Press Releases
Employees facing increased financial stress in week before payday
fastPAYE finds that almost 78% of UK workers are living payday to payday; anxiety likely to affect staff performance in the gaming sector
Almost half of UK workers who get paid monthly experience heightened money-related worries in the run up to payday, according to research by fastPAYE, the flexible wage application for the modern workforce.
Of those surveyed by the company, which launched a revolutionary wage management system last month that enables betting and casino businesses to pay staff wages on demand, 46% said that their financial concerns increased in the week before receiving their monthly wage packet.
This stress can lead to reliance on high interest credit options to tide workers over, with most people turning to credit cards to see them through the prolonged pay period. More than half of respondents admitted to using one often and at least 20% of those turn to plastic every month.
Overdrafts also provide a fallback with 40% going into the red as payday approaches, while a fifth of employees which took part in the research resort to costly payday loans that can have significant financial consequences.
Credit acquired is most spent on groceries according to the survey, shortly followed by bills, leisure activities and house repairs as workers living payday to payday struggle to cover unexpected costs when they arise.
Backed by sister company ShopWorks, a staff management system provider to some of the biggest gaming and betting brands including Betfred, PaddyPower, Gauselmann, Novomatic, Mecca and Grosvenor, fastPAYE’s research emphasises the impact of the four to five-week pay gap can have on employee financial wellbeing.
Commenting on the findings, Ian Hogg, chairman of fastPAYE, said: “The number of people going through financial anxiety because of the outdated monthly wage system often relied on by the gaming sector is concerning, especially considering that with new technology this stress can be lessened.
“Whether you’re a casino and betting company or a large retailer, if a staff member has money-related worries it is likely to affect their performance in the workplace. But by giving employees early access to a proportion of their earned wages, businesses can give workers greater control over their finances and in turn help to harness a happier workforce.”
fastPAYE launched in January this year to provide a cost-efficient, flexible alternative to the outdated monthly wage system. The application enables businesses to offer salary drawdowns based on completed shifts before payday, and since the fastPAYE model isn’t a loan, it charges no interest.
The company has a strong heritage in the gaming sector through ShopWorks, which has years of experience working in the industry, together with the technical expertise and understanding to address operators’ staff recruitment and retention challenges.
eSports
PUBG MOBILE confirms 31 teams for Esports Nations Cup 2026 in Riyadh
124 countries and territories registered for selection; the 32nd “Solidarity” Wildcard slot is still to be confirmed.
PUBG MOBILE has confirmed 31 of the 32 national teams for PUBG MOBILE at the Esports Nations Cup 2026, scheduled for November 3-8 in Riyadh. The publisher said 124 countries and territories registered and submitted official rosters for the selection process. The event will play for a $1.32 million USD prize pool.
The confirmed lineup includes 14 teams advancing from nine regional qualifiers: Indonesia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Jordan, KSA, France, Italy, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Mauritania and Madagascar.
A further 12 teams are invited via ENC Rankings: Türkiye, Mongolia, Brazil, Pakistan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal, South Africa, United States, Ukraine and Argentina. Four Special Invite teams—China, South Korea, India and Japan—also join the Group Stage.
Two Wildcard slots are listed: Kuwait as the Host Region representative, and one “TBD (Solidarity)” team still to be confirmed. From November 3, teams will be split into four groups of eight for a round-robin Group Stage, with the top four from each group advancing to the Grand Finals.
The Esports Nations Cup was announced in August 2025 as a multi-title national-team competition, with future international iterations planned, according to the company. PUBG MOBILE also claimed it is the “#1 game title at the Esports Nations Cup in terms of participating countries and territories,” citing the 124 registered countries and territories for its selection process.
The post PUBG MOBILE confirms 31 teams for Esports Nations Cup 2026 in Riyadh appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Canada
Tonybet player in Canada claims $20,000 CAD golden World Cup card prize
Tonybet says a player in Laurier-Station, Canada has claimed the “golden card” prize worth $20,000 CAD in the operator’s World Cup Card Collection. The announcement was made Tuesday 21st July 2026.
The World Cup collection featured 51 cards in total, including 48 digital cards representing participating World Cup nations, plus three unique prize cards in bronze, silver and gold. Tonybet said the bronze card—available during the group stage—was previously found by a customer in Saint-Colomban, Canada, while the silver card—available during the knockout rounds up to the quarter-finals—was won by a player in County Kildare, Ireland.
The golden card became available for the semi-final, third-place play-off and final, and has now been claimed, Tonybet said.
Tonybet Head of Product Kiryl Liudvikevich said: “You can plan a campaign down to the last detail, but you can’t plan what the World Cup brings.
“We designed the collection to evolve with the tournament, and every knockout round created new stories we couldn’t have predicted. Seeing players complete their collections and discovering who would uncover each prize was the most rewarding part of the campaign.
“I hope everyone enjoyed the experience for what it was meant to be: a fun addition to the tournament, played responsibly and always within their limits.”
Tonybet said the collection will remain open until 31 July for players who are still completing sets and spending coins, although all grand prizes have been awarded.
The post Tonybet player in Canada claims $20,000 CAD golden World Cup card prize appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Canada
Tonybet player in Canada claims $20,000 CAD golden World Cup card prize
Tonybet says a player in Laurier-Station, Canada has claimed the “golden card” prize worth $20,000 CAD in the operator’s World Cup Card Collection. The announcement was made Tuesday 21st July 2026.
The World Cup collection featured 51 cards in total, including 48 digital cards representing participating World Cup nations, plus three unique prize cards in bronze, silver and gold. Tonybet said the bronze card—available during the group stage—was previously found by a customer in Saint-Colomban, Canada, while the silver card—available during the knockout rounds up to the quarter-finals—was won by a player in County Kildare, Ireland.
The golden card became available for the semi-final, third-place play-off and final, and has now been claimed, Tonybet said.
Tonybet Head of Product Kiryl Liudvikevich said: “You can plan a campaign down to the last detail, but you can’t plan what the World Cup brings.
“We designed the collection to evolve with the tournament, and every knockout round created new stories we couldn’t have predicted. Seeing players complete their collections and discovering who would uncover each prize was the most rewarding part of the campaign.
“I hope everyone enjoyed the experience for what it was meant to be: a fun addition to the tournament, played responsibly and always within their limits.”
Tonybet said the collection will remain open until 31 July for players who are still completing sets and spending coins, although all grand prizes have been awarded.
The post Tonybet player in Canada claims $20,000 CAD golden World Cup card prize appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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