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What is Stormforged?
The cycle eventually became extreme.
“At one point, I had only a few thousand euros left to gamble with, but then I won €180,000 in a single day. The next day I lost it all again,” he says.
“The day after that I won €150,000 – and lost that too.” That was the point at which he decided something had to change. “I thought to myself: This has gone too far.”
What is Stormforged?
“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.
What is Stormforged?
Philip Pietras, 52, admitted to stealing from more than 170 people, many of whom are senior citizens who sought to limit the emotional and financial burdens placed on their loved ones by prepaying for their funerals. But instead of placing those funds, meant for caskets and burial services, in escrow accounts, Pietras pocketed the money to gamble.
Pietras accepted a plea deal from the state, and prosecutors expect him to enter a guilty plea on Oct. 23 and be formally sentenced on Jan. 22, 2027.
Under the terms of the state’s offer, Pietras will admit to stealing his clients’ money for his personal use. In exchange for his admission, the state has recommended a prison sentence of 7.5 years instead of 15 years, followed by five years of probation.
