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Entain Opens New-Look Digital Shops across UK & Europe

Published

4 years ago

September 29, 2021

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Retail to have a more contemporary, digital feel

Entain, the global sports betting and gaming entertainment operator, has embarked on a digitization initiative across its retail business, converting a core of shops in key locations across both the UK and Europe into contemporary, digital, spaces to enhance the omni-channel experience for customers.

The retail makeover will initially apply to Entain shops in the UK and Italy across the Ladbrokes, Coral and Eurobet brands. In both countries, Entain has run successful trials of new, more contemporary store design and formats more closely aligned to customers’ online experience.

“Entain is a global online operator, but we are focused on delivering a great local experience for our customers. This investment allows us to give a more immersive and joined up online omni-channel experience to our customers” said Rob Wood, CFO and Deputy Chief Executive of Entain.

“Since high streets re-opened, our retail customers have returned in large numbers which reflects the continued demand from customers for an engaging in-shop experience,” he added. This digital makeover of shops, together with ongoing investments into our industry leading tech platform and £100m of innovation investment over the next 3 years, are important drivers of our future growth.”

Since the re-opening of retail, Entain has opened 18 new digital hubs across the UK and plans to have a total of 30 new-style Ladbrokes and Coral shops open by the end of the year in cities including Leeds, Birmingham, London, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Wolverhampton, Newcastle, Dumfries and Leicester. The aim is for 200 UK digital stores by the end of 2024.

The move will provide a welcome boost to many high streets and town centres in both Italy and the UK. In the UK alone The British Retail Consortium recently noted that more than one in seven shops are now vacant (*), rising to one in five in particularly hard-hit parts of the country.

“Our shops are at the heart of local communities and employ around 13,000 people across the country,” said Andy Hicks, Entain Retail MD for the UK and Ireland. “We want to bring the experiences customers have with us online into our shops, also making them more digital and contemporary environments. We want to offer local customers a place to socialize, enjoy sports, bet and play games in a relaxed and enjoyable way.”

Initially UK stores being converted into digital hubs contain the latest gaming machines, and interactive displays, giving customers a more engaging and dynamic experience as well as more choice of interactive sports and gaming content. In both Italy and the UK, the converted stores have digital window displays and additional interior screens which allow live events and new promotions to be shared with customers across retail locations.

In Italy, where Entain’s retail outlets operate under the Eurobet brand, the Group also plans to convert around 200 shops and plans to have the first 30 locations open by the end of this year. These include a number of “Eurobet Cafes”, which offer customers a new place to meet and socialize with friends.

“This is all about offering a different and more distinctive experience to new and existing customers, “said Andrea Faelli, Managing Director of Entain, Italy. “We want to move from simply offering betting shops to hosting spaces in town centres where people can come to have a good time, which may or may not include having a bet.”

All the initiatives are powered by Entain’s proprietary technology, which has the benefit of making the digital and retail experiences more similar for customers and being scalable internationally to other locations.

Latest News

Bagelmania Backroom Comedy night lineup announced for Thursday, Feb. 26

Published

1 day ago

February 20, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

bagelmania-backroom-comedy-night-lineup-announced-for-thursday,-feb.-26

The iconic Jewish delicatessen Siegel’s Bagelmania has announced the comedic line up that will leave guests “laughing their bagels off” at the next Bagelmania Backroom Comedy night on Thursday, Feb. 26.

Hosted monthly by Las Vegas-based and nationally touring comedian couple Noah Gardenswartz and Ester Steinberg, the event Thursday night will welcome Chris Clarke as the headliner along with acclaimed comics Kristeen Von Hagen, Gabe Quire and Lauren Rochelle.

Clarke, known as a high-energy and imaginative comedian, now tours the country with veteran comedian Rob Schneider. He also has amassed more than 40 million views on his popular YouTube channel “Csnacks,” where he tastes food and snacks from the front seat of his car. His hilarious and unique way of describing different flavors led to national commercials for Checkers and Rally’s, a one-hour special on the Cooking Channel titled Baby Got Snack, and an appearance as a food critic judge on Beat Bobby Flay.

Siegel’s Bagelmania will offer a special Backroom Comedy menu of its signature delicatessen cuisine as well as a full bar so guests can enjoy great comedy, dinner, and drinks in a unique, relaxed setting.

The Bagelmania Backroom is open to attendees 18 and older. Doors open for drinks and dinner at 7 p.m. Show time is 8 p.m. Tickets for Bagelmania Backroom are on sale for $20 online at https://siegelsbagelmania.com/backroomcomedy/ and will be sold at the door while supply lasts.

