Latest News
Open Banking Can Change the Game in the Post-Credit-Card-Ban UK Gambling Industry

The consequences of the upcoming ban on credit card gambling in the UK might bring more financial harm to the i-gaming industry and inconvenience to responsible players than good to problem gamblers who constitute roughly 1% of 24 million adults who gamble in Britain. Fortunately, the situation opens the window of opportunity for open-banking payments – even more convenient than cards and e-wallets and not as controversial.
The official rationale of the new restriction imposed by the Gambling Commission (UKGC) might create an erroneous impression that most players in the UK are addicted to gambling and place bets using credit cards. In reality, according to the UKGC’s data, only around 800,000 people in Britain use credit cards for gambling, and just about 22% of those who do are problem gamblers. In other words, the newly introduced regulation, meant to protect less than 180,000 adults from getting into debt by making it just slightly more complicated, will push the remaining 620,000 responsible players, who gamble on credit cards just for convenience and simplicity, towards alternatives.
As e-wallets are very well known and broadly used among players, one could conclude that e-wallet providers are the grand winners here. An increase in the demand could be a good reason for them to raise prices. But the UKGC must know very well that wallet apps can be easily used as proxies for credit card gambling, and thus further restrictions might be a matter of time. But there is a way for all – gaming companies, gamblers, and the regulator – to achieve their goals without causing harm to other parties in the ecosystem. This can be done through open banking.
Open banking enables initiating direct wire transfers between players and gaming companies without the need for the former to leave the latter’s website and fill a transfer order form. The transactions are bank secure as the authentication process is, in fact, on the bank. It’s quick, easy, and does not require any third-party apps. The payee gets a notification on the transaction status in real time, so credits or virtual tokens can be added to a user account instantly, which means no interference with the overall gambling experience. Furthermore, this approach does not allow the player to spend more money than they have on their bank account, so it mitigates the risk of getting into debt. On top of that, pay-outs are easier and cheaper to handle as they take only as much time and cost as a regular Bacs BACS transfer (plus a small technical processing fee). I believe this might be a perfect solution for responsible gamblers who appreciate the simplicity of credit card payments as well as for i-gaming companies willing to enhance their overall user experience.
Problem gambling needs to be addressed, and people who suffer from gambling addiction as well as their families should be, surely, receiving appropriate support. Although, I don’t think the ban on credit card gambling could, in any way, be the form of support such people need. For the UK’s gambling industry and over 10.5 million online players, smooth open-banking payments can be a way to have a cake and eat it.
Straal is an international provider of payment, optimization and fraud prevention solutions for future-minded businesses. The company offers a comprehensive suite of products that make accepting digital payments easier, as well as more effective and secure. Straal enables accepting one-off and recurring payments carried out by customers with credit and debit cards of all major organizations, initiating transactions via open banking APIs, ordering SEPA Direct Debit cycles and more. Thanks to Straal, customers can pay in currencies of their choice (over 150 options), using their preferred desktop and mobile platforms, while merchants can effectively maximise their transaction approval rate and mitigate risk. Founded in 2017, the company is headquartered in Warsaw, Poland. www.straal.com
Gaming
Current Games Activates the Nitro on Neon-Soaked Arcade Combat Racer: Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights

Current Games, a new name in indie publishing, based in the Netherlands, announced that it has assumed publishing rights for Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights, a heart-stopping, breakneck combat racing game, soaked in a neon lit future where speed and survival are the only routes to success!
A thrilling arcade style experience, Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights was first launched in Early Access on Steam in 2024, building a loyal community of dedicated fans passionate in seeing the game succeed. Current Games have heard the call and have spent a considerable amount of time diligently working under the hood, implementing a host of game-changing upgrades, delivering a fully revamped, nitro-powered experience, worthy of the Hot Import Nights (HIN) brand.
With the major update due to go live on July 24th 2025, speed demons are in for the ride of their lives as Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights power-ups on Steam, as well as launching on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S and Epic Games® Store!
Make no mistake, this is no mere tweak, from July 24th, a whole host of surprises await fans of the game and newcomers alike. Some of the changes include:
- An all-new sprawling racing track to discover and master
- More cars mean more fun! Discover your favourite vehicles and race like your life depends on it!
- Major balancing changes based on extensive community feedback
- A new single player career mode with championship races
- Overall improvements to the game’s experience and stability
In taking over publishing for Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights Current Games is keen to emphasise their commitment to engaging with and supporting the community. Planned initiatives arriving soon include the reactivation of the games’ Reddit account, a new Discord server and a planned playtest scheduled for pre-launch.
In Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights, street legends are built after dark, as gamers brave enough to face the neon-soaked streets of the future, race, fight, and ultimately conquer with up to eight players competing head-to-head in a fight to survive and pass the winning line alive.
Each chariot in Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights is equipped with an arsenal of outlandish offensive and defensive weapons, enabling players to outmanoeuvre and outgun their opponents as they speed towards victory. Choose from a diverse range of customizable vehicles across three weight classes, each with distinct advantages. Lightweight vehicles boast speed but sacrifice defence, while heavyweight vehicles offer greater protection at the cost of agility. Weapons can be charged through pickups or by executing perfect drifts, adding a strategic layer to the high-speed action.
Accessible yet challenging, easy to play, impossible to put down, ruthlessly hard to master and never anything less than exhilarating, Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights is racing like you’ve never experienced before!
Roderick Roode, CEO of Current Games commented on the major upgrade and console release of Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights, “We are honoured to assume publishing rights for Cyber Clutch and determined to give this high-impact combat racing experience the love, attention and polish it deserves. Cyber Clutch has attracted a loyal audience in the year since launch, but we know the game is destined for even bigger things, and we’re thrilled to finally deliver a fully levelled-up experience, which we’re convinced will delight combat racing fans. In addition, we’re excited to bring the full Cyber Clutch experience to more gamers than ever, releasing on PlayStation, Xbox and the Epic Game Store, and cannot wait to see players assume their position on the starting grid later this month.”
The post Current Games Activates the Nitro on Neon-Soaked Arcade Combat Racer: Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Aquisitions/Mergers
Green light for international expansion: NOVOMATIC acquires French casino group

