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Sergio Aguero: The history of the FA Cup meant it was always a special competition to play in

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Stake’s global representative, Sergio Aguero, reveals his memories of playing in the FA Cup, why it was a special competition for him to win, how Pep Guardiola will keep his players motivated against Peterborough in their fifth round tie, and what this side could achieve this season.

The FA Cup has an amazing history and I am proud to have won the competition 

The FA Cup was always one of my favourite competitions to play in because of its history and because of the many famous players and teams to have won it.

When I was living in Spain and here in Argentina, everyone knew about the competition and its history.

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We came so close to winning the FA Cup in 2013 but were beaten by Wigan in the final. It was hard for us because we had a very good team, Carlos Tevez, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta all started that game.

But we were all very new to the club and it was only the start of our journey. I think we did okay in the end!

We were back at Wembley for my second FA Cup final in 2019 and that day went much better for us when we beat Watford.

We were so happy to win it and to be a part of FA Cup history was a very proud moment for me.

The tradition of the FA Cup is one of my favourite things about the competition, it was fun to meet Prince William to get my medal after the game and the celebrations with the fans afterwards was so special.

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Everyone says that the FA Cup is magical and it is true, it was always really fun to play in and you felt proud to represent your team in the competition.

The day we played in the FA Cup was

always special because there was so much excitement in the team and the fans were always extra happy to see us play well.

Playing teams in lower divisions in the FA Cup is harder than you think, so Pep will have the City players focused ahead of the Peterborough match 

Not many people know how hard it is to play in the FA Cup. In England, you play a lot of matches and a lot of competitions, but as a player, it’s really exciting because you have the chance to try and win lots of different competitions, and winning finals is something that you are always proud of as a footballer, which means every game is important.

To get to the final you have to play against lots of different teams and some new ones that you might not have ever played against before. Playing against new teams and new players and at new stadiums is always hard because you don’t know 100% what you’re going to be playing against. We watch the teams in the Premier League and Champions League a lot and we all have friends and international teammates that play for them, but when you draw a team in the FA Cup that you don’t regularly get to play against or know too much about, it’s always a difficult experience.

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When we played against a new team or a side in a different division, we were always expected to win, but it’s not as easy as that. Every manager always made sure the preparation for an FA Cup game was exactly the same. The training was the same, we worked hard on our jobs for the match and we went into the game knowing what we had to do, it made no difference if it was the final or first round.

This is exactly what Pep Guardiola will be doing with the team this week. Pep is a winner and he hates to lose, you don’t win the number of trophies he has without this attitude. He will be making sure the Manchester City players are ready for the game against Peterborough in the same way as if it was any other match.

There’s added pressure on Manchester City to win in the FA Cup and Peterborough will look to familiar tactics to beat them 

When you are the team in a higher league and you have to travel to a team in a league below you it is difficult because the crowd are always so excited that their team might cause an upset and get to beat a Premier League team! When you get to the ground you are quickly aware that everyone really wants you to lose – the fans let you know when you arrive. It’s not just the

home crowd that are extra excited to see you lose, but it is everyone watching at home also, we know this and try not to think about it and focus on our job for the day.

We played against Wigan, again, in 2018 in the Cup at their stadium and it was one of the hardest matches. They defended so well and frustrated us, we had all of the possession and so many chances, but they scored late and knocked us out, that’s how it is in knockout football. If Peterborough think that they can win then they should watch that game and do the same as Wigan did.

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Peterborough will be tough for Manchester City because the team has just travelled to Portugal in the Champions League, had a tough game against Tottenham, then they’ll play away in the Premier League threes days before the match and then they have to play Manchester United after the FA Cup game, but the team has so many good players in every position and everyone is used to this way of playing now.

Manchester City are hungry to win every competition 

At Manchester City, we wanted to win everything, every match and every trophy, and that will always be the case at the club now. I think Manchester City are in a great place to win the Premier League again, they also have a good chance in the FA Cup and in the Champions League too, but this might be competitive, but I think it is possible that they win all three. Winning a treble like this would be a huge achievement and they have a team and manager that can do it this season.

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GAMING INDUSTRY’S TOP CEOs BILL HORNBUCKLE, PETER JACKSON & JASON ROBINS TO KEYNOTE G2E 2025

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Main Stage Also Features Tribal Innovation Discussion Oct. 6;  Global Gaming Women to Present Mental Health Dialogue Oct. 8

The Global Gaming Expo, presented by the American Gaming Association (AGA) and organized by RX, announces its highly anticipated main stage programming for G2E 2025. Over three days, G2E will feature conversations with some of the most influential voices in gaming and offer diverse perspectives on the future of the industry. G2E 2025 takes place Oct. 6-9 at The Venetian Expo in Las Vegas and marks the event’s 25th year.

