As the calendar turns into another year, it's time to turn our focus to the crystal ball to see what might shape the wagering industry headlines of 2026, and there is a certain familiarity to our predictions.
Tote pools on global racing are on the agenda of Stake.com after it inked a deal with Australian wagering tech company BetMakers.
PointsBet’s transformative year has ended with confirmation that Sam Swanell will step down from the Group CEO role after nine-and-a-half years, with Andrew Catterall promoted in his place.
Darren Holley, betr’s chief financial officer, will leave the publicly listed wagering company at the end of 2025 after spending five years in the role during a transformative period for the BlueBet and betr brands.
Rob Wood, a fixture at Entain for 13 years, will leave the global wagering company in 2026.
In almost every major racing jurisdiction in the world, the relationship between horse racing and gambling and/or wagering is under the spotlight. Recent developments in North America, England and Australia show how tangled that relationship has become.
The Australian wagering industry has broadly condemned the Queensland government’s decision not to adopt a recommended cut in the Point Of Consumption Tax rate.
Queensland is likely to retain the highest Point Of Consumption tax among Australian states, with Racing Minister Tim Mander set to ignore industry pressure to cut the wagering levy to 15 per cent.
A “strategic diversification” by Crown Resorts will see Betfair Australia revive the CrownBet brand and enter the competitive fixed-odds betting market.
Gillon McLachlan has made the formation of a national tote the centrepiece of his reform of Tabcorp since taking over as chief executive in August 2024. For the one-time wagering behemoth, there is a lot more at play than just extra liquidity.
