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World Pool returns to UK and Ireland with launch of £50,000 jockeys’ charity prize
World Pool, the largest globally commingled horse racing pools created and powered by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, will make its UK seasonal bow at Newmarket Racecourse on Saturday 4 May, where a brand new £50,000 initiative is being launched for jockeys.
For the first time the opening two Classics of the UK Flat season will both be World Pool events, with the QIPCO 1000 Guineas on Sunday 5 May becoming a new World Pool race this year and joining the 2000 Guineas run the day before.
Guineas weekend will also see the start of a new World Pool initiative, the World Pool UK & Ireland Jockeys’ Championship, where jockeys will compete to accumulate points across World Pool fixtures in the UK & Ireland.
For the winning jockey of every World Pool race in the UK and Ireland, points will be awarded based on the World Pool win dividend. The concept of this point system offers a level playing field for all jockeys, from leaders to rising stars, and their chances of winning are dictated by the public as reflected by their World Pool odds.
Beginning with the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, the competition will conclude on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on 19 October, with the winner receiving £50,000 to be donated to a charity of their choice.
A further new addition to the World Pool calendar this year will be the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas on Sunday 26 May. The Tattersalls Gold Cup, run on the same day, will also be a World Pool race for the first time, with prize money increased from €450,000 in 2023 to €500,000 this year.
Following the successful introduction of World Pool Moment of the Year in 2022 in Great Britain and Ireland, this will continue in 2024 covering all full World Pool meetings and will reward stable staff with cash prizes, as well as a VIP trip to Hong Kong for four people in 2025 to the overall winner.
One World Pool Moment of the Day will be selected at each full World Pool meeting with the winning groom receiving HK$40,000 (or equivalent – £4,000 in the UK and €4,000 in Ireland).
Michael Fitzsimons, Executive Director, Wagering Products of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “It’s fantastic to be returning to the UK and Ireland with an extended World Pool fixture list this year now featuring the English and Irish 1000 Guineas, and we look forward to making these historic fillies’ Classics available to customers from around the world.
“In addition to the popular World Moment of the Day initiative, we’re excited to announce the new World Pool UK & Ireland Jockeys’ Championship, which will provide a different dimension and further competition to World Pool racedays right up until QIPCO British Champions Day in October.
“It’s a unique competition, with a jockey’s points being determined by World Pool win dividends, and a great initiative as there’s £50,000 up for grabs for the leading rider to donate to a charity of their choice. We are committed to giving money back to racing and good causes, and this seemed the perfect way to do that.”
Alex Frost, Chief Executive of the UK Tote Group, said: “It’s always an exciting time of year as the Flat season gets underway and we’re delighted that both the UK’s first Classics are World Pool events. City Of Troy has the potential to be a global superstar and we look forward to his seasonal reappearance being watched and bet on by 28 countries who play into the UK’s first World Pool event of 2024.
“Racing fans in the UK and Ireland will be able to access the huge global pools at tote.co.uk, on the Tote App and at racecourses which means excellent value is on offer, while the sport benefits from this increasingly important revenue stream.”
Martin Stevenson, Chief Executive Officer of Racecourse Media Group (RMG), which represents the media interests of The Jockey Club, Goodwood, and York Racecourses, said: “RMG looks forward to another exciting World Pool season in UK and Ireland, and will continue to work closely with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, UK Tote and our racecourses to grow both the sport’s revenues and global appeal.”
Amy Starkey, Managing Director, Jockey Club Racecourses, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and thank them for their support as we deliver three exciting World Pool days across the QIPCO Guineas Festival and the Betfred Derby Festival.
“For the first time in the UK, we have worked alongside World Pool to host a nine-race card on QIPCO 2000 Guineas Day. This will include the first Classic of the season, whilst we are also delighted to feature the following day’s three-year-old Classic Fillies’ race, the QIPCO 1000 Guineas, as a World Pool race for the first time.
“World Pool enables strong reinvestment back into British racing and working alongside them to secure these additional races is an important step as we continue to strengthen links with Hong Kong, engage more fans with British racing and strive to grow our sport.”
Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive of the Curragh Racecourse, said: “We are delighted to extend our relationship with World Pool in 2024 with the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas and the Tattersalls Gold Cup on 26 May and the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby meeting on 30 June included in the programme.
“We had a very positive first experience with World Pool last year and look forward to building on it this year, bringing our racing to a wider audience. Irish horses have enjoyed great success internationally in recent years and we are delighted to be showcasing our best races through World Pool.
“Inclusion in World Pool has enabled us to increase prizemoney at the Curragh in 2024 and we look forward to developing this relationship further in the future.”
