Latest News
City Bet Club records most bookie-friendly World Cup in history
Tournament of record margins – but early punter wipe-outs have likely impacted overall turnover
City Bet Club, the expert tipster service founded by leading betting industry veterans, has announced that it expects this year’s World Cup to have been the most bookmaker-friendly in recent history.
In what will no doubt prove to be a standout event for years to come, the tournament has likely been the best ever in terms of margin for bookies, with not a single day during the group stages seeing all favourites winning their games.
With early shocks including Saudi Arabia beating Argentina, Germany’s defeat to Japan and Tunisia overcoming France, the bookies saw significant revenue netted far earlier than usual in the tournament.
As well as significant losses in the group stages, higher than expected revenue for bookmakers was compounded further with multiple 90-minute draws during the knockout stages.
As a result, this year’s World Cup is likely to point towards a significant margin-win for betting operators, and early-stage wipe-outs for many punters.
However, with a finite spend for punters, City Bet Club predicts that turnover levels will have been significantly impacted during the knockout stages of the tournament, with publicly listed operators’ January 2023’s earnings reports likely to downgrade many financial analysts’ expectations.
Commenting, David Brown, Co-founder of City Bet Club, said: “In reflecting on this year’s World Cup, and taking my personal industry experience of every tournament since Argentina 1978 into account, this is by far the most bookie-friendly competition in terms of results that I’ve ever known.
“I’m also picking up whispers from around the industry that ‘like for like’ turnover is down significantly on Russia 2018 levels. Now, part of this could be down to the results and timing, but it is also likely to be an effect of the compliance hoops both bookmakers and punters must go through now.
“All eyes are now on the return of the Premier League. City Bet Club can really help to empower recreational punters with pro punter insight. We complete this research so that our members don’t have to, and we can’t wait to keep fuelling a high level of sports betting engagement in the new year.”
Founded in 2022, City Bet Club is led by industry veteran David Brown – who set out to create a member’s club that provides the shrewdest sports betting selections on the market.
By utilising the trading expertise and bookmaking insights of its founding members, its ethos is to provide consistently high-quality insight that is exclusive to City Bet Club members at an affordable subscription price.
Staffed with an expert team of industry insiders who research daily betting opportunities in great depth, the company offers a potent combination of high-quality people, technology, and contacts to put the odds in the punter’s favour.
Powered by WPeMatico
Casino Guru
Casino Guru Academy hits 5,000-user milestone
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Casino Guru Academy has officially crossed the 5,000-user mark, which clearly demonstrates a growing interest in accessible and meaningful education for iGaming professionals.
As an extension of Casino Guru, the world’s biggest source of information about online casinos and player advocacy, the Academy offers free practical courses that help raise as well as improve iGaming industry standards.
Five thousand users who joined Casino Guru Academy demonstrate how useful education can be, particularly when produced in partnership with industry experts. Courses that the Academy provides focus on real-world tools and skills required in customer support, anti-money laundering, affiliate management, safer gambling, and more.
“The fact that we now have over 5,000 users is a huge success for us, as it shows how many people value this kind of learning. Having companies use our courses for onboarding is one of the key reasons we have reached this milestone. It proves there’s genuine demand for our work and supports the impact we aim to create,” said Šimon Vincze, Sustainable & Safer Gambling Lead and the person behind the Casino Guru Academy.
This accomplishment follows the Academy’s first-ever appearance at SiGMA Malta in September 2025, when the team behind the Academy introduced its mission to a larger audience. The event exceeded all expectations and was a key step toward developing direct connections with its audience.
Additionally, Casino Guru Academy has introduced an upgraded version of its website to make course navigation easier, increase accessibility, and provide a more engaging experience. The new layout also creates a path for future development as the Academy broadens its course library.
With that said, a new course on responses to self-harm and suicide threats is in the works and should be released by the end of the year. It’s intended for customer support agents and responsible gambling representatives to recognize players in distress, respond to potential self-harm threats, and take action.
With the 5,000-user milestone achieved and new design improvements completed, the Casino Guru Academy continues to grow, making a positive impact on the iGaming community.
The post Casino Guru Academy hits 5,000-user milestone appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
ArenaPlus
DigiPlus Partners with Pay&Go
Reading Time: 2 minutes
DigiPlus Interactive Corp. (DigiPlus), the pioneer and leading digital entertainment provider behind BingoPlus, ArenaPlus and GameZone, announced a strategic partnership with Pay&Go, one of the leading providers of self-service payment kiosks, to expand secure and convenient wallet-loading options for its players.
