Year in review Q1: Apps, amends and adieu
As another year winds its way to a close, EGR reflects on the most read stories of the year
2021 was not necessarily the “return to normal” that we were all hoping for, yet it was not quite a washout. Fans were allowed back to sporting fixtures, workers returned to offices up and down the country and we were all finally allowed to see our families again, even without wine and cheese.
At EGR we are looking through the most read stories this year to review 2021 as we count down to 2022. From today, we will select your three top stories from each financial quarter between now and Christmas Eve.
Today, we are looking at Q1.
Google lifts gambling app ban in 15 new countries including US
On 29 January, it was reported that Google had announced plans to triple the list of countries in which developers could publish gambling apps.
The biggest news from the announcement was that the newly regulated US and Canadian markets were added to the list, that had previously included France, Ireland and the UK.
Joining the list of countries that could download gambling apps from Google Play in Europe were Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Romania, Spain and Sweden while further afield Australia, Colombia, Japan, Mexico and New Zealand were also admitted.
Research firm Degree 53 spoke to EGR at the time and MD Richard Wagstaff said: “It’s an opportunity for them [operators] to reach wider audiences via its platform, but for Google to also ensure its users benefit from added security and quality products built to their standards.”
Entain in no rush to repay £63m of UK furlough scheme cash
On 30 March, we reported that Entain, which counts Ladbrokes and Coral under its umbrella, was still deciding whether to repay the £62.9m in monies it received from the UK government as part of the nationwide Covid-19 furlough scheme.
Entain furloughed 15,835 employees who received 80% pay, subsidised by the government. Entain then topped those wages up to 100%.
In a statement provided to EGR concerning repayment of the funds, Entain said: “The furlough scheme has been a sensible and highly welcome policy intervention that helped us, as one of the country’s largest retailers, to maintain the livelihoods of more than 14,000 retail colleagues on full pay.”
Entain is still yet to make a decision on whether it will repay the furlough payments despite many of its rivals, including William Hill, having already done so.
Service providers split from SportPesa to leave international future in doubt
On 26 January, SportsPesa’s Isle of Man tax residency was under threat after its partner Equiom resigned from providing services to the operator.
Equiom, which is based on the Isle of Man, announced that it would be withdrawing from its role on 2 December of this year, however company records have since shown that the firm departed on 8 May.
At the same time as the announcement, London law firm Ince Gordon Dadds, which had acted as company secretary for SportsPesa in the UK since 2017, also announced its resignation.
Since then, the Kenyan firm has continued to operate on the Isle of Man from its Castletown address.