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Onionsack and PMU cement partnership with three-year extension

Published

5 years ago

April 27, 2021

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Leading French operator signs long-term renewal with tech trailblazer in natural-language processing

In less than five years Irish technology company Onionsack has become one of PMU’s most trusted technology partners; and this week they announce an extended three-year deal, worth around €150m in stakes annually to the French horse racing authority.

The only platform to understand and process bets written or spoken in a natural language, Onionsack provides a simple and high value opportunity for betting operators to engage with customers in the way people prefer to communicate in 2021. Onionsack lets a customer place a bet by sending a message using their preferred channel, such as Telegram, Viber or SMS. In 2016 Onionsack and PMU got together to launch PariSMS. It has been such a hit with punters that, on average PMU users place 160 bets each per month using Onionsack – a higher frequency than other channels. Close to 1.5m bets are placed through the platform each month.

Onionsack’s platform is fast becoming an essential tool for betting operators in today’s messaging-app centred world. Thanks to the expertise developed from the machine-learning of millions of bets per month, Onionsack understands what a customer wants to bet on via messages written or spoken and then places the bet on behalf of the customer.

Onionsack’s first customer was the UK Tote Group, but since then has been working with brands such as Paddy Power and William Hill, in territories from UK, France and Germany, to USA and South Africa. But it’s the technology partnership with the ever-innovative PMU, launching PariSMS together in 2016, that has really caught the eye. This link up has showcased the most successful and scalable business use-case to date.

Jonathan Power, CEO of Onionsack said: “The PMU are leaders in the field of customer-centric horse racing betting, and have embraced the technological advantages that the Onionsack platform can bring. Betting by natural language is getting bigger and bigger”.

Emmanuelle Malecaze Doublet, Chief Marketing, e-commerce and International officer of PMU said: “PMU is always looking to innovate and to improve the customer betting experience. We are focused on the digital transformation of our company and through this partnership with Onionsack the convenience we can offer to our customer is always being renewed. PMU and Onionsack have developed a partnership that is delivering to our customers a simple, easy way to place bets that fits in with today’s lifestyles”.

bet365

Octoplay launches with bet365 in the UK

Published

1 hour ago

May 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

Octoplay has gone live with bet365 in the United Kingdom, adding the operator to its roster of tier-one partners in the regulated UK market.

The supplier said the bet365 rollout follows recent UK launches with Virgin Bet and BetVictor as it expands distribution with major local brands.

Outside the UK, Octoplay pointed to recent go-lives with Paf in Finland, PokerStars in Spain and Italy, and Superbet in Brazil.

“Our partnership with bet365 represents another step in our accelerating UK expansion,” says Ralitsa Georgieva, CEO at Octoplay. “Working with one of the industry’s most recognized operators validates our approach and builds on the momentum we’ve established through successful integrations with leading UK brands throughout 2025.”

“We are pleased to partner with Octoplay and introduce their game portfolio to our UK players,” says Clement Le Scanff, Head of Gaming at bet365. “Their focus on quality content and player engagement aligns with our commitment to providing the best entertainment to our customers.”

Octoplay said it holds active licenses in 17 jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, Malta, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Finland, Brazil, New Jersey, Michigan, Ontario, and Georgia.

The post Octoplay launches with bet365 in the UK appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Barcelona Technology Campus

Zitro Achieves ISO 27001 Recertification at its Barcelona Technology Campus

Published

1 hour ago

May 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

zitro-achieves-iso-27001-recertification-at-its-barcelona-technology-campus

Zitro has successfully renewed its ISO 27001 certification for the Information Security Management System (ISMS) at its Barcelona Technology Campus. This achievement, framed within the company’s ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) commitments, reinforces its ongoing commitment to cybersecurity and ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of sensitive customer and employee data.

ISO 27001 is part of the ISO 27000 family of international standards for information security. This framework enables organisations to identify risks, implement effective controls and ensure information protection in line with global best practices, while also ensuring compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

For Zitro, this recertification confirms the rigorous and continuous work the company carries out in the field of information security. The Barcelona Technology Campus—dedicated to the development of software and hardware for the gaming industry—maintains the highest standards, and this recognition reflects the level of commitment embedded across all its processes.

The post Zitro Achieves ISO 27001 Recertification at its Barcelona Technology Campus appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Asia

Kazakhstan Orders Telecom Providers to Block Illegal Online Casino Payments via Mobile Balances

Published

1 hour ago

May 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

kazakhstan-orders-telecom-providers-to-block-illegal-online-casino-payments-via-mobile-balances

Kazakhstan authorities have moved to tighten controls on illegal online gambling payments after uncovering schemes that use mobile phone balances to fund unlicensed casino activity.

The Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) issued instructions to telecom providers to strengthen monitoring and introduce systems to detect and block suspicious transactions.

According to the FMA, mobile operators including Tele2, Altel, Beeline, Kcell and Activ were called to a working meeting where regulators demonstrated how illicit payment flows to online casinos are being processed.

To verify the issue, the FMA carried out test purchases across 10 illegal online casino websites using services from all major mobile operators. The tests confirmed that payments via mobile balances were possible.

The agency stated that the goal is to cut off financial access to illegal operators and reduce public exposure to unregulated platforms. Further enforcement actions are expected as monitoring continues.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is preparing to significantly tighten rules on the promotion of illegal gambling. A group of senators is advancing an initiative to introduce criminal penalties for influencers who advertise online casinos and organise “giveaways.”

In related developments, a Kazakhstani influencer has recently been arrested in Vietnam on suspicion of running an illegal gambling operation.

Furthermore, the country is also restricting citizens’ access to legal gambling options, indicating a broader anti-gambling stance towards locals while still pursuing gambling tourism.

Lawmakers introduced rules restricting access to casinos, slot machine halls and betting venues in several regions to foreign nationals only. The changes will take effect on 17 May.

In March, President Tokayev signed a law establishing four new gambling zones for foreigners in the country.

The post Kazakhstan Orders Telecom Providers to Block Illegal Online Casino Payments via Mobile Balances appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.