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With the online gambling credit card ban hovering in the UK, what are the options?
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In March 2018, the UK Gambling Commission stated that it would consider banning the use of credit cards at online gambling websites. The announcement of a potential credit card ban came following the gambling authority’s report into how to make online gambling safer, deeming the removal or restriction of credit card payment options being a viable course of action to help restrict the possibility of people accruing gambling debts or gambling more than they can afford. The UK Gambling Commission found that between ten and 20 per cent of all deposits made to gambling websites are done so via the use of a credit card, which means that as much as one-fifth of online betting and gaming in the UK is being done with borrowed money. The problem is exasperated when it is considered that most credit card companies treat transactions to gambling websites as treat cash advances, which do not come with an interest-free period, entail a higher interest rate, and often incur a handling fee.
The culture secretary, Jeremy Wright, intends on holding meetings between major retail banks and online gambling operators to discuss the concern that as much as 20 per cent of deposits to gambling sites are made with credit cards using money that the players don’t own. The UK Gambling Commission seeks clarification on the statistic. They will be launching a call for evidence in February and are welcoming suggestions from the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, which may result in increased credit card regulation or a complete credit card ban.
Up to one-fifth of online gamblers in the UK use credit cards to place deposits at online gambling websites. It appears to be very likely that the UK Gambling Commission will regulate a credit card ban, which will lead to a large number of players needing to adopt a new payment method. Online gambling websites that offer their services in the UK often accept many different payment methods, so those who are expected to soon be without their preferred method of making a deposit or withdrawal should be able to find another option which is safe and suits their needs.
Gamblers’ other options in the instance of a credit card ban
The vast majority of online gambling websites allow for the use of credit cards as a means of making deposits, and some allow for the method to be used when making a withdrawal, but not all sites will accept the entire range of other payment methods or payment services. The acceptance of specific e-wallets, instant banking methods, cryptocurrencies, payment gateways, and pre-paid cards is at the website’s discretion, so those looking for a new service with which to make payments will need to check which services can be used at each website as well as if the website allows for both deposits and withdrawals through the same service.
One of the more traditional methods is that of the bank transfer. Some players perceive the method as unsafe due to the assumption that the transfer would reveal bank details, but bank transfers do not disclose this information and also allow players to deposit very large amounts. The downside to the payment method is that it takes much longer than other methods, with players often waiting several days before the funds appear in their gambling account. Wire Transfer allows users to make deposits and withdrawals at some online gambling websites, and iDeal caters for bank transfer deposits.
The most modern method which is also deemed to be the safest due to its use of blockchain technology is that of making a cryptocurrency payment. Cryptocurrencies have become popular over the last couple of years, leading to many online gambling websites allowing for the use of different forms of crypto. Due to the decentralised nature of cryptocurrencies that utilise the public ledger system of a blockchain, users trust that their crypto and details are safe with each transaction. Crypto is tamperproof, safe, fast, cheap, and it removes the middleman between the player and the operator. The most commonly used of the cryptocurrencies is the blockchain originator, Bitcoin, but others such as Ethereum and Litecoin can also be used as payment methods. Cryptocurrencies could become the next choice for current credit card users following the news that Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, is now accepting credit cards for crypto payments, creating a way for players to use their credit cards via cryptocurrencies at online gambling websites that accept the payment method.
At online gambling websites and across online shopping websites, e-wallet services have become commonplace, and many people who are looking to make payments online seek vendors who offer e-wallet payment services, particularly if said customers are worried about the safety of their bank details. E-wallets allow for payments from the e-wallet account or directly from a bank account online without the need to input bank or card details. PayPal is the most popular e-wallet service in the UK, with the vast majority of online gambling sites that allow for the payment method accepting it for both deposits and withdrawals. Other services such as ecoPayz, Skrill, and Neteller are also popular, but it’s more common for online gambling sites to not allow withdrawals to these e-wallet services.
People seeking alternative payment methods, should the credit card ban come into force, can also turn to pre-paid cards like PaySafeCard, electronic fund transfers through the use of debit cards or e-checks, and payment services providers like Instadebit.
The UK Gambling Commission is expected to publish its new strategy concerning the use of credit cards on gambling websites in April; the authority looks set to ban the popular payment method, so current users will need to find a new way of making deposits and withdrawals at online betting and gaming sites.
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: With the online gambling credit card ban hovering in the UK, what are the options?

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Peter Schmeichel Returns as SBC Awards 2025 Host as Finalists Are Announced
SBC has officially announced the shortlisted nominees for the 12th edition of the SBC Awards, set to take place at Lisbon’s MEO Arena on Thursday, 18 September, the final day of SBC Summit 2025.
