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
One of the UK’s leading betting aggregators, betting.bet, has introduced the Free Bet Wheel, a new free-to-play tool designed to increase user retention and interaction. Tied to the weekend’s Premier League football, this gamified feature offers users the opportunity to earn free bets and a weekly £100 cash reward.
At a time when most iGaming affiliates are focused on developing foreign markets such as Latin America and Africa, the function illustrates betting.bet’s ongoing commitment to the UK.
About the Free Bet Wheel
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Weekend Availability: The Free Bet Wheel runs every weekend, aligned with major Premier League and international football matches.
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Multiple Chances to Win: Players receive up to four spins to try their luck each weekend.
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Winning Free Bets: Match three free bet colours within five spins to win a free bet on the featured match.
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£100 Cash Jackpot: Land on the jackpot segment five times consecutively to win £100 in cash.
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Loyalty Rewards: Players also collect bCoins, Betting.bet’s exclusive loyalty currency, which can be redeemed for a range of prizes, vouchers and rewards.
Strengthening Operator Partnerships Through Enhanced User Experience
By launching the Free Bet Wheel, betting.bet is not only elevating the player experience but also delivering tangible benefits to its network of partner operators. The feature offers a new avenue to profile selected betting partners, direct qualified traffic to safe free bets and reinforce affiliate partnerships through increased user activity and conversions.
Steve Gummer, Director of Betting.bet, stated: “We at betting.bet are dedicated to developing products and experiences that not only interest players but also provide clear value to our partners. Designed to benefit our UK community in a fun, frictionless manner, the Free Bet Wheel also supports important weekend traffic and sportsbook conversions.”
Driving Retention Through Gamification
This launch is part of a broader strategic focus on gamification and loyalty at betting.bet, aligning user enjoyment with commercial objectives. As the UK version of the platform continues to grow, features like the Free Bet Wheel are designed to support player acquisition, maximise LTV and drive weekend re-engagement.
The Free Bet Wheel is now live at betting.bet and available to all UK users aged 18+,
The post The Free Bet Wheel: Betting.bet Increases Player Engagement with New Gamification Tool appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
GR8 Tech has unveiled a powerful new upgrade to its high-performance sportsbook platform: high-quality, real-time Match Trackers—designed to bring more action, insight, and excitement to players. Match Trackers are available across all of GR8 Tech’s sportsbook solutions, including iFrame and the Hyper Turnkey.
“We’re always looking for ways to elevate the player experience and give our partners a competitive edge,” said Denys Parkhomenko, CPO at GR8 Tech. “Match Trackers have smart features that drive engagement, boost retention, and power faster betting decisions in real-time.”
With broad coverage across football, basketball, tennis, hockey, volleyball, and handball, the trackers are live for pre-match analytics and in-game updates. Key features include:
- Detailed Stats: From xG in football to rebounds in basketball and aces in tennis, players get live and historical stats tailored to each sport.
- Key Moments & Summaries: Goals, assists, red cards, substitutions, and more delivered in real-time.
- Pitch Animation: A dynamic, visual alternative to video streaming, showing key moments as they unfold on the field.
- Lineups & Live Updates: Full team sheets, coaches, and live substitutions, so players are always in the know.
- Live Standings: Updated rankings and tournament tables across all supported sports.
By providing operators with the tools to deliver everything players need in one place, GR8 Tech enhances the sportsbook user experience, enabling more confident betting and driving longer player sessions.
The launch of Match Trackers marks another step in the company’s long-term strategy to deliver a best-in-class, sportsbook-driven platform and become the leading sportsbook provider by 2028. Coverage will soon expand to even more sports to meet operators’ needs.
The post GR8 Tech Powers Smarter Betting with New Match Trackers appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Midnite creates free limited-edition beer for fans to enjoy at World Snooker Championship
Midnite is the new official UK betting and casino partner of the World Championship, Snooker’s greatest event, which will run from April 19 to May 5.
To celebrate the partnership, Midnite has created a FREE limited edition lager – with one free beer available per person – which will be served at a local pub throughout the tournament.
The one-off lager will be served at The Graduate, an iconic Sheffield pub a short walk from The Crucible, with fans able to enjoy a new beer on tap while the World Championship comes to the city.
Midnite has partnered with London-based brewery Drop Project to bring the concept to life. Drop Project creates the freshest, premium flavoursome beers with consistent high-quality results, and pushes creative boundaries and brews the beers that both inspire their passions for the industry and our lifestyles.
A Midnite spokesperson, commented: “We have worked with Drop Project to bring fans a Midnite lager that they can enjoy throughout the whole tournament. We wanted to create something tangible that snooker fans can enjoy throughout, and to have been able to create our own beer is something we’re pleased with.
“The World Snooker Championship brings real excitement to the city, and fans can head straight from The Crucible, to The Graduate and enjoy a pint or two of our specially brewed lager, just for the occasion.”
Midnite is providing the beer free of charge – one free drink per person of Midnite Lager Only and for ticket holders to the Snooker World Championship (18+). Redeem by showing your matchday ticket at The Graduate. While stock lasts.
The post Midnite creates free limited-edition beer for fans to enjoy at World Snooker Championship appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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