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House of Lords Questions UK Gambling Commission

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A House of Lords select committee has questioned the members of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) during a hearing researching “the social and economic impact” on the country.

The hearing put Neil McArthur, the chief executive of the UKGC, and Bill Moyes, the agency’s chairman, on the hot seat. The two were asked about specific details on how the gambling industry was being run and how the regulatory agency has been involved in regulating the gambling industry within the country.

Committee leader Lord Garde of Yarmouth began the questioning, asking questions about the 2005 Gambling Act. The committee leader wanted to know if the law now sufficiently serves its purpose, especially in light of how the gambling industry has grown within the UK.

Moyes agreed that the Gambling Act may be antiquated and has deficiencies, but stated that the legislation still meets its core objectives and that it will “remain broadly relevant in making sure that gambling is safe and fair, vulnerable people are protected and at stopping crime getting a hold on gambling.”

McArthur pointed out that the agency is focused on maintaining consistency in how it operates and regulates the gambling industry. He frequently pointed to “constant touchpoints,” specific markers that he believes are necessary to prevent harm related to the gambling industry, as well as in stopping crime while ensuring that gambling is conducted in a safe and legal manner.

During the appearance, McArthur continually touched on the point of consistency, addressing the need to “balance the consumer choice of an industry in which 24 million people gamble in the U.K., against the fact that gambling harm is a problem for a significant number of people, 340,000 according to our latest statistics with a further 5 million marked as vulnerable.”

The committee focused on questions related to media skepticism of how the UKGC has been governing the industry. They highlighted specific instances of gambling problems and how the committee has been criticised for being much more “reactive rather than pro-active” in their actions.

“The Strategy has been a much tougher approach to compliance and enforcement. This was deliberate at changing the behavior of operators since we had seen too many instances of failures being repeated,” McArthur said.

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EasyWin closes second seed round at $20m valuation

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Real-money casual puzzle tournament startup says an EU private investor backed the April 2026 round.

EasyWin, a U.S.-based real-money gaming startup, said it has closed its second seed funding round at a $20 million valuation. The company announced the round in April 2026 and said it was backed by a private investor from the European Union.

The company previously closed its first seed round in December 2025 at a $15.5 million valuation. That round included funding from Velo Partners, Vladimir Nikolsky and several private angel investors.

EasyWin was founded by Ivan Leshkevich, a former executive at mobile game publisher and developer Mamboo Entertainment. The startup, which currently has a team of eight, says it has built a global tournament platform for casual puzzle games with cash prizes and operates across major markets.

Since launching in 2025, EasyWin reported 25% month-over-month growth in user spending and a 4.9 average user rating. It also said it has expanded into 12 countries with localized legal opinions and payment infrastructure, received PayPal approval for its MCC, and completed payments-stack integrations with global providers.

The company also said it has obtained GLI certification “confirming compliance with U.S. regulations for skill-based gaming products.” Leshkevich said: “In the long term, we aim to become a leading global skill-based gaming platform. To achieve this, we focus on a strong product USP and new AI-based dev tools.”

The post EasyWin closes second seed round at $20m valuation appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Plaza Hotel & Casino sets $250,000 Super Bingo event for July 3-5

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Downtown Las Vegas property says the July Super Bingo will be its largest prize purse to date, with sessions on July 4-5.

Plaza Hotel & Casino will stage a $250,000 “Super Bingo” event in Las Vegas July 3-5, positioning it as a special edition tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary. The operator said the prize pool is the largest in the series’ history.

“The Plaza will be celebrating its 55th anniversary and the 250th anniversary of our great country in July, so it is only fitting that we make our Super Bingo event that month our biggest and best ever,” said Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino. “Our Super Bingo events have always drawn a packed crowd to our convention space, and we anticipate the July event to sell out quickly.”

According to the Plaza, Super Bingo draws nearly 1,000 attendees, including visitors traveling from Hawaii and Canada. For the July edition, bingo-only registration is set at $250 per person for gameplay on Saturday, July 4 and Sunday, July 5. The Plaza is also offering an optional five-night hotel package priced at $200 per person, with no resort fee, for check-in July 2 and check-out July 6.

The Plaza outlined the payout structure as 20 games paying $1,999 each day, plus a daily “super coverall” of $60,000, second place of $15,000, and third place of $10,020. The casino said prizes will be paid in cash and players must be present to win.

Outside of the special event, the Plaza said its bingo room runs six daily sessions at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. and is located two floors above the main casino.

The post Plaza Hotel & Casino sets $250,000 Super Bingo event for July 3-5 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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EasyWin closes second seed round at $20m valuation

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U.S.-based real-money gaming startup says the round was backed by a private investor from the European Union.

EasyWin, a Delaware-based real-money gaming startup, said it has closed its second seed funding round at a $20 million valuation in April 2026. The company said the round was backed by a private investor from the European Union.

The announcement follows EasyWin’s first seed round, which the company said closed in December 2025 at a $15.5 million valuation. EasyWin said that round included funding from Velo Partners, Vladimir Nikolsky and several private angel investors.

Founded by Ivan Leshkevich, a former executive at mobile game publisher and developer Mamboo Entertainment, EasyWin said it has built a global tournament platform for casual puzzle games with cash prizes. The company said it operates across major markets with a team of eight people.

EasyWin said that since launching in 2025 it has delivered 25% month-over-month growth in user spending and maintains a 4.9 average user rating. The company also said it has expanded into 12 countries with localized legal opinions and payment infrastructure.

On product and compliance milestones, EasyWin said it received PayPal approval for its MCC and completed full integration of its payments stack with leading global providers. The company also said it has obtained GLI certification from an independent testing agency, which it said confirms compliance with U.S. regulations for skill-based gaming products.

“In the long term, we aim to become a leading global skill-based gaming platform,” said Ivan Leshkevich, founder of EasyWin. “To achieve this, we focus on a strong product USP and new AI-based dev tools.”

 

The post EasyWin closes second seed round at $20m valuation appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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