Virgin Bet is excited to announce the second iteration of its ‘Women’s Day’ event, which will take place at the Virgin Bet November Handicap on Saturday, 9th November, at Doncaster Racecourse.

The day will serve as a platform to celebrate women in racing, making it the latest effort in Virgin Bet’s long line of social impact initiatives to help create a more inclusive environment.

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 Building on the success of the inaugural Women’s Day at Ayr Racecourse last season, this celebration aims to further highlight and honour the invaluable contributions of women in racing.

The event at Doncaster Racecourse is open to everyone, embodying Virgin Bet’s brand mission, ‘A Good Bet’. This campaign emphasises the brand’s dedication to breaking down pre-existing barriers within sports and culture at large.

As part of the day’s proceedings, in addition to enjoying Doncaster’s spectacular race offerings, attendees can attend two panels led by presenter Natalie Pike, with the first starting at 10:45 am in the Exhibition Hall. Combining celebration with insight, these discussions will encourage reflection and spark conversation, connecting racing fans with legendary women transforming horse racing while also addressing diversity in the sport.

Panellists will include:

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Panel 1: Women of Horse Racing

• Sophie Green (Trainee Clerk of the Course, Southwell Racecourse)
• Charlotte Russel (General Manager, Go Racing In Yorkshire)
• Rachel Harwood (Executive Director, Doncaster Racecourse)

Panel 2: Creative Inclusivity in Racing

• Dawn Goodfellow (CEO, Racing Welfare)
• Emma Kay (Founder, WalkSafe)

Additionally, as part of Virgin Bet’s raceday sponsorship, a donation will be made to Racing Welfare. Their work ensures the well-being and success of British horseracing’s workforce. Virgin Bet’s support for Racing Welfare highlights the importance of giving back to the community that keeps the industry running.

The Virgin Bet November Handicap marks the beginning of Virgin Bet’s continued partnership with Arena Racing Company (ARC) for a series of key meetings throughout the 2024/25 season. This partnership extends to fellow LiveScore Group brand LiveScore Bet.

Virgin Bet’s Personal Safety Partner, WalkSafe, will also be integrated into the race day. Founded in 2020, WalkSafe was developed to give the public as much information about their surroundings as possible. The app, WalkSafe+, enables users to plan the safest route home, along with a host of additional features to help ensure a safer experience for all.

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Racegoers will be able to learn more about the innovative and free-to-download app over the course of the raceday, and get the chance to speak with its founder, Emma Kay, who strives every day to educate and highlight the importance of safety in all walks of life. Emma will also feature on one of the panels, sharing her insights and experiences as part of the discussions.

This second iteration of Women’s Day, now making its debut at Doncaster, serves as a potential alternative to traditional Ladies’ Day. Virgin Bet, in partnership with Doncaster Racecourse, is proud to continue fostering a celebratory environment, reminding everyone that racing truly welcomes all.

Dominic Vye, Marketing Director, Virgin Bet, said:

“Horse racing owes much of its success to the incredible women who contribute so much behind the scenes, and it’s time we celebrate their achievements. At Virgin Bet, as part of our ‘A Good Bet’ brand campaign, we want to make sport more accessible and highlight brilliance, no matter who the subject is, and this initiative is doing exactly that.”

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Presenter and ‘Women’s Day Sponsored by Virgin Bet’ collaborator, Natalie Pike, added:

“It’s been amazing to return and once again be part of this fantastic initiative with the teams at Virgin Bet and Doncaster Racecourse. I hope this year’s event will continue to inspire and uplift the incredible women in horse racing. Creating an inclusive and safe environment for everyone in the sport is so important, and I’m proud to help bring attention to that.”

Rachel Harwood, Executive Director of Doncaster Racecourse, continued:

“We are proud to celebrate Women’s Day here at Doncaster Racecourse. This initiative shines a spotlight on the essential role women play in our sport. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to remind everyone that racing is for everyone, and we hope all racegoers feel that sense of inclusivity and belonging.”

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“We’re also delighted to have Virgin Bet’s Personal Safety Partner WalkSafe integrated as part of their sponsorships with us. The experience and safety for all spectators at our racecourses is a priority, so it’s fantastic to see this as part of Virgin Bet’s ‘A Good Bet’ initiatives, which aims to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all.”

To purchase tickets, please visit: www.tickets.doncaster-racecourse.co.uk

The NSW Government has made appointments to the board of the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA), including a deputy chairperson and two new members.

Associate Professor Amelia Thorpe and Nicholas Nichles have been appointed following a rigorous public expression of interest selection process. Additionally, existing member Chris Honey has been appointed deputy chairperson.

ILGA is a statutory decision-maker responsible for a range of liquor, registered club and gaming machine regulatory functions including determining licensing and disciplinary matters.

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The appointments follow the end of the term of appointment for outgoing deputy chairperson Sarah Dinning, and also fill vacancies that existed on the board.

Mr Honey, who was appointed a member of ILGA earlier in 2024, has been named deputy chairperson until the end of his current appointment term (11 February 2027).

Mr Honey has extensive experience in the advisory and restructuring field, including working extensively in highly regulated sectors.

Associate Professor Thorpe and Mr Nichles have both been appointed for four years commencing 6 November 2024.

Associate Prof Thorpe is with the Faculty of Law & Justice at the University of New South Wales and an Acting Commissioner of the NSW Land and Environment Court.

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Mr Nichles was previously a Consul General and Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner for Australian Government agency Austrade, based in the US.

The new appointments bring the ILGA board membership to seven. The new appointments will join chairperson Caroline Lamb, new deputy chairperson Mr Honey and current members Cathie Armour, Jeffrey Loy APM and Dr Suzanne Craig.

TaDa Gaming is offering a super VIP experience in Coin Infinity Surge Reel. Players can enjoy special symbols, random bonuses, multiplying multipliers, and a unique bonus game comprising Lock & Respin coins and a magical Locked Suitcase in this five reels, four rows, with fifth bonus Surge Reel, 40 paylines slot.

In the main game, three Surge Reel symbols of Wild, Collect and Win can randomly appear above each reel and impact the symbols below. Wilds transform the symbols on the reel below to maximise the win potential; Wins award the wins on each symbol regardless of position across the grid; and Collect symbols add together the points on each symbol.

Additionally, each symbol on the main reels can have a random win number from 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x, 20x, 30x, 40x, 50x to a hefty 100x applied with any spin in this high volatility game and deliver wins independently. Adding further to the excitement, the symbols can trigger simultaneously, creating a surge of movement and wins sequentially across the whole grid both vertically and horizontally.

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Three or more Scatters on the Bonus Surge Reel will trigger three + Free Spins and the Lock and Respin Bonus game. Five Scatters will give five Free Spins and could place the Locked Suitcase symbol on one reel.

The Surge Reel goes into overdrive with the special symbols which can move symbols, multiply multipliers and even collect the multipliers from eight surrounding positions and add them together. However, as in all the best games, the Locked Suitcase and the Gold Key are the stars.

The Locked Suitcase can only appear once but the other symbols can appear multiple times. When the Gold Key lands, if the Locked Suitcase is located at the bottom of one reel, the lock number will decrease by one each time. And with enough appearances by the Key, the Suitcase will burst open for the mega wins to explode across the screen, providing a thrilling finale to the round.

Sean Liu, Director of Product Management at TaDa Gaming, said: “As the first trademarked Surge Reel release, the feature rich Coin Infinity Surge Reel is built on a solid maths model and driven by spectacular graphics and animations. The pre-release levels of engagement and retention created by the immersive theme and infinite way to win have been impressive, exceeding every metric for rounds played and repeat visits.”