Monthly Archives: June 2017

Digital disruption takes spotlight at upcoming Canadian Gaming Summit

In today’s world of fast-paced innovations, the importance of having a plan for monitoring and embracing emerging technologies cannot be stressed enough.

Defined as the change that occurs when new digital technologies affect the value proposition of existing goods and services, digital disruption has the capability to tear down and rebuild every product in every industry—even the iGaming industry, which is already ripe for innovation.

Today’s customers now live in a world of heightened expectations and a wide variety of options, and companies must give them what they want not just quickly, but also in a more emotion-rich way or they risk losing their business to companies that have already embraced the opportunities offered by digitalization.

At the upcoming Canadian Gaming Summit in Vancouver, Forrester Principal Analyst James McQuivey will outline the steps companies need to make to put the customer at the center of their processes.

Resorts World Manila exec admits security lapses in the integrated resort

Resorts World Manila Chief Operating Officer Stephen Reilly has admitted that there are some lapses in the integrated resort’s security that resulted to last Friday’s casino rampage.

Members of the Philippine House of Representative took turns in grilling officials of casino operator Travellers International Hotel Group, Inc. when they opened the probe on the apparent robbery and arson attack in Resorts World.

The probe was led by games and amusements chairperson Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting, tourism chairperson Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres Gomez, and public order and safety chairperson Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop.

Rappler reported that the much of the probe centered on Resorts World’s security and the qualification of Armeen Gomez as the chief security officer of the casino resort.

MIT grads offer ‘catalyst’ for investors looking to build their bitcoin funds

As the price of bitcoin continues to soar to record highs, new investors are also beginning to take notice in the digital currency as a new possible asset.

On Tuesday, bitcoin advanced to a new record high of $2,933 on Bitstamp, surpassing the previous all-time high of $2,760.10 recorded in late May. The rally does not have a real catalyst, but appears to be a continuation of the gains that developed last week when China’s Big 3 exchanges resumed withdrawals on their platforms.

As a result, many new investors are starting to look at bitcoin. However, many of these would-be investors still find cryptocurrency to be intimidating—not surprising, really, given that there’s much to learn about digital currency and its underlying technology, the blockchain. There’s also the debate over bitcoin’s underlying scaling issue, which needs to be addressed fast because as one expert puts it, the “network is near a breaking point.”

“A lot of people are starting to look into [digital currency], and invest in it, but it’s still very much kind of like the Wild West,” Guy Zyskind, co-founder and CEO of start-up Enigma, told FastCompany.

BetConstruct wins its third EGR Best Customer Service award

June 6, London, UK: BetConstruct was recognized for its outstanding customer service for the third year running at EGR B2B Awards 2017 which took place on June 6 in London, United Kingdom.

“In this automated world where we become overly dependent on technology, it is easy to overlook the value of ingenuous and meaningful relationships with your customers,” says BetConstruct CEO Vahe Baloulian.

“No company is perfect when it comes to customer service. I believe that we keep winning the Best Customer Service Award for the third year in a row because we are sincere in our effort not to disappoint our partners. And this effort is informed by awareness that we can’t buy our customers’ respect and loyalty, we can only earn it.”

BetConstruct Commercial Director George Voyatzis accepted the award on behalf of the company. This title adds to the most recent awards the technology provider received earlier this year – iGaming Software Supplier at IGA 2017 and Compliance Innovator of the Year at the Gambling Compliance Regulatory Awards 2017.

Yggdrasil named Slot Provider of the Year at EGR B2B Awards for second consecutive year

Provider retains prestigious title recognising its excellence in slot provision

7th June, 2017 – Yggdrasil Gaming has been named Slot Provider of the Year at the EGR B2B Awards in London for the second year running, acknowledging the firm’s market-leading portfolio of video slots.

In what was a competitive category, Yggdrasil triumphed over nine other nominees – including IGT, NetEnt, Playtech and Microgaming – to retain the highly regarded award.

The judges were particularly impressed by the variety, quality and consistent excellence of the Yggdrasil product suite.

IWG crowned online lottery supplier at EGR B2B Awards

IWG crowned online lottery supplier at EGR B2B Awards Huge win for instant win games provider at prestigious event

London, 7th June 2017 – IWG – a world leader in supplying online, instant win games – has won online lottery supplier at the EGR B2B Awards, the first time the supplier has entered the online gaming industry’s flagship awards.

The fast-growing instant win provider was shortlisted alongside key partners and huge industry players IGT and NeoGames.

Over the past year, IWG has expanded its international footprint with numerous commercial deals, including the landmark partnership with Michigan Lottery for the first Remote Game Server (RGS) integration onto a US lottery.

2by2 pairs up with ORYX Gaming

Wednesday 7th June 2017 – ORYX Gaming has expanded its content offering by closing a partnership deal with the Chicago-based game development company 2by2 Gaming.

2by2’s innovative video slot library has received critical acclaim in its main markets of the UK and Germany. They possess extensive experience in new game development and their games are known for unique, exciting features.

Under the agreement, ORYX will aggregate a selection of 2by2 online and mobile slot games which will be made available through the ORYX platform. Diamond Falls is the first slot to be launched this month for ORYX clients.

2by2 joins ORYX’s stellar list of game designer partners that now features Gamomat, Gold Club, Kalamba and other major international content suppliers.

