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Rank extends partnership to support unpaid Carers

Published

5 years ago

July 28, 2020

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Rank is delighted to announce that we have extended our groundbreaking partnership with Carers Trust into 2021.

This hugely successful partnership has had a major impact in supporting Carers Trust’s work with hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers right across the UK. Since its inception more than six years ago in February 2014, Rank colleagues and customers have raised a very impressive £2.6 million for the charity, with the money raised benefitting over 12,000 unpaid carers. Funds have typically been provided to adult carers in the form of grants, distributed through Carers Trust’s network of over 120 local carers charities.

These grants can be life changing for carers struggling to provide round-the-clock care for members of their families experiencing long-term illness, disabilities, poor mental health or substance addiction. The grants provide money for essential household items that would otherwise remain unaffordable. Money for new beds, cookers and washing machines – or to pay for hospital visits – can have a major impact in making the lives of unpaid carers much more manageable.

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

From the very beginning of the partnership, Rank’s employees and customers have enthusiastically embraced the fundraising drive for unpaid carers. This commitment has seen an impressive £300,000 raised in the last twelve months alone. And since early April this year, Meccabingo.com has increased its contribution to Carers Trust, raising over £77,500.

Back in December our Mecca colleagues launched a special pre-Christmas fundraising drive that raised an impressive £39,000 over the festive season. And in addition to fundraising, colleagues also worked hard to bring some Christmas cheer to carers. This included Mecca venues inviting unpaid carers from their local area in for a much-deserved Christmas lunch and a break away from their caring roles. One of these was Mecca Knotty Ash near Liverpool. They laid on an extra special day including a pampering and spa treatment session for 12 very deserving carers from Sefton Carers Centre.

We also gifted our sponsorship logo placement on Ipswich Town FC’s kit to Carers Trust for the 2020/21 season. The shirt is a special commemorative edition, celebrating forty years since the club won the UEFA Cup Final and is bound to attract a lot of attention, not just in Ipswich but across the UK!

Most impressively of all, colleagues from across the Group have continued to fundraise and support unpaid carers throughout the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown. Even though traditional fundraising events like sponsored runs have not been possible due to the lockdown, we have shown how money can still be raised with challenges like ‘Walk the UK’ which saw team members walking the equivalent of Land’s End to John O’Groats while sticking to their local streets and parks.

Welcoming Rank’s extension of the partnership, Carers Trust’s CEO, Gareth Howells, said:

“This is fantastic news for Carers Trust and all the unpaid carers across the UK we are working with to make their caring responsibilities more manageable. On behalf of those unpaid carers, and everyone at Carers Trust, I’d like to offer our heartfelt thanks to Rank’s employees and customers for all their generosity and tireless commitment to going the extra mile to support unpaid carers.

“And coming as it does within the context of a global pandemic and an increasingly challenging funding environment, today’s announcement could not be more timely. Such sustained support for unpaid carers is also particularly important given the UK’s ageing population and the increasing pressure being put on health and social care budgets.”

Rank chief executive, John O’Reilly, said:

“I am really pleased with the fantastic support that Rank’s colleagues and customers have shown Carers Trust over the last year. It’s extraordinary to see that, despite the difficulties we’ve faced over the last five months with our Mecca and Grosvenor venues closed and over 7,000 colleagues having to be on furlough, we have continued with our efforts to raise money and have now topped £300,000 this year. This is an outstanding amount of which everyone should be very proud.

“There has never been a more important time to be raising money to support carers and the amazing work of the Carers Trust. We are committed to continuing this high level of support with our colleagues across the Group inventing ever more ingenious ways of raising money for this marvellous charity. Thank you to all our colleagues and our customers for your amazing efforts and long may it continue.”

Africa

pawaTech strengthens its integrity commitment with membership of the International Betting Integrity Association

Published

1 hour ago

June 24, 2025

George Miller

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Reading Time: < 1 minute

Partnership with the leading global monitoring body reinforces pawaTech’s efforts to combat betting corruption

pawaTech, a leading sportsbook provider in Africa that licenses the betPawa brand, which is available in 17 African countries, has joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA). The partnership will see betting integrity data from pawaTech’s sportsbook trading operations contribute to IBIA’s global monitoring and alert network, which tracks over $300 billion in annual betting turnover across more than 140 brands. The move reinforces pawaTech’s commitment to responsible betting, fraud prevention and safeguarding sports betting integrity across Africa.

Juri Sidorenko, CEO of pawaTech said: “Joining IBIA reflects our commitment to fair play, integrity and safer betting. We are proud to support a trusted ecosystem that makes betting more secure, transparent and player-friendly across Africa.”

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “We are thrilled to welcome pawaTech to IBIA. The company’s unique African operational footprint and technology infrastructure bring valuable regional market knowledge and monitoring coverage to our association. This partnership further strengthens our global network and supports our shared goal of protecting the integrity of sport and regulated betting markets.”

