1/ST CONTENT, the leading supplier of high-quality horse racing content from North and South America and an important segment of 1/ST, has revealed that its North American racing is now accessible for pool betting by UK bettors at racetracks throughout the UK, due to a significant partnership with Britbet.

Britbet serves as the on-course pool betting operator for its affiliated racecourses, delivering customer-focused pool betting services at 58 of the 59 tracks in the UK. Consequently, this agreement will provide additional pari-mutuel liquidity for 1/ST CONTENT’s extensive range of North American racetracks.

This agreement also utilizes 1/ST TECHNOLOGY’s extensive range of products and services, featuring the AmTote International brand, which is a global leader in pari-mutuel tote and ADW technologies.

Bet categories will encompass, but are not restricted to: Win, Show, Exacta, and Trifecta. These betting types can be easily aligned with well-known UK pool wagers. Additional betting options are anticipated to emerge, but the initial available types largely reflect the more favored on-course betting selections in the UK.

Britbet’s UK staff on-site, available in fixed retail roles or as roaming couriers in hospitality zones, are committed to enhancing the customer experience at racetracks. Incorporating US racing will support this initiative, providing greater content and interaction for customers.

The latest rollout introduces the top stateside races to UK racecourses – starting with this Saturday’s Pegasus World Cup, continuing with the spring’s Triple Crown events, the summer Travers Stakes at Saratoga, and concluding at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in November. In a broader sense, 1/ST CONTENT’s vast content collection now encompasses almost 90% of all racetracks in North America, seamlessly aligning with the UK’s domestic program around 17:00 (approximately) each day, and especially relevant during winter and spring when evening racing events are significantly reduced in Britain.

Simon Fraser, SVP International 1/ST CONTENT, said: “Britbet already sells the product so effectively on-course, returning much-needed funding to the sport, and we were impressed with this racing-first model and tech-forward approach. Couple that with the enthusiasm of their customer-friendly staff to educate both seasoned and novice bettors about North American racing, and we’re confident we can build from this pools-betting keystone.

“1/ST CONTENT is always looking for new ways in which to improve the user experience and journey, for both the bettor and the operator – and we’re in the vanguard of such initiatives thanks to this transformative collaboration with Britbet. It’s no secret that international bettors want access to bigger and more diverse pools to bet into, not to mention reliable field sizes with the betting value and variety that comes from exotics. North American racing provides these new opportunities on a regular basis, and at a complementary time for more savvy British racecourse audiences who are looking for a relatable and quality product to bet on, as the domestic scene winds down each day.”

Nigel Roddis, Managing Director of Britbet, added: “This arrangement with 1/ST CONTENT allows us to make more use of the i-neda technology that drives our on-course betting terminals, delivering more content for on-course customers – even though time-zone differentials and the racing on-course will necessitate that a selective approach is taken to what will be offered. But it is part of our wider commitment at Britbet to grow pool betting across the UK, from our own on-course perspective and beyond. This collaboration builds on that, delivering new content for the customer and enhancing their on-course experience. Providing our customers with visibility of racing in other jurisdictions demonstrates the global nature of the sport, and we look forward to showcasing the key events at our partner racecourses.”

State of Gaming for Marketers 2026 reveals how AI-driven scale, global UA spend, and China-based publishers are reshaping mobile gaming competition

AppsFlyer, the Modern Marketing Cloud, today released the State of Gaming for Marketers 2026, an in-depth analysis of how AI, creative scale, and rising paid pressure reshaped mobile gaming marketing in 2025. Drawing on AppsFlyer data, the report examines how studios adapted as marketing activity expanded faster than player attention.

In 2025, AI-enabled production coincided with a sharp increase in advertising across iOS and Android. Creative output scaled rapidly across all spending tiers, with top gaming advertisers producing between 2,400 and 2,600 creative variations per quarter, up 25–30% YoY. That expansion increased pressure on paid acquisition channels. Paid install share rose 10% YoY across iOS and Android, while ad impressions increased 20%, indicating a significant rise in the number of ads competing for the same pool of players. To manage rising marketing volume and fragmentation, AI-enabled tools became a common part of daily workflows with 46% of AI assistant queries focused on reporting and performance breakdowns, reflecting the need for faster visibility as data volumes grew.

“AI has dramatically increased the speed and volume at which games and marketing assets reach the market,” says Adam Smart, Director of Product, Gaming at AppsFlyer. “The result is not a shortage of creativity, but a surplus of it. As paid activity and creative supply expand faster than player attention, marketing success depends on how effectively teams can measure, interpret, and act on an increasing volume of fragmented signals.”

