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New betting service, designed to take on the big bookmakers, sponsors trainer with just 10 horses as she bids to upset jump racing powerhouses at Aintree with Santini to showcase their £1 million Grand National Day challenge
Racingstars, a new peer-to-peer betting service designed to compete with the major bookmakers and encourage responsible gambling has sponsored trainer Polly Gundry for the Grand National as she bids for an Aintree fairytale with Santini.
Exeter-based Gundry has just ten horses in training and sends stable star Santini to make history in the race, as he lines up against runners representing the powerhouse owners and trainers in jump racing.
Racingstars.co.uk have backed Gundry to launch their £1 million Grand National Saturday challenge, giving entrants a day’s worth of entertainment for a fixed price of just £10.
The unique game rewards punters with points per race based on their horse’s finishing position and odds, providing betting fans with a fun way to speculate on every race.
Entrants can buy 50 tokens for £10, allowing them to enter a game for just 10 tokens each. Entries are limited to one per customer per day.
Nathan Thompson, co-founder of Racingstars.co.uk said: “We’re huge racing fans at Racingstars.co.uk so when the opportunity came up to back Polly Gundry for the big race, it was an easy decision.
“Like us, she loves racing, the horses and wants to level the playing field with the bigger outfits so it was a natural fit. We wish Polly, Santini and her owners the very best of luck in the big race and hope he enjoys his spin around Aintree.”
Speaking of the £1 million Grand National Challenge and motivation to launch Racingstars.co.uk, Thompson said: “We’re offering the chance to win £1 million on Grand National Day for a fixed 10 token entry – and you don’t even have to pick the winner of the first race.
“We’re keen racing fans and love a bet, but felt there was a gap in the market for an experience with a set limit on cost that still provided a day’s worth of entertainment. I’m well aware of the fun of a bet but also the need to keep things sensible and wanted to offer a service to help combat problem gambling by limiting what people can spend and when, removing the need to potentially chase losses or deposit multiple times in a day.”
Polly Gundry: “Thanks to Racingstars.co.uk for backing me.”
Racingstars.co.uk are a like-minded team who love racing and want to take on the big players, so it’s a natural fit. I hope one of their players takes down the £1 million challenge on Saturday with Santini winning the Grand National!”
Polly Gundry: “Santini is in good form.”
Santini is cool at the moment. He jumped eight fences of different sorts this morning just to keep his mind on something new and that was all good. He was very enthusiastic. I usually try in the week before a race to keep all of his big muscles moving, but I’ve probably done a little bit less with him this week. We just don’t want to put too much stress on his feet, so we’ve had him walking and trotting on nice fresh grassland as it won’t cause him any jarring or pull the nails around in his feet. I probably still do an hour on him every day and then lead him out twice a day.
Polly Gundry: “I think Aintree will really suit Santini.”
I was really happy with his schooling today. He jumped a rail and then a rail with a water tray before jumping a green fence that we have made up to look like an Aintree fence and he thought it was all good fun which is great going into a race like this. Santini is a very intelligent horse who loves jumping, but he doesn’t like surprises. That’s why we schooled over some unique fences this morning.
As long as the ground is good to soft or softer, that would suit us. He wouldn’t worry about really soft ground, but he also has the most perfect action so good to soft ground would suit him perfectly.
If he is a happy boy doing it, I do think he will stay. He doesn’t quite have the speed of some of the others in the field, but he is a thorough stayer and he wasn’t tired after the Gold Cup. He only raced for two and a half-miles, but he came back in afterwards in the unsaddling enclosure really sprightly. He cries out for a trip.
He is two years older than when he was second in the Gold Cup. The first circuit of the Gold Cup this year was slightly slower this year which didn’t play to our strengths, we have excuses and I think the longer trip and a track that takes a fair bit of jumping might really suit him.
Polly Gundry: “It’s incredibly special to have a runner in the Grand National.”
It’s massively special to have a runner in the Grand National, but I don’t think it will hit me about how special it is until it has happened. You just have to treat it like any other race by getting the horse prepared and in the best shape as you possibly can. It’s down to the horse and the jockey Nick Scholfield. If they enjoy it, they will have a great chance.
It would be an amazing thing for me, my family, all of my connections, everyone in Devon and everyone who has ever supported me if he could win or finish in the top six. People try for years and years to have a runner in the Grand National, let alone something that could finish in the top six. I’m very well aware that I’m trying to punch above my weight, but I’ve got lots of experience having been connected with some lovely horses and also being connected with some great trainers when I was riding. Hopefully, I know slightly what we are aiming at.
