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World Pool: UK and Irish racing hits £475 million

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Turnover on World Pool bet types on British Champions Day totalled HK$202.7 million (£21.4 million), bringing the figure for all races commingled during the 19 World Pool days in the UK and Ireland to HK$4.7 billion (£475 million).

King George Day at Ascot saw the biggest jump in turnover, rising from HK$253m to a new record of HK$287m, an increase of over 13%, while 2,000 Guineas Day as well as days one and three of Royal Ascot also posted year-on-year increases.

The overall total is only marginally down on 2022’s figure of HK$4.9bn, but still significantly up on 2021 (HK3.9 billion).

Prize money won across the 131 World Pool races in the UK and Ireland this year has hit a record high of £32 million, while the World Pool Moment of the Day initiative has seen £68,000 given out – £4,000 for each of the 17 World Pool Moment of the Day winners.

Ebbe Verhestraeten, groom of Big Rock, was awarded Moment of the Day on Saturday and he will have a chance of winning a VIP trip for four to Hong Kong next year if he is to win World Pool Moment of the Year.

Outside of the UK and Ireland, World Pool meetings in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Australia have all posted record turnover numbers, while World Pool will be active for two further meetings in Australia: Cox Plate Day and Victoria Derby Day.

Earlier on Saturday, the Caulfield Cup broke the record for the highest turnover on a World Pool race in Australia with HK$54.24 million (AUD$10.98 million) bet into the pool, eclipsing the HKD$51.54 million (AUD$10.43 million) bet on the previous weekend’s Everest. Only two World Pool races this year – the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and the Dubai World Cup – have had bigger pools.

In the UK and Ireland, World Pool is accessed via the Tote, at racecourses, online and via the Tote App. All customers betting directly with the Tote benefit from Tote Guarantee which ensures all Win bets will always exceed or match the industry Starting Price.

Tote value for UK and Irish customers betting into World Pool on British Champions Day:

·        Tote Win beat the Industry Starting Price in 5 out of the 6 races and matched on the remaining occasions

·        Tote Win overround was 112% versus an industry Starting Price of 120%

·        Tote Exacta beat Forecast in 6 out of the 6 races

·        Tote Trifecta beat Tricast in 5 out of the 6 races

Tote value for customers betting on the 19 British and Irish World Pool days 2023:

·       Tote Win beat the Industry Starting Price in 66% of races and matched on the remaining occasions

·        A £1 bet with the Tote on every winner on British and Irish World Pool days in 2023 paid £263 more than the industry Starting Price

·        Tote Win overround was 109% versus an industry Starting Price of 122%

·        Tote Exacta beat Forecast in 78% of races

·        Tote Trifecta beat Tricast in 84% of races races where the Tricast operated

Michael Fitzsimons, Executive Director, Wagering Products of the HKJC, said: “We are really pleased with how World Pool has been received in the UK and Ireland again this year and the turnover figures look strong against a challenging economic backdrop.

“There are many more opportunities for growth in the UK and Ireland and we look forward to being able to roll out World Pool at even more of the season’s flagship race days. Having the Lockinge, the Irish Derby and the Sun Chariot as World Pool events for the first time this year worked really well, and we look forward to adding more days in the future.

“We’d like to thank all of our partners, including the UK Tote, Racecourse Media Group and Ascot Racecourse – who have all been with us since World Pool was first created in 2019 – for all their hard work in making it another highly successful season.”

Alex Frost, Chief Executive of the UK Tote, said: “We are delighted that British and Irish racing has enjoyed such a successful World Pool season in 2023. It is incredibly positive to see revenues from World Pool supporting racecourses’ investment in prize money which was at a new record of £32 million for World Pool races this year. This highlights the increasingly important role pool betting is playing the in the future sustainability of the sport.

“Following our new five-year agreement with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, making the UK Tote the exclusive partner for World Pool in the UK and Ireland, we look forward to collaborating on exciting developments, including new bet types and further improvements to the customer experience for the 2024 season.”

Martin Stevenson, Chief Executive Officer of Racecourse Media Group (RMG), which represents the media interests of The Jockey Club, Newbury, Goodwood, York, The Curragh and Leopardstown racecourses, said: “World Pool has been a hugely important initiative for British and Irish racing to grow revenues and prize money, and it’s been great to see such strong performance again in 2023.

“We’ve added three new race days to the calendar this year with the Lockinge, Irish Derby and Sun Chariot, and hopefully we’ll be able to add some more in 2024.

“It’s been a pleasure working with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, UK Tote and all of our racecourses on World Pool this season and we are already looking forward to 2014.

Carmen Alexander

Entain’s Pitching In Initiative Crowned Grassroots Sports Initiative of the Year

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Entain’s Pitching In initiative has beaten off fierce competition to be named Grassroots Initiative of the Year at the Global Football Industry Awards. Launched by Entain in 2020, the trailblazing initiative has made a huge impact at the non-league level of England’s national game.

Pitching In is the title sponsor of the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues – collectively known as the Trident Leagues – that comprise 264 clubs at Steps three and four of the non-league pyramid.

Pitching In, however, has always been about more than a flagship sponsorship. At the heart of the initiative is the ambition to enhance engagement between football clubs and their local communities. This led to Entain being the founding partner of the Trident Community Fund (TCF).

The TCF was launched to help clubs establish and expand community initiatives, maximising the remarkable impact that grassroots football clubs have on their local area. Every club in the Trident Leagues is encouraged to apply for a grant of up to £5000 annually to support community initiatives. The TCF has now supported more than 150 such projects, helping to expand youth, women’s and walking football, as well as supporting initiatives focusing on local upskilling, tackling anti-social behaviour and supporting local veterans and food banks.

