NEXT.io News

🤝 Informa PLC has announced the acquisition of its competitor Clarion Events from Blackstone for £2.24bn. Clarion, including its gambling industry events and publications, will be absorbed into the wider Informa portfolio. Clarion’s WorldGaming arm runs ICE, iGB and the Indian Gaming Tradeshow, but will now live under the new ownership of a FTSE 100 company. Informa is one of the largest media and events groups in the world and has a market cap of more than £11bn. Sponsored message Mexico is shaping up to be Latin America's biggest iGaming market. See where the opportunity sits in our free Market in Focus: Mexico report.

🇪🇸 Spain’s gambling industry is facing renewed regulatory uncertainty after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a snap general election for 29 November, interrupting work on what could be a major overhaul of the country’s gambling laws. The election, which was called after opposition parties voted down a government housing bill, leaves several gambling-related measures facing an uncertain future. Cristina Romero de Alba, a partner at gambling law specialists Loyra Abogados, told NEXT.io that the election represents “a significant pause, and potentially a change of direction” for proposed reforms of Spain’s Gambling Act, Law 13/2011. However, she stressed that the election will not halt measures that have already entered into law, including Spain’s new system of cross-operator deposit limits. Sponsored message Fully regulated since 2024, ~3M players, and primed for M&A — Peru is LatAm's most accessible entry point. Get our free Market in Focus: Peru report.

🇧🇷 Brazil's regulated betting market suspended operations yesterday under MP 1,394, a ban that analysts and members of Lula's own camp describe as a costly political mistake. Members of Lula's campaign believe the betting ban hurt the president's first-round performance, according to newspaper O Globo. Social media monitoring identified influencers aimed at lower-middle-income voters urging a tactical vote for Bolsonaro in response to the ban, and the campaign fears the situation will worsen from today now the sites have gone offline. According to the newspaper, only Sidônio Palmeira, Minister of Social Communication, and first lady Janja da Silva backed a total ban. Other members of the group considered it radical and risky. Sponsored message South Africa's GGR grew 25.7% in a year, to €3.1bn — Africa's most mature betting market. Get the detail in our free Market in Focus: South Africa report.

🤝 Sky Betting & Gaming (SBG) has appointed Neil Banbury, formerly of Kindred Group, as its new managing director with immediate effect. Announcing the news in a LinkedIn post, Banbury confirmed he took up the position on 1 October. His decision to move to Sky Betting & Gaming came after more than 15 years with Kindred. “I’m excited and proud to be here and can’t wait to get stuck in,” Banbury said. “It’s a tough moment for UK gambling but SBG has great brands, the backing of Flutter, and a brilliant team that really understands its customers. That’s a great mix to work with.” Sponsored message Looking at Kenya? ~8M players, mobile-first payments, and brand-new 2025 regulation — the full picture's in our free Market in Focus: Kenya report.

👀 Opinion: Brazil’s betting sector must accept the role it played in its own downfall NEXT.io lead researcher Sonja Lindenberg asks whether the industry did enough to prevent the introduction of Brazil's bombshell ban on the betting sector. “Brazil did not ban betting out of nowhere,” she writes. “The industry helped build the case against itself, but it took a government willing to override its own rules to pull the trigger.” Sponsored message Connect now with the #1 Casino Game Aggregator

🗣️ Sarah Gardner, acting CEO of the Gambling Commission, has given a rallying call at Allwyn UK’s Participant Protection Conference, pushing the lottery operator to boost its returns to good causes and adhere to a higher standard of consumer safety. The UKGC boss was broadly positive as she acknowledged the challenges that Allwyn UK has faced in the past couple of years and welcomed William Hill’s former UK and Ireland chief Phil Walker as the operator's interim CEO. It has been a rocky road for the winner of the fourth National Lottery licence, with former CEO Andria Vidler stepping down in September having finally overseen the completion of its delayed and over-budget tech upgrade. “We expect Allwyn and the National Lottery to be at the forefront in terms of determining and demonstrating best practice when it comes to protecting players – and indeed that is a key tenet within the fourth licence regulatory framework,” Gardner said. Sponsored message Multiply your reach. Tap into NEXT.io Media.

📉 IG Group expects a 14% year-on-year decline in revenue for the third quarter of 2026, but highlighted strong growth at Underdog Sports as it prepares to complete its pending acquisition of the US sports and prediction markets business. In a trading update, IG Group said revenue for the three months to 30 September will reach approximately £240m. This would fall short of the £280.1m recorded in Q3 last year, reflecting lower over-the-counter (OTC) revenue retention. However, despite the decline, there was better news from Underdog, which is set to become part of IG Group before the end of the year. In July, the company agreed a deal worth up to $1.3bn to acquire Underdog. The acquisition is expected to close during Q4 of 2026. In Q3, IG Group said net revenue from Underdog is expected to rise more than 100% year-on-year to around $105m. Sponsored message Fully regulated since 2024, ~3M players, and primed for M&A — Peru is LatAm's most accessible entry point. Get our free Market in Focus: Peru report.

