Latest News
BGC Members Make Record Horserace Betting Levy Contribution
Betting and Gaming Council members are expected to contribute a record £105m in levy payments to the Horserace Betting Levy Board for last year, new figures reveal.
The figure, provided by the independent Horserace Betting Levy Board, is an increase of £5m on the previous year.
As a result of this record additional funding from bookmakers, the HBLB announced an increase of £3.2m in its prize money contribution for 2024 versus 2023, from £67.3m to £70.5m.
It is the third year in a row that Levy contributions have increased, from £97m in 2021/22, to £100m in 2022/2023 and now £105m in 2023/2024.
According to the Horserace Betting Levy Board, the £105m total is derived from the receipt of provisional end of year submissions from most Levy-paying bookmakers.
Michael Dugher, Betting and Gaming Council CEO and Acting Chair, said: “This record contribution to the Levy is extremely welcome news and demonstrates once again the enduring, mission critical support regulated betting provides British horseracing.
“Despite a double digit decline in horserace betting turnover over the past five years – and a double digit decline in racecourse attendances – this shows that levy contributions and prize money are both up, and it once again provides a timely reminder that racing could not survive without the record financial support that is flowing from betting.
“Our members remain committed to the long-term success of horseracing, and the huge economic contribution it makes across the country, especially in rural communities.
“Attention must now turn to how we challenge vested interests, introduce real change and reform the sport, ensuring we reverse the current decline and provide racing with a genuinely long term sustainable future.”
Horseracing is the second biggest spectator sport in the UK, second only to football, with around five million people attending approximately 1400 fixtures annually across 59 racecourses.
However, the sport has been in decline in recent years. In 2007, 17% of the population enjoyed horserace betting the previous year, but that fell to 10% in 2018, while racecourse attendances have dropped by 14% since 2019.
Meanwhile, horserace betting turnover for April to December 2023 is down 17% vs the average for the same period across the last five years.
The BGC has made significant efforts to lessen the impacts on racing as a result of the Government’s White Paper on gambling reforms, particularly on the issue of affordability.
Earlier this month the BGC announced a new voluntary industry Code on Customer Checks which raises standards, while reducing the need for requests for private financial documents.
Developed jointly with the Gambling Commission and backed by Government, this Code will operate as a voluntary interim scheme – bringing consistency across the regulated sector for operators who adopt it – until the frictionless financial risk assessments set out in the Government’s White Paper can be developed, tested and implemented.
While this Code delivers progress on resolving the issue of intrusive document checks, it does not offer a complete solution. So, the BGC and GC are now actively working on a new Code on Anti-Money Laundering checks, which also trigger requests for documents.
The BGC is currently working with the British Horseracing Authority and government to resolve a settlement on a new voluntary Levy to support horseracing.
It is estimated BGC members contribute around £350m a year to British horseracing in Levy, media rights and sponsorship deals.
Meanwhile the wider regulated betting and gaming sector supports 110,000 jobs, generates £4.2bn in tax and contributes £7.1bn to the economy.
Each month around 22.5m adults in Britain enjoy a bet, whether it’s buying a lottery ticket, having a game of bingo, visiting a casino, playing online or having a wager on football, horseracing and other sports.
The most recent NHS Health Survey for England estimated that 0.4% of the adult population are problem gamblers.
The post BGC Members Make Record Horserace Betting Levy Contribution appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Canada
CasinoCanada announces partnership with Slota Casino
CasinoCanada.com has entered into a partnership with Slota Casino aimed at increasing the platform’s visibility and directing traffic from non-regulated Canadian markets.
As part of the collaboration, CasinoCanada will prepare and publish informational materials describing Slota Casino’s features and game offerings.
The partnership includes ongoing content development, efforts to increase platform visibility and user acquisition activities across CasinoCanada’s media channels.
CasinoCanada is an online casino guide focused on the Canadian market, operated by SEOBROTHERS.
Eugene Ravdin, Head of PR at SEOBROTHERS, commented:
“We focus on delivering accurate information about the Slota Casino platform while maintaining consistent content updates and supporting steady traffic growth across our channels.”
Slota Casino was launched in 2024 by GBL Solutions N.V. under a Curacao licence.
Slota Casino is operated by the Slota Partners affiliate program.
The platform provides access to more than 12,000 online casino games from 130 providers, including Play’n GO, Endorphina and Games Global.
A representative of Slota Casino said:
“We’re genuinely excited about teaming up with CasinoCanada. This is a major step forward for us.
The Canadian market has enormous potential, and partnering with a portal as respected as CasinoCanada gives our brand the visibility and credibility it deserves in this region.”
The post CasinoCanada announces partnership with Slota Casino appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Brazil
Esportes da Sorte has renewed its official sponsorship of the Parintins Folklore Festival for the 2026 edition
Esportes da Sorte has renewed its official sponsorship of the Parintins Folklore Festival for the 2026 edition.
