Sky Bet’s latest sports gambling market has come crashing to the ground without a parachute. The gambling operator had recently introduced “Commentator Bingo” as a way to branch out into other gambling avenues, but it turned out to be a complete dud. The company, per a report by SBC News, has announced that it has shelved the idea after receiving a serious amount of backlash, pulling it just ahead of this Sunday’s English Premier League game between rivals Manchester United and Liverpool.

Commentator Bingo was presented as a way for gamblers to place bets on “exact words and phrases” that commentators might use during the game. Sky Sports is broadcasting the game, with Martin Tyler, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher set to provide the commentator, and Twitter apparently exploded with criticism over the concept. However, some of the backlash may have been misdirected, as it’s possible that some Twitter uses erroneously linked Sky Bet with Sky Sports, even though they’re two separate and independent companies. 

Sky Bet was probably more concerned about the high-profile criticism it received for Commentator Bingo than it was over the reaction of Twitter users. Carolyn Harris, a U.K. Member of Parliament and the chair of the Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group, was not impressed with the activity and told The Athletic that it was “astounding, unbelievable and predatory.” She added, “Where are the limits? What are the boundaries on what these companies are going to take a bet on? I am aghast that they try to find a betting opportunity in every minute of the day.”

Possibly unaware of how the new gambling option would be taken, Sky Bet has most likely just reignited anti-gambling flames in the U.K. The country has already been cracking down on how gambling operators manage their activity and a number of new policies have been introduced over the past two years that limit revenue-generating possibilities. Offering options such as Commentator Bingo are not against U.K.’s gambling laws; however, operators should now expect that to change in the very near future.

Playtech Sports is gaining more ground in Europe. The gambling software developer has struck a deal with Danske Spil to introduce new virtual sports gambling products, helping Denmark’s national lottery operator expand its lineup. The products are reportedly in place already and offer a variety of options that will appeal to all types of sports gambling enthusiasts.

Danske Spil has chosen eight titles to offer, including soccer, basketball, tennis, greyhound racing, horse racing, motorsports, cycling and competitive running. The operator will provide simulation-based odds for the virtual products, giving gamblers the ability to study the finer details of the event before placing their bets. Danske Spil CEO Pernille Mehl said of the new content and the deal with Playtech, “We are pleased to launch a new product vertical in our product portfolio. It is a different product than the classic lottery, which hopefully can attract new customers to our business.”

Playtech has already seen its novel offerings introduced to GVC, MansionBet and OPAP. A year ago, it added its QUANTUM digital gambling solution to OPAP’s platform, a move that proved to give OPAP a strong boost as the gambling industry continued to be pummeled by COVID-19. Playtech creates its virtual sports offerings with the assistance of advanced motion capture film recording, which has become exceedingly popular since it was introduced.

Playtech’s Director of Virtual Sports, Richard Andrews, adds about the new relationship with Danske Spil, “We’ve seen player engagement for our virtual sports outmatch even our most optimistic expectations in recent months, and we’re delighted to announce that Danske Spil has launched our innovative virtual sports portfolio. We’re thrilled to offer the industry’s most exciting simulation of live sports available with our latest collaboration. Danske Spil have customised the product specifically for their Danish players and we have no doubt it will prove to be a strong revenue driver and a firm player favourite.” Danske Spil took a hit last year because of COVID-19 and the new options should help it find renewed support. The first half of 2020 brought a 7.8% reduction in revenue compared to the same period a year earlier, even though the company was able to limit its profit losses to just 2.9% year-on-year. Much of that loss was due to the pause in sports activity in the half, which led to fewer sports wagers, and Danske Spil was able to rely on its lottery options to help offset some of the losses.

If there’s any doubt that a POGO (Philippines Offshore Gambling Operator) exodus is happening, we need only look to the real estate sector to find out the truth. The Lobien Realty Group (LRG) is warning Metro Manila vacancy rates could nearly double in 2021, at the rate operators are currently leaving the city.

In a media briefing, LRG chief executive officer Sheila Lobien noted the city closed 2020 with an 8% vacancy rate. “We feel that in the next few months, this can be double digit 12 percent to probably 14 percent vacancy rate… because many office buildings are being vacated. The exit of POGO affected the market’s vacancy rate,’’ Lobien said.

