Latest News
BGC Welcomes Re-opening of Betting Shops
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has welcomed the reopening of betting shops in England and Wales.
According to BGC chief executive Michael Dugher, the re-opening of betting shops in England and Wales is great news for both the industry and the UK economy.
On April 12, around 6000 bookies commenced operations for the first time since December alongside other non-essential retail, as the UK Government announced the easing of restrictions amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
However, a number of restrictions will be in place in English shops to limit the number of customers. These include the removal of all tables and chairs, no screening of live sport and a 15-minute limit on the amount of time customers can be in a shop. In addition, betting shops have also put in place their own anti-Covid measures, including hand sanitisation centres, Perspex screens and strict social distancing rules.
Michael Dugher, chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, said: “It’s great news that high street betting shops in England and Wales are finally able to re-open safely, along with the rest of non-essential retail. It’s been a long three months for betting shop staff, as well as their customers, and I know they are all looking forward to safely getting back to business thanks to the best-in-class anti-Covid measures in place.
“As the recent EY report showed, the UK’s betting shops support 46,000 jobs and paid nearly £1bn in tax to the Treasury in 2020, while our members contribute £350m to horseracing through sponsorship, media rights and the betting levy.
“This means that as well as providing a much-needed boost for the millions of people who enjoy a flutter, they will also be able to play a key role in the UK’s post-Covid economic recovery.”
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Flashscore
Flashscore tops speed rankings in UK fan survey ahead of 2026 World Cup
Flashscore has been ranked the fastest sports results platform by UK fans, according to new research into how audiences consume live sport.
In the UK survey of 2,000 sports fans, 46% identified Flashscore as the quickest platform. Flashscore said the pattern was similar in Italy, where 49% of 2,000 respondents named Flashscore the fastest, and in Brazil, where 53% of 3,300 participants reached the same conclusion.
Respondents also associated Flashscore with reliability. In Italy, Flashscore (known locally as Diretta) was recognised as being more accurate than competitors and national broadcasters’ platforms, while in the UK and Brazil it was recognised as being equal to or close to competitors and national broadcasters’ platforms.
Flashscore Director of Engineering Tomáš Kavka said: “It is not one magic technology that solves everything, it is a lot of small and larger right decisions over time.
“Serving a user in South America from Europe is technically possible, but speed is in our DNA. If we want to be the fastest on every continent, we need to be as close as possible to the user. And the data needs to reach that location the moment it appears in our database.”
The company said it continues to scale globally in its 20th year since launch, reporting more than 125 million monthly users worldwide, more than 400 million app downloads across its portfolio, and approximately 145 billion monthly impressions. Flashscore also reported over four million UK downloads, more than two billion monthly impressions, and average daily time spent close to 30 minutes. On infrastructure, Flashscore said it moved to a new data centre in Prague in 2024, tripling processing capacity, and uses a distributed cloud architecture. It added that during a major Champions League matchday earlier this season it handled 34 million users in a day, delivered 700 million notifications, and processed up to 1.3 million requests per second.
The post Flashscore tops speed rankings in UK fan survey ahead of 2026 World Cup appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
executive appointments
Evoplay promotes Diana Larina to Chief Marketing Officer
Evoplay has promoted Diana Larina to Chief Marketing Officer, expanding its senior leadership team. The company said Larina will continue to lead its brand, performance and product marketing teams, with a focus on growth, strategy and market positioning.
Larina joined Evoplay in 2022 as Head of B2B Marketing. She was promoted to Head of Growth Marketing in 2023 and then appointed Head of Marketing in November 2024.
Evoplay credited Larina with leading major campaigns and helping shift the business towards a more B2C-focused approach aimed at strengthening player engagement. The company also highlighted award nominations including Woman Leader of the Year at the AffPapa iGaming Awards, Young Changemaker at the Casino Guru Awards, Marketing Star of the Year at the G Gate Awards, Young Leader of the Year at the WIG Diversity Awards, and a debut appearance on the Top 50 Masters of iGaming Marketing list.
Diana Larina, CMO at Evoplay, said: “I’m incredibly proud of what the marketing team has achieved at Evoplay and I’m excited about what comes next. This promotion is a reflection of the hard work of everyone around me, and I look forward to continuing to push boundaries, build the brand and drive growth as we expand our presence across global markets.”
Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay, added: “From the moment Diana joined us, she demonstrated exceptional drive, leadership and ambition. Her journey through the company is a testament to both her talent and dedication, and this promotion to CMO is incredibly well deserved. Diana has consistently delivered impactful results while inspiring those around her, and I’m confident she will continue to play a key role in shaping Evoplay’s future.”
The post Evoplay promotes Diana Larina to Chief Marketing Officer appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Diana Larina CMO at Evoplay
Evoplay promotes Diana Larina to Chief Marketing Officer
Evoplay has promoted Diana Larina to Chief Marketing Officer, expanding its senior leadership team.
Larina joined Evoplay in 2022 as Head of B2B Marketing. She was promoted to Head of Growth Marketing in 2023 and appointed Head of Marketing in November 2024.
Evoplay said Larina has led marketing initiatives spanning brand, performance and partner-focused campaigns, and contributed to a shift towards a more B2C-focused approach aimed at strengthening player engagement.
Diana Larina, CMO at Evoplay, said: “I’m incredibly proud of what the marketing team has achieved at Evoplay and I’m excited about what comes next. This promotion is a reflection of the hard work of everyone around me, and I look forward to continuing to push boundaries, build the brand and drive growth as we expand our presence across global markets.”
Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay, added: “From the moment Diana joined us, she demonstrated exceptional drive, leadership and ambition. Her journey through the company is a testament to both her talent and dedication, and this promotion to CMO is incredibly well deserved. Diana has consistently delivered impactful results while inspiring those around her, and I’m confident she will continue to play a key role in shaping Evoplay’s future.”
The post Evoplay promotes Diana Larina to Chief Marketing Officer appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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