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Paddy Power Extend World Darts Championship Title Sponsorship to 2031
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The Professional Darts Corporation announced that Paddy Power has extended its title sponsorship of the World Darts Championship for a further five years, keeping the iconic partnership in place until at least 2031.
Paddy Power first became title sponsor of the sport’s flagship event in 2023, and their innovative approach has helped elevate the Alexandra Palace spectacular into one of the most anticipated tournaments on the global sporting calendar.
As part of their commitment, Paddy Power has donated more than £2 million to Prostate Cancer UK across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 Paddy Power World Darts Championships.
The partnership has also seen the introduction of a pioneering nine-darter bonus: when a player completes the perfect leg, £180,000 is shared between the player, one lucky fan inside Alexandra Palace, and Prostate Cancer UK. This remarkable moment occurred twice during last year’s tournament.
The funds raised have helped support Prostate Cancer UK’s groundbreaking TRANSFORM trial – the biggest and most ambitious prostate cancer screening study in two decades – aimed at revolutionising early diagnosis through innovative screening techniques.
Beyond financial contributions, Paddy Power has used its extensive marketing channels, retail network and social media reach to encourage men to take Prostate Cancer UK’s online risk checker. More than 300,000 men have used the tool during the past two campaigns, with 222,000 discovering they are at higher risk of prostate cancer.
For this year’s tournament, Paddy Power has renewed its charitable pledge with “The Even Bigger 180” campaign, aiming to encourage 180,000 more men to check their risk.
This year will also see the launch of the “Darts of Destiny” fundraising challenge, where one randomly selected entrant will have the chance to throw for £180,000 live on stage at Ally Pally by scoring 180 points with nine darts.
Alongside their charity efforts, Paddy Power’s distinctive marketing creativity has enhanced the fan experience at Alexandra Palace, with a fully branded, interactive Fan Zone and a stream of viral social content capturing the unique atmosphere of the event.
The extended agreement reinforces Paddy Power’s position as title sponsor through to 2031, with this year’s Paddy Power World Darts Championship beginning on Thursday December 11 and concluding with the final on Saturday January 3, 2026.
PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter said: “Paddy Power has had a hugely positive impact on the World Darts Championship over the past two years.
“Their creativity, investment and passion for the sport have taken the event to new heights, enhancing the experience for fans in the arena and millions watching worldwide.
“We are delighted to extend this partnership to 2031 and look forward to building on this success while continuing to support Prostate Cancer UK’s essential work.”
Paddy Power commented: “The Paddy Power World Darts Championship is the greatest party in sport and we’re proud to extend our sponsorship for another five years. We’ll continue bringing excitement, entertainment and unmistakable Paddy Power mischief to the event, wherever it’s held.
“But above all, we’re proud to support the vital, life-changing work of Prostate Cancer UK. Our Big 180 charity campaigns have become huge, award-winning initiatives and we’re committed to helping create a world where no man dies of prostate cancer.”
The post Paddy Power Extend World Darts Championship Title Sponsorship to 2031 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
DAZN Bet
Vibrez! A New, Mysterious Sports Betting Operator Gains ANJ Approval in France
The French online sports betting market, often described as one of the most tightly regulated yet least dynamic in Europe, is preparing to welcome a surprising new entrant: Vibrez!. The operator secured regulatory approval and is now gearing up for launch, marking one of the few truly new brand arrivals in recent years.
Regulatory Approval and Market Entry
In 2025, Vibrez obtained an operating license from the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), under the authorization number 0063-PS-2025-05-15-AGR-00. The five-year renewable license covers only sports betting, with no authorization for poker or horse racing verticals.
At this stage, Vibrez’s website (www.vibrez.fr) is little more than a placeholder page. But the license approval signals the company’s commitment to entering France in 2026, timed closely with another newcomer, Bet365, which is in the process of getting its license just weeks later.
Who is Behind Vibrez?
The operator remains shrouded in mystery. Unlike market entrants backed by household names such as FDJ, Kindred, or Entain, Vibrez appears to be an independent French-facing brand.
The licensing application was submitted via BCFR, the same entity linked to brands like DAZN Bet, Circus Bet, and Vbet in France. This strongly suggests that BetConstruct, a B2B software and platform provider with experience powering multiple operators, is the technology backbone behind Vibrez.
While the corporate structure offers some clarity, Vibrez’s strategic positioning and long-term ambitions remain uncertain.
Branding and Market Positioning: Hints of Community?
