Leading employers are shifting to skills-first hiring as AI reshapes workforce at breakneck speed – HR News Summary New research from the Top Employers Institute — Building a Skills-First Workforce — uses data from 2,300 organisations across 26 industries and 125 countries to show that employers moving to a skills-first model are seeing measurable business […]
Trump roils tech employers with new $100K H-1B visa fee Summary President Donald Trump issued a proclamation introducing a one‑time $100,000 charge on petitions for new H‑1B visas. The administration and USCIS framed the move as an initial step to reform the H‑1B programme and curb alleged abuses by IT firms. The proclamation prompted immediate […]
HMRC tribunal ruling confirms duty owed on free spins Summary The First-tier Tribunal has backed HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in a dispute with Jumpman Gaming Ltd, confirming that certain free spins awarded as prizes in promotional offers are subject to remote gaming duty (RGD). The case centred on a “Mega Reel” promotion and assessments […]
Spreadex Forced to Abandon Sporting Index Merger After CMA Ruling Summary The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has upheld its earlier finding that Spreadex retaining Sporting Index’s consumer-facing business would substantially lessen competition in the UK sports spread betting market. The regulator concluded the completed acquisition risks creating a monopoly and has ordered Spreadex to […]
SBS Makes History by Allowing Players to Block Gambling Ads Summary SBS, Australia’s hybrid-funded public broadcaster, has become the first broadcaster globally to let viewers block gambling adverts on its on-demand service. The change is part of SBS’s Environmental & Social Governance (ESG) drive and lets users opt out of specific ad categories, including gambling. […]
Allwyn to acquire majority stake in PrizePicks at $2.5bn valuation Summary Allwyn International will buy a 62.3% majority stake in PrizePicks, valuing the North American daily fantasy sports operator at at least $2.5bn. The deal includes an initial $1.6bn cash payment and potential performance-related payouts that could lift the implied valuation above $4bn by 2029. […]
Louisiana Hands Meta a Tax Break and Power for Its Biggest Data Center Summary Louisiana regulators fast-tracked approval for three natural-gas turbines and a $550m transmission line to feed Meta’s planned 4-million-square-foot data centre in Richland Parish — a facility expected to need more than 2GW of power. Entergy Louisiana will operate the plants; Meta […]
Ike Haxton Breaks Triton Curse to Win First Title at 34th Final Table Summary Isaac “Ike” Haxton finally landed his first Triton Poker title at the Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju II, winning the $100K Pot-Limit Omaha Main Event and taking home $2,789,000. After 64 cashes and 34 final-table appearances on the Triton/SHR circuit, […]
Nada Shaheen on why large African companies will die if they ignore startups Summary GB Ventures is the corporate venture arm of Egypt’s GB Corp, led by Nada Shaheen. The group — with nearly a century in car manufacturing, financing and related services across multiple African and Middle Eastern markets — has begun using CVC […]
Safaricom just completed M-PESA’s biggest upgrade in a decade, but will partners plug in? Summary Safaricom has completed its largest M-PESA core migration since localising the platform a decade ago, finishing a three-hour cutover and restoring services early on Monday. The upgrade — dubbed Fintech 2.0 — moves M-PESA to a cloud-native, microservices architecture hosted […]
