Latest news with #Gaming
Spectator
10 hours ago
- Business
- Spectator
Labour is risking the future of racing
The only political party with a serious chance of winning office I will ever vote for again is the one which acknowledges that in all probability and at least for a while it will increase taxes. Every party piles up promises that they will be the ones to get Britain working again. But building power stations, reservoirs and schools costs money. So does hiring doctors and nurses, filling potholes and getting trains to run on time. Some claim they will finance their plans by creating growth, some by taxing the rich. Then voters discover that the growth fairy remains elusive and the rich have been re-defined to include them: public regard for politicians takes another dive. That the Labour party has blown its promises in record time and blundered its way through welfare reforms into creating a £5 billion hole in its finances comes as no special surprise. It is merely the latest example. What worries me is that in digging down the back of the sofa and checking the pockets of long-unworn suits in the search for cash, ministers may well begin destroying a historic sport which has given me and many millions a lifetime's enjoyment and which supports thousands of jobs in rural areas. Racing is in danger and the unusual speed with which the sport's sectoral interests are coming together to campaign against a new 'racing tax' shows that it knows it. Warning signals have been piling up. Fewer foals are being bred. Prize money levels are in decline compared with other racing jurisdictions. Thanks to the nonsensical way in which affordability checks on punters are being implemented, betting turnover is down £1.6 billion over the past two years. Since racing depends on money from a levy based on bookmakers' profits for a third of its finances, that loss is serious. Now, against that background, the Treasury has instigated a study into amalgamating the 15 per cent General Betting Duty on racing bets with the 21 per cent duty charged on online gaming. A tearfully desperate Chancellor can be expected to grab any extra revenue she can and with parliament these days in a moralistic mood over problem gambling, what would be presented as a Treasury tidying-up may not meet the political resistance it should. The British Horseracing Authority has calculated that 'harmonisation' of the two betting duties at 21 per cent into a single Remote Betting and Gaming Duty would result in a loss to racing of £66 million a year from the levy, media rights and sponsorship. The sport's elder statesman, Newmarket trainer John Gosden, is no alarmist but he has called the 'racing tax', as it has been dubbed, one of the gravest risks the sport has ever faced. Lumping racing together with gaming, he and other trainers argue, would make racing the most expensive product for bookmakers who would concentrate instead on gaming products (proven incidentally to be more of a danger to problem gamblers than horseracing). It threatens too what Gosden calls a massive upsurge in black-market gambling, whereby no revenue comes back to the government, no revenue benefits the sport and wherein there is no protection for the punter. Most MPs know nothing about horseracing. Fortunately, at least two sensible voices from right and left are making themselves heard. Conservative Nick Timothy and Labour MP Dan Carden, chair of parliament's racing and bloodstock group, have been urging the government not to legislate racing out of existence, arguing that the industry contributes £4.1 billion to the economy and £300 million a year to the Treasury while keeping 100,000 people in work. Both speak from knowledge. Timothy is the MP for West Suffolk, which includes the training centre of Newmarket, while Carden represents Liverpool Walton, home to Aintree's Grand National, and he made a key point in telling the Racing Post that betting on horseracing is fundamentally different to casino activity: 'Racing bets are grounded in skill, knowledge and careful judgment… this isn't reckless gambling, it's thoughtful engagement with a historic sport that rewards patience and insight rather than impulsive risk-taking.' I couldn't agree more. I haven't had a bet on the turn of a card or the whirl of a roulette wheel in 40 years but the intricacies of horseracing offer endlessly enjoyable debate and occasional success. Like the late Barry Hills, I watch out next time for horses which were hard to pull up on their previous run. My form-guru friend rarely misses a winner wearing blinkers for the first time. Within hours of telling my son last Saturday that horses sent north by Berkshire trainer Andrew Balding and ridden by P.J. Mcdonald are always worth a look, I had winners at 5-1 and 14-1 in my profits column. If you have ever enjoyed the few minutes of ownership that betting on a racehorse gives you then now is the time to act: contact your MP and tell them if they vote for the betting tax then you won't be voting for them ever again. It does help to concentrate the mind.