The brand reinforces its strategy of promoting Brazilian culture after fostering an exchange between the North and Northeast regions during the Pernambuco Carnival.
Esportes da Sorte announced the renewal of its official sponsorship of the Parintins Folklore Festival for the 2026 edition.
Scheduled to take place from June 26 to 28, the event is part of the brand’s strategy to strengthen Brazilian cultural expressions and support the regional creative economy.
The continuation of the partnership follows a cycle of cultural integration promoted by the company over the past year.
In 2026, the group brought artistic references from the Parintins Festival to Recife Carnival by inviting Amazonian visual artist Iran Martins to design the brand’s parade float at Galo da Madrugada.
The project incorporated movement mechanisms and aesthetic elements inspired by the “bumbás” universe into the visual language of frevo.
Beyond brand exposure, the investment in Parintins is part of a positioning strategy focused on valuing Brazilian cultural identity and strengthening initiatives with strong regional ties.
“Our presence in Parintins goes beyond a branding action. It is a commitment to valuing Brazilian culture and the professionals who drive this creative ecosystem.
By bringing together references from the Parintins Festival and Recife Carnival, we show how different cultural expressions in the country can dialogue and create new connections.
We want to continue expanding this impact and contribute to keeping the bumbá tradition strong,” said Marcela Campos, Vice President of Grupo Esportes Gaming Brasil, owner of Esportes da Sorte.
Economic growth and new Bumbódromo
The Parintins Festival 2026 is expected to generate around R$193.2 million, a projected 5% increase compared to the previous edition. The forecast also includes approximately 30,000 direct and indirect jobs, as well as the arrival of around 126,000 tourists.
The audience will be welcomed in the new Bumbódromo, a structure with capacity for up to 25,000 people per day, which will become part of the festival’s expansion in the coming years.
Esportes da Sorte
Esportes da Sorte is one of Brazil’s leading sports betting platforms, with 100% national operations and a license granted by the Ministry of Finance (SPA/MF) to Esportes Gaming Brasil — the group that also owns the Onabet and Lottu brands.
The company is part of a Great Place to Work certified group and generates around 1,000 direct and indirect jobs. Its pillars include innovation, commitment to responsible gaming, and support for sector regulation.
It maintains strategic partnerships with institutions such as ANJL, IBIA, Sportradar, EBAC, and IAA, strengthening control practices, problem gambling prevention, and user protection.
In addition to sports betting, Esportes da Sorte invests consistently in sports, culture, and social projects. It is a master sponsor of clubs such as Corinthians, Ceará, Ferroviária, and Náutico, as well as supporting major cultural events like Galo da Madrugada, Carnival celebrations in cities such as Recife, Olinda, Salvador, Maceió, Natal, Caicó, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo, and the Parintins Festival. The brand also expands its digital presence through creative campaigns and influencer partnerships, strengthening its connection with audiences across online platforms.
The post Esportes da Sorte has renewed its official sponsorship of the Parintins Folklore Festival for the 2026 edition appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Canada
Digicode to showcase Diger Suite at SBC Summit Canada 2026
Digicode will showcase its Diger Suite at SBC Summit Canada, taking place in Toronto from May 19–21, 2026.
At the event, the company will highlight how its product suite addresses evolving technical and partnership demands in Canada’s regulated iGaming market.
As the market moves beyond initial entry and into a phase defined by performance, scalability, and compliance, operators are re-evaluating their technology foundations.
Digicode’s Diger Suite is built to support this shift, offering a modular architecture that enables faster adaptation to regulatory changes, improved system reliability, and more efficient operations.
Aligned with the summit’s 2026 theme, “Partnerships, Performance, and Market Reality,” Digicode will demonstrate how its technology supports sustainable growth.
The Diger Suite equips operators with tools to manage complex integrations, streamline localized payment processing, and ensure compliance with responsible gaming requirements.
Its AI-driven framework automates backend workflows while maintaining strict standards for security and uptime.
“The Canadian market has entered the phase of operational maturity where the focus is no longer on expansion alone but on improving efficiency and long-term profitability,” said Elkhan Shabanov, CEO of Digicode Americas.
Operators are looking for solutions that not only meet regulatory demands but also enable them to scale efficiently and maintain control over their platforms.”
During the summit, Digicode’s team will engage with industry stakeholders on topics including AI adoption in product development, modernization of legacy systems, and the transition away from traditional SaaS and revenue-share models toward full platform ownership.
The company aims to help operators regain control of their technology stack, reduce dependency on third-party vendors, and build scalable, compliant solutions tailored to their business needs.
About Digicode
Digicode is a full-cycle AI-enabled product development company that designs and delivers enterprise digital solutions for organizations in complex, regulated environments.
Digicode supports clients with enterprise systems, integrations, and long-term software development. The company operates internationally and prioritizes projects where ownership and technical responsibility remain with the client.
The post Digicode to showcase Diger Suite at SBC Summit Canada 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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