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Scientific Games’ OpenSports™ Technology Processes Record-Breaking 50 Million Bets During UK’s Grand National Horse Racing Festival

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Scientific Games Corporation OpenSports technology delivered over 50 million bets and a seamless experience for its long-term sports customers in an historic horseracing encounter that was run behind closed doors for the first time since the inaugural race in 1839.

One OpenSports customer broke all Grand National betting records with their peak bets exceeding 57,000 per minute – a 128% increase vs 2019.

The 2019 event was cancelled and with retail and on-course betting postponed this year, the 2021 Grand National was widely tipped to be the ultimate test of the robustness and stability of the OpenSports technology stack.

Long-term customers Sky Betting and Gaming, Paddy Power, Betfair, Ladbrokes, Coral and William Hill all witnessed significant increases in volume and continue to rely on OpenSports as a key part of their product offerings.

During the three-day festival:

  • Over 50 million bets were placed through OpenSports
  • Over 19 million bets were placed on the Grand National race itself – up 60.5% vs 2019
  • OpenSports delivered 100% platform stability and uptime
  • One OpenSports customer processed over 57,000 peak bets per minute
  • Total account transactions across the three days were up 55% compared to 2019

“Over the last three years, teams across SG Digital have transformed our OpenSports technology to meet the demands of the world’s leading operators. Whether it’s the Grand National, the Big Game or the Melbourne Cup, we have a responsibility to the largest sportsbooks in every corner of the world to deliver on our promises and exceed their expectations,” said Jordan Levin, Group CEO, Digital for Scientific Games.

OpenSports is a full suite of sportsbook products and services that covers: the account platform; the betting engine; trading and risk management; and bespoke front-end expertise.

This year also saw the Company launch one of the worlds’ first sports content aggregation platforms called OpenArena. With over 35 third-party sports content providers signed up to the platform and available through a single integration, the Company is at the forefront of the new wave of innovation in the industry.

“At the outset of our transformation process, two key paths were identified. Firstly, our 25-year reputation for stability and reliability were absolutely non-negotiable. Secondly, we set about completely modernizing our technology by shifting services to the cloud and using cutting-edge frameworks like React and Python for our artificial intelligence needs. Combining these ingredients with over 900 dedicated sports technologists, our customer deployment pipeline is now second to none,” said Keith O’Loughlin, SVP Sports at Scientific Games.

“That’s what makes this Grand National performance even more outstanding. The sheer volume of new deployments our teams are delivering in parallel. Three years ago, we were integrating one or two new customers a year. This year, we’re on track to deploy forty across some of the world’s most profitable markets. A huge credit to our global team and the long-term partnership approach we continue to build with market leaders,” O’Loughlin added.

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Belatra

Belatra set to unearth ancient treasures at SiGMA Central Europe

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Belatra Games, the specialist online slots developer, is thrilled to announce its participation at the SiGMA Central Europe Expo in Rome, Italy. The event is being held at the Fiera Roma from November 3rd to November 6th, providing Belatra with the perfect chance to showcase its latest legendary slots and front-line solutions.

Belatra’s beloved Mummy will be visiting Rome as the character continues to strike a chord with audiences worldwide. Its unique blend of humour, mystery, and quirky antics has transcended cultures. The character made its debut in 2022 for the release of Mummyland Treasures and has since grown into an extensive multiverse encompassing various formats, special features, and spin-offs, which form the core of our very own flagship game universe.

At SiGMA Central Europe, visitors to Belatra’s Booth #4071 will be able to immerse themselves at the heart of the Mummy Universe. There will be a themed experience that brings the magic and the mystery of our beloved multiverse to life. Special prizes are also on offer from the Mummy’s own treasure vault.

Kateryna Goi, Belatra CMO said:  “SiGMA Europe provides the perfect platform to connect with existing and potential collaborators. Our team is more than ready to present custom solutions, our robust technical infrastructure, and game designs to ensure player involvement and operator success.”

The post Belatra set to unearth ancient treasures at SiGMA Central Europe appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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EGT Digital Malta Appoints Enrico Bradamante as CEO

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EGT Digital is pleased to announce the appointment of Enrico Bradamante as CEO of its Malta-based operations. With this step, the company continues to strengthen its leadership team and expand its presence in regulated markets.

Enrico brings more than 13 years of experience in the iGaming industry, having held senior management positions at some of the sector’s leading companies. He has served as Managing Director at NetEnt, Chief Commercial Officer at Aristocrat Interactive (formerly Pariplay), and most recently Chief Growth Officer at Relax Gaming. In addition, he is the Chairman and Founder of iGEN (iGaming Executives Network), which demonstrates his commitment to advancing the industry as a whole.

Commenting on the appointment, Enrico Bradamante, CEO of EGT Digital Malta, said:
“I am delighted to be joining the leader in the global gaming industry. Working with the talented and diverse team at EGT Digital, I look forward to supporting the company’s continued success.”

