Latest News
UK Tote extends XB Net deal to offer premium North American racing ahead of the Breeders’ Cup
British racing’s pool betting operator rolls out an expanded U.S. horse racing program to its customers in enlarged agreement with leading Stateside supplier for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships
XB Net, the leading provider of premium content for North American racing, has renewed its existing commingling distribution deal with powerhouse operator, UK Tote Group.
The UK Tote Group is the owner of the UK Tote, the largest privately owned Tote in the world, and is committed to growing its comprehensive horse racing portfolio to ensure all the best racing from around the world is available to its UK and Irish customers at www.tote.co.uk.
This agreement sees the UK Tote secure the overwhelming majority of premier stateside races for its highly engaged digital UK and Irish racing fans, including this week’s annual showpiece festival at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in Keeneland, which runs from 4-5 November, where XB Net leverages an exclusive long-term partnership as the international-rights distributor.
More broadly, the deal offers a wider range of XB Net’s live pictures, data and betting services from an unrivalled network of over 60 North American tracks (over 75% of U.S. horse racing). This allows the UK Tote to flexibly populate its programming timetable, thereby offering customers an authentic U.S. horse racing service which neatly plugs any gap on the daily betting calendar with engaging, easy-access content. The UK Tote platform harnesses everything required to run a responsible horse racing business across online and mobile.
This daily schedule of immersive content, which chronologically transitions the UK and Ireland’s domestic horse racing scene, ensures the UK Tote has a reliable source of fast-settling betting content following the conclusion of UK and Irish racing. The engaging action is proven to capture and retain the attention of audiences during competitive digital-entertainment cycles, driving new revenue streams across many of the planet’s most prestigious horse races. These include the Pegasus World Cup, two legs of the revered Triple Crown, featuring the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, alongside the aforementioned Breeders’ Cup.
XB Net is the proven pacesetter for live North American racing content, managing international rights, data, odds and live broadcast and video streaming on behalf of its growing global portfolio of partners. Corralling low-latency feeds from more than 2,500 meetings, and showcasing over 25,000 races per year, North American racing is continuing to entertain more and more bettors worldwide.
Currently working with many of the world’s leading fixed-odds, spread-betting and commingled wagering companies (such as Flutter Entertainment, bet365, William Hill, Playtech and Entain) XB Net enjoys a growing geographic footprint in mature and emerging markets across Europe, the UK and Ireland, Asia, North and Central America, and Australia.
Jon Knapman, Chief Commercial Officer at UK Tote Group, said: “As a leading player in pool betting, we want to provide our customers with the biggest global pools and for them to be able to bet on the best racing in the world. With pool betting being dominant in U.S. racing, we are delighted to work with XB Net as the leading distributor of North American content, integrating improved feeds alongside associated data and content, such as silks and ratings, with which to elevate the experience for our customers.
“Our customers have already seen the added enjoyment and value that U.S. racing brings to the wider horse racing fan experience. Now it’s an honour to be bringing the Breeders’ Cup World Championships to our UK and Irish audience in what promises to be a thrilling renewal.”
Simon Fraser, Senior Vice President International at XB Net, added: “Securing this continued collaboration with a brand as synonymous with racing as UK Tote Group is another feather in the cap of our diligent team. We’ve been impressed by the UK Tote Group’s recent moves to reignite the UK Tote for a contemporary racing audience, and XB Net’s wide range of low-latency racing solutions and racetracks are providing them with a deeper well from which to draw premium content.
“Indeed, it’s a privilege to continue working in tandem with proven partners like UK Tote Group and the Breeders’ Cup to optimize and increase the returns to North American racing from overseas during a challenging economic period. Returning the value to racing, racetracks, owners and Horsemen’s groups will help safeguard the future of the sport we all love.
“Live, premium daily sport is ostensibly an easy sell wherever you are in the world. Tellingly, though, if that sport’s betting markets are consistent and its framework familiar to the end user (allied to synchronicity with local leisure periods) then we’ve found that engagement gains quicker and more durable traction with audiences.
“The GMT time zone is, of course, well-positioned to migrate from its domestic racing scene into top-class ‘evening’ meetings stateside, so high-quality 24/7 programming is now an attainable reality for our customers. We can’t wait to see how our comprehensive package continues to perform for the Tote over a range of coming attractions this winter, with this week’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships, for which we hold the international distribution rights, an imminent highlight.”
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Arizona
Arizona Department of Gaming Reports $44.9 Million in Tribal Gaming Contributions for the Second Quarter of Fiscal Year 2026
The Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) announced today $44,891,270 in tribal gaming contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund for the second quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. This represents an approximate 5.6 percent increase when compared to the same quarter of FY 2025.
“The financial support that tribal gaming provides the state of Arizona continues to power local and statewide needs that are vital to healthy and safe communities,” said Jackie Johnson, Director of the ADG. “With nearly $45 million in tribal gaming contributions in the most recent period, the Department is proud to ensure the continuation of important revenue streams that positively impact Arizonans.”
The Arizona Benefits Fund receives 88 percent of tribal gaming contributions, providing significant dollars to support instructional improvement for schools, trauma and emergency care, tourism, and wildlife conservation throughout the state. If interested in viewing the cumulative tribal gaming contributions by year, please visit our reports webpage: gaming.az.gov/resources/reports.
Tribal gaming contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund for the second quarter of the State’s FY 2026 are as follows:
Instructional Improvement Fund/Education………………………………………………..$22,373,810
Trauma and Emergency Services Fund………………………………………………………..$11,186,905
Arizona Department of Gaming Operating Costs………………………………………….$4,040,214
Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund……………………………………………………………$3,196,258
Tourism Fund…………………………………………………………………………………………..$3,196,258
Problem Gambling Education, Treatment and Prevention……………………………..$897,825
Total: Tribal Gaming Contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund……………………..$44,891,270
Per the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact, the remaining 12 percent is distributed by the tribes to the cities, towns, and counties of their choosing for community services and public safety programs for local governments. Since FY 2004, cumulative contributions have totaled approximately $2.5 billion, benefitting both the state and its cities, towns, and counties.
Currently, there are 26 Class III casinos in Arizona, which ADG regulates in partnership with Arizona tribes. For more information, view our tribal gaming webpage: gaming.az.gov/tribal-gaming-page.
The post Arizona Department of Gaming Reports $44.9 Million in Tribal Gaming Contributions for the Second Quarter of Fiscal Year 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
888.it
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):
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Jurisdictional Reach: Certified in 6 jurisdictions and operational in over 10 regulated markets.
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Content Depth: Seamlessly integrated with over 1,600 games from global third-party providers.
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Operational Stability: Provides 24/7 multilingual support and advanced real-time analytics for operators.
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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:
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Stanleybet.it: Launched 19 games, including the Italian-exclusive debut of Strange Spins.
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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
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.
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Reel Clearing: When a vertical reel is filled with Bun symbols, the prizes are instantly collected, and the reel is cleared.
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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.
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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.
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Progressive Jackpots: Grand and Major tiers for life-changing win potential.
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Fixed Jackpots: Minor and Mini tiers awarded through symbols landing during features.
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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.
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