Latest News
NBA Trading Blows: this week’s betting market movers and shakers from Cloudbet
The theme-park surrounds of the NBA bubble are a most appropriate venue for what has certainly been a roller-coaster ride of a postseason. The conference semifinals have so far seen one of the title favourites – Milwaukee – bundled out unceremoniously, while the Los Angeles teams – the Clippers and the Lakers – are close to moving through.
Yes, there has been no shortage of drama in the NBA bubble, even without the crowd support and the home-court advantages conferred to higher-seeded teams. Arguably, the games have been more dramatic precisely for those reasons. The first round of the playoffs was highlighted by buzzer beaters, phenomenal individual scoring and a temporary halt to protest yet another police shooting in America.
Lebron James, the game’s best-known player, has rediscovered his imperious form, while the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo may have to console himself with the MVP award (for which he’s heavily favored to win), now that he’s been relegated to the sidelines.
With the Eastern and Western Conference finals beckoning, it’s appropriate for us at Cloudbet to take stock of the big market moves over the past week.
Miami heats up
Title odds: 4.88/+388 (from 8/+700 on 4 September)
The Heat are the hot team at the moment after sweeping Indiana in the first round and rolling over the Bucks in five games. Miami cornerstone Jimmy Butler is playing close to his All-Star best, backed by strong performances Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic, among others.
This is a line-up that outgunned Indiana and Milwaukee by an average margin of 8 points per match, and includes Duncan Robinson, who is fifth in the league for made 3-pointers this season. They’re now heading to their first Eastern Conference finals since 2014, but Butler is focused on bigger things:
Making the conference finals “means a lot, but that’s not my goal,” the All-Star swingman told reporters after closing out the Bucks series. “We want to win it. We want a championship and I think that’s what we’re focused on.”
Butler, who is currently in the deepest playoff run of his eight-year career, indicated that the Heat haven’t played their best basketball yet: “I don’t think we’ve played a full 48-minute game yet and that’s what’s promising. If we do lock in from start to finish and play the way that we’re capable and the way that we’re supposed to, the game will be a lot easier. But it’s yet to happen and we’ve got to have it happen in the next round.”
An ominous signal for their next opponent, the winner of the Toronto-Boston semifinal.
We the West
Los Angeles Clippers title odds: 2.76/+176 (from 3.14/214)
Los Angeles Lakers title odds:2.96/+196 (from 3.54/254)
While not a massive improvement in their lines, it’s worth just talking about the two LAs because of their star-studded line-ups, and because they’re inching closer to facing each other in the Western Conference finals. Both units are leading all current playoff teams in points per game and field-goal percentage.
The Clippers were efficient in dispatching Dallas in the first round, even through injury and Covid-related personnel issues, and now hold a commanding 3-1 series lead over Denver. Kawhi Leonard is the joint second-highest scorer of all players left in the playoffs (with the Lakers’ Anthony Davis), and the Clippers have averaged more points than any other unit in the postseason.
They’ve been boosted by the return of guard Patrick Beverley from a calf injury, and some solid scoring efforts from their other superstar Paul George. Markets favor the Clippers to end the Nuggets series in Game 5 (1.25/-405).
Meanwhile, after early bubble yips, the Lakers have rediscovered their offense in the playoffs, averaging 114 points per game. That’s a big improvement over the 106 they had in their eight regular season contests in the bubble.
GOAT contender Lebron James has lifted his game, as he has done frequently in his career: He’s currently the playoffs’ assists leader, with 9 dimes per game, and the league’s fourth-highest scorer this month. The Lakers have been boosted by Rajon Rondo, who has taken some of the playmaking burden off James’ shoulders.
The Lakers are 3-1 up against a Houston Rockets team that can also score by the truckload, but are coming off a seven-game series against Oklahoma City. Rocket guard Russell Westbrook has shown some flashes of brilliance, but has been struggling with form and a thigh injury.
The Lakers’ latest victory over the Rockets is James’ 163rd playoff win – the most by any player in NBA history.
