Latest News
Martin Lycka to Welcome Former Liverpool and Leeds Star to Safe Bet Show at SBC Summit 2025
Safer gambling expert Martin Lycka will welcome former Liverpool and Leeds defender Dominic Matteo to SBC Summit 2025 for a live edition of The Safe Bet Show in collaboration with EPIC Global Solutions.
Matteo made 155 appearances for Liverpool between 1992 and 2000 before moving to Leeds United. During his time at the club, he played a key role in their run to the Champions League semi-finals and later went on to captain the side. He also enjoyed spells at Sunderland, Stoke City, and Blackburn Rovers, and represented Scotland at international level.
Since retiring at the end of the 2008/09 season, Matteo has become a leading voice in the safer gambling space, drawing on his own experience of struggling with gambling addiction. He now works with EPIC alongside his wife, Jess Matteo, where they serve as Lived Experience Facilitators to help raise awareness of gambling-related harm among professional athletes.
Matteo’s gambling addiction began towards the end of his career while playing for Blackburn. At its worst, he placed a £500,000 bet on a single horse race and accumulated debts of more than £1 million. His recovery began with the unwavering support of his wife Jess, whose role he describes as instrumental in helping him rebuild his life.
That support proved vital once again in 2019, when Matteo was diagnosed with a brain tumour that required life-saving surgery and radiotherapy. Remarkably, the tumour had been dormant since childhood — leading Matteo to reflect that he had unknowingly played his entire professional career with it.
The couple have since dedicated themselves to educating players across the EFL, Scottish Premiership and PREM Rugby on safer gambling measures. Their work focuses on building awareness, helping players spot early signs of harm, and connecting them to the right support.
Matteo’s story brings a powerful perspective to SBC Summit’s Player Protection Stage, where he and his wife Jess will join Lycka for a live conversation on Tuesday, 16 September, from 16:30 to 17:00. Jess will share her insights on what it means to support a loved one through gambling addiction, including how families can find the right advice and access meaningful support.
Their session comes as SBC Summit 2025 prepares to host its first-ever Legends Charity Game, featuring football icons such as Kaka, Luís Figo, Cafu, Alessandro Del Piero, Patrice Evra, and more. Against that backdrop, Matteo’s appearance offers a timely reminder of the need to educate both current and former players on the risks of gambling harm.
Ahead of the live show, Lycka said: “Dominic’s journey is one of incredible resilience. His willingness to speak openly about his struggles and his fantastic educational work with athletes is deeply impactful.
“Having him and Jess join me for this live edition of The Safe Bet Show brings an essential human perspective to the wider conversation on player protection. I’m honoured that I’ll be able to share the stage with them both in Lisbon.”
The Player Protection Stage will run across all three days of SBC Summit, from 16 to 18 September. Day one will focus on regulation, day two will explore the role of technology in player protection, and day three will be dedicated to research.
Secure your pass for SBC Summit 2025 today and join over 30,000 attendees!
Get your tickets below: Save 50% with code EUROGAMINGPARTNERVIP
The post Martin Lycka to Welcome Former Liverpool and Leeds Star to Safe Bet Show at SBC Summit 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Andy Phillips SportingRisk.com CBDO
Sporting Risk supplies player props and BetBuilder tools to BOYLE Sports
Deal covers pre-match and in-play football markets, including in-play multis and micromarkets across more than 150 competitions.
Sporting Risk has partnered with BOYLE Sports to integrate its Player Props, Pre-canned BetBuilder, and Next-Gen player-centric in-play BetBuilder into the operator’s sportsbook.
The companies said the rollout will increase player market coverage and combinability for BOYLE Sports in the UK and Ireland, with support for player markets across more than 150 global competitions.
According to the announcement, the integration also includes in-play multis and micromarkets aimed at expanding real-time betting options tied to player-driven markets.
Andy Phillips, SportingRisk.com CBDO, said: “It’s great to see us strengthen our position in the UK market via a partnership with a high street brand who have a lot of operational expertise and are driving forward with a great online product. The UK is the most competitive football Betbuilder market and we are helping operators here to surpass the very best products across all the objective metrics we can measure.”
