Category: Industry

William Hill CEO and CFO Remuneration Packages Amended

Posted on by Grant Mahon

William Hill CEO, Ulrik Bengtsson and CFO, Matt Ashley, have their remuneration packages amended due to the ongoing coronavirus health crisis and its material impact on the revenue of the UK-based gaming operator.

Reduced Revenue, Freeze on CEO Salary Increase

In line with the update issued by the operator in March that a decline in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization /EBITDA/ to the extent of £110 million for 2020 was expected, CEO Bengtsson would have his annual salary increase suspended, and remain on £600,000 for the year. Even payment of 2019 dividend to shareholders was suspended to retain cash within the company that was materially impacted by having its retail estate closed.

William Hill has lowered Bengtsson’s maximum pension contribution rate from 20% to 5%, to bring it in line with the rate for the general workforce. The lower rate means another £30,000 will go towards a pension for the company’s CEO.

All executives and senior employees, CEO inclusive, have had their annual bonuses and long-term incentive schemes cancelled. For the position of a CEO, the bonus range is between 150% and 200% of salary.

Based on achieving certain business targets, CEO Bengtsson could have been awarded additional shares from the company, through the Performance Share Plan, an option he chose to decline.

200% of CFO Salary in Shares

The remuneration package for Matt Ashley, William Hill’s Chief Financial Officer, includes an annual salary of £450,000, a pension contribution of 5% of salary, and his bonus and long-term incentive plan have also been cancelled. Ashley’s resignation from National Express resulted into share forfeited for him, a loss William Hill will compensate on a like-for-like basis. The new CFO will be required to hold 200% of salary in company shares, a requirement upped from the previous 150% level.

The new CFO took the role April 6, after the initially selected for the job to replace long-time serving Ruth Prior, Adrian Marsh, decided to remain put in his old company, DS Smith, due to the challenges posed by the severe outbreak of the virus and its material impact on the gaming industry.

William Hill expressed its position that the addition of Matt Ashley is important in providing stability for the business and timely in regards to the expected impact on its revenue due to the ongoing health crisis. The company displayed confidence the decision was made to protect the interest of the shareholders and that it did not overpay for its new CFO.

The proposed remuneration packages to CEO Bengtsson and CFO Ashley will have to be approved by the shareholders at the business’s Annual General Meeting, scheduled to take place May 15, 2020.

A year ago the UK-based gambling operator William Hill vowed to double its profit figures by 2023, but in line with the ongoing health situation that brought the gaming industry to a halt, that promise looks like wishful thinking.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Ex-MGM Resorts CEO to Lead Nevada’s Coronavirus Task Force

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • COVID-19 prompts Nevada to shut down casinos and set up a relief task force
  • Former MGM CEO Jim Murren appointed head of the task force
  • Murren’s expertise will help contain the outbreak, Nevada Gov. Sisolak says

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the now-retired MGM CEO Jim Murren has been selected for the job of heading the coronavirus relief effort in Nevada.

MGM’s Former Number One at the Helm of Nevada’s COVID-19 Task Force

Jim Murren will be leading the newly established COVID-19 Response and Recovery Task Force, announced Governor Steve Sisolak this Sunday afternoon, following the closure of Nevada’s casino for 30 days. According to Gov. Sisolak, the experience that Murren has in a handful of industries will help Nevada’s healthcare system and ultimately lead to containing the outbreak.

Murren became a part of MGM in 2008 and for the past 12 years as CEO. It wasn’t long after his retirement in February that he was appointed a head of the new task force. Gov. Sisolak noted that Murren’s position is unpaid, voluntary and due to start straight away.

Murren’s first job on the list will be to allocate/source all of the useful assets from the private sector that can help in the fight with the coronavirus.

Considering Murren’s vast experience and contacts in Asia and the Middle East, it is expected from him to greatly help Nevada. Murren took part in a COVID-19 tourism industry round table with President Donald Trump and other White House leaders early in March so the announcement of Sisolak came at the right moment.

Gov. Sisolak noted that Murren will help the state receive the needed personal protection equipment, COVID-19 test kits and other essential supplies that the federal government cannot source currently. Sisolak also added: “Jim Murren can open doors that otherwise, I, as governