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Entain & ARC appoint working peer Lord Lipsey to chair new Premier Greyhound Racing joint venture

Published

4 years ago

May 3, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Newly-launched entity, a joint venture between Entain and Arena Racing Company, announces working peer and former Chair of British Greyhound Racing Board as Chairman

Premier Greyhound Racing, a newly-launched joint venture between Entain, the global sports betting, gaming and interactive entertainment group, and Arena Racing Company have appointed Lord Lipsey as Chair.

Premier Greyhound Racing aims to deliver the market-leading greyhound racing product best serving racegoers, owners and trainers by delivering increased welfare standards and investment. It will promote the sport as a betting medium to drive revenues for operators, revitalising the sport in the process.

Premier Greyhound Racing will represent the interests of a total of 14 of Britain’s 20 official and regulated greyhound racing tracks. From January 2024, the company will offer a comprehensive package of racing both to digital and retail betting operators and their customers, worldwide from the nine Arena Racing Company and Entain stadia along with five independent tracks (Kinsley, Pelaw Grange, Sheffield, Swindon and Yarmouth).

Working peer Lord David Lipsey returns to greyhound racing following his four-year spell as Chair of the then-named British Greyhound Racing Board between 2004 and 2008.

David Lipsey has been a greyhound racing enthusiast for nearly half a century. He has owned several racing greyhounds and two greyhounds – Zac and Brenda – were adopted by him and his family.

As well as his involvement with running the sport he was a trustee of the Retired Greyhound Trust (now Greyhound Trust). Some five years ago he was called in by then Sports Minister Tracey Crouch to negotiate a new deal between Greyhound Racing and the bookmakers which resulted in a £2m a year boost to the sport’s finances, by working with digital operators to secure their contributions to the voluntary greyhound levy scheme.

Lord Lipsey brings a wide-ranging set of chairing and directorship experiences to the role, spanning entertainment, regulatory affairs, the betting and racing industries. He is currently a member of the board of horseracing’s Starting Price Regulatory Commission

Commenting on his appointment, Lord Lipsey said: “As an owner, and a supporter of greyhound racing, I am taking a part-time professional role within the sport I love. I look forward to representing it and its stakeholders to improve welfare, safeguard integrity and raise competition standards to industry-leading levels.

“Greyhound racing remains a hugely popular British tradition- on the latest figures the sixth-biggest spectator sport, welcoming millions of enthusiasts through its doors.

“Under the leadership of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), it has established itself as both a great night out for younger audiences and fast-moving and absorbing off-course, digital entertainment. Premier Greyhound Racing believes that it has a huge potential both as a sport and a betting market, offering stakeholders a sustainable and commercially valuable product in the long term.”

Commenting on Lord Lipsey’s appointment, Richard Lang, Director of Commercial retail at Entain, speaking on behalf of Premier Greyhound Racing said: “Lord Lipsey brings a vast and varied experience both in and outside of the greyhound racing and betting industries, which will prove vital in unlocking the potential of the sport through the platform we will provide it with in Premier Greyhound Racing.

“Lord Lipsey is a lifelong supporter and advocate of greyhounds, the sport and its stakeholders and shares our commitment to invest in and raise welfare, integrity and racing standards.

“We look forward to working with Lord Lipsey to ensure British greyhound racing flourishes and enjoys a sustainable future, remaining a core product our customers enjoy for the long term, benefitting all stakeholders.”

Mark Bird, Chief Executive of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain commented on the appointment: “We welcome the appointment of Lord Lipsey as Chair of Premier Greyhound Racing, not only for his obvious industry knowledge, insight and experience but also for his welfare credentials.

“Having worked with him previously as part of the negotiations for an increase in the voluntary levy, I am delighted that he has taken up this position with a commitment to greyhound welfare.”

888.it

R. Franco Digital Shortlisted for Casino Platform Excellence at EGR Europe Awards 2026

Published

3 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

r.-franco-digital-shortlisted-for-casino-platform-excellence-at-egr-europe-awards-2026

R. Franco Digital, the leading Spanish iGaming provider, has been officially shortlisted for Casino Platform Supplier of the Year at the prestigious EGR Europe Awards 2026. The nomination recognizes a landmark year for the company, characterized by the explosive growth of its IRIS Open Omnichannel Platform and a major commercial breakthrough into the Italian market.

The winners will be announced during a gala ceremony on February 18, 2026, at the Hilton Malta, where the industry’s top-tier operators and suppliers gather to celebrate European gaming excellence.

IRIS: The Engine of Omnichannel Growth

The core of R. Franco Digital’s success lies in its IRIS platform, a highly scalable, multi-jurisdictional solution that unifies casino, sports betting, and retail management.

IRIS Platform Milestones (2025-2026):

Jurisdictional Reach: Certified in 6 jurisdictions and operational in over 10 regulated markets.
Content Depth: Seamlessly integrated with over 1,600 games from global third-party providers.
Operational Stability: Provides 24/7 multilingual support and advanced real-time analytics for operators.
Commercial Momentum: Secured 50+ new operator partnerships and entered three new markets within the last 12 months.

Performance Highlights: 4 Billion Game Rounds

R. Franco Digital’s games portfolio has seen a massive surge in engagement, bolstered by 20 new high-performance slot releases in 2025. Standout titles such as Strange Spins, Aphrodite, Zorro: Final Duel, Ovomon, and The Phantom contributed to a record-breaking year.

