Category Archives: Betting

How regulator-operator mistrust and poor dialogue damages player protection

As Europe marks Safer Gambling Week 2025, conversations are taking place across the continent to put in place strategies that keep players safe while they enjoy gambling responsibly.  One operator who has been at the forefront of these conversations, not just on Safer Gambling Week but since the summer, is 1xBet. Since the appointment of …

William Hill shrinks its international presence with 13 market exits

An update from William Hill customer support has communicated the bookmaker’s decision to exit from several non-core markets, chiefly in Africa but also in Latin America and Asia. On its customer support site, a list explained that it was withdrawing from 13 markets, nine of which are in Africa – Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kenya, …

Bookies ready to bring The Ashes under the spotlight

With football and racing taking up a large part of the UK sports calendar, it’s sometimes easy to forget about cricket. But with The Ashes kicking off last night, it reminded us that cricket is still very high up on the agenda for both bookmakers and punters alike. England went against Australia in the First …

The rise of esoccer: Why it’s now a core driver of sportsbook revenue

Esoccer has moved from niche to necessity in the sports betting industry, outstripping the likes of Serie A and La Liga and becoming a key product for operators seeking consistent engagement and revenue. Recognising that, Abios addresses the ins and outs of a growing option for sportsbooks. Few trends in the sports betting industry in …

Commission not letting up with enforcement as Videoslots charged £650k

Videoslots, an international online casino operator owned by Immense Holdings, has come into regulatory trouble in the UK for the second time in just under three years. The company has been charged £650,000 by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) for failing to fully adhere to anti-money laundering and social responsibility licensing requirements. As well as …

DCMS introduces new player safety standards for prize draws

Player protection around prize draw competitions in the UK has been significantly strengthened through a new code of conduct by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Championed by Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross, the voluntary code has already been signed by 23 prize draw providers. This is an important milestone, as prize draws do …

Australia Labor gov’t backs away from gambling ad ban

Australia’s Labor government is set to retreat from its previous plans to enforce a nationwide ban on gambling advertising. The decision marks a reversal of Prime Minister AnthonyAlbanese’s 2022 election pledge to curb what Labor once described as an “epidemic of gambling adverts across Australian society” . As reported by the Australian Financial Review (AFR), …

Meta wins against US in antitrust trial

A US federal judge has ruled that Meta does not hold a social media monopoly. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed an antitrust lawsuit against the Facebook owner in 2020 over its acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram. It accused Meta of operating a ‘buy or bury’ scheme against its nascent competitors. The tech giant bought …

ANJ deploys sophisticated self-exclusion for all French gamblers 

French gambling will be protected by a new design and functionality of its “Interdiction Volontaire” national self-exclusion register for gambling harms. l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) France Gambling Authority has upgraded to a fully digital system that simplifies registrations, enhances identity verification and shortens activation to one day.  The Authority completes a key pledge to …