Vladimir Dokov, CEO of EGT Digital, added: “We are very happy to welcome Enrico. I am confident that together we will achieve remarkable results and further strengthen our position in the key regulated markets.”

The appointment of Enrico Bradamante marks an important milestone for EGT Digital Malta, as the company continues to pursue its mission of delivering innovative gaming solutions and exceptional service to partners worldwide.

The post EGT Digital Malta Appoints Enrico Bradamante as CEO appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Payments Under Scrutiny: Polish Example

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Online gambling continues to thrive in Poland, despite the country’s strict regulatory framework. Virtual casinos and betting platforms still attract players with the promise of easy access and quick winnings. Yet, their operations would not be possible without the involvement of payment institutions that process transactions for entities operating outside the boundaries of the law. Behind the scenes lie not only questions about compliance with Poland’s Gambling Act, but also serious concerns about money laundering and the potential financing of criminal activity.

 

PSPs Legal Responsibility

The key question remains the legality of actions taken by payment institutions that handle transactions linked to illegal online gambling. Do they, even unintentionally, help such operations thrive? Under Polish law, payment service providers are required to monitor and limit high-risk transactions. In practice, this means that every deposit or withdrawal connected to unlicensed gambling activity should be treated as a red flag. Special attention is also given to transactions made through popular mobile payment systems such as BLIK. While BLIK itself is not a payment institution under Polish law, the banks and financial operators using it are and it is they who bear responsibility for preventing the flow of funds that may support illegal gambling activities.

 

Clear Legal Framework, Limited Excuses

Polish law leaves little room for speculation here. The register of domains used to offer illegal gambling, the ban on processing payments for unlicensed operators, and the penalties outlined in the Fiscal Penal Code and Criminal Code set clear boundaries of responsibility.

The Anti-Money Laundering Act (AML) and the EU Regulation 2023/1113 require payment institutions to actively monitor transactions, block suspicious transfers, and cut off risky relationships. Guidance issued by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF/UKNF) and the National Risk Assessment, along with its sectoral annex, describes typical abuse schemes and makes it clear that payments directed toward online gambling should be treated as a major warning signal. In practice, this means that financial channels supporting illegal gambling must be identified and shut down before the funds return to players as so-called “winnings.”

And this principle is now being actively enforced. Recently, the Financial Supervision Authority (UKNF) went a step further, issuing a sector-wide warning urging payment service providers to block financial flows to unlicensed operators. In response, Polish payment providers have begun withdrawing support for illegal gambling sites and removing payment options such as BLIK from unlicensed platforms.

 

The Hardest to Detect: The Intermediary Role

The flow of funds into illegal online gambling can take many forms, depending on the relationships between the parties involved in the transaction. The most difficult to detect, however, is the scenario in which a payment institution acts only as an intermediary within a larger payment chain transferring money between other financial service providers without directly serving the payer or the recipient. Even in such cases, the institution is not exempt from its obligation to continuously monitor and analyse all transactions.

Depending on the type of payment, it should apply different verification methods, all aimed at determining whether executing a transfer on behalf of another provider could, in practice, end up funding entities that organize illegal online gambling. The institution must obtain information from the ordering provider about the recipient, determine whether it is engaged in gambling related activity, and verify its legal status. If red flags arise during the analysis such as missing data in the payment chain, a domain listed in the official register, or the absence of the website from the list of legal operators the transaction should be paused or rejected and properly escalated. This includes raising the risk level, notifying the relevant authorities, or even terminating cooperation. When dealing with correspondent relationships involving other institutions, including those based within the European Union, heightened caution is essential.

 

Grey Market Fuelled by Inaction

Illegal online gambling would not exist without the support of the payment system. Although the law clearly defines the obligations of financial institutions, in practice it is often these very institutions that knowingly or not enable the flow of money into illegal online gambling. This is why effective identification and blocking of such transactions is crucial, especially within complex payment chains where tracing the connections can be most difficult. Every transfer made in support of illegal online gambling represents not only a legal risk but also real support for the shadow economy that thrives on the lack of vigilance within the financial sector.

This article was supplied by:

Marek Plota

Founding Attorney at RM Legal & Gaming In Poland •

Marek is a founder and a head of the legal team at RM Legal Law Firm and Gaming In Poland, jointly providing multidisciplinary and multijurisdictional support for leading international gambling operators in the Polish, European Union, and African markets. His gambling practice includes regulatory support at the pre and post-licensing stage, IT, and taxation services, as well as the unique service of performing a function of a gambling representative. RM Legal is the only law firm in Poland representing offshore companies operating legally in the Polish gambling market. Apart from gambling Marek specializes in corporate commercial law and international investment projects.

The post Payments Under Scrutiny: Polish Example appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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