Massive IT Outage Impacts Gambling Operators across the Globe

A global technical issue on Friday caused widespread disruptions across various industries, including banking, aviation, emergency services, and gambling.

Media sources confirmed that the disruption stemmed from an update by CrowdStrike affecting Microsoft users. This major technology problem impacted companies in Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Just Horse Racing reported that the Microsoft outage significantly affected TAB, Sky Racing, and Sportsbet, which together hold over 70% of the Australian betting market. The IT disruption also impacted companies in New Zealand, India, and Japan.

Sportsbet acknowledged the technical difficulties on its platform X (formerly Twitter), attributing the issues to global third-party technical problems and promising swift resolution.

Similarly, Ladbrokes experienced challenges due to the global issue, affecting both its online and retail operations. Ladbrokes communicated via X that they are working hard to fix the problem but did not provide a specific timeline for resolution, apologizing for the inconvenience.

Customer Care teams at both companies addressed numerous user queries, with some customers reporting issues such as being unable to withdraw funds or place bets at retail outlets.

It is too early to assess the financial impact of this global IT issue or determine the full extent of its effect on customers worldwide.