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BGC Welcomes Appointment of Poppy Gustafsson OBE as Minister for Investment and Commits to Delivering on Government’s Growth Agenda
Standards body the Betting and Gaming Council has congratulated Poppy Gustafsson OBE on her appointment as Minister for Investment and committed to working with Government to deliver their growth agenda.
The Former Darktrace CEO was appointed ahead of an inaugural International Investment Summit, to harness business expertise and drive economic growth across the UK.
BGC members already make huge economic investments across the nation, contributing £7.1bn to the economy, generating £4.2bn in tax, while supporting 110,000 jobs.
That economic footprint boosts growth around the UK, with nearly two thirds of industry supported jobs currently based outside London, including nearly 20,000 in the West Midlands alone.
BGC members have founded tech powerhouses in places like Stoke on Trent where bet365 are the biggest private sector employer, Flutter in Leeds and Sunderland, Ballys in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Entain in London and Nottingham, Evoke in Leeds and BetFred in Warrington, and support Britain’s hard pressed high streets through betting shops, as well as the hospitality and tourism sector, through casinos.
However, the sector is at a crossroads, as it seeks to implement the measures contained in last year’s White Paper, which will cost the sector around £1bn.
Further tax or regulatory changes now could undermine that investment and threaten jobs and growth in the UK, the BGC warned.
Meanwhile the BGC has previously called for the modest, but mission critical, modernisation plans contained in the White Paper for land-based casinos to be implemented without delay, unlocking significant investment across the UK.
They already boast cross-party support and include much needed reforms on cashless payments, gaming machine allocations and allowing all casinos to offer sports betting, which will strengthen the sector to better meet the needs and expectations of their customers.
BGC CEO Grainne Hurst said: “On behalf of our members, the 110,000 people whose jobs rely on the regulated betting and gaming industry, and the 22.5 million people who enjoy a bet each month, I’d like to congratulate Poppy Gustafsson OBE on her appointment as Minister for Investment.
“Poppy is an accomplished entrepreneur and brings a wealth of much needed business and financial experience to this new role. I’m also delighted to see that she will be a joint minister across the Department for Business and Trade and the Treasury, where I know her private sector expertise will make a huge contribution.
“From high streets to hospitality, from tourism to tech, our members generate £4.2bn in taxes for the Treasury and contribute £7.1bn to the wider economy. This is a sector ready to contribute on growth, jobs and investment across the economy.
“The BGC and our members remain committed to implementing changes outlined in the White Paper, ensuring those measures get the balance right between protecting the vulnerable, while allowing the vast majority of punters who enjoy betting responsibly to continue doing so without unnecessary intrusion.
“Our sector needs a solid and stable regulatory footing and tax environment to be able to unlock new investment and grow across the whole of the country. That is particularly true for our land-based casino members, where policy is already set, but needs to be implemented, to unlock vital new investment.”
On top of the sector’s wider economic contribution, BGC members also provide some of the country’s most popular sport with vital funding, from the grassroots to the elite level.
The Sky Bet sponsored English Football League and its clubs receive £40m, William Hill sponsors the Scottish Professional Football League, while a host of other BGC members from Betway to Kindred are supporting football and other sports.
Meanwhile, horseracing receives £350m, and snooker, darts and rugby league – which is currently sponsored by Betfred – receive more than £12.5m.
The post BGC Welcomes Appointment of Poppy Gustafsson OBE as Minister for Investment and Commits to Delivering on Government’s Growth Agenda appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
777.es
Thunderkick signals Spanish growth ambitions through 777.es deal
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Independent slots studio Thunderkick has deepened its existing collaboration with prominent European operator 777, extending the agreement into Spain.
The initial partnership in Belgium proved a success, with Casino777.es set to build on that momentum by integrating a range of products from Thunderkick’s diverse portfolio, including the full Midas Golden Touch franchise and its popular Día de Muertos-inspired series, Esqueleto Explosivo.
The expansion of the agreement marks another step in amplifying Thunderkick’s position in a competitive market, with its Spanish commercial network now spanning numerous European heavyweights and rising regional operators.
The 777 brand is well-established across the continent, where it continues to broaden its online reach in addition to consolidating its retail footing through a partnership with Casino de Spa, one of the world’s oldest land-based facilities.
