The King Panda

What is The King Panda?

On Monday, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced that Ruth Evans has succeeded Charles Counsell to take on the full time role of Gambling Commission chair.

Counsell took the helm in February 2025 following Marcus Boyle’s departure in January last year.

Evans, who chairs Stop Scams UK, an initiative she founded in 2019 to unite banks, technology companies and telecom providers to combat payment fraud, will assume the position on 30 September, commencing a five-year term.

What is The King Panda?

Bally’s shares plunged 26% on 17 August despite a solid Q2 in which group revenue rose by 20% year-on-year to €792.2 million.

The share price came under pressure following debt disclosures in Bally’s Q2 10-Q filing, which was submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission on 14 August.

In the filing, Bally’s noted that based on current forecasts, the business “does not project that it would satisfy the liquidity maintenance requirement” or the “consolidated net leverage ratio covenant” in its revolving credit facility over the next year.

About The King Panda

In Maryland, the state’s six casinos combined to win $160 million in August, representing a 6% drop from the prior year. In Virginia, casino revenue from its five casinos was $97.6 million, almost 5% lower than August 2025.

In Delaware, in-person casino revenue eased almost 3% to $43.8 million, and in New York, racino GGR plunged 38% to $137.2 million.

West Virginia, the only other state traditionally included in the Mid-Atlantic, does not issue monthly casino revenue reports.