October 2015; Kyiv, Ukraine. Game ON Conference opened today featuring nine presentations by leading international experts and captains of the gambling industry. Discussions at the Conference laid the foundation for further discussions between the state officials and gaming experts on bringing gambling back to Ukraine in a measured and transparent way.

The Conference opened with a salient recap by Glyn Thomas, organiser of the Game ON initiative, of the circumstances that led to a ban of all gambling activities in Ukraine over five years ago, and the consequences of that abrupt prohibition which are felt to this day. Mr. Thomas also introduced Olena Makeieva, a Deputy Minister and her colleagues from the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, who were attending the Conference as observers.

Viktor Romanyuk, a People’s Deputy and a member of the Ukrainian Parliament presented the work of a task force charged with developing new draft legislation which would regulate gambling activities in Ukraine. Mr. Romanyuk presented the segmentation approach of the new legislation which gives individual consideration to different forms of gambling. He stressed, however, that return of slot machine operations is being deliberately left out, as it would be difficult to justify to the public, given the circumstances of the original ban. Mr. Romanyuk notably welcomed feedback from the industry present at the Conference on how the new legislation could be improved.

Michael Boettcher, President of Storm International, delivered a flat-out but at the same time charismatic address to the audience on how reputable and responsible international casino operators would return to the country. Mr. Boettcher described the unique positions of Ukraine being arguably the only remaining market in Europe – where the industry is already overly saturated – which would be attractive to potential gaming industry investors. He stressed, however, that draconian laws, unjustifiably high tax rates, or inconsistent actions by the government would be counter-productive in this respect. Mr. Boettcher concluded with a conviction that the return of the gaming industry in Ukraine should be spearheaded by people who care to make this industry work for everybody’s benefit, as opposed to meeting vested interest or hidden agenda of select pressure groups.

A further two leading international companies from across the gaming spectrum have signed up for the Macao Gaming Show (MGS) in November. Play’n GO and TCS John Huxley have booked their space at the exhibition each aiming to capitalize on the expo’s status as the ‘Gateway to Asia’.

Event Director and Show Organizer Marina Wong confirmed: “Macau prides itself on being in tune with the most cutting edge technology and new growth areas in gaming, so to have Two such innovative companies at this year’s show fits in with that philosophy. It’s testament to the show’s international appeal that it can draw from not just a wide geographical base, but also from such diverse sectors of the gaming industry.”

In the manufacturing sector, TCS John Huxley is the world’s leading live gaming solutions and services providers. It focuses on innovative technology, a series of unique products from TCS will be exhibited in the Macau Entertainment Expo show, including Gaming Floor Live platform, electronic table games, bonus / progressive systems, roulette, machines that sort chips and gaming tables accessories.

Play’n Go launched more than 10 years ago providing software and systems and the company is now a recognisable global player in the gaming sector, providing a wide selection of innovative and creative games on offer across a variety of genres. Play’n Go will be exhibiting their range of slot, scratch, table and bespoke games at the Venetian in November.

LONDON (October 2015) 

Delegates attending next week’s EiG  in Berlin will be given the opportunity to influence what is the world’s biggest business-to-business gaming event by posting their suggestions and insight on the ‘ICE Conferences Wall’ situated within the Arena Berlin venue.  The ideas, which can be attributed or posted anonymously, will be fed into the team overseeing content for both ICE Conferences and the main exhibition, with the originator of what’s judged the best idea receiving an access all areas pass to the 2016 ICE Conference programme (value £1,799)

Jo Mayer, Marketing Director responsible for Clarion’s gaming brands said: “EiG brings together many of the smartest minds and most successful entrepreneurs in all of gaming and the ICE Conferences Wall is designed to inspire a collaborative approach to innovation.  We are looking forward to having some great conversations both at the Ideas Wall and during the wide ranging sessions that are being held at EiG. I am confident that we can harness the creative energy which drives this industry and build on the great ideas which support innovation at every level.”

To find out more about ICE Conferences visit www.icetotallygaming.com.  EiG is taking place across 20th, 21st and 22nd October at Arena Berlin.  For more information visit www.eigexpo.com

SafeCharge (AIM: SCH), a leader in advanced payment technologies, has been named the Payments and Fraud Company of the Year at the prestigious EGR Italy Awards held last night at the Rome Cavalieri hotel.  The EGR B2B Awards are organised by eGaming Review and judged by a panel of industry luminaries and key advisers to the industry, including former CEOs, board directors of public companies and household name betting brands.

