Category: Industry News

Jumpman Gaming Beats HMRC in £13.2m Tax Ruling
Jumpman Gaming has avoided a £13.2 million Remote Gaming Duty bill after the UK’s Upper Tribunal overturned a lower court finding in HMRC’s favour. The ruling, handed down on 25 September, resolves a long-running dispute over how free spin promotions should be taxed and removes a liability that had been building since 2018.
What happened
The Upper Tribunal wiped out millions of pounds in Remote Gaming Duty assessments against Super Group-owned Jumpman Gaming.
HMRC had demanded approximately £13.2m in RGD from Jumpman for the accounting periods between July 2018 and December 2022.
The case, formally Jumpman Gaming Ltd v The Commissioners for HMRC, was decided by
Judges Swami Raghavan and Guy Brannan, who allowed the operator’s appeal in part against a First-tier Tribunal decision that had upheld HMRC’s construction of the freeplay provisions introduced by the Finance (No.2) Act 2017.
The dispute centred on Jumpman’s “Welcome Offer”, under which
customers who opened an account and made a qualifying deposit received a free spin on the Mega Reel, which could award prizes including further free spins on other games.
A First-tier Tribunal sided with HMRC last year regarding those subsequent spins,
ruling that free spins won as prizes from the initial Mega Reel spin should count as taxable gaming payments.
The Upper Tribunal has now overturned that part of the decision.
The technical crux of the case rested on
the interpretation of section 159A of the Finance Act 2014, specifically parliament’s definition of “the gaming” when it set out an exclusion from RGD for certain freeplay promotions.
HMRC argued that the carveout applied only to freeplay generated by earlier gaming activity, where a payment had been waived,
while
Jumpman countered that the legislation referred to remote gaming more generally.
The Upper Tribunal preferred Jumpman’s interpretation, explaining that HMRC’s approach could require operators to track the origin of a freeplay through a chain of prior transactions that was potentially too long.
As a result,
the further free spins fell within the statutory exclusion and did not create an additional RGD liability.
Why it matters
The financial relief for Jumpman Gaming is significant on its own, but the precedent is what will draw most attention from operators. HMRC’s rejected reading would have forced gaming businesses to trace freeplay entitlements back through potentially long chains of prior promotional activity to determine tax treatment. A ruling that removes that compliance burden gives operators running similar tiered or cascading bonus mechanics greater certainty over how those products should be taxed.
That certainty extends beyond Jumpman itself.
The decision could have a major impact on the wider online casino industry after Evoke identified the outcome of this case as a potential multimillion-pound exposure.
Other UK-facing operators with comparable freeplay structures now have a stronger basis for challenging or avoiding similar HMRC assessments, though the ruling applies specifically to the mechanics of Jumpman’s Mega Reel offer rather than freeplay promotions generally.
The bigger picture
The case lands at a moment when UK gambling taxation is under intense scrutiny from every angle. Operators are lobbying hard against a widely anticipated rise in gambling duties ahead of the Autumn budget, while HMRC has separately been tightening enforcement around promotional offers as a revenue lever. Tenstar Media recently examined how mounting UK tax pressure is already reshaping operator headcount in its report on Entain’s job cuts and the wider tax squeeze facing UK operators, and this ruling adds a further, contrasting data point: a rare instance of an operator successfully pushing back against a specific tax demand rather than absorbing it.
HMRC could still seek to appeal the Upper Tribunal’s decision, meaning the finality of the outcome is not guaranteed. For affiliates and marketing partners, the ruling is a reminder that promotional mechanics such as free spins and cascading bonus features carry regulatory and tax dimensions well beyond player-facing marketing copy, and that changes to how such offers are taxed can influence the generosity and structure of the promotions operators are willing to fund through affiliate channels.
Sources
September 29, 2026
Brazil Bans Betting Companies, Sites Go Dark 6 October
Brazil has banned all licensed online betting companies from operating in the country, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signing a provisional measure that takes effect immediately and forces every site offline by 6 October. The order arrives less than two years after Brazil finally regulated the sector, and it comes nine days before the first round of a presidential election in which Lula is seeking re-election.
What happened
Lula issued a provisional measure banning the operation of online betting sites in Brazil, effective immediately, with no operator permitted to accept customer deposits from the moment the measure was published.
Bettors have until 5 October to withdraw their funds, after which sites must credit remaining balances to registered accounts between 9 and 14 October, with all licensed sites blocked from 6 October.
Betting companies must process these refunds through their partner banks, and from 14 October the state-owned Caixa Econômica Federal will step in to facilitate refunds where operators or banks encounter difficulties.
Finance Minister Dario Durigan announced the measure alongside Lula, and
confirmed that new advertising contracts for betting companies were also immediately banned, with existing sponsorship deals voided after 6 October, leaving no legal site, application or sponsorship of bets in the country from that date.