🇧🇷 Flávio Bolsonaro finished the first round of Brazil's presidential election ahead of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, but fell short of the 50% of valid votes required to declare an outright victory. The race now goes to a head-to-head runoff on 25 October, which will decide both the country's next president and the future of its betting market. Bolsonaro received 47.03% (56,104,503 votes) and Lula 45.16% (53,879,538 votes), according to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). By 10:14pm on Sunday (4 October), the TSE considered a second round mathematically certain. It was the first round of voting after Lula banned fixed-odds betting through Provisional Measure (MP) 1,394/2026, nine days before polling day. Sponsored message South Africa's GGR grew 25.7% in a year, to €3.1bn — Africa's most mature betting market. Get the detail in our free Market in Focus: South Africa report.

🇧🇷 Brazil’s betting ban has reached Congress and already received 42 amendments, as indicated on Congress’ website. The Provisional Measure banning online betting in the country has been in force since 25 September, but it will eventually lapse unless Congress converts it into law. The amendments mark the first indication of whether lawmakers will soften the ban, delay it, or toughen it further. So far, lawmakers have proposed everything from a slots-only ban to licence-fee refunds, but none of the amendments gives operators extra time to wind down. The window for amendments has been extended to 13 October, before the 25 October deadline on which existing licences will be formally revoked. Sponsored message Mexico is shaping up to be Latin America's biggest iGaming market. See where the opportunity sits in our free Market in Focus: Mexico report.

🇧🇷 Brazil’s betting professionals are facing layoffs and prejudice from employers in other industries as they look for new roles. On 6 October, the 85 companies that paid R$30m each for a federal licence must take their sites offline. The impact goes beyond operators: professionals in VIP account management, CRM, marketing and other areas are now looking for work. There are also reports of approaches from the illegal market. One person working in the industry says they received six job offers from betting companies without authorisation to operate in Brazil in the week after the MP. Sponsored message Fully regulated since 2024, ~3M players, and primed for M&A — Peru is LatAm's most accessible entry point. Get our free Market in Focus: Peru report.

🚨 Brazil heads to the polls on Sunday: What’s at stake for the industry? Brazilian voters are set to head to the polls in the first round of the country’s general elections this Sunday. By the end of the following day, every licensed operator in the country must go dark. Incumbent President Lula’s government published MP 1.394 nine days before the election, ending Brazil’s regulated betting market less than two years after it launched. As the election rapidly approaches, Lula is not backing down. “I’m going to put an end to the bets, no matter who gets hurt,” he said on the Flow podcast on Thursday. Sponsored message South Africa's GGR grew 25.7% in a year, to €3.1bn — Africa's most mature betting market. Get the detail in our free Market in Focus: South Africa report.

👀 Brazil’s ban on online betting could see other parts of Latin America attract increased investment from the gambling industry, with Colombia and Peru best placed to benefit. Juan Camilo Carrasco, managing partner at law firm Sora Lawyers, told NEXT.io that if the ban on online betting and casino in Brazil remains in place, investment could be redirected towards other markets in the region. “Established markets such as Colombia and Peru appear to be the main candidates to absorb some of the growth the sector had originally projected for Brazil,” Carrasco said. “Latin America will not lose investment; we are more likely to see that investment redistributed towards jurisdictions offering greater regulatory predictability.” Sponsored message Looking at Kenya? ~8M players, mobile-first payments, and brand-new 2025 regulation — the full picture's in our free Market in Focus: Kenya report.

🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago is looking to become the Caribbean’s latest offshore gaming jurisdiction. The island nation’s parliament unanimously approved the minister of finance’s order that would set up a legal framework for offering online gambling services internationally on Wednesday (30 September). If approved by the Senate, which will look at the order today, the Kamla Persad-Bissessar-led government could shepherd Trinidad and Tobago into becoming the fourth nation in the region with an offshore gambling regime. Sponsored message Connect now with the #1 Casino Game Aggregator

🇳🇱 The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has warned of a “new risk” to the country’s regulated lottery sector after revoking a licence fraudulently obtained in the name of Dutch football club Quick Boys. Detailing the case, the KSA said an unknown party posed as the Quick Boys chairman. They were then able to obtain a licence from the regulator and several websites were launched to sell tickets. Sites flagged included loterij.quickboys.nl, loterijenqb.com, besteloterijqb.com, nieuweqb.com, bestenl.com, topnetherlands.com, newloterij.com, and topsloterij.com. However, the regulator said Katwijk-based Quick Boys had no connection to any of these sites. The KSA, which has filed a report with the police over the matter, said it would not provide any further details regarding the investigation. The regulator also urged consumers not to input any personal details on any of the websites in question. Sponsored message Multiply your reach. Tap into NEXT.io Media.

