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Betting Shops in England Eligible for Grants of up to £6000 a Site in £5B Recovery Plan

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The UK Betting & Gaming Council (BGC) has welcomed the announcement ahead of Wednesday’s Budget that non-essential retail businesses such as betting shops will be eligible for direct cash grants of up to £6000 per site, although the bookmaker trade body has reiterated its call for an extension of business rates relief for a further year.

Details of the grant scheme came as part of a series of announcements ahead of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s annual budget speech, in which he is set to reveal a new grant scheme totalling £5 billion to aid the recovery of high-street businesses in England.

Nearly 700,000 shops, restaurants, hotels, hair salons, gyms and other businesses in England will be eligible for “restart grants,” to be distributed directly to firms by local authorities from April. It will replace the current monthly grant system.

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Under the budget plans, non-essential retail will be eligible for direct cash grants of up to £6000 to help them start trading again when allowed to do so, while hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses in England – which will remain closed for longer under the government’s roadmap out of lockdown – will be able to apply for grants of £18,000 per site.

“The BGC would warmly welcome any additional support for betting shops, be that business rates or grants, particularly giving the pressure independent betting shops are under,” a spokesman for the BGC said.

Racecourses and bookmakers in England were given a clear set of dates to work towards for reopening last week when prime minister Boris Johnson gave the first details of a timetable for leaving lockdown.

Non-essential retail, which has for most of the pandemic included betting shops, will form part of phase two of the plan, with April 12 the provisional date for reopening if vaccination rates rise and hospitalisations drop sufficiently.

BGC chief executive Michael Dugher has written to Sunak ahead of the budget setting out a five-point plan for more business support to “unlock the power of the high street and drive economic growth.”

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Dugher said in his letter: “With premises shut for much of the past year, this would help protect jobs and remove a major financial pressure on businesses that have suffered a significant loss of income during the pandemic.”

Dugher pointed to the fact that licensed betting offices had been severely impacted by the various regional and national lockdowns over the past ten months, with revenues for this sector falling by 45% in 2020.

The letter also seeks assurance that funding for devolved administrations is made available to all business sectors in need. While businesses in England and Northern Ireland have benefited from business rates relief since last April, the Scottish and Welsh governments took the decision not to provide support for gambling companies.

“The UK Government’s backing for business stands in stark contrast to the refusal of the devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland to offer business rates relief to our members,” states the letter.

“This has sadly had a disproportionate impact on our smaller independent businesses, many of them family run, which have faced making staff redundant and an uncertain future.”

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BitLine

BitLine Enhances Onboarding Experience in Collaboration with Jumio: Simplified KYC for Casino Patrons

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This collaboration emphasizes convenience, security and regulatory compliance

Through the BitLine app, users can seamlessly transact with up to US$10 million in casino chips 24/7

BitLine, a pioneering provider in the integration of digital assets for direct access to casino chips, proudly announces a strategic alliance with Jumio, an industry leader renowned for its comprehensive know-your-customer (KYC) solutions.

This partnership marks a significant milestone as BitLine streamlines its onboarding process for casino patrons, ensuring a seamless and secure journey into the realm of digital asset-based payments for gaming.

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The collaboration between BitLine and Jumio signifies a commitment to delivering unparalleled convenience while upholding the highest standards of security and regulatory compliance. By leveraging Jumio’s advanced technology, BitLine reinforces its dedication to building trust among users and offering a frictionless experience for individuals seeking access to casino chips via digital assets.

Richard Jones, the Chief Executive Officer for BitLine by Ibanera, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating: “Trust and compliance are the cornerstones of every successful casino venture. At BitLine, our vision to innovate this industry through digital assets hinges on maintaining trust and adherence to regulations. Our collaboration with Jumio represents a monumental stride towards achieving this vision, ensuring that casino patrons transact securely and confidently through our platform.”

