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Itai Pazner

In his latest exclusive column for iGaming Expert, Consultant and former CEO of 888 Holdings , Itai Pazner assesses marketing strategies for operators struggling to maintain the bottom line in the face of eye-watering tax rises . Tax increases don't just hurt margins. They force decisions. And right now, across the UK and beyond, iGaming operators are facing some of the most consequential marketing decisions they'll make this decade. The UK's gambling tax hike has already re

Predictions for 2026 The iGaming industry rarely changes in dramatic moments. It shifts quietly. Small decisions compound. Then, one day, the landscape looks completely different. That’s exactly what’s happening as we move toward 2026. What’s coming next isn’t driven by hype or new buzzwords. It’s shaped by regulation pressure, tougher compliance, more experienced players, and a widening gap between platforms that adapt early and those that don’t. These are the predictions th

The UK’s iGaming industry has been coping with constant regulatory adjustments for years, but the most recent tax increase has pushed operators into a far more challenging environment. Taxes alone don’t break a market, but when margins shrink and operating flexibility tightens, licensed operators find themselves working with fewer tools while grey-market competitors continue playing by their own rules. This analysis looks at what the new tax structure is doing to the market i