SafeCharge was adjudged to have demonstrated excellent performance in the key areas of innovation, reliability of service, product quality, commercial success and positive feedback from clients.

Receiving the award, David Avgi, SafeCharge CEO, commented, “Winning this EGR Italy Award is an honour and industry recognition of SafeCharge’s contribution to both the international and local Italian online gaming industries. This award reaffirms SafeCharge’s leadership stature in the online gaming industry and ability to deliver advanced payment and fraud prevention solutions.”

The EGR Italy Awards reward and celebrate the most innovative and creative operators, affiliates and service providers in the Italian online gaming industry.  Whether it is product, technology, marketing or customer service, the awards recognise the companies who have stood out in an extremely competitive market in the last 12 months.

International design firm YWS Design, which specializes in leisure environments in hospitality, gaming, retail, dining and entertainment, are keen to make an impact when they exhibit for the first time at Macao Gaming Show this year. They will be showcasing their world-class luxury properties and turn-key leisure design solutions, which can be seen in some of the most celebrated operators in the world, including Wynn Resorts, MGM International, Resorts World, Crown, and Sands Corporation.

Founded in 2001, YWS is headquartered in Las Vegas with a Native American services hub in Tulsa and internationally in Singapore and Macau. The company’s core services of architecture and interior design, coupled with four global locations in the heart of the world’s leisure destinations, mean YWS is leading the global leisure design industry in creating covet-worthy environments that delight consumers and bring client brands to life.

The inclusion of YWS Design at this year’s MGS is testament to the broad range of exhibitors the show is attracting. YWS provide services which are fundamental to the gaming industry – including design, brand identity, construction consulting, fixtures and fittings procurement, operations consulting and architecture – and is a comfortable fit with the developing profile of the Macao Gaming Show which has become more than its six key gaming industry segments at MGS.

In September, the Bridge Investment Group (BIG) selected YWS Design to master plan its integrated resort, “Tinian Ocean View Resort” in the Asia Pacific region. Scheduled to break ground in January 2016, the $150 million themed resort, which has been granted a conditional gaming license takes island visitors back to the early 19th century with its Titanic replica hotel and luxury resort accommodations.

LONDON – October 2015 – Oulala.com, the daily fantasy football platform, has unveiled a new monetized version of its site, which is available to consumers in the UK for the very first time.

Founded in 2013, Oulala allows users to create their own fantasy football team and compete against their friends or other users to win real money.

The first and only daily fantasy football platform based on skill as opposed to luck, Oulala uses a unique scoring system, created using historical data provided by Opta. The platform is also believed to be the first to offer users the opportunity to make changes in ‘real time’ as games are played.

Users can choose from multiple daily leagues and can choose players from many football leagues, including England, Spain, France and Italy.

9 October 2015 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), in partnership with Tune Talk, delivered yet another evening of world-class mixed martial arts action. The world’s most exciting MMA organization rocked Stadium Putra with 11 electrifying bouts at ONE: TIGERS OF ASIA. In the main event, Vitaly Bigdash shocked former champion Igor Svirid to nab the middleweight title.

Visit the official ONE: TIGERS OF ASIA photo gallery by clicking here.

In an intense main event showdown of elite middleweights, Russia’s Vitaly Bigdash weathered an early storm from former champion Igor Svirid of Kazakhstan to win via referee stoppage. Svirid stormed the gates at the opening bell, rocking Bigdash with huge bombs which staggered the Russian on numerous occasions. Bigdash however survived the onslaught and finished off Svirid a few minutes into the second round with a knee and a punch combination, followed by hammer fists on the ground.

“I know he is a very good fighter, a strong fighter, but I just wanted to go with the flow,” said Bigdash. With the victory, Bigdash is crowned the new ONE Middleweight World Champion.

October 2015; Kyiv, Ukraine. The British-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce (BUCC) have announced today their sponsorship of the Game ON Conference, which will be held on 13-14 of October in Kyiv.  The BUCC, with nearly a 20-year track record of investment promotion between the United Kingdom and Ukraine, draws its membership from leading Ukrainian, British and international companies operating in Ukraine.