Celebrating excellence across the global betting and gaming industry, the ceremony will spotlight standout achievements from operators, industry leaders, and suppliers across a broad spectrum of sectors, including payments, marketing, and platform innovation.
This year’s edition has already broken records, with the highest number of nominations ever received across its 37 diverse categories, reflecting the industry’s growing commitment to delivering exceptional performance.
Leading the shortlist are Pragmatic Play and Sportradar, each earning seven nominations. Close contenders include BetConstruct and Betsson Group with six nominations apiece. Other standout nominees include Bragg Gaming, Campeon Gaming, Novibet, Playtech, and Top Bet, each securing five nominations.
Returning to co-host the ceremony is football legend Peter Schmeichel, former Manchester United goalkeeper and UEFA European Championship winner, who previously brought his trademark charisma to the stage in 2024.
The 2025 edition of the SBC Awards will also mark the first year without dedicated affiliate categories. Instead, SBC will host a dedicated and expanded Affiliate Leaders Awards on Wednesday, 17th September, at the same venue.
Commenting on the upcoming SBC Awards ceremony, Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC, said: “This industry never stands still. New talent, ideas, and technologies are constantly changing the game. The SBC Awards are our way of recognising those who are making a real impact and giving the community a moment to celebrate together.”
In the operator categories, alongside Betsson Group’s notable six nominations, TotoGaming also stands out with four nominations, including Marketing Campaign of the Year and Innovation in Casino & Gaming Entertainment. Meanwhile, Kaizen Gaming and Campeón Gaming return to defend their titles in the Operator of the Year – Medium and Large categories, respectively.
The hotly contested Casino Operator of the Year category includes names such as LeoVegas, Bally’s, Codere Online, and Winbet. 1xBet, EstrelaBet, and Sportsbet.io are among the frontrunners for Sportsbook Operator of the Year.
In the operator and supplier categories, competition for Employer of the Year includes Alea, Flutter Entertainment, Parimatch, and Play’n GO, all aiming to take the crown from reigning champions SOFTSWISS. The Socially Responsible Initiative of the Year category features nominees such as Associação de Mulheres da Indústria do Gaming (AMIG), BGaming, EveryMatrix, and Pay4Fun.
The highly anticipated Leader of the Year award will be kept under wraps until the night, with nominees and the winner to be revealed live during the ceremony.
In the payments and compliance categories, Noda and payabl. lead the way with nominations in all three awards: Payment Solution of the Year, Payment Innovation of the Year, and Fraud & Compliance Solution of the Year. MiFinity, Monnet Payments, OKTO, Pay4Fun, Paysecure, and Trustly have also earned multiple nods across the categories.
The supplier categories, which will span 22 awards, will include several new additions this year, such as Aggregator of the Year and Crash Game of the Year.
Fast Track and BETBY will look to retain their titles in Acquisition & Retention Partner and Esports Supplier of the Year, respectively. Meanwhile, Delasport, Evolution, Evoplay, iGP, Optimove, and Spotlight Sports Group are among the fifteen companies competing for the Industry Innovation of the Year award.
Soft2Bet will return in pursuit of back-to-back wins for Innovation in Casino Entertainment and Innovation in Mobile, while Digitain will aim to defend its title as Sportsbook Supplier of the Year.
The sought-after Platform Provider of the Year award features a strong field of contenders, including EGT Digital, GiG, GR8 Tech, Sportingtech, and White Hat Gaming.
Continuing SBC’s commitment to shining a light on the future stars of the industry, the evening will once again feature four ‘Rising Star‘ awards: Rising Star in Casino, Rising Star in Sports Betting, Rising Star in Sports Betting Innovation / Software, and Rising Star in Casino Innovation / Software.
The post Peter Schmeichel Returns as SBC Awards 2025 Host as Finalists Are Announced appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Sportradar Reports Second Quarter Financial Results and Raises Full Year 2025 Outlook
Sportradar Group AG (NASDAQ: SRAD) (“Sportradar” or the “Company”), a leading global sports technology company focused on creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors, today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2025.
Carsten Koerl, Chief Executive Officer of Sportradar, said: “Our second quarter results, including record quarterly revenue, expanding operating margins and significant cash flow reflect our sustained operating momentum and execution against our growth strategy. Our industry leading scale, including our premium content and product portfolio and leading technology and AI, is driving customer uptake and above market growth. The inherent leverage in our business, combined with our focus on efficiencies, is driving sustainable margin expansion and cash flow generation. Looking ahead, given our momentum we are raising our full year expectations and anticipate the acquisition of IMG ARENA will further expand our capabilities, creating even greater value for our clients, partners and shareholders.”
