Today
Portelli hits fast lane on mooted LMCT+ sale, MacCap takes the wheel
Several conversations around how a change of control could play out and the steps needed to make LMCT+ sale-ready had taken place since the end of last year.
This Month
Laurence Escalante gets real deep on Instagram bender
From Below Deck to righteously correcting injustice to philosophy, the Rich Lister’s recent social media rant covered it all.
PointsBet at odds with rival bookie BlueBet over takeover funding
The company is trying to sell its business to Japanese entertainment giant Mixi, but that has been complicated by a competing bid from BlueBet.
Bookmaker behind Ladbrokes turned blind eye to drug money laundering
Over 640 pages, Austrac accuses the UK bookmaking giant of failing to catch “large amounts of money being regularly moved”.
March
Austrac accuses Entain of allowing suspected criminals to launder cash
The British bookmaker behind Ladbrokes and Neds allegedly allowed more than a dozen high-risk customers to funnel money through its accounts despite the risks.
Aristocrat takes gaming groups to UK court over Buffalo brand
The ASX-listed giant is hauling a group of offshore gaming companies into a UK courtroom, alleging that they have ripped off one of its most popular slot games.
February
PointsBet spars with spurned suitor BlueBet over funding and synergies
The ASX-listed bookmaker has agreed to sell itself to Japan’s Mixi, angering backers of its Matthew Tripp-run rival who claim it is leaving money on the table.
Major PointsBet investors back BlueBet over Mixi’s $353m takeover bid
The wagering group is the subject of two proposals. Its board has backed the Japanese entertainment giant’s buyout plans over one from its local rival.
Betr mulls revisiting controversial 100-to-1 promotion as it expands
The ASX-listed bookmaker is buying Queensland-based TopSport in its second major deal in a year, putting it “right on the heels” of major rival PointsBet.
Matt Tripp’s Betr raises cash to buy Queensland bookie
The target TopSport reported a turnover of $198.9 million for 11,000-plus gamblers in the December half of the financial year.
January
PM speed-dated TV, sports bosses before U-turn on gambling ad ban
In a 95-minute period on August 30, Anthony Albanese spoke with the country’s major sporting and TV bosses about his draft gambling ad policy.
‘I made millions from sports betting, without ever backing a winner’
By carefully analysing reams of data and taking advantage of changing odds, Peter Webb has made a tidy sum since the easing of online gambling regulations in the UK.
December 2024
AUSTRAC sues Ladbrokes and Neds owner
Entain allegedly did not conduct appropriate checks on 17 high-risk customers and deliberately obscured the identity of some through use of pseudonyms.
Tabcorp slashes 10pc of workforce in cost cut drive
The move is the first major change made by the wagering group’s new chief executive Gillon McLachlan. Cost-cutting had been flagged with investors last month.
November 2024
‘Vested interests’ frustrate gambling ad reforms
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland is facing growing frustration, including from within her own party, over the shelving of plans to restrict gambling advertising.
Deposed Tabcorp boss has a warning for CEOs everywhere
In his first interview since being sacked as the chief executive of the wagering giant, Adam Rytenskild says he was put “six feet under” with no warning.
Laurence Escalante’s VGW bulks up exec ranks as casinos bristle
Virtual Gaming Worlds was one of the early beneficiaries of a US legislative loophole in states where gambling is otherwise banned. It’s now under attack.
V’landys slams gambling probe, claims NRL betting is least damaging
Peter V’landys doubled down on past claims racing and sports betting are less harmful than lotteries and slammed all 31 recommendations of the parliamentary inquiry.
October 2024
Betting firms pull $150m in advertising as crackdown looms
The Albanese government says it will unveil new restrictions on wagering advertising before the end of the year. Gambling firms are already pulling back.
Crypto casino Rich Lister victim of attempted kidnapping
Billionaire Tim Heath was attacked in his home in Estonia in July by a group of foreign nationals who attempted to abduct him.