Skate Or Die

What is Skate Or Die?

The bill would increase the maximum sanction for contravening Section 87(1) to a P100,000 fine, imprisonment for up to five years, or both.

It would also require the Gambling Authority to give a licensee an opportunity to be heard before suspending, revoking or refusing to renew a licence.

Responsible gambling and treatment services were recurring themes in the parliamentary discussion.

What is Skate Or Die?

In the wake of their licence suspensions, announced a fortnight previously by the UK Gambling Commission, it is tempting to see the demise of BresBet and Bet St George as evidence that it is simply too easy to become a British gambling operator.

The two related businesses are associated with entrepreneur Nic Brereton and had only recently started operating under their own licences. BresBet was licensed in February 2025, while Bet St George received its licence in December and launched in March this year.

At launch six months ago, Brereton told iGB that Bet St George would use the experience he gained applying advanced data models in the medical sector to improve the customer experience in betting.

What is Skate Or Die?

In addition to illegal gambling, investigators suspect extensive tax evasion, with a projected tax shortfall of about €77.6 million for 2024.

The DSWV, representing licensed sports-betting operators, broadly welcomed the law enforcement action as a necessary response to the illegal market’s growth and associated risks. 

“This successful investigation clearly demonstrates the scale that the illegal gambling market has now reached,” said Mathias Dahms, president of the DSWV.