UK-listed gambling operator Entain plc has appointed a new CEO while celebrating a 41% rise in its online revenue in the final quarter of 2020.

On Thursday, Entain announced that it had appointed Jette Nygaard-Andersen as its new CEO, replacing the outgoing Shay Segev, who announced his intention to step down earlier this month. Segev’s exit is effective immediately, although he’ll “remain available” until July 8 to answer any questions his successor might have. 

Nygaard-Andersen (pictured) has been an independent director at Entain since 2019, back when the company was still known as GVC Holdings. She previously served in an executive capacity at a number of major European non-gambling firms, including media conglomerate Modern Times Group and Danish shipping firm AP Moeller-Maersk.  

Entain quoted Nygaard-Andersen saying she “cannot wait to get started” leading the company, with a focus on continuing Entain’s “extraordinary momentum” in existing markets, its expansion into new regulated markets while remaining “deeply wedded” to the company’s player-protection efforts. 

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In the vast majority of sports, the biggest star via popularity is also that sport’s best player. Tom Brady in the NFL, LeBron James in the NBA, etc. However, that’s not always the case in combat sports such as mixed martial arts and boxing (and pro wrestling if one wants to count that as a sport).

Conor McGregor is not close to being the best fighter in the UFC and is in fact only No. 12 in the organization’s pound-for-pound rankings. There’s no question, though, that McGregor is the biggest star in the sport, and his return to the Octagon in a rematch against Dustin Poirier headlines UFC 257 on Saturday night from the organization’s Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.

The lightweight non-title bout – rarely do non-title bouts headline a major card, but that’s McGregor’s draw – should begin around 11:45 p.m. ET and is available on only on pay-per-view.

As far as the world is concerned, Tokyo is still going to host the Olympic Games this summer. They were supposed to be held in the city last year, but that was before COVID-19 turned everything upside down for everyone. The VP of the International Olympics Committee (IOC), John Coates, said a few months ago that the committee is determined to allow the games to proceed this year, but a new challenge has arisen that might force him to eat his words. The mayor of Osaka, Ichiro Matsui, doesn’t think it’s a good idea to have Japan host the games this year and wants them postponed – until 2024.

Japanese media outlet Sankei Shimbun quoted Matsui as indicating that it would be nearly impossible to have all of the necessary COVID-19 vaccines administered in time for the summer games, which could lead to another outbreak. He added, “To ensure the Olympics are a joy and celebration for all after the coronavirus pandemic, we should negotiate with the IOC to hold the event in 2024.”

There’s some legitimacy to the assertion, as the timeline for the rollout of the vaccine extends into the latter part of the year. However, apart from the pandemic issues, there could be another reason Matsui wants the games postponed three years. If Japan were to host them in 2024, it would give the country a lot of attention that year, as well as in the following year, when it is to host the World Expo. Osaka has already been selected as the location for that major event in 2025. In addition to back-to-back major international events, Osaka is optimistic that it will be selected as one of the first three locations for an integrated resort in the country, with plans to have its gambling complex launched and ready to accept guests starting in 2026. That would give Osaka three consecutive years of potentially huge revenue possibilities, with the Olympics and the World Expo providing major amounts of free publicity. 

Matsui added, “Holding the Olympics in 2024 and the [Osaka/Kansai] Expo in 2025 would be a good opportunity for growth and economic revitalization after the pandemic. For Japan to lead a post-[COVID-19] world, we need to make sure the Expo and its theme of ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives’ is a complete success.”

The Netherlands had hoped to have its new Remote Gambling Act (KOA, for its Dutch acronym) in place this September. The country’s gaming regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has been diligently working on putting together the final pieces of the framework that would allow mobile gambling to be introduced, but some authorities believe more needs to be done. Initially expected to have been launched this July, the postponement to September has now had another month added, and the KOA Act is now expected to go live in October. 

