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Sam Houlding becomes Chief Commercial Officer at Spotlight Sports Group

Published

6 years ago

October 1, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Spotlight Sports Group has announced Sam Houlding will replace Mike Griffin as Chief Commercial Officer. Griffin left his role as Chief Revenue Officer of the group, on September 30th.

Griffin said ‘After an extended period, it is now time for me to step away from the Spotlight Sports Group and see what the next chapter of my life holds. It’s been more than a job, it has been a way of life, and like life itself, there have been some lows, but mainly it has been lots of highs, created by the brilliant people I have had the opportunity to meet and work with within the industry. However, even in these difficult circumstances with a heavy heart, I have decided the time is right for me to leave Spotlight Sports Group to pursue an exciting new challenge. I leave a transformed business safe in the knowledge that we have the best talent in the industry working for Spotlight Sports Group. This wasn’t a decision I have taken lightly but one that has been in planning from pre-covid. I’m leaving a business that has changed so much in my time and has transformed into a leading data technology business. I’m delighted my good friend and colleague, Sam Houlding, will take over the reins across the Spotlight Sports Group from 1st October and I trust he is going to continue to an incredible job.’

Houlding said ‘I am thrilled to be taking the role of Chief Commercial Officer at Spotlight Sports Group. This is an incredibly important time for the business and we are set up to continue our exciting evolution over the coming years thanks to the legacy Mike leaves after changing this business during his time here. Mike’s journey at Spotlight Sports Group has seen the establishment of our strong affiliate channels, the rapid growth of our content syndication business, the launch of our trading platform – AllSported – and integrating us with high street bookmakers across the UK and Ireland. Our aim is to continue to provide our partners with fantastic value across every area of our business and whilst Mike has set a very high bar over the years, my aim is to ensure that we continually improve the level of value we can offer and cement Spotlight Sports Group as the leading service provider in the industry.’

Spotlight Sports Group is the home to highly successful brands in the betting world including Racing Post, one of the most recognised and trusted names in sports betting with more than 34 years of intimate industry experience. The global reach and sports expertise are further strengthened by My Racing, Free Super Tips, Pickswise and Intellr. The specialist international agency services, ICS-digital and ICS-translate, help improve clients’ effectiveness in the marketplace by driving extended reach and increased traffic through performance marketing and by providing expertise in SEO, content marketing, digital PR and translation services.

$10M guaranteed poker

ACR Poker $10M Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms

Published

2 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Wladimir P.

acr-poker-$10m-dual-mystery-bounty-venoms

ACR Poker is igniting the spring poker season with the Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms Special High Five Edition, offering an astonishing $10 million in guaranteed prize pools alongside the return of its celebrated High Five Series.

From April 12 to April 28, 2026, the special edition will feature two marquee events running simultaneously — an $8 million GTD No‑Limit Hold’em (NLH) and a $2 million GTD Pot‑Limit Omaha (PLO) tournament — promising some of the most thrilling online poker action of the year.

Players buy in for $2,650 and compete for massive mystery bounties, with the NLH event offering up to $500,000 for a single knockout and the PLO event featuring a top bounty of $200,000. Every knockout on Day 2 guarantees at least $5,000 in bounty rewards.

With five Day 1 flights, participants can enter multiple times and build competitive stacks for Day 2’s showdown. Qualifiers begin April 7th through Venom Fever satellites, providing hundreds of seats — some even free — via Direct, Mega, or Beast satellite events.

All players who make it to Day 2 on April 27th at 1:05 pm ET are already in the money. The climactic final table to crown this special edition’s champions will take place on April 28th at 4:05 pm ET.

ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker says the High Five edition builds on the momentum of earlier high‑stakes events like the $50 Million OSS XL, combining huge guarantees with broad access and big bounty potential for players of all bankrolls.

Featured Reference

For a similar take on this major online poker series and its prize pools, check out this article from Poker.org on ACR Poker’s dual mystery bounty events and their massive guaranteed prizes:
ACR Venom $10M GTD Tournaments – Poker.org

The post ACR Poker $10M Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI in gambling safety

BOS releases report on the prevalence of gambling addiction in Sweden

Published

2 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Wladimir P.

bos-releases-report-on-the-prevalence-of-gambling-addiction-in-sweden

Sweden has seen a long‑term decline in gambling addiction over the past 25 years, despite rapid growth in online gambling availability, advertising, and mobile gaming.

