Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB looks at the news that you may have missed across Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This week: Malta regulator flags unauthorised gambling websites, Merkur reveals new-look management board and Flutter donates over £350,000 to cancer charity.
Malta regulator blasts “misleading” websites
Up first, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has warned consumers about two websites claiming to hold licences in the country.
Vavadapsv.com and Vulkanind.site both carry text saying they are licensed by the MGA. However, the regulator said in a statement that it has no connection with either website.
The MGA said that any reference to the regulator or apparent gaming licence is “false and misleading”.
“The MGA would like to remind consumers not to utilise services provided by an entity unless they have ascertained that the entity in question is authorised to provide such services by the MGA,” the regulator said.
“The gaming regulatory framework obliges authorised persons to comply with strict legal requirements in the interest of consumers. The activities of unlicensed entities are unregulated and do not provide the necessary safeguards delineated by virtue of the framework, making transactions with such entities risky for consumers.”
Merkur reveals new-look management board
Elsewhere, Gauselmann Group-owned Merkur Group has announced several changes to its management board, with effect from 1 January.
Dominik Raasch, head of sales and management spokesman, will join the board, along with chief financial officer Meik Sellenriek. David Schnabel, managing director of Merkur Casinos in Germany, is also being added to the board.
Raasch will now take responsibility for Merkur Sales, with Sellenriek overseeing the group’s national and international arcade business. Schnabel will lead the newly created ‘Casinos Management Board’ division.
“I am delighted that Dominik, Meik and David will bear greater responsibility in the future,” Merkur supervisory board chairman Michael Gauselmann said. “They all have the Merkur gene. They have proven in the past that they are ready to take the lead in driving forward the strategic development in their respective divisions.”
FanDuel partners with Professional Women’s Hockey League
Meanwhile, over in North America, Flutter Entertainment-owned FanDuel has entered into a partnership with the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).
Under the new deal, FanDuel will become an official sportsbook partner and exclusive in-app streaming partner in the US. This will allow fans to access live streaming of up to 90 regular season games and playoff games each campaign.
Fans can watch and bet on games, with offerings including player prop bets, novelty markets and same game parlays.
“FanDuel is proud to partner with the PWHL and support athletes,” said Dale Hooper, general manager of FanDuel Canada. “This partnership is about creating a new era of fan engagement, one that brings hockey closer to fans while helping grow the visibility of women’s professional sports.”
Flutter donates over £350,000 to cancer charity
Other news out of Flutter is that the group is donating over £350,000 (€423,051/$444,787) to blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia.
The annual Flutter Charity Ball raised more than £282,000 to help fund clinical trials. On top of this, across its UK brands – Sky Betting & Gaming, Betfair, Paddy Power and Tombola – Flutter generated £75,000.
This took the overall donation to £357,000, with funds going to the new ATICUS network. Running at a cost of £1 million per year, this initiative supports 15 centres and hospitals across the UK.
“We are truly grateful for the generosity of attendees who collectively helped us to raise a great amount for Cure Leukaemia so they can continue their work to find a cure for blood cancer,” Sky Betting & Gaming and Tombola chief commercial officer Steve Birch said.
Virgin Bet backs campaign for lower season ticket prices
Finally this week, Virgin Bet, part of the LiveScore Group, is supporting a campaign for lower season ticket prices for football in the UK.
Running in partnership with the Sport Social Podcast Network, ‘A Grand Isn’t Grand’ aims to award cash prizes towards eight Premier League season ticket holders to help pay for their tickets.
This comes in response to several Premier League clubs raising season ticket prices to over £1,000 for the 2024-25 season. Submissions to win £1,000 in cash for season tickets for the next Premier League campaign are open until 22 December.
“At Virgin Bet, we believe that ‘A Grand Isn’t Grand’ when it comes to the cost of being a football fan,” Virgin Bet marketing director Dominic Vye said. “We are committed to making sport accessible for all, and with rising season ticket prices, this campaign is our way of supporting fans who help make the sport so special.”