According to Nataliya Dobrovolska, the BUCC’s Member of the Board of Directors: “The BUCC believes that it is important for there to be high level consideration of how gaming and lotteries should be conducted and regulated in Ukraine, and supports Mr. Thomas’ efforts to initiate this discussion, especially at a time when the state of Ukraine needs new sources of revenue to support hospitals, road construction and other good causes. The UK National Lottery has contributed billions to such good causes in the UK.”

The Game ON conference will bring together a pool of international experts and legislation consultants, many representing leading British companies, who will discuss a way forward for the re-launch of the gaming industry in Ukraine. Among others, there will be a presentation by a UK government advisor on the need for independent licensing. A leading British provider of TV broadcast racing content for betting shop operators will also talk about how horse racing and horse breeding can once again be a part of Ukraine’s culture.

Glyn Thomas, co-owner of London and Kyiv based ACE Publishing Ltd., organiser of Game ON, comments: “Bringing gambling back to Ukraine will require systemic approach and fundamental legislative changes. International and, in particular, British experience and expertise to be showcased at the Conference will be essential in this regard. Continued support and close cooperation with professional trade associations like the BUCC will be an invaluable contribution toward revitalising the gaming industry in Ukraine which has to operate to the best international principles.”

Take your sports trading career to the next level

The first conference to cover all the aspects of becoming a full time sports trader

Date: 14th October 2015

Location: Emirates Stadium London

12 October 2015 – Manila, Phillippines – XIN Gaming, the innovative slot game provider, today announced it had signed a partnership agreement with Asia Gaming, a leading gaming solution provider in Asia. According to the terms of the agreement, XIN Gaming will now distribute its fabulous range of slot games to Asia Gaming and its operators.

Asia Gaming is one of the largest platform and game providers on the Asian market and its casino games are renowned for delivering an interactive and authentic gaming experience to players. Apart from offering a variety of live casino games, Asia Gaming also provides poker, slot games and P2P 3D games to international markets.

Sky, chief executive of Asia Gaming, said: “We are very selective when it comes to choosing third-party providers. XIN Gaming has a thorough understanding of how to develop slot games that we believe our players in Asia will trust and be fond of it. This is a very important partnership that will further strengthen Asia Gaming’s position within the Asian market, as well as the international one. We are very excited to add their quality games for our players to enjoy and, as a result, maximising every opportunity for our operators.”

Mathias Larsson, Chief Executive of XIN Gaming, said: “We are very happy to have signed this distribution agreement with Asia Gaming. Just as us, they strive to deliver high quality products. We are confident this agreement will turn XIN Gaming into one of the largest slot game providers in the Asia region”.

Dr Ivan Mindlin, a respected surgeon living in Las Vegas, was the unsuspecting face at the helm of one of the world’s most infamous sports betting rings & the most successful of its time.

In the early 1980s, Michael Kent and Doc Mindlin formed “The Computer Group” and were the first to utilise computer programming in sports betting, or at least the first to do so with any great success.

Starting as a casual sports bettor, Mindlin led “The Computer Group” to achieving profits in excess of $1 Million per week in an operation that spread the length & breadth of the USA. This great success garnered unwanted attention from the FBI and ultimately led to its downfall despite operating within the law.

Dr Ivan Mindlin will be speaking at the Matchbook Traders Conference sharing key insights and experiences of one of the most exciting stories in the history of sports betting and giving his thoughts on modern day sports betting and how he approaches sports trading today.

8 October 2015; Kyiv, Ukraine. DTZ Ukraine, a global leader in property services, has become one of the speakers of the Game ON Conference, which will be held on 13-14 October in Kyiv.

DTZ has an established research and consultancy department able to assist operators in district analysis and site selection in conjunction with its office and retail leasing teams. As the only real estate consultancy in the country to have a dedicated land department, DTZ experts also uniquely placed in assisting operators in identifying suitable development sites for bespoke complexes as well as attracting local development partners where needed.

Nick Cotton, Managing Director at DTZ Ukraine, said: “Properly regulated gambling operations would provide a powerful boost to the Ukrainian economy through increased employment and tax revenues as well as to the commercial real estate market which has been hit so hard over the course of the last 18 months. The real estate market could potentially benefit through increased demand for high street / mall based casinos in existing premises as well as the opportunity for the development of standalone facilities in more strategic locations. They can also be seen as a catalyst to enable the development of mixed use complexes such as hotels and entertainment complexes that might otherwise be unviable to develop. With occupational rent levels, capital and land values at historically low levels coupled with high competition in the construction industry, this presents casino operators and developers with a very favorable time at which to enter this market.”

