Analysis & Commentary

The Tottenham Report

Independent analysis of the global gaming industry — market developments, regulatory change, investment trends, and the issues shaping the sector's future. Written by Andrew Tottenham from nearly four decades at the industry's most senior advisory level.

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Delivered directly to C-suite executives, investors, regulators, and advisers across the global gaming industry. Independent analysis from one of the sector's most experienced practitioners.

Archive

16 issues — February 2024 to March 2026
March 2026  ·  Issue 46

Bitcoin Meets the Gambling Commission

The UK Gambling Commission has opened a consultation on the use of cryptocurrencies in gambling. A close examination of why the question has landed on a regulator's desk — and whether it is the right question to be asking.

Regulatory
February 2026  ·  Issue 45

Where the Law Draws the Line (and Looks Away)

The Austrian Supreme Court's recent decision on FIFA lootboxes is comfortingly familiar. Faced with the question of whether lootboxes constitute gambling, the court found a way to say no. A study in how law accommodates what it cannot easily regulate.

Regulatory
January 2026  ·  Special Commentary

The Window is Not Quite Shut. The European Court Has Given It a Big Nudge.

Following the November 2025 article on the closing window for Maltese-licensed operators, the ECJ has now delivered its judgment in Wunner (C-77/24). The implications are significant — and largely as forecast.

Regulatory
January 2026  ·  Issue 44

Safer Gambling, Riskier Markets

Much has been written about the rise of the online gambling black market. The relationship between safer gambling measures and the attractiveness of the unlicensed market is more nuanced than either side of the debate acknowledges.

Online Gaming
December 2025  ·  Issue 43

Why the Last Person on the Bandwagon Pays the Most

On the dynamics of how ideas spread, why investors pay the highest prices at the peak of a cycle, and what the New York State casino licence process tells us about herd behaviour in gaming markets.

Investment
November 2025  ·  Issue 42

The Window is Closing

For years, Malta has served as the springboard for online gambling operators wanting to reach European customers without local licences. Two Advocates General Opinions from the CJEU suggest the legal underpinning of this model is being removed.

Regulatory
October 2025  ·  Issue 41

Prediction Markets: The New Frontier or a Regulatory Free-for-All?

The phrase echoing through G2E 2025 was "prediction markets." Companies like Kalshi are offering contracts on sporting event outcomes that are, at their core, indistinguishable from betting exchanges — yet are regulated as financial instruments.

Online Gaming
September 2025  ·  Issue 40

Confirmation Bias in the Jury Box — and on the Gambling Commission

A television experiment in jury deliberation reveals how people ignore evidence that contradicts their prior view and seek information that confirms it. The implications for regulatory decision-making in gambling are uncomfortable.

Regulatory
August 2025  ·  Issue 39

Why, What and How — When

On the critical difference between a business strategy and a business plan, and why so many gaming companies confuse the two. A reflection on working with the late Peter George and what genuine strategic thinking looks like in practice.

Strategy
July 2025  ·  Issue 38

Winning is Easy. Cashing Out, Not So.

Private equity firms have poured billions into gambling over two decades. Many are now finding the exit far harder than expected — the same characteristics that made gaming attractive to acquire are making it difficult to sell.

Investment
June 2025  ·  Issue 37

It's All About Bayes

One man may have had more impact on the gambling industry than any other — Thomas Bayes, an eighteenth-century Presbyterian minister. How Bayesian probability underpins everything from game design to regulatory policy.

Strategy
May 2025  ·  Issue 36

Pushing Back the Tide

On what a New York Times article about ADHD diagnosis reveals about the dangers of algorithmic risk-scoring — and why the gambling industry should be paying close attention to where AI-driven player-protection tools are heading.

Regulation
April 2025  ·  Issue 35

If You Pick a Fight, Be Prepared to Fight

The regulated gaming industry faces multiple critical threats — from over-regulation driving customers to unlicensed operators, to AML checks alienating legitimate players. At some point, the industry needs to make its case more forcefully.

Regulatory
January 2025  ·  Issue 32

What Can Be Done About Black-Market Operators?

From the Wild West of 1990s internet gambling to the sophisticated unlicensed operations of today — a personal history of the online gaming industry and a practical assessment of the tools available to those trying to contain the black market.

Online Gaming
March 2024  ·  Issue 22

What Does the Future Hold?

On the recent turnover of senior executives at major gaming companies — what it reveals about board expectations, talent development, and the recurring industry mistake of always looking outside rather than promoting from within.

Strategy
February 2024  ·  Issue 21

Another Fine Mess

The gambling world is tying itself in knots about what is gambling and what is not. Sweepstake casinos, prediction markets, and lootboxes — a clear-eyed assessment of where the regulatory boundaries are being drawn, and where they are not.

Regulatory
Media & Speaking

Selected Appearances

Andrew Tottenham is regularly quoted in the international gaming trade press and has appeared on BBC television and radio discussing the economic, social, and regulatory dimensions of the global gaming industry.

BBC HARDtalk

The Global Casino Economy — Risks, Rewards, and Regulation

A wide-ranging interview on the economics of the global gaming industry, the role of integrated resorts in national tourism strategies, and the challenges of effective regulation in a rapidly evolving sector.

BBC Television & Radio

Expert Commentary — UK Gambling Reform

Regular appearances as an industry expert during the passage of UK gambling legislation and the ongoing debate about online gaming regulation and responsible gambling frameworks.

International Gaming Trade Press

Quoted Commentary — Global Market Developments

Regularly cited in Gaming Intelligence, iGaming Business, Casino Journal, and other leading industry titles on topics including IR development, regulatory change, and market entry strategy.

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