Strategy – FairOdds Network

June 30, 2026

The industry we didn’t expect

As the industry prepares to gather at iGB London, conversations are increasingly shaped by data, market signals and long-term strategic thinking. Yet the most important shifts are not always the ones making headlines.

With unique visibility into the market from different vantage points, Robin Harrison of Worldgaming (formerly Clarion) and Alexandra Kavelich of SOFTSWISS come together to discuss how trends emerge, how businesses distinguish meaningful change from noise and what today’s industry should be paying closer attention to.

1. Worldgaming (formerly Clarion) and SOFTSWISS observe the market from very different vantage points. Because you see the industry through different lenses, I’m curious: what are the earliest signs of change that you’re noticing today?

Robin

Robin harrison, global content director b2b at worldgaming

There are a few different ways to interpret this question. This might be quite obvious, but the centre of gravity for the industry is shifting. Much of the ..

June 25, 2026

Entain to divest 20% of its CEE business with full exit planned

Entain plans to unlock shareholder value through a gradual exit from its Polish and Croatian businesses.

Entain has agreed to sell a 20% stake in its CEE business, marking the first step in a planned full exit.

On Thursday, Entain made the announcement that it had agreed to sell a 20% interest in Entain CEE to EMMA Capital, its joint venture partner.

The deal features a €395 million ($448.6 million) payment on the completion of the deal, plus an additional payment in early 2027 to reflect Entain CEE’s FY26 performance.

The total cash consideration is approximately €425 million, implying an enterprise value of €2.1 billion for Entain CEE. Entain will utilise the net proceeds to reduce its outstanding debt.

The deal to sell the 20% stake is expected to be completed in Q4 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.

Following the conclusion of the deal, Entain’s shareholding will drop from 67.5% to 47.5%, while EMMA Capital’s will increase from 22.5% to 47.5%. The remaining 10% will stay ..

August 8, 2024

Penn CEO Snowden: “Don’t believe everything you read” on M&A, points to late August NY launch

Penn Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden refused to comment on speculation of competitors teaming up to acquire the operator during Thursday's quarterly earnings call. Instead, he talked up deeper and deeper integrations with partner ESPN.
On Thursday’s (8 August) earnings call, Snowden said the company will be live in the biggest legal market in the US – New York – by the start of the college football season. He also addressed the controversial winners’ surcharge that DraftKings is floating. But his main focus was acquisition rumours.

The ESPN Bet launch last November brought the premier sports media brand into the betting sector. Snowden said it was a milestone moment. But it hasn’t yet translated into a podium position for Penn Entertainment.

Blended market share across six states averaged 6% for March, and investors have started to question Penn’s digital strategy. This led to rumours of a sale, suggesting Boyd Gaming would bite. Those rumours evolved into a joint approach with ..

August 5, 2024

Rush Street Interactive won’t join DraftKings in introducing surcharge

Rush Street Interactive has no plans to introduce a surcharge for its players after DraftKings announced its plans to implement a gaming surcharge last Thursday (1 August).
Rush Street Interactive’s commitment to customer-centric policies in a Monday (5 August) press release follows DraftKings’ Q2 business update. DraftKings said its plans to “address high tax rates” involved introducing surcharge on winning bets in states with a tax rate exceeding 20% starting from 1 January 2025.

Rush Street Interactive and its brands, which include BetRivers and RushBet, says it is reaffirming its “dedication to providing exceptional value” for players by not following in DraftKings’ footsteps.

It was an “easy decision” for Rush Street Interactive CEO Richard Schwartz.

“RSI remains committed to maintaining its leadership position in the industry by continuously prioritising the needs and preferences of its players,” Schwartz explained.

“We believe that RSI’s focus on customer satisfaction, coupl..

August 2, 2024

Bettors, analysts say “no thanks” to DraftKings’ surcharge idea

US sports betting operators have long been grappling with ways to navigate increasingly high tax rates. But DraftKings' new idea isn't sitting well with bettors or analysts.
DraftKings spurred debated among the wagering community on Thursday (1 August) when it announced plans to implement a gaming surcharge for players in high tax states.

In its Q2 business update, the company said it has “plan to address high tax states”. That is to “roll out a gaming tax surcharge” starting 1 January 2025. This will be applied to winning bets “in any state with a tax rate above 20% that has multiple sports betting operators”. Those criteria currently apply to New York, Illinois, Vermont and Pennsylvania.

New York’s tax rate is 51%, Pennsylvania is 36% and Vermont is 20%. Illinois recently implemented a sliding scale that caps out at 40% for the highest-earning operators. The bottom of the scale is 20%.

DraftKings asserted the surcharge will be “fairly nominal to the customer”. The only ..

August 2, 2024

Waterhouse VC: The rise and rise of Bet365

How has Bet365 maintained a consistent top position in online gambling? Tom Waterhouse reviews its tactics for success.
Becoming the dominant force early in an industry can lead to significant competitive advantages, brand recognition, and customer loyalty. Amazon in ecommerce and Coca-Cola in soft drinks, are examples where early and effective market entry cemented dominant lasting positions. Dominance is maintained through established distribution, economies of scale and a sticky customer base.

In gambling, aside from countries where a pari-mutuel (tote) operator has a monopoly on betting, there is a variety of choice. For example, in Australia, there are around 100 wagering operators and in the UK there are 175 online operators. Before the internet, bookmakers would typically earn and retain market share through physical high street betting shops, which gave the industry a natural barrier to entry.