SECOND QUARTER AND YEAR TO DATE FINANCIAL RESULTS
Revenue
Three-Month Period Ended June 30, |
Six-Month Period Ended June 30, |
|||||||||||||||||
in € thousands (unaudited) | 2025 | 2024 | Change | % | 2025 | 2024 | Change | % | ||||||||||
Revenue by product | ||||||||||||||||||
Betting & Gaming Content | 199,579 | 180,980 | 18,599 | 10 | % | 393,386 | 352,568 | 40,818 | 12 | % | ||||||||
Managed Betting Services | 59,187 | 49,103 | 10,084 | 21 | % | 115,402 | 97,431 | 17,971 | 18 | % | ||||||||
Betting Technology & Solutions | 258,766 | 230,083 | 28,683 | 12 | % | 508,788 | 449,999 | 58,789 | 13 | % | ||||||||
Marketing & Media Services | 40,992 | 35,414 | 5,578 | 16 | % | 87,601 | 69,692 | 17,909 | 26 | % | ||||||||
Sports Performance | 12,222 | 9,892 | 2,330 | 24 | % | 23,633 | 19,198 | 4,435 | 23 | % | ||||||||
Integrity Services | 5,810 | 3,031 | 2,779 | 92 | % | 8,999 | 5,425 | 3,574 | 66 | % | ||||||||
Sports Content, Technology & Services | 59,024 | 48,337 | 10,687 | 22 | % | 120,233 | 94,315 | 25,918 | 27 | % | ||||||||
Total Revenue | 317,790 | 278,420 | 39,370 | 14 | % | 629,021 | 544,314 | 84,707 | 16 | % | ||||||||
Revenue by geography | ||||||||||||||||||
Rest of World | 229,823 | 210,865 | 18,958 | 9 | % | 454,953 | 411,197 | 43,756 | 11 | % | ||||||||
United States | 87,967 | 67,555 | 20,412 | 30 | % | 174,068 | 133,117 | 40,951 | 31 | % | ||||||||
Total Revenue | 317,790 | 278,420 | 629,021 | 544,314 | ||||||||||||||
1 Non-IFRS measure or Operating Metric. See the sections captioned “Non-IFRS Financial Measures and Operating Metric” and “IFRS to Non-IFRS reconciliations” for more details.
Revenue
Total revenue for the second quarter was €318 million, up €39 million, or 14% year-over-year, driven by 12% growth in Betting Technology & Solutions and 22% growth in Sports Content, Technology & Services.
Betting Technology & Solutions revenues of €259 million were up 12% year-over-year primarily driven by a 10% increase in Betting & Gaming Content due to both existing and new customer uptake of our products, as well as strong U.S. market growth. Managed Betting Services revenues of €59 million were up 21% driven by strong growth in Managed Trading Services from increased turnover and higher trading margins.
Sports Content, Technology & Services revenues of €59 million increased 22% year-over-year primarily driven by 16% growth in Marketing & Media Services, due to increased spending from technology and media companies and from contributions related to our expanded affiliate marketing capabilities. Integrity Services revenues nearly doubled in the quarter driven by uptake of products and services from league partners, and Sports Performance revenues increased 24% largely due to increased pricing.
The Company generated strong revenue growth globally with the United States up 30% and Rest of World up 9%. As a percentage of total Company revenues, United States revenue represented 28% of total Company revenue in the second quarter as compared to 24% in the prior year quarter, due to continued market growth and customer uptake of our premium content and solutions.
Customer Net Retention Rate of 117% further demonstrates our ability to cross sell and up sell to our clients, as well as the market growth in the United States.
Profit for the period
Profit for the period was €49 million, up €51 million, compared to a loss of €2 million in the same quarter a year ago, driven by strong operating results and a foreign currency gain of €54 million, as compared to a €8 million loss last year, due to unrealized currency fluctuations mainly associated with the U.S. dollar-denominated sport rights. These increases were partially offset by higher income tax expense of €12 million as compared to €1 million last year due to higher pre-tax income.
Adjusted EBITDA
Second quarter Adjusted EBITDA was €64 million, up €15 million, or 31% compared to €49 million in the same quarter a year ago. The increase was largely driven by the 14% revenue growth, partially offset by increased sport rights costs primarily related to the continued success of the ATP partnership deal and our renewed partnership with Major League Baseball, as well as increased adjusted personnel expenses1 to support growth initiatives and higher adjusted purchased services1 driven by investments in developing our product portfolio.
