A little wager
Novelty bets! Today, betting markets stretch from the everyday and mundane to more exciting prospects like Eurovision winners, Game of Thrones spoilers and the next US president.
The markets, which went live following the death of Pope Francis, are on all sorts of sites, with many of the UK’s traditional bookies cheerfully getting in on the action.
While gambling on the next boss of the Holy See no doubt carries varied ramifications to one’s immortal soul, there’s no doubt this is a popular market, with Fairplay Sports Media telling the outlet it is among the 30 most active this year.
Whether exactly the next Bishop of Rome approves of such activities is by-the-by, and indeed encomes a rich history involving scheming Medici moneylenders and the like.
“What was once a pursuit confined largely to Renaissance Roman bankers and courtiers has evolved into a multi-million dollar global market accessible at the click of a button or a tap on a crypto wallet,” said Leighton Vaughan Williams, professor of economics and finance at Nottingham Business School, who has done some exciting academic work on the subject.
Francis’ number two and top Vatican diplomat, Italian cardinal Pietro Parolin, is currently the bookies favourite, but until the white smoke blows its anyone’s game.
As such, this correspondent believes the act of betting on next the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church will only work to enhance the fun of conclave.
Heavy lies the crown
As betting markets heat up over who might become the next pope, Entain shareholders appear to have found their own preferred candidate — albeit for a different kind of leadership role.
According to the Financial Times, three of the company’s major investors have expressed for interim CEO Stella David to be named permanent CEO.
“We would welcome the continuity that Stella staying on as CEO would potentially bring,” one shareholder told the FT.
“She knows the business, she comes across very well in meetings. Given the alternative — a new chair and a new CEO — I’d much prefer to see Stella stay on in the CEO role and [for Entain to] appoint a new chair.”
David served as interim CEO from December 2023 to September 2024, following the departure of Jette Nygaard-Andersen.
When Gavin Isaacs was appointed CEO in September 2024, Stella assumed the role of Entain’s non-executive chair — only to return as interim CEO after Isaacs’ sudden departure in February.
However, questions remain about her appetite for the permanent role. One investor noted that David hasn’t held a full-time executive position since she left family-owned distillery William Grant & Sons in 2016.“I think people like Stella and everybody wants her to stay . . . [but] there’s a debate about whether she wants to stay full time or not.”
While her chances of heading the Catholic Church remain at precisely zero, her odds of leading Entain full-time are rising fast, with investor sentiment clearly swinging in her favour.
Scattered Spider member extradited to the US
A Scottish man believed to be part of the Scattered Spider hacking group that attacked Caesars International and MGM Resorts has been extradited from Spain to the US.
The news comes from Bloomberg News, which cited a US Justice Department official.
The man, Tyler Buchanan, faces charges including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Following his arrival in the US, he appeared in court and was taken into custody in California, Bloomberg reported.
The media outlet’s efforts to obtain a comment from the USJustice Department on Thursday evening were unsuccessful, and no legal representative for Buchanan has yet been identified.
Buchanan is one of five individuals who were charged last year in connection with Scattered Spider, a loosely organised group of hackers accused of infiltrating numerous American companies to steal sensitive information and cryptocurrency.
The group is known for its aggressive tactics, reportedly targeting not only large multinational corporations but also individual investors in cryptocurrency markets.
Buchanan’s arrest occurred in June 2024 at Palma de Mallorca airport in Spain while he was attempting to fly to Naples, according to Spanish authorities.
Prosecutors allege that Buchanan and his co-defendants used phishing schemes to carry out their attacks, sending realistic-looking mass text messages to company employees.
These messages warned recipients that their s were at risk of deactivation, tricking them into clicking on malicious links that allowed the hackers access to corporate systems.
Scattered Spider gained widespread attention in September 2023 after hacking into the networks of major casino operators, including Caesars and MGM.
The hackers reportedly locked up company systems and demanded large ransom payments; Caesars is said to have paid around $15m to regain control of its operations.
It remains uncertain whether Buchanan and the others charged were directly involved in the casino incidents.