📉 Gentoo Media has lowered its full-year 2026 guidance after Brazil moved to ban fixed-odds betting, also highlighting its Q3 revenue is tracking below expectations. The company now expects full-year revenue of around €92m, down from a previous range of €97m to €100m. EBITDA before special items is forecast at about €40m, compared with the €44m to €47m previously forecast. Meanwhile, Operating cash flow is projected at about €30m versus previous estimates of €32m to €36m. The downgrade comes as Gentoo prepares to repay bonds worth about €91.5m that mature in December, using a €50m loan from a major shareholder and a planned €50m share issue. Sponsored message Mexico is shaping up to be Latin America's biggest iGaming market. See where the opportunity sits in our free Market in Focus: Mexico report.

🇧🇷 Brazilian football teams brace as R$1.5bn+ in revenue disappears Some operators are using Brazil’s betting ban to walk away, without penalty, from football sponsorship deals that were no longer paying off for them, according to a Folha de São Paulo report. Others are suspending their contracts, hoping the measure will be overturned by Congress or the Supreme Court (STF). At stake is around R$1.03bn ($201m) in sponsorship paid to Série A clubs in 2025, according to Convocados, a Brazilian consultancy specialising in football management and finance. Experts who spoke to NEXT.io agree the money will not be replaced any time soon, but are split over how much damage the Provisional Measure has done to investor confidence in the country. Sponsored message Fully regulated since 2024, ~3M players, and primed for M&A — Peru is LatAm's most accessible entry point. Get our free Market in Focus: Peru report.

🤝 FDJ United managing director of operations Stephen Parry has been tapped as the new group CEO of Enteractive to drive greater international scale, integrate proprietary AI solutions and explore partnership opportunities. His predecessor, co-founder of the company Mikael Hansson, will be transitioning to a new role as executive chairman of the board, where he is expected to remain closely involved. Hansson hailed the start of a new chapter for Enteractive, saying: "Stephen brings the industry experience, international perspective and leadership to help us realise that ambition, and I’m incredibly excited to welcome him to lead Enteractive through its next phase of growth.” Parry himself also shared his enthusiasm for the new role, calling Enteractive's customer retention and reactivation offering a "genuinely distinctive proposition." Sponsored message South Africa's GGR grew 25.7% in a year, to €3.1bn — Africa's most mature betting market. Get the detail in our free Market in Focus: South Africa report.

😳 A rift has erupted between SIS and largest shareholder Entain after the live feed supplier was discovered to have signed a contract with black-market operator Santeda. Entain, which owns 23.4% of SIS and claims to be leading the charge against unlicensed operators, was left “surprised and disappointed” by the revelation. NEXT.io understands SIS was contractually entitled to an 18% GGR share of racing products across the Santeda network, which includes the MyStake B2C brand. Sponsored message Looking at Kenya? ~8M players, mobile-first payments, and brand-new 2025 regulation — the full picture's in our free Market in Focus: Kenya report.

🇪🇪 Bombay Group has closed the Bombay Club casino in Tallinn’s Old Town, two years after opening the venue for high rollers. The lavish casino property marked a major pivot for the group, which shifted from its roots in online gambling towards a high-end land-based casino operation. The project involved a significant investment and more than five years of renovation work on the 5,000-square-metre site next to Tallinn’s Town Hall Square. The casino closed today. Shang Shi, the Michelin-recognised restaurant that formed part of the club’s original concept, will close on 15 November. The company said Bombay Club employees face redundancy, but has not confirmed how many positions are affected. The group will continue to operate the Michelin-recognised hotel The Burman. Sponsored message Connect now with the #1 Casino Game Aggregator

🇧🇷 How likely is a suspension of Brazil’s betting ban in Supreme Court? Brazil’s two leading betting trade associations, the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) and the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR), have asked the Supreme Court to suspend Lula’s betting ban, which shut down the country’s licensed market last week. “We have, let’s say, the first action of hope against the provisional measure,” Leonardo Benites, ANJL’s deputy head of communications, told NEXT.io. The road ahead is far from simple, though. Benites believes the court may not rule before the election's first round on 4 October. Sponsored message Multiply your reach. Tap into NEXT.io Media.