Entain
NBA 2025–26 European Tour Drives Record Betting Surge, Entain Data Shows
NBA betting is hitting new heights in Europe. New data from Entain shows that the 2025–26 European tour sparked a massive wave of activity, with games in Berlin, Paris, and London serving as the primary catalysts for customer growth.
The NBA has made no secret of its ambition to deepen its presence in Europe through international games and significant spikes in betting activity around these games suggest that their strategy is gaining real traction.
“Conversations around long-term expansion, including the possibility of placing full-time NBA franchises in European cities, continue to resurface whenever engagement surges in major markets like Germany and France. As a result, this data not only measures betting interest, but also acts as an indicator of where the NBA’s brand is resonating most strongly – and where the fans are,” Rene Simanovic, Entain’s Head of European Basketball.
Paris kicks off in style
The NBA’s Paris stop in 2025 was a sign of the strong performance to come, particularly in the host market. France recorded one of the most impressive uplifts in stakes across the entire tour. Compared with a typical NBA week:
France: +241%
Italy: +119%
Germany: +72%
Berlin: record-breaking momentum
The Berlin game on 15th January 2026 delivered the most dramatic uplift of the tour, providing further indication of the NBA’s growing influence across continental Europe:
Germany: +274%
Italy: +110%
Greece: +68%
A major driver of local excitement came from the appearance of Berlin-born brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner, whose homecoming with Orlando Magic added cultural significance to the fixture.
London: strong continental interest, modest UK growth
The London NBA game on 18th January 2026 again generated significant interest across Europe, though the UK continued to trail other major markets:
France: +35%
Germany: +28%
UK: +19%
“This surge in engagement underscores a significant and accelerating shift in customer behaviour. These fixtures are clearly resonating with audiences across our markets, and we are witnessing basketball establish itself as a major growth driver within the sports betting ecosystem. By contrast, the UK’s more subdued response highlights a key opportunity for future growth,” Rene Simanovic said.
The post NBA 2025–26 European Tour Drives Record Betting Surge, Entain Data Shows appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
1/ST CONTENT
TPD’s In-Running Odds Increase International Betting Handle on North American Racing Using Live GPS Data
Total Performance Data’s partnerships with Equibase and 1/ST CONTENT are creating new ways to bet on horse racing for leading operators like bet365 and Entain
Total Performance Data (TPD) is powering live, in-running betting on North American horse racing, leveraging GPS data captured by Gmax – the world’s most widely used horse racing GPS tracking system.
TPD’s partnership with Equibase has already led to more than 30 installations of the system across North America. The technology captures live position, speed and biometric horse data at ultra-low latency, updating 10 times per second during a race.
TPD then uses proprietary machine learning models to generate live betting odds throughout each race, creating a new betting experience for customers and new revenue opportunities for the sport.
TPD partners with 1/ST CONTENT, the leading distributor of North American horse racing data, to license this in-running odds product to international operators. Operators using the product have reported increases in betting handle of between 5% and 10%.
TPD and 1/ST CONTENT enjoy direct integrations with leading global bookmakers, enabling the distribution of live odds within fractions of a second. Customers already include bet365, Ladbrokes, Coral, BetVictor, BoyleSports and William Hill.
As well as supplying in-running odds for US and Canadian racing, TPD also powers live odds for racing in the UK, South Africa, Chile, Australia and Germany, with additional territories set to follow.
Operators and their customers can now draw from the following benefits:
- In-running betting from 1/ST CONTENT racecourses, mapping 80% of North American handle
- 2,500 race days per year and rising
- Improved in-running engagement, featuring:
o Accommodating after-the-off “late money”
o Live tradeable prices until the final furlong
o Cashout-integrated functionality in-play (fair-margin, lowest latency)
o Price-smoothing and visual-tracking graphics to enhance the user experience
This breakthrough product was fashioned to disrupt the sportsbook space by delivering reliable live pricing on a popular sport which had previously struggled to keep pace with a broader sports betting marketplace, where over 80% of turnover is generated in-play. Now, however, TPD and 1/ST CONTENT have successfully launched a dependable in-play offering with Tier-1 partners which crystalizes accurate odds for the most solid in-play, fixed-odds pricing around.
The feed fuses the starting price with the best of automated trading via TPD’s advanced in-running analytics, including stride length, stride frequency and sectional timings, enabled by the saddle-cloth GPS tracking. These variables are accordingly harvested in-play by TPD’s machine-learning trading tools whose algorithms train themselves on race pace for precise pricing that delivers a distinct step-change in live fixed-odds betting, powering subsequent upticks in turnover.
John McBroom, Commercial Director at TPD, said: “We’re delighted to be harnessing the power of live GPS tracking data to create new opportunities to bet on North American racing. Our collaboration with Equibase, 1/ST CONTENT and our operator partners is delivering a truly innovative product and creating a new, much-needed growth engine for the sport.”
Simon Fraser, SVP International at 1/ST CONTENT, said: “1/ST CONTENT’s unparalleled racetrack coverage in North America – coupled to our strong heritage in managing content rights, data and odds – means that we were logical partners in a shared vision. Working with TPD’s team of analytical experts has been a responsive collaboration, allowing us to finally deliver a key new revenue-driver for North American racing.”