“It doesn’t happen without the supporting cast,” James said of his playoff record, after winning Game 3 against Houston. The same is certainly true of winning a championship this year, and based on their recent form, the Lakers are looking good on that front.
We the… North?
Boston title odds: 8.03/+703 (from 7.09/+609)
Toronto title odds: 9.95/+895 (from 13/+1200)
The Celtics replace Milwaukee as favorites to take the Eastern Conference title after sweeping Philadelphia in the first round and winning the first two games over the Toronto Raptors. Since then, Boston’s line has drifted as they dropped three of the last four games to a Raptor unit that continues to defy expectations.
Jayson Tatum has been a stud for the Celtics in the playoffs, leading his team with 27 points per game, with support from Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown. The Raps, however, found a way to contain Walker in Game 6, a double-overtime thriller destined for the pantheon of classic NBA match-ups.
Defending champions Toronto, meanwhile, refuse to go quietly into the night, thanks to gutsy performances from guards Kyle Lowry and Fred Van Vleet. This is a team that had the second-most regular season wins in the league this year, even without Kawhi Leonard, who left for the Clippers after last year’s title run.
The Raps have now leveled the series with the much more talented and fancied Celtics – and are looking to go one step further.
“Winning is all that matters right now,” a determined Lowry said after scoring 33 points in Game 6. “Just go and win, it don’t matter how you get it done, don’t matter who gets to do it.”
Truer words rarely spoken.
Results and odds are current as of 8am UTC on Friday 11 September.
Powered by WPeMatico
Gaming in Europe is pleased to announce that the 2025 Gaming in Germany Conference will take place on November 11, 2025, in Berlin.
The Gaming in Germany Conference is an annual event for everyone who is professionally involved in Germany’s regulated online gambling industry. The conference will cover topics such as regulatory developments, (black) market growth, player protection, marketing, compliance, and much more.
Confirmed speakers
Although the 2025 Gaming in Germany Conference is still some time away, we have already confirmed the following speakers:
- Dr. Jörg Hofmann, Senior Partner, Melchers Law
- Senior GGL representative
- Mathias Dahms, President, DSWV
- Dr. Dirk Quermann, President, DOCV
- Christian Heins, Director iGaming, Tipico
- Josh Hodgson, COO, H2 Gambling Capital
Don’t miss it. Save the date!
Willem van Oort, founder of Gaming in Germany said: “We are very happy that we have received commitments from major stakeholders in Germany’s regulated gambling market to speak at our event. As always, we aim to connect the industry with regulatory and social stakeholders, and vice versa. This year, major topics of discussion will be the true size of Germany’s regulated market, the increasing popularity of the black market, as well as the upcoming evaluation of the 2021 State Gambling Treaty. I am certain there will be plenty to discuss.”
Call for speakers
If you would like to share your insights, success story, innovation, or cautionary tale, please consider applying for a speaker slot at the 2025 Gaming in Germany Conference by sending an email to [email protected].
Your voice matters, and we can’t wait to hear from you!
The post Gaming in Germany Conference returns to Berlin November 11, 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
BETBY, a premium provider of innovative sportsbook solutions, has once again demonstrated its growing influence in the global betting industry following a highly successful appearance at iGB Live 2025, one of Europe’s premier iGaming gatherings.
The event, hosted in London, brought together thousands of industry leaders, innovators, and decision-makers from across the globe. BETBY’s team was at the heart of the action, engaging with partners, operators, and stakeholders to share the latest advancements in its AI-driven sportsbook solution, proprietary esports offering, and tailored content capabilities.
Discussions centered around BETBY’s comprehensive sportsbook ecosystem, which provides operators with the tools to deliver localized and engaging betting experiences. From AI Labs, BETBY’s advanced suite of AI tools designed to enhance operational efficiency and real-time personalization, to Betby.Games, its exclusive esports feed delivering 24/7 engagement, BETBY’s portfolio enables sportsbooks to adapt faster to evolving player demands.
