Monthly Archives: November 2020

Watch marketing day at iGaming NEXT ONLINE: Adventure of change

The second day of iGaming NEXT ONLINE: Adventure for Change is underway. This flagship event will offer great insights on how to bring customers in as we adapt to the new world.

The day starts with “What Relationship Marketing Can Do for You?” Our very own Rebecca Liggero Fontana returns to chat with Rahul Sood, Co-founder of Unikrn and Creator of Microsoft Ventures.

Later in the day, expect to see iGaming Next’s Co-Founder and Managing Director Pierre Lindh talking with a panel on the topic of “How to Attract and Retain Millenials.”

If you missed Day 1, we have recaps on what Ayre Media founder Calvin Ayre said about Bitcoin, and a panel from Bitcoin Association Founding President Jimmy Nguyen on how iGaming can use blockchain to its advantage.

Genting HK sells 50% stake of Macau subsidiary Genting Macau Holdings

Genting HK has had a rough year. Just like all gaming operators, it never anticipated its world would be turned upside down from one day to the next over a microscopic virus, but that’s the reality everyone is now facing. The company had spent massive amounts of money preparing a fleet of casino cruise ships that, for the most part, have only been able to stay high and dry while the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control. As a result, Genting has had money issues virtually this entire year and has had to find different means of covering its expenses. The latest attempt to straighten things out might be found in Macau, where the company is going to sell 50% of a local subsidiary behind a hotel project in the city.

Genting HK announced that it is working on a deal that would see it pick up $96.7 million in return for offloading half of its stake in Genting Macau Holdings Ltd. That entity subsequently controls another unit, Treasure Island Entertainment Complex Ltd., which is directly behind the hotel project located in the Nam Van area of the city. Genting Macau owns 75% of that company, and White Supreme Corp. out of the Marshall Islands is said to be the entity ready to put its money behind the project through the purchase of Genting Macau. 

White Supreme, of which well-known Macau investor Ao Mio Leong is the principal shareholder, is going to pay $6.45 million for the 50% cut of the company, and $90.3 million to cover a shareholder’s loan, as well as interest, Genting Macau owes to Star Cruises Asia Holding Ltd. The latter entity is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Genting HK that has “significant highlights across operations in Asia and America,” according to a company statement. It primarily focuses on cruises in and around Asia. 

White Supreme could also eventually own Genting Macau completely. The sales agreement includes a clause that covers call and put options, and which would allow the company to purchase the other 50% sometime in the future if it wants to. Treasure Island has several hospitality projects in the works in Macau, and making the purchase could prove lucrative as Macau looks to expand its tourism options. 

Recent earnings increases in Asia give optimism for a better recovery

It may still be too early to make a definitive call on the state of casinos across Asia, and everywhere else in the world, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. COVID-19 has caused massive amounts of damage to gaming operators’ financial stability and, with new spikes of the coronavirus seen from time to time, recovery has been predicted to need at least three years by some industry insiders. However, things might be turning around and there is now an outside chance that casinos could rebound sooner than previously expected, particularly in Asia. 

Based in part on the results just provided by Galaxy Entertainment, there is now room for operators to be optimistic about their recovery chances. The casino operator said that October produced positive EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) and that November was on track to be the same. That was enough for Bernstein Research analysts to assert, “Galaxy is in the best liquidity position to weather the pandemic storm and should see solid recovery driven by its premium customer base.”

Bernstein isn’t the only firm to put the Asia casino sector in a more positive light moving forward. Jeffries sees the potential for a strong recovery, but would like to see more of the current COVID-19 restrictions placed on Macau and other areas reduced. The company feels that China’s Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) for the gambling city is a huge source of improvement if it can be relaxed more soon. Changes are already underway to ease travel restrictions to Macau, and the next several weeks will be worth watching to see how plans develop.

