日期: 2026年4月24日

(AsiaGameHub) -   Nicholas Emiliou, a Cypriot diplomat serving as Advocate General (AG) of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), has issued what amounts to another EU legal position opposing Malta’s Bill 55. Delivering his second opinion on a Bill 55-related case in the span of two months, Emiliou primarily referenced a request from an Austrian court for a preliminary ruling to assess if the provision of the Maltese Gambling Act known as Bill 55 aligns with EU law. In response to this submission, Emiliou ruled that the Austrian court’s request is inadmissible. The court’s request is tied to one of multiple ongoing legal disputes across Austrian and German courts, which are examining restitution claims from players who lost money to Malta-based, Maltese-licensed operators that either lacked licences in Austria or Germany at the time of the transactions, or still do not hold valid licences in those countries. Even so, Emiliou did not hold back in his criticism of Bill 55, the common name for Article 56A of Malta’s Gambling Act. Passed into law in 2023, Bill 55 is largely designed to shield betting and gaming firms holding Maltese licences from court judgments issued outside of Malta. Emiliou declared that national measures like Bill 55 are “manifestly incompatible with the rules governing the recognition and enforcement of judgments” from Brussels. He added that rulings concerning player restrictions against Maltese online gambling operators, issued by any EU member state, must be “recognised and enforced in all other member states, including Malta”. Opinions from ECJ Advocates General are not legally binding, and are only intended to provide guidance for ongoing legal debates and proceedings. Even so, they can carry significant weight independently, particularly given the high number of ongoing legal disputes between Maltese courts and those of other EU member states at present. Thomas Bugeja, Partner at Fenech & Fenech Advocates, a Valetta-headquartered law firm, wrote on LinkedIn that “these observations will no doubt form part of the wider legal debate around Article 56A”. Malta left on the defensive When considering the wider context, the outlook is unfavorable for Malta’s protectionist policies for its gambling market, which was dealt a major blow just last week. On 16 April, a preliminary ECJ ruling – which, unlike an AG opinion, is legally binding – stated that EU law does not bar member states from banning online gambling services operated by entities based in other member states. This ruling undermined the argument put forward by Maltese legal authorities that the operations of Malta Gambling Authority (MGA) licence-holding companies in other EU nations were protected under the EU’s freedom of trade standards. Reinforcing this point in his statement yesterday, AG Emiliou asserted that “other member states are entitled to apply their respective gambling laws to operators licensed in Malta”. He added that “situations are bound to arise in which the services provided by a gaming operator holding a Maltese licence are unlawful in a Member State while being lawful under Maltese law”. Commenting on LinkedIn, Dr. Jeanella Grech, a Lawyer Linguist at the CJEU, summarised Emiliou’s opinion as being “that there is no mutual recognition of gaming licenses in EU law and, hence, a Maltese gaming license is in principle valid only in Malta”. Malta’s iGaming sector is of enormous economic importance to the Mediterranean island nation. The online gaming industry, regulated by the MGA, makes up roughly one-tenth of the country’s annual GDP. Two core factors have underpinned the sector’s success: the country’s 5% tax rate for iGaming firms, and the long-held belief that an MGA licence and the regulatory standards it represents allow holders to operate internationally, both within the EU and in other global markets. Legal challenges from Austria and Germany, combined with recent CJEU rulings and AG opinions, are calling this long-held belief into question, and could ultimately threaten Malta’s status as one of the world’s leading iGaming hubs. This article is provided by a third-party. AsiaGameHub (https://asiagamehub.com/) makes no warranties regarding its content. AsiaGameHub delivers targeted distribution for iGaming, Casino, and eSports, connecting 3,000+ premium Asian media outlets and 80,000+ specialized influencers across ASEAN.

