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UK Government increases casino tax to 21%
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The UK isn’t as popular for their gambling operations, but it is still considered as a substantially large industry. Taxing these operators has been going quite roughly for the last couple of years as it had gone through numerous changes within the last 4 years. There have been 5 alterations so far.
Now, according to recent reports from PressGambling.com, the United Kingdom is planning on increasing that tax to 21%, potentially dooming the whole thing and making new arrivals in the industry fight for their very existence.
The UK Chancellor Philip Hammond, was the person who previewed all of the online gambling taxes for the Autumn 2018 Budget. Based on his research it was decided that the revenue generated from these operations were not meeting the government’s expectations and therefore needed to be upgraded to 21% revenue tax for October next year.
It is rumored that the online gambling operators that feature live games like video poker are going to be hit the hardest, as their revenues exceed all the others.
There is also another reason the government has introduced the tax spike. Although it sounds like just a cover-up. In their statement they have announced that the RGD (Remote Gaming Duty) needed to be increased because of the potential losses they will suffer from the recent FOBT stake cut.
The FOBT (Fixed odds betting terminal) stake cut
The FOBT stake cut has been pretty much the most discussed topic in the UK parliament recently. As the schedule started to jump around, it was hard to determine when the new RGD rate needed to be implemented. All this hints to the pre-decision of RGD way before it was announced to the public. In conclusion, it will be pegged to the FOBT stake cut and come into action at the same time, also indicating that the final date for FOBT is decided and will be next October.
The reactions from the industry weren’t something to be expected. Some of the operators were even happy that the dreaded rumor of an increase to 25% wasn’t true. However, most of the operators appalled by the tax state more or less the same arguments. The fact that this is the 6th time that the tax is altered within the last 4 years. They fear that the business will soon become unsustainable and they would have to close down or get sold to giants in the industry, ultimately monopolizing it.
The UK government has come out with their own estimates of how this tax spike will help the country cope with the FOBT stake cut. The country is expecting roughly £1.15b losses from the stake cut, but is hoping to mitigate it with the new tax revenue spike that will bring in £1.2b over the next five years. Ultimately putting the country into a surplus. But that, is depending on how the industry will react and if it will continue to grow with the same rate. This whole thing could come crashing down in a moments notice.
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network

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Soft2Bet shortlisted for 8 honours at 2025 WIG Diversity Awards
Soft2Bet, a leading iGaming turnkey solutions provider that delivers high-quality products and services for online gambling operators, has been shortlisted in eight headline categories at the 2025 Women in Gaming (WIG) Diversity & Inclusion Awards, scheduled for 5 June at London’s Savoy Hotel. The WIG Diversity & Inclusion Awards honour outstanding contributions across areas such as innovation, inclusive culture, community impact, and business leadership within the global gaming sector. This recognition follows a year of high performance results, new deals, new brand launches, platform, MEGA product growth, and leadership recognition, underscoring Soft2Bet’s dual strength as a technology provider and an employer of choice.
Shortlisted categories
- B2B Excellence (Company)
- Best Diverse Place to Work
- Community Engagement
- Company of the Year (Supplier)
- Great Place to Work
- Innovator
- Leader of the Year and Positive Role Model of the Year (Supplier) – CMO at Soft2Bet
“These nominations are a powerful endorsement of our teams, our strategic leadership, industry impact, and our unwavering commitment to excellence in key European markets where our brands and products consistently deliver top-tier performance,” said Oksana Tsyhankova, Chief Marketing Officer at Soft2Bet.
The shortlisting for Best Diverse Place to Work and Great Place to Work reflects the company’s internal progress: women now occupy 60% of leadership roles and team members from nine nationalities contribute to product development and strategy through initiatives like the Culture Squad and the Make a Difference platform.
Over the past year, Soft2Bet doubled its EBITDA, secured licenses in Ontario, Sweden, Romania, Spain, etc., announced new brands, new sponsorships on highly competitive markets, such as as Nordics and Ontario, and prepared for its first U.S. launch in New Jersey, bringing its total to 19 licenses across 12 jurisdictions.
Soft2Bet being shortlisted as B2B excellence is reflected in a robust portfolio of 13 consumer brands and industry recognition for both our proprietary platform and standout products such as MEGA, which continue to redefine engagement and innovation in regulated markets.
Earlier in 2025, Soft2Bet earned three titles at the European – Global Banking & Finance / Sustainability & ESG Awards, recognising Soft2Bet’s ongoing pursuit of innovation, its focus on delivering exceptional customer value, its strong AML measures, and overall commitment to compliance standards and sustainability across key European markets.