Galaxy’s positive performance isn’t the only factor that is giving way to analysts’ views on a stronger Asia recovery. Bloomberry Resorts just stated that it is close to breaking even in terms of EBITDA measurements, which would seem to indicate strong potential, especially in the Philippines. Bloomberry is behind, among others, the Solaire Resort & Casino in the country and the continued COVID-19 threat has forced the Philippines to be stricter with its health measures. Casinos have been impacted for a longer period than their counterparts in other countries, but Bloomberry is reporting positive net revenue for the third quarter of the year, which is a huge bounce from its performance earlier this year. 

Basketball and sports gambling fans now know start of next NBA season

The NBA is anxious to get things going as quickly as possible in order to continue recovering revenue lost due to the COVID-19 fiasco that forced last season to take an extended break. They were pushing for a December start, while players, on the other hand, initially wanted to have more time between seasons and were trying to convince the league to hold off until January. The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have now reached an agreement to get things running again, and the news will most likely make basketball fans, as well as sports gambling fans, happy.

The 75th season of the NBA will see its first games on December 22. This is two months later than an NBA season would normally start but, since the previous season only wrapped up on October 12, there was no chance of seeing things get going on a normal schedule. The upcoming season will also see 72 games played, as opposed to the normal 82. 

Part of the reason the players agreed to start sooner, instead of holding out for January, is because of the Olympics. The Summer Olympics were already delayed from this year to next, and getting pro basketball going in December will allow the season to end around the middle of July. This gives NBA players a chance to participate in the Olympics, and several have already indicated that they are planning on going. 

Being able to appear in the Olympics is a big deal for some athletes, but the NBA had to make a couple of concessions in order to get basketball players to agree to the earlier launch. Most notably, team owners didn’t get their way as they tried to convince players to put 25% of their salaries in escrow, suggested as a way to mitigate any further COVID-19 outbreaks, and had to settle for the usual 10%. That money, if the situation arises, would be taken across next season and the following two seasons, but players won’t ever have to give up more than 20%, which would only be considered in a worst-case scenario. 

Genting Casinos recognized at the first-ever digital Global Regulatory Awards

Genting Casinos UK’s Senior Vice President, Corporate Assurance & Regulatory Affairs, Jon Duffy, topped the shortlist twice at the fourth annual Global Regulatory Awards, firstly for Outstanding Individual Contribution to Responsible Gambling and then for Chief Compliance Officer of the Year.

These were awarded for significantly raising the profile of compliance and responsible gambling within the Genting organisation and leadership team. The Global Regulatory Awards recognise excellence in and commitment to responsible gambling and regulatory compliance. 

Meanwhile, Genting UK’s Anti-Money Laundering Department, won the award for Head of Anti Money Laundering (AML) / AML Team of the Year. The award recognises an individual or a team that has taken measures to align the business in a proactive manner with the various AML Directives set by regulators in the markets/jurisdictions in which the company operates.

Commenting on his two award wins, Jon Duffy said: “As a business, we put player protection first so I’m incredibly proud to be accepting these awards on Genting’s behalf in recognition of how seriously we take our responsibility to our customers. This year the business has faced challenges unlike any other, but we have taken every possible step to ensure our venues remain safe and welcoming environments.”

AGEM and GLI donate $120,000 to the National Museum of the American Indian’s new National Native American Veterans Memorial through their Lasting Impact Philanthropic Initiative

LAS VEGAS (November 10, 2020) – Today the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) and Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®) committed $120,000 to the National Museum of the American Indian’s new National Native American Veterans Memorial. The donation is part of the AGEM/GLI Lasting Impact Philanthropic Initiative, through which they collaborate to create a “lasting impact” inside the gaming industry and beyond.

The National Native American Veterans Memorial is part of the Smithsonian Museum collection. The museum is celebrating its opening with a virtual program tomorrow, November 11, and the event can be seen at AmericanIndian.si.edu.

Situated on the National Mall, a place that draws nearly 24 million visitors annually, the memorial will honor American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian veterans and symbolize the country’s respect for Native Americans’ service and patriotism.