The post Bagelmania Backroom Comedy night lineup announced for Thursday, Feb. 26 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Latest News

ACR Poker OSS XL Returns With $50M GTD

Published

1 day ago

February 20, 2026

Wladimir P.

ACR Poker has officially announced the return of its flagship Online Super Series (OSS) XL, running from March 1 to March 23, 2026, with a massive $50 million in guaranteed prize pools.

Following the success of its recent Dual Venom tournaments, which paid out more than $11 million, ACR Poker is once again delivering high-value online tournament action designed for players of all skill levels and bankroll sizes.

Three Main Events With $5 Million Guaranteed

The headline events of OSS XL include three major Main Events launching March 15:

$2,650 buy-in – $2 million guaranteed
$1,050 buy-in – $2 million guaranteed
$215 buy-in – $1 million guaranteed

These marquee tournaments anchor the series, offering players high-stakes competition alongside accessible mid- and low-stakes opportunities.

Phil’s Thrill XXL and Multi-Flight Action

Kicking off the series on March 1 is Phil’s Thrill XXL, featuring a $1.5 million guarantee and a $10,300 buy-in. Players can qualify for as little as $95 through ACR’s Road to the Big One promotion.

The schedule also includes a $630 buy-in Multi-Flight Event with $1.5 million guaranteed, with Day 1 flights beginning March 1 and Day 2 set for March 23.

For bounty hunters, OSS XL offers five Mystery Bounty Multi-Flight tournaments, including:

Three $500,000 guaranteed events ($109 buy-in)
A $150,000 guaranteed event ($33 buy-in)
A $100,000 guaranteed event ($5.50 buy-in)

These tournaments provide dynamic prize opportunities and strong value across all buy-in tiers.

$65,000 Leaderboard Contest

To enhance engagement, ACR Poker’s Leaderboard Contest returns with $65,000 in cash and tournament tickets across three buy-in tiers:

High Stakes: $15,000 top prize
Mid Stakes: $7,500 top prize
Low Stakes: $4,000 top prize

According to ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker, OSS XL stands out for its inclusive structure, substantial guarantees and daily leaderboard incentives that reward consistent participation.

With $50 million guaranteed and a broad mix of Main Events, Mystery Bounties and multi-flight tournaments, OSS XL reinforces ACR Poker’s position as a major force in the global online poker tournament landscape.

The post ACR Poker OSS XL Returns With $50M GTD appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

affiliate management system

Alanbase and Gamblers Connect announce new partnership

Published

1 day ago

February 20, 2026

Wladimir P.

alanbase-and-gamblers-connect-announce-new-partnership

Gamblers Connect, the award-winning iGaming media and affiliate platform, has announced a new strategic partnership with Alanbase, a cloud-based SaaS “constructor” built to power advanced affiliate programme development.

The collaboration strengthens Gamblers Connect’s B2B Providers section, a curated hub designed to connect iGaming professionals with trusted, high-performance industry solutions. By integrating Alanbase into its ecosystem, Gamblers Connect enhances access to cutting-edge affiliate management technology tailored to competitive iGaming markets.

A Customizable SaaS Solution for iGaming Affiliates

Alanbase differentiates itself through its fully customizable SaaS architecture. Unlike traditional affiliate software, Alanbase allows operators to build dashboards, performance indicators and statistical tables using their own formulas. This “constructor” model ensures the platform adapts to each business workflow — not the other way around.

The cloud-based system also delivers high-speed data refresh capabilities, enabling operators to monitor player activity in near real time. This performance advantage provides deeper analytical insight and supports faster decision-making in fast-moving iGaming environments.

Gjorgje Ristikj, Founder of Gamblers Connect, highlighted that the partnership aligns with the platform’s mission to feature transparent, value-driven B2B providers. By adding Alanbase to its verified partner network, Gamblers Connect reinforces its commitment to showcasing tools that improve affiliate program scalability, operational efficiency and measurable growth.

Expanding the iGaming B2B Ecosystem

The partnership reflects growing demand for flexible affiliate SaaS platforms that prioritize customization, automation and performance tracking. As competition intensifies across global iGaming markets, data-driven affiliate management solutions are becoming a critical component of operator success.

With Alanbase now featured within Gamblers Connect’s B2B Providers hub, industry professionals gain streamlined access to enterprise-grade affiliate infrastructure designed for scalability and precision.

The post Alanbase and Gamblers Connect announce new partnership appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.