About this app
What is Barragan?
“We have executed one of the largest capability building projects in the company’s history and invested in marketing, customer-acquisition and market share gains in a very intentional way,” Bengtsson said. “We are encouraged that, even with continued investment in the business, adjusted EBITDA growth has accelerated relative to the first half of 2025.”
The company is placing an increased focus on efficiency and margins, with plans for a “lower-cost, more centralised operating model” with the profitability of Sun International’s underperforming assets in mind.
A formal consultation process relating to Section 189A of South Africa’s Labour Relations Act has commenced. THis governs large-scale retrenchments by companies with over 50 employees.
About Barragan
Even so, suspension is an unusually forceful intervention.
“In my experience, where compliance concerns can be satisfactorily addressed without suspending an operator’s licence, the Commission may allow the operator to implement remedial measures or an action plan while continuing to trade,” says Richard Williams, partner at Keystone Law, speaking before the news of the collapse of the businesses.
“The fact that suspension has been considered necessary in this case therefore indicates that the Commission presently considers the issues sufficiently significant to justify preventing the operators from continuing to offer gambling while its reviews are ongoing.”
About Barragan
The order was short-lived. The commercial court of appeal granted a stay on 26 January. According to Medias24’s 12 February report, it then annulled the order and rejected MDJS’ claim, ending the daily penalty. MDJS could still appeal.
The court action came as MDJS was warning of the financial impact of offshore betting. Director General Younes El Mechrafi told a parliamentary sport forum in December that illegal sports betting stakes reached about MAD3.5 billion in 2024. He put the cost to the state at some MAD700 million, split between the national sports development fund and the Treasury.
Meanwhile, Tunisian gambling law rests on Decree-Law 74-20 of October 1974. The only lawful sports betting channel is the state company Promosport. Pari-mutuel horse race betting is managed by the Agence Tunisienne de Solidarité.