Following an in-depth review by all relevant licensing and regulatory bodies, the Austrian gaming technology group NOVOMATIC has successfully completed its acquisition of the French Vikings Casinos group. This move will strengthen the company’s presence in one of Europe’s most important gaming markets and underscores its long-term focus on sustainable growth and international diversification.
Established in Falaise in 1998, the Vikings Casinos group is one of the leading casino operators in France and has over 300 employees. The company currently operates around 1,000 gaming terminals in more than 10 live casinos across the country, including prime locations along the Côte d’Azur. The acquisition will enable NOVOMATIC to substantially enlarge its portfolio of services in one of Europe’s largest gaming regions and forge ahead with its international growth strategy.
“The acquisition of Vikings Casinos is a key part of our efforts to build up NOVOMATIC’s presence on international markets in a targeted manner. France is one of the most dynamic and most challenging gaming markets in Europe. By making this investment, we are not only reinforcing our leading position in Europe but also demonstrating our clear commitment to our long-term global expansion strategy,” says Stefan Krenn, Executive Board Member of the NOVOMATIC AG.
The fact that French regulatory approval has been obtained is not only a testament to the confidence in the expertise and reliability of NOVOMATIC, but also opens the door to plans for further developing the French casino business under the umbrella of a leading global gaming technology group.
The post Green light for international expansion: NOVOMATIC acquires French casino group appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Entain Completes Full Rollout of Group BetStation Across All UK and Ireland Retail Locations

Entain, the global sports betting and gaming group, has successfully and fully deployed its proprietary Group BetStation (GBS) platform across all Ladbrokes and Coral shops in the UK and Ireland.
This marks a major milestone in Entain’s digital retail transformation concluding a journey that began with the launch of the first GBS terminal in Feltham in November 2020 and culminated with the final installation in Swansea. In total, over 2400 shops were upgraded across the UK and Ireland.
GBS by numbers:
• Over 2400 shops upgraded across the UK and Ireland
• 12000 betting terminals converted
• Strong growth in “Other sports” betting
• Grand National bets placed via GBS up by more than half year-on-year
• Football bet builder activity has doubled in the last six months.
GBS is a fully in-house developed, self-service betting solution that delivers a market-leading digital type experience to retail customers. Built entirely from the ground up, the project has converted 12,000 terminals and is now the primary sports betting channel across Entain’s retail estate. The deployment is the result of thousands of hours of development and testing, reflecting significant investment in technology and innovation.
Fiona Wallace, Head of Self-Service Betting Terminals at Entain, said: “Five years ago, Entain set out to deliver a best-in-class betting experience for our UK and Ireland retail customers, through our BetStation terminals. Our software, which tech teams have worked tirelessly on over that period, is market leading, offering customers far more than we did in the past.
“This hard work has meant that all BetStation terminals across our retail estate have now been converted to Group BetStation, this is a transformational achievement. It has redefined the in-shop experience, driven engagement, and accelerated our journey toward retail digitalisation.”
Key to the platform’s success has been extensive collaboration across Entain’s Retail, Product & Technology, Commercial and Operational teams globally — including colleagues from the UK, Austria, Gibraltar, India and beyond. Feedback from over 14,000 UK retail employees has shaped product refinement, ensuring GBS delivers intuitive, responsive and feature-rich functionality.
GBS is reshaping customer behaviour in retail, enabling a shift towards more complex and personalised bets, including accumulators and bet builders. As a result, GBS has become the home for innovative betting formats and is central to Entain’s broader multi-channel growth strategy.
The post Entain Completes Full Rollout of Group BetStation Across All UK and Ireland Retail Locations appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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