The government also plans to submit an urgent bill to Congress establishing criminal penalties of four to six years in prison for anyone who runs, operates or promotes sports betting, with two to four years for institutions that process betting payments.
Lula signed Provisional Measure 1,394 on Friday, and it took effect on publication.
Under Brazilian law, the order must still secure congressional approval within 120 days to remain permanent.
Industry reaction was swift.
By Friday night, Betano, Sportingbet and Superbet had told Série A and Série B clubs their sponsorship contracts might be suspended or cancelled, affecting clubs including São Paulo, Fluminense, Flamengo, Palmeiras and Vasco.
Flutter Brazil, which runs Betnacional and Betfair, said it received the measure with surprise and great concern, noting that Brazil had chosen to regulate the market and companies had invested, paid licence fees, created jobs and paid taxes under state supervision.
Betano, Sportingbet, Betnacional and Superbet issued a joint statement arguing the illegal market already accounts for 41% of betting volume in Brazil and is exploited by organised crime, adding that oversight rather than a ban better protects consumers.
Why it matters
Almost 90 companies were licensed in Brazil, each having paid BRL30 million ($5.8 million) in licence fees, and they are expected to pursue legal action to recover funds, investments and lost profits.
The national association ANJL said it is already taking steps to overturn the measure through the courts, with its president not ruling out claims for material and moral damages that would go beyond the licence fee to cover subsequent investment.
JPMorgan flagged listed operators most exposed to Brazil, naming Evolution, which derives about 9% of sales from the country, Allwyn, whose Betano business contributes 6% to 7% of EBITDA, plus Entain and Flutter.
The betting association ANJL warned the measure would push more than 30 million gamblers into illegal websites, arguing it disrespects investments made in compliance with the law.
The reversal also threatens tax revenue the government itself had come to rely on:
regulated Brazilian betting firms paid R$8.7bn (£1.2bn) in tax between January and July 2026 alone, according to the Federal Revenue Service.
For affiliates and marketing partners built around the Brazilian market, the ban is an abrupt end to a channel that had only just matured. Search traffic, comparison content and partnership deals tied to licensed Brazilian brands lose their commercial basis overnight, and any relaunch would depend on Congress approving, amending or rejecting the measure within its 120-day window. Partners with diversified market exposure are better placed to absorb the shock than those that built acquisition strategies around Brazil specifically.
The bigger picture
The ban lands in a highly charged political moment.
Lula is locked in a tight race with right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of the 4 October first-round vote.
Recent surveys showed roughly three-quarters of Brazilians support a complete ban on online betting
, giving the government a clear electoral incentive despite the fiscal cost.
Flávio Bolsonaro himself described the measure as populist, hypocritical and politically motivated, even though a deputy in his own party had tabled a bill last month that would have banned sports betting and given operators 180 days to stop.
The episode underscores how fast a regulated iGaming market can unwind when political and social pressure builds.
Lula had signed a law regulating and taxing betting companies in December 2023, and months later his administration blocked over 2,000 online betting websites designated as irregular.
That framework, barely two years old, has now been dismantled by executive order, a reminder to operators and affiliates everywhere that licensing status offers no guarantee of permanence when a government changes its political calculus. For more on how regulatory shifts reshape operator and affiliate strategy, see Tenstar Media’s analysis of affiliate SEO under regulation, and the wider industry news section for ongoing coverage of the Brazilian market’s response.
Sources
September 27, 2026
MGM Resorts Bid: Diller’s People Inc Withdraws $18bn Offer
MGM Resorts will remain a standalone public company after Barry Diller’s People Incorporated withdrew its proposal to take the Las Vegas casino operator private in a deal that had valued it at more than 18 billion dollars. The withdrawal, confirmed on 23 September, ends four months of negotiation and wipes out the takeover premium that had been supporting MGM’s share price since June.
What happened
People Incorporated announced it has withdrawn its proposal to purchase all public shares of MGM Resorts International.
In June, the company had submitted a formal offer to acquire all outstanding shares of MGM that it did not already own for $48.30 per share in cash.
People Inc, which changed its name from IAC earlier this year, owns about 27% of MGM Resorts.
MGM’s board had formed a special committee of independent directors to evaluate the proposal, and the committee participated in negotiations with People over the past several months.
People said it continues to hold 66.8 million shares, representing approximately 27% of MGM Resorts, and stated it has total confidence in both the management and the company’s prospects.
Diller offered no detailed explanation for the collapse.
He said there are lots of ingredients that go into a proposal of this kind on its way to completion, and that the mix was not coming together in the way People had hoped.
CNBC reported that the debt load the deal would have created for People Inc was a factor in Diller’s decision to back away.
MGM Resorts chairman Paul Salem said the board remains excited to continue leading MGM as a standalone company, pointing to its leading Las Vegas position, regional properties and BetMGM’s momentum.
Shares of MGM Resorts slid 9% on the following Thursday, putting the stock on track for its lowest open in seven months and wiping out the gains made since the bid was first announced.