Metric	2025–2026 Achievement
Total Game Rounds	4 Billion+ across regulated markets
Revenue Growth	30% Increase during the judging period
New Content	20 New slot titles launched
Expansion	Debut in the Italian regulated market

Strategic Italian Market Entry

A major factor in the EGR shortlisting was R. Franco Digital’s successful entry into Italy. The provider rapidly localized its content to meet the specific demands of Italian players through tier-one partnerships:

Stanleybet.it: Launched 19 games, including the Italian-exclusive debut of Strange Spins.
888.it: Successfully rolled out the popular Super 7 3×3 title.

“We’re proud to be shortlisted for this award, which reflects the strength of our IRIS platform and the quality of the content we’ve delivered over the past year,” said Javier Sacristán Franco, International Business Director at R. Franco Digital. “Our team has worked hard to support operators with reliable, innovative solutions… we are delighted to see that effort recognised.”

The post R. Franco Digital Shortlisted for Casino Platform Excellence at EGR Europe Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Big Hot Flaming Pots

Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures – Lightning Box Brings Land-Based Hit Online

Published

4 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

big-hot-flaming-pots:-tasty-treasures-–-lightning-box-brings-land-based-hit-online

Light & Wonder has officially launched Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures, the digital debut of its highly successful land-based franchise. Developed by in-house specialist studio Lightning Box, this 3×5 slot offers 243 ways to win and a high-energy “three-pot” mechanic that has already become a staple on casino floors worldwide.

The game transitions the whimsical “dumpling-tossing” theme to online audiences, combining vibrant Asian-inspired aesthetics with a deep mathematical model designed for high-engagement sessions.

The Three-Pot Mechanic & Seven Feature Combinations

At the core of the gameplay is the persistent pot system. Landing specific colored coins fuels three separate pots—Yummy, Spicy, and Upsized. These pots can trigger individually or in any combination, leading to seven distinct bonus paths.

Feature Mode	Gameplay Enhancement
Yummy Mode	Increases the Hold & Spin respin counter from 3 to 4, significantly extending bonus life.
Spicy Mode	Introduces Chilli multipliers; landing a pepper adds its cash value to every symbol currently held on the board.
Upsized Mode	Unlocks a Dual Grid (two reel sets) for the Hold & Spin round, doubling the win potential.
Combined Modes	Triggering all three at once creates the “Mega Bonus,” featuring dual grids, 4 respins, and value-boosting peppers.

Innovation: The Stack N’ Hit Feature

Unlike traditional Hold & Spin mechanics where symbols simply lock until the round ends, Tasty Treasures introduces the Stack N’ Hit evolution.

Reel Clearing: When a vertical reel is filled with Bun symbols, the prizes are instantly collected, and the reel is cleared.
Persistent Respins: Clearing a reel creates open spaces for new prizes to land, allowing the bonus round to continue far longer than standard industry alternatives.
The Path to Grand: Each cleared reel activates a “Pepper Tracker” above it. Lighting up all five trackers awards the Grand Progressive Jackpot.

Jackpot Tiers & Base Game Depth

Operators benefit from a versatile math model that supports both consistent base-game performance and high-volatility jackpot chases.

Progressive Jackpots: Grand and Major tiers for life-changing win potential.
Fixed Jackpots: Minor and Mini tiers awarded through symbols landing during features.
Nudge Wilds: In the base game, Wild symbols can nudge to cover entire reels, assisting in achieving the 243-way payouts.

“Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures carries forward a brand that has already made its mark in land-based venues,” says Michael Maokhamphiou, Studio Director at Lightning Box. “This release offers operators a flexible, high-performing title that combines familiarity with fresh layers of engagement.”

The post Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures – Lightning Box Brings Land-Based Hit Online appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Blask Index

How Venezuela’s iGaming market is reacting to US pressure

Published

4 hours ago

January 8, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

how-venezuela’s-igaming-market-is-reacting-to-us-pressure

Blask data indicates Venezuela’s iGaming demand remained stable in the initial days following the US operation in Caracas.

On 3 January, US forces detained Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, transporting him from Caracas to face prosecution in New York. The raid came after months of intensifying American pressure throughout 2025 — naval presence, targeted strikes, and a fresh sanctions package.

For Venezuela’s iGaming sector, the disruption poses a critical question: will demand collapse, or adapt?

First results

Blask’s daily Index remained within a tight corridor from 1–4 January, hovering in the high-200K zone. It dropped 5% to 257.4K on the day of the operation, before recovering the next day.

The data reveals no abrupt demand shift during this period. A slight decline sits within Venezuela’s normal daily fluctuations and does not point to a fundamental market change.

Rapid expansion, growing dominance

Venezuela stood out as one of iGaming’s strongest demand gainers in 2025. Blask Index surged 134.9% year-on-year — the second-highest growth worldwide.

This expansion came alongside increasing market dominance. By December, Triunfo Bet commanded 59% of Blask’s BAP (Brand Accumulated Power, measuring a brand’s portion of total user interest nationally), gaining 15 percentage points since January. The top three brands collectively reached over 85%, up 11 points.

The post How Venezuela’s iGaming market is reacting to US pressure appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.