Tag: UK

Former jockey who was pronounced dead for six seconds after a fall in 2013 has embarked on a new training career with some high-profile owners 

Star Sports is the new sponsor of Brian Toomey’s yard in Buckinghamshire.

The 34-year-old, who was forced to retire as a jockey after a horrific fall at Perth in 2013 which almost claimed his life, has embarked on his first full season as a trainer, based at Bowstridge Farm in Chalfont St Giles.

After being granted his trainer’s licence in October, he has already secured some high-profile owners, including Amo Racing, Clipper Logistics, Jimmy Fyffe and Jeff Smith. Harry Redknapp provided him with his first winner when Wake Up Harry won at Kempton on 20^th December.

Toomey joins leading jockey Harry Skelton and recently retired legendary rider Davy Russell in Star Sports’ stable of racing ambassadors. He will provide regular updates on the yard’s runners, his views on the biggest races and meetings during the Flat season, and video content looking back at his career as a jockey, his recovery from the fall and life as a new trainer.

“Becoming a trainer has been a dream for a long time,” said Toomey. “My story is an unusual one and I know how lucky I am to be here.

“I’m hugely grateful to all the owners who have supported me at such an early stage of my career, my landlord at Bowstridge Farm as it’s such a brilliant place to train and now to my new sponsors, Star Sports.

“I’m looking forward to telling my story as a new trainer and updating Star Sports’ customers on our runners, as well as my views on the big races and issues in the industry.”

Luke Tarr, Head of PR at Star Sports, said: “Brian’s story is truly inspirational. To achieve what he has, both in his recovery from such a serious head injury and in his determined pursuit of a trainer’s licence, shows exactly what he is made of, and we are delighted to sponsor the yard.

“He has already attracted some massive owners and we’re excited to produce some top-quality content with Brian at the beginning of what we’re sure will be a very successful training career.”

Thousands supported and short waiting times highlighted on one-year anniversary of the National Gambling Support Network

• National Gambling Support Network is urging anyone who may be struggling with gambling to contact their local service for free, confidential and personalised help and support.
• New figures from the GambleAware-commissioned National Gambling Support Network show that people were offered a treatment session in just three and a half days on average.
• It comes as new data released for the one-year anniversary of the launch of the National Gambling Support Network also reveals the number of calls to the National Gambling Support Network helpline in January of 2024 reached the highest monthly level on record.

The National Gambling Support Network is encouraging people to join the over 28,000 people who have been supported via brief interventions through the National Gambling Support Network helpline since April of 2023 and the thousands who have been supported through their local service provider.

People seeking support for issues with gambling were offered a treatment session with a trained professional in three and a half days on average between October and December of 2023, according to new figures from the GambleAware-commissioned National Gambling Support Network. The data also shows that organisations within the National Gambling Support Network, who are highlighting the free support that is available ahead of this weekend’s Grand National, contacted those seeking treatment in just 1.3 days on average in the last three months of 2023.

New data from the National Gambling Support Network helpline also shows that there were more calls and online chats made in January of 2024 than any previous month on record – the sixth time the record has broken since the beginning of 2023 – with 4,816 calls and online chats made across the month.

Additional data from the National Gambling Support Network helpline reveals that over 28,000 (28,175) people have been supported via brief interventions – conversations of 20 minutes or more – since April of 2023.

The GambleAware-commissioned National Gambling Support Network comprises 11 different organisations across Great Britain. Services within the National Gambling Support Network offer a seamless experience for people using them locally, regionally and nationally. It offers a range of support for people experiencing harm from gambling – whether their own or someone else’s – including residential treatment, one-to-one support and cognitive behavioural therapy amongst others.

The service was recommissioned in April of 2023 and was expanded to include additional services for people across Great Britain including peer-to-peer support and support with recognising gambling harms among GPs as well as other concerns linked to gambling such as debt advice and financial support.

Additionally, a recent YouGov survey of over 5,000 United Kingdom participants revealed that people were most likely to choose weekly support sessions with a trained professional as an effective way to reduce gambling harms. Out of the alternative options, two-thirds (66%) of people believed that sessions with trained professionals such as these would be an effective way to reduce harm caused by gambling. Six in ten (59%) also said that tools to block access to gambling websites would be an effective way to control their gambling and 58% chose speaking to a family member.

“Having accessed support through Beacon Counselling Trust years ago myself, I know the positive impact these services can have in rebuilding people’s lives after experiencing gambling harm,” said David Quinti, who was supported by organisations within the National Gambling Support Network. “Talking to a professional each week about what I was experiencing was an enormous step to help understand my relationship with gambling and, ultimately, help me recover from it. I would urge anyone who may be struggling with gambling to reach out.”

“The GambleAware-commissioned National Gambling Support Network is designed to prevent the escalation of harms associated with gambling,” the Chief Commissioning Officer for GambleAware, Anna Hargrave, said. “The National Gambling Support Network provides people with easy access to treatment and support wherever they are across Great Britain. It is heartening to hear the positive impact the services have on people’s lives and the difference they make. These essential third sector providers play a vital role for people across the country and we look forward to continuing to share this expertise and experience alongside the NHS under the new system once a levy is introduced.”

