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UK Casinos to Remain Closed Until August 15
Casinos in the UK are to remain closed until at least August 15 after the government postponed the further easing of lockdown measures put in place due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Last month, the government said that it would allow more indoor venues including casinos, cinemas and bowling alleys to reopen from August 1 as part of its gradual easing of lockdown in the UK.
Casinos have been closed since 20 March and remained shuttered despite other land-based gambling outlets such as betting shops (15 June) and bingo halls (4 July) being allowed to welcome back customers.
However, the government has now delayed the planned relaxation of measures on larger indoor venues, with these now set to remain shut for at least another two weeks.
“We simply cannot take the risk; we will continue to study the data carefully and move forward with our intention to open up as soon as we can,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
Michael Dugher, chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, hit out at the decision, saying there is “no evidence” to show that casinos are higher risk venues. He also blasted the decision to enforce the ongoing closures nationwide.
“What happened to the government’s local lockdown strategy,” Dugher said in a Twitter post. “Why should a casino business remain closed in Bristol in the south west, where Covid-19 is low, because there’s a spike in greater Manchester? Big threat to jobs.”
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Big Game Summer
GG.BET rolls out Big Game Summer campaign tied to FIFA World Cup 2026
Operator publishes World Cup outright odds as of June 11 and promotes fast markets and bet builder products around the tournament.
GG.BET has launched its “Big Game Summer” campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, positioning the promotion around tournament betting and a “special tournament prize pool,” according to the company.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs across the USA, Canada and Mexico and expands to 48 teams, 104 matches and a 39-day schedule. Under the new format, the field is split into 12 groups of four, with the top two in each group plus eight best third-placed teams moving into a newly added Round of 32.
GG.BET said its World Cup offering includes “Fast Markets” for selected matches and a Bet Builder product for custom combinations, alongside “exclusive tournament bonuses” and “fast payouts.” The company did not disclose the campaign’s prize pool size or any eligibility terms in the release.
The operator also published outright odds taken from gg.bet “as of 12:00 CET on June 11, 2026,” noting they are subject to change. GG.BET listed Portugal at 5.17, followed by Spain (5.77), Germany (5.87), England (7.2), Colombia (8.62), Argentina (9.88), France (9.89) and Brazil (10.38).
In the release, GG.BET pointed to the tournament opener on June 11 between Mexico and South Africa at Azteca Stadium, describing it as “the first stadium in history to host a men’s FIFA World Cup for the third time.”
The post GG.BET rolls out Big Game Summer campaign tied to FIFA World Cup 2026 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Counter-strike
Team Vitality opens V.Hub fan zone for IEM Cologne Major
Team Vitality is launching an official fan zone, V.Hub, to coincide with the 2026 IEM Cologne Major. The venue will run June 18-21 at KWB im Stadtpalais, a short walk from the LANXESS Arena.
Access to V.Hub will be free for fans who sign up, with limited availability. Team Vitality said the space is intended to bring together its community, partners and Counter-Strike fans attending the event.
The fan zone will include dedicated areas hosted by Team Vitality and partners Skin.Club, ASUS ROG, EVNIA and Blacklyte. The club said activations will include hands-on experiences and opportunities to play bespoke Counter-Strike maps.
Team Vitality also plans match watch parties, a pop-up shop for official merchandise and giveaways, including an ASUS ROG x Team Vitality co-branded mousepad. During the playoff stage, the club said V.Hub will be set up for trophy photo opportunities with its Major trophies.
Food and drink will be available on site throughout the event, including vegetarian options.
The post Team Vitality opens V.Hub fan zone for IEM Cologne Major appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Playradar ships four football-themed casino games ahead of 2026 World Cup
Sportradar’s iGaming brand leads with bracket-style World Football x2026, plus updates to Virtual Football and Lucky 6.
Playradar, Sportradar’s iGaming brand, has released four football-themed titles ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which begins on June 11. The drop includes two original games and two updated versions of existing products.
The releases are World Football x2026, Virtual Football World Championship 2026, Football Plinko Pro, and Lucky 6: Football edition. Playradar said the games are designed to target different player segments and to connect sports bettors and casino players through content that links both verticals.
The headline launch, World Football x2026, is a bracket-based game using Mines-style mechanics. Players pick outcomes from the Round of 16 and progress through each round to the final; one incorrect prediction ends the game, while a cash-out option is available.
The other launches include Football Plinko Pro, which adapts the plinko format to a football theme; Virtual Football World Championship 2026, which Playradar said runs a 32-team, 64-match World Cup structure with pre-match and in-play markets such as over/under goals and goalscorer; and Lucky 6: Football Edition, a bingo-style title using balls with flags from participating nations.
Edo Haitin, EVP of iGaming said: “The scale of the 2026 World Cup is unprecedented, with the sheer volume of fans entering markets worldwide creating huge demand for football-themed content, and the operators best placed to succeed are those with games that meet every need. These four titles have each been designed with that in mind. The World Cup attracts a huge spectrum of customers, and when taken together, this product stack provides operators with the tools needed to keep them engaged throughout the tournament.”
The post Playradar ships four football-themed casino games ahead of 2026 World Cup appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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