Monthly Archives: May 2017

UK online gambling grows but not as fast as land-based casinos

Online gambling activity in the UK continues to grow, but not as fast as land-based casino gambling.

On Thursday, the UK Gambling Commission released its latest compilation of the nation’s gambling activity, spanning the 12-month period between October 2015 and September 2016, during which the overall gambling market’s revenue rose nearly 3% to £13.82b.

As in the UKGC’s most recent report, online gambling remains the top revenue earner at £4.46b, compared with £4.23b in the 12 months spanning April 2015 to March 2016. (The figure covers only revenue derived from British punters playing on UK-licensed operators; total remote betting accounted for nearly £4.8b.)

Spurred by the Euro 2016 football tournament, remote betting was up nearly 10% to £1.7b, while exchange betting added a further £170m. Online casino revenue retained its top dog status with £2.4b, but this represented growth of less than 3%. Online bingo suffered a slight decline to £149m, while pool betting was up 16% to £30.2m.

GVC Holdings enjoys double-digit growth in Q1

UK-listed online gambling operator GVC Holdings enjoyed double-digit growth in the first quarter of 2017, as the company’s turnaround of the Bwin.party brands continues to gain momentum.

On Thursday, GVC issued a trading update covering the three months ending March 31, which showed pro forma daily net gaming revenue rising 13% year-on-year to €2.68m, while group net gaming revenue was up 12% to €241m for the quarter. The numbers have been adjusted to assume full Q1 2016 contributions from the Bwin.party brands, which GVC officially acquired midway through that quarter.

Daily sports betting turnover at the Bwin and Sportingbet brands was flat at €12.9m but sports revenue was up 12% to €948k as margins improved 1.1 points to 9.6% despite punter-friendly results at the end of March. The company credited improved marketing and product following GVC’s acquisition of the previously underperforming Bwin.party brands.

Gaming/other daily net gaming revenue was up 19% to €1m, while games brands improved 4% to €615k, with the much-maligned PartyPoker operation singled out for showing particularly positive momentum. The B2B/Non-core segment was up 17% to €115k.

Free iGaming webinar: The challenges of data and AML compliance – 06 June

Hosted from London on 6th June, 14:30 (BST) by Christina Thakor-Rankin, Principal Consultant at 1710 Gaming Ltd 

iGaming Academy is hosting an exclusive, complimentary webinar on 06 June 2017 for iGaming professionals, focusing on key data and AML compliance issues.

As part of the build up to its new conference Compliance Briefing: Malta on 27th June, iGaming Academy Live hosts a free webinar on 6th June at 14:30. Titled “Customer or Criminal – the new world challenges of data and AML compliance”, the webinar will examine will how operators can ensure they meet the requirements of enhanced customer verification, due diligence and source of funds checks – without introducing additional friction to the customer experience.

Further key topics discussed will include:

Ohio OKs bill allowing casino employees to gamble in other casinos

Third time’s a charm.

A bill allowing casino employees to play slots and wagers in casinos where they don’t work has finally sailed through the Ohio Senate after unsuccessfully trying to get the same measure twice last year.

Cleveland.com report that House Bill 32, introduced by Rep. Bill Seitz, also garnered an overwhelming 32-0 vote in the Senate, paving the way for the amendment of a law that forbid casino employees from gambling at any of Ohio’s four casinos.

Ohio Casino Control Commission executive director Matthew Schuler explained that the changes made by House Bill 32 will bring the state “into alignment with neighboring jurisdictions where such an approach has proven fair and still maintains the integrity of casino gaming.”

Global Lottery Messenger Forum finds new home at iGaming Super Show 2017

25th May, 2017 (London) – The 2017 iGaming Super Show is proud to announce that it will host this year’s Global Lottery Messenger Forum (GLMF), the industry’s leading lottery-focused event.

The GLMF, now in its fourth year, will feature more than 100 industry executives from 19 jurisdictions, and will include top-level contributions by leading speakers. It is the best opportunity in the calendar to meet this growing industry’s key decision makers.

Delegates can expect a full day of networking and learning, with information and analysis delivered by expert speakers

Tickets for the 2017 event, which takes place on Tuesday, 11th July and will also host a dinner during the evening, are available now for £499.00 + VAT.

Bede Gaming awarded ISO 27001 certification

Platform verified for highest security standards in the industry

25 May 2017: Bede Gaming, a leading supplier of software to the online gaming industry, has been granted ISO 27001 certification by the International Standards Organisation (ISO), in recognition of its continued offering of the most secure platform provision available to operators in regulated markets globally.

ISO 27001 is the international standard for information security, awarded by the ISO following a comprehensive and complete audit. With operators demanding the highest standards of security, Bede undertook the rigorous certification process to display its absolute commitment to best practice and placing security at the heart of the business.