Additional key insights from the State of Gaming for Marketers 2026

•     Global gaming app UA spend reached $25B in 2025. Midcore UA spend increased 28% YoY on iOS, while Android spend remained largely flat.
  ●     China-headquartered publishers increased their share of global gaming UA spend. Their share grew by 26% YoY in the UK, and 22% globally, with gains strongest on Android.
  ●     iOS paid installs reached record highs. Share in the UK rose across Casino (+13%), Hypercasual (+10%), and Midcore (+30%).
  ●     iOS advertisers expanded media mix to find incremental scale. iOS gaming advertisers increased the number of media sources they used by up to 15% YoY, reflecting growing fragmentation and the need to diversify beyond core channels.
  ●     AI is still used primarily to manage marketing scale, not strategy.  With 46% of AI assistant queries focused on reporting and performance breakdowns, teams are using AI to keep pace with rising data volumes rather than replace decision-making, but some genres are already employing more complex tasks and asks.

Methodology

AppsFlyer’s State of Gaming for Marketers 2026 is based on anonymized, aggregated data from 9.6 thousand gaming apps worldwide, analyzing 24.8 billion total installs, including 14.1 billion paid installs, alongside ad spend, creative production, monetization, AI-assisted workflows, and media source usage across iOS and Android during 2025.

The full report is available at: appsflyer.com/resources/reports/gaming-marketers/

Distribution deal sees leading racing provider for the Americas extend its scope into Italy’s local pool betting via governing body for horse racing

1/ST CONTENT, the pre-eminent provider of premium North and South American horse racing content and a key division of 1/ST, has continued to grow its international footprint in a new partnership with the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (MASAF) in the run-up to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, one of the true highlights on the global racing calendar.

The deal now opens a breakthrough gateway for local pool betting on North American, South American and Turkish racing in Italy – and was soft-launched over last month’s 100th edition of the Hambletonian at The Meadowlands, NJ. This milestone renewal, the pinnacle of harness racing and a format of the sport which is particularly popular with Italian racing fans, fostered immediate fan engagement, as reported by MASAF this month via https://www.grandeippicaitaliana.it/.

The agreement kicks off with the 2025 flagship finale at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in Del Mar (31 October – 1 November) and brings many of the premier stateside races to Italy, including the Pegasus World Cup (24 January) and the Triple Crown contests of Preakness 151 (16 May) and the Belmont Stakes (6 June). In the aggregate, 1/ST CONTENT’s extensive content portfolio maps approximately 90% of all North American racetracks, alongside South American and Turkish venues, neatly complementing Italy’s domestic sporting action with a reliable source of fast-settling betting content between 18:00 and 05:00 CET.

Italian and North American horse racing currently enjoy a strong reciprocal bond, thanks to three of Italy’s leading jockeys in Frankie Dettori, Umberto Rispoli and Antonio Fresu plying their trade in North America. These three Italian ambassadors were recently introduced to a mainstream global audience via Netflix’s acclaimed Race For The Crown.

1/ST CONTENT’s worldwide experience and customer base for pools betting features the Americas, Morocco, Italy, Singapore, Australia, Turkey, Sweden, France, New Zealand and Hong Kong. As a result, by leveraging 1/ST CONTENT’s unparalleled expertise in capturing and streaming elite live-racing events, bettors across Italy can now enjoy a best-in-breed international racing experience.

Key features of the deal include but are not limited to:

1. Comprehensive Coverage: exclusive signals of all racetracks in the United States, Canada, South America and Turkey, ensuring an extensive and diverse range of racing content for Italian audiences.
2. Cutting-Edge Technology: high-quality, immersive broadcasts, providing viewers with an unparalleled access to live racing and informative content that both engages the seasoned viewer and educates those unfamiliar with the sport.
3. Enhanced Viewer Engagement: accompanying innovative marketing strategies, promotions, and engagement initiatives, enhancing the overall viewer experience and speaking to a dedicated racing community in Italy

Simon Fraser, Senior Vice President International at 1/ST CONTENT, said: “We’re thrilled to be working as a partner with MASAF on a program to rejuvenate their horse racing audience and breathe new life into the Italian industry. Our collaboration marks a cornerstone from which we can build together to ensure that racing is competitive with other betting options and further expands 1/ST’s global reach.”

Remo Chiodi, Director General for Horse Racing at MASAF, added: “This partnership is part of a broader framework aimed at strengthening relations between Italy and the United States in the horseracing sector: it is a path that consolidates ties between the two countries, enhances both our national excellence and international achievements, and opens up new opportunities for growth and exchange. It is a step that also involves breeding and training, while highlighting the image of Italian racing excellence in the United States, represented by our most renowned jockeys competing overseas.

“Thanks to this agreement, major American racing events will be broadcast free-to-air on EQU TV, expanding the television offering and allowing betting on the races within a fully integrated system. After years of challenges, Italian racing is redefining the entire sector to restore our sport to a position of strength, both at home and abroad.”