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From Track to Triumph: Ex-Professional Runner Lauren Fleshman’s Good For A Girl Wins Best Sports Book of 2023

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  • Lauren Fleshman is crowned the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2023, taking home a £30,000 cash prize 
  • In the Award’s 35-year history, Good For A Girl marks the first women’s memoir to receive the prize 

Lauren Fleshman’s book, Good for a Girl: My Life Running in a Man’s World has been crowned the 2023 winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, picking up a prize of £30,000 at an official ceremony today (30 November), at BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, in London.

The announcement makes history as it is the first book about women in sport, authored by a woman, to receive the world’s most prestigious sports writing prize.

The US champion’s part memoir, part manifesto documents Fleshman’s story of falling in love with running as a girl, battling devastating injuries and self-doubt, and daring to fight for a better way for female athletes. Drawing not only on her own story, but also on emerging research on the physiology and psychology of young athletes, Fleshman gives voice to the often-silent experience of the female athlete and argues that the time has come to rebuild our systems of competitive sport to allow women to perform at their best.

A panel of independent judges from the world of sports and journalism, chaired by author and journalist, Alyson Rudd, undertook a rigorous judging process, reviewing more than 150 entries down to the winning book.

The Judges praised Good for a Girl for its “heartfelt narrative” and “compelling writing”, as well as its crucial advocacy for reform in sports for young women. Renowned sports broadcaster, Matt Williams, declared Fleshman’s book “not just one of the best sports books that I’ve read this year, but one of the best books full stop.”

Receiving the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award trophy and a £30,000 cash prize today, Lauren Fleshman said: “Having a woman being elevated for telling her own story is rare, and we need a lot more of that.  That’s why awards like this are so important.  I came here optimistic, but then convinced myself I had no chance when I looked at the shortlist.

“I am delighted to be the winner of this prestigious award. I hope it makes sport better for the future of women and girls.”

Alyson Rudd, Chair of the Judging Panel for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, said: “We had such an exceptionally high-quality shortlist this year, and selecting a winner was no small feat. For the first time, women’s books dominated, showing that more women are being commissioned to tell their stories, with many bravely tackling challenges within the sporting world.

“Good for a Girl is not only a must-read book on the challenges that women face in sport but a moving and informative memoir that will grip those who are not athletics fans. Lauren Fleshman exposes and shatters myths with disarming honesty and exceptional writing – it is a wonderful read and thoroughly deserving of the title William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2023.”

The New York Times Bestseller, and now William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award winner, highlights the challenges women face in competitive running, exposing the flaws in the sports structure that is failing young women as much as empowering them. Through her drive for change, Fleshman confronts the misogynistic origins of sports, and even her sponsors, and addresses the concerning decline in girl’s participation once they hit puberty. The narrative also explores the struggles faced by female collegiate athletes, such as injuries, eating disorders and mental health issues.

The five authors on the shortlist, alongside Lauren Fleshman, receive £3,000 and a leather-bound copy of their book. They are:

  • Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson by Sally H. Jacobs 
  • Concussed: Sport’s Uncomfortable Truth by Sam Peters 
  • Kick The Latch by Kathryn Scanlan 
  • Unbreakable by Ronnie O’Sullivan  
  • Unfair Play: The Battle for Women’s Sport by Sharron Davies with Craig Lord 

Having secured the 35th winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, Lauren Fleshman joins an impressive list of previous winners, including last year’s champion Jeremy Wilson. For the second consecutive year, a book centred on women’s sports clinches the award. Fleshman becomes the third woman to be awarded the prestigious prize joining former winners Anna Krien and Laura Hillenbrand.

The William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award first took place in 1989 and is now the longest-established competition in the industry. It is dedicated to rewarding excellence in sports writing and is the world’s most prestigious award in the sector.

Entry to the 36th William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award is now open. For more information about the Award and to enter, please visit: https://news.williamhill.com/sport/sports-book-of-the-year/ 

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Firesand launches Firesand Shield to combat rise in iGaming account fraud attacks

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8 hours ago

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June 16, 2025

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Firesand, a leader in iGaming security services and software, has developed a cutting-edge Anti-Account Fraud solution to safeguard iGaming operators and platform providers from escalating credential-based cyber threats.

Firesand Shield is a best-in-class product that has been designed to address the growing complexity of account fraud that has impacted the global iGaming industry in recent times, which in some cases has resulted in loss of business, damaged reputation and regulatory fines. Common examples of account fraud include credential stuffing, dictionary attacks, and common password exploitation.

The new solution provides proactive, intelligent detection and prevention against the full spectrum of account compromise techniques, without relying on user-disruptive CAPTCHAs or blunt blocking mechanisms, to ensure the end user experience remains uninterrupted.

