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Racecourse Media Group generates £117.6m in media and data rights payments for British racecourses in 2022
Racecourse Media Group (RMG) will pay racecourses £117.6 million in payments generated from their media and data rights in 2022 – compared to £110m in 2021.
The payments are derived from a range of RMG businesses, including via betting shops (Racecourse Retail Business), online bookmaker streams (Digital Streaming), pay TV channel (Racing TV), international betting (Racing TV International) and non-betting distribution, mainstream TV (ITV agreement) and data (Racecourse Data Company).
Roger Lewis, the Chairman of RMG, said: “The RMG model has once again proved to be resilient and reliable – in the face of significant challenges – producing record results, and performing ahead of expectations. The results are a testimony and tribute to the vision and dedication of those racecourses who came together and stuck together to create, grow, and develop the RMG business.
“On behalf of everyone at RMG I thank all the racecourses, owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys, stable staff and our valued media, technical broadcast, commercial and betting partners for their help and support in enabling RMG to play its role effectively.
“I step down from the Board of RMG this year, having joined the company in 2012. It has been a huge privilege and a great honour to have worked with so many wonderful people. I sincerely welcome my successor, Conor Grant, formerly CEO of Flutter UK and Ireland, who takes up the reins as Chairman, on October 1, 2023.”
The 2022 results were achieved against the headwind of the long-running Gambling Act Review process. RMG has played its role by using its media platforms to bring attention to the Gambling Act Review and ensuring its consumers’ views and attitudes on the subject were made available to politicians, regulators, and media commentators.
The process has led to bookmakers ramping up levels of affordability checking, which has resulted in a clear and material reduction in betting turnover from the early summer of 2022 onwards.
Looking to the future, Martin Stevenson, Chief Executive of RMG, said: “We believe that innovation is key for the business and racecourses to help grow appeal and engagement with the sport, and provide a platform to deliver growth in licence fees to racecourses and the sport in the future.
“A fundamental building block in technical innovation for the business is the deployment of a highly reliable and accurate tracking system, which we have achieved via the award-winning Coursetrack.
“Beyond purely providing timing, the importance of tracking is that it provides a wealth of real time data that the business can now utilise to develop new products and innovations. These include the roll-out of in-play betting on RMG’s content, currently deployed by BetVictor and William Hill, and with more bookmakers in the pipeline.
“Another key application of tracking data is to help create stimulating, insightful data – a suite of new facts and statistics – to engage our audiences and support betting markets.
“In addition, our Self Service Betting Terminal (SSBT) racing product is being rolled out this month. It’s worth noting that c.80% of football bets struck in shops are placed via SSBTs, compared to just 10% for racing, so this could be a real opportunity for racing to generate additional consumer engagement and turnover in the important betting shop space.
“We have also significantly enhanced our broadcast output, with advances to the virtual studio, the roll-out of augmented reality graphics, the gradual move to remote production, and developments to the production of dedicated racecourse streams. This is bringing horseracing TV coverage up to the high levels that other sports, like football and cricket, enjoy.
“Our social media initiative, #raceday, which brings an influencer-led approach to the racecourse and engages with a young demographic, has surpassed 20m views, while our free-to-play games, run in conjunction with Paddy Power, have generated 2m entries and proved to be an excellent data capture platform.
“With media increasingly being consumed through digital channels, driving innovation is key to growing audiences and engagement through these platforms. This approach blends well with our focus on strengthening the core capabilities which have enabled us to grow to where we are today, ensuring the business remains ready for the future.”
About 59% of people aged 6 to 69 in Germany play video games. Overall, the number of players in the country has risen significantly in the last several years. Across all age groups, some 37.5 million Germans – more than ever before – play video games on consoles, PCs and smartphones. This represents an increase of around 9% in the number of players since 2020. These are the new figures released by game – the German Games Industry Association, based on data collected by YouGov.
The development among players over 60 is especially dynamic, with this group having grown from 6.4 to 7.7 million in just 12 months. The growth in the proportion of older gamers is partly due to the fact that many gamers have been playing games for decades. On the other hand, more and more older people are discovering the joy of video games. Thus the trend of recent years continues, with the average age of German players also surpassing 39 for the first time – rising from 38.2 in 2023 to 39.5 in 2024. In total, 8 in 10 players in Germany (79%) are over 18 years old. With regard to the gender of players in Germany, the distribution has remained balanced in the last several years, at around 48% women and 52% men.
“Games fascinate millions of people in Germany – young and old, women and men. The majority of Germans have been playing games for a long time and the number is increasing. The steadily rising average age of gamers is also exciting: we are fast approaching the age of 40. This makes clear what still surprises many people: whether they are 17 or 70, games inspire people of all ages and the proportion of older players is growing particularly strongly,” said Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – The German Games Industry Association.
After attaining unprecedented heights in recent years, the German games market saw a dip in its growth trajectory in 2024. Last year, sales revenue from games, gaming hardware and online gaming services in Germany totalled 9.4 billion euros – a 6% drop from the year before. This downturn was especially pronounced in purchases of games for PCs, consoles and smartphones (−17%, to 921 million euros), as well as in hardware purchases (−10%, to 2.9 billion euros). Running counter to the overall market trend, revenue from online gaming services saw a double-digit increase, rising 12% from the level of 2023, to 965 million euros.