Bede gained the certification after proving that it meets the ISO’s strict requirements when dealing with information security. As one of the only gaming platform providers to be awarded such certification, it confirms Bede’s security status is of the highest order.

Moody’s retains credit rating for ‘stable’ Macau

International credit-debt watcher Moody’s Investors Service has retained its credit rating for Macau as the former Portuguese enclave continues to post strong recovery growth.

Moody’s affirmed its “Aa3” rating for Macau while upgrading its outlook from “negative” to “stable.” According to Moody’s rating definitions, ratings in the “Aa” are high investment grade and are subject to very low credit risk.

The credit outlook upgrade, according to Moody’s, was bolstered by the solid gross gaming revenue (GGR) posted by Asia’s premier gaming hub in the past months.

Moody also noted that Macau’s preservation of fiscal and external buffers, ongoing progress on diversification, and signs of policy effectiveness that support institutional strength are all credit positive.

Social media game is not gambling, new Michigan law says

Social media games that will reward players will no longer be considered gambling in Michigan thanks to a new bill that has been signed into a law.

The Associated Press reported that Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signed Senate Bill 202 into a law on Tuesday, which establishes that the state laws against gambling do not apply to a “social media internet game.”

“Social media Internet game” is defined in the bill as a game offered over the Internet or on a telephone or other mobile device.

The new law, which was introduced by Republican Sen. Jack Brandenburg on March 1, 2017 to specify that Chapter 44 of the Michigan Penal Code would not prohibit a social media internet game from rewarding a player, didn’t cover fantasy sports.

Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference Prague participants discussed future of blockchain and cryptocurrencies

On May 19, the Czech capital hosted the largest conference on digital currencies and blockchain – Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference Prague. 15 speakers from 8 countries (300 participants in total) discussed the development of cryptocurrencies, blockchain projects in Fintech and Govtech, as well as legislative challenges.

Business & community

Open blockchain systems for business were discussed during the report of the CEO and founder of Waves Platform, Sasha Ivanov (Russia). The presented service is designed for digital values emission, assets trading using blockchain, and crowdfunding. The speaker covered such issues as network scaling, optimization of a block size and improvement of the whole system efficiency.

Ronny Boesing (Denmark), the CEO at decentralized conglomerate Openledger, talked about trading, investment and crowdfunding on the basis of this platform.

MundiFortuna.com joins AGS Gaming Platform

Thursday 25th May 2017 – MundiFortuna.com, one of Latam’s leading online gaming sites, has agreed terms to join AutoGameSYS (AGS) gaming platform.

MundiFortuna is an online sportsbook also offering bingo, casino games, sports, live dealer games, live/in-play betting, lottery, mobile bingo, mobile casinos, and mobile sportsbooks.

Customers will be able to immerse themselves in a number of top-quality games and additional features tailored for Latam-facing operators.

The AutoGameSYS platform features local and international payment processing solutions, more than 2,000 games from a wide selection of content providers, and a complete sports betting platform that offers 20,000 events every month, including live video from the best sporting fixtures.

Win Systems looks to expand LatAm operations at Juegos Miami

Malta, 25th May, 2017 – Win Systems, a leading technology supplier for the gaming and entertainment industry, will showcase its premium gaming machine range at Juegos Miami, 2017.

Win Systems’ senior personnel will be in-attendance at the three-day event held at The Biltmore Hotel, in order to network with potential partners and showcase its product range, which will be exhibited on stand 16. The stand will host its S2 Plus and S3 gaming machines, built with high-quality design, immersive graphics and sound, as well as wide range of premium gaming content.

The executive team will be on-hand to speak with event delegates on how Win Systems’ casino solutions can benefit all types of operation, having already established a strong, successful footprint within Latin America.

After recent successful shows at ICE Totally Gaming, Feria Internacional del Juego and FADJA, Win Systems is set for a strong second half of 2017 with new business partnerships announcements set to be announced in the next few months.

Mourinho’s Manchester: Are you entertained?

As Manchester United qualify for the Champions League with a victory over Ajax in the Europa League Final Lee Davy wants to know Jose Mourinho’s side is entertaining?

There was a time when my life stopped for football. A Manchester United fan since birth, it was the closest thing I had to religion – Sir Alex Ferguson was my God.

And yet, last night, as my beloved Red Devils lined up to face Ajax in the Europa League Final I was busy watching Seth Godin marketing videos.

Priorities change.

7-8 June, WRB Africa briefing 2017- Kenya BtoBet ready to meet african operators in Nairobi

During the two-day conferences, running from 7th to 8th June, in Villa Rosa Kempinski, authorities, operators and international experts of the gaming industry will discuss strategies needed to profit from the rapid growth of the market in the African country.

Around 10% access internet through mobile data in Africa. If we consider Eastern Africa, surveys say 60% of mobiles sold in the area – mainly in Kenya – are smartphones. Despite the Gaming market being principally land-based in Africa, the explosion of mobile users throughout the entire country, and the evolution of the mobile devices in Eastern Africa, is making Kenyan area one of the most attractive for mobile business.