People had offered to buy the remaining shares for $48.30 apiece in June, a price that had driven MGM’s stock to an 18-year high at the time.
Why it matters
The collapse of the MGM Resorts deal removes one of the largest pending consolidation plays in US gaming and confirms that MGM will keep operating as a listed company rather than shift to private ownership under a media conglomerate. That has direct implications for BetMGM, MGM’s online sports betting and casino joint venture.
MGM Resorts operates 30 hotel and casino destinations globally and owns 50% of BetMGM in a joint venture with UK gambling operator Entain.
A change of control at MGM could have altered the strategic direction of that partnership; with the bid withdrawn, BetMGM’s ownership structure and roadmap stay unchanged for now.
The outcome also underscores how differently two major casino operators have handled buyout pressure in the same month.
Just days earlier, Caesars Entertainment shareholders approved a $17.6 billion buyout by Fertitta Entertainment that will take that rival private, meaning MGM now heads in the opposite direction as a standalone public company.
For suppliers and technology partners that work across both operators, that divergence matters: a privatised Caesars may prioritise different capital allocation and reporting timelines than a publicly listed MGM answering to quarterly earnings scrutiny.
For affiliates and marketing partners tied to BetMGM specifically, the continuity is arguably the more useful signal. A change of ownership at the parent level often triggers reviews of marketing spend, brand positioning and affiliate commercial terms as new owners reset priorities. With MGM remaining independent and its board publicly committing to the existing strategy, partners working with BetMGM avoid the uncertainty that would have accompanied a change of control, at least in the near term.
The bigger picture
Diller’s rationale for the original approach centred on the view that physical, experience-led businesses like casinos were more insulated from disruption than traditional media.
As People Inc proposed the acquisition in June, Diller argued that MGM stock was undervalued and that real-world experiences like casino visits were more insulated from the disruption posed by artificial intelligence than his core media business.
That logic has not disappeared with the withdrawal;
Diller left the door open to future dealmaking, saying People remains open to and interested in the possibility of a strategic transaction with MGM Resorts and looks forward to considering a range of alternatives.
The reversal also lands against a softer demand backdrop on the Strip.
The collapse of the deal shines a spotlight on tough numbers in Las Vegas, with demand having softened, especially among budget-conscious travellers.
Even so, MGM’s underlying financials had not been the trigger for the withdrawal.
MGM Resorts reported a slight increase in consolidated revenue for Q2, up 1% year-over-year, with its Las Vegas resorts generating $2.2 billion, an increase of 3% on the same quarter a year earlier.
The episode adds to a busy year of casino ownership moves in the US, following closely on the heels of the Caesars-Fertitta approval and Bally’s Intralot’s own shareholder vote to complete the evoke acquisition, detailed in Tenstar Media’s coverage of that deal. For an industry watching consolidation closely, MGM’s decision to stay public marks one of the year’s more consequential deals that did not happen.
Sources
September 25, 2026
OpenBet Names Konstakis CEO as Levin Moves to Chair
OpenBet has appointed Nikos Konstakis as its next chief executive officer, with incumbent boss Jordan Levin stepping into the chairman role. The betting and gaming technology supplier confirmed the handover will take effect at the end of 2026, closing out a period that has already included a management buyout and a pending lottery acquisition.
What happened
OpenBet announced on 22 September that
Konstakis, the company’s president, would be appointed chief executive officer, with current CEO Jordan Levin to step into the role of chairman
. The transition is staged rather than immediate:
Levin will immediately assume his role as chairman, while Konstakis will officially take on the CEO position at the end of the year
.
Konstakis is a long-serving internal candidate.
He will replace Jordan Levin, who will transition to the role of chairman after over five years as CEO, taking on the role having served as the company’s president for the past nine months
.
Since joining OpenBet in September 2021, he has held various other leadership roles, including chief operating officer and group chief product officer.
His background extends further back into the industry:
he also had an earlier spell with OpenBet, working as vice president trading between November 2017 and March 2018, then spent three-and-a-half years at SG Digital before rejoining OpenBet, and earlier in his career spent more than eight years working for Intralot
.
As CEO, his remit will be broad.
Konstakis will lead OpenBet’s strategy and day-to-day business, with a focus on growth, product and technology priorities, according to the company
. Levin, for his part, is not stepping away entirely:
Levin will transition to the role of chairman and “continue to play an active role in shaping OpenBet’s long-term strategy.”
Both executives issued statements on the change. Levin said Konstakis
“has already been instrumental in driving the evolution of OpenBet and I have tremendous confidence in his leadership as CEO”
, while Konstakis said it was
“a privilege to take on this role and lead the business at such an exciting time”
.
Why it matters
The leadership change lands at a period of heavy corporate activity for OpenBet.
The company said the leadership change follows a period of activity that includes its planned acquisition of OmniLogic, aimed at strengthening its lottery market position and relationships with World Lottery Association operators
. That deal signals an ambition to diversify beyond core sportsbook technology into lottery, a segment with its own distribution and compliance requirements across national operators.