“We are honored to welcome a distinguished lineup of key industry leaders to the G2E main stage,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “As we mark 25 years of G2E, we’re proud to continue to be a catalyst for gaming’s growth, and our programming reflects the ideas and leadership shaping the industry’s future.”

Progress or Pressure: How Tribes Can Harness Innovation on Their Terms

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Monday, Oct. 6 at 4 p.m. Doors open at 3:30 p.m.

Indian Gaming Association (IGA) Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. will open the main stage by underscoring the central contributions of tribal operators to the U.S. gaming landscape and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Bringing together leading tribal voices, the program will explore how tribes embrace innovation on their own terms—balancing growth with sovereignty and long-term success. Panelists will address how emerging technologies, evolving business models, and the rise of illegal, unregulated markets are reshaping the competitive environment. The dialogue will highlight both the opportunities to harness new tools for sustainable growth and the pressures of protecting the industry’s integrity in a rapidly changing landscape.

Moderated by IGA’s Executive Director Jason Giles, the conversation will feature:

  • Rodney Butler, Chairman, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
  • James Siva, Chairman, California Nations Indian Gaming Association

Additional participants may be announced in the coming days.

Inside the C-Suite: Gaming’s Future in Focus on Stage

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Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 8:45 a.m. Doors open at 8:15 a.m.

AGA President and CEO Bill Miller will open G2E 2025’s keynote session, welcoming global gaming professionals and underscoring the strength and momentum of legal gaming upon the opening of the industry’s biggest gathering of the year.

Following Miller’s remarks, Hope King, founder of Macro Talk, on-air contributor to Yahoo Finance, and events host and moderator for Axios, will lead an impactful series of one-on-one conversations with top global gaming CEOs. Discussions will address key trends and challenges shaping the industry—including investor expectations, domestic and international expansion, and intensifying competition in regulated and unregulated markets. Featuring:

  • Bill Hornbuckle – CEO & President, MGM Resorts International
  • Peter Jackson – CEO, Flutter Entertainment
  • Jason Robins – CEO, DraftKings

The session will conclude at 10 a.m., immediately followed by the opening of the expo floor.

Breaking the Stigma: An Honest Dialogue on Mental Health

Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 9 a.m. Doors open at 8:45 a.m.

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Multi-sport athlete and mental health advocate Kendall Toole will share her personal journey in a conversation moderated by Global Gaming Women (GGW) Sip & Social Chair Meghan Speranzo. Presented by GGW, the session will foster an open dialogue on mental health, designed to reframe how attendees think about wellness and inspire stronger voices across the gaming industry and beyond. This conversation will be open to all badge holders. Ahead of the discussion, GGW will host their Sip & Social event from 8 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. in the same room. For more information on this separate networking event, visit globalgamingwomen.org/event-6325670.

Presented by the AGA and organized by RX, G2E’s full education lineup features more than 100 sessions. G2E 2025 runs from October 6-9 (Education: October 6-9 | Expo Hall: October 7-9) at The Venetian Expo in Las Vegas.

Since 2001, G2E has served as the premier global event for the legal, regulated gaming industry, fostering innovation and driving growth across casinos, hospitality, technology, iGaming, sports betting, and more. The event will welcome over 25,000 industry professionals from more than 120 countries, regions, and territories, and nearly 400 exhibitors showcasing the latest global gaming technologies.

For more information, visit globalgamingexpo.com.

 

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Podium’s Racing Data to Power Dabble’s Social-led Betting Service in the UK

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Podium, a leading global provider of trusted sports content and data solutions, is working with Dabble to help bring its socially driven betting experience to UK audiences.

Dabble combines traditional betting functionality with a social media-style interface to offer the next generation of racing fans a more interactive way to connect and share. The app-based platform is integrated with Betmakers technology, with all UK horse and greyhound racing data delivered by Podium.

Ian Houghton, Commercial Director at Podium says: “At Podium, we are always excited when we see innovation in the industry, so we are delighted to play a part of Dabble’s expansion into the UK market, particularly at a time when the racing industry needs to retain a younger audience. We look forward to exploring how Podium’s services can continue to support Dabble’s global ambitions.”

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The collaboration, which has been in place since the summer, marks an evolution in how racing data is used and experienced, with Podium delivering UK racing content via Betmakers technology to help power Dabble’s social platform.

