Latest News

Entain Opens New-Look Digital Shops across UK & Europe

Published

5 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.

casino

Plaza Hotel & Casino adds DJ Exodus to free Cinco de Mayo party on May 5

Published

8 hours ago

April 28, 2026

Wladimir P.

plaza-hotel-&-casino-adds-dj-exodus-to-free-cinco-de-mayo-party-on-may-5

Downtown Las Vegas event runs from 4 p.m. around the Carousel Bar under the Main Street dome, with themed food, drinks and a large piñata.

Plaza Hotel & Casino will host its Cinco de Mayo celebration on Tuesday, May 5, starting at 4 p.m., in and around the property’s Carousel Bar in downtown Las Vegas.

The event is free to attend and will feature DJ Exodus, according to the casino. The DJ is scheduled to play a mix of “top radio hits with a mix of Latin music” under the Plaza’s Main Street dome.

The property said the party will also include “downtown’s largest piñata” and a photo area with themed props.

Food options listed for purchase include churros from Churros 101 and street tacos and esquites from Fresh Mexican Grill. Carousel Bar will run drink specials, including Modelo Draft 16 oz ($11), Modelo Michelada ($14), Mi Campo Margarita ($14), Mi Campo Blanco Shot ($10), and Mi Campo Reposado Shot ($12). Nearby, Pinkbox Doughnuts will offer Cinco de Mayo-themed doughnuts.

More information is available at plazahotelcasino.com/entertainment/cinco-de-mayo/.

More relevant data as follows:

Plaza Hotel & Casino Cinco de Mayo event page; https://www.plazahotelcasino.com/entertainment/cinco-de-mayo/ Primary source for event details, timing and location provided by the operator.
Plaza Hotel & Casino official website; https://www.plazahotelcasino.com/ Reference point for property information and related entertainment listings.

The post Plaza Hotel & Casino adds DJ Exodus to free Cinco de Mayo party on May 5 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI

BetConstruct AI sets SBC Summit Malta 2026 stand to demo iGaming ecosystem

Published

8 hours ago

April 28, 2026

Wladimir P.

betconstruct-ai-sets-sbc-summit-malta-2026-stand-to-demo-igaming-ecosystem

Supplier plans product demos at Stand C50 on April 29–30, including sportsbook, casino aggregation, affiliate tools, retail and AI suite.

BetConstruct AI will exhibit at SBC Summit Malta 2026 on April 29–30, taking Stand C50 in Malta to present its iGaming product ecosystem to operators and other industry stakeholders.

The company said it will demo multiple components including its Sportsbook Platform, Casino Platform, Affiliate Ecosystem, Retail Solutions and AI Suite. BetConstruct AI stated its Sportsbook Platform includes more than 140,000 pre-match events and over 12,000 monthly esports live events.

For casino, BetConstruct AI said its Casino Platform integrates 350+ providers via a unified aggregation API. It will also spotlight its Affiliate ecosystem, which it said includes 7,000+ vetted affiliates supported by AI-based scoring.

On omnichannel, the supplier said its Retail Solutions are designed to connect land-based and digital channels. The company’s AI suite will also be part of the stand presentation, including CRM AI, Umbrella AI, an AI Game Recommendation System and Betting Mate AI, which it said covers “everything from churn prediction and risk management to real-time personalisation and conversational betting.”

BetConstruct AI said a focus at Stand C50 will be “the Best Sportsbook for the World Cup 2026,” supported by two “zero-cost products” — Powerfull for pre-tournament engagement and Bet on League for an in-tournament hub — which it said require “zero development effort from operators.”

More relevant data as follows:

SBC Summit Malta; https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-malta/ Official event page for dates, location, and exhibitor information.
BetConstruct; https://www.betconstruct.com/ Company site for product and platform background referenced in the announcement.
Malta Gaming Authority (MGA); https://www.mga.org.mt/ Primary regulator in Malta; useful context for readers tracking Malta-based iGaming activity.

The post BetConstruct AI sets SBC Summit Malta 2026 stand to demo iGaming ecosystem appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

earnings

Meridian Holdings returns to profit on $50.1m Q1 2026 revenue, up 17% YoY

Published

8 hours ago

April 28, 2026

Wladimir P.

meridian-holdings-returns-to-profit-on-$50.1m-q1-2026-revenue,-up-17%-yoy

NASDAQ-listed MRDN posts $2.3m net income and cuts net debt 62% after recent rebrand and ticker change.

Meridian Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: MRDN), the Las Vegas-headquartered gaming and technology group, reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of $50.1 million, up 17% year over year, and net income of $2.3 million. The company said it was the first profitable quarter under the Meridian Holdings brand, following a rebrand and the start of trading under the MRDN ticker on the NASDAQ Capital Market less than two months ago.

Meridian also reported a lower debt position versus the prior year. Total debt fell by more than half year over year, while net debt decreased 62% to $13.4 million. The company ended the quarter with $16.2 million in cash.

“This quarter marks an important milestone in our growth journey,” said William Scott, Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Holdings. “We delivered revenue in line with our guidance, exceeded our profitability target, and continued strengthening our balance sheet, all while expanding our presence across regulated markets and investing in proprietary technology. We are well-positioned for sustained growth through 2026 and beyond.”

Meridianbet, the group’s main operating subsidiary, generated $34.9 million in Q1 revenue, up 26% year over year, representing nearly 70% of group revenue, the company said. Meridian reported nearly 500,000 new customer registrations in the quarter (+41% YoY) and active users up 21% to 333,700.

Across other units, Expanse Studios expanded to 1,519 active operator sites and secured new regulatory certifications in Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, and Portugal, while continuing certification efforts in Ontario, Canada. RKings Competitions posted sales of $7.7 million, Classics for a Cause reported VIP subscriptions surpassing 10,000 for the first time in 12 months, and Mexplay more than tripled new registrations year over year to 74,000.

For Q2 2026, Meridian guided to revenue of $51 million to $53 million, implying 18% to 23% year-over-year growth.

More relevant data as follows:

Meridian Holdings quarterly results; https://meridian-holdings.com/quarterly-results Source for the full earnings release, investor deck, and call replay referenced in the announcement.
Meridian Holdings investor relations; https://meridian-holdings.com Company site for corporate background, filings links, and investor materials.
NASDAQ: MRDN quote and company profile; https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/mrdn Independent listing page to corroborate ticker, exchange, and market data context.

The post Meridian Holdings returns to profit on $50.1m Q1 2026 revenue, up 17% YoY appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.