Glyn Thomas, co-owner of ACE Publishing Ltd., organiser of Game ON, comments:  “DTZ Ukraine brings to the Conference its extensive and oftentimes unique expertise on the local real estate market. After its re-launch, the gaming industry and international operators in particular will need top consultancy services to be able to navigate through intricacies of local property legislation and get best fitting recommendations for the location of their businesses. The Game ON Conference will serve as a unique networking platform in this regard giving the industry a head start.”

WYOMISSING, PA, October 5, 2015 – Penn National Gaming, Inc. (NASDAQ: PENN) (“Penn National”) announced today the schedule for Season 4 of the Hollywood Poker Open (“HPO”). Penn National’s HPO tournament series kicks off with the first regional tournament beginning November 12th at Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg and will conclude in June 2016 with the Tournament Championship at the M Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.  The guaranteed prize pool for the HPO has tripled each year since the inaugural 2012 season and the prize pool for Season 4 is expected to be the largest ever with an estimated Championship Tournament prize pool of over $2 million.

Poker players from across the country will compete for the HPO’s big money prize pools from November through next May at five HPO regional tournament series locations.  Promotions are planned for each regional tournament series location (see schedule below) and the Tournament Championship. In each of the past three seasons, Penn National properties across the nation sent more than 200 “seat winners” to the HPO Tournament Championship in Las Vegas.

“Interest in the HPO continues to grow as it becomes more and more competitive and exciting,” said HPO Tournament Director Bill Bruce.  “As we have in the first three seasons of the HPO, our regional tournament series will determine hundreds of winners that will compete in the Tournament Championship in Las Vegas. The HPO tournament series attracts all levels of poker players with fields featuring a diverse mix of traveling poker professionals and local promotion winners.  The HPO offers our regional gaming patrons a tremendous opportunity to compete for large prize pools and the chance to be crowned the ultimate champion.”

This past June, Kevin Stammen of Coldwater, Ohio outplayed nearly 700 other players from across the United States and around the world to pocket nearly $350,000 as the winner of Season 3’s Hollywood Poker Open Tournament Championship. Stammen is expected to defend his title in Season 4 against an impressive list of ranked poker professionals, rising stars, and seat winners from Penn National properties across the country.  He will also have to fend off HPO host and poker legend Chris Moneymaker.

Igor Svirid And Vitaly Bigdash Make Weight Ahead Of One Middleweight World Championship Showdown

8 October 2015 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), in partnership with Tune Talk, announced today that the mixed martial artists competing at ONE: TIGERS OF ASIA have made weight and are ready for all the action which takes place tomorrow evening, 9 October, at the Stadium Putra in Kuala Lumpur. The Ev Ting versus Honorio Banario fight will now be fought at a catchweight.

Visit the official ONE: TIGERS OF ASIA weigh-in photo gallery by clicking here.

Main event combatants, reigning champion Igor “Lionheart” Svirid, and the challenger Vitaly Bigdash both stepped onto the scales at 83.5 kg/184 lbs and 83.8 kg/184.5 lbs respectively, and are ready to give fight fans a great show.

7 October 2015, London, UK

Reel Island has become the latest operator to join the gaming platform of White Hat Gaming, the market-leading casino content and platform provider.

Reel Island, owned by Flip Gaming, launched this month and offers a wide range of promotions and a huge selection of games from suppliers such as Net Entertainment, NYX, Leander, Aristocrat, Thunderkick, Ezugi, and many more as well as the chance to win 7 figure progressive jackpots.

Following the deal with White Hat Gaming, Reel Island will now be able to offer their players over 500 slot games, an array of table games, and a live casino powered by NetEnt.

The campaign for ICE Totally Gaming 2016, which takes place across 2nd, 3rd and 4th February at London’s ExCeL Centre, was officially launched last week in Las Vegas.  The campaign creative, which is set in a surreal gaming city of the future, invites industry professionals wanting to see the very latest innovations and solutions to ‘Enter The Gaming Technopolis.’

Explaining the thinking behind the campaign, Jo Mayer, Marketing Director responsible for ICE said: “We know from the visitor research that we conduct after each edition of ICE that the single most important reason that thousands and thousands of industry professionals travel vast distances to be in London each year, is the opportunity that ICE delivers to see the very latest innovations and advances in gaming technology.  Such is the case, that many of our 500+ exhibitors timetable product launches around the dates for ICE. Our campaign for ICE 2015, which was named AEO Marketing Campaign of the Year, asked attendees to Discover the World of Gaming and for 2016 our invitation is to Enter The Gaming Technopolis.”

