Infernal Fury

What is Infernal Fury?

It is the first time since the market was launched in 2021 that licences have come up for renewal and whomever is on the final list will indicate how many operators have decided not to remain in the market.

The initial 2021 licences are set to expire at the end of September 2026. All licence holders were required to submit applications for the subsequent five-year period, covering 2026 to 2031.

Those that have received renewals include TOTO Online BV (brands: TOTO, Winnitt), Holland Casino NV (Holland Casino Online), Play North Limited (Kansino), FPO Nederland BV (FairPlay Casino), Bingoal Nederland BV (Bingoal), Hillside (New Media Malta) Plc (Bet365), NSUS Malta Limited (GG Poker), and Betent BV (Betcity).

About Infernal Fury

Additionally, a new remote betting duty is set to come in from April 2027, which will raise the effective tax rate on all sports betting products except horse racing from 15% to 25%.

Several other operators have responded to the UK tax hikes by announcing shop closures.

In March, William Hill told staff it plans to permanently close approximately 200 of its retail shops in the UK, around 15% of Evoke’s retail estate.

What is Infernal Fury?

Another proposed action from the leagues centres around the creation of a standardised, cross-operator reporting platform that will allow players, unions and leagues to “securely transmit verified evidence of threats” to state regulators.

Maloney leads an association that features sportsbook powerhouses such as DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics and Bet365.

“We welcome efforts by leagues, players and regulators to build on that work and make clear that harassment has no place in sports,” Maloney told iGB.