Business Highlights
- Strengthened partnership with German Bundesliga to further entertain the league’s more than one billion global fans. Bundesliga will leverage Sportradar’s cutting edge innovations and suite of immersive products including player markets, 4Sight streaming and live match tracker, enhancing the in-game experience.
- Expanded our soccer offering with exclusive global betting rights, including live data, live odds and media content, to all 63 matches of the FIFA Club World Cup. Also safeguarded the tournament with our AI-driven Universal Fraud Detection System.
- Sportradar won two honors at the SBC Americas Awards, winning for Best Sports Data Product for 4Sight streaming and Best Live Betting & Gaming Product for emBET, with each product cited for its innovative use of AI to deepen fan engagement.
Balance Sheet and Liquidity
The Company’s cash and cash equivalents were €312 million as of June 30, 2025, as compared with €348 million as of December 31, 2024. Higher net cash generated from operating activities of €200 million due to strong operating performance was offset by higher net cash used in investing activities of €118 million primarily from payments related to sport rights licenses, and from higher net cash used in financing activities of €93 million. Financing activities included $65.5 million in share repurchases related to the secondary offering and a €10 million payment related to the acquisition of the remaining non-controlling interest in a subsidiary. Free cash flow for the six-months ended June 30, 2025 was €84 million, an increase of €25 million from €59 million in the same period a year ago.
Including an undrawn credit facility, the Company had total liquidity of €532 million at June 30, 2025, as compared to €568 as of December 31, 2024, and no debt outstanding.
2025 Annual Financial Outlook
Sportradar is increasing its fiscal 2025 outlook as follows:
- Revenue of at least €1,278 million, representing year-on-year growth of at least 16%
- Adjusted EBITDA of at least €284 million, representing year-on-year growth of at least 28%
- Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion of at least 210 basis points
- Free cash flow conversion1 rate still expected to be above the 2024 level of 53%
The 2025 guidance reflects the anticipated impact of foreign currency fluctuations but does not include any impact from the pending acquisition of IMG ARENA given the uncertainty around the timing of close. Guidance will be updated to incorporate the anticipated uplift resulting from this acquisition following the closing of the transaction.
Share Repurchase Plan
In March 2024, the Board of Directors approved a $200 million share repurchase plan. As of June 30, 2025 the Company has repurchased 4.8 million shares under the plan for a total of $86 million, including 3.0 million shares in conjunction with the secondary offering completed in April 2025.
Conference Call and Webcast Information
Sportradar will host a conference call to discuss the second quarter results today, August 5, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Those wishing to participate via webcast should access the earnings call through Sportradar’s Investor Relations website. An archived webcast with the accompanying slides will be available at the Company’s Investor Relations website for one year after the conclusion of the live event.
The post Sportradar Reports Second Quarter Financial Results and Raises Full Year 2025 Outlook appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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GR8 Tech Appoints Sarkis Basmajian to Lead MENA Regional Growth
GR8 Tech is accelerating its presence in the MENA region with a focused growth strategy and the strategic appointment of Sarkis Basmajian as Regional Sales Director.
As one of the fastest-growing iGaming regions, MENA presents immense potential, especially where demand for agile, tailored platforms quickly overtakes legacy solutions. With its Heavyweight tech and deep geo-specific expertise, GR8 Tech is ideally positioned to lead this evolution.
With nearly a decade of experience leading sales and key account operations in iGaming, Sarkis brings deep regional insight and proven commercial leadership across Tier-2 markets. He will spearhead GR8 Tech’s growth by forging strong partnerships and delivering locally relevant, high-impact solutions from day one.
“What excites me most about joining GR8 Tech is the clarity of vision. We’re building the infrastructure for the next era of iGaming. MENA is evolving fast, and operators here need more than localization. They need strategy, speed, and serious tech muscle. That’s exactly what we’re bringing to the table,” said Sarkis Basmajian.
GR8 Tech’s platform is already renowned for its geo-specific presets, from language and currency to payment integrations and performance optimizations, that adapt perfectly to diverse markets. Whether optimizing for low-bandwidth Africa or football-passionate Latin America, GR8 Tech’s sportsbook DNA and flexibility make it a natural fit for MENA’s market.
“Our goal is simple: expand smart, launch fast, and deliver Heavyweight performance wherever we go,” said Yevhen Krazahan, CSO at GR8 Tech. “With Sarkis leading our regional efforts, we’re set to unlock our platform’s massive potential across the Middle East and North Africa.”
The strategic hire marks the next milestone in GR8 Tech’s mission to power iGaming growth across various markets with Heavyweight infrastructure, local-first execution, and proven regional expertise.
The post GR8 Tech Appoints Sarkis Basmajian to Lead MENA Regional Growth appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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