There will be a huge knock-on effect from this to landlords. Rental rates are expected to drop anywhere from 25 to 30%. Lobien explained that current rates have remained high thanks to some crafty budget management by property owners:

“[Rates] have not reflected the decrease due to the POGOs’ contractual agreements of about a year’s worth of security and advance deposits, which protected the landlords’ rent income during the lockdowns and despite the numerous lease pre-terminations.”

If there’s any doubt that a POGO (Philippines Offshore Gambling Operator) exodus is happening, we need only look to the real estate sector to find out the truth. The Lobien Realty Group (LRG) is warning Metro Manila vacancy rates could nearly double in 2021, at the rate operators are currently leaving the city.

In a media briefing, LRG chief executive officer Sheila Lobien noted the city closed 2020 with an 8% vacancy rate. “We feel that in the next few months, this can be double digit 12 percent to probably 14 percent vacancy rate… because many office buildings are being vacated. The exit of POGO affected the market’s vacancy rate,’’ Lobien said.

There will be a huge knock-on effect from this to landlords. Rental rates are expected to drop anywhere from 25 to 30%. Lobien explained that current rates have remained high thanks to some crafty budget management by property owners:

“[Rates] have not reflected the decrease due to the POGOs’ contractual agreements of about a year’s worth of security and advance deposits, which protected the landlords’ rent income during the lockdowns and despite the numerous lease pre-terminations.”

Entain’s plan to buy up Enlabs AB has just hit a major roadblock. Texas hedge fund Alta Fox Capital Management, 3.3% shareholder of Enlabs, now says they’ll refuse to sell for the offered price, and they’ve gathered enough support to stop the purchase.

Under the terms of the proposed deal, shareholders would receive SEK 40 (£3.50) per share. In a letter to their fellow shareholders, Alta Fox Capital wrote, “This offer materially undervalues the company, represents a negligible premium of 1.1% to the pre-offer trading price, and has unusual circumstances that make us question why Enlabs’ Chairman, Niklas Braathen, accepted such an inadequate offer.”

They go on to conclude:

“The fact that Entain will compensate Braathen as a senior executive post-deal and that the CEO of Entain just announced his departure is highly unusual. It leads us to conclude that while this is a good deal for Entain, it is a bad deal for NLAB minority shareholders. Alta Fox has retained legal counsel to protect our interests in this matter and has spoken with other large shareholders, a portion of which have signed in support of this letter and represent over 10% of total shares outstanding.”

In the fast-moving world of gambling, sometimes you might miss news that could be important to you. To make sure you’re all caught up on gaming industry news, be it online or brick and mortar, we’re rounding up the some of the announcements and partnerships from the last week that you might have missed.

Don’t miss out on all of the latest announcements. Our Press Release section is updated constantly. We also roundup the latest slot game releases for you every Wednesday.

BetConstruct Optimizes Backoffice for Mobile Use

The sportsbook and online casino supplier is among the fewest who provide operators with a complete set of products and services on a self-hosted platform. Adapting the controls to smartphone browsing is the next move towards providing operators with a maximum comfort in using BetConstruct solutions. The seamless integration of backoffice into mobile is, first and foremost, part of catering to the needs of operators and bridging the agility gap.

Grand Korea Leisure (GKL) can’t catch a break. The South Korean casino operator with three gambling properties in the country has been trying to get things back to normal after COVID-19 forced it to halt operations last year, and a plan to reopen its venues at the end of December was thwarted. It pushed back the relaunch a few days, to January 4, but that didn’t work out as planned, either. With South Korea still combatting the coronavirus through strict countermeasures, GKL is now extending its shutdown once again, this time until early in February.

GKL’s three foreigner-only casinos were closed for all of December – the two properties in Seoul closed on November 24 and the Busan venue followed on December 1. At the time, the number of positive COVID-19 tests was constantly rising, sometimes with more than 1,000 new infections recorded each day in December. However, with South Korea implementing strict safety and health measures, the numbers are dropping rapidly and, according to information available this week, there are now only about 366 new infections. 

