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Hostench and Cirsa CFO Antonio Grau will also continue to lead the teams at Cirsa.
Following the deal’s completion and approval by Lottomatica’s general shareholder’s meeting, the combined company’s board would consist of the existing 11 Lottomatica directors, as well as two new directors nominated upon designation by Blackstone.
The companies delivered a presentation that detailed their plans to create a “global gaming champion”.
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One of the founding members of the ARGN is GamblePause Initiative Africa, founded by Ladipo Abiose Akolade.
Akolade said the ARGN was established to address the fragmented nature of responsible gambling efforts across Africa and create a platform for greater collaboration between organisations working in the space.
“ARGN was created because problem gambling is becoming a bigger issue across Africa and most responsible gambling efforts still happen within individual countries,” Akolade tells iGB. “While many organisations are doing great work, there has been limited opportunity to learn from each other, share research, or work together on common challenges.
What is Sicbo?
The existence of a new competitor does not automatically mean sportsbook revenue will collapse. But valuations do not require proof of collapse to fall. A loss of confidence in future growth can be enough.
And now sportsbooks are joining the prediction market race themselves. DraftKings has moved into the market, while Flutter is also developing its presence. That could make prediction markets an additional source of revenue rather than a straightforward threat.
But it also requires investment at exactly the time shareholders are demanding better returns. Flutter’s recent results illustrate the tension. US adjusted EBITDA fell sharply in the first half of 2026, while the company continues to invest in FanDuel Predicts and other initiatives aimed at future growth.