Santini also has a nice weight in the race off 11st 2lb and it makes Richard and Lizzie Kelvin-Hughes the owners believe that the Grand National was a viable prospect. He is a big horse and he wouldn’t worry about carrying a bit more, but pounds mean lengths in races so it will definitely be a help to him carrying less weight.
I’ve been training for nearly 11 years now, but I’m not the type of person that goes touting about for big-money horses. Partly, because we are located in a lovely area in the East Devon area surrounded by farmers and what I’m really good at is bringing on young horses. It doesn’t mean I can’t train a decent horse, but I get stressed out when I’m training horses under National Hunt rules as I don’t want to get anything wrong. For me, it is not a numbers game. We have great facilities for bringing on young horses, but we don’t have great big gallops like other trainers so we will never be a massive yard as I don’t want to have hundreds of horses. I want to do a good job and I want to continue riding horses – you can’t do both, it simply doesn’t work.
Whilst I think it would be amazing for our little yard and all our supporters who love the point-to-point game and National Hunt racing, it is a huge achievement because the owners Richard and Lizzie Kelvin-Hughes have given me the opportunity to train Santini.
Santini is very fond of himself and whilst I’m not saying that Nicky Henderson and Seven Barrows treat their horses as a number as such, there are over 100 horses there. All those big trainers have amazing facilities and a huge number of staff, but it is just different in a smaller yard. Santini knows he is very special so I do think it does suit him being in a small yard.
Polly Gundry: “Of the other horses in the race, I love Snow Leopardess.”
I’ve always liked Delta Work and thought he was a massively talented horse. He won the Cross Country and I thought he would be the winner of the Grand National. He has a big weight, but is interesting. I also love Snow Leopardess because of the story given she has had a foal and then come back. I have kept an eye on her and if the ground got wetter, it would play into her hands a bit more. Whether she has as much class as others in it remains to be seen. There are some horses coming into the race who have class form in their back catalogue but have not been showing it of late.
Polly Gundry: “We travel to Aintree tomorrow.”
The journey to Aintree is tomorrow as there are so many horses running on Friday that Aintree cannot guarantee us a box until 6pm. We just want him to settle in, have a walk round in the evening before he settles down for the night.
We will then ride him on Saturday morning. I’ll ride him on the All-Weather just to stretch his legs and give him a trot round. He is a very good traveller and he enjoys going out and having a nose. He enjoys going anywhere new.
Polly Gundry: “Santini is my baby. He is very spoilt.”
In many ways, I guess Santini is my baby. I like to think all of my horses are very spoilt, but he is very well spoilt in particular. He is always getting treats and loves carrots, apples and I am always trying to keep him amused. We have to restrict his hay and forage but I’m always trying to show him that he has lots of things to look forward to.
After I have ridden him out, we’ll then go and have some lunch with Lizzie and Richard at Aintree. During that time Santini will just chill out. He is such a professional horse who has a huge amount of manners.
I feel quite cool about everything at the moment. Before the Gold Cup, we did two to three hours of work with Santini every day to get his weight down a little bit without galloping him too much. I would say his feet are in great feet today and he has a new set of shoes on and I’m very happy with him. I’m confident and relaxed about the horse as everything has gone to plan. I try not to take any risks that are slightly unnecessary and I’m very happy with where he is. Life is a ball at the moment.
How does Racingstars.co.uk’s Grand National Day £1 million challenge work?
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Register before the first race
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Buy 50 tokens for £10
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Pick the 7 horses which score the highest possible points available to win £1 million
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Horses earn points based on their starting price and finishing position
For full details and to enter, visit: https://grandnational.racingstars.co.uk/aintree/1-million-pound-challenge-on-the-grand-national-day-pdc
We recently sat down with BetBrothers’ Head of Growth & Strategy, Borja Imbergamo, to talk about the company’s mission to become a global leader in regulated sports betting markets. He discusses the principles driving BetBrothers strategy, its unique value to players and operators, and what it takes to build a trusted affiliate brand in today’s market.
Could you please share a bit about your background and experience within the iGaming industry?
My journey in the iGaming industry began more than 11 years ago. I was one of the few professional bettors who successfully turned sports betting into a full-time career. Later, I became a professional tipster and in the meantime, 8 years ago, I had the opportunity to build one of the leading affiliate websites in Spain from the ground up.
During that project I was involved in every aspect of the business — from content creation, SEO, and marketing to sales, product development and team management. Being part of a small team meant I had to wear many hats, which I believe gave me a 360-degree understanding of the industry and the skills needed to launch and scale successful projects. As well as identify and manage the right people to make them happen.
Currently, as Head of Growth & Strategy at Betbrothers, I’m applying this experience to lead the expansion into more than 20 GEOs. I’m confident we’ll achieve this ambitious goal thanks to the strong and talented team we have built.