While the reversal is a good sign that the country’s measures are working, what can happen if restrictions are lifted too soon has already been seen. Across the U.S. and parts of Europe, new explosions of infections have been reported after restrictions were relaxed, forcing many areas to go back on more restrictive lockdowns for extended periods of time. South Korea continues to operate under what it calls an “alert level 2.5,” which provides several requirements. Gatherings of more than 50 people are prohibited and any social establishment has to close at 9 PM. Masks are required everywhere, except outdoors, and city-to-city public transportation is expected to operate at reduced capacities. 

The announcement of the new extension, which will be in place until February 4, also brought with it a hint at the financial damage GKL has suffered due to COVID-19. The company said yesterday that it will most likely record a loss in total casino sales of around $24.9 million as a result of the closure. This is based on the average daily net sales GKL recorded for the third quarter of last year.

In keeping with the legacy borne from the name, controversy over the demolition of the Trump Plaza Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City has crept up. The property has been shut down since 2014 and is now owned by Carl Icahn, the multibillionaire entrepreneur and Trump associate. Plans to bring down the building gained momentum following an Atlantic City order to raze the property last March, and a plan was hatched. An auction would be held that would benefit the non-profit Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City, allowing the highest bidder to push the button when it came time to level Trump Plaza. However, with the auction set to end today, in-fighting has caused issues that have forced the auction to be canceled. 

Bodnar’s Auctions of New Jersey was brought in by Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small to oversee the auction, working out a deal that would have all the proceeds go to the Boys & Girls Club. The event began in the middle of last month and should have been able to run its natural course, which would have allowed it to end today. However, Icahn, or at least someone involved in his operations, reportedly caused a scene and forced the auction to be canceled. 

A statement provided by Bodnar’s gave the reason for the cancellation, explaining, “Shortly after announcing the auction, the attorneys for IEP AC Plaza LLC, a subsidiary controlled by Icahn Enterprises, sent a letter stating that IEP AC Plaza LLC was not on board with the situation and would in no way participate or help facilitate, citing safety issues. After exhausting every avenue to bring the parties together to make this exciting event happen, we received the final decision from IEP AC Plaza LLC that we must cease and desist.”

It’s unclear what type of “safety issues” might arise from pushing a button, but perhaps that will be revealed in time. As it stands now, the auction had attracted substantial attention, with the highest bid coming in at $175,000. This wasn’t quite the $1 million that had hoped to be raised, but it’s still a lot of money that would have gone to a worthy cause. Now, the Boys & Girls Club will need to figure out how to make up the difference after a bitter 2020. 

After more than a decade in the industry, Unibo co-founder Alex Wicen believes that you can’t put a price on the importance of player incentives. Wicen sat down with Calvinayre.com lead reporter Becky Liggero Fontana to elaborate on the types of player incentives that continue to be a drawcard in the gambling industry.

There’s more than one way to keep players involved. Wicen explained the differences between incentives that encourage brand loyalty, as opposed to the type that encourages players to continue spending. “All incentives are there to in essence get players staying longer or playing longer or having more fun. This hopefully leads to the player coming back more often and if you have more fun playing you should come back. But regulatory jurisdictional people are very much against the things, that kind of make you change the idea behind the casino game,” Wicen said.

https://youtu.be/dlJyqX1hMv0Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Alex Wicen believes you can’t put a price on player incentives (https://youtu.be/dlJyqX1hMv0)

Wicen elaborates further on how some casino bonuses aren’t providing the long-term value to players:

Just like last year at this time, it has taken awhile for casino operators in Macau to figure out if employee bonuses were going to be on the table. SJM Holdings got the ball rolling this year when it announced at the beginning of the month that it was going to stick to its long-running plan of offering extra cash to its employees, and three more operators have now spoken up, as well. 2020 was a difficult year because of COVID-19, but Macau’s casino operators are doing their best to live up to the promises they have made annually to their employees. 

SJM said a couple of weeks ago that it would be paying out the “living subsidy” in accordance with an employee’s tenure and salary with the company, with half of the payment to be made this month and the other half in July. MGM China was the next operator to join in, announcing yesterday that it was prepared to give a “discretionary bonus” to certain non-management personnel. Those eligible to receive the money, approximately 90% of the workforce, can expect to start seeing the payments within the next couple of weeks. 

MGM China will offer one month’s salary to those employees, with plans to distribute the bonuses before and after the upcoming Chinese New Year (CNY) next month. There will be two installments distributed to all of the eligible workers, one before CNY on February 12 and the other after. However, exact dates weren’t provided. 