“Deeper audience engagement is our combined goal. And it’s exciting to see this in-play solution add a welcome new dimension to anyone following racing stateside.”
Kyle McDoniel, President and COO, Equibase, said: “TPD and 1/ST CONTENT are terrific partners. Through our collaborative efforts with Gmax, Equibase now collects GPS data at racetracks representing nearly 80% of North American handle. Thoroughbred racing is a data-driven sport, and the incorporation of this positioning data to power in-running wagering opportunities is another step toward capturing the broader sports betting fan who enjoys action throughout an event, and one of the first of many innovations to come from this rapidly expanding dataset.”
Ben Hutton, Head of International Racing at Entain, said: “This is a timely, automated-product innovation which gives our brands and customers the live service that they’ve been demanding for a long time. All the requisite variables are incorporated and accounted for, ensuring total peace of mind and speed of integration for anyone looking to add this breakthrough feed. At Entain, we’re always looking to provide additional data and exciting markets with which to better engage fans in a sport we love.”
The post TPD’s In-Running Odds Increase International Betting Handle on North American Racing Using Live GPS Data appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Brazil
Entain names Sérgio Buono as new Head of Market Strategy for Brazil
Former Accenture and BCG executive steps in to lead strategic planning and support the long-term expansion of the local operation
Entain, the FTSE-listed British sports betting and entertainment giant and one of the world’s largest gaming operators, has officially announced the appointment of Sérgio Buono as its new Head of Market Strategy in Brazil.
In the Brazilian market, Entain’s core commercial operations are driven by Sportingbet, one of the jurisdiction’s premier online sports betting and entertainment brands.
Buono will be responsible for leading the company’s strategic planning efforts, with a sharp focus on business growth and the deployment of key operational initiatives.
His role will involve direct cross-functional collaboration with core divisions, including Marketing, CRM, Product, and Technology, providing data-driven insight to support decision-making and align local execution with Entain’s long-term global corporate goals.

Strategic background in Business Transformation
Prior to joining Entain, the executive served as a Principal Director at Accenture Strategy and a Project Leader at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
Throughout his consulting career, Buono has accumulated extensive expertise in corporate strategy, business transformation, and operational development across major tier-one companies in Brazil.
This strategic executive hire comes at a critical time of maturity and professionalization for the Brazilian gaming ecosystem, which has rapidly climbed to global prominence following the comprehensive implementation of federal market regulations.
“The greatest challenge, and also the highest potential, lies in working for a global multinational with such a dominant brand in a market that remains fresh, highly competitive, and dynamic,” stated Sérgio Buono, newly appointed Head of Market Strategy.
“Entain seamlessly bridges proprietary technology, human capital, and AI capabilities at a global scale. The real opportunity here is to translate those massive global assets into tangible, sustainable growth for our local business.”
With an established international footprint across multiple regulated jurisdictions, Entain continues to scale its organizational infrastructure and strategic investments in Brazil, reinforcing the group’s long-term corporate commitment to innovation, technology, and sustainable market expansion.
The post Entain names Sérgio Buono as new Head of Market Strategy for Brazil appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Andreas Larsson Casino Manager for Entain
Spinomenal content goes live in Estonia via Entain NCE brands
Spinomenal has expanded its presence in Estonia through a new content partnership with Entain NCE (Entain North and Central Europe).
Under the agreement, Entain NCE’s Estonia-facing brands Ninja Casino and Boost Casino will offer Spinomenal titles via Light & Wonder’s OpenGaming
platform. Games cited by the company as now available include Majestic King, Demi Gods V and Fairytale Beauties 2.
The deal extends Spinomenal’s wider commercial relationship with Entain across regulated European markets, with the Estonia rollout delivered through Entain NCE’s regional operation.
Yossi Shayovits, Head of Business Development for Spinomenal, said: “Entain is one of the most influential groups in the global gaming industry, and expanding our presence with them in Estonia demonstrates the quality of our content. This is an important part of a broader, evolving relationship across different markets, and we look forward to what’s to come.”
Andreas Larsson, Casino Manager for Entain, added: “Time and time again, Spinomenal knows what it takes to create content that our players genuinely love. Estonia marks the next chapter in a highly productive partnership that we expect will deliver strong results.”
The post Spinomenal content goes live in Estonia via Entain NCE brands appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
-
Asia4 days agoS8UL streamer Payal Dhare and OWND! launch gamer-curated fashion capsule
-
Asia4 days agoS8UL Announces Campa Energy as Title Sponsor for its Esports World Cup 2026 Campaign
-
content-supplier3 days agoPragmatic Play adds football theme to Big Bass series with new slot
-
Compliance Updates4 days agoPA Gaming Control Board Levies Fines Totaling $180,000
-
Asia4 days agoEGT Digital to Debut Highly Anticipated “TNT Jack” Slot at SiGMA Asia 2026
-
Amatic Industries4 days agoAmatic Industries to Participate in Belgrade Future Gaming Show
-
ANJL4 days agoBetting in Brazil under credit restrictions and regulatory debates
-
Alea4 days agoAlea receives two nominations at the SiGMA Europe Awards 2026