Tom Rundle, CEO of Dabble, says: “Dabble’s move into the UK is a natural fit. We’re a challenger brand with an exciting product that we built ourselves from scratch. We’re already seeing that resonate with the UK audience. Yes, you can get a bet on, but essentially, we are placing ourselves as being community driven. We’re creating a richer experience at every touch point.”

The UK is Dabble’s third international market, following rapid growth after launching in its native Australia.

The post Podium’s Racing Data to Power Dabble’s Social-led Betting Service in the UK appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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College Partnerships Under Scrutiny: The Future of Campus Gambling Deals – Compliance, Alternatives, PR Risk

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The era of splashy sportsbook logos wrapped around student sections is fading fast, and for good reason. What looked like an easy revenue win after the expansion of legal sports betting now sits at the intersection of compliance complexities, reputational hazards, and evolving cultural expectations about how gambling interacts with college life. Universities are recalibrating their risk tolerance, athletic departments are revisiting sponsorship inventories, and operators are rethinking whether campus-facing marketing is worth the blowback. At Gambling Freedom Casino and News Portal, we’ve seen the conversation shift from “How big can this get?” to “How do we do this responsibly,or not at all?” The answer is not a simple yes or no; it’s a recognition that the future of campus gambling deals will be smaller, more carefully segmented, and anchored in integrity and harm minimization. That future rewards institutions and brands that can communicate clearly, document compliance rigorously, and operate with a “help-first, hype-later” mindset.

From a compliance standpoint, the baseline in 2025 is tighter than many casual observers realize. Industry marketing standards increasingly discourage promotions that could be perceived as targeting students, and the phraseology once common in acquisition campaigns is now off-limits or strongly discouraged. In parallel, more state regulators are scrutinizing college markets, especially player-specific proposition bets, on the grounds that they heighten the risk of harassment and integrity issues. The NCAA has spent the last few seasons pushing for stronger athlete protections and a more consistent compliance posture across jurisdictions. Put all of that together and the practical effect is clear: even if a category is technically legal in one state, the patchwork of rules, guidance, and best practices makes campus-facing deals a compliance headache and a reputational gamble. The safest route is to build partnerships that avoid student channels, exclude conversion-driven creative around college events, and lean into education, integrity, and alumni engagement where age gating and segmentation are both meaningful and auditable.

Reputational risk is the other half of the equation and it’s often underestimated until it isn’t. The optics of a sportsbook brand appearing inside a campus venue or in an email blast that lands in student inboxes can overshadow months of careful planning. In the digital age, a single misguided subject line or banner placement can live forever in screenshots, resurfacing whenever a university confronts unrelated controversies. For athletic departments, the blowback doesn’t just come from national media; local stakeholders, faculty governance, and alumni donors have strong opinions about how a school’s brand is used. The narrative can turn quickly: what a marketing team frames as “supporting athletics” can be framed by critics as “monetizing student attention with gambling.” Add the human dimension—students and athletes facing social media pressure tied to bets and the reputational calculus tilts further away from broad-based campus advertising. Once a school becomes the example cited in op-eds and parent forums, every future sponsorship meeting starts on defense, which is a tremendous tax on leadership attention and goodwill.

So where does that leave universities and sportsbooks that still want to collaborate responsibly? The first lane is alumni-only engagement that lives firmly outside student media. Think association newsletters sent to verified recipients, event activations tied to homecoming for over-21 alumni, and gated digital experiences where age verification and alumni status are both required. The operative phrase is segmentation with proof: CRM hygiene that suppresses any .edu domains associated with enrolled students, third-party age checks that withstand audit, and creative that emphasizes responsible play rather than acquisition gimmicks. It is equally important to leave campus-owned assets out of the plan entirely: no student newspaper, no student radio, no in-venue signage within sightlines dominated by under-21 attendees, and no .edu pages. Success here is measured by quiet compliance, not splashy vanity metrics. Campaign briefs should spell out what will not be done (no first-bet language, no odds boosts tied to school IP, no promo codes keyed to team names), and media buys should be geofenced and frequency-capped to avoid spillover impressions.