Zawya
2 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Mastercard extends partnership with Esports World Cup 2025
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) today announced the return of Mastercard as an official event supplier for the 2025 Esports World Cup, the world's largest esports event, set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 to August 24. The renewed partnership underscores Mastercard's continued commitment to elevating digital experiences, championing youth engagement, and supporting the Kingdom's rapidly growing gaming ecosystem. Through the collaboration with the Esports World Cup, Mastercard will introduce a range of immersive on-ground activations and seamless payment solutions designed to enhance the overall fan journey. This will include creating a bespoke version of the Mastercard Gamer Academy, where Mastercard, in collaboration with G2 Esports and Esports World Cup, designed a one-of-a-kind experience that will provide 10 successful applicants with the opportunity to be mentored by professionals on how they could pursue a career in esports. Further, fans can collect Priceless Points by interacting with the games and activities available at the Mastercard booth for the chance to win ultimate gaming gear that will be rewarded to the top scoring players. Further, there will be live appearances by G2 Esports players to be hosted as fireside chats to talk about areas like pro esports. The brand's presence will emphasize the intersection of technology, gaming, and culture, anchored by initiatives that highlight and support local Saudi talent. 'Mastercard's return as a partner reflects the Esports World Cup's evolution from a tournament into a global cultural platform,' said Mohammed Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer, Esports World Cup Foundation. 'Together, we're creating impactful experiences that go beyond gameplay, uniting youth empowerment, digital inclusion, and immersive fan engagement. Mastercard's focus on Priceless experiences and innovation makes them an ideal partner to help us inspire the next generation of gamers and connect with fans in meaningful and memorable ways.' Saud Swar, Country Manager, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan and other Levant, Mastercard added, 'We are proud to deepen our partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation as we continue to unlock the potential of gaming in the Kingdom. In line with Saudi Vision 2030, Mastercard is committed to connecting people to their passions, driving innovation, and inspiring the next generation. Our priceless experiences help empower youth, promote digital inclusion, and celebrate Saudi Arabia's vibrant esports culture.' This partnership builds on Mastercard's long-standing global support for the gaming and esports industry, including its strategic sponsorship of Riot Games' League of Legends and VALORANT. It reinforces Mastercard's leadership in digital payments and its role in shaping future-facing experiences through youth engagement and innovation. The 2025 Esports World Cup will host 25 tournaments across 24 game titles, bringing together over 2,000 elite players and 200 Clubs from more than 100 countries. With a record-breaking prize pool of over $70 million, the event will offer fans a comprehensive entertainment experience, from high-stakes competition and live music to anime cafés, retro arcades, cosplay showcases, and more, cementing Riyadh's position as a global esports and entertainment hub. To learn more about EWC, visit and follow Esports World Cup Foundation on LinkedIn. About Mastercard Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we're building a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential. About The Esports World Cup The Esports World Cup (EWC) is a premier annual sporting event and global celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom. The competition features a unique cross-game format that pits the world's top esports clubs against one another for the largest prize pool in esports history. Returning to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the summer of 2025, the EWC will bring gaming and esports communities together again to crown the next Esports World Cup Club Champion. Esports World Cup media contact: Anna Rozwandowicz Head of PR Esports World Cup media contact: press@ Mastercard media contact: Sami Alshorafa Communications Director – West Arabia
The Verge
6 days ago
- The Verge
Dbrand says its new Switch 2 Joy-Con grips fix the detachment issue
After recently admitting that it had a 'spectacularly terrible response' to Joy-Con grip detachment complaints with its Killswitch Nintendo Switch 2 case, Dbrand has some good news: it says its redesigned Joy-Con grips fix the issue and the company will be able to mass produce them. Dbrand had already promised it would be replacing the grips for everyone, and now we know that the replacement will be the redesign instead of a refined version of what's already available. Here's a video from Dbrand showing the Joy-Con not detaching while being held from the Joy-Con with the updated grips. In addition to the modification to the Joy-Con grips — which Dbrand is calling Joy-Lock — the company says it will be sending out silicone friction pads to place on the Killswitch adapter for Nintendo's dock to address 'the issue of one-handed undocking on our Dock Adapter' and keep the adapter 'snugly seated' on the dock. By 'early next week,' Dbrand says it will 'share a production schedule that outlines when you'll be able to claim your free Joy-Lock replacements, and when you can expect them to ship.' New production and any unshipped orders will include the Joy-Lock Grips and have the silicone friction pads preinstalled on the Dock Adapter. In June, some users of the original Killswitch Switch 2 case found that if they held the console primarily by a Joy-Con while the case and grips were on, the controller would pop off and the console would drop down. Probably not what you want to have happen to your brand-new Nintendo console. Dbrand published a lengthy post about the issue where it argued that 'nobody routinely holds their Switch 2 like this' and that Joy-Con detachment only happens if you hold the console in a very specific way. But many users compared that response to when Steve Jobs told people running into iPhone 4 reception issues to 'just avoid holding it that way.' The company soon after published a mea culpa post where it said that 'you should be allowed to hold it however the fuck you want, without detachment occurring' and outlined how it was working on two potential fixes: a slightly tweaked version of the original grip and the one with a bigger redesign.
The Verge
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
A dose of Ghost.
Posted Jul 10, 2025 at 8:40 PM UTC While everyone is busy hiking through Death Stranding 2 , Sony is about to show the next big game that PS5 owners will be able to dig into. At 5PM ET you can check out a 'gameplay deep dive' for Ghost of Yōtei , which launches in October.
Al Bawaba
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Bawaba
NVIDIA DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation coming to Mortal Online 2, Brickadia and RuneScape: Dragonwilds
This week, DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation is multiplying performance in Mortal Online 2 and RuneScape: Dragonwilds, while Brickadia enters Early Access on July 11th with day-one forge their destiny in the fantasy world of Mortal Online 2, populated by players who bring with them their own unique experiences and content. Whatever gamers wish to play in this world, their journey will be written through their actions, and they choose the direction of each chapter. This July, Mortal Online 2 is launching its first major expansion, Reckoning, alongside an update that introduces DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, accelerating frame rates on GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs. The game already supports DLSS Frame Generation, DLSS Super Resolution and NVIDIA Reflex.A next-generation sandbox game with immense flexibility, Brickadia gives players creative tools like building, scripting and more to build massive worlds, intricate physics contraptions, and entirely new game modes together with their friends. Brickadia enters Early Access on July 11th, featuring a wide array of technology to help make creations look and play RTX gamers can leverage the suite of DLSS 4 technologies to accelerate frame rates, and GeForce RTX gamers desiring the sharpest and most detailed image can alternatively enable DLAA alongside DLSS Multi Frame Generation and DLSS Frame Generation. All GeForce owners can activate NVIDIA Reflex to make Brickadia more responsive, and players wanting improved lighting and shadows can enable hardware-accelerated, ray-traced Lumen lighting and reflection effects. Stranded in an untamed land, gamers must gather resources, build shelters, and craft weapons to withstand the growing dragon threat in Jagex's RuneScape: Dragonwilds. Having launched with day-one support for DLSS Frame Generation, DLSS Super Resolution, and DLAA, RuneScape: Dragonwilds will add support for DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, further accelerating performance for GeForce RTX 50 Series gamers.
