Flutter to cut up to 1,400 jobs, regulators strengthen RG safeguards

​Flutter Entertainment continues to trim jobs in the United Kingdom and Ireland division of its business. The owner of Paddy Power, FanDuel, and Betfair has confirmed that it would be reducing its workforce by up to 1,400 people, out of a total workforce of 9,000.

​The company cited the increase to the Remote Gaming Duty to 40% in April 2026 and the General Betting Duty to 25% from 15% in April 2027 as key drivers behind its decision. Affected destinations include Leeds and Dublin, as well as Porto in Portugal and Cluj-Napoca in Romania.

​"The restructure announced today is expected to support Flutter in delivering material second-order mitigation benefits by preserving investment in our customer proposition, and underpins our confidence in our ability to gain share," the company said in a statement outlining the process.

​Kevin Harrington, chief executive of Flutter UK & Ireland, has said that his key focus right now remains on helping affected employees transition. Harrington did, however, note that the changes to the tax code have "fundamentally" changed the economic model of the regulated betting and gaming industry.

Business and finance

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has reached out to partner sportsbooks ahead of the new season and warned them to disengage from certain types of wagers.

This is possible through the NBA’s rights under existing partnerships with official sportsbook partners, and is another attempt to strengthen integrity safeguards in the wake of high-profile corruption scandals involving Jontay Porter, Terry Rozier, and others.

​Essentially, the NBA has asked sportsbooks to exclude wagers that are considered a "low-hanging fruit" for fixers and criminals, and that could potentially tempt players to misplay. In the meantime, the NBA has been increasingly aware of the role that prediction market platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi could play in all of this.

​Last week, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver floated the idea that the NBA needed access to prediction market data to monitor for further instances of insider trading. However, the league has no actual power to enforce compliance from prediction markets, as it currently maintains no commercial partnership with any such entity.

​In other news, LCKY Group has expanded its reach and pull in the Nordics, with the company finalizing the previously announced acquisition of RoyalCasino. The deal’s closure apparently took place in August, but LCKY Group only announced the development on Tuesday, October 20.

​The acquisition allows LCKY Group to considerably boost its financial outlook, as well as secure a firm position in one of Europe’s most lucrative and worthwhile markets - Denmark. However, RoyalCasino and LCKY Group may seek to scale the brand’s presence in other jurisdictions as well.

Laws and regulations

L & L Europe Limited, a licensed gambling operator in the United Kingdom, has reached a £900,000m ($1.2m) settlement with the Gambling Commission (UKGC), the country’s gambling regulator.

​The regulator cited a number of breaches committed by the operator, including AML and CTF failures, refusal or delay in processing new withdrawals if a withdrawal was already pending, and other social responsibility shortcomings.

​The licensee collaborated with the regulator, but the settlement should serve as a warning to other operators in order to uphold market rules, noted UKGC Executive Director of Operations Sue Young:

​"A basic expectation is that when you have winnings, you can withdraw those swiftly without hindrance from unfair terms and conditions or the operator failing to carry out checks at an earlier stage. That is essential to consumer trust.

"​We hope this case sends a clear reminder to the industry that, although much of our enforcement action frequently relates to anti-money laundering and social responsibility failings, we will not hesitate to act when we see incidents of gambling not being fair and open," Young added.

​Starting on January 1, 2027, ACMA will have new rules around "notable persons," referring to any prominent figure that may - through their actions - raise awareness for unregulated gambling.

​The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is already going after social media influencers, who are becoming increasingly popular in driving traffic to such offshore gambling websites.

​ACMA’s new rules seek to standardize guidelines and ensure that "notable persons" are aware of the current regulatory framework that prohibits them from sharing and spreading inducements and messaging about unregulated gambling platforms.

Responsible gambling

The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and the Division of Gaming Enforcement Responsible Gaming have introduced new responsible gambling obligations for stakeholders in the state.

​The "data-driven" criteria are meant to ensure that licensees monitor their players’ well-being and intervene before a problem actually develops. Every licensee will also have to appoint a new dedicated professional who monitors the implementation and execution of responsible gaming practices.

​The measures apply to both online and land-based operations and are meant to strengthen consumer safety further.

The voice of the industry

During SBC Summit Lisbon 2026, Casino Guru News sat down with Miranda Guliashvili, Head of Regional Growth at SOFTSWISS, to discuss the trends operators should watch and how they can prepare for what comes next.

​Miranda explains how the SOFTSWISS iGaming Trends Report can help businesses review their existing strategies, draw inspiration from industry experts, and make better-informed decisions, all while adapting to a constantly-changing world.

​With a strong focus on regulated markets and responsible play, the SOFTSWISS iGaming Trends Report once again delivers a grounded outlook for the industry and explains why key pillars of it must be upheld regardless of trends.

​In similar news, Casino Guru News spoke with Maxxi Labs, a creative collective of studios united by a shared ambition to elevate the iGaming experience.

Its decentralized model allows each studio to retain its creative identity and competitive edge while benefiting from shared infrastructure, operational expertise, and a collective approach to innovation.

​In the interview, Maxxi Labs explains why it believes this model works, how it balances creative independence with commercial collaboration, and how it aims to deliver distinctive content that drives engagement and results.

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