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Most controversial VAR decisions revealed ahead of Premier League

Published

5 years ago

August 9, 2021

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Kurt Zouma’s cancelled strike against Manchester United was named the most controversial VAR incident.
30.92% of all English Premier League matches have seen a VAR intervention.
The data also shows a 23.96% year-on-year decrease in average VAR controversy.
The Premier League appears to be tracking UEFA’s roll out, with changes made just 0.62% more frequently in the English top flight.
PGMOL has announced a string of new rule changes.

The Premier League is hoping a string of new rule changes can inject new life into VAR technology when the 30th Premier League season gets underway on 13th August.

From thicker offside lines to new handball rules, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has set out its stall for the 2021-2022 domestic campaign which is almost upon us.

Accidental handballs in the build-up to goals will no longer be deemed an offence, while thicker offside lines will be used in order to eliminate situations where a goal is ruled out due to a toenail being offside.

And following a string of ‘armpit offsides’ last season, FIFA has also clarified that the bottom of a players’ armpit is to be classed as part of a players’ body.

While the technology’s use in the English top-flight has courted more than its fair share of detractors, Credible or VAR-cical by William Hill, can reveal a good level of progress has already been made with average controversy dropping by 29.36% last season.

The controversy rating of an incident, of which there has been 235 in total over the last two seasons, now sits at 5.14 having been 6.76 during its turbulent debut season. That equates to a change made by VAR every 3.23 matches.

Across the 504 matches under UEFA’s jurisdiction, from February 2019 through to the 2021 Champions League Final, there were 157 changes made, or a change every 3.21 matches.

Kurt Zouma’s cancelled strike against Manchester United in February 2020, ruled out by VAR official Chris Kavanagh, is considered the most controversial VAR call in Premier League history, with a controversy score of 10.7.

William Hill’s Credible or VAR-cical analysis has been tracking Premier League VAR incidents ever since Gabriel Jesus was ruled offside by David Coote on August 10, 2019 (the first ever VAR review in EPL history – rated at 7.92).

The data shows that in total, there have been a total of 235 incidents, or interventions, logged, with reactionary metrics such as Tweet volume, sentiment, articles generated and associated levels of engagement, culminating in a bespoke controversy rating being assigned to each.

Across the last two domestic campaigns, Wolverhampton (6.91) are the club which has been embroiled in the most controversial VAR incidents. Chelsea (6.5), Liverpool (6.34), Everton (6.25), Manchester United (6.19) make up the top five.

Brentford-based official Chris Kavanagh, who was promoted to the Select Group of referees in 2017, lands himself the unenviable title of ‘most controversial video assistant referee’, averaging 6.8.

David Coote (6.67), Kevin Friend (6.59), Lee Mason (6.51) and Andre Marriner (6.35) make up the rest of the top 5.

Alex Malchenko Head of Sales at Evoplay

Evoplay deepens Czech reach after partnering with Bonver Win

Published

13 minutes ago

July 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

evoplay-deepens-czech-reach-after-partnering-with-bonver-win

The rollout starts with 30 titles on bonvercasino.cz as Evoplay continues its regulated Czech push after entering in 2024.

Evoplay has partnered with Czech operator Bonver Win to distribute its online casino content in the market, expanding its local footprint after entering the regulated Czech Republic market in 2024.

Under the initial agreement, 30 Evoplay titles will be integrated on Bonver Win’s licensed online casino platform, bonvercasino.cz. Games named in the announcement include The Greatest Catch, Hot Triple Sevens, and Fruit Super Nova 40.

Alex Malchenko, Head of Sales at Evoplay, said: “Building our presence in the Czech Republic has been an important objective since entering the market two years ago, and partnering with a well-established brand like Bonver Win is a significant milestone in that journey.

“The operator has a deep understanding of its player base and a long-standing reputation for delivering quality entertainment. We know our games resonate strongly with Czech players, and we’re excited to begin this collaboration to reach new audiences.”

Martin Varta, Casino Manager for Bonver Win, added: “At Bonver Win, we are always looking to enhance our offering with content that delivers both quality and entertainment value.

“Evoplay has built an impressive portfolio with games that combine engaging mechanics and outstanding presentation. We are delighted to welcome its portfolio to bonvercasino.cz and look forward to introducing their renowned titles to our players.”

The post Evoplay deepens Czech reach after partnering with Bonver Win appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

compliance

Finland notifies EU of gambling tech rules for data vault and OCSS signing

Published

13 minutes ago

July 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

finland-notifies-eu-of-gambling-tech-rules-for-data-vault-and-ocss-signing

Finland has submitted technical gambling regulations covering a regulatory data vault and the Official Control Signing Service (OCSS) to the EU’s Technical Regulation Information System (TRIS) on 10 July.

According to the notified documents, operators must submit signed gaming and player-account data to the authority through a secure SFTP data vault in a prescribed format. The rules also require operators to retain the data for five years and ensure “its integrity, availability and retrievability.”

The documentation also sets out requirements for using the authority’s OCSS to sign gaming data. It specifies signing generally every five minutes for gaming transactions and at least once daily for player-account data, alongside obligations to manage API keys and handle technical disruptions.

The technical documents are currently available only in Finnish. The press release says unofficial English translations have been prepared, titled “eCertification of Gaming Transactions and Gaming Account Transactions EN” and “Submission of Gaming Transactions and Gaming Account Transactions EN.”

The press release also lists the broader status of technical documentation supporting Finland’s new gambling regulation. It says randomness checks and reliability and information security requirements have been adopted into national legislation; the OCSS signing and data-vault transfer specifications have been notified via TRIS; player-account and game-event data specifications are being prepared following an earlier public consultation; a Ministry of the Interior decree is under public consultation; and drafts are still awaited covering player identification APIs, jurisdiction-wide self-exclusion checks, and certification requirements for games and platforms.

The post Finland notifies EU of gambling tech rules for data vault and OCSS signing appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

casino content

ElCasino adds Auto Roulette X and CandyBall X to its live casino lineup

Published

13 minutes ago

July 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

elcasino-adds-auto-roulette-x-and-candyball-x-to-its-live-casino-lineup

ElCasino, BETCORE’s premium live casino brand, has launched two new live casino titles, Auto Roulette X and CandyBall X. The company said both games are already live and available for integration.

Auto Roulette X is positioned as a faster-paced version of classic roulette, using an automatic ball launch and “lucky-number” multipliers. ElCasino said the game has an RTP of 97.30%, a €0.03 minimum bet, and bonus levels of x500, x777, x1000, and x3000.

CandyBall X uses a live draw format based on the selection of one numbered ball out of 37, paired with roulette-style betting options including single numbers, colors, ranges, and even/odd outcomes. ElCasino said the game includes bonus levels of x777, x1001, x3000, and x5000, with multipliers up to x5000.

ElCasino said the two launches are designed to give operators additional live content with familiar mechanics and bonus-driven features, while differentiating visually in the lobby. Partnership and integration inquiries can be directed to [email protected].

The post ElCasino adds Auto Roulette X and CandyBall X to its live casino lineup appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.