Betdaq closes as Matchbook steps in and Entain reports strong UK growth

Betdaq prepares to shut its exchange while Entain posts positive UK numbers and avoids EU taxes.

Written by the BettingEdgeHub desk, 17 October 2026

Irish budget plans for the European Union left out a proposed online betting tax. The negotiating papers list five new ways to raise money, but gambling is not among them. Malta already stated opposition to any new taxes from the bloc, meaning the idea faces major political hurdles.

Betdaq exchange closes

The famous betting exchange Betdaq will stop trading on the twenty first of October. Triplebet, which operates Matchbook, bought the brand name in a recent deal. Account holders must withdraw their remaining funds by the fourth of November because balances do not transfer automatically.

Entain reports mixed results

Entain recorded a two percent rise in net gaming revenue for the third quarter. Online revenue in the United Kingdom and Ireland jumped fourteen percent, helping offset a sharp thirty six percent drop in Brazil. Chief executive Stella David warned the British government against implementing any further tax hikes on the industry.

New platform launches

Hacksaw Group launched a business to business prediction markets platform alongside a new Maltese licence extension. The technology lets betting operators offer peer to peer prediction markets under their own brands. Shared liquidity pools help build participation across the participating operator network.

What it means for a bet

Punters using Betdaq need to withdraw their funds quickly before the exchange shuts down permanently.

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