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William Hill to Permanently Close 119 Betting Shops in the UK
William Hill PLC has announced that it will not re-open 119 shops due to the Covid-19 impact on the UK retail environment, as the bookmaker swung to an interim profit on a value added tax refund.
The company also said that it has made a “robust” recovery in the opening weeks of the second half because of the resumption of sporting activities and re-opening of shops. As a result, the company has decided to repay GBP24.5 million to the UK government received under the coronavirus job retention scheme.
For the 26 weeks ended July 2, the company recorded pretax profit of GBP141.1 million compared with a loss of GBP63.5 million a year ago. The profit figure includes a GBP201.6 million tax refund, which was partially offset by GBP81.9 million non-cash intangible store impairment charge.
Stripping out exceptional gains and charges, William Hill’s operating profit fell 85% year-on-year to GBP11.8 million, ahead of the company’s expectations.
The H1 2020 revenue declined 32% to GBP554.4 million from GBP811.7 million. The drop was attributed to Covid-19 disruption to sporting events and temporary closure of retail activities, partially offset by favourable sports results and resilient gaming performance.
“Our trading was strong before Covid-19, we controlled costs effectively during lockdown and we have recovered well post-lockdown with good performances in our online businesses throughout the first half,” Ulrik Bengtsson, Chief Executive Officer of William Hill, said.
Bengtsson added that William Hill remains confident in pursuing its growth agenda, taking advantage of its market-leading position in sports betting in the US.
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BVGroup
BVGroup community jackpot pays nearly £1m across 501 UK players
BVGroup’s opt-in Epic Community Jackpot has paid out nearly £1 million to 501 customers across its UK iGaming brands, following a drop on June 30, 2026. ThrillTech, which supplied the jackpot technology, said the payout is the first UK “Community Jackpot” of its kind.
The main winner, playing on BetVictor’s online casino, received £488,035.59. BVGroup said 500 additional players across BetVictor, Heart Bingo, Smooth Spins, Betano, Parimatch and TalkSPORTBET each received £976.07 from the same prize pool.
According to the companies, the jackpot was configured to allocate 50% of the total prize to the main winner and distribute the remaining 50% across contributing players, using ThrillTech’s ThrillPots engine. Peter Mareš, Chief Technical Officer at ThrillTech, said: “This is the first community jackpot of its kind in the UK, enabling operators to reward hundreds or even thousands of players with a single jackpot instead of just one. Distributing these payouts at scale requires absolute precision. Our robust technology effortlessly handles the complex mathematics and has advanced protocols in place to ensure that all payouts are delivered exactly as intended.”
The companies also pointed to a previous payout on BetVictor’s “The Jackpots” product last month, when a single BVGroup player won £1,531,130, also powered by ThrillPots. Side bet, opt-in jackpot prize pools are player funded and sit on top of base casino games or sports wagering activity, with this implementation designed to distribute a single drop across a wider pool of contributors.
The post BVGroup community jackpot pays nearly £1m across 501 UK players appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Africa
Booming Games renews Hollywoodbets Durban July activation partnership
Provider plans on-site game demos and a new Golden Gallop release on Hollywoodbets later this year.
Booming Games has renewed its activation partnership with Hollywoodbets for the Hollywoodbets Durban July, returning for a second year at the event at Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse.
The company said it will run a cowboy-themed stand aligned with the event’s “Country Allure” theme, offering demo versions of games and a branded “Spin and Win” wheel for prizes. Booming Games added that Founder Max Niehusen, Vice President of Product Moritz Blume, and Head of Africa Solomon Godwin will attend.
Ahead of the event, Booming Games said it has been running a nationwide giveaway offering prizes including VIP experiences at the Hollywoodbets Durban July and a soccer shirt signed by Ronaldinho.
The companies also pointed to a broader commercial pipeline, with Booming Games stating that new releases are set to go live on the Hollywoodbets platform later this year. One of those is Golden Gallop Hold and Win Extreme 10,000, which Booming Games described as the latest entry in its Golden Gallop series, featuring a 5×3 grid, 25 fixed paylines, a maximum win potential of 12,000x, and bonus features.
Solomon Godwin, Head of Africa at Booming Games, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Hollywoodbets for the Hollywoodbets Durban July again this year, and the launch of the latest game in the Golden Gallop series is the perfect way to celebrate. This year’s event also marks two years since we launched in South Africa, one of the world’s fastest growing and most exciting casino gaming markets.”
Wayde Dorkin, Head of Product at Hollywoodbets, said: “Booming Games is a key partner for Hollywoodbets, and we are pleased to be building on last year’s collaboration at the Hollywoodbets Durban July. In a crowded market, the quality of Booming Games’ offering and customer-focused approach to game development provides the foundations for a long and fruitful partnership, which we hope will remain strong for many years to come.”
The post Booming Games renews Hollywoodbets Durban July activation partnership appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
BetMGM
Gaming Realms launches Marilyn Monroe Slingo with BetMGM
Gaming Realms has partnered with BetMGM to launch Marilyn Monroe Slingo, an exclusive Slingo title for the operator. The companies announced the release on 30 June 2026.
According to Gaming Realms, the game combines its Slingo mechanic—blending slots-style reels with a bingo grid—with Marilyn Monroe-themed visuals tied to celebrations marking the centennial of the star’s birth.
Ian Robson, Commercial Account Management Lead at Gaming Realms, said: “We are thrilled to further strengthen our partnership with BetMGM through the launch of Marilyn Monroe Slingo. Working closely with BetMGM, we’ve created a bespoke title that captures the glamour and excitement associated with Marilyn Monroe while delivering the engaging gameplay that Slingo fans know and love.
“We look forward to seeing players enjoy this release and the unique blend of entertainment and Slingo action it offers.”
Rob Passerino, BetMGM’s Director of Gaming, said: “Partnering with Gaming Realms allows us to combine an iconic figure with the proven, popular Slingo format. Bespoke games like this are central to how BetMGM differentiates and we are confident our players will love celebrating Marilyn Monroe’s centenary with this new release.”
The post Gaming Realms launches Marilyn Monroe Slingo with BetMGM appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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