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.
content-aggregation
SetantaBET picks LuckyStreak for live dealer and casino aggregation deal
LuckyStreak, the live casino and content aggregation provider, has agreed a partnership with SetantaBET, the gaming and betting arm of leading sports media and entertainment business Setanta Sports.
The partnership gives the broadcaster-backed operator access to LuckyStreak’s live Roulette, Blackjack and Baccarat, plus more than 6,000 casino games from over 60 providers through a single integration.
The companies said the rollout is planned to launch prior to the 2026 World Cup and follows SetantaBET’s launch in Georgia, as the operator looks to scale using the wider Setanta Sports ecosystem.
Ady Totah, CEO and Co-founder of LuckyStreak, said: “SetantaBET is a new and fast-growing operator backed by the strength, reach and reputation of the Setanta brand. Their ambitions for the business are clear, and through LuckyConnect and our live dealer portfolio, we’re giving their players access to a diverse portfolio of thousands of world-class games through a single integration, while equipping their team with the content, flexibility and scalability needed to support growth across multiple markets.
Combined with our operational expertise and industry experience, we believe this creates a strong foundation for a successful long-term partnership. We’re proud that SetantaBET chose LuckyStreak as their launch content partner, and we look forward to helping the business realise its ambitions in the years ahead.”
Tamar Badashvili, CEO at SetantaBET, added: “We are excited to partner with LuckyStreak and further strengthen SetantaBET’s casino offering. This collaboration allows us to expand our game portfolio with content from leading providers and deliver even more entertainment and choice to our players.”
The post SetantaBET picks LuckyStreak for live dealer and casino aggregation deal appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Abrajogo
SCCG Management Launches Dedicated SCCG Brazil Division with Local Partner Thomas Carvalhaes
New entity positions SCCG to serve international operators, investors, and technology providers entering Latin America’s largest regulated gaming market.
SCCG Management announces the formation of SCCG Brazil, a dedicated advisory entity built to serve the Brazilian gaming and iGaming market. The new division is led jointly by SCCG founder Stephen A. Crystal and Thomas Carvalhaes, a veteran of Brazil’s gaming ecosystem, who joins as Partner and co-manager of the operation.
The launch follows SCCG’s May 2026 establishment of its broader Latin American division and Miami office, which anchored the firm’s expanded presence across Spanish-speaking markets. Brazil, with its distinct regulatory framework, Portuguese-language market, and scale, has always warranted a dedicated approach. SCCG Brazil is that approach.
Why Brazil, why now
Brazil’s newly regulated gaming market is now the largest in Latin America and one of the fastest-growing in the world. In its first year under Law No. 14,790/2023, the regulated sector generated an estimated BRL 37 billion in gross gaming revenue, with 79 licensed operators serving approximately 25 million active bettors. The government collected close to BRL 10 billion in tax revenue, far exceeding initial projections. Market analysts project the sector to surpass USD 9 billion in annual revenue by 2033.
This is not a new market for SCCG. The firm has maintained a presence in Florianopolis, Brazil for nearly two decades, supporting clients across sports betting, iGaming technology, and gaming infrastructure. What has changed is the regulatory clarity. With the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) now fully operational under the Ministry of Finance and a permanent licensing framework in place, Brazil has moved from a high-potential gray market to a structured, investable, and compliance-driven environment.
“We have been working in Brazil longer than most people realize. The difference now is that the market has caught up to where we always believed it would go. With Thomas on the ground and our global network behind him, SCCG Brazil is built to move at the speed this market demands.”
— Stephen A. Crystal, Founder and CEO, SCCG Management
Leadership on the ground: Thomas Carvalhaes
Thomas Carvalhaes is a senior executive, board advisor, and one of the most influential strategists behind the consolidation of the sports betting and iGaming landscape in Latin America. As the CEO and Founder of TC iGaming Advisors and a founding advisory board member for Next.io LATAM, Thomas brings over 15 years of continuous leadership to the sector, specializing in market entry strategies, operational excellence, and complex regulatory compliance for global Tier-1 operators.
Throughout his career, he has steered multi-million dollar operations and commercial pipelines through evolving jurisdictional frameworks, having served as Country Manager and CEO for Stake in Brazil, alongside key leadership and strategic roles at Betway, LeoVegas, Hero Gaming, and Salsa-Betmotion. His expertise merges sharp regulatory intelligence with localized, high-performance business development, including the structuring and integration of innovative fintech solutions and instant localized payment frameworks such as the Pix ecosystem.
