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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.
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Greece
Spinmatic goes live with Betsson in Greece

Spinmatic, B2B provider of premium casino games, and Betsson, a giant behind one of the world’s largest betting and online casino platforms, have partnered to bring some of the industry’s most exciting titles to Greece.
Following recent launches with leading operators in the region, Spinmatic continues its upward trajectory, delivering a portfolio that’s not only tuned to local markets but also stands out globally for its quality and creativity.
This exciting new deal builds on a long-standing partnership between Spinmatic’s sister company, GoldenRace, and Betsson – who have been enjoying the most realistic Virtual Sports and solutions on the market.
Anastasios Apostolou, Gaming Manager Greece at Betsson, proudly shared “We’re pleased to launch Spinmatic’s portfolio for our players in Greece. This addition enhances our offering with a selection of visually appealing and entertaining titles. At Betsson, we’re committed to continually broadening our content library to suit a wide range of player preferences, and Spinmatic’s games are a welcome addition to our diverse line-up.”
From fast-paced Crash games like Meteoroid Deluxe to the adventure-packed Ed Jones and the Book of Seth, Betsson players now have access to some of Spinmatic’s flagship titles. Whether they’re Jackpot chasers, retro lovers or high-speed thrill seekers, there’s a Spinmatic game ready to hit the mark.
“We are proud to see our games live with Betsson, a brand known for its high standards and player loyalty,” said Norbert Mathies, Managing Director at Spinmatic. “This partnership confirms that Spinmatic’s commitment to quality and innovation is exactly what leading operators are looking for.”
Greece’s regulated igaming market continues to offer exciting opportunities for forward-thinking brands. With major partnerships already live and more launches ahead, Spinmatic is demonstrating it’s ready to push even further.
The post Spinmatic goes live with Betsson in Greece appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Bill Hornbuckle
MGM Resorts Announces New Employment Agreement with CEO & President Bill Hornbuckle

MGM Resorts announced that it has reached a new employment agreement with CEO & President Bill Hornbuckle through December 31, 2028. As part of his new employment contract, the Company has also agreed to offer Hornbuckle an advisory agreement at the end of the term to assist with its integrated resort project in Osaka, Japan until its opening.
“Bill is an exceptional, visionary leader who successfully guided the company through the COVID-19 pandemic while also positioning the business for long-term growth through new digital ventures, strategic M&A opportunities, and expansion into new international markets. Bill has earned the trust, respect and admiration of his employees, peers, shareholders and this Board. We’re thrilled that he has agreed to remain in his role for the foreseeable future,” said Paul Salem, Chairman of the MGM Resorts Board of Directors.
“I am honored to continue leading this company at an exciting time of both digital growth and resort expansion in places like New York, Japan, Brazil and the Middle East. Our best days remain in front of us, and I’m thankful to our Board for their continued trust and support. The success we’ve enjoyed over the last five years is a testament to our leadership team and our employees who have embraced our culture of guest-centricity and continuous improvement. Together, we will continue to pursue our vision to be the world’s premiere gaming entertainment company,” said Hornbuckle.
As CEO, Hornbuckle oversees all aspects of MGM Resorts’ strategy, operations and hospitality and gaming development projects. He leads the company’s global development efforts and its digital gaming strategy. He is a member of MGM Resorts’ Board of Directors and serves as Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of MGM China Holdings, which operates resorts in Macau. He is also Chair of the U.S. Travel Association, a non-profit organization focused on growing travel and tourism to the United States, and he previously served as Chairman of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, which advises the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on policy, regulation, programs and issues that impact the travel and tourism industry in the US.
The post MGM Resorts Announces New Employment Agreement with CEO & President Bill Hornbuckle appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Annual American Business Awards
Scientific Games Wins Three 2025 American Business Awards for Lottery Retail Technology Innovation and Instant Scratch Game Achievement

Scientific Games was recognized with three prestigious honors in the 23rd Annual American Business Awards. The global lottery company won two Gold ABA awards for its retail technology, SCiQ and PlayCentral Powered by SCiQ, in the Operations Management Solutions and Emerging Technology categories, respectively. Scientific Games’ recently retired VP, Instant Game Production, Joe Bennett, earned a Silver ABA Award for Achievement in Management—Manufacturing, recognizing his career contributions in secure lottery instant game production.
Scientific Games President, Americas & Global Instant Products, John Schulz, said: “It’s an incredible honor to have SCiQ and PlayCentral Powered by SCiQ recognized with 2025 Gold American Business Awards. These awards reflect the strength of our innovation and the dedication of our teams to modernizing the retail lottery experience. We’re also deeply proud of Joe Bennett’s Silver Award. Joe’s leadership across three decades has helped define secure instant game manufacturing for Scientific Games and the industry during his tenure.”
This year, more than 3700 nominations from organizations of all sizes and industries were submitted to the ABAs. Winners were scored by more than 300 professionals worldwide during a rigorous judging process evaluating innovation, integrity, effectiveness, creativity, and growth. The Gold Award represents the highest honor in each category, reserved for the top-scoring entry, with the Silver Award representing the second-highest honor. The ABAs are nicknamed “Stevies” for the Greek word meaning “crowned”.
SCiQ is Scientific Games’ groundbreaking ecosystem designed to transform lottery instant game retailing. It brings advanced inventory management, security, and real-time sales tracking to retail locations, providing retailers, lotteries, and players with a smarter, more secure way to sell and purchase instant games. PlayCentral Powered by SCiQ extends the SCiQ ecosystem to lottery self-service retail environments. Integrating SCiQ technology into PlayCentral HD self-service vending machines allows for unprecedented inventory control, improved game security, and seamless retail operations, enhancing the player experience while optimizing lottery revenues.
Over his 34-year career at Scientific Games, Joe Bennett has driven significant advancements in digital transformation, manufacturing efficiency, and security innovation. He led the transition to a fully integrated digital production ecosystem and introduced patented encryption technologies that protect the integrity of instant lottery games. Under his leadership, Scientific Games now produces more than 53 billion secure, high-quality instant games annually. Bennett retired from the company in April 2025.
The post Scientific Games Wins Three 2025 American Business Awards for Lottery Retail Technology Innovation and Instant Scratch Game Achievement appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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