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Entries Open for the World’s Oldest & Most Valuable Sports-Writing Prize

Published

3 years ago

March 1, 2023

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Entries are now open for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2023. Authors, journalists, athletes and publishers are invited to submit their work for the world’s most valuable literary sports-writing prize which has a winner’s cash prize of £30,000.

The William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award launched in 1989 and is dedicated to rewarding excellence in sports writing. Now in its 35^th year, it is the world’s longest established sports-writing competition.

Last year saw a record breaking 158 books entered by athletes and authors alike including Patrice Evra, Anyika Onuora and Claire Shine. Jeremy Wilson was crowned winner with judges praising his book ‘Beryl: In Search of Britain’s Greatest Athlete’ for its exhaustive research and superb writing.

Organisers are encouraging authors, journalists, athletes and publishers to submit their books as early as possible so that the reading panel have as much time as possible to consider each entry. Last year, many of the longlisted books, including the eventual winner, were early submissions.

Following a rigorous judging process from a panel including journalists, authors, sportspeople and industry leaders, the longlist will be announced in September 2023, with the shortlist unveiled in October.

The overall winner will be revealed on 30^th November 2023 at an official awards ceremony held at BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London. As well as the winning prize, all shortlisted authors will each receive £3,000 and a leather-bound copy of their book.

Book review panellist and renowned sports broadcaster, Matt Williams said: “The William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award is the most respected prize in the industry, and it is an honour to have the chance of reading every single book entered.

“Once again, we’re encouraging all authors, agents and publishers to enter their titles as early as possible as the process to find our next champion begins as soon as we receive our first entry. All the books are read by humans, not algorithms and therefore we urge writers to submit their book before the rush begins in the summer.”

“For more than three decades, the Award has played a leading role in championing excellence in the sporting literacy world, providing authors with a platform to showcase and promote their books – and following a stellar year of entries in 2022, we’re incredibly excited for this year’s competition.

“We’re keen to see the exceptional creative minds and writing talents across a diverse range of subjects, so no matter what the sport, whether it’s football, cricket or surfing, if you’ve published or scheduled a book for publication from 2^nd September 2022 – 1^st September 2023, we want to hear about it.

“It’s not all about whether the book is a best-seller, it’s the writing we’re interested in – and our ultimate winner will always be an over-achieving, richly deserving sporting literature champion.”

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Tony Bellew signs as PartyPoker brand ambassador through 2026

Published

2 days ago

July 10, 2026

Wladimir P.

Former WBC cruiserweight champion to appear at PartyPoker Tour UK stops and take part in online activations.

PartyPoker has appointed former WBC Cruiserweight World Champion Tony Bellew as a brand ambassador for the remainder of 2026, with appearances tied to the operator’s live PartyPoker Tour and online poker offering.

The company said Bellew will be “a regular face” at its remaining UK tour stops this season following an earlier appearance at the PartyPoker Tour Birmingham. Bellew will also take part in online activity linked to the PartyPoker schedule.

“I had such a great time at the PartyPoker Tour Birmingham. The atmosphere, the people and the passion for the game were incredible. I’m really excited to be joining the PartyPoker team for the rest of the year, getting involved at the live events, meeting players and seeing where the cards take me,” Bellew said.

PartyPoker said Bellew is scheduled to attend each remaining UK stop on the 2026 PartyPoker Tour: London in July, Glasgow in August, Cork in November, and London in December. The operator also referenced a series of exclusive online events running alongside the live calendar.

The post Tony Bellew signs as PartyPoker brand ambassador through 2026 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Arizona

Arizona regulator orders five operators to stop alleged illegal gambling activity

Published

2 days ago

July 10, 2026

Wladimir P.

arizona-regulator-orders-five-operators-to-stop-alleged-illegal-gambling-activity

Cease-and-desist letters cite alleged felonies and underage access tied to BetOpenly, Bookmaker, Club WPT Online Poker, Kutt Inc., and Raffle Creator.