Upcoming UK and Irish World Pool events in first half of 2024:
May
Saturday 4: 2000 Guineas Day – Newmarket Racecourse (F)
Sunday 5: 1000 Guineas Day – Newmarket Racecourse (S)
Saturday 18: Lockinge Stakes Day – Newbury Racecourse (P)
Sunday 26: Irish 1000 Guineas Day – Curragh Racecourse (P)
June
Saturday 1: Derby Stakes Day – Epsom Racecourse (F)
Tuesday 18: Queen Anne Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
Wednesday 19: Prince of Wales’s Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
Thursday 20: Gold Cup Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
Friday 21: Commonwealth Cup Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
Saturday 22: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
Sunday 30: Irish Derby Day – Curragh Racecourse (F)
*F: Full meeting – World Pool coverage on all races in the relevant meeting
P: Part meeting – World Pool coverage only on selected races in the relevant meeting
S: Single race – World Pool coverage only on this race in the relevant meeting
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Awards
Esportes Gaming Brasil takes two ClienteSA Awards 2026 wins; exec named Personality of the Year
Esportes Gaming Brasil (EGB), the group behind the Esportes da Sorte, Onabet and Lottu brands, has won Gold and Silver at the ClienteSA Awards 2026, held during the ClienteSA X-Summit 2026.
EGB said it won Gold in the Customer Success category for its case study, “Customer Success through Responsible Gaming and Intelligent Monitoring”, and Silver in the Customer Service Operations category for its case study, “From Startup to Maturity”.
Maria Neves, Director of Customer Experience, Customer Support and Reputation Channels, was also named Personality of the Year, an award that recognises leaders in customer experience management in Brazil. “This recognition validates the work of many people, built through listening, team development and a commitment to delivering the best possible customer experience. In a constantly evolving market, putting the customer at the centre of every decision is fundamental to the way we operate,” Neves said.
EGB executives also took part in the summit programme. Neves moderated a panel titled “Responsible Gaming as Part of the Customer Experience Journey,” featuring Carol Luna, Head of Compliance at the company, and Ricardo Magri, co-founder of the Brazilian Support Company for Compulsive Gambling (EBAC), which EGB described as a partner organisation.
During the session, the panellists discussed Brazil’s regulated betting market and how customer service, compliance and responsible gaming processes are being positioned as part of a safer customer journey. EGB highlighted initiatives including specialist support teams trained to identify signs of customer vulnerability, self-exclusion tools, platform usage limits and referral processes to specialist partner organisations.
The post Esportes Gaming Brasil takes two ClienteSA Awards 2026 wins; exec named Personality of the Year appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Games Valley has appointed Robert Dowling as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), effective July 15, 2026. The company said Dowling is joining full-time after working with Games Valley as a strategic consultant since the beginning of 2026.
In the CRO role, Dowling will lead Games Valley’s global commercial and marketing operations, including sales, strategic partnerships and revenue growth. The company said he will also support its expansion into regulated markets alongside the executive team.
Dowling has more than a decade of iGaming experience and has held senior commercial roles at technology providers including Ganapati, Singular and EveryMatrix.
Ariel Reem, CEO of Games Valley, said: “Robert has already made a significant impact on our business over the past six months. His strategic mindset, commercial expertise and deep understanding of the industry have helped strengthen our growth plans, making this a natural next step. We’re delighted to welcome him to the executive team as Chief Revenue Officer as we continue building one of the industry’s most modern aggregation platforms. As we continue expanding into regulated markets, Robert’s experience and commercial leadership will be instrumental in helping us achieve our long-term ambitions.”
Robert Dowling, CRO at Games Valley, added: “Working with Games Valley over the past few months has confirmed what I believed from day one, that this is a company with a clear vision, exceptional technology and an ambitious team. The platform has been built to solve real challenges for operators, while giving suppliers faster and more effective routes to market. I’m excited to officially join the business and help drive the next phase of growth as we continue expanding our global footprint and bringing our platform to more regulated markets.”
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Merkur Group has agreed to acquire U.S. slots provider White Hat Studios, as the company moves to expand its operations in the regulated U.S. iGaming market. The agreement was announced Wednesday 15th July 2026 and is subject to regulatory approvals.
Merkur said the acquisition will support its U.S. expansion and complements its recent acquisition of Gaming Arts, the Nevada-licensed game and machine supplier. The group said it intends to use a combined portfolio spanning online-first and omni-channel games to support operator partners’ growth plans.
White Hat Studios launched in 2021 and the company said it was the first to launch online slots across all seven regulated states. Its portfolio includes the ‘House of Brands’ slot collection, the 7s Fire Blitz
game series, and the Jackpot Royale progressive network.
Andy Whitworth, President of White Hat Studios, said: “Joining Merkur Group is an exciting moment for everyone associated with White Hat Studios and, fundamentally, it is the best possible move to realise our ambitions for future growth and product innovation. Working alongside the hugely experienced Merkur team will open new possibilities for us across iGaming and enhance our ability to develop a world-class omni-channel proposition that will benefit both operators and players.”
Lars Felderhoff, Chairman of the Merkur Management Board, commented: “White Hat Studios has delivered impressive growth since its launch. We look forward to working with the team to continue the U.S. success story and, in turn, Merkur’s expansion in regulated iGaming.” Michael Gauselmann, Chairman of the Merkur Supervisory Board, added: “Having made early inroads into the online space in Europe via our Blueprint acquisition in 2012, I am delighted by this latest development and am confident that White Hat Studios will be a great addition to our group.”
Merkur said the White Hat Gaming platform and white label businesses are not part of the transaction and will remain under their current ownership. White Hat Studios was advised by Oakvale Capital, with legal advisors CMS for White Hat Studios and Wiggin for Merkur.
The post Merkur Group agrees acquisition of White Hat Studios appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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