Free-play mobile gaming companies need to do what they can to convert players to payers because once these players have been turned, there’s no turning back.

Analytics firm Soomla‘s new Mobile Gaming Insights Report Q1 2016 says that mobile gamers who make an in-app purchase of virtual goods are six times more likely to make a second purchase. Players who make a purchase in one game are also six times more likely to make a purchase in another game.

Soomla’s new report, which involved tracking 20m users through all of last year, breaks out its findings in terms of game categories, and while the social casino category didn’t make the cut, the findings nonetheless underscore the long-term benefits of converting players to payers.

Soomla found that 13% of users who made a virtual purchase in one game went on to purchase virtual goods in a second game. This number rose to 18% for players who made their first purchase within 24 hours of opening a new game. If these paying players opened that second game with 30 days of their purchase in that first game, the number who made purchases in that second game rose to 24%.

Free-play mobile gaming companies need to do what they can to convert players to payers because once these players have been turned, there’s no turning back.

Analytics firm Soomla‘s new Mobile Gaming Insights Report Q1 2016 says that mobile gamers who make an in-app purchase of virtual goods are six times more likely to make a second purchase. Players who make a purchase in one game are also six times more likely to make a purchase in another game.

Soomla’s new report, which involved tracking 20m users through all of last year, breaks out its findings in terms of game categories, and while the social casino category didn’t make the cut, the findings nonetheless underscore the long-term benefits of converting players to payers.

Soomla found that 13% of users who made a virtual purchase in one game went on to purchase virtual goods in a second game. This number rose to 18% for players who made their first purchase within 24 hours of opening a new game. If these paying players opened that second game with 30 days of their purchase in that first game, the number who made purchases in that second game rose to 24%.

Online poker legend Chris Moorman wins the weekend 888 Sunday major to take him over $13m in online tournament winnings, and fellow Brit Max Silver gets into the app making business with SnapShove.

When we destroy our planet and follow Elon Musk to Mars our children will read about the history of a card game called poker, and there will be a name heralded as a true legend.

Chris Moorman.

This past weekend, Moorman topped a field of 777 entrants to win the 888 Sunday Challenge for $18,809. The victory means he has now won more than $13 million playing online tournaments – $4m more than P0cket00 sitting in second place in all-time winnings.

Online poker legend Chris Moorman wins the weekend 888 Sunday major to take him over $13m in online tournament winnings, and fellow Brit Max Silver gets into the app making business with SnapShove.

When we destroy our planet and follow Elon Musk to Mars our children will read about the history of a card game called poker, and there will be a name heralded as a true legend.

Chris Moorman.

This past weekend, Moorman topped a field of 777 entrants to win the 888 Sunday Challenge for $18,809. The victory means he has now won more than $13 million playing online tournaments – $4m more than P0cket00 sitting in second place in all-time winnings.

Macau enjoyed a surge in visitation over the lunar new year festivities but it’s not clear how many of those visitors spent time or money at gambling tables.

The Macau Government Tourist Office says the special administrative region recorded 1.076m visitor arrivals from Feb. 7-14, a 4.7% gain over the initial period of the 2015 new year celebrations. Visitation from the Chinese mainland was up 4.3% to over 793k during this period. But they appear to have gotten lost on their way to the baccarat tables.

A research note issued by Wells Fargo Securities suggested that “mass tables remain quiet” despite the increased arrivals. The note went on to say that the arrivals boost was notable for the number of middle-class families displaying a “higher propensity to enjoy non-gaming amenities and lower propensity to gamble.”

Given this apparent aversion to gambling, Wells Fargo believes there’s little reason to bank on hopes that February will break Macau’s 20-month streak of falling gaming revenue. The note predicted February’s gaming revenue total would decline 14% year-on-year when the final numbers are revealed.

Macau enjoyed a surge in visitation over the lunar new year festivities but it’s not clear how many of those visitors spent time or money at gambling tables.

The Macau Government Tourist Office says the special administrative region recorded 1.076m visitor arrivals from Feb. 7-14, a 4.7% gain over the initial period of the 2015 new year celebrations. Visitation from the Chinese mainland was up 4.3% to over 793k during this period. But they appear to have gotten lost on their way to the baccarat tables.

A research note issued by Wells Fargo Securities suggested that “mass tables remain quiet” despite the increased arrivals. The note went on to say that the arrivals boost was notable for the number of middle-class families displaying a “higher propensity to enjoy non-gaming amenities and lower propensity to gamble.”