Economist Ola Nevander’s research for the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS) shows that the prevalence of problem gambling has steadily fallen since the early 2000s, even as the market expanded. This trend emerged even with the widespread adoption of digital gaming products and 24/7 access on smartphones.

According to the findings, the proportion of Swedes classified as problem gamblers (based on the Problem Gambling Severity Index) dropped from about 2.2 % in 2008–09 to around 1.3 % by 2021, marking a significant reduction in overall gambling harm.

Gustaf Hoffstedt, Secretary General of BOS, emphasizes that this decline suggests Sweden’s regulatory and industry efforts are moving in the right direction. While the transformation from traditional physical gambling venues to digital platforms has raised concerns, online tools such as responsible gaming technologies and AI‑assisted safeguards are helping reduce problem gambling rates.

However, Hoffstedt cautions that much work remains, because expanded game offerings and persistent advertising mean ongoing responsibility is crucial to maintain and deepen the downward trend.

Report available in full at: Problem Gambling_ENG_20260327[2]

For a similar perspective on gambling addiction prevalence trends in Sweden, see this article:
Sweden problem gambling falls but still ‘scope for improvement’ — iGamingBusiness.com Sweden problem gambling trend report (IgamingBusiness)

The post BOS releases report on the prevalence of gambling addiction in Sweden appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Latest News

ACR POKER’S DUAL MYSTERY BOUNTY VENOMS – SPECIAL HIGH FIVE EDITION HITS WITH $10 MILLION IN GUARANTEED PRIZE POOLS

Published

2 hours ago

March 31, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

acr-poker’s-dual-mystery-bounty-venoms-–-special-high-five-edition-hits-with-$10-million-in-guaranteed-prize-pools

Celebrate the return of the High Five Series with a special edition of the iconic Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms and hundreds of seats from just $0 in Venom Fever satellites

ACR Poker is turning up the excitement this spring with the Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms Special High Five Edition, featuring $10 million in total guaranteed prize pools. Alongside the return of its popular High Five series, this special edition of the Dual Venoms will run from Sunday, April 12th through Tuesday, April 28th, delivering side-by-side action in the $8 million GTD NLH and $2 million GTD PLO, offering some of the biggest online poker action of the year.

Following the success of previous editions, the $2,650 buy-in Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms return with massive guarantees and mystery bounties that reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the $8 million GTD NLH, a single knockout could earn a player the top bounty prize of $500,000, while the $2 million PLO, which ties as ACR Poker’s biggest Omaha event ever, offers a $200,000 top bounty. Every knockout starting on Day 2 guarantees at least $5,000 in both events.

With five Day 1 flights, players can enter multiple times and combine their stacks to hit Day 2 with some serious firepower. All players reaching Day 2 on Monday, April 27th at 1:05pm ET are already in the money, with the Final Table showdown for the coveted Venom crowns scheduled for Tuesday, April 28th at 4:05pm ET.

Qualifying begins Tuesday, April 7th through a packed Venom Fever satellite schedule, offering hundreds of guaranteed seats at low cost, or even for free, through Direct Satellites, Mega Satellites, and Beast Satellites.

“After the incredible turnout and massive payouts in March’s $50 Million OSS XL, Spring 2026 is shaping up to be epic with the return of our High Five Series and this special Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms edition,” said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker. “With huge guarantees, mystery bounties, and accessible satellites for every bankroll, players have double the excitement and double the chance to hit massive prizes!”

The latest Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms delivered massive fields and payouts, with both events exceeding their guarantees. The NLH drew 3,673 entries for a $9,182,500 prize pool, paying over $700,000 to the winner. Runner-up ‘BALDOUS’ from the UK scored the biggest payday of the tournament, claiming the top $500,000 bounty and $730,000 in total bounties, pocketing a whopping $1,240,310 in total. The PLO tournament attracted 837 entrants and generated $2,092,500, with the champion earning more than $300,000.

For more information, visit ACRPoker.eu.

The post ACR POKER’S DUAL MYSTERY BOUNTY VENOMS – SPECIAL HIGH FIVE EDITION HITS WITH $10 MILLION IN GUARANTEED PRIZE POOLS appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.