Monthly Archives: March 2017

Caesars Entertainment EMEA appoints Jim Firth as new Venue Director

Leading casino entertainment company, Caesars Entertainment EMEA, has appointed Jim Firth as its new Venue Director at The Sportsman Casino, London.

Jim Firth, who has 27 years’ experience in the gaming industry began his career as a valet in the Wilton Sporting Club, Nottingham in 1989. Since then he has travelled the length and breadth of the country working in a number of prestigious UK casinos from London to Glasgow.  Jim’s extensive experience in the casino industry gives him significant expertise and a range of hospitality and gaming industry skills which he brings with him to The Sportsman Casino.

Jim joined Caesars Entertainment EMEA in January, and prior to that was the General Manager at Genting Casino, Blackpool and enjoyed a long and varied career with Gala Coral Group in a range of senior roles including Operations Development Director and Regional Manager for the North and West. His gaming experience also includes roles at Ladbrokes and Stakis Casinos.

As a gaming operations expert with extensive multi-site experience of both Regional and London businesses, Jim brings with him substantial knowledge and experience.  Jim is passionate about adding value and delivering demonstrable business results.

March Madness? Not under our watch, says Washington state regulator

Looks like all are gearing up for the March madness – all except Washington state.

Washington State Gambling Commission warned players trying to find their luck in guessing the final 16 teams in the NCAA to keep their money right in their pockets or they may face consequences.

reported that the state regulator reminded punters that sports betting is not authorized in Washington state and therefore it is illegal to participate in such sports betting event.

“We understand the excitement that builds during this time of year as people fill out their brackets, and we’re frequently asked questions about betting in an office pool. The Washington State Constitution prohibits any form of gambling unless it is specifically authorized by the legislature – sports betting is not authorized,” Washington State Gambling Commission (WSGC) said in a statement, according to the news report.

New EU draft law seeks to monitor bitcoin users

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) continue to seek to end bitcoin’s anonymity.

Last week, the parliament drafted a new proposal that seeks to extend the scope of the Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD), published in May 2015, to include virtual currencies like bitcoin.

The proposal states that “competent authorities should be able to monitor the use of virtual currencies,” whose anonymity could be a “hindrance than an asset” especially when the cryptocurrency is used for criminal purposes. The draft law, if approved, will require watchdogs from EU member countries to identify bitcoin users by their bitcoin addresses.

“To combat the risks related to the anonymity, national Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) should be able to associate virtual currency addresses to the identity of the owner of virtual currencies,” the proposal stated. “In addition, the possibility to allow users to self-declare to designated authorities on a voluntary basis should be further assessed.”

Yggdrasil signs bwin as first partner in Italy

Supplier to integrate selection of slots into bwin.it and Gioco Digitale 

March 15, 2017 – Yggdrasil Gaming, which announced in January that it was entering the Italian market, has partnered with GVC Holdings’ Italian-facing gaming brands to integrate its video slots directly into the operator’s bwin.it and Gioco Digitale sites.

Entering the Italian market with GVC will see Yggdrasil’s portfolio of award-winning HTML5 games being offered in the country for the first time. As it continues to grow its business across Europe, the deal also enables the developer to expand its geographical reach alongside an operator with unparalleled expertise in the region.

Initially, 11 games will be certified under Italian regulations, with a view to going live early in the second quarter of 2017. bwin.it will launch with titles including Dark Joker Rizes, Vikings Go Wild and Nirvana.

Norwegian Gaming Authority tightens the noose on skin betting

The Norwegian Gaming Authority (NGA) is taking a direct aim at gambling operators who are illegally offering skin betting in the country amid rising cases of underage gambling.

In a note dated March 3, the NGA warned operators will face sanctions should they be caught offering skin betting in their jurisdiction.

The state regulator cited a survey called “Children and Media 2016,” which concluded that children are being groomed for gambling through first-person shooter games such as Counter-Strike and Dota.