“We are proud to contribute to this important, poignant, and lasting memorial that will be a permanent reminder on The National Mall of the commitment Native American veterans, their families, and governments have made to the United States. Per capita, for decades, Native Americans have had the highest percentage of representation in the military, 1.7 percent of total troops both enlisted and officer, even though overall they represent only 1.4 percent of the total U.S. population, a statistic which is a source of great pride to Tribal members and Tribal governments,” said GLI President/CEO James R. Maida. “The National Museum of the American Indian does tremendous work bringing awareness to the non-Native community about the history and contributions of Native Americans. This Memorial represents yet another important contribution. GLI is honored to be a part of the National Native American Veterans Memorial representing respect and recognition to Native American veterans and their commitment to their Country.” “AGEM enthusiastically joins our philanthropic partner GLI and Tribal gaming interests across the country in supporting this important new addition to the National Mall for all the world to experience when they visit Washington,” AGEM Executive Director Marcus Prater said. “All veterans who have served our country deserve proper recognition and this memorial celebrates the important role Native American veterans have played in defending our country and giving us the freedoms we enjoy today.”

Entercom acquires direct-to-consumer sports betting technology and analytics leader QL Gaming Group

Acquisition Bolsters Entercom’s Premier Sports Offering through Predictive Analytics and Insight-Driven Content.

Entercom to Expand Position as the Ultimate Audio Destination for Sports.

PHILADELPHIA – November 9, 2020 – Today, Entercom Communications Corp. (NYSE: ETM) announced it has closed on the acquisition of sports data and iGaming affiliate platform QL Gaming Group (QLGG) in an all cash deal for approximately $32 million. The acquisition brings unrivaled data, analytics and insight-driven content to Entercom’s best-in-class sports broadcast stations, influential podcasts and RADIO.COM, the fastest growing digital audio platform in America.

The QLGG technology portfolio includes sports betting data and analytical capabilities (BetQL), daily fantasy sports (RotoQL), simulation-based sports outcome predictions and game forecasting (AccuScore), and comprehensive analytical coverage of the ATP and WTA Tours (TennisInsight.com), each with respective subscriber base and licensing opportunities. 

Professional Fighters League to leverage IBM technologies to innovate next-gen proprietary SmartCage

PFL Teams with Flagship Group Solutions to Deliver Transformative Experiences Using IBM Cloud and Watson Technologies

NEW YORK (November 10, 2020) – The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league in the world, today announced it will be leveraging Flagship’s capabilities to deliver IBM’s suite of advanced cloud and AI products to enhance the league’s delivery of next-gen SmartCage data and analytics, both live in-broadcast and via the league’s OTT platform, Fight Central.

Flagship Solutions Group, an IBM Gold Business Partner and recognized provider of IBM solutions, managed services, and cloud solutions worldwide, will partner with the PFL to manage, design, and deliver the experience leveraging IBM’s technology solutions. PFL and Flagship Solutions Group will also work closely with the IBM Garage’s unique framework for enabling innovation at speed and scale through a team of leading technologies and multidisciplinary experts, to turn big ideas into tangible results.

PFL’s proprietary SmartCage measures real-time MMA fighter performance analytics along with biometric and positional data providing fans with an elevated viewing experience. Moving forward, SmartCage fight data, called Cagenomics, will be enhanced with Watson machine learning to scour data points and uncover new insights for MMA fans, bringing them inside the cage like never before.

Dimitar Berbatov unveiled as RB88 brand ambassador

Bulgarian footballing legend steps up in new role for innovative sportsbook and casino operator.

10th November 2020 – Leading Asian operator RB88 has announced that footballing legend Dimitar Berbatov is to become its new brand ambassador, having signed a two-year deal with the brand. RB88, one of the most recognizable and respected online sportsbooks and casinos in Asia, is breaking new ground by recruiting Berbatov as its first flagship spokesman in a newly signed contract that will continue until the end of 2022.