IBIA is a not-for-profit body that has no competing conflicts with the delivery of commercial services to other sectors and was established by operators, for operators, to protect regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets. Through the IBIA global monitoring network it is possible to track transactional activities linked to individual customer accounts; this data is only available to IBIA and its members.

The post pawaTech strengthens its integrity commitment with membership of the International Betting Integrity Association appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Latest News

Highlights from the Essential EEGS Webinar on AMLA Reforms

Published

1 hour ago

June 24, 2025

George Miller

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

Leading figures from the European gambling sector gathered for a high-level EEGS webinar focused on the EU’s new Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) and the far-reaching regulatory reforms under the new AML package.

Titled “Preparing for the AMLA Era – What Gambling Stakeholders Must Know About the New AML Package and Beyond in Times of Increased Enforcement”, the session was hosted by Dr. Ekaterina Hartmann, Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs at the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA).

Dr. Hartmann outlined the key elements of the new framework, including the creation of AMLA (expected to become operational in 2026), a shift from directives to directly applicable regulations, and the expansion of the list of obliged entities to include sectors such as crypto services and football clubs.

She also shared that since 2022, there has been a significant rise in AML audits across the sector. Specifically, in 2024, EGBA member operators underwent a total of 142 license audits, with 48 of those audits being anti-money laundering. She stressed that these numbers are expected to grow further as the importance of fighting money laundering continues to increase.

Participants explored practical challenges of implementation, particularly the impact of enhanced due diligence (EDD) requirements on customer retention and compliance burdens across jurisdictions.

“The AML reforms represent a major shift for both financial and non-financial sectors. Gambling operators must prepare now to adapt to the new EU-wide standards,” said Dr. Hartmann.

The event also emphasized the benefits of regulatory harmonization and provided actionable insights for operators facing growing enforcement across the EU. All attendees received a personalized certificate of participation, underscoring the importance of ongoing regulatory education.

This webinar is part of EGBA’s broader initiative to support the industry’s transition to the new AML framework ahead of the 10 July 2027 deadline.

If you missed the webinar, you can catch the full session here.

The post Highlights from the Essential EEGS Webinar on AMLA Reforms appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Latest News

GR8 Tech Turns Up the Heat with Limited Edition Drop

Published

2 hours ago

June 24, 2025

George Miller

gr8-tech-turns-up-the-heat-with-limited-edition-drop

Reading Time: 2 minutes

GR8 Tech debuts its limited-edition sports apparel and accessories drop: Fight for Greatness. Inspired by the champion mentality of Oleksandr Usyk and his Ready to Fight platform, the collection channels the same high-performance culture of those who thrive under pressure, move with purpose, and execute without compromise.

FIGHT to PERFORM—this single idea behind the collection reflects the heavyweight mindset GR8 Tech and Ready to Fight share: progress and success are earned, not gifted. It is the thread that ties together performance, purpose, and ambition across each item in the drop.

“Fight for Greatness is a statement of how we operate at GR8 Tech and how we see the world. We spent over three months shaping this line, from the first sketch to the final stitch. Behind each of the 15 items is the work of more than 20 passionate people who brought their creativity, expertise, and belief in the message to life. We didn’t just design clothes, we translated a culture of performance into gear you can wear,” said Iryna Ilchanka, Creative Lead at GR8 Tech.

Explore the Collection

Fight for Greatness line blends elevated style with uncompromising performance. From soft-touch tees and premium hoodies to moisture-wicking sport sets and precision-cut boxing gear, each piece balances everyday comfort with functional power. Accessories like ergonomic hydration bottles and high-tech protective mouth guard round out the lineup.

The collection reflects its core dualities: casual wear meets cutting-edge innovation, minimalism pairs with bold statements, and style integrates with utility. Built to move under pressure, each piece reflects the mindset of champions—where style meets strategy, and performance never lets up.

Join the Heavyweight Club

The Fight for Greatness collection is part of GR8 Tech’s Heavyweight Club—a community for iGaming professionals who lead under pressure, deliver consistent performance, and scale with purpose.

“We believe lasting success is built on partnership, not just products. The Heavyweight Club brings that to life—a space where iGaming leaders collaborate, innovate, and raise the bar together. The Fight for Greatness collection reflects that same mindset. For us, performance is culture—and it shows in everything we do, right down to what we wear,” said Viktor Ishkov, Head of Global Marketing and Strategy at GR8 Tech.

🥊 Make a statement—wear the mindset like a champ.

The limited-edition drop is available online and will be showcased at iGB L!VE London, July 2–3, 2025.

Visit GR8 Tech at booth U34 to see the collection, connect with the team, and join the movement.

The post GR8 Tech Turns Up the Heat with Limited Edition Drop appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.