The post About 59% of Germans Aged 6-69 Play Video Games appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
TaDa Gaming celebrates GiftCode’s successful first year since launch. Applicable to both slots and TaDa’s unique fishing-shooting games, GiftCode offers immediate rewards which can be effortlessly tailored and adapted to any operator requirement or marketing campaign.
Hitting its first anniversary, a minimum of 1,000,000 GiftCodes are now issued monthly through 300+ streamers with 100% take up. This strong creator eco-system enables codes to be delivered across media and platforms with tournaments, introductory rewards and churned player campaigns leading the way for operator success through powerful marketing alongside player rewards.
An uplift of Daily Active Users by a minimum of 18% and a 15% increase in engagement and player acquisition levels has confirmed that GiftCode is the simple and highly effective gamification tool the industry was lacking.
The 2024 initial test run in Brazil saw 100 streamers receive 500,000 GiftCode links. An instant redemption rate of 95+% and new player sign up increasing by more than 30,000 per month confirmed TaDa’s research and development and gave operators confidence to incorporate GiftCode to their offering.
Now, with the addition of personalised codes for player segmentation, regionally specific influencer packs and multi-brand and aggregator deployment, few other gamification tools can offer such consistently high impact and measurable results, meaning this is a very happy anniversary for TaDa.
Sean Liu, Director of Product Management at TaDa Gaming, said: “GiftCode’s inherent simplicity is the key to its success. It does what it is supposed to do and does it fantastically well for both operators and players. Our new enhancements make GiftCode even more engaging, securing its future as our go-to gamification tool.”
The post TaDa Gaming Celebrates GiftCode’s Successful First Year Since Launch appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
South Africa is once again positioning itself as a leader in ethical gambling practices, with the upcoming Responsible Gambling Summit 2025 set to take place on 13–14 November 2025 at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Gauteng. This landmark event will gather international experts, regulators, and industry professionals to address the most pressing challenges in responsible gambling across Africa.
Hosted by the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF) in collaboration with major regulatory bodies such as the National Gambling Board, Eastern Cape Gambling Board, and Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, the summit aims to drive forward an evidence-based, solutions-focused agenda that ensures gambling growth does not come at the cost of public well-being.
As South Africa continues to see rising participation in both land-based and gambling online, the summit is timely. It will tackle issues ranging from technological safeguards and public health integration, to policy harmonisation and vulnerable population protection.
Advocating for Safer Online Gambling
As South Africa strengthens its role in setting responsible gambling standards, SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za remains at the forefront of this effort in the online casino space. Our portal is more than a online casino listing site — it is a trusted source of expert advice, consumer guidance, and responsible gambling advocacy.
Since our inception, we have maintained a clear policy: we only recommend licensed, regulated casinos in south africa that adhere to strict player protection measures. These include transparent terms, fair bonus practices, and built-in tools such as deposit limits, time-outs, and self-exclusion options.
“The online gambling landscape in South Africa is growing rapidly,” says a spokesperson for SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za. “But with growth comes responsibility. Our mission is to ensure players have access to safe, ethical gambling environments. We support the goals of the Responsible Gambling Summit and encourage every operator to prioritise the welfare of their players.”
Practical Frameworks for Change
The Responsible Gambling Summit 2025 will focus on seven key thematic areas:
- Understanding gambling behaviour and disorders through science-led approaches.
- Overcoming barriers to effective policy implementation, including gaps in education and enforcement.
- Leveraging technology, such as AI-driven risk detection and real-time player monitoring.
- Adopting global regulatory best practices tailored to South African realities.
- Protecting at-risk individuals and communities, especially youth and those in lower-income brackets.
- Educating the public on the risks of gambling and how to stay safe.
- Building international networks to ensure future readiness and consistency across borders.
Each session is designed to lead to real-world outcomes, with progress monitored and reported biennially. This commitment to transparency aligns with broader calls for industry-wide accountability.
How Players Can Gamble Responsibly
Whether you’re new to online casinos or an experienced player, here are some essential responsible gambling tips:
- Treat gambling as entertainment, not a way to make money.
- Set a time limit before you start and stick to it.
- Only gamble with money you can afford to lose.
- Avoid playing when you are upset, stressed, or intoxicated.
- Use built-in responsible gaming tools provided by licensed operators.
- Keep track of your play history and regularly review your habits.
- Seek help if gambling is no longer fun, or if it begins to impact your personal life.
At SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za, we make these practices easier by highlighting casinos that offer responsible gambling features as part of our review process. Each recommended site undergoes a thorough evaluation based on licensing, fairness, transparency, and player protection standards.
Our Commitment to the South African Gambling Community
With a growing base of South African users, SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za plays an important educational role in the online gambling space. Our platform offers in-depth guides, news updates, free bonus casinos, free spins casinos and strategy articles designed to help players make informed decisions.
We actively follow developments in gambling regulation and work to ensure our listings are in line with the latest responsible gambling initiatives. As the conversation around ethical gambling evolves, so does our content — reflecting the high standards that South African players deserve.
South Africa’s leadership in responsible gambling sets a high standard not just for the continent, but for the global industry. By playing at casinos that are transparent, regulated, and committed to safety — such as those featured on SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za — players can enjoy the entertainment of gambling while staying in control.
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