CA Rundown June 7

In this episode of the CalvinAyre.com Rundown, Stephanie Raquel brings you the top industry news and the latest on Resorts World Manila’s casino attack last Friday, Scott Tom pleads Black Friday felonies down to single misdemeanor and Bitcoin flirting with new all-time.

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Canadian Gaming Summit 2017 brings gaming execs to Vancouver

The Canadian Gaming Summit is Canada’s premier annual conference and exhibition for gaming professionals.

June 7, 2017 – Canadian Gaming Association and MediaEdge are excited and proud to announce that the 2017 Canadian Gaming Summit will be held in Vancouver, BC June 19-21 at the beautiful Vancouver Convention Centre.

After consulting with the Summit Advisory Committee and getting feedback from valued delegates, sponsors and exhibitors, the Canadian Gaming Association and MediaEdge have made a number of significant and positive changes related to the 2017 Canadian Gaming Summit.

The theme for 2017 is “Rapid Pace of Change,” which effectively represents a number of developments that have and continue to occur inside the gaming industry in Canada and globally.

SBC Penalty Shootout highlights

There’s something about football that brings people together from all walks of life. People set aside their differences – and even the things they do – every time there’s a football match in a community or in the country.

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Saint Petersburg will host a crypto industry exhibition of software and hardware

On June 22, a crypto industry exhibition of software and hardware will take place as part of Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference in Saint Petersburg. Attendees will learn about the new opportunities offered to bitcoin community in mining, trading, and services sector.

Supplier of mining hardware 51ASIC will present case studies of technical implementation of large mining farms’ construction. Attendees will be able to consult with company’s representatives regarding the choice of software and legal issues.

Representatives of Polybius Bank, the first bank that focuses on collaboration with crypto businesses in European countries, will introduce attendees to experts’ advances in the field of cryptocurrencies and cryptography. The mission of Polybius is to create a global fintech ecosystem as an alternative to the traditional banking system.

Technological company HashCoins is a constant participant of major crypto exhibitions. Their team develops equipment and blockchain-based services and provides remote access to mining hardware. In five years of operation, the company has produced tens of thousands of systems for bitcoin and altcoin mining and created a cloud mining service HashFlare.io.

Clarion Gaming announces inaugural Sports Betting USA conference

Positioned at the intersection of sports and gaming, the event will take place on November 14-15, 2017 in New York City

June 2017 – Clarion Gaming are pleased to announce the launch of Sports Betting USA which will take place on November 14-15, 2017 at the Convene New York City.

With content geared towards both sports and gaming sectors, this two-day conference will discuss the legislative path to the repeal of PASPA; demystify misconceptions around sports integrity; outline data monetization strategies, fan engagement opportunities and new revenue streams for the rights holders, and present routes to a regulated market for the operators wishing to add this vertical to their offer.

Ewa Bakun, Head of Content for Clarion Gaming, said: “I have been monitoring the evolution of the sports betting discussion in the USA for the last two years waiting for the right moment to offer this conference to the market. As this issue has now become a mainstream one, largely due to the effort by the American Gaming Association and the shifting positions of the sports leagues, and as we’re starting to see operators actually invest to prepare for regulated sports betting through products that are legally viable now, I think our November event will see top level participation from both the sports sector and the gaming industry.”

Sweden’s race bet monopoly uses trademark to fight online rival

Sweden’s horserace betting monopoly is waging a trademark war with a Malta-based online upstart horning in on the monopoly’s turf.

The AB Trav Och Galopp (ATG) monopoly is like most horseracing operators these days, i.e. people are losing interest in their reason for being. All the more reason to object to an unauthorized interloper like Legolas Invest, which recently announced plans to launch the Malta-licensed Legolas.bet site in Sweden.

Legolas is run by Rune Andersson (pictured), a Swedish racing industry figure who believes the government takes too big a cut of ATG’s proceeds to fund non-racing initiatives. Andersson reportedly tried to convince ATG’s owners, the Swedish Trotting Association, to set up operations in Malta to reduce their tax burden but they wouldn’t listen. Frustrated, Andersson formed Legolas.bet, which claims to return 40% of its proceeds to the local racing industry.

Swedish media outlet Realtid reported that ATG fought back by filing a trademark claim on the name Legolas in Sweden, then followed that up with a trademark infringement suit in Stockholm District Court that seeks fines of SEK 3m (US $346k) for each and every time that Legolas.bet uses its own name in Swedish-facing marketing.

UK gambling charity scolded over “offensive and distressing” promo

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has scolded the betting industry-funded Responsible Gambling Trust (RGT) for a cinema promo that a viewer found “predatory and sexually abusive.”

The ad featured an older man sitting at a desk talking to a younger woman sitting on a bed. The man delivers a suggestive monologue recalling “a bit of fun” the woman had, how her “whole body was tingling,” that it was “the best feeling you’ve ever had,” and telling her “don’t tell me you don’t remember that.”

At the end of the spot, the woman gets up from the bed, walks over to the desk, where the man has now been replaced by a laptop logged on to an online bingo site, where the woman begins to play. The ad closes with large text directing viewers to “BeGambleAware.org.”

In response to the complaint, the RGT insisted that the ‘Voices’ campaign was intended to be provocative, memorable and representative of problem gamblers’ “inner demon.” The promo had been approved by both the British Board of Film Classification and the Cinema Advertising Agency to air before films rated PG and above, while the RGT had booked the ad to run only at screenings of the 18+ film Trainspotting 2.