Echoing this sentiment, Robert E Prigge, the Chief Executive Officer for Jumio, commented: “The evolving landscape of digital assets presents endless possibilities and BitLine’s innovative approach has reshaped the casino industry. By eliminating withdrawal limitations and expanding accessibility, BitLine has ushered in a new era of gaming. We are thrilled to contribute to BitLine’s journey by providing essential elements of security and compliance.”

BitLine by Ibanera grants cryptocurrency owners unprecedented access to up to US$10 million in casino chips, 24/7/365, serving as a conduit for liquidity on the casino floor. Through the intuitive BitLine app, casino enthusiasts worldwide can initiate transactions within minutes, leveraging their digital assets to unlock funds effortlessly.

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Kore Digital Mining Ltd Announces Additional 14 PH/s Bitcoin Mining Capacity

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Kore Digital Mining Ltd, a UK based Bitcoin mining company, announces that effective 1st May 2024, an additional 14 PH/s mining capacity will be added to its existing infrastructure.

This additional capacity will be provided by a major Bitcoin mining corporation and will be operational until 30th June 2024.

Derek Nisbet, Kore’s Founder & CEO, said – “We are pleased to work with a leading Bitcoin Miner in securing a large amount of mining capacity, for a 2 month trial period. We look forward to hopefully extending this period and engaging more with major mining corporations offering Bitcoin hashing opportunities, in the future.”

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This additional 14PH/s Bitcoin mining capacity adds to the existing 2 PH/s currently operational with Kore’s own infrastructure and an additional 4 PH/s is due to be added over the next quarter, totalling 20 PH/s.

The post Kore Digital Mining Ltd Announces Additional 14 PH/s Bitcoin Mining Capacity appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Sportradar Names New CFO, Craig Felenstein

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Sportradar Group AG today announced that Craig Felenstein has been named Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective June 1, 2024. Felenstein joins the Company from Lindblad Expeditions where he most recently served as Chief Financial Officer. He will report directly to Sportradar Chief Executive Officer Carsten Koerl.

Felenstein brings nearly 30 years of senior finance and operating experience for US publicly listed companies across the media, entertainment, experiential and digital content industries to his new position at Sportradar. Most recently, Felenstein served as Chief Financial Officer at Lindblad Expeditions, a global leader in expedition cruises and adventure travel, where he oversaw the company’s global finance organization, as well their corporate development, information technology and human resources functions. In his role as Sportradar’s Chief Financial Officer, Felenstein will lead the company’s global finance, accounting and investor relations functions. Felenstein has a unique blend of financial rigor and operational insight and will partner with the rest of the executive leadership team to advance the company’s key strategic initiatives and grow the business while maintaining strong relationships with the investment community. He will be based in New York.

Carsten Koerl, CEO, Sportradar said: “With Craig’s deep international experience and successful track record building finance organizations as a CFO at US listed public companies, I am confident that he will be a strong addition to our team. His track record of helping drive financial strategy and building shareholder value will be instrumental to our continued success. We want to express our deep gratitude to Ger Griffin for his meaningful contributions to Sportradar during a transformational growth period for our Company.”

Prior to his tenure at Lindblad, Felenstein served as Senior Vice President of Investor Relations and Strategic Finance at Shutterstock where he oversaw all interaction with the investment community while leading the financial planning and analysis and corporate development functions. Prior to Shutterstock, he served in various management roles at Discovery Communications, LLC, including Executive Vice President of Investor Relations. At the same time, he was a member of the executive team for several of Discovery’s businesses including serving as the Chief Financial Officer of Digital, Chief Financial Officer of US Network Revenue and Chief Financial Officer of Animal Planet.  Prior to Discovery Communications, he held senior positions at News Corporation, Viacom Inc., and Arthur Andersen & Co.

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Felenstein said: “Sportradar has built an impressive leadership position in the rapidly growing global sports technology market and the Company is ideally situated to deliver sustained growth given their strong content portfolio, unmatched product offerings and commitment to industry innovation.  I am excited to work with Carsten and the entire Sportradar team, as well as the Board of Directors, to capitalize on the significant growth opportunities ahead and deliver additional value to our clients, partners and shareholders.”

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