“Being able to speak to someone if you’re struggling with gambling is a vital tool in curbing gambling harms,” Gambling Minister Stuart Andrew said. “The increase in calls to the National Gambling Support Network helpline shows the importance of getting the right help in place for those who may be suffering.

“That’s why in our ‘white paper’ published last year we introduced a range of measures to prevent harms before they occur including stake limits for online slot games and financial risk checks as well as a levy on gambling companies to increase funding for research, prevention and treatment of gambling harms.”

Casino and sports platform provider ProgressPlay has significantly added to its sportsbook content portfolio with the introduction of United Kingdom (UK) and Irish horse racing. Through the integration of UK and Irish horse racing, ProgressPlay cements its position as a front-runner in the industry, re-energising the sportsbook landscape and setting new standards for excellence.

With its ground-breaking data-driven UI/UX technology, ProgressPlay will provide a slick design and easy-to-use navigation to provide innovative horse racing products for ProgressPlay operators and other partners.

Horse racing is the second most popular sport in the UK after football with over six million attendees yearly, making this new content stream from ProgressPlay a wonderful opportunity for operators to tackle that segment of the market and bring these punters across as customers of brands that have this content available.

Horse racing generates over £4 billion annually for the UK economy and the races being provided by ProgressPlay include flat and jumps with the creme-de-la-creme of the horse-racing calendar included within the coverage: the Cheltenham Festival, the Grand National, the Derby, Royal Ascot, King George Weekend, the St Leger and Christmas Festival, amongst others. A special promotion ties to the Grand National this weekend to help operators with their marketing efforts.

Horse racing stands as an enduring pillar of Ireland’s sporting heritage, cherished by enthusiasts and spectators alike and an attractive proposition for operators seeking new pastures. Each year, a diverse array of horse racing events, ranging from flat races to exhilarating steeplechases, captivate audiences across Ireland and beyond, embodying the nation’s passion for this beloved sport with some legendary races including the Irish Grand National, Irish Derby, Galway Races, The Irish 2,000 Guineas, The Irish 1,000 Guineas, The Irish Derby, The Irish Oaks and the Irish St Ledger, The Irish Guineas and Punchestown Festival, amid a packed calendar.

“Horses present a fantastic acquisition tool for any partners operating in the UK and Ireland, opening new frontiers and marketing opportunities to elevate brands even higher,” the Sales and Marketing Manager for ProgressPlay, Marina Nahhas, said.

ProgressPlay’s combo sportsbook and comprehensive turnkey solution including casino platform, player management, payments module and affiliate software are designed to boost operators seeking to effectively drive both revenue and efficiency with the latest cutting-edge technology.

Over 150 online casino and sportsbook brands have partnered with ProgressPlay covering a unique combination of casino games and sports betting. ProgressPlay’s sportsbook offers over 30,000 live betting markets and services across 20 languages while the latest platform offers a slick AI-driven UI/UX and extensive value-added services alongside thousands of casino games including slots, online casino, live casino, poker, table games and sportsbook across all devices and currencies.

“The goal of our sportsbook is to directly drive new operator revenues and deeper engagement for users with sport and the ‘Sport of Kings’, UK and Irish horse racing, is a welcome addition,” the Chief Executive Officer for ProgressPlay, Itai Loewenstein, said. “These new offerings should not only provide exceptional popularity in sports betting but will also encourage some reshaping of player behaviour.”

For further information visit www. ProgressPlay. com.

Entain, a leading player in the global sports betting and gaming sector, has launched an innovative new game, Bingo Tournaments, through its UK brands Gala and Coral – an industry-first that brings a fresh twist on the free-to-play experience. Players can now go head-to-head for leaderboard points to claim top ranking positions and win prizes, in tournaments that start on the hour, all day, every day.

Bingo has stood the test of time and evolved into a game that takes different formats – from the local community Bingo Hall, to free-to-play mobile games. In fact, the number of UK players logging in to play Bingo with Entain’s leading brands has increased by 80% since 2021[1], and this upward trend is continuing in 2024.

What makes Bingo so popular is that it is an inherently social game. It is about players enjoying the game, experiencing little moments of excitement, and sharing these experiences with other people who love the game. Bingo Tournaments brings this community-based element to the online game for the first time – providing more ways to play, more ways for players to interact with each other, and more ways to win.

Since its launch last month, Entain’s Bingo Tournaments has already been a hit, amassing over 80,000 unique players, and with 68% of Gala Bingo players engaging with the new game. These figures are expected to grow as Entain continues to deliver even better Bingo experiences for its customers.

Satty Bhens, Chief Product & Technology Officer at Entain, said: “Everything we do comes down to making sure that we’re providing the best experiences possible for our customers – so they enjoy playing with us, and keep playing with us. Introducing a groundbreaking game and a more social way to play through Bingo Tournaments is just one way that we’re refreshing and investing in our games to deliver the best products to our customers.”