In the UK, Ladbrokes and William Hill emerged as the initial market leaders among a..

August 2, 2024

Betsson bolsters betting tech with Sporting Solutions acquisition

Betsson Group has agreed a deal to acquire Sporting Solutions’ trading, pricing and sports betting risk-management offerings from FDJ Group.
Announcing the deal, Betsson said it would integrate Sporting Solutions’ advanced pricing feeds for both pre-match and live betting, strengthening both its B2C and B2B sportsbook offerings.

Established in 2007, Sporting Solutions is a UK-facing business but also operates in Canada and South Africa, working with several major operators and lotteries including 888Sport, Ladbrokes Coral, SkyBet, William Hill and Norsk Tipping and Betsson, who have partnered with the platform for over 10 years.

Sporting Solutions will continue to provide services to its B2B betting partners, it said in a statement on LinkedIn.

The acquisition remains subject to regulatory approvals and certain other conditions. Once the deal gains the necessary clearance, as expected by both parties, the acquisition will close. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed..

July 15, 2024

Weekend Report: DraftKings to divest VSiN, Bermuda’s banks slow casino launch and more

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB covers the news you may have missed over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This week we’ve got news of DraftKings cashing out of its big media bet, Bermuda’s casinos struggling for acceptance in the banking sector and more.

DraftKings turns off VSiN?

DraftKings could be preparing to sell off its sports betting media specialist Vegas Sports Information Network (VSiN), according to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming.

Original owner Brent Musburger is allegedly set to take back control of the TV and radio network, which was acquired by DraftKings for $70m back in 2021. Active since 2017, VSiN broadcasts 18 hours of content a day, across multiple markets and streaming platforms, at one time showing Betting Across America, a BetMGM-backed sports betting programme.

While the sale is not confirmed it would take a significant media asset out of DraftKings’ stable, although it still maintains a distribution deal with Meadowlark Media, as well as its own streaming..

July 1, 2024

Weekend Report: PH senator pushes POGO ban, FanDuel’s strong week in NY and more

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB updates you with the stories you may have missed over the last few days. This week we cover POGOs in the Philippines, as well as stopping off in New York, New Hampshire, Thailand and Brazil.

Philippine senator renews call for online gambling ban

Philippines Senator Joel Villanueva is pushing for his 2022 legislation banning Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and all forms of online gambling to progress through the country’s legislature.

First filed in September 2022, Villanueva’s Senate Bill 1281 aims to repeal all legislation granting the power to regulate online gambling and criminalise the vertical. Those found to have placed, received or otherwise unknowingly transmitted a bet or wager online would face either a prison sentence of up to six months or a fine of PHP500,000 (£6,736.74/€7,943.75/8,524.33).

Villanueva urges PAGCOR to intensify investigation on POGOs and other forms of online gamblinghttps://t.co/dDChQ5jZSZ
— DZRH..

June 18, 2024

How the sector is tackling competition this sporting summer

A packed sporting schedule means there are plenty of opportunities for gambling companies this summer to engage and target new customers. iGB spoke to a few industry leaders on targeting new betting markets and unique products helping them to stand out from the crowd.

Operators Betfred and Paddy Power and betting engine supplier Kambi are among those looking to capitalise and make significant revenue and customer gains throughout the packed summer sporting schedule, which is certain to excite sports fans.

The Euro 2024 kicked off on Friday and the Copa América starts this week, while the Olympic Games is set to take place in Paris as of 26 July with Wimbledon and the US Open to come in July and August.

The opportunity for the sports betting sector is clear, as more traction from these events will lead to increased activity across betting sites and ultimately more financial gain.

According to French gaming regulator L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), the country could see close t..

April 11, 2024

BetMakers acquires Racelab Global assets

BetMakers Technology Group has completed the acquisition of assets from Racelab Global, an international supplier of racing wagering products and technologies.

Under the acquisition agreement, BetMakers will pay a total consideration of AU$1.5m (£779,316/€910,620/US$977,501) to take ownership of the Racelab assets. However, there is a clawback clause of up to $500,000, dependent on key customer obligations within 30 days of closing.

BetMakers said that the deal represents a “highly strategic acquisition” for the business. It adds race form, preview and statistics technology to its ecosystem, as well as proprietary fixed-odds pricing technology and associated algorithms.

Racelab assets include ProForm informatics and enhanced content and Odds Engine pricing and trading technology.

Other benefits include potential to further expand services in the harness and greyhound form and preview racing sectors. In addition, BetMakers said the deal provides an ongoing partnership with global r..

April 11, 2024

BlueBet agrees to acquire Betr wagering business

BlueBet Holdings has entered a binding asset sale agreement to acquire the Betr wagering business and create an enlarged organisation in Australia with increased scale and market share.

Announced today (11 April), the deal will see BlueBet issue approximately 265.4 million fully paid shares to Betr shareholders. This equates to around 56.9% of BlueBet’s current shares.

A potential deal has been in the works for some time. Yesterday (10 April), BlueBet added fuel to the fire by requesting a trading halt on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) amid talk of an acquisition.

The deal remains subject to a series of closing conditions, including the support of BlueBet shareholders. BlueBet has “unanimously” recommended shareholders vote in favour of the merger, saying it will create material value.

If these conditions are met, BlueBet says it expects to complete the merger by 1 July.

BlueBet chair hails “transformational” moment

“This is a transformational moment for BlueBet,” says Mich..

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Tag: Strategy