Oliver Bennett writes news for JokerClub, covering the gambling business, from company results and takeovers to new markets and changing rules.
Latest articles by Oliver Bennett
Machine Games Duty Rise to 25%: Relief for Investors, but Shop Closures Stay on the Table
Analysts call the UK's Machine Games Duty rise from 20% to 25% a clearing event, and Entain expects to offset it fully. But Regulus warns of 2,750 betting shop closures, and Rank faces the biggest earnings hit.
Star Entertainment Fined A$260 Million Over Money Laundering Failures at Sydney and Gold Coast Casinos
Australia's Federal Court has fined The Star Entertainment Group A$260 million for anti-money laundering breaches — less than AUSTRAC's A$400 million ask, but well above the A$100 million Star said it could afford.
Flutter Proposes Up to 1,400 Job Cuts as UK Gambling Tax Rises Bite
Paddy Power, Sky Bet and Betfair owner Flutter has proposed up to 1,400 redundancies in its UK and Ireland division, blaming steep rises in British online gambling duties that will cost it $540m in 2027.
FIFA's Prediction Market Partner ADI Predictstreet Faces Questions Over $108M in Trades
Blockchain analysis reported by the Wall Street Journal suggests about $108M of the $167M traded on ADI Predictstreet came from 795 apparently linked wallets. Gibraltar found no breach so far.
Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty to $1.1M Crypto Fraud Lost on Stake.com
A 25-year-old from Wolcott, Connecticut, admitted taking about $1.1 million from more than ten crypto "investors" and gambling it away on Stake.com. He faces up to 65 years at sentencing in January.
Casino Guru Awards 2027 Open: 13 Categories and a New Honour for Player Protection
Nominations for the fifth Casino Guru Awards opened on 15 October. The 2027 edition has 13 categories, a new Player Protection Advocate of the Year award, and a winners' ceremony in Malta on 26 May 2027.
Déjà Vu in Every Lobby: Why Do So Many Online Casinos Look the Same?
Same games, same banners, same layouts: an iGaming Business webinar on 27 October asks why online casinos look so alike — and how operators can stand out as the industry shifts from winning players to keeping them.
No Photo Fee, No Pressure: Las Vegas Strip Signs Tell Tourists Tipping Is Optional
Clark County has put up digital signs on the Las Vegas Strip reminding visitors that photos with street performers are free and tips are voluntary, after a newlywed couple was allegedly attacked by two showgirl impersonators.
Bomb Threats and a BMW Demand: Northern Irish Man Accused of Targeting US Casinos
A 21-year-old from Northern Ireland is accused of bomb threats against Mohegan Sun, Hollywood Park and Turfway Park, including a demand for $5,000 and a BMW. The FBI has linked him to an online abuse network.
Fake Modeling Career, Real Losses: Michigan Woman Jailed for Five Years Over $4.6M Scam
Chanise Coyne convinced a family to pay more than $4.6 million for modeling jobs for their young daughter that never existed. Much of the money went on online slots, Taylor Swift tickets and luxury trips. She will now spend five years in federal prison.
$913K From a $30 Ticket: Illinois iLottery Player Hits Big on FastPlay Cash Castle
An online player in Illinois turned a $30 FastPlay Cash Castle ticket into $913,372 on 24 September — the latest in a string of big wins across the state, capped by the long-awaited claim of a $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot.
GTA 6, Gears of War: E-Day and Fable: Every Big Xbox Series X Game Coming in 2026 and 2027
Control Resonant is out today, Gears of War: E-Day arrives on 6 October, Modern Warfare 4 on 23 October and GTA 6 on 19 November — and Fable and Final Fantasy 7 Revelation already lead the 2027 line-up. Here is the full Xbox Series X|S release calendar, with Game Pass status for each game.
Everyone Saw the Sydney Sweeney Ad. Now Novig Has to Find Out Who Actually Signed Up
Prediction-market challenger Novig's "Just Sports" campaign with Sydney Sweeney has grabbed more attention than most operators could buy — along with a sharp backlash from female athletes. Former Paddy Power and William Hill communications executive Tony Kenny says the hard part starts now: turning viral views into funded accounts, and a controversy into a brand people remember.
Eight Million Pounds With Nobody Watching: the Black-Market Warning Attached to the St Leger's 250th Birthday
British racing spent the weekend celebrating 250 years of the world's oldest Classic — and the Betting and Gaming Council used the occasion to put a number on what it says the illegal market took out of it: around £8 million staked with unlicensed operators across the Doncaster meeting, £2 million of it on the St Leger alone. Here's what that claim rests on, what an unlicensed site actually costs a punter, and why the timing of the warning is no accident.
Vegas Buys Australia a Direct Flight: $1.45M in Marketing Behind Qantas' New Sydney Route
The LVCVA has unanimously approved a marketing deal worth up to $1.45 million with Sydney agency GTI Tourism to promote Las Vegas in Australia — and to fill Qantas' new non-stop Sydney–Las Vegas service, running three times a week on Dreamliners from 29 December 2026 to 12 March 2027. With NRL fixtures at Allegiant Stadium landing mid-season, the timing is no accident.
Icahn Bid $34 a Share for Caesars and Still Lost — the Proxy Filing Explains Exactly Why
Caesars' preliminary proxy statement reveals Carl Icahn offered $34 per share — well above Fertitta Entertainment's agreed $31 — but the board rejected it because the Jefferies debt commitment letter behind it was undated, unsigned and incomplete. A mystery "Party B" bid even higher, and could never be verified.
Poland's Gambling Paradox: Europe's Harshest Taxes, a State Monopoly and a Market That Keeps Growing Anyway
A 12% turnover tax, a 50% casino rate and an online casino monopoly should have stalled Poland's gambling market years ago. Instead it keeps posting double-digit growth — while operators argue the black market is the real winner.
Pennsylvania Casino Cash Still Keeps Local Budgets Afloat as Competition Tightens
Gambling dollars still bankroll roads, trucks and sewers across Pennsylvania — but with a mini-casino near State College seeing revenue slide and rivals multiplying, the towns leaning on that money face fresh uncertainty.
Pittsburgh Player Lands $1M Top Prize on a $50 Pennsylvania Scratch-Off
A $50 Million Dollar Win It All scratch-off sold at a Pittsburgh convenience store has landed its holder a $1 million top prize — the first of the game's 20 jackpots to be claimed, with 19 still in play.
Lost Boys Battles Through Traffic to Land the Golden Gates at Royal Ascot
Lost Boys overcame early trouble in running to win the Golden Gates Handicap as the 2-1 favourite under James McDonald — a third winner of the week for Wathnan Racing, with connections already talking Group races.