According to the Media survey, 25 percent of Norwegian boys, ages 15 to 16-years old had spent thousands of money for skins while playing the computer game “Counter Strike: Global Offensive.”

CA Rundown March 15

In this episode of the CalvinAyre.com Rundown, Stephanie Raquel brings you the top industry news and the latest on CG Tech for auction, Fantasy sports law in Mississippi, Vietnam sentences 64 members of Dafabet-linked betting ring.

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Champions League review: Leicester and Juventus make the last eight

Leicester City continued their fantastic run of form with a 2-0 second leg victory over Sevilla to move into the quarter-finals for the first time in the club’s history; Juventus had a much easier path beating Porto 3-0 on aggregate.

There were signs that Leicester City was turning the corner when they managed to cling on for dear life like a kite in a storm during their battering in Sevilla a few weeks ago.

A Jamie Vardy goal gave Leicester hope in a 2-1 defeat, but the Leicester owners didn’t see promise – they sacked Claudio Ranieri and gave Craig Shakespeare the task of trying to save the club from relegation.

Three games later and Shakespeare has won them all, guiding the Champions three points clear of the relegation zone and into the quarter-finals of the Champions League after a thrilling night at the King Power Stadium.

Playtech Live launches flagship Grand Royale

First next generation Live Casino experience in new European studio

London: March 15th 2017 – Playtech Live has launched its flagship Live Casino experience, Grand Royale – the first of many new concepts that will come together to create the company’s next generation Live Casino offering within the industry’s largest and most cutting-edge studio.

Grand Royale is a high-end experience that delivers the look and feel of true VIP standards offering Playtech licensees and their players superior features, functionality and personalisation and segmentation.

Appealing to high-level value clientele, Grand Royale contains an array of new studio design elements including Playtech’s Grand Blackjack, offering VIP customers the same experience of a Salle Privée table. New style tables also feature across the room with Grand Roulette upgraded to Playtech’s Mini Prestige Roulette delivering a more engaging and richer player experience.

Tallinn hosted the largest blockchain conference in the Baltic states

On March 9, Tallinn hosted a large-scale conference dedicated to blockchain technologies and cryptocurrency development – Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference Tallinn.

The event became the largest platform for blockchain entrepreneurs and developers in the Baltic states. The conference was attended by 250 people from 20 countries.

Event organizer is Smile-Expo, the company that holds blockchain conferences in Russia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic. It has decided to enter the Estonian market due to the favorable IT environment of the country and government support of blockchain projects in the Govtech sector.

The floor was taken by Jon Matonis, Founding Director at Bitcoin Foundation, Kaspar Korjus, e-Residency Managing Director, Karolina Marzantowicz, Distinguished Engineer at Polish branch of IBM, Kaidi Ruusalepp, Founder of Funderbeam, and 14 more speakers involving crypto experts and managers of blockchain projects. They presented cases on implementation of blockchain into business processes.

Tallinn hosted the largest blockchain conference in the Baltic states

On March 9, Tallinn hosted a large-scale conference dedicated to blockchain technologies and cryptocurrency development – Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference Tallinn.

The event became the largest platform for blockchain entrepreneurs and developers in the Baltic states. The conference was attended by 250 people from 20 countries.

Event organizer is Smile-Expo, the company that holds blockchain conferences in Russia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic. It has decided to enter the Estonian market due to the favorable IT environment of the country and government support of blockchain projects in the Govtech sector.

The floor was taken by Jon Matonis, Founding Director at Bitcoin Foundation, Kaspar Korjus, e-Residency Managing Director, Karolina Marzantowicz, Distinguished Engineer at Polish branch of IBM, Kaidi Ruusalepp, Founder of Funderbeam, and 14 more speakers involving crypto experts and managers of blockchain projects. They presented cases on implementation of blockchain into business processes.

Wes Himes on EU gambling regulations

In this interview with CalvinAyre.com’s Becky Liggero, Wes Himes of Instinctif Partners talks about how the new developments in European Union regulation affect the gambling sector in the region.