What’s Betbrother’s mission, and what sets it apart in the affiliate marketing landscape?
At Betbrothers, our priority is always the player. Our core mission is “Connecting Players with Safer Bets”. This means helping users enjoy sports betting as a form of entertainment — guiding them to bet responsibly, in ways that suit their style and preferences.
A key part of this is ensuring users are betting in safe and regulated environments. We are fully committed to working only with licensed operators, and we invest significant resources in matching users with the right bookmakers in each market. Ones that are compliant with local regulations.
We believe regulated markets, despite their limitations, offer the safest and most transparent experience for users. Through our content and platform, we aim to promote responsible gambling by helping users understand their options, set limits and stay in control of their behaviour. Ultimately, we see our role as both a guide and a safeguard — making the betting experience safer and more enjoyable.
BetBrothers is only partnering with operators holding licenses in regulated markets. What is the strategic reasoning behind this focus?
Our focus on regulated markets comes from user-centric philosophy. We want our users to enjoy sports betting in a safe, transparent and well-regulated way — even if sometimes it means fewer promotions or tighter restrictions. Licensed operators provide clear rules, secure transactions, and fair play. It leads to a much more positive user experience.
From a business perspective, partnering exclusively with regulated operators also ensures long-term sustainability. These operators have invested significant time and resources to obtain licenses, which means they are committed to the market and are here to stay. This gives us the confidence we need to build long term partnerships.
In short, working with licensed operators aligns with both our values and our strategic vision — promoting sports betting as a safe form of entertainment, while building a trustworthy and future-proof business.
From an operator’s perspective, what is the unique value that BetBrothers brings to the table?
First and most important: we bring high-quality, compliant traffic. Our strategy is heavily focused on organic acquisition, which we believe is the most valuable and sustainable traffic (and not only in iGaming). But we don’t just deliver volume. We are focused on providing users with the right content to help them make informed decisions — where, how and when to place their bets. This results in users who truly want to play with a specific operator. Players that are loyal, conscious of their choices, and more likely to stick around in the long term.
Additionally, we bring deep industry knowledge to the table. Our team has over 25 years of combined experience, allowing us to create content that is not only optimized and compliant, but also useful.
On top of that, we are building Betbrothers as a globally recognized and trusted brand. One that players all over the world can rely on. When users see an operator on our side, they’ll know it’s fully licensed, reputable and safe. Because we have done the due diligence for them already. That trust is a key part of the value we offer to both users and operators alike.
How Betbrothers is going to differentiate itself from competition in terms of content and product experience?
Our focus is — and always will be — the user. Every piece of content we produce is designed to deliver real value, helping users to make smarter betting decisions and improve their strategy. We know what players are looking for, how to speak their language, and how
to strike the right balance between honest, user-first content and effective promotion of trusted operators.
In an industry where a lot of the content is AI-generated and tailored primarily for Google, we are doing things differently. We are not writing for algorithms — we’re writing for people. Our editorial team is made up of experts with hands-on industry knowledge.
Another key differentiator is our approach to user-generated content. We want our platform to be a space where users share their opinions, voice their concerns, and help each other out. We see UGC as a way to create community, improve transparency, and provide even more value — with our team always there to guide and support where needed. We believe that strong content combined with smart, intuitive UX is the best strategy to grow organically and stand out in a crowded space.
What’s the long-term vision for BetBrothers when it comes to expanding into new markets?
Our long-term vision is to become the most trusted and recognizable brand in the world when it comes to regulated sports betting. We want users to know exactly what to expect when they visit Betbrothers: transparent information, responsible guidance and a curated list of fully licensed operators.
We are committed to expanding only into regulated jurisdictions, where we can guarantee a safe, legal and responsible betting experience for our users. We’re already active in focus markets such as Spain and Greece, along with a growing number of others across Europe and beyond. With more than 20 GEOs currently in progress, our goal is to establish a strong local presence wherever sports betting is legal and regulated. We want to become a regional authority in each market while maintaining the same standards of quality.
Looking ahead two to three years, what does success look like for BetBrothers?
In two to three years, success for Betbrothers means being the go-to platform for both users and operators. For users, we want to be the most trusted and reliable source of information about legal, regulated bookmakers. A place where they know they’ll find expert, honest and useful content to guide their betting decisions.
For operators, we aim to be the ideal long-term partner — providing high-quality, compliant traffic from engaged users across multiple markets. When an operator is looking for a partner they can trust, with a global footprint and a focus sustainability, we want Betbrothers to be the first name that comes to mind.
Beyond business success, our broader goal is to help push the industry in a more responsible, transparent direction. More and more countries are moving toward regulation and safer gambling practices. We want to be part of that transformation. To play a key role in building an industry that’s not just profitable, but also fair, honest and truly centered around the player.