The latest rescheduling comes after the Dutch Minister for Legal Protections, Sander Dekker, determined that more work was needed, according to Ted Menmuir of SBC News. He feels that the technical requirements laid out in the framework aren’t inclusive enough and wants the KSA and everyone else involved to head back to the table to make some changes. As a result, not only will the introduction of the Act be delayed, but so will the process of issuing licenses to mobile operators. Now, thew new licensing window will begin on April 1, instead of March 1 as previously expected. 

This isn’t the first time that Dekker stepped in at the last minute to make changes. Last November, he was responsible for several 11th-hour amendments that forced everyone back to the table, even though he had already signed off on the Act’s final language. Those amendments were linked to gaming operator compliance issues, as well as the need for the KSA to implement greater controls to keep unlicensed operators from access the local market. 

In updating the situation with the KOA Act, Dekker hinted at the idea that the Netherlands may not consider creating gaming laws that are consistent with others found throughout the European Union (EU). There has been an effort recently to introduce regulations that would be applicable for the entire region; however, Dekker stated trying to introduce EU-friendly gaming laws would be difficult under current EU regulations. His remarks were in response to a question by Madeleine Van Toorenburg of the Christian Democrats political party, who wanted to know if the Dutch government is prepared to develop EU-wide regulations that would protect member states from being accessed by illegal gaming operators. 

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 from the gambling industry. Our Press Release section is updated constantly.

Booming Games receives U.K. license.

Malta-based and MGA licensed slot supplier Booming Games kicks off 2021 with the approval from the U.K. Gambling Commission (UKGC) to supply their games to players in the U.K. The company has met the high standards of the regulator and received the supplier license in January 2021.

It’s not uncommon for casinos to face lawsuits of all kinds, which is why they have massive legal teams backing them up. A new lawsuit against Harrah’s Joliet in Illinois probably won’t cause too many sleepless nights for the casino’s lawyers or executives, but still has to be given serious attention. A man sent to jail almost three years ago following an incident on the casino’s property is now suing the casino, for $10 million, according to Casino.org, arguing that it is to blame for his wrongful detainment.

58-year-old Darryl Allen has been sitting in a jail cell since March 2018 after police determined that he was the aggressor, not the victim, as he claimed, in a struggle that took place outside the casino. He has filed a pro se civil lawsuit, one in which the plaintiff acts as his or her own attorney, arguing that the casino is to blame for everything that has transpired to keep him locked up since then. He wants the cash, as well as a public apology from Harrah’s over the ordeal.

The way Allen tells it, he was around Harrah’s that March when a couple exited the casino. He asserts that he asked the female if she had any luck, which, in Allen’s words, sent her partner into a rage. The lawsuit claims the man went on the offensive against Allen, shouting, “That’s my wife your (sic) talking to (racial slur) and then he reached in his waist for what I thought was a weapon so I took a knife out to defend himself (sic).”

However, the supposed weapon turned out to be a cell phone, but Allen contends that he still tried to get away from the confrontation. The man continued to chase him and, as Allen exited the casino’s parking garage, he was caught by casino security and put in handcuffs. Later, he was handed over to police and booked. He wasn’t able to cover the bond on the $150,000 bail that he was given, so he has stayed locked up since then.

Resorts World Genting (RWG) has taken another step back, announcing they will close entirely between January 22 and February 4. The closure was forced by Malaysia’s Movement Control Order (MCO), restricting intrastate travel in a bid to reduce Covid-19 transmission.

On their website, the operator notes, “Essential resort-based services such as security, bomba, utilities and clinics will remain operational.” Otherwise though, casinos and resort services will be unavailable. Guests have been offered a phone number to call if they need to change their reservation dates, or if they with to request a refund.

Malaysia was forced to implement their MCO on January 13, due to a new spike in Covid-19 cases. The continuing spread of the virus has now forced the government to extend the MCO to all states, except Sarawak, and extend the travel ban to February 4. The Ministry of Health reports 4,008 cases in the 24 hours leading up to January 21, bringing the pandemic tally to 169,379. 630 have died of the virus.

“The MCO standard operating procedures are the same as I have announced before. That means residents are not allowed out, except for two from one household for daily necessities, including emergency cases,” said Senior Minister Ismail Sabri.