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The Kama insight series “Fighting fraud in user acquisition”

This is a guest contribution by Sam Forrest of KamaGames. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you. 

It is unsurprising that with over 1.5 million apps currently available via the Play Store and App Store that it is becoming more challenging for developers to get their app noticed in such as saturated, “red ocean” market place – and that’s just the first step in building a sustainable gaming business.

In a recent Newzoo report, it was reported that gamers worldwide generated over $99.6 billion in revenue in 2016, an increase of 8.5% compared to 2015. For the first time, mobile games were also taking a larger share than PC based games at $36.9 billion, up 21.3% globally. The global games market is expected to grow with a compound annual growth rate of +6.6% going into 2019 which will see the overall market reaching $118.6 billion and mobile gaming $52.5 billion.

When looking specifically at the social casino games market, the most recent Eilers & Krejcik report estimated an increase of +13.6% y/y growth to $3.81 billion in CY16. Combined, the top 3 companies accounted for 41% of the total social casino games market, while the top 15 companies accounted for roughly 82% of the total market. Mobile games revenue accounted for 71% of all social casino game revenues generated in CY16 versus 64% in CY15 showing a very clear growth in the sector.

Turmoil hounds Club World Casino following executive takeover

The award-winning Affiliate Edge and its group of casinos—also known as the Club World Casino group—is back in business after weathering a major storm.

Club World online casino group has been operating from the United Kingdom since 2004. In 2010, it bought Affiliate Edge, which managed the All Star Slots online casino. And since then, the group went on to win awards as “one of the most outstanding casino groups” in the world.

Things, however, changed in late 2016.

Information shown on the Companies House website indicated that there was a management transition in the Interactive Technology Corporation Ltd., the company that owns and operates Affiliate Edge and the online gambling websites it represents. In the filing dated December 13, 2016, it showed that Jonathan Ferster has resigned from his position as a director of the company, effective November 24, 2016. Jonathan Fersters brothers, Warren Dennis Ferster and Stuart Jeffrey Ferster, continue to have “active” roles as directors of Interactive Technology.

New games providers, mobile enhancements, improved instant game previews, GamSearch™ enhancements and MaxBet Protection™, mean exciting times for Oshi.

Oshi Casino has announced the addition of two more games providers, with pragmatic play and booming games joining an already impressive roster of games providers including Habanero, NetEnt, MrSlotty, Amatic, iSoftBet, Softswiss, Ezugi, Endorphina, Betsoft and Pocket Dice, totalling an impressive 864 games.

Oshi’s founder, Nick Garner believes their proprietorial GamSearch™ technology is the easiest and most engaging way for customers to discover new casino games. As Oshi’s portfolio of game providers continue to grow, so does the number of customers enjoying this unique game search experience.

“GamSearch™ is an easy way to discover new casino games. We’ve made game discovery for  anyone who has ever been on websites such as Amazon, Google, eBay, Netflix or ASOS,“ Nick Garner added.

In response to customer research, Oshi have launched MaxBet Protection™, a feature which automatically restricts the maximum bet a customer can make whilst betting with bonus money.

Roulette73: A game for the players

Roulette73 showcased its innovative wheel at ICE to an extremely receptive audience of both casino dealers and players.

Freddy Kurilic, head of sales at Roulette73, explained why the company’s flagship product garnered so much attention.

“There were several occasions where players and dealers of different casinos gathered at our booth to try Roulette73 and they really liked it,” he said. “When our wheel was designed we asked for their input, so the game is really made with players in mind.”

Kurilic also spoke the many casino managers at the event, networking with contacts across Europe, particularly in the UK and Spain.

Gamesman celebrate at ICE

Gamesman was recognised for ‘two decades of innovation’ at February’s ICE Totally Gaming exhibition.  Senior executives from the Esterline Corporation owned gaming equipment components and systems manufacturer, received a celebratory ICE cake from Kate Chambers, Managing Director of Clarion’s gaming division in a presentation which took place on the third day of the record breaking exhibition.