The post Soft2Bet shortlisted for 8 honours at 2025 WIG Diversity Awards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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SPORTFIVE Expands Global Media Production Services With Athlete-Focused Division
SPORTFIVE, a leading international sports marketing agency, has announced the continued growth of its global media production services, reinforcing its position as a creative and strategic partner to rightsholders, brands and athletes worldwide.
An Integrated Approach To Athlete Content
With increasing demand for high-quality, digital-first storytelling across sport, SPORTFIVE has scaled its production capabilities across multiple markets – enhancing its ability to deliver original content, multi-platform campaigns, and athlete-led narratives at speed and at scale. As part of this evolution, the agency has brought together and formalized its athlete content expertise into a focused division dedicated to developing and producing bespoke media products for talent: the Global Athlete Media House. Integrated within SPORTFIVE’s broader production offering, this team delivers tailored strategies and cross-channel content that supports athletes in building long-term personal brands.
SPORTFIVE has long been a trusted partner for athletes seeking to strengthen their presence beyond the pitch, court, or track. From building digital identities and launching social media profiles, to producing documentaries and long-form content, the agency has played a pivotal role in helping athletes engage fans and position themselves as global media personalities.
Notable work includes Jürgen Klopp’s Instagram launch (@Kloppo), Manuel Neuer’s entry into the Chinese market via Weibo and Xiaohongshu, and Rio Ferdinand’s Tipping Point documentary with Amazon Prime Video. More recently, SPORTFIVE supported the Becker Petkovic Podcast, launched during the 2025 Australian Open, which quickly became one of the most popular tennis podcasts in German-speaking markets.
The Global Athlete Media House builds on this foundation, offering services across four key pillars:
Social Media
Custom content and platform strategy tailored to each athlete’s brand and audience.
Podcast Formats
Concept development, production, and distribution of athlete-hosted audio and video formats.
Off-Court PR
Media activations and storytelling designed to extend athlete relevance beyond competition.
Original Content
From branded videos to full-scale documentaries, creating high-quality stories that resonate globally.
These services are available not only to SPORTFIVE-represented athletes, but also to brands, rightsholders, and external talent seeking strategic, athlete-first media production.
“Athletes today are more than just sports professionals – they are brands, creators, and entrepreneurs. At SPORTFIVE, we recognized early on that authentic, high-quality content is essential for building long-term athlete brands. With the Global Athlete Media House, we are taking the next step by combining our expertise and services in one department. This provides not only our own athletes with a range of services but also extends these to external partners.” said Ron Wiegand, Senior Vice President Global Athlete & Team Marketing, SPORTFIVE.
The post SPORTFIVE Expands Global Media Production Services With Athlete-Focused Division appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Yaspa shortlisted for two prestigious gambling industry awards
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Real-time payment provider nominated for safer gambling and innovation accolades
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London-based company was awarded government grant to develop unique responsible gambling solution
London, April 29, 2025 – Real-time payment provider Yaspa has been shortlisted for two prestigious gambling industry awards.
The London-based company is named among the nominees for Innovation in Payments Solutions and Safer Gambling Software Supplier at the forthcoming EGR B2B Awards.
Now in their 16th year, the EGR B2B Awards are known for recognising excellence in service providers in the gambling industry, rewarding those truly leading the way in innovation, reliability and client service. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Roundhouse in London on July 3.
Yaspa enables smooth, simple and secure instant payments through open banking for a range of partners. It works with online and offline gambling industry businesses, including Playbook Engineering, Novibet, NetBet, Casino Lugano and White Hat Gaming.
In 2024 Yaspa was awarded an Innovate UK grant to continue to develop its Intelligent Payments solution – a unique B2B platform that combines open banking technology and AI to help gambling operators identify vulnerable players in a frictionless manner. It is designed to empower businesses by combining Pay by Bank transactions, AI-powered verification, and real-time risk assessment into a seamless, secure experience.
In the gambling sector, Yaspa is able to help operators support responsible gambling with access to player transaction data at the point of deposit, delivering real-time user insights for a significantly broader and more accurate picture of a player’s pan-operator activity and financial health.
Yaspa CEO James Neville said: “The EGR awards are regarded as the pinnacle of B2B igaming ceremonies and for Yaspa to be nominated is great recognition for our team’s hard work and dedication to innovation.
“Our Intelligent Payments solution is a truly unique proposition and it’s wonderful to see that its potential to have a profound impact as a responsible gambling tool has been recognised.
“We are very proud to be shortlisted alongside some of the biggest names in the gambling and payments industries and we are very much looking forward to the awards night.”
The post Yaspa shortlisted for two prestigious gambling industry awards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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