David Burgin, Trading Director at BOYLE Sports, added: “Our focus at BOYLE Sports is on delivering a market-leading experience and this partnership with Sporting Risk significantly enhances our football offering. The depth of player markets, combinability and in-play capabilities will offer more engaging opportunities, and we’re excited to bring these innovations to our customers as we continue to improve the quality and breadth of our sportsbook.”
The post Sporting Risk supplies player props and BetBuilder tools to BOYLE Sports appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
21.com
21.com launches online casino and sportsbook led by ex-BetVictor CEO Michael Carlton
21.com has launched as an online casino and sportsbook, naming industry veteran Michael Carlton as Founder & CEO, the company said on 16 June 2026.
The operator said it is targeting a range of global jurisdictions and plans to differentiate through a “modern technology stack” and “AI-centric operations.” It did not disclose target markets, licensing status, launch territories, or product partners.
Carlton previously served 13 years at EY as a Chartered Accountant before entering gaming in 1997, according to the company. He later spent 17 years as CEO of BetVictor and has since invested in betting and gaming companies.
Carlton said 21.com is being built without legacy platform constraints. “Having started in the gaming industry prior to the launch of the internet and then having the privilege of being involved as the industry evolved and adapted to the opportunities, there is now a further revolution occurring with the power created by embracing AI helping us to move faster and tailor personalised experience to the player.
“One of 21.com’s greatest strengths is that it is being developed for the current market, rather than an after-thought adaptation of an existing one. Many operators have been around for a long time and continue to be defined by legacy platforms and pre-crypto payment customer journeys that existed long before the modern technical tools that exist now became a reality. 21.com has embraced AI to deliver unparalleled customer experiences.
“With a team of industry leading experts with the motivation and ability to achieve our goals but without any legacy systems, 21.com is able to take advantage of new technologies to become a market leader in the gaming industry”.
The company also set aggressive commercial targets. “21.com will be one of the top three operators in every market it operates and in the world within two years,” Carlton said.
The post 21.com launches online casino and sportsbook led by ex-BetVictor CEO Michael Carlton appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Africa
Booming Games signs content deal with World Sports Betting in South Africa
WSB adds Booming titles including Tasty Bonanza, Cash Pig and the Buffalo series to its casino lobby.
Booming Games has signed a partnership with World Sports Betting (WSB) to roll out a selection of its casino titles on WSB’s platform in South Africa.
Under the agreement, WSB players will gain access to Booming Games content including Tasty Bonanza, Cash Pig and the Buffalo series. Booming Games positioned the deal as part of its wider expansion strategy across Africa.
Ryno Du Plessis, Group Chief Operating Officer at World Sports Betting, said: “We believe that Booming’s portfolio will offer something new and unique to our clients. Titles like Tasty Bonanza, Cash Pig and the popular Buffalo series are sure to be very popular with our player base.”
Solomon Godwin, Head of Africa at Booming Games, added: “We are thrilled to partner with World Sports Betting, a company with an outstanding reputation for delivering premium entertainment to players across the South African market. This collaboration represents an exciting step forward in expanding Booming Games’ reach and ensuring our titles are accessible to even more players in South Africa. We look forward to building a successful long-term relationship and delivering high-quality entertainment to their customers.”
The post Booming Games signs content deal with World Sports Betting in South Africa appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
-
Latest News7 days agoN1 Partners x RAZE Case: ROI+ in Canada within 3 Days
-
Canada7 days agoN1 Partners x RAZE Case: ROI+ in Canada within 3 Days
-
Balkans6 days agoEGT Digital signs sponsorship deal with CSKA Sofia
-
Genius Sports4 days agoLIGA MX and Polymarket Announce Sponsorship Agreement for the US Territory with Official Data and Integrity Collaboration from Genius Sports
-
Booming Games5 days agoBooming Games launches Ronaldinho’s Streetball Bonanza slot
-
BMM Testlabs7 days agoBMM Innovation Group confirms Perú Gaming Show presence in Lima
-
Africa6 days agoQTech adds Split The Pot games to boost Africa and LatAm offering
-
Africa6 days agoPlayson launches online casino games in Nigeria via BetKing deal