Crowning the successful week, BETBY was honored for the second consecutive year with the Innovation in Sports Betting Software award at the prestigious EGR B2B Awards. This achievement reflects the company’s ongoing efforts to push the boundaries of sportsbook technology, delivering flexible, data-driven, and market-responsive solutions for its partners.
“Our participation at iGB Live in London this year was about building meaningful connections, sharing our vision for the future of sports betting, and showing how our solution is helping operators succeed in an increasingly competitive market,” said Leonid Pertsovskiy, BETBY’s Chief Executive Officer. “Winning the EGR B2B Award for Innovation in Sports Betting Software is an incredible honor, but our focus remains on pushing boundaries and delivering real value to our partners every day.”
The EGR recognition adds to a remarkable list of industry awards collected by BETBY in the past three months, further cementing its reputation as a leading force in the betting sector. Earlier this year, at SiGMA Americas, BETBY received the award for Best Esports Product. The company’s success continued at SiGMA Asia, where it was named Best Esports Provider. Meanwhile, the MiGEA Awards turned into a showcase of BETBY’s excellence, with the company taking home Best Sportsbook Provider, Best AI Sportsbook – Innovation of the Year, and Best B2B Marketing Campaign.
To find out more about BETBY, visit: https://betby.com/
The post BETBY CELEBRATES iGB LIVE SUCCESS WITH EGR B2B AWARD appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has urged the sport to collectively lobby the Government to back British racing and axe the Treasury’s proposal to hike tax on horserace betting by bringing existing online betting duties into one single rate.
The call comes ahead of the launch of “Axe the Racing Tax”, a BHA-led public campaign against the proposal which will be rolled out over the summer.
A tax hike for bookmakers in the Autumn Budget would be the third leg of a triple whammy of financial threats caused by Government policies which jeopardise the future of the sport in Britain.
Economic analysis commissioned by the BHA shows that aligning the current 15% tax rate paid by bookmakers on racing with that of online games of chance – currently taxed at 21% – by harmonising all remote gambling duties, could hit racing’s finances to the tune of £66m in lost income via the Levy, media rights and sponsorship. This is because operators are likely to seek to mitigate significant tax rises through cutting bonuses, reducing advertising and marketing budgets and increasing prices.
Should the Treasury seek to raise the proposed single duty rate further to help balance the books, the impact on racing’s finances would be devastating, with a projected £97m loss at a tax rate of 25%, a £126m loss at 30% and a £160m loss at 40%.
Brant Dunshea, Acting Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority, said: “It is vital that everyone working in racing, the media and bettors fully support and promote this campaign.
“The Government’s consultation on harmonising online betting duties, if followed through, poses one of the gravest risks to racing the sport has ever seen.
“It will punch a huge hole in racing’s finances, risk thousands of jobs across Britain and threaten the future of the country’s second most-popular sport and a cherished national institution.
“From now until the Budget we will be hammering home a very simple message to MPs, Peers and the Government on behalf of millions of racing fans. It’s time for the Government to back British racing and axe the racing tax.”
The post BHA Initiates Campaign Against Tax Hike appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Africa6 days agoDRC Signs MoU for Public-Private Partnership with Burundi’s East African General Trade Company
-
First7 days ago
FIRST and Genius Sports Extend Landmark Data Partnership, Powering Continued Growth
-
Latest News7 days ago
Unlock Top-Tier Deals and Careers: Parimatch joins iGB L!VE 2025
-
Compliance Updates6 days ago
The Danish Gambling Authority Blocks 178 Illegal Gambling Sites
-
Latest News7 days ago
Juicy Wins, Crystal Clear: ELA Games Releases New Luxury Title
-
Baltics5 days ago
HIPTHER Community Voices: Interview with the CEO and co-founder of Nordcurrent Victoria Trofimova
-
Baltics4 days ago
Lithuania Implements New Restrictions on Gambling Advertising
-
Compliance Updates5 days ago
MGM Yonkers Submits Commercial Casino License Application in New York
