NEXT.io News

🇬🇧 Betty CEO on UK launch: 'It's going to be some flavour of success' After announcing Betty's launch into the UK market, NEXT.io speaks with co-founder and group CEO Justin Park about the operator's first venture outside Ontario. The UK marks Betty's second market entry, though an Alberta launch is also on its way later this year. And if the launches prove successful, there could be many more new markets still to come. In this Q&A, Park explains why the UK is the perfect place to prove the portability of the product. Sponsored message Connect now with the #1 Casino Game Aggregator

👋 Asaf Noifeld has stepped down as managing director of casino at FanDuel after more than four years in the position. Noifeld confirmed the news in a LinkedIn post today (10 June). He had led the FanDuel casino business since May 2022. In his post, Noifeld did not disclose why he is leaving FanDuel, but did say it was the "right moment for the next adventure". He added that he will remain with the business for "a few more months" before moving on. "Over the years, I had the opportunity to work across multiple businesses, countries and teams, including four relocations, and of course the move to the US to join FanDuel. I learned a lot along the way: about products, strategy, leadership, growth, pressure, competition… but mostly about people, and how much can be accomplished when great people are working together as 'ONE TEAM',” he wrote. Sponsored message Multiply your reach. Tap into NEXT.io Media.

⚽ Huddle Technology has launched a B2B football pricing product, and with the World Cup about to kick off, the timing is no accident. Having built its expertise in US sports, the tech supplier has launched its new offering for operators to “meet the surging global demand for bespoke and high-frequency betting experiences.” With a combination of automated pricing engines and human input, Huddle hopes its clients will benefit from sharper pricing and greater uptime. Speaking to NEXT.io, Huddle co-founder and CEO Francesco Borgosano stressed the importance of this summer for sports betting operators, saying: “This World Cup is a convergence of betting cultures, with the now-open US market increasingly dictating the betting trends into Europe and elsewhere. Bettors now want that level of personalisation that has led to the global explosion in player props and bet builders in recent years.” Sponsored message Want to make business in LatAm and Emerging European markets? Ask us about the NEXT Retreats.

🇫🇷 French operator Groupe Partouche said growth within its online gaming business helped push overall revenue up 2.5% during the second quarter of its 2026 financial year. For the three months to the end of April, consolidated revenue reached €109.5m, up from €106.9m in Q2 of 2025. Gross gaming revenue (GGR) was also 1.9% higher at €182.1m for the period, while net gaming revenue was up 1.7% to €84.5m. While France remained the operator’s main source of GGR, it was the online segment of its international business that reported the strongest growth. For Q2, online gambling revenue increased 26% year-on-year to €7.1m. Sponsored message Connect now with the #1 Casino Game Aggregator

📈 DraftKings shares rose 7.59% to $26.66 today after the operator announced strong and growing volumes in its prediction markets offering. The US sports betting giant revealed that annualised total volume traded on its predictions platform reached $3.1bn in May, up 34% month-on-month. Of that total, consumer volume on the predictions platform hit $1.3bn on an annualised basis in May, up 24% month-on-month, as the company said recent app improvements ahead of the NBA Finals had helped streamline access to its unified sports platform. The figures underline DraftKings’ ambition to build a single “super app” spanning sportsbook, lottery, gaming and prediction markets, a strategy the company laid out at its March investor day, where it pointed to a $55bn to $80bn gross revenue opportunity by 2030. Sponsored message Multiply your reach. Tap into NEXT.io Media.

🇳🇿 New Zealand has put detailed online casino regulations in place, giving operators their clearest view yet of the country's new licensed iGaming regime. The Online Casino Gambling Regulations 2026 were made by Order in Council on 2 June, and are set to come into force on 3 July. They sit under the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 and set the operating rules for harm prevention, consumer protection, advertising, reporting, audits, fees and levies. Full licensing is expected in 2027. The Department of Internal Affairs expects to begin issuing licences from early 2027, with the system fully operational later that year. Up to 15 licences will be made available. Sponsored message Want to make business in LatAm and Emerging European markets? Ask us about the NEXT Retreats.