The post Borja Imbergano, Betbrothers: “Our Priority is Always the Player” appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
1. In an industry often driven by affiliate commissions, how do you personally define “trust”? Why do you believe it holds more long-term value than short-term revenue gains?
The best way to build trust with your audience is through a customer-centric approach. That means prioritizing accurate and honest reviews, rather than focusing purely on commercial interests. When visitors find the information, they’re looking for, you build customer loyalty. In the long run, loyalty creates far more value than quick gains from promoting questionable casino brands with flat fees and hybrid deals.
2. Given the financial incentives at play, how do you ensure your reviews remain truly objective and transparent?
Our casino reviews are always factually correct and honest, regardless of the commissions we are receiving. Our review criteria are available on our website, and our scoring system remains consistent, unaffected by affiliate partnerships. We clearly disclose that we use affiliate links but we always side with our visitors. That kind of transparency might not maximize revenue, but it builds trust and forges strong relationships with our players.
3. Have you ever had to reject or cut ties with a high-paying casino partner over ethical concerns? Can you walk us through one such decision?
Yes, that happens from time to time. We have a contact form on our website that allows players to contact us when they feel they are being treated unfairly. We received several complaints from players and escalated these to our partner. Upon doing some research we realized that other casino portals were reporting similar problems with this operator, which led to us updating our reviews and dropping them in our rankings.-
4. What are the key red flags you look for when evaluating whether or not to recommend a casino operator to your audience?
We always make sure that the casino operators we are listing are properly licensed and have a good reputation in the iGaming industry. Red flags are unfair bonus terms, missing translations, withdrawal issues, unprofessional customer support, and a lack of responsible gambling tools. If a casino operator has lots of unresolved complaints on Trustpilot or Casinomeister, we simply don’t promote them.
5. From your experience, how do players pick up on bias or manipulation in reviews — and what can platforms do to avoid giving that impression?
Players are much smarter today and exchange information on forums and in their circles. They are often seasoned and have played at online casinos for many years. They can spot inaccurate reviews right away and know exactly what they are looking for in a casino. Our reviews therefore always focus on the pros and cons, the bonus conditions and real expert experiences from hands-on testing of the casino.
6. Many affiliate sites claim to be “independent,” but not all deliver on that promise. What practical steps can review platforms take to actually earn user trust?
Be customer-centric and focus on user intent. Players visit your site to find out which casinos are reliable and trustworthy. Make sure your reviews are up to date and unbiased. Avoid promoting shady operators that could damage your reputation with your audience. To earn trust, you need to publish honest recommendations based on facts rather than sales pitches.
7. How do you collect, verify, and incorporate player feedback into your rating system?
We have a contact form on our site for player complaints, and we also make use of external sources such as forums and watchdog sites like Casinomeister, Trustpilot and Casino Guru. If we notice patterns related to specific casino groups or licenses, we incorporate a warning in our reviews as well. Player feedback is one of the most valuable tools we have to ensure our reviews are honest and reflect real user experiences.
8. Do licensing authorities and regulatory frameworks factor into your trust scores — or is your assessment more focused on real user experience?
Both matter, but reputation is most important. If a casino is not properly licensed, we will either choose not to list it or highlight the risks associated with an unlicensed casino in terms of player protection and payouts. However, we do list some casinos that operate under a weaker license when we know from previous experience that they are overall reliable and trustworthy.
9. With the rise of AI-generated content and fake reviews, how can affiliate sites protect their authenticity and credibility at scale?
All our reviews are produced in-house by real casino experts who have been working in the iGaming industry for many years. We test casinos ourselves and focus on detailed reviews based on real-life experiences and industry knowledge. While we use AI for
mundane tasks like spell-checking, we believe AI-generated reviews ultimately represent fake experiences and do not reflect the unbiased expert opinions and recommendations that players deserve.
10. Looking to the future, do you see reputation becoming a key differentiator among affiliates? If so, how will users — and partners — measure that reputation?
As the market matures, users are choosing review sites based on their interests, honesty, and reputation. These signals are picked up by Google and will directly impact your rankings. Users will look at how sites respond to user complaints, how accurate their reviews are, and whether they truly advocate for casino players. The affiliates that focus on credibility will be the preferred choice for players who are searching for real reviews from industry experts.
The post Topic: ROnline Casino : Why Trust is the Real Currency in Online Casino Reviews appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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USDT Casino Launches Industry-First ‘Sunday Brunch Free Spins’ with Zero Wagering Requirements
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The post USDT Casino Launches Industry-First ‘Sunday Brunch Free Spins’ with Zero Wagering Requirements appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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