Through this new payments partnership, DigiPlus and Pay&Go, the self-service payment kiosks operated by BTI Payment Philippines, a subsidiary of Australia-based Banktech, will enable users to fund their e-wallets with utmost ease by way of its growing network of 3500 self-service kiosks. With a cash-out feature also being eyed early next year, this collaboration kicks off with BingoPlus and will expand soon to ArenaPlus and GameZone.
“Our commitment at DigiPlus has always been to deliver digital entertainment that is engaging, trustworthy, and service-oriented. Achieving that requires strong partnerships with organizations that share our commitment to customer trust and service excellence. This partnership with Pay&Go is grounded in innovation, accessibility, and a shared mission to serve more Filipinos through secure and convenient payment touchpoints. This means more access, more convenience, and more ways for our community to enjoy the DigiPlus experience wherever they are,” said Jasper Vicencio, President of AB Leisure Exponent Inc. and Total Gamezone Xtreme Inc.
Formally signed on November 26, this partnership agreement was led by Vicencio together with Danilo Ibarra, CEO of BTI Payments Philippines and its COO Mariel Medina, pairing the former’s growing digital ecosystem with the latter’s operational expertise.
“We are excited to support DigiPlus with Pay&Go’s nationwide footprint. Together, we’re making trusted payment access available to more BingoPlus players across the country and soon with ArenaPlus and GameZone. DigiPlus sets a high bar on player trust and Pay&Go is determined to meet it,” said Ibarra.
DigiPlus partners only with payment channels certified by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in accordance with the requirements set by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). In partnering with BTI Payments, a certified Operator for Payment System (OPS) and Independent ATM Deployer (IAD) whose breadth of experience spans for over 25 years, DigiPlus taps into decades of expertise in transaction processing and payment device management.
The Pay&Go payment kiosks partnership significantly expands DigiPlus’ comprehensive customer service and player support network. This existing network currently includes dedicated in-house 24/7 customer support, over 130 physical BingoPlus stores nationwide, over-the-counter payment channel options and a surety bond protecting player wallets. The expansion of these service touchpoints is a testament to DigiPlus’ ongoing commitment to providing safe, reliable and accessible digital entertainment to the Filipino market.
The post DigiPlus Partners with Pay&Go appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Compliance Updates
Regulators Call for Stronger Measures Against Illegal Online Gambling
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Regulators of Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Portugal and Spain issued a joint institutional statement.
The fight against illegal online gambling is one of the paramount tasks facing regulated jurisdictions. Its borderless nature and the speed of technological innovation make it easier for illegal operators to evade regulatory oversight. This creates significant risks for consumer and public health protection, endanger public order and harms the activity of legitimate operators. In short, illegal online gambling undermines the entire regulatory framework designed to protect the public interest.
The statement reads: “We express our common concern regarding the increasing proliferation of advertising targeting our jurisdictions by unauthorised operators, particularly through digital channels such as social media, video platforms, and affiliate networks. These activities not only violate our national laws but also expose citizens — including minors and vulnerable individuals — to significant risks associated with illegal gambling.
“We wish to express our strong commitment to consumer protection, market integrity, and compliance with national and international regulations within the respective legal framework by:
• sharing information on illegal operators among us
• calling on digital platforms and social media networks to strengthen their control mechanisms to prevent the dissemination of advertising content from unauthorised operators
• reaffirming our commitment to share knowledge and better practices in identifying, investigating, and sanctioning operators acting outside the law.
This statement marks a renewed and united commitment by our jurisdictions to strengthen the integrity of the regulated gambling sector and to protect citizens from the risks posed by illegal gambling activities.”
The post Regulators Call for Stronger Measures Against Illegal Online Gambling appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
2025 Global Regulatory Awards7 days agoVixio Announces Winners for the 2025 Global Regulatory Awards
-
Booming Games7 days agoHo-Ho-Hold onto Your Wins! Booming Games Takes Festive Fun to the Next Level with Santa in Vegas!
-
BGaming6 days agoWeek 47/2025 slot games releases
-
Australia6 days agoVGCCC: EGM Application Improvements Consultation
-
Anthony Dalla-Giacoma7 days agoSwintt serve up a new holiday slot with all the trimmings in Extra Win X Thanksgiving
-
Balkans6 days agoEGT to reveal advanced Supreme cabinets and multigame mixes at BEGE Expo 2025
-
8MBets6 days agoHimalayan Harmony Group Unveils Partnership with Some of Nepal’s Most Trusted Online Casino Brands
-
Compliance Updates6 days ago“Get Your Life Back, Stop Gambling” Campaign Wins Bronze Effie Worldwide Award