In 2022, Pitching In launched the Volunteer Hub to provide a one-stop online portal for clubs to post volunteering vacancies and for local people to sign up and get involved.

Pitching In’s contribution to the grassroots game has now been recognised at the Global Football Industry Awards, a landmark global ceremony which brings together industry giants and trailblazers from every corner of the football ecosystem.

Pitching In was up against the likes of McDonalds, Barclays, Adidas, Nike and Coca-Cola, who were among the other shortlisted nominees for the Grassroots Initiative of the Year prize. Hosted by football royalty – Jamie Carragher and Peter Crouch – the awards celebrate the visionaries, pioneers and change-makers powering world football from behind the scenes.

Stella David, CEO of Entain, said: “We are delighted to see Pitching In recognised in this manner. Football is central to our business, which is why we feel it is so important to invest in the sport at the grassroots level, playing our part in bringing clubs and their communities closer together.

“When we started this project back in 2020, non-league clubs – and English football more generally – were staring into an uncertain future amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The grants Pitching In provided at that time proved crucial and we have continued to grow our relationship with the more than 260 clubs, who are the backbone of the English game, over the time since. We love supporting grassroots football and are excited by how this partnership can grow and evolve further.

“We would like to thank the Northern Premier League, Isthmian League and Southern League for their continued support, along with every single volunteer who gives up their time for their local football club. The game at this level could not run without you and Pitching In will continue to do what we can to highlight your invaluable contributions.”

Carmen Alexander from the Global Football Industry Awards added: “Congratulations to Entain and all 2025 Global Football Industry Award winners.

“Our judges were impressed by the commitment Entain has shown to grassroots football over a prolonged period of time and particularly the Trident Community Fund, which continues to make a tangible difference to non-league clubs across the country. Entain is very worthy of this recognition.”

The post Entain’s Pitching In Initiative Crowned Grassroots Sports Initiative of the Year appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Sky Bet Relocates Headquarters to Malta

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Sky Bet has relocated its headquarters to Malta, a move that could cut its UK tax bill by tens of millions of pounds a year. The change will mean less money for the government at a time when the public finances are under strain.

The chancellor needs to increase tax revenues and is under pressure to levy higher duties on the betting industry – something the industry is aggressively campaigning against. Sky Bet, which describes itself as “the UK’s No. 1 betting app,” has moved its sportsbetting business to the Maltese branch of a new UK company, SBG Sports Limited.

Flutter Entertainment PLC, Sky Bet’s parent company, first told staff about the move in June, alongside a plan to make around 250 people in the UK redundant. At a meeting which was live-streamed across Flutter’s “UK and Ireland” business, workers in Leeds, Sunderland, London, Dublin, Gibraltar, Porto and Cluj were told the relocation of Sky Bet to Malta was driven by a “need to operate more efficiently” and to reduce costs.

Steve Birch, chief commercial officer of Sky Betting and Gaming, said that from November 1, “day-to-day commercial and marketing decision making will take place in Malta,” although Sky Bet’s Leeds office would continue to be one of Flutter’s largest.

The post Sky Bet Relocates Headquarters to Malta appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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GiG Software PLC Q3 Trading Results

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GiG Software Plc, a leading B2B iGaming technology company, has announced its financial results for the third quarter ended 30 September 2025 (Q3 2025).

Key Operational Highlights

• Delivered three launches across Q3 2025, including GiG’s market-leading sportsbook in the UK, with two additional launches released following the end of the quarter

• Ongoing new business momentum continued, with five commercial agreements signed, including an agreement to supply the technology to a European Lottery alongside new business wins targeting the Brazilian market

• Continued progress against the Company’s key strategic growth priorities, in particular leveraging AI across the iGaming vertical

• Post quarter end, the Company entered into a commercial agreement with a European Operator to provide platform and sportsbook services to the French market.

Financial Summary of Q3 2025

• Q3 2025 revenue of €9.7 million (Q3 2024: €7.4 million), up 31% YoY

• Q3 2025 Adjusted EBITDA for the third quarter of 2025 increased €2.3 million to €1.2 million (Q3 2024: loss of €1.1 million) at a margin of 13% (Q3 2024: -15%)

• Q3 2025 operating loss reduced to €3.5 million (Q3 2024: underlying loss of €9.7 million)

• Cash and cash equivalents balance of €4.7 million as at 30 September 2025 (30 September 2024: €10.0 million; 31 December 2024: €6.4 million).

At the end of Q3 2025, GiG received €11m in relation to the Company’s directed share issue. In light of this, the Board is satisfied with the current strength of the Company’s Balance Sheet and, in the interest of all shareholders, do not currently envisage the need for additional funds.

Results for the First Nine Months of 2025

Revenue for the first nine months of 2025 (9M 2025) was up 22% YoY to €28.0 million (9M 2024: €23.0 million)

Adjusted EBITDA for 9M 2025 amounted to €2.6 million (9M 2024: underlying loss of €3.1 million), at a margin of 9% (9M 2024: -13%)

Operating loss for 9M 2025 reduced to €11.6 million (9M 2024: underlying loss of €22.1 million)

Richard Carter, Chief Executive Officer of GiG, said: “We continue to be encouraged with our ongoing financial and operational progress across the business. Our new business momentum has been supported by a number of key strategic new business wins, including recent gains targeting the Brazilian market and GiG securing a major European Lottery, marking our first entry into the lottery vertical.

“Q3 represented another period of progress for GiG and further evolution of the business. We continue to refine our go-to-market strategy and evolve our highly scalable technology platform complemented by an increasingly data-driven, AI-empowered operating model.”

The post GiG Software PLC Q3 Trading Results appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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