MGM China Executive Director and co-Chair Pansy Ho showed her appreciation for those employees who have helped the company overcome the challenging year, adding, “We thank our team members from the bottom of our hearts for staying united, as well as being loyal [to] contribute their best to the company.”

To those who look carefully enough, history is poetry. Most often the poem woven by the sands of time looks nebulous at first, only to become clarified later on in hindsight, when the fuller pattern emerges. It is perhaps fitting that Sheldon Adelson passed away just about one week before the fall of his largest political benefactor, U.S. President Donald Trump, from power. The Jewish mourning period of Shiva, literally “Seven” (it’s the same word in both languages actually), ended yesterday for the Adelson family, and Trump now has 24 hours to tie any loose ends and get out of Washington DC.

Coincidentally or not, depending on how you see history, his second most notorious political ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has also fallen on the rocks at about the same time, again, as the Netanyahu government coalition has fallen and the fourth Israeli election in two years will take place in March. When three world titans all fall at the same time, while the entire global economy is so obviously being completely restructured in unprecedented ways, it is hard not to see Adelson’s passing at precisely this time as part of a wider historic transition into something else. What exactly, we do not yet know, but the old world order looks like it’s being swept away. It’s a heavy, dangerous gauntlet to pick up, and whoever raises it is going to have to be sharp, nimble, and most of all humble. None of us know how this is going to end, least of all the people on top.

The damage to Las Vegas Sands over the last three quarters has been absolutely immense. Lockdowns hurt everyone, even and especially the world’s most powerful. It may not seem like that from an individual consumer standpoint. The rich still have their yachts and mansions and all the rest, but consider this. Las Vegas Sands’ retained earnings since inception, representing the amount of value produced by the company in pure profit, has been obliterated by nearly two thirds over just the last three quarters. Two more quarters of this and the amount of money that Sands will have made over the course of its entire history will be less than zero. That’s how quickly the most powerful can fall. Perhaps Adelson has been mercifully spared the worst of it.

It is perhaps also fitting that Adelson, the arch enemy of online gambling, has left this world at precisely the time that online gambling is pretty much the only remaining functional outlet for the industry, while his casinos are being smashed like never before. This is now a world that Adelson perhaps, deep down, no longer really wanted to be a part of. It is very difficult for us to see him as simply an elderly man, the powerhouse that he was, but as most of us are not octogenarian billionaires and most of us never will be, we simply do not know what it’s like to see your empire under attack and your political allies get flushed out and your competitors rise in a world under paralysis.

It’s almost business as usual for the Pearl River Resort’s sportsbook, nearby Philadelphia, Mississippi. After months of closure, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians’ run casino is now humming along just as it did before Covid-19.

“When college football came back, followed by the NFL, we had everything going on, and that’s when everything started picking up for us,” Director of Sportsbook Chris Hopwood said. “All of the customers started coming back, and it became fun again.”

“Our location at Bok Homa was really busy, and here it slowly started coming back because we’re more of a transient, tourist place, so we get big crowds from Louisiana and Alabama,” added Hopwood. “We were a little slow to start with here, and if you watch our table games or slots, it’s still a little slow, because those customers haven’t quite come back, but for me, it’s been going full steam ahead.”

Employees have returned from furlough, customers are coming in, and it’s almost the same as it ever was. “It feels the same, except we have to wear masks now,” said employee Toni Eaves.

Esports betting has grown and grown during lockdown, and with more money flowing into the industry during the global COVID-19 pandemic, games such as League of Legends, Fortnite and Call of Duty have been popular destinations for sports bettors looking to broaden their betting scope.

Which game has been the most popular across the board? Well, it’s a close run thing further down the list, but LOOT.BET have looked at all the analytics and come up with some great information about exactly where esports bettors money has been going in the last 12 months.

Over the past year, as you can see below, it’s been a year dominated by bettors investing in CS:GO, or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to you and me.

As you can see, CS:GO saw by far the most money changing hands, with 53% of the total money placed on Esports during this period. Coming in second was the phenomenally popular Dota 2 with 35%, and those two games were predictably trailed by some distance as League of Legends (LoL) scooped up a further 7% of the bet slips.