Latest Gambling News: Ireland Outlines Gambling Strategy For Next Three Years, and more

Catch up on some of the stories our gambling compliance analysts have covered lately, and stay up-to-date on the latest news.

Ireland Outlines Gambling Strategy For Next Three Years

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has outlined its strategy for the next three years, focusing on developing its licensing system, enhancing compliance and enforcement, and engaging with a wide range of stakeholders.

Ireland’s new gambling regulator will also prioritise introducing advertising limits and measures to allow consumers to monitor and control their gambling, according to GRAI chair Paul Quinn’s foreword in its Statement of Strategy for 2025 to 2027, published on October 15.

“We are committed to advancing a culture of safer gambling and to supporting initiatives that reduce gambling-related harm, in particular by increasing consumer awareness, protecting children and conducting research into gambling issues,” Quinn said.

Importantly, the document outlines strategic goals and objectives as well as performance indicators to measure success, with an emphasis on “timely licensing upon which a whole series of new consumer protections are predicated.”

Jim O’Callaghan TD, minister for justice, home affairs and migration, welcomed the strategy, promising his commitment to supporting the GRAI to deliver its mandate.

“This strategy is not just about regulation; it is about educating the public, protecting those vulnerable to gambling harm and ensuring that the industry operates to the highest standards of integrity and social responsibility,” O’Callaghan said.

Sportradar Awarded Vendor Licence In UAE

Swiss sports technology and betting services company Sportradar has obtained a gaming-related vendor licence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), likely presaging the awarding of the nation’s first sports wagering licence.

The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) has listed Sportradar on its vendor licensing list since at least Tuesday (October 14), making Sportradar the 17th company to receive the licence.

Sportradar is yet to announce the licence, contrasting with other new vendor licensees that have generally preempted their listing on the GCGRA website with a media splash.

Sportradar’s previous dealings with the UAE include a 2017 contract providing match and player data to the UAE Pro League Committee, an organising structure for the federation’s football associations. The deal in turn authorised the Pro League Committee to serve as agent for Sportradar in the Middle East.

Two vendor licences were confirmed earlier this month for cryptocurrency-based online gambling platform provider Yolo Group, specifically for its Live Online Gaming Services arm, which supplies to in-house brands Live88 and OneTouch, and for Yolo’s B2B aggregator Hub 88.

The GCGRA has awarded licences for the Wynn Resort land-based casino, the lottery monopoly run by entertainment group Momentum under the name The Game LLC, and 17 gaming vendors, but it is yet to name licensees for internet gaming or sports wagering.

The Yolo and Sportradar licences are the strongest public evidence to date that the GCGRA is preparing to issue licences for B2C internet gaming and sports betting.

Allwyn-OPAP Merger Creates Second-Largest Gambling Listco

The boards of directors for Allwyn International and OPAP have approved combining their businesses to create a new €16bn ($18.5bn) company.

Allwyn will control around 78.5 percent of the new company, while OPAP shareholders will hold the remaining 21.5 percent, assuming an all-share combination, according to a joint press release on Monday (October 13).

Karel Komarek, the founder and chair of Allwyn and KKCG Group, the investment company behind Allwyn, said the announcement signals “the creation of the second-largest listed gaming entertainment company globally”.

“The combined strength and scale of these multi-billion dollar businesses, massive customer base and Allwyn’s continued investment in technology and content, will accelerate innovation and fuel significant international growth,” Komarek said.

Allwyn currently owns 51.78 percent of OPAP, with KKCG investing in the Greek operator since 2013.

The new business will be renamed Allwyn and remain listed on the Athens Stock Exchange. Allwyn intends to pursue an additional listing on another leading international exchange, such as the London Stock Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange, following completion of the deal.

California Governor Signs Sweepstakes Ban Into Law

Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation into law Saturday that seeks to curtail sweepstakes casino gaming in California.

Newsom announced that he had signed Assembly Bill 831, which prohibits the dual-currency model that has been popular among sweepstakes operators.

The bill also makes it unlawful for companies such as suppliers, payment processors, geolocation providers, or affiliate marketers to support such a product.

The legislation marks the most significant blow to sweepstakes operators since the genre’s emergence in recent years, effectively banning the activity in the most populous U.S. state, comprising well over 10 percent of the country’s population, as well as a state with no state-regulated online gaming options.

Newsom signed the bill despite a late push from the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance to urge him to veto the legislation.

“This misguided, rushed prohibition would destroy a thriving $1 billion California industry while eliminating our companies’ willingness to pay hundreds of millions in new state taxes,” the SGLA wrote in a letter signed by top executives from several sweepstakes operators. “It would also send a chilling message about California as an investment destination and leader in innovation.”

€2.7bn Bally’s-Intralot Deal Completed

Intralot announced Friday that it had completed its €2.7bn acquisition of Bally’s International Interactive, effectively merging the Greek lottery power and the American casino company.

The deal, announced in July, includes Intralot sending €1.53bn in cash and €1.13bn in Intralot stock, giving the company a 58 percent majority stake in Intralot.

The transaction, Intralot boasted, makes the company one of the largest companies by market cap on the Athens Stock Exchange.

“This is a milestone transaction for Bally’s,” said Bally’s CEO Robeson Reeves in a statement.

“Intralot’s lottery expertise and reach, combined with Bally’s International Interactive’s proven digital capabilities, creates a powerful foundation for expansion over the long term.”

The move is the second major transaction to be completed by Bally’s in 2025, following the $4.6bn buyout of the company by Standard General, the hedge fund led by Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim, that was completed in February.

Colombian Gaming Regulator Grants Keno Concession

Colombia’s gaming regulator awarded a concession to allow four operators to offer keno in different regions across the country.

Coljuegos announced that they had awarded the concession to four regional operators, which was expected to generate $125 million USD in funding dedicated to subsidized healthcare.

Marco Emilio Hincapie, president of Coljuegos, said the process was transparent and had a plurality of bidders.

Each operator will have a four-month pre-operational period before a full launch of keno in January 2026.

Hincapie said that the program was expected to feature more than 16,000 keno terminals throughout the country and would utilize blockchain technology to issue tickets.

The four regional operators include: Operador Regional de Keno S.A.S.; Costa Operador Keno S.A.S., Keno Region 3 S.A.S. and Blinkazar S.A.S.

‍

Want to know more? 

Request a demo with one of our experts today to gain full access to the stories we cover - and much more - and start learning how you can make compliance a competitive advantage for your organisation.