Even the usually well-informed French website lebonparisportif.com, which monitor the iGaming market in France, cannot say much about what this new bookmaker will offer, but they wrote a few guesses about in an article in French (“Qui se cache derrière Vibrez?”) that we translate some key suggestions here:
According to them, the brand name “Vibrez” (French for “feel the thrill” or “vibrate”) and the teaser slogan “prépare-toi à vibrer” hint at a potentially community-driven or experience-focused positioning. This suggests Vibrez may experiment with new betting formats, perhaps inspired by simplified or binary-style markets such as “Yes/No” propositions, aiming to differentiate from more traditional sportsbook offerings.
The French market, while sizable, leaves little room for pure replication strategies. To gain traction against entrenched competitors like Winamax, Betclic, and ParionsSport (FDJ), Vibrez will need to bring innovation, either through product design, gamification, or marketing strategies that resonate with younger demographics.
The French Market: A Rare Case of New Entrants
The arrival of Vibrez is significant precisely because new operators are rare in France. DAZN Bet, is the most recent betting site launched in France.
With two brand launches expected before the end of 2026, observers anticipate a modest shake-up in an otherwise mature and concentrated market. Whether Vibrez will bring genuine disruption or simply serve as a niche challenger remains to be seen.
What Comes Next
Vibrez has yet to announce an official launch date, though industry insiders expect the platform to go live in 2026, probably before the World Cup this summer, which should be a highlight in the sports betting world this year. Welcome bonuses are likely to follow the French market standard, capped at €100 in free bets due to ANJ’s strict promotional guidelines.
Until then, Vibrez represents one of the most intriguing mysteries in French iGaming: a brand with no legacy, no major international parent, but potentially bold ambitions to “make the market vibrate.”
The post Vibrez! A New, Mysterious Sports Betting Operator Gains ANJ Approval in France appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
blask
Greece Led Europe’s iGaming Growth in 2025 — Now the Drivers Are Fully Explained
In the second half of 2025, Greece emerged as Europe’s fastest-growing iGaming market. While several major jurisdictions slowed or declined, Greek market demand rose by more than 50% between June and December, standing out as one of the year’s clearest growth stories.
According to data from Blask, the surge was not the result of a single tournament or seasonal spike. Instead, it reflected a structural shift driven by a combination of sports momentum, regulatory reform and casino market dynamics — factors that can now be traced in detail through Blask’s newly released Market Explanation feature.
Continuous sports momentum without demand gaps
Greece’s growth was underpinned by a tightly stacked sports calendar that sustained engagement across multiple months. EuroBasket 2025 in late August, the kickoff of the Stoiximan Super League, UEFA Champions League matchdays under the new league-phase format, and the EuroLeague season featuring Greek clubs created a continuous rhythm of high-interest betting cycles throughout autumn.
Rather than short-lived peaks followed by sharp declines, demand remained elevated well beyond individual events. This is a pattern clearly visible on the Blask Index trend line.
Casino reform reshaped demand behavior
One of the most significant contributors came from the casino segment. Greece’s decision to raise RNG stake limits from €2 to €20 altered the mechanics of the market, allowing online casinos to absorb demand during sports off-peak periods.
As sports-led acquisition increasingly converted into casino play, operators reported double-digit iGaming growth. Market Explanation analysis shows that this effect persisted over time, confirming the shift as structural rather than seasonal.
Enforcement redirected demand to licensed operators
Regulatory action further reinforced the upward trend. In December, Greek authorities blocked approximately 11,000 illegal gambling domains. Instead of suppressing demand, the move redirected player interest toward licensed platforms, strengthening regulated market performance.
The impact was amplified by the adoption of IRIS instant payments, which reduced deposit friction and improved conversion from interest to activity.
From tracking trends to understanding causes
To surface these drivers, Blask has introduced Market Explanation — an AI-powered layer within the Blask Index that allows users to click on any country’s trend line and instantly see a sourced breakdown of the forces behind the movement. Sports calendars, regulatory changes, casino dynamics and macro factors are analyzed together, turning raw demand signals into actionable market context.
Greece’s 2025 performance illustrates how this approach changes market analysis. Rather than simply observing that demand is rising, operators, suppliers and investors can now see why it is happening — and which levers are shaping the trajectory of a market in real time.
The post Greece Led Europe’s iGaming Growth in 2025 — Now the Drivers Are Fully Explained appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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The post GR8 Tech Delivers 1.6× Higher Deposit Conversion and 3× Reduction in Transaction Costs for Crypto Turnkey Clients appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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