Reflecting on the three days of business and networking, Gamesman Sales Director, Martin Rigby, said: ‘It was a great honour to be recognised for the hard work and commitment invested by the team over the last 20-years.  ICE is our home show and to a large extent it has been part of our journey from a small and enterprising company focussed almost exclusively on the UK street market to our current status as part of Esterline and with a wholly owned factory in China and an office in Las Vegas.  The contacts, contracts and insight we have gained at ICE over the years has made a significant contribution to our present position in the market.”

He added: “ICE has always delivered and this year’s show was no exception.  There were more people, more countries and more quality than ever before and that’s coming after what was a really good ICE 2016.  ICE sets the tempo for the rest of the year and I’m delighted that Gamesman has got off to such a positive and progressive start to 2017.”

 

PokerStars celebrates sunday million 11th anniversary

ONCHAN, Isle of Man – March 14, 2017 – PokerStars will be making yet another millionaire on Sunday, April 2 in celebration of the Sunday Million 11th Anniversary. An enormous $10 million guaranteed prize pool and a bumper first prize of at least $1 million is certain for the winner of the well-loved poker tournament run by PokerStars, an Amaya Inc. (Nasdaq: AYA; TSX: AYA) brand.

TWELVE routes lead to ONE MILLION

PokerStars milestone tournament kicks off at 14:00 ET. There are 12 different ways to secure a seat catering to a wide range of buy-in and game preferences. In addition to the direct buy-in fee of $215 and regular qualifying satellites that start from $1, there will be special $5 Spin & Go qualifiers running from March 20 awarding seats to the tournament affectionately known as the “Milly”.

triple re-entry opportunity

Donald Trump sacks Mr Black Friday Preet Bharara

The most powerful man in the world, Donald Trump, has flexed his muscles by clearing out all 46 US Attorneys including the sacking of the man responsible for the lack of online poker in the States, Preet Bharara.

In 2011, Preet Bharara became one of the most well-known politicians in online gambling after the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York masterminded the destruction of online poker in America on a date known as Black Friday.

In 2012, Bharara was recognised by Time magazine as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World. One man who was not on that list was a certain Donald Trump, and a few days ago the most controversial man in the world made sure Bharara would never again make that list by giving him a size 11 up the ass.

Bharara was one of 46 US Attorneys asked to tender their resignation once Trump had moved his boxes of vision boards and stamp collection into the White House. In one sense, it was not unusual, as Bharara was hired by Barack Obama back in 2009, but on the other hand, Trump recently gave him the dreaded vote of confidence.

The stakes of the Dutch election

This is a guest contribution by Willem van Oort is the founder of Gaming in Holland. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you. 

On Wednesday, March 15, the Netherlands will elect a new House of Representatives. How will the outcome of this election affect the regulation of online gaming in the country?

The legislative process so far

After a lengthy process, the Dutch House of Representatives finally adopted a remote gaming bill proposed in July 2016. That bill is now under consideration by the Senate. The Senate, however, has decided to postpone its vote on the bill until the Dutch government has responded to second round of written questions that will yet have to be submitted.

World Poker Tour forced to cancel Korean event after travel chaos

The World Poker Tour are airing on the side of caution by cancelling their planned National Festival in South Korea after rising tensions between the host nation and China creates travel chaos.

If you ever wondered why the World Poker Tour (WPT) organised a National Festival on the South Korean island of Jeju then get a load of this. According to a report appearing in Bloomberg, more than 8 million Chinese visited the island in 2016 making up 85% of the tourist population, and we all know the Chinese like to have a bet.

The WPT would have been hoping for the Chinese to make up most of the field in the Korean event, and that’s not going to happen after rising tensions between South Korea and China resulted in tourism industries from both sides preventing movement between the two nations. The WPT reacted by cancelling the event.

The handbags at ten paces is a product of the South Korean multinational conglomerate Lotte’s decision to provide land to Donald Trump’s barmy army who plan to set up a missile defence system known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence System (THAAD).