🇫🇮 50 licence applications have been filed ahead of Finland launching its regulated gambling market next summer, according to the country’s National Police Board (NPB). However, the board also warned those applying may not find out if they have been successful for up to six months. “The complexity of processing and evaluating applications is affected by the fact that the majority of applicants are foreign,” said Juha Katainen, senior advisor at the NPB. “We hope that applicants will avoid constantly contacting us about the processing status of their application, as answering enquiries takes time away from processing applications.” Sponsored message Connect now with the #1 Casino Game Aggregator

👀 A startup founded by industry veterans has unveiled what it describes as the ClearScore for gambling. NEXT.io spoke to the founders to learn more. While compliance demands have soared in recent years, what is going on under the bonnet is still often a mystery to players. A new start-up is attempting to change that with an app that gives users a clearer understanding of their own betting health. The team behind GamScore includes racing veteran and chair Josh Apiafi, CEO Phill Adams, RG expert Mark Potter, and other experts within the field of banking and technology. The product uses open banking data fed through an AI engine to generate a simple traffic light score, giving users a cross-operator view of their deposits, spending and budgeting. Sponsored message Multiply your reach. Tap into NEXT.io Media.

⚽ GamCare has warned that this summer’s FIFA World Cup could exacerbate gambling-related harm, with the last edition of the tournament leading to an 11% month-on-month increase in people seeking support. The World Cup kicks off later this week, with games taking place across the US, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July. The 2026 tournament will feature more games than ever after the number of competing teams increased from 32 to 48. Gamcare said more games to gamble on in this year’s tournament could lead to an increase in people seeking help. In addition, it said later kick-offs – due to the time difference between the UK and North America – offers more opportunities to “gamble in secrecy”. Sponsored message Want to make business in LatAm and Emerging European markets? Ask us about the NEXT Retreats.

🤝 Ciarán Carruthers has been appointed as CEO of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) with immediate effect. Carruthers replaces Jim Murren, chair of the GCGRA, who had been serving as interim CEO since the departure of Kevin Mullally in November last year. An experienced executive, Carruthers joins having worked in the global luxury resorts and gaming sectors for more than 40 years. Most recently, he was CEO of Crown Resorts from September 2022 to November 2024. with his last few months spent on gardening leave. Sponsored message Connect now with the #1 Casino Game Aggregator

🎰 Bet365 has announced the launch of Jackpot365, an opt-in add-on to sports betting slips. When users place sports bets, they will be offered the opportunity to enter a progressive jackpot prize draw, with winners selected at random from the entrants. Players in the UK, Netherlands, Sweden and Ontario are now able to use the Jackpot365 product with their sports betting slips, while the in-house built product is also due to launch in Michigan and Brazil in the near future. Sponsored message Multiply your reach. Tap into NEXT.io Media.

🤔 Bally’s Intralot’s acquisition of evoke has been welcomed by analysts for strengthening the William Hill owner’s financial position, though some have questioned whether the enlarged group can deliver the revenue growth needed to unlock the deal’s full potential. While analysts broadly agree with the strategic rationale behind the transaction, they have highlighted a number of risks that could determine its long-term success. These include the performance of the combined business, the impact of UK regulatory changes, and the challenge of meaningful top-line growth. Regulus Partners questioned whether the enlarged group can generate the sustained revenue growth needed to justify the transaction over the long term. “Buying time only works if topline momentum is bought as well,” Regulus said. “And that challenge does not yet have a clear answer.” Sponsored message Want to make business in LatAm and Emerging European markets? Ask us about the NEXT Retreats.