OpenBet’s recent operational scale also underlines why continuity in leadership matters to its operator customers.
OpenBet also said it processed more than 175 million bets and $3 billion wagered during the World Cup, and noted that it completed a management buyout backed by Ariel Emanuel in 2025, with participation from Ope
[n Bet’s management team]. For sportsbook operators relying on OpenBet’s trading and platform infrastructure, a smooth internal succession reduces the risk of disruption to product roadmaps and support commitments during a period of continued M&A.
For affiliates and marketing partners, supplier-side leadership stability tends to matter less directly than operator-facing changes, but it is still relevant where OpenBet’s white-label and platform clients depend on consistent delivery timelines for new markets or product features that affect player-facing experience and, in turn, conversion rates.
The bigger picture
Konstakis takes over a business still absorbing the effects of its 2025 separation from Endeavor.
Jordan Levin led the company through its management buyout of Endeavor last year and has led the business since 2021
. Since then, OpenBet has continued to pursue growth through acquisition rather than organic expansion alone, with the OmniLogic deal representing its latest push into adjacent verticals.
The appointment is one of several recent leadership reshuffles across major gambling technology and media suppliers, following on from moves such as DAZN’s recent C-suite overhaul. Such changes reflect a broader pattern of supplier businesses tightening executive teams as they navigate tax pressure in mature markets like the UK and pursue growth through consolidation and new verticals such as lottery and prediction markets.
For more on how supplier and operator corporate moves are reshaping the industry, visit our industry news section.
Sources
September 23, 2026
Deepfake Gambling Ads Target Alberta’s Regulated Market
An Instagram ad using AI-generated footage of Alphonso Davies’ father falsely being arrested has directed Alberta consumers to an unlicensed offshore casino, reigniting regulatory concern over deepfake gambling ads in Canada’s newest regulated market. The advert, posted by an account called Prime Spin Zone, funnelled viewers to Comoros-based Oxibet, an operator with no authorisation from Alberta, Ontario or any other Canadian provincial regulator.
The incident lands at a sensitive moment for Alberta, which opened its regulated online gambling market on 13 July and is trying to persuade bettors to move away from offshore sites.
What happened
The Instagram advert, posted last week,
purported to show the father of the Bayern Munich star being arrested by Edmonton police
. The clip then
suggests that police officers discovered a vault filled with cash, but claims the arrest was a misunderstanding because the money came from legal gambling winnings, before an AI-generated version of Davies’ father encourages viewers to play at the same online casino
. A deepfake of Canadian rapper Drake was also used to lend the campaign credibility, according to multiple reports.
Clicking through the advert directed users to Oxibet,
a Comoros-based gambling site that lacks authorization from Alberta, Ontario, or any other provincial regulator
. Davies’ agent, Nedal Huoseh,
rejected the claims in the advertisement, saying the Davies family has nothing to do with gambling, and said he plans to pursue those who created the material
. It is not the first time Davies’ image has been misused this way: an earlier 2023 promotion used only a photograph of the player without his consent, before this latest campaign escalated to a full AI-generated likeness of his father.
Alberta’s gaming regulator confirmed it is tracking the problem.
“AGLC is aware of the risks posed by fraudulent online gambling advertising, including scams that use misleading or manipulated content to direct Albertans to offshore or unregistered gambling sites,” said a spokesperson for Alberta’s gaming regulator.
A separate statement from the Alberta iGaming Corporation stressed the importance of consumers being able to identify a properly registered site.
Why it matters
Deepfake gambling ads are no longer a fringe nuisance; they represent a direct commercial threat to licensed operators competing for the same players. Alberta now has
31 registered iGaming operators
paying levies and complying with advertising rules designed to protect consumers, yet a single convincing fake advert can redirect traffic and deposits straight to an unregulated competitor that carries none of those costs or obligations.
For affiliates and performance marketers, the episode is a reminder that trust signals now matter as much as reach. Platforms hosting these ads, and the affiliate ecosystems that sit around legitimate operators, face growing pressure to demonstrate that traffic sources and creative content can be verified. Search and social channels that fail to filter AI-manipulated gambling ads risk regulatory scrutiny spilling over onto the wider advertising supply chain, including paid social partners that legitimate operators rely on for acquisition.
The case also shows why regulators increasingly expect licensed brands to make their authorisation status unmistakable.
Registered operators in Alberta must display the Alberta iGaming Corporation logo in advertising, and their marketing must also reference responsible gambling and support services, including 211 Alberta.
Compliance markers like these become a competitive differentiator when fraudulent operators are actively mimicking celebrity endorsements to look credible.
The bigger picture
This is not an isolated case.
Canadian regulators and gambling organizations have reported similar fake advertising involving the Canadian Gaming Association, AGLC, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan, and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, with fraudsters often using the names, images, or likenesses of licensed operators and public figures to create an appearance of legitimacy.