Often regarded as one of the greatest Bulgarian footballers of all time, Berbatov’s enduring class and flair are seen as perfectly-aligned values for an ambassador who complements RB88’s innovative reputation. Indeed, having played with some of the world’s most renowned football teams – such as Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham and Manchester United to name but a few – Berbatov needs no introduction to global football fans or sports-mad audiences. 

In addition to an outstanding career at an array of top football clubs, Berbatov also served as captain of the Bulgarian national team. There, he maintained a consistently high bar for performance and leadership which saw him selected as the Bulgarian Player of the Year three times in 2002, 2004 and 2005.

Could online poker’s growth in 2020 lead to another ‘Poker Boom’ in 2021?

The last poker boom worthy of the name took place in 2003 when Chris Moneymaker won the WSOP Main Event from an $80 satellite. We’re approximating that amount because numerous credible sources maintain that Moneymaker’s satellite entry was anything from $30 to $100, but either way, his victory transformed the game.  

The 2003 Poker Boom was unprecedented and came about for many reasons. Poker had long been ready to explode and the combination of online poker along with other factors such as companies like the World Poker Tour and the original PartyPoker brand growing were huge. In retrospect, the original poker boom was due to Mike Sexton’s legacy as much as it was Chris Moneymaker’s success at the felt.  

So could another, perhaps even bigger ‘poker boom’ be coming in 2021?  

If it feels an odd question to ask in the middle of a Coronavirus pandemic, that’s probably because it is, but it’s not necessarily the wrong one. Live poker has always been something of a loss leader, and live festivals create the biggest of those losses. As such, when the COVID-19 restrictions took a firm grip on live poker back in the Spring of this year, that put poker in something of a quandary.  

Portugal’s online gamblers still only partially sold on local sites

Portugal’s online gamblers are fewer in number this year than the year before, although slightly more of them are patronizing locally licensed sites.

This week, the Portuguese Association of Online Betting and Games (APAJO) released the results of a new survey conducted by pollsters Aximage on the habits of the country’s online gamblers. The survey, which was conducted in August, involved 601 registered online gambling customers (501 of which were male), the bulk of whom were between 18 and 34 years of age.

The survey found that 82.9% of respondents had gambled online in 2020, down from 93.6% the year before. The number of respondents who gambled solely with Portuguese-licensed sites increased 1.2 points to 45.2%, while the number who favored only internationally licensed options dipped 0.4 points to 5.6%. The jurisdictional-agnostic ranks of those who enjoyed both options fell 0.8 points to 49.2%.

The majority of respondents (92.8%) claimed to be able to discern between operators who held local licenses and those who didn’t. Of those who chose to gamble purely on Portuguese-licensed sites, 71.5% did so for security reasons, up 7.5 points from 2019. Those who favored international sites cited better bonuses, odds and a broader product range as motivating factors.

Kyle Menard leads Super MILLION$ final table while Chidwick starts as short-stack

The latest GGPoker Super MILLION$ final table will see Stephen Chidwick battle from short stack as a Canadian-packed last nine do battle to become the latest champion.  

Top prize this week is a bumper $628,892 – enough to draw plenty of players on Day 1 and due to the $3 million prizepool this week. Chip leader after the first day was Canada’s Kyle Menard, who will go into the final table with 5.9 million chips. His nearest challenger is another Canadian, ‘iStayOn5’, who has 4.2 million, and the country is represented heavily, with five of the highest seven players hailing from Canada.  

With the Brazilian player ‘fab5’ coming in with 3.5 million chips, Timothy Adams is next on the list, with 3.4 million and a wise head on his shoulders, currently sitting as he does top of the 2020 live tournament money list by a very long distance.  

With players such as Finland’s Eelis Pärssinen (3 million) also progressing to the final, it’s going to be fiercely competitive when play recommences on the live-delay streamed GGPoker Twitch channel.