Unlike legacy or bot-only detection tools, Firesand Shield leans on the company’s specialism as a penetration testing service provider to focus on attack patterns, regardless of whether the source is human, bot, or hybrid, offering unmatched insight and agility in protecting operator user accounts and platform integrity. It includes in-depth attack analysis and reporting to provide greater transparency and clarity over the source of each security vulnerability.

With a product upgrade roadmap that includes geolocation anomaly detection, VPN usage analysis, and AI-powered behavioural profiling, Firesand Shield is set to offer operators and platforms significant peace of mind to stay ahead of security threats as they evolve.

Chris Blake, Director at Firesand, said: “Account fraud is a growing threat to the global iGaming industry. There have been multiple cases in the previous year alone where user data has been breached, leading to a detrimental impact for businesses targeted.

“Firesand Shield has been designed to support operators and platform providers of all sizes to sharpen their security capabilities as these attacks become more common and sophisticated. Underpinned by our superior iGaming security excellence, we are well positioned to further strengthen online systems on a global scale.”

With a proven track record of developing bespoke security platforms for a range of industries, Firesand brings unmatched credibility and expertise to the iGaming space, combining technical solutions with practical, actionable defence capabilities for high-risk digital environments.

The post Firesand launches Firesand Shield to combat rise in iGaming account fraud attacks appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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BETANO

Betano Teams up with FIFA as Official Partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ for South America

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10 hours ago

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June 16, 2025

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Betano, a leading online sports betting brand owned by Kaizen Gaming, is today announcing a new partnership as it becomes Official Partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ for South America.

Following a successful collaboration for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM, Betano and FIFA are once again joining forces to excite and entertain football fans throughout the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. The new tournament features 32 of the world’s top club teams competing in the United States from June 14th to July 13th, culminating in the final at MetLife Stadium in New York, New Jersey. All 6 international confederations under FIFA will be represented, with teams’ qualifying on sporting merit such as winning their respective major continental club competition or through a ranking from having strong performances over a four-year period in the continental competition.

George Daskalakis, co-founder and CEO of Kaizen Gaming, said: “After being the first sports betting operator to support the FIFA World Cup™ in Qatar in 2022, we are proud that Betano is joining forces with FIFA once again – this time for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™. It is a privilege to work closely with FIFA for a tournament that brings together millions of fans from all around the world as they get to watch the best club teams and players football has to offer. This year’s tournament is particularly special, as it marks a moment in history as the inaugural edition.”

Romy Gai, Chief Business Officer at FIFA said: “We are thrilled to be collaborating once again with Kaizen Gaming and its Betano brand. Our shared ethos of enhancing the fan experience delivered huge successes during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM, and we are excited to be working with their team to deliver another world-class tournament. Over the past three years, we have seen the Betano brand grow and expand, and we know fans will be excited for this next step.”

The post Betano Teams up with FIFA as Official Partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ for South America appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Industry Awards

Soft2Bet Named Acquisition & Retention Partner and Industry Innovator of the Year by SBC Europe Awards 2025

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10 hours ago

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June 16, 2025

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Soft2Bet has secured two major wins at the SBC Awards Europe 2025, being recognised by excellence for Acquisition & Retention Partner of the Year and Industry Innovation of the Year. Its flagship brand Betinia also earned a Silver Award in the Casino Operator of the Year category, highlighting a company’s ability to create performing brands in saturated and highly competitive key markets.

The awards recognise the continued success of Soft2Bet’s powerful turnkey solutions and Motivational Engineering Gaming Application (MEGA), which has played a central role in driving player engagement and retention across key markets. During the last 12 months, the impact of Soft2Bet’s cutting-edge gamification solutions for casino and sportsbook has played a major role in enhancing customer experience, loyalty, and engagement, delivering ROI-driven performance that goes beyond retention. MEGA was key in achieving a 128% retention uplift for Campobet in Denmark and 106% for Betinia in Sweden, further proving the solution’s impact.

“SBC Europe Awards recognition is a testament to the vision of our technology and its impact on building strong brands, long-term player relationships, and product excellence that goes beyond retention. MEGA continues to lead the European, Nordic and North America market in creating unique experiences that combine innovation, a strong regulatory framework, high performance results from the start,” – stated Oksana Tsyhankova, CMO at Soft2Bet.

Earlier in 2024, Soft2Bet was also recognised at the SBC Awards, winning in Innovation in Mobile and Innovation in Casino Entertainment categories. Soft2Bet now holds 19 licences across 12 jurisdictions and continues to expand both its B2B and B2C footprint in Europe and beyond. With brands like Betinia, CampoBet, Don.ro, Tooniebet, and Quickcasino, the company remains focused on delivering innovative, localised, high-performance iGaming experiences.

The post Soft2Bet Named Acquisition & Retention Partner and Industry Innovator of the Year by SBC Europe Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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