Easter Surprise

About Easter Surprise

Retail betting diverged significantly from the wider market, with non-remote betting GGY falling 3.3% to £2.4 billion ($3.2 billion). The number of betting shops dropped for a 12th consecutive reporting period to 5,617 premises—a 3.6% annual decline (down 208 shops from March 2025).

Other retail sectors performed better. Bingo GGY increased 8.2% to £703.8 million ($941.8 million), while arcade GGY rose 10.7% to £800.1 million ($1.07 billion).

While the new figures underline the sheer scale of Britain’s regulated market, leading operator Entain is pressing the government for tougher action against black-market platforms.

About Easter Surprise

Potentially boding well for the Macquarie forecast are at least two factors. First, there are signs of turnover increases across a variety of yes/no exchanges. Second, volume surged to start September with those spikes arriving even before the NFL season kicked off.

As Macquarie analyst Chad Beynon points out, prediction markets generated $4.3 billion in taker volume during the first week of September without any help from the NFL, building on momentum from the 2026 World Cup. However, the NFL’s impact was immediate, with taker volume hitting a daily record during Week 1 of the campaign.

With all that in mind, it’s not surprising that Macquarie expects sports event contracts will drive approximately 80% of taker volume this year, but Beynon sees other categories growing over the long term.

How to play Easter Surprise

“IAGR is extremely grateful for Fabio Macorin’s willingness to dedicate his extensive talents to representing South America at a pivotal time for gaming regulation across the region,” said IAGR Vice President Brian Krolicki.

“He brings a powerful combination of expertise in law enforcement, financial crime prevention and regulation to IAGR. His 17 years with the federal police and his leadership in building Brazil’s new regulated betting market give him a unique perspective on combatting the illegal market, strengthening AML controls and advancing regulatory cooperation. He is an ideal addition to the IAGR board of trustees and will be a tremendous asset to our global community.”

The IAGR Conference is themed “Steady Hands, Changing Ground: Advancing Regulation in a Connected World”. It will examine how regulators and other stakeholders can enhance regulatory oversight in the face of constantly evolving technology, markets and risks. Sessions will focus on strengthening cross-jurisdictional cooperation and developing more effective regulatory responses to the rapid transformations within the global gaming and betting landscape.