocates, is this the beginning of a major rethink?

Host: Charlie Horner
Guests: Ted Menmuir & Ted Orme-Claye
Producer: Luke Walters
Editor: Luke Walters

Learn how Optimove’s Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove’s Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.

Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service.

#iGaming #GamblingNews #UKGambling #AffordabilityChecks #BettingIndustry #GamblingRegulation #iGamingDaily #SportsBetting #GamingNews #UKPolicy

In today's episode of iGaming Daily, SBC Media Manager Charlie Horner is joined by SBC Editor-at-Large Ted Menmuir and iGaming Expert Editor Joe Streeter as the trio discuss the shifting landscape of the UK retail betting sector following a massive Grand National weekend, the fallout of recent tax hikes, and the uncertain future of the high-street bookmaker.

Tune in to today's episode as we explore:

• The Grand National Aftermath: A look at the betting volume from Aintree and the controversial calls from Green Party Leader Zack Polanski to ban horse racing entirely.
• The Retail Squeeze: How the 40% tax on online casino operations is inadvertently forcing operators to slash costs and close brick-and-mortar shops to maintain efficiency.
• The Future of William Hill: Analyzing reports that evoke is looking to sell the iconic brand's retail estate and who the potential bidders might be in this climate.
• Community Pillars vs. "Hubs of Evil": Joe Streeter shares his firsthand experience working in betting shops to challenge the negative perceptions often found in the UK press.
• A Glimmer of Hope: Why Buzz Bingo and the bingo sector might be the only positive stories in a retail environment facing further sports betting tax hikes in 2027.

Host: Charlie Horner
Guests: Ted Menmuir & Joe Streeter
Producer: Anaya McDonald
Editor: Anaya McDonald

Learn how Optimove’s Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove’s Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.

Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service.