Given this apparent aversion to gambling, Wells Fargo believes there’s little reason to bank on hopes that February will break Macau’s 20-month streak of falling gaming revenue. The note predicted February’s gaming revenue total would decline 14% year-on-year when the final numbers are revealed.

Dollaro Poker, the illegal Italian online poker site, with ties to the Italian mob, is allegedly still open for business despite a January raid from Italian authorities that resulted in 11 arrests.

Infamous Italian online poker site Dollaro Poker is still operational.

Why is that a big deal?

Last month, Italian authorities raided the gaff; arrested 11 people and confiscated assets worth an estimated €10m.

Dollaro Poker, the illegal Italian online poker site, with ties to the Italian mob, is allegedly still open for business despite a January raid from Italian authorities that resulted in 11 arrests.

Infamous Italian online poker site Dollaro Poker is still operational.

Why is that a big deal?

Last month, Italian authorities raided the gaff; arrested 11 people and confiscated assets worth an estimated €10m.

As Gaimerz.com, prepares a full turn key white label offering, Lee Davy sits down with a few members of the team to get the lowdown on the current state of affairs.

eSports is the future and humans have been gambling on sports ever since sheep knuckles were thrown against a wall in anger. So if you are a fully automated P2P eSports wagering platform, the sun always shines on your TV.

The team at Gaimerz.com is in such a position.

Let’s find out what they have to say.

As Gaimerz.com, prepares a full turn key white label offering, Lee Davy sits down with a few members of the team to get the lowdown on the current state of affairs.

eSports is the future and humans have been gambling on sports ever since sheep knuckles were thrown against a wall in anger. So if you are a fully automated P2P eSports wagering platform, the sun always shines on your TV.

The team at Gaimerz.com is in such a position.

Let’s find out what they have to say.

Lee Davy catches up with Unibet Poker’s marketing manager, David Pomroy, to talk about the success of the inaugural Unibet UK Poker Tour Main Event in Brighton, the future of the series and much more.

Unibet UK Poker Open: An Insight From Marketing Manager David Pomroy Video

Lee Davy catches up with Unibet Poker’s marketing manager, David Pomroy, to talk about the success of the inaugural Unibet UK Poker Tour Main Event in Brighton, the future of the series and much more.

Unibet UK Poker Open: An Insight From Marketing Manager David Pomroy Video

Australian casino operator The Star Entertainment Group reported H1 profit down sharply thanks to the hot hands of Asian VIP gamblers.

For the six months ending Dec. 31, The Star (formerly Echo Entertainment) reported net profit after tax down 38% to A$60m (US $42.9m). Revenue was down a more moderate 2.6% to $1.1b but earnings fell 19.6% to $192.6m, driven down by increased operating expenses in domestic gaming and a truly crappy win rate at The Star’s VIP tables.

Win rate for what the company calls its international VIP Rebate business was a mere 0.88%, well below the the 1.33% average in H115 and the historic average of 1.43%. The plunge was so dramatic the company plans to reduce the historic normalization rate to 1.35% when it comes time to compute the FY16 results.

Overall VIP win was down 33% to $207m despite total VIP turnover rising 1.5% to $23.6b, of which 78% was derived from The Star’s relationships with junket operators (down from 84% the previous year). Overdue (but not yet written off) VIP debts were $16m for the period, on par with figures reported last June.

Australian casino operator The Star Entertainment Group reported H1 profit down sharply thanks to the hot hands of Asian VIP gamblers.

For the six months ending Dec. 31, The Star (formerly Echo Entertainment) reported net profit after tax down 38% to A$60m (US $42.9m). Revenue was down a more moderate 2.6% to $1.1b but earnings fell 19.6% to $192.6m, driven down by increased operating expenses in domestic gaming and a truly crappy win rate at The Star’s VIP tables.

Win rate for what the company calls its international VIP Rebate business was a mere 0.88%, well below the the 1.33% average in H115 and the historic average of 1.43%. The plunge was so dramatic the company plans to reduce the historic normalization rate to 1.35% when it comes time to compute the FY16 results.

Overall VIP win was down 33% to $207m despite total VIP turnover rising 1.5% to $23.6b, of which 78% was derived from The Star’s relationships with junket operators (down from 84% the previous year). Overdue (but not yet written off) VIP debts were $16m for the period, on par with figures reported last June.