🇲🇹 The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has urged licensees to maintain “heightened vigilance” of suspicious betting activity during this summer’s FIFA World Cup. With the World Cup set to draw betting interest from markets around the world, the MGA has joined several other European regulators in calling for operators to monitor and report suspicious wagering patterns. Operators that hold a Maltese licence are required to monitor and report suspicious transactions. This can be done through the Suspicious Betting Reporting Mechanism. “The MGA reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of sport and betting markets,” the regulator said. “We are reminding all licensees of their obligations under the applicable regulatory framework.” Sponsored message Connect now with the #1 Casino Game Aggregator

🇬🇧 The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) will use AI to identify gambling adverts that are likely to have “strong appeal” to under-18s. The Committee of Advertising Practice updated its guidance in October 2025 to clarify what type of content would be classified as appealing to young people and therefore would break CAP Code 16.3.12. The ASA has since seen fit to take further action, after finding that ads in violation of this rule are still seen on social media. Operators have thus been given notice that from 11 June, the Active Ad Monitoring system will be used to conduct a sweep. The Gambling Commission (UKGC) has put out a supporting statement and has promised “tough action, including fines” for any operators found to be in serious or repeated breach of the rules. Sponsored message Multiply your reach. Tap into NEXT.io Media.

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🇺🇸 UNITE HERE, a union of gaming industry workers in the US, has warned that the rise of what it described as “illegal” prediction markets could lead to job losses across the country’s land-based commercial and tribal casino sector. The union’s president, Gwen Mills, accused prediction market operators of violating state laws and tribal sovereignty by offering contracts that resemble sports betting. “Prediction markets are putting good, union jobs in the gaming industry at risk,” Mills said. “Over 100,000 UNITE HERE members work in tribal and commercial casinos. Their livelihoods are now threatened by prediction markets conducting illegal sports betting in violation of tribal sovereignty and state laws across the country.” Sponsored message Want to make business in LatAm and Emerging European markets? Ask us about the NEXT Retreats.

👋 Non-executive chair Danny Gladstone and company secretary Mark Ludski have resigned from Ainsworth Game Technology (AGT) following media reports of secret bonuses. Gladstone was a key supporter of Novomatic’s attempts to increase its stake in AGT over the past year. Kjerulf Ainsworth, son of company founder Len, has long opposed that acquisition, and he called for Gladstone and Ludski’s resignations after the Australian Financial Review alleged that the two former company executives were given under-the-table bonus payouts. AGT’s board has issued the following statement: “The board wishes to acknowledge and express their appreciation to both Mr Gladstone and Mr Ludski for their leadership and significant contributions to AGT over many years with the company.” Sponsored message Connect now with the #1 Casino Game Aggregator

🤔 Bally’s Intralot has “no intention” of immediately selling off any of evoke's assets should its acquisition of the William Hill and 888 owner proceed as expected, according to CEO Robeson Reeves. Speaking during several calls after the acquisition was announced, Reeves was quick to shut down any suggestion that evoke could be broken up after the acquisition is finalised. He said Bally’s Intralot approached the combination with the “whole group” in mind. “We wanted the whole group,” he said. “We have no intention to sell any assets, as I’ve said a few times. I find that international assets are almost the most attractive, because it creates a diversification for our combined group, and really does give us pan-European presence.” Sponsored message Multiply your reach. Tap into NEXT.io Media.

🗣️ Former Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes' pivot to private industry consultant should be reviewed urgently by the government and the regulator, according to Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP. Duncan Smith served as leader of the Conservative Party between 2001 and 2003 and now chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group for Gambling Reform. He told NEXT.io that Rhodes’ transition from CEO of the Gambling Commission to principal consultant for London-based strategic advisory Hawkbridge "appears to be a clear conflict of interest and raises real questions." He added: “In such a job as CEO of the Commission, surely, as in senior civil servants that depart, there should be a period of ‘cooling off’ before he is able to take up a position so clearly linked to his role in the Commission.” Sponsored message Want to make business in LatAm and Emerging European markets? Ask us about the NEXT Retreats.

🚨 Exclusive: Pragmatic Play will shutter its sportsbook and bingo offerings in a strategic pivot towards its core offerings. A Pragmatic spokesperson said: “Following a strategic review, we have made the decision to focus on our core market-leading verticals – in particular, slots, live casino, crash and RNG. These areas continue to demonstrate strong performance and represent the company’s primary long-term strategic focus. “As a result, Pragmatic Play will no longer offer Bingo and Sportsbook products, following a transition period during which we will support our partners as they migrate to alternative platforms. We are working closely with partners to support this transition.” Sponsored message Connect now with the #1 Casino Game Aggregator