The second lane is integrity and data cooperation, which is fundamentally different from marketing. Rather than converting users, these partnerships focus on protecting competitions and people. Universities and operators can align around standardized reporting protocols for suspicious activity, training modules for staff and athletes that explain wagering rules and red flags, and secure data exchanges that support real-time anomaly detection. When structured correctly, integrity agreements do not place sportsbook logos on campus; they establish clear lines of responsibility, define escalation paths if something looks off, and include audit rights to ensure both sides are living up to the agreement. Forward-thinking athletic departments are building dashboards that track integrity KRIs (key risk indicators) across seasons, and operators are assigning compliance liaisons who can respond quickly to questions about markets, limits, and emerging risks. A valuable signal of sincerity is a proactive stance on contentious markets: choosing not to market college player props or removing them from any alumni-facing creative, sends a message that athlete wellbeing matters more than marginal handle.

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A third lane is responsible-gambling (RG) education and independent research, an area where universities can lead with credibility if the funding and governance are set up correctly. The rule of thumb is “help, not hype.” Programming should elevate helplines and support resources, teach students and staff how to recognize early warning signs, and outline practical steps for friends or teammates who are worried about someone’s gambling. Workshops can be built for specific audiences, athletes, coaches, RAs, student leaders – with content tailored to situations they’ll likely encounter, like managing group chats during big games or dealing with harassment tied to a missed free throw. If an operator helps fund this work, the branding should be deliberately muted and the calls to action should point to counseling resources, not betting apps. On the research side, schools can host longitudinal studies on gambling behaviors and mental health that inform policy decisions across states. The key is independence: academic freedom, publication rights, and data privacy are non-negotiable. When these programs release annual reports with outcomes numbers trained, referrals made, satisfaction and knowledge retention scores, they earn trust with regulators and the public.

Embedding all of the above in real governance requires contracts and processes that are as rigorous as anything in broadcast rights or apparel. Agreements should explicitly exclude student-facing channels and campus IP in promotional contexts, require preclearance of all creative, and mandate third-party age and identity checks for any alumni lists used in marketing. Internal workflows matter just as much: establish a cross-functional signoff path that includes compliance, legal, athletics communications, the alumni office, and student affairs; maintain a living registry of all placements; and document every exception request and rejection. A quarterly audit, conducted by an independent partner, should test suppression lists, confirm geo and age parameters, and sample creatives for prohibited phrasing. Crisis preparedness is part of the job: have templates ready for misdirected emails, rogue social posts, and policy changes that force offer adjustments mid-season. Run tabletop exercises with leaders so everyone knows who approves the statement, who pauses the media, who contacts the vendor, and who answers reporter questions. The smoothest crises are the ones that never become public because the response is instant and well-rehearsed.

Looking ahead, the most realistic forecast is a smaller, safer lane for college–operator collaboration. Expect states and conferences to continue refining rules around bet types and advertising, particularly where athlete wellbeing and harassment are implicated. Expect universities to sunset remaining campus-facing placements in favor of alumni-only channels that leave a clean paper trail, lowering both compliance risk and noise around brand stewardship. Expect the integrity conversation to mature, with more standardized data formats, quicker reciprocity on investigations, and better education for the non-athlete campus community, resident advisors, counseling centers, and compliance staff who are often the first to notice when something is off. And expect that schools which articulate a clear philosophy- “We protect students, we protect athletes, we promote help-seeking, and we partner only where age-gated, auditable outcomes exist”, will spend less time in reactive posture and more time telling a positive story about values.

For operators, the business case is quiet credibility. Instead of chasing a fleeting burst of signups tied to a rivalry game, smart brands will invest in long-term reputation: integrity agreements that make competitions safer, alumni engagements that demonstrate real respect for age limits and context, and RG programs that exist to serve the community rather than acquire customers. That approach doesn’t just avoid headlines, it earns allies. Alumni who see careful, adult-only engagement are less likely to bristle at a brand’s presence. Regulators who see documented controls and public reporting are less likely to question motives. University leaders who see proof of restraint are more open to renewing low-risk collaborations. In other words, the playbook that Gambling Freedom recommends is not “do nothing,” but “do the right things, in the right places, for the right reasons.”

The final takeaway is simple: campus gambling deals are no longer a volume game; they are a values game. If your plan cannot be explained in a sentence that starts with student safety, athlete wellbeing, and competition integrity, it’s probably the wrong plan. If your KPIs are built around alumni engagement quality, RG outcomes, and zero incidents—not just clicks and codes, you’re on the right track. And if your processes assume that everything might one day be scrutinized by parents, faculty, alumni, and policymakers, you will build the sort of resilient partnership that can survive news cycles and leadership changes. Gambling Freedom exists to help universities and sportsbooks navigate precisely this terrain, compliance-conscious, PR-smart, and responsibility-first – so that whoever partners on college sports can do so with confidence, clarity, and respect for the communities they serve.

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