A 2025 advert used altered footage of a former television journalist to promote an unlicensed betting site tied to a real Alberta casino brand, showing the tactic has been escalating for years.
What has changed is the sophistication of the fakes.
Old scams usually used stolen photos or logos, but deepfake technology has now advanced to the point where it is possible to produce believable video and audio that makes a person appear to endorse a service they never have.
That shift raises the stakes for platforms such as Meta, which have previously faced pressure from Canadian regulators over fraudulent gambling ads circulating on Instagram and Facebook.
As more provinces open regulated iGaming markets and compete for the same bettor pool currently split between licensed and offshore sites, expect enforcement bodies to push harder on advertising verification, and expect legitimate operators and their affiliate partners to lean more heavily on visible compliance branding to distinguish themselves from convincing fakes. Readers looking at how regulatory shifts reshape acquisition strategy more broadly can see our related analysis in Affiliate SEO Under Regulation: Who Wins Each Wave.
Sources
September 21, 2026
Bally’s Intralot Clears Vote to Complete evoke Deal
Bally’s Intralot shareholders have voted through the company’s £243.1m acquisition of evoke, the London-listed parent of William Hill and 888, removing the last major ownership hurdle before the deal reaches regulators. The vote mirrors an equally decisive approval from evoke’s own shareholders a month earlier, leaving the transaction on track to close by the end of this year or in early 2027.
What happened
Bally’s Intralot held its annual general meeting on 17 September, where the proposed purchase of evoke was the central item of business.
The Athens-listed company held its annual general meeting on 17 September, where the plan to purchase evoke for 52p per share, valuing the William Hill owner at £243.1m, was a key topic.
A grand total of 99.585% of Bally’s Intralot shareholders approved the takeover, with just 0.415% voting against.
The result closely tracks the outcome on evoke’s side.
This broadly corresponds with the results of evoke’s own AGM, published 17 August, with 99.63% voting in favour.
With both boards’ shareholder bases now formally on record,
approval by the shareholders of both firms means that the takeover now just needs to clear a few more regulatory approvals before it can go ahead.
The deal itself was struck in June, with evoke shareholders entitled to 0.537 new Bally’s Intralot shares for each share held, or a capped cash alternative.
The all-share agreement, first struck in June, values Evoke at 52 pence per share, a 77% premium to the company’s three-month volume-weighted average share price before takeover talks became public.
Once completed, the combined business will bring together Bally’s Intralot’s lottery and gaming technology operations with evoke’s consumer-facing brands.
Once completed, the merger will fold Bally’s Intralot’s lottery and gaming technology operations together with evoke’s consumer-facing brands, William Hill, 888, and Mr Green, creating a combined group with a footprint across six core markets, including the United States.
Why it matters
The transaction would materially reshape competitive positioning in UK betting and gaming. Earlier disclosures around the deal indicated the enlarged group would rank as the second-largest player in UK iGaming and fourth in online sports betting, giving Bally’s Intralot immediate scale in a market it has previously accessed only indirectly. For operators and affiliates, a change of ownership at William Hill and 888 raises questions about future brand strategy, marketing spend and affiliate programme terms, particularly given evoke’s own financial pressures.
Those pressures were the trigger for the sale process in the first place.
The company told investors that it had begun searching for a buyer in December 2025, when it initiated a strategic review of its business after the UK government announced increases in online gambling taxes. The first tax increase, a rise in Remote Gaming Duty from 21% to 40%, came into effect on 1 April this year.
That squeeze has already reshaped evoke’s retail footprint, with the operator
accelerating the closure of William Hill retail outlets this year with the confirmation that 200 more shops would shut their doors back in March.
The same tax environment has driven cost-cutting elsewhere in the sector, as covered in Tenstar Media’s report on Entain’s job cuts amid mounting UK tax pressure.
The bigger picture
The vote is not the final step. A court sanction hearing and outstanding competition clearances still stand between Bally’s Intralot and full ownership, with a review already opened by Jersey’s competition authority alongside other jurisdictional checks. Bally’s own financial position adds a layer of uncertainty, as its parent company has faced separate scrutiny over balance-sheet strength and financing capacity while the acquisition proceeds.
evoke, formed when 888 Holdings absorbed William Hill’s non-US assets, has carried heavy debt since that combination and flagged its own funding constraints in recent filings. A change of control under a US-headquartered gaming group would mark a further consolidation of UK high-street and online betting brands under fewer, larger owners, a trend that continues to influence how operators structure affiliate partnerships and where marketing budgets are allocated across the sector.
Sources
September 19, 2026
Entain Job Cuts Signal Mounting UK Tax Pressure
Entain job cuts of up to 400 customer care roles were confirmed this week by the Ladbrokes and Coral owner. The FTSE 100 operator is consulting on the reductions, equal to a fifth of its 2,000-strong customer service team, while simultaneously lobbying the government against a further rise in gambling taxation. Chief executive Stella David has written directly to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, warning that a proposed doubling of Machine Games Duty would hit betting shops and jobs across the country.
