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Global operator Bet365 has confirmed plans to cut around 340 jobs in response to increased regulatory and tax-related costs.
The job cuts, which represent approximately 3% of Bet365’s workforce, will be made across the company’s offices in Stoke-on-Trent, Malta and Gibraltar.
Bet365 attributed the job cuts to a “highly competitive trading environment, plus increased regulatory and tax-related costs”.
What is Lantern Luck?
Under the terms of the agreement, Merkur will acquire 95% of Casigrangi, while DOFA will retain a 5% interest, subject to reciprocal put and call options exercisable in the future.
Casigrangi currently holds approximately 4,135,434 shares in SFC, amounting to 81.2% of its capital and voting rights based on figures from 31 October 2025.
Merkur has agreed to pay an effective price of €6.19 per SFC share for the stake, representing a substantial premium over recent market valuations.
What is Lantern Luck?
The new Belmont is significantly different than the sprawling venue it replaced. The former 1.25 million-square-foot grandstand, which had become vastly oversized for the contemporary racing crowd, was demolished to make way for a much smaller, modern facility with a focus on hospitality and premium seating.
Friday’s opening was deliberately capped at 6,000 spectators while construction continues. Only the first two levels of the new five-story grandstand are currently open, with the remaining sections scheduled for completion ahead of next year’s meet.
The redevelopment was financed by a $455 million loan from New York State, approved in 2023. State officials have projected the project will generate $155 million in annual economic activity once fully operational, along with around $10 million annually in state and local tax revenue.