This is a significant signal to consider for the future gambling perspective in the continent and on this regards BtoBet is going to attend the upcoming summit in Nairobi, taking part in two panels:

• 7th June, at 12.30: “The big move: retail to online”

Juegos Miami can help industry to build sustainable markets, state Vivo Gaming

Vivo Gaming, which operates live gaming studios featuring Spanish speaking dealers delivering an authentic Latin style casino atmosphere, believe all of the key ingredients are in place to ensure Juegos Miami continues to make an important contribution to the development of gaming in Latin America.

Yuval Geifman, head of business development, CEO at Vivo Gaming, said: “It’s extremely important for decision makers, operators and providers to have such a professional and comfortable environment in which to discuss the future of the market. The location (Miami), the team organising the event and the calibre of the participants are all absolutely right, from our perspective.”

As well as building profile for its LatAm dedicated range, which includes native live dealer studios, management tools and mobile gaming products, the company will also be using Juegos Miami as a fact finding opportunity. Yuval explained: “Whilst our main goal will be to establish our position as a market leading live dealer software provider for LatAm, we also want to gather intelligence about the likely changes in regulation and the developments that are taking place in different markets.

“I think it is valuable for regulators and decision makers to engage with the industry in a professional environment, especially those attending from markets where online gaming regulation is not yet fully defined.

Reflex grow by design with high profile appointments

Reflex Gaming has confirmed two new appointments to its creative team, Mike Salt and Steve Kick, who will report directly to the company’s Chief Product Officer, Mat Ingram.

Reflex Gaming has bolstered its creative team with the appointment of Mike Salt to the post of Senior Game Producer (analogue) with Steve Kick taking up the same position but with responsibility for the company’s growing portfolio of digital content.

Reflex Managing Director, Quentin Stott, said: “Companies such as Reflex are judged across a number of criteria, but the most critical measurements relate to the creativity, consistency and performance of our gaming products. I am therefore, delighted to announce the twin appointments of Steve and Mike who add considerable experience and pedigree to the creative side of the business.

“Mike spent 16-years working for the Bell Fruit Group, where he was responsible for many design innovations which featured in a host of what are widely considered to be Bell Fruit’s most iconic games. Steve’s early career was spent at Maygay; he went on to join Inspired Gaming Group, where he was responsible for the pipeline of SWP, Digital Cat C, B3 and B2 gaming product. He also designed games for online as well as for a range of export markets, including Italy, Columbia and Norway. The appointments are a clear sign of our commitment to both sectors of the Reflex business as we prepare for the challenges and opportunities in a post triennial gaming market.”

Becky’s Affiliated: CalvinAyre.com’s role in my journey to British citizenship

When I was growing up, one of the many lessons my father taught me was how the world opens up when we have choice.  The best way to generate choice in our lives is by educating ourselves, whether it be the traditional route of earning university degrees or simply reading a lot of books, gaining experience in a new trade, traveling the world, or even learning a new language.

Having the ability to visit, study, work and live in a country other than where we were born is a gift and in my opinion, one of the most important elements of a well-rounded education.  The importance of travel for our education is yet another lesson my father taught me and for this reason he took our family on a vacation to somewhere new every summer, many of the destinations international. His example played a significant part in my decision to spend a semester abroad in Florence when I was studying for my undergraduate degree at a university in America, the country in which I was born.

My desire to live in another country started to heat up in my early 20s, especially after I became close with a group of New Zealanders who were living in the US for a few years to play rugby.  After spending time with these warm people and hearing about their foreign culture and land, I wanted to move to New Zealand.  At the time I applied for and was granted a special type of one year “work abroad” Visa for people under 30, a program designed to link up American travelers like myself with odd jobs in other countries such as picking fruit.

Turns out I never went to New Zealand due to unforeseen circumstances, but I did come across an ad in the local paper several months later leading me to my first job in the gambling industry with publisher Casino City.  My role with Casino City involved all sorts of travel around the world, introducing me to people from places such as London, Vancouver, Tel Aviv, Costa Rica, Malta, Manila, Johannesburg, Sydney and so on.

FSB Tech set to launch Victor Chandler’s East African venture

Victor Chandler is back! After a 3-year hiatus, his first foray is set to be as part of a new sportsbetting and gaming company to be called Bet Lion, focusing on East Africa and launching in August.

Bet Lion will be powered by FSB Tech, a sportsbook and platform provider that Chandler described as “terrific” and a company with experience in the African market.

FSB Tech already have two brands operating on their platform in Tanzania and Kenya and Victor, a pioneer in the industry for over 30 years, realises the potential of the evolving market.

He stated: “The market is already showing huge growth and smartphone penetration is much higher than many realise and with that has come an excellence in micro-payments.”