The Arizona Department of Gaming said it has issued cease-and-desist orders to five online platforms—BetOpenly, Bookmaker, Club WPT Online Poker, Kutt Inc., and Raffle Creator—after investigations that the Department says involved alleged illegal gambling activity and underage access in Arizona.

In its announcement, the Department said each enforcement action alleges conduct giving rise to three felonies under Arizona law: promotion of gambling, illegal control of an enterprise, and money laundering. The agency cited Arizona’s prohibition on gambling unless specifically authorized (Ariz. Rev. Stat. Tit. 13, Ch. 33) and said the legal gambling age in the state is 21.

“Arizona is taking decisive action against illegal gambling operators that put Arizonans at risk,” said Jackie Johnson, Department Director. “Our top priority is protecting Arizonans and I’m grateful for the efforts of our intelligence unit led by Chief Law Enforcement Officer Doug Jensen to do just that. Through these cease-and-desist orders we are putting operators on notice: their conduct runs contrary to Arizona law and they must stop promoting illegal gambling.”

The Department’s letters describe different alleged violations by operator. For BetOpenly, the Department said peer-to-peer gambling rules prohibit third-party benefit, and alleged the platform benefited via a commission structure while enabling event wagering and daily fantasy sports contests without the required state licenses, including availability to underage Arizonans. For Bookmaker, the Department said its investigation found wagering on horse racing, casino games, and sports betting without an event wagering license or an advanced deposit wagering provider license, adding that online casino games are not legal in Arizona.

For Club WPT Online Poker, the Department alleged the platform enabled individuals under 21 in Arizona to enter pay-to-play online poker tournaments for prizes while using deceptive “no purchase necessary” language; the Department said online poker is illegal in Arizona. For Kutt Inc., the Department said Arizona “social” gambling prohibits third-party benefit and directed the operator to stop allowing Arizona users to deposit money and wager on sports, politics, pop culture, and casino-style games. For Raffle Creator, the Department said the operator did not meet requirements that allow Arizona nonprofits to conduct lawful raffles and alleged it allowed people under 21 to purchase tickets for prize chances.

The Department said the notified entities are directed to immediately stop all gambling operations and activities in Arizona “whether through mobile applications, online, or otherwise,” and to cease any future illegal gambling in the state. It added that future actions may include criminal charges or civil action against entities, principals, and employees, and that operators “may be subject to a potential award of restitution” and forfeiture of monies acquired due to the alleged conduct.

The post Arizona regulator orders five operators to stop alleged illegal gambling activity appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Former WBC World Champion Tony Bellew Joins PartyPoker as Brand Ambassador

Published

2 days ago

July 10, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

Tony Bellew has officially joined the PartyPoker Brand Ambassador team for the remainder of 2026, strengthening the brand’s growing roster of ambassadors and reinforcing its commitment to bringing poker to a wider audience.

A former WBC Cruiserweight World Champion and one of Britain’s most recognisable sporting personalities, Bellew will play an active role across both PartyPoker’s live tour and online offering throughout the rest of the year.

Speaking about joining the team, Tony Bellew said: “I had such a great time at the PartyPoker Tour Birmingham. The atmosphere, the people and the passion for the game were incredible. I’m really excited to be joining the PartyPoker team for the rest of the year, getting involved at the live events, meeting players and seeing where the cards take me.”

His return follows a hugely successful appearance at the PartyPoker Tour Birmingham earlier this year, where he embraced the atmosphere, spent time with players and immersed himself in the event. After thoroughly enjoying the experience, Bellew will now become a regular face at the remaining UK stops on the PartyPoker Tour throughout the rest of the 2026 season.

As part of his ambassadorial role, Bellew will attend every remaining UK stop PartyPoker Tour in 2026:

London – July
Glasgow – August
Cork – November
London – December

With four live festival stops and a series of exclusive online events still to come, players will have plenty of opportunities to meet Bellew at the tables throughout the remainder of the 2026 PartyPoker calendar. Look out for opportunities to take him on online, and at the PartyPoker Tour in Glasgow, Cork and London.

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