What happened
Entain is consulting on cutting around 400 customer-service positions worldwide, most of them in the UK.
Entain, the gambling company that owns Ladbrokes and Coral, is consulting on cutting around 400 customer-service roles, most of them in the UK, out of a total workforce of roughly 2,000 in that area.
The cuts affect operations across 11 countries, though the company has not said how many roles will go in each market.
This is not Entain’s first reduction this year.
The company had already reduced its workforce by 500 positions earlier this year before this latest round of proposed redundancies.
The latest round coincides with growing concern in Westminster over further tax rises on the sector, following an increase to Remote Gaming Duty that took effect in April.
David’s letter to Burnham invokes his own “Makerfield test”, a policy principle built around delivering for communities that have historically been overlooked by central government.
She warned that doubling the levy would add an additional 100 million pounds to Entain’s annual tax bill.
Citing modelling commissioned from EY,
David said a 40 percent machine games duty rate could lead to as many as 1,470 betting shop closures and 15,900 job losses across the sector, ultimately producing a net loss to the Exchequer of around 120 million pounds.
She also argued the impact would fall hardest on young people and part-time women workers.
Why the Entain job cuts matter
The dual announcement, cutting jobs while lobbying against future tax rises, is a deliberate signal to policymakers. Entain is showing the practical cost of tax decisions before they are made, rather than reacting afterwards. For an industry that has already absorbed a Remote Gaming Duty increase, the prospect of a second major tax hike within a year has pushed operators into a defensive posture on costs.
The government side of the equation looks unmoved so far.
Burnham and John Healey, his Chancellor, are understood to believe that slot machine venues operating around the clock are damaging lives and high streets.
That framing, focused on harm rather than economic contribution, suggests operators face an uphill lobbying battle before the Autumn Budget lands on 28 October.
For suppliers and affiliate partners tied to Entain’s retail estate, sustained cost-cutting in customer service has knock-on implications. Fewer support staff typically means operators lean harder on digital self-service tools and automated retention flows, shifting resource away from human touchpoints and toward acquisition channels that can demonstrate direct returns.
The bigger picture
Entain is not alone in trimming costs against a tougher UK tax backdrop.
Flutter plans to close up to 100 Paddy Power shops, Evoke up to 200 William Hill outlets, Betfred 132 shops, and Bet365 has announced 340 job cuts.
The pattern points to an industry-wide response to rising duty rates rather than a company-specific issue.
Entain’s own guidance from late last year showed the scale of the pressure. The operator previously estimated that changes to Remote Gaming Duty and a new general betting duty would add roughly £200 million to annual costs, with about a quarter of that impact offset through reduced marketing spend. A further doubling of Machine Games Duty would compound that burden considerably.
Whether Burnham’s government adjusts course before the Autumn Budget will shape not just Entain’s retail footprint but the wider calculus for land-based operators across Britain. For now, the job cuts stand as a concrete marker of how tax policy is already reshaping headcount and investment decisions well before any final decision is announced.
For more coverage of regulatory shifts affecting operator strategy, visit our industry news section.
Sources
September 17, 2026
DAZN Overhauls C-Suite, Names Betting Veteran Gersh CFO
DAZN has named Alex Gersh, a betting-industry finance veteran, as its new chief financial officer, part of a broader executive reshuffle at the global sports streaming group. The changes place former Foxtel chief Patrick Delany in a newly created chief operating officer role and shift outgoing CFO Darren Waterman into a chief business officer position overseeing partnerships and corporate transactions.
The moves matter to the gambling sector because Gersh arrives with a background steeped in sports betting technology, and because the reshuffle raises fresh questions about the direction of DAZN’s own sportsbook, DAZN Bet.
What happened
DAZN announced three appointments to further strengthen its executive leadership team and drive the group’s next phase of profitable growth.
Gersh will replace Darren Waterman as the company’s CFO, while Waterman has been named chief business officer.
Former Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany has accepted the role of Chief Operating Officer.
Gersh brings more than 25 years of international financial leadership across sectors including sports, betting, technology and telecoms at both private and publicly listed companies.
At Sportradar, as CFO, he led the company through its successful NASDAQ listing, and prior to that he was CFO of Betfair and subsequently Paddy Power Betfair following their merger.
Waterman is appointed to the new role of Chief Business Officer, spearheading strategic commercial, partnership and transformational opportunities for the group.
Delany will hold end-to-end responsibility for DAZN’s daily operations, with a central focus on accelerating subscriber and revenue growth, and his remit will encompass operational businesses, pricing and packaging, sports rights renewals and relationships with rights holders.
All three leaders report to Shay Segev, Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.
The restructuring also touches DAZN’s regional leadership.