The onboarding of Thunderkick’s content will further elevate 777.es’ online casino offering, giving players access to distinctive, engaging content, while also strengthening the Swedish studio’s visibility in a jurisdiction earmarked as a priority within its wider European growth strategy.
Mariam Dodosh, Key Account Manager at Thunderkick, said: “The ongoing relationship between 777 and Thunderkick in Belgium is a fruitful one, and the expansion into Spain marked the natural next step of this collaboration.
“Our content continues to drive results with operators in the market, and we look forward to seeing our fan-favourite titles resonate with a new audience at 777.es.”
César Paredes, Country Manager at 777.es, added: “We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Thunderkick, and its commitment to creativity shines through in its games.
“We have no doubt Casino777.es players will enjoy the brand-new additions to our online casino as we continue to deliver fresh, dynamic content to the Spanish market. The integration of Thunderkick into our portfolio is another step in our commitment to providing our players with the best possible gaming experience.”
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ClearStake
Paul Myatt joins ClearStake as investor and commercial advisor
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ClearStake, the platform transforming player verification in UK iGaming, has joined forces with Paul Myatt to support their sales and marketing efforts.
Myatt will help drive sales of ClearStake products, including ID by Bank, a new solution that enables operators to verify player identity instantly through banking apps. The product is designed to improve FTD conversion, reduce fraud and cut the volume of manual reviews.
Over a 15-year career in gaming, Myatt has previously held senior commercial and business development roles at NetEnt, QuickSpin and Aspire Global.
ClearStake CEO Martin Burt said: “Paul has a proven track record of helping major iGaming businesses commercially scale. His experience across both supplier and operator landscapes makes him the ideal partner to support sales and help us drive further revenue. This engagement strengthens our ability to scale ClearStake and support more operators with innovative verification solutions.”
ClearStake advisor Paul Myatt added: “I have followed ClearStake’s progress closely and it is clear the company is solving a real problem for operators. ID by Bank is a product with huge potential to improve onboarding and reduce cost, and I am excited to support the team as ClearStake moves into its next phase of growth.”
Last month, ClearStake completed a GBP 1.5 million funding round backed by leading names across the iGaming industry. The investment will accelerate growth and support the rollout of ID by Bank, already being used by several major UK operators including MrQ.
The post Paul Myatt joins ClearStake as investor and commercial advisor appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Imagine Live
Vindral and Imagine Live announce strategic partnership to elevate next-generation Live Casino experiences
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Vindral and Imagine Live have entered into a strategic collaboration aimed at advancing the quality, performance and innovation of Live Casino content. The partnership combines Imagine Live’s growing portfolio of live dealer games with Vindral’s advanced real-time streaming and green-screen technologies to deliver more immersive and cinematic player experiences.
This collaboration comes at a moment of rapid growth for Imagine Live, whose offering includes classic games such as Blackjack, Roulette, Poker, Baccarat and Dragon Tiger, along with a range of high-quality game shows. The company is also investing in new cinematic tools like its Robot Arm camera, designed to create smooth, dynamic movements that bring players closer to the action and enhance the sense of being at a real table.
Vindral, founded by a team of Swedish technologists with deep expertise in video, audio, real-time streaming, object tracking, computer vision and AI, provides a high-performance live video platform built for modern live game studios. Vindral’s technology stack includes advanced green-screen solutions and features such as V-Track Roulette, V-Track Money Wheel and Crystal Speech. Vindral also offers a world-class CDN solution, Vindral Live, delivering ultra-low latency and consistent streaming quality—powered by MOQ (Media Over QUIC), a next-generation protocol the company has helped develop over the past decade.
By bringing the strengths of both companies together, the partnership delivers a powerful set of capabilities for operators looking to offer richer, faster and more engaging live gaming experiences to players worldwide.
Niclas Åström, CPO & Founder at Vindral, commented: “We’re absolutely thrilled to collaborate with Imagine Live. This partnership allows us to bring our most innovative solutions to one of the most dynamic live casino providers in the market. We’re proud to support new innovation in iGaming through our AI-driven technology.”
Mikayel Aznauryan, CPO at Imagine Live, said: “Vindral’s technology perfectly complements Imagine Live’s vision to redefine the live casino experience. We are excited to deliver our next-generation content to partners and players worldwide through this collaboration.”
The post Vindral and Imagine Live announce strategic partnership to elevate next-generation Live Casino experiences appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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