This Week's Sports Betting Update

Hello, we’ve taken a look at what’s news, trending and being talked about in the sports betting world this week. Grab a coffee, take five minutes and we’ll fill you in on everything you need to know.

One big story 

British horse racing prepares to launch its biggest nationwide marketing campaign

The British Horseracing Authority’s (BHA) acting chief executive, Brant Dunshea, said the sport is readying the launch of its biggest nationwide marketing campaign yet.

The campaign, which is due to be unveiled in May, has been partly funded with the aid of the Levy Board. In recent years, the marketing of UK horse racing has been criticised, especially the Premier racing trial which many feel was not effectively promoted.

Recently, the Great British Racing (GBR) board has been usurped by a smaller, more agile marketing committee.

Dunshea described the campaign as significant. He said the campaign will focus heavily on the social and cultural aspects of horse racing and its appeal as a spectator sport and as a pastime.

The sport’s national marketing strategy had previously been approved by several members of the GBR board, some of whom resigned in January.

Click here to learn more about the restructuring of the UK’s horse racing marketing strategy and the Levy Board’s financial commitment.

What you need to know

Commercial

• Sportradar has agreed to take over IMG Arena from Endeavor Group. The deal will actually see Endeavor pay Sportradar to offload the firm to them. The transaction was revealed during Sportradar’s 2024 full-year earnings call. The onboarding of IMG Arena will increase Sportradar’s portfolio by 70+ global betting rights. More

• BetMakers has penned an agreement with the UK Tote Group to provide its industry-leading Quantum software solution. The Quantum platform will now act as the core pools wagering platform for racecourses partnered with the UK Tote Group, while offering further technical support, including World Pool meetings. More

• UK-based online sportsbook, bet365, has launched in its 13th US state. It is now live in the Prairie State of Illinois, thanks to its partnership with Walker’s Bluff Casino resort. The site has opened its doors to IL-based sports bettors in the build-up to the 2025 NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament, known as March Madness. More

• Sunbet has cemented its place as one of the market leaders in the South African sports betting sector. The platform posted a 61% year-on-year revenue in 2024, with adjusted EBITDA also rising 64% year-on-year. Customer acquisition was particularly impressive, with the number of unique active players up 35% year-on-year. More

Regulation

• The Providing Responsible Oversight and Transparency and Ensuring Collegiate Trust for Student Athletes (PROTECT) Act has been introduced to Congress. The bill, sponsored by first-term congressman, Michael Baumgartner of Washington, believes sports betting on college campuses has surged in recent years. The bill aims to scrap betting on the individual performance of college athletes, known as prop betting. More

Technology

• A leading US-based lottery courier app is searching for new sports technology acquisitions or partners. Lottery.com has been providing online lottery services across the US and is moving into European and Asian markets. It’s also expanding into sports, having purchased S&MI Ltd, the parent company of sports fan engagement platform Sports.com, in September 2024. More

People news

Jez White moves to BetComply as its inaugural Safer Gambling and Sustainability Specialist

BetComply has appointed Jez White as the firm’s first Safer Gambling and Sustainability Specialist. White, a former executive at Entain, will be tasked with designing and managing safer gambling strategies, as well as auditing existing safer gambling models.

White has previously worked with Entain for eight years as Director of Player Protection Systems and Analytics.

BetComply has been expanding its senior team in recent months, with Paola Menchem heading up its legal and regulatory compliance services at its London headquarters.

Click here to get the thoughts of White and BetComply’s CEO, Daniel Brookes, on this newfound position.

This week's talking point

Why the UK government’s quango bonfire is unlikely to affect the UKGC

Amid all the excitement of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated a promise to slash regulation. Starmer said that regulations had bloated operations and stunted meaningful economic growth nationwide.

Racing Post’s industry editor Bill Barber said that Starmer didn’t go further by suggesting a fresh bonfire of the quangos would also include scrapping the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).

However, despite the government committing to cut the power of regulators in one sense, they are forging ahead with a new regulatory framework for the football industry.

Barber notes the Football Governance Bill, which reached the report stage last week, saw amendments discussed in the House of Lords for the bill. Among them, was a potential ban on gambling advertising in football by Liberal Democrat peer Lord Addington.

Although support for the amendment was limited at best, the fragile relationship between sport and gambling was brought to the fore again.

Click here to get the thoughts of gambling minister Baroness Twycross, who sounded less hawkish on the UK gambling industry than some anticipated.

This week's insight

Did the 2025 Cheltenham Festival live up to the expectations of the UK’s leading bookmakers?

Now that the dust has settled on this year’s Cheltenham Festival, many senior executives with leading UK bookmakers have been discussing the event and its long-term future.

In a discussion with SBC News, most executives waxed lyrical on behalf of their employers regarding the results of the festival. Barry Orr, head of horse racing PR at Betfair, said the number of short-priced favourites losing exceeded expectations.

Sharon McHugh, head of communications and sponsorships at Irish bookmaker, BoyleSports, also said it was their busiest festival on record, with a year-on-year rise in betting turnover.

When asked if the festival remained a key fixture in the sportsbook calendar, despite falling attendance figures, McHugh described it as the “Olympics of National Hunt racing”. She added that the way people are watching the festival is evolving, alluding to a growing number of people taking time off to watch the races on TV.

Orr also said that the festival remained its biggest race meeting of the year, both on its Exchange and Sportsbook. Orr added that Royal Ascot could challenge that tag later this year, but it’s clear that Cheltenham remains the pinnacle on both sides of the industry.

Click here to learn more about some of the main betting trends from the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.

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