DAZN has confirmed that Alice Mascia has decided to leave the company at the end of the year after four years as CEO in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland).
Why it matters
Gersh’s appointment brings a finance leader with direct betting-sector credentials into a company that operates its own sportsbook alongside its streaming business.
Gersh is already very familiar with the sports sector, having previously worked for the likes of Sportradar and Betfair, with a track record that includes the Nasdaq listing of Sportradar.
For suppliers and operators watching DAZN’s trajectory, that background signals continuity of expertise between the streaming and wagering worlds, even as the group’s structure evolves.
The reshuffle also puts a spotlight on DAZN Bet’s uncertain path.
The executive restructuring will raise questions concerning the future direction of the group’s betting subsidiary, which began 2026 outlining an aggressive expansion strategy active across the UK, Spain, Italy and Germany, with Ontario identified as its first regulated market entry outside Europe.
However, beyond its Canadian expansion, the market has witnessed few developments concerning the brand’s performance, leadership or further integration within DAZN’s wider sports-media platform.
That lack of visible momentum makes the appointment of a betting-literate CFO notable, as it could either accelerate DAZNBet’s integration or precede a strategic review of the unit’s role in the wider group.
The bigger picture
The leadership changes follow a marked financial turnaround for DAZN.
Waterman’s tenure as finance chief included DAZN reaching profitability for the first time in 2025, as well as a period of significant M&A activity.
The company completed its acquisition of Australian pay-TV business Foxtel Group last year and has continued to expand through deals for streaming technology company ViewLift and sports distribution platform EverPass.
Delany’s move to COO follows directly from that dealmaking.
The appointment is deemed critical as Delany will spearhead a new operating strategy for an enlarged DAZN following its acquisition of Australian broadcaster Foxtel in 2025.
DAZN’s ownership structure adds context to the ambition behind the reshuffle:
the business is majority-owned by Access Industries, the investment firm of Sir Len Blavatnik, and has undertaken several strategic changes this decade.
The overhaul places DAZN alongside a growing list of sports-media and betting-adjacent groups recruiting finance and commercial executives with cross-sector experience, reflecting how streaming, data and wagering businesses increasingly draw from the same talent pool. For operators and suppliers tracking where DAZN Bet fits within that portfolio, the coming months of integration under the new leadership team will be worth watching, particularly given the group’s stated ambitions in prediction markets through its existing partnership with Polymarket.
For more on how iGaming groups approach international growth, see our practical expansion playbook.
Sources
September 15, 2026
BetMGM Vikings Partnership Expands Reach in Canada
BetMGM has signed a multi-year agreement to become the official sports betting and online casino partner of the Minnesota Vikings in Canada. The BetMGM Vikings partnership gives the operator rights to use the NFL franchise’s branding across its Canadian betting, casino and marketing activity, timed to land just ahead of the team’s opening game of the new season.
What happened
The deal was announced on 10 September from Toronto, with BetMGM named the Official Sports Betting Partner and Online Casino Partner of the Minnesota Vikings in Canada.
The agreement gives BetMGM rights to use Vikings marks across approved sports betting, online casino and marketing activities in Canada.
As part of the arrangement, BetMGM has launched an exclusive branded casino title.
The agreement includes the launch of an exclusive Vikings-themed online casino game, Vikings Big Kick LuckyTap, developed by Design Works Gaming and available now exclusively at BetMGM Casino in Alberta and Ontario.
Those two provinces are currently the only Canadian jurisdictions with regulated iGaming markets.
BetMGM’s own footprint in Canada has grown steadily.
BetMGM Sportsbook and Casino has operated in Ontario’s regulated iGaming market since 2022 and in Alberta’s since the market launch date of July 13, 2026.
Notably, the Vikings themselves cannot offer an equivalent partnership at home.
Neither online sports betting nor online casino is legal in Minnesota, despite repeated efforts to change that, with the most recent legislation attempting to authorize online sports wagering stalling less than three weeks after it was introduced in March 2026.
BetMGM chief revenue officer Matt Prevost framed the deal as part of a wider strategy combining sports fandom with casino content, saying the operator is
“uniquely positioned to combine sports fandom with iGaming”
. Vikings chief marketing officer Martin Nance said the club is looking to deepen ties with its Canadian fanbase through the tie-up.
Why it matters
The BetMGM Vikings partnership illustrates how NFL franchises are increasingly monetising fan bases outside jurisdictions where they cannot strike domestic betting deals. With Minnesota’s own market closed to regulated online wagering, Canada offers the Vikings a route to commercial gambling sponsorship that would otherwise be unavailable at home.
For BetMGM, the arrangement reinforces its positioning in Alberta at an early stage of that market’s development. Branded content, such as the Vikings Big Kick LuckyTap game, gives the operator a differentiated product to drive engagement beyond standard casino slots, which can support retention and cross-sell between sportsbook and casino verticals.
