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Betting Shops in England Eligible for Grants of up to £6000 a Site in £5B Recovery Plan

Published

5 years ago

March 2, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The UK Betting & Gaming Council (BGC) has welcomed the announcement ahead of Wednesday’s Budget that non-essential retail businesses such as betting shops will be eligible for direct cash grants of up to £6000 per site, although the bookmaker trade body has reiterated its call for an extension of business rates relief for a further year.

Details of the grant scheme came as part of a series of announcements ahead of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s annual budget speech, in which he is set to reveal a new grant scheme totalling £5 billion to aid the recovery of high-street businesses in England.

Nearly 700,000 shops, restaurants, hotels, hair salons, gyms and other businesses in England will be eligible for “restart grants,” to be distributed directly to firms by local authorities from April. It will replace the current monthly grant system.

Under the budget plans, non-essential retail will be eligible for direct cash grants of up to £6000 to help them start trading again when allowed to do so, while hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses in England – which will remain closed for longer under the government’s roadmap out of lockdown – will be able to apply for grants of £18,000 per site.

“The BGC would warmly welcome any additional support for betting shops, be that business rates or grants, particularly giving the pressure independent betting shops are under,” a spokesman for the BGC said.

Racecourses and bookmakers in England were given a clear set of dates to work towards for reopening last week when prime minister Boris Johnson gave the first details of a timetable for leaving lockdown.

Non-essential retail, which has for most of the pandemic included betting shops, will form part of phase two of the plan, with April 12 the provisional date for reopening if vaccination rates rise and hospitalisations drop sufficiently.

BGC chief executive Michael Dugher has written to Sunak ahead of the budget setting out a five-point plan for more business support to “unlock the power of the high street and drive economic growth.”

Dugher said in his letter: “With premises shut for much of the past year, this would help protect jobs and remove a major financial pressure on businesses that have suffered a significant loss of income during the pandemic.”

Dugher pointed to the fact that licensed betting offices had been severely impacted by the various regional and national lockdowns over the past ten months, with revenues for this sector falling by 45% in 2020.

The letter also seeks assurance that funding for devolved administrations is made available to all business sectors in need. While businesses in England and Northern Ireland have benefited from business rates relief since last April, the Scottish and Welsh governments took the decision not to provide support for gambling companies.

“The UK Government’s backing for business stands in stark contrast to the refusal of the devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland to offer business rates relief to our members,” states the letter.

“This has sadly had a disproportionate impact on our smaller independent businesses, many of them family run, which have faced making staff redundant and an uncertain future.”

AGCO

Endorphina secures AGCO supplier registration in Ontario

Published

25 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

Wladimir P.

endorphina-secures-agco-supplier-registration-in-ontario

Endorphina Limited has obtained a Gaming-Related Supplier registration in Ontario, Canada, allowing the company to supply its online slot content to licensed operators in the province.

The registration was issued by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). Ontario is one of North America’s most closely regulated online gambling markets.

“Securing approval in Ontario is a significant achievement for Endorphina. It confirms the quality of our products, the strength of our compliance framework, and our readiness to operate in highly regulated environments,” said Head of Compliance at Endorphina, Džangar Jesenov.

Endorphina said it has a portfolio of 200+ slots, partnerships with 6,000+ operators, and an active presence in more than 50 jurisdictions. The company positions the Ontario approval as part of its broader expansion strategy in regulated markets.

The post Endorphina secures AGCO supplier registration in Ontario appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Adjarabet

Galaxsys Enters into Strategic Partnership with Adjarabet

Published

25 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

Wladimir P.

galaxsys-enters-into-strategic-partnership-with-adjarabet

Galaxsys expands its presence in key markets through a strategic partnership with Adjarabet, strengthening its footprint across the Caucasus region while delivering a diverse portfolio of slot and fast games.

“We are pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Adjarabet, one of the leading online gaming operators in the Caucasus region with a strong presence in Armenia and Georgia. This collaboration represents a significant step in our expansion strategy, reinforcing our presence in key regional markets and supporting continued growth,” Galaxsys said.

“Through this partnership, Adjarabet will integrate our diverse portfolio of games, recognized for engaging mechanics, high performance, and flexible customization. Titles such as Rocketon, Tower Rush, Cash Show, and Penalty are designed to deliver dynamic gameplay experiences aligned with the preferences of regional audiences.”

Teni Grigoryan, Chief Sales and Partner Development Officer at Galaxsys, said: “We are delighted to partner with Adjarabet, a well-established and respected operator in the region. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our strategy to expand into key markets and deliver high-quality, engaging content to a broader audience. We are confident that our games will add significant value to Adjarabet’s platform.”

Vagharshak Hakobyan, Head of Gaming Department at Adjarabet Armenia, said: “We are excited to partner with Galaxsys and integrate their innovative portfolio into our platform. Their games bring a fresh, engaging, and high-performing experience that aligns perfectly with our goal of offering top-quality entertainment. This collaboration reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering localized, dynamic experiences.”

This partnership further highlights Galaxsys’ commitment to building strong, long-term collaborations with leading operators worldwide while continuing to expand its global footprint through innovative and performance-driven content.

The post Galaxsys Enters into Strategic Partnership with Adjarabet appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

affiliate marketing

ReferOn adds crypto finance layer to automate affiliate payouts

Published

25 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

Wladimir P.

referon-adds-crypto-finance-layer-to-automate-affiliate-payouts

ReferOn has launched a built-in crypto finance layer designed to automate affiliate payouts and centralise crypto payout workflows inside its platform. The company said the feature supports crypto payments through its licensed partners’ payment gateways and is available now.

ReferOn said the layer is intended to replace manual, fragmented finance processes with program funding, real-time visibility into funds, automated crypto payouts, and audit-ready transaction history with exports. The company is positioning the release at affiliate teams that manage high payout volumes and frequent reconciliation work.

The update introduces a dedicated finance page for each affiliate program, including program funding and balance visibility, integrated top-ups with deposit address management, and a transaction journal with filters, detail views, pagination, and CSV export. ReferOn also said the automated payout flow records conversion data (rate and amounts), syncs statuses, and creates transaction records instantly.

On controls, ReferOn said each automated payout requires explicit confirmations and 2FA before being triggered. The company added that the feature is built to support audit and compliance needs through traceable transaction logs and one-click CSV exports.

Vlad Bondarenko, Head of Product at ReferOn, commented: “In all honesty, manual crypto payments are a disaster waiting to happen. When teams are afraid of entering the wrong address, making a double payment, or organising ever-growing spreadsheets, the team environment turns conservative and reactive. Our new crypto finance layer eliminates this confusion by providing managers with a comprehensive, centralised hub that automates the manual via integrated payment partners. This feature isn’t about offering affiliates a fancy new payment method or automating for the sake of it, it’s about freeing you up to run a revamped financial operation.”

The post ReferOn adds crypto finance layer to automate affiliate payouts appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.