Thomas is a founding member of ABRAJOGO (Brazilian Gaming Association), playing an active role in driving industry-wide ethical standards and operational sustainability. Trilingual and fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, he is a globally recognized industry voice who frequently features as a keynote speaker and panel moderator at the world’s premier gaming summits, including the SBC Summit, EGR, and SiGMA.
What SCCG Brazil does
SCCG Brazil will operate across SCCG Management’s established advisory workstreams, tailored for the Brazilian context:
Strategic Advisory: Regulatory navigation, market entry strategy, and M&A advisory for operators and investors targeting Brazil’s licensed market.
Capital Introductions: Connecting Brazilian gaming companies with international investors, and international operators with Brazilian capital and strategic partners.
Commercial Partnerships: Facilitating technology supplier, affiliate, and white-label distribution agreements between SCCG’s global client portfolio and Brazilian operators.
International Expansion: Supporting Brazilian operators looking to expand into other regulated markets across Latin America, Europe, and North America.
“Brazil’s regulated market has moved from potential to proof, generating billions in its first year under a fully structured licensing framework. International operators and investors need a partner who has navigated this market from the inside, through the regulatory buildout, the payment infrastructure, and the commercial realities on the ground. SCCG Brazil is that partner.”
— Thomas Carvalhaes, Partner, SCCG Brazil
The formation of SCCG Brazil reflects three converging forces. First, regulatory maturity: Brazil’s licensing regime is permanent, the SPA is actively enforcing compliance, and over 25,000 unlicensed sites have been blocked. Second, market scale: with a population exceeding 200 million and mobile penetration driving nearly all betting activity, Brazil offers the largest addressable audience in the region. Third, international demand: SCCG’s global client portfolio includes dozens of technology providers, platform operators, and investors actively seeking structured pathways into the Brazilian market.
SCCG Brazil operates as a division of SCCG Management, the gaming industry’s global advisory firm. With more than 30 years of experience, over 120 active client-partners worldwide, and offices spanning North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, SCCG provides end-to-end advisory services across iGaming, sports betting, sweepstakes, tribal gaming, and casino technology.
For partnership inquiries or to schedule a meeting, contact SCCG Management at sccgmanagement.com or reach Stephen Crystal directly via WhatsApp at +1 (725) 502-5033.
Explore SCCG Brazil’s full workstream breakdown, market data, and newsletter sign-up at sccgmanagement.com/sccg-brazil.
The post SCCG Management Launches Dedicated SCCG Brazil Division with Local Partner Thomas Carvalhaes appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Awards
Esportes Gaming Brasil takes two ClienteSA Awards 2026 wins; exec named Personality of the Year
Esportes Gaming Brasil (EGB), the group behind the Esportes da Sorte, Onabet and Lottu brands, has won Gold and Silver at the ClienteSA Awards 2026, held during the ClienteSA X-Summit 2026.
EGB said it won Gold in the Customer Success category for its case study, “Customer Success through Responsible Gaming and Intelligent Monitoring”, and Silver in the Customer Service Operations category for its case study, “From Startup to Maturity”.
Maria Neves, Director of Customer Experience, Customer Support and Reputation Channels, was also named Personality of the Year, an award that recognises leaders in customer experience management in Brazil. “This recognition validates the work of many people, built through listening, team development and a commitment to delivering the best possible customer experience. In a constantly evolving market, putting the customer at the centre of every decision is fundamental to the way we operate,” Neves said.
EGB executives also took part in the summit programme. Neves moderated a panel titled “Responsible Gaming as Part of the Customer Experience Journey,” featuring Carol Luna, Head of Compliance at the company, and Ricardo Magri, co-founder of the Brazilian Support Company for Compulsive Gambling (EBAC), which EGB described as a partner organisation.
During the session, the panellists discussed Brazil’s regulated betting market and how customer service, compliance and responsible gaming processes are being positioned as part of a safer customer journey. EGB highlighted initiatives including specialist support teams trained to identify signs of customer vulnerability, self-exclusion tools, platform usage limits and referral processes to specialist partner organisations.
The post Esportes Gaming Brasil takes two ClienteSA Awards 2026 wins; exec named Personality of the Year appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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