For affiliates operating in Ontario and Alberta, team-branded partnerships of this kind tend to generate short-term spikes in branded search interest around fixtures and season openers. Affiliates that can produce timely, well-optimised content tied to a partner operator’s sponsorship activity are better placed to capture that traffic than those relying on generic seasonal content.
The bigger picture
The deal lands as Alberta’s regulated iGaming market matures following its July 2026 launch, with operators racing to establish local sponsorship footholds early.
BetMGM launched in Alberta on July 13, 2026, marking the company’s first international expansion since entering Ontario in 2022.
Securing an NFL franchise partnership so soon after entry suggests BetMGM is prioritising brand recognition in the province ahead of rivals.
The arrangement also fits a broader pattern of North American sports franchises pursuing cross-border betting sponsorships where domestic law prevents direct deals, a trend likely to continue as more Canadian provinces consider opening regulated online gambling markets. Operators weighing similar market entries can find a broader framework for such moves in Tenstar Media’s iGaming Markets: A Practical Expansion Playbook.
Sources
September 14, 2026
Pragmatic Play Signs Kevin Hart for Live Casino Push
Pragmatic Play has signed actor and comedian Kevin Hart to host a series of live casino sessions on 6 and 7 November, its first celebrity hosting deal since the supplier exited the sportsbook and bingo markets earlier this year. The move signals a deliberate bet on star power to differentiate live dealer content in an increasingly crowded segment.
What happened
Kevin Hart will host some of Pragmatic Play’s live casino titles on 6 and 7 November under a new partnership.
The award-winning actor and stand-up comedian will be part of Pragmatic Play’s live casino studio floor across four exclusive sessions in early November.
Hart will host some of the supplier’s most popular live casino games for players, with the exact tables he’ll be hosting to be revealed on each day of the collaboration.
Pragmatic Play has announced a live casino collaboration with Kevin Hart, bringing the actor and comedian into its studio for a special event, with Hart hosting selected live casino titles during four separate sessions.
Pragmatic Play describes the event as a “landmark live casino event” and says it will reveal which games Hart will host through its social media channels in the days leading up to the broadcasts.
Pragmatic Play’s chief operating officer, Irina Cornides, said the business is “absolutely thrilled” to welcome Hart into its studio to offer the unique experience to players.
Cornides added that the company cannot wait “to deliver an unforgettable experience for our operator partners and their players.”
In the lead-up to the broadcasts, Pragmatic Play will unveil a series of major promotions giving players the chance to win Free Chips in live casino games, including those hosted by Hart.
The supplier will also drop random cash prizes throughout the event.
Why it matters
The tie-up is a marketing decision rather than a product launch, and that distinction matters for how operators should read it.
The partnership with Hart represents the latest step in Pragmatic Play’s strategy of exploring whether a high-profile entertainment figure can help broaden the reach of its live casino offering among operator audiences.
For distribution partners, celebrity-hosted broadcasts create a ready-made content hook that can be layered into promotional calendars, social pushes and cross-sell campaigns around the two broadcast dates.
The specific games Kevin Hart will host have yet to be announced, with those details to be shared with viewers on each day of the broadcasts.
That staggered reveal is itself a marketing mechanic, designed to sustain attention across the two-day window rather than front-loading it into a single announcement.
For the provider, it is a high-profile marketing move, bringing in a global star of Hart’s calibre to elevate the usual live casino format into a full-blown media event.
For operators running Pragmatic Play’s live casino feed, the sessions offer a low-cost way to generate short-term engagement spikes without committing their own marketing budget to a celebrity deal. Affiliates covering live casino verticals have an obvious content opportunity in previewing and recapping the sessions, particularly if search interest around Hart’s name spills over into casino-related queries in the days surrounding 6-7 November.
The bigger picture
The announcement follows Pragmatic Play’s decision in June 2026 to exit the sportsbook and bingo markets and redirect investment towards slots and live casino.
The Gibraltar-based B2B content supplier is aiming to use Hart’s star power to expand its live casino offerings following that strategic pivot away from sportsbook and bingo.
Framed against that backdrop, the Hart deal looks less like an isolated publicity stunt and more like a signal of where the supplier intends to concentrate its growth efforts.
The move also speaks to a broader trend in the gambling industry, where operators are actively seeking to differentiate their offerings through unique entertainment value.
The live dealer space remains competitive, with heavyweights such as Evolution Gaming dominating the scene,
which raises the stakes for rivals looking to carve out attention through recognisable talent rather than incremental product features alone.
While branded online slots featuring celebrity likenesses are standard practice, directly placing a Hollywood A-lister at a live gaming table to interact with players in real time marks a significant push toward mainstream, interactive entertainment in live dealer gaming.
Whether the format proves repeatable will depend on measurable engagement during the two broadcast days, and on whether operators see a tangible lift in live casino traffic that justifies further celebrity tie-ins across the supplier landscape. For more on how affiliate content strategies are adapting to shifts like this, see our industry news section.
Sources
September 13, 2026