Every week, we have access to all sorts of news from the iGaming industry, and this one was no exception. The team at Nostrabet and I took the time to read through all of the latest news and found that some are much more interesting than others. That’s why it is time to share them with you so you can stay up to date with everything new and important.
Fans Really Like the Cheltenham Festival According to a Survey from Coral
Coral is one of the UK’s biggest online bookmakers and a place where people can bet on many different sports, including horse racing. The latter is one of Coral’s main attractions, so the operator decided to issue a survey regarding the Cheltenham Festival. Known as one of the most important horse races in the UK, it attracts people from all over the country.
Following the end of the survey and after asking around 1000 sports fans, 26% answered that they were ready to skip a family event to watch the race. A staggering 46% said that they would go to their employer just so they could watch it, and 48% answered they would watch it at work.
These results are interesting because they prove the importance of horse racing in the UK. The Cheltenham Festival began on March 11. Some studies show that this is the UK’s third favorite sports event, which is impressive.
Bet365 will operate in Serbia
One of the interesting news articles I came across was related to bet365. Everyone who knows about online gambling has probably heard of this brand because it has been in the business for many years. Bet365 is available in many different countries, and it seems like it added one more to the list because it will operate in Serbia.
After March 6, 2025, bet365 became officially available in Serbia, allowing local online bettors to bet on sports and access the online casino. This is the second major market the site started operating in after offering its services in Peru in late 2024.
Aside from Serbia, bet365 also expanded its Eastern European presence by partnering with EGT Digital in Bulgaria. With that said, Bulgaria’s neighbour has become an interesting destination for iGaming operators after changing some of its regulations. Nowadays, people there can access the services of many top international brands.
Ghana’s Government May Remove Gambling Taxes
One reason more countries are deciding to open their doors to online gambling operators is taxes. However, it seems that not all governments are interested in that, as the newly elected authorities in Ghana announced that they want to remove the betting tax.
Needless to say, this decision sparked a huge debate within the country as to whether this should happen. Ghana’s Institute of Economic Affairs raised its concercens because the country has a 10% tax on all betting winnings. According to that institute, this tax allows the country to generate more revenue and also helps as a “problem gambling deterrent tool”.
In an attempt to convince the newly elected authorities that this was a bad decision, the Institute of Economic Affairs made a counterproposal. Instead of removing the 10% tax, they suggest reducing it to 5%. It will be interesting to see whether Ghana’s authorities will accept that or decide to stick with their original plan.
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission has a new CEO
Australia is one of the hottest places in the world when it comes down to online gambling. The country has several regulators, and the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission is one of them.
Following the most recent events, the VGCCC appointed Suzy Neilan as the new CEO. Most people expected this move because Suzy Neilan has more than 20 years of experience in customer service and many other areas. In fact, she was the Environment Protection Authority Victoria’s Executive Director of Strategy before taking the CEO role at the VGCCC.
EGT Had its 23rd Anniversary
EGT is one of the world’s most famous casino software companies. As one of the pioneers in this industry, the brand has been around for 23 years and has an impressive market presence in many parts of the world.
Nowadays, EGT has both online and land-based products and continues to expand its services into different regions. Its most recent partnership with AdmiralBet, for example, allowed EGT to be available in Montenegro.
In 2024, EGT also opened offices in Brazil and the Philippines, which means it will increase its presence in Asia and South America.
IGT Lottery Acquired the European Lotteries Responsible Gambling Certification Once Again
People interested in lotteries have probably heard of the IGT Lottery. The most recent news about this entity reveals that it earned the European Lotteries responsible gaming certification for the sixth time in a row. This means that the regulator clearly recognizes the supplier’s decisions and commitment to responsible gambling.
In addition, IGT Lottery has a level 4 certification from the World Lottery Association. In other words, the people behind IGT Lottery know what they are doing when it comes to offering a platform with enough responsible gambling options.
Soft2Bet Will Launch an iGaming Brand in New Jersey
Since the U.S. has the largest gambling market in the world, it is no surprise that a lot of companies want to operate there. Judging by the latest news, Soft2Bet is among them because the brand wants to enter the US market. It seems like it will do that by creating a completely new iGaming operator that will be based in New Jersey.
Based on the news, Soft2Bet will try to offer the new operator in conjunction with Ceasers Entertainment. If everything goes according to plan, the new site should be available in the summer of 2025. This will be one of the company’s biggest expansions yet because Soft2Bet has several sites across Latin America and Europe.
People Will Wager Close to $3.1B During March Madness 2025
March Madness is one of the highlights of the year for sports betting fans in the US who like basketball. Tons of people placed bets on their favorite teams during that time, so the stats from 2024 reveal that the total wagers equaled $2.7B. According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), however, the number will reach $3.1B in 2025, meaning there will be close to a 14% increase from last year.
The reason why there’s a thing called “March Madness” is because of the NCAA Division 1 Men’s and Women’s basketball events. A total of 68 teams will take part in an epic battle where only a few will survive. Needless to say, this attracts a lot of sports fans who are more than happy to place a bet on the team they support.
The Financial Action Task Force Updated Its High-Risk Jurisdiction Lists
A lot of you may not know this, but there is something called a Financial Action Task Force. This entity’s job is to monitor different gambling jurisdictions around the world and make sure that they take the needed measures to combat money laundering, terrorist funding, and more. To do that, the FATFs have two lists – The Grey List and the Black List.
The Grey List consists of countries that are monitored more closely than the rest because of deficiencies regarding the issues mentioned above. Unsurprisingly, the list receives updates every year and now includes Bulgaria, Syria, South Africa, Croatia, Cameroon, Laos, and more.
As for the Black List, these countries need to change how they operate to be efficient. Interestingly, the FATF’s Black List for 2025 did not change and still includes only 3 countries – Myanmar, Iran, and North Korea.
Some noticeable changes from 2024, such as the removal of the Philippines from the Grey List, prove that the local authorities in some parts of the world are taking their responsibilities seriously.
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