She continued: “Whilst we have just experienced the most successful edition of ICE in the event’s distinguished history, the team is fully aware that reputations count for very little and that we have to work extremely hard to earn the custom of the 25,000+ attendees that we want and expect to welcome to London in February.  The ICE 2016 creative and proposition is an exciting one and it will be powered, yet again, by one of the most thorough and professional marketing campaigns implemented in support of a business-to-business gaming event.  Marketing such a valuable, respected brand and one which is so important to the global industry, is a big responsibility and one that we don’t take lightly.

“The gaming sector never stands still and neither does ICE.  We have a programme of new initiatives and activities impacting all areas of ICE 2016 that we will be announcing throughout the course of the campaign.  We are extending an open invitation to industry professionals throughout the world to come to London in February and ‘Enter The Gaming Technopolis’.

Gibraltar, 07 October 2015 – Odobo is delighted to announce that a former Managing Director of Inspired Gaming Group, Mat Ingram, is now heading up Odobo’s Content Strategy. Ingram brings 20 years of industry experience, most of which were spent in senior-ranking positions within gaming.

Ingram’s early career focused on mathematics and engineering, a combination which would later provide him with the credentials to enter the gaming industry. Rising quickly through the ranks of the companies he joined, he began overseeing substantial projects that honed his skills as an expert strategist and communicator. Among the many skills Ingram has to offer, he brings a strong background in game design, production and compliance, with a highly technical background that complements Odobo’s sophisticated proprietary technology offering.

With 60+ games now on offer and a growing distribution network, Mat is committed to driving “must-have” content to the platform that will maximise commercial success for its operator partners.

Ashley Lang, Founder and CEO at Odobo, commented, “Our focus is on quality content and games that stand out in a crowded market. Mat is using his expertise to identify what operators and their customers want, delivering relevant and attractive content that drives player engagement. We’re proud that Mat has chosen to work with Odobo and we’re excited by his energy and ideas.”

UNITED KINGDOM, London – October 2015, Betgenius, the leading provider of software and technology to the sports betting industry, is rebranding and has launched Genius Sports Group, its new parent company.

Genius Sports Group has been created to accurately reflect the diversity of its products. Betgenius will become one of the Group’s business verticals and will continue to focus on developing bespoke B2B betting solutions for operators. The second business vertical will focus on the Group’s market leading data capture and distribution, monitoring and analytics businesses including Sport Integrity Monitor – the highly regarded integrity service provided to leagues, federations, and world governing bodies.

Genius Sports Group will adopt the same leadership team as Betgenius, maintaining continuity in existing day-to-day business management. There will be no change in how it services clients – it will be business as usual.

Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports Group, said: “Over the past 12 months, Betgenius has achieved remarkable growth and has evolved to include new offerings to the market, including the industry’s first comprehensive B2B eSports in-play and pre-match betting product. The launch of Sport Integrity Monitor in 2014, also demonstrates our strategic vision and ambitious goals for the coming years. The creation of Genius Sports Group is a significant part of our long-term strategy to differentiate ourselves further in the market and continue to launch value-adding products.

Sky Vegas, the online casino division of Sky Betting and Gaming, is forging ahead with its ambition to become the UK’s market-leading online casino with a comprehensive redesign of its website and a new advertising campaign, designed to make it stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

Implemented across all channels, the main vehicle for the campaign is TV, with the production of four new adverts, the first of which will air on 5th October.

The adverts aim to inspire customer loyalty and ask ‘Why aren’t you in Sky Vegas?’  They transport four characters from the tedium of domestic chores to Sky Vegas – a world of 24/7 thrills, as exciting as the city itself and only a click away. The animated journey from the mundane to the awesome is reflected in their dark sunglasses and accompanied by a high tempo rock and roll track, whilst the voiceover artist has an American drawl.

Sky Betting and Gaming’s Head of Casino Marketing, Daniele Phillips, said: “Research shows that viewers really struggle to differentiate between the TV adverts of online casino brands, so we set out to change this. Our new ads are completely different from our competitors’ and give us a very distinct character, with which customers can identify. There is humour, swagger and a hint of Vegas rock’n’roll, which all convey the clear message that if you’re not playing casino at Sky Vegas you’re missing out. ”