(AsiaGameHub) -   Sports sponsorship activity in the global betting and gaming industry never stops. Just this week alone, several major new deals have been announced that will reach millions of sports fans across the world. This edition of Sponsor Spotlight takes a closer look at Polymarket’s latest breakthrough in Europe, heads to the races with Betway and CopyBet, follows SOFTSWISS as it speeds ahead, and covers the game-changing home run partnership from Caesars. S.S. Lazio teams up with Polymarket Following Polymarket’s recent partnership with the North American business arm of LALIGA, we predicted that the path to Europe for prediction market platforms could be more open than it initially looked. This latest deal has now confirmed that prediction. Italian football giant S.S. Lazio will feature the Polymarket logo on the front of its match kits, and the arrangement will run for the next two years. This move highlights the extremely complex regulatory landscape of the prediction market sector. Italy bans gambling sponsorship in sports, so Polymarket has been named the club’s official fan intelligence and digital insight partner – a strategy that could prove very valuable for its future expansion across Europe. Betway steps into mainline jockey role UK horse racing has seen better days. Recent years have been marked by fluctuating audience numbers, ongoing campaigns against tax increases, and multiple operators pulling their sponsorship support. However, a revival may now be on the horizon, with Betway as the latest operator stepping in to support the sport. The online sportsbook just announced it will sponsor 16 total races across Newmarket, Haydock Park and Market Rasen. Even more importantly, the Super Group-owned brand will serve as the main partner of The Jockey Club for the full 2026 racing season. Could this be a sign that the tide is turning for the better for UK horse racing? CopyBet gallops into new racetrack partnership Offering another much-needed lifeline to horse racing, CopyBet has joined the space as the official partner of Worcester Racecourse for this year’s National Hunt summer season. Already a prominent supporter of this beloved British sport, this new partnership builds on CopyBet’s existing commercial footprint, which already includes racing sponsorship deals across Carlisle, Exeter, Haydock, Huntington, and Kempton. Judging by the company’s growing racing sponsorship portfolio, it is safe to say CopyBet is here to stay, at least for now. Are bookmakers already returning to racing? Betway and CopyBet pen fresh sponsorships SOFTSWISS keeps renowned driver at the wheel Online gaming technology firm SOFTSWISS has announced the extension of its contract with Brazilian F1 legend Rubens Barrichello, who will continue serving as the company’s Non-Executive Director for Latin America for a third consecutive year. A multiple Grand Prix winner, Barrichello is no stranger to high speeds and sharp turns – metaphors that fit perfectly with the fast-paced iGaming industry, both when it comes to innovation and regulatory change. This comparison rings especially true for Barrichello’s home market of Brazil, where the regulatory landscape for the gambling sector seems to shift dramatically every few days. SOFTSWISS gears up for another year with F1 legend Caesars hits home run with MLB Caesars Entertainment has secured the highly-coveted imagery rights for the entire roster of Major League Baseball (MLB) players, in a deal brokered through the commercial arm of MLB Players Inc. As a result, both Caesars Sportsbook and the US branch of William Hill are now the official sportsbook partners of MLB Players across all their online and retail operations. This means both platforms can integrate MLB player imagery into their gaming offerings for the entirety of the 2026 MLB season, allowing them to connect with a domestic US MLB fanbase that totals more than 170 million people. MLBPA signs new licensing deal with Caesars Entertainment Spotlight rankings: Which deals stand out? Betway/The Jockey ClubFor this edition’s rankings, we’ve ordered our list based on broader political and regulatory context. Under this framework, the policy debates surrounding UK horse racing are not only closest to home for the SBC News team, but have also been the most dynamic in recent times.That’s why we’ve placed our horse racing deals at the top of our selection today, leading with Betway – an order that holds no particular significance outside of alphabetical sorting. CopyBet/Worcester RacecourseAs promised, CopyBet comes next on our list. As we noted earlier, the regulatory landscape for UK horse racing has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the past few months, a reality regular SBC News readers are already very familiar with. S.S. Lazio/PolymarketContinuing the theme of regulatory tension, most of Europe has taken a hostile stance against prediction markets and what they claim to represent. Regulators argue that these platforms count as gambling, while platforms like Polymarket claim they are a completely separate service – as seen in its role as digital insight partner for S.S. Lazio.Will challenging Europe’s status quo in this direct way prove a successful strategy to change long-held perceptions of prediction markets? Only time will tell, but the fact remains: cracks in existing barriers have already started to show. SOFTSWISS/Rubens BarrichelloAs the next entry in our selection, this deal is no less tied up in shifting political and regulatory change than any other on our list. Barrichello may have swapped the steering wheel of an F1 car for a tablet, but he still navigates constant change much like he did on the track, as he works to stay up to date on the new gambling policies coming out of Brazil’s Parliament on a daily basis. Caesars/MLBLast but not least on our list is the partnership between Caesars and MLB. While it is less tied up in active political and regulatory debate, this partnership still earned its spot on our list thanks to the outsized importance MLB holds for the US sports industry. This article is provided by a third-party. AsiaGameHub (https://asiagamehub.com/) makes no warranties regarding its content. AsiaGameHub delivers targeted distribution for iGaming, Casino, and eSports, connecting 3,000+ premium Asian media outlets and 80,000+ specialized influencers across ASEAN.

(AsiaGameHub) -   Jake Pollard Jake Pollard reports that the UK giant’s entry is poised to stimulate marketing and heighten competition within the mature French sector… just in time for the World Cup. Bet365 is set to launch in France imminently, following the receipt of its online sports betting license. The approval was granted after a scheduled session by the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) last Thursday, with the official announcement following yesterday morning. The news of Bet365’s expansion into France was first reported by SBC-Gaming&Co last October, with the UK operator filing its license application through its subsidiary, Hillside (New Media Malta) Plc, in January. This development allows Bet365 to begin marketing to French consumers ahead of the World Cup, meeting the internal deadline the company had set for its 2026 launch. Its entry represents a significant shift for the French online sports betting (OSB) industry, as it marks the first time in years that a new operator with the financial resources and brand equity to challenge established leaders like Betclic, Winamax, and Unibet has entered the market. Furthermore, with PMU introducing its new PMU Play app—which emphasizes converting horse racing bettors into sports punters—competition in this sector is expected to intensify. Although OSB is not PMU’s primary focus, the company informed G&Co that it intends to make online poker and sports betting central components of its digital strategy. Previously, Bet365 had opted against entering the French market. However, as the group has grown across Europe, Australia, and more recently the US, France has increasingly become a strategic priority. As SBC-G&Co noted in October, the firm’s “financial firepower provides it with the luxury of time to promote its offerings and absorb initial losses, a strategy it successfully employed during its expansion into Australia and the US, where it is now live in 14 states.” France refreshes Euro ambitions Corporately, a French launch extends Bet365’s growth trajectory and increases its footprint in another major regulated market, potentially setting the stage for a future sale. Bet365 reported a 9% year-on-year revenue increase to £4bn for the 12 months ending March 2025, bolstered by a 5% rise in sports betting and a 25% surge in online casino revenue. Nevertheless, pre-tax profits fell by 41% to £349m for the 2024/25 period, while operating profits dropped 40% to £218m, driven by costs rising from £687m to £896.5m due to expansion into new regulated territories. The company’s arrival is expected to drive up media inventory costs. With affiliates prepared to launch promotional campaigns, a surge in marketing activity is anticipated in the coming weeks. As a globally recognized betting brand, Bet365 already enjoys strong awareness among French bettors despite its previous absence. Additionally, its global UEFA Champions League sponsorship runs through 2027; the new license will allow the brand to advertise directly in French stadiums during UCL matches, replacing the "Follow Scores" branding used previously. France remains a mature, highly regulated, and heavily taxed market, where OSB serves as the primary growth driver in the absence of regulated online casino gaming. Following the announcement, industry insiders told SBC-G&Co that while they are not thrilled about the arrival of such a formidable competitor, they acknowledge that increased competition typically drives operational improvements and better product development. Natives ready to battle Nicolas Béraud – Betclic At the time, Nicolas Béraud, founder and president of Betclic (Banijay Group), told Les Echos that Bet365 possesses a “powerful brand” capable of impacting all operators. However, he noted that its “traditional English model, which focuses on technical bets favored by sophisticated players,” differs from Betclic’s approach, which he believes is “better suited to the French market.” Béraud also pointed out that while one of Bet365’s core strengths is its vast array of betting options, the strictly “regulated and limited offer” in France will restrict its ability to differentiate itself. He added that the country’s 85% Return to Player (RTP) requirement prevents the operator from utilizing its typical “best price,” low-margin model. Nevertheless, Béraud conceded that if the UK firm invests “millions of euros in marketing—which they have the resources to do—it will inevitably impact existing legal French operators.” This article is provided by a third-party. AsiaGameHub (https://asiagamehub.com/) makes no warranties regarding its content. AsiaGameHub delivers targeted distribution for iGaming, Casino, and eSports, connecting 3,000+ premium Asian media outlets and 80,000+ specialized influencers across ASEAN.