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Casino Guru’s complaint data reveals scope of UK players gambling at unlicensed websites

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The Gambling Commission’s recent calls for evidence and views from the industry and the public regarding upcoming changes to Great Britain’s gambling regulation has seen a number of professionals emphasize the potential rise of black-market gambling as a consequence of tightening regulations.

These claims have been largely backed up by a PwC report, which estimates the number of UK online gamblers using unlicensed operators to have more than doubled from 2018 to 2020, from c.210,000 to c.460,000 gamblers.

Later on, UK gambling firms have been accused of exaggerating the scale of black-market gambling in an attempt to influence the GC’s decision to introduce tougher regulations. The GC’s chief executive Neil McArthur commented that the report delivered by PwC is not consistent with their intelligence picture and lacked any evidence to show an increase in illicit betting. He added that GC’s own evidence suggests that the impact may be being exaggerated.

Simon Vincze, Casino Guru’s Responsible Gambling Projects Manager, has been keeping up with the heated discussion taking place in British media and looked into their data on player complaints to get an idea about the scope of the issue: “I understand the need for regulation in the gambling market and its usefulness in keeping children and vulnerable players safe. It’s something I deeply believe in and work towards in my position as well. However, it didn’t seem right to me to just disregard the negative effects of tightening regulations altogether.”

Casino Guru operates a casino dispute mediation service, in which players can complain about any online casino if they feel to have been mistreated, regardless of its license, and get assisted for free. After looking into their data, Simon discovered 666 complaints submitted by players from the UK, of which 145 is about casinos with a license from GC and 521 is about casinos without it. This means that 78% of all complaints submitted by UK players have been about operators without a GC license.

“Of course, this doesn’t mean that 78% of UK players gamble at foreign websites. Because of the generally lower quality of service and reputation of these operators, it can be expected that these players will run into issues more often, resulting in a higher proportion of players submitting public complaints. However, it is also a clear sign that there are UK players gambling at casinos without a GC license, and that there is quite a lot of them,” Simon commented on this data.

He also compared the British situation to what has happened in Sweden: “When gambling regulations get more restrictive, an increased proportion of players usually start looking for unlicensed operators to avoid those regulations. Sweden is a great example of this, where 40% of casino players and 34% of sports betters gamble on unlicensed websites or would consider doing so in future, according to a study published back in April 2020. Taking a look at Google search data, there has been a major increase in Swedish players actively looking for unlicensed casinos since introducing the country’s gambling regulations with a strong focus on player safety.”

“With tighter regulations being introduced in Great Britain, the GC should be aware of the possibility of an increasing number of British punters actively looking for unlicensed sites in attempts to avoid the strict regulations. These players then gamble on foreign websites without the strict limits present at UK-licensed ones, ending up more susceptible to problematic gambling habits as a result of lower responsible gambling standards of some foreign operators, on top of other negative qualities that can be present at these websites.”

Data from the PwC report suggests that 4,5% of UK players gamble at foreign websites, while 78% of all complaints submitted to Casino Guru by UK players are related to these foreign websites.

Simon commented: “Combining this data would suggest that 4,5% of players are responsible for 78% of all casino complaints, which would signify a huge imbalance. Of course, the numbers are based on different data and there may be other factors in play, but I think that the imbalance is there, and has to do with the fact that players gambling on foreign websites simply run into issues more often. These can range from unclear bonus terms and bad implementation of responsible gambling features all the way to unscrupulous casinos outright scamming players.”

“If an increasing number of players leave the regulated market and go for foreign alternatives, they may be subject to a higher risk of developing problem gambling and losing money to foreign websites, some of which can have unscrupulous tendencies. This seems like a good enough reason to seriously consider the risk of rising use of black-market gambling websites by UK players,” he added.

While the GC is examining evidence presented by stakeholders and working towards updated gambling regulation, it remains to be seen how the situation ends up being handled and what new rules get implemented. Only time will tell whether tighter regulation really does increase the use of black-market sites or not, and whether the benefits will outweigh possible drawbacks.

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Plaza Hotel & Casino adds DJ Exodus to free Cinco de Mayo party on May 5

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Downtown Las Vegas event runs from 4 p.m. around the Carousel Bar under the Main Street dome, with themed food, drinks and a large piñata.

Plaza Hotel & Casino will host its Cinco de Mayo celebration on Tuesday, May 5, starting at 4 p.m., in and around the property’s Carousel Bar in downtown Las Vegas.

The event is free to attend and will feature DJ Exodus, according to the casino. The DJ is scheduled to play a mix of “top radio hits with a mix of Latin music” under the Plaza’s Main Street dome.

The property said the party will also include “downtown’s largest piñata” and a photo area with themed props.

Food options listed for purchase include churros from Churros 101 and street tacos and esquites from Fresh Mexican Grill. Carousel Bar will run drink specials, including Modelo Draft 16 oz ($11), Modelo Michelada ($14), Mi Campo Margarita ($14), Mi Campo Blanco Shot ($10), and Mi Campo Reposado Shot ($12). Nearby, Pinkbox Doughnuts will offer Cinco de Mayo-themed doughnuts.

More information is available at plazahotelcasino.com/entertainment/cinco-de-mayo/.

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The post Plaza Hotel & Casino adds DJ Exodus to free Cinco de Mayo party on May 5 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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BetConstruct AI sets SBC Summit Malta 2026 stand to demo iGaming ecosystem

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Supplier plans product demos at Stand C50 on April 29–30, including sportsbook, casino aggregation, affiliate tools, retail and AI suite.

BetConstruct AI will exhibit at SBC Summit Malta 2026 on April 29–30, taking Stand C50 in Malta to present its iGaming product ecosystem to operators and other industry stakeholders.

The company said it will demo multiple components including its Sportsbook Platform, Casino Platform, Affiliate Ecosystem, Retail Solutions and AI Suite. BetConstruct AI stated its Sportsbook Platform includes more than 140,000 pre-match events and over 12,000 monthly esports live events.

For casino, BetConstruct AI said its Casino Platform integrates 350+ providers via a unified aggregation API. It will also spotlight its Affiliate ecosystem, which it said includes 7,000+ vetted affiliates supported by AI-based scoring.

On omnichannel, the supplier said its Retail Solutions are designed to connect land-based and digital channels. The company’s AI suite will also be part of the stand presentation, including CRM AI, Umbrella AI, an AI Game Recommendation System and Betting Mate AI, which it said covers “everything from churn prediction and risk management to real-time personalisation and conversational betting.”

BetConstruct AI said a focus at Stand C50 will be “the Best Sportsbook for the World Cup 2026,” supported by two “zero-cost products” — Powerfull for pre-tournament engagement and Bet on League for an in-tournament hub — which it said require “zero development effort from operators.”

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The post BetConstruct AI sets SBC Summit Malta 2026 stand to demo iGaming ecosystem appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Meridian Holdings returns to profit on $50.1m Q1 2026 revenue, up 17% YoY

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NASDAQ-listed MRDN posts $2.3m net income and cuts net debt 62% after recent rebrand and ticker change.

Meridian Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: MRDN), the Las Vegas-headquartered gaming and technology group, reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of $50.1 million, up 17% year over year, and net income of $2.3 million. The company said it was the first profitable quarter under the Meridian Holdings brand, following a rebrand and the start of trading under the MRDN ticker on the NASDAQ Capital Market less than two months ago.

Meridian also reported a lower debt position versus the prior year. Total debt fell by more than half year over year, while net debt decreased 62% to $13.4 million. The company ended the quarter with $16.2 million in cash.

“This quarter marks an important milestone in our growth journey,” said William Scott, Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Holdings. “We delivered revenue in line with our guidance, exceeded our profitability target, and continued strengthening our balance sheet, all while expanding our presence across regulated markets and investing in proprietary technology. We are well-positioned for sustained growth through 2026 and beyond.”

Meridianbet, the group’s main operating subsidiary, generated $34.9 million in Q1 revenue, up 26% year over year, representing nearly 70% of group revenue, the company said. Meridian reported nearly 500,000 new customer registrations in the quarter (+41% YoY) and active users up 21% to 333,700.

Across other units, Expanse Studios expanded to 1,519 active operator sites and secured new regulatory certifications in Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, and Portugal, while continuing certification efforts in Ontario, Canada. RKings Competitions posted sales of $7.7 million, Classics for a Cause reported VIP subscriptions surpassing 10,000 for the first time in 12 months, and Mexplay more than tripled new registrations year over year to 74,000.

For Q2 2026, Meridian guided to revenue of $51 million to $53 million, implying 18% to 23% year-over-year growth.

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The post Meridian Holdings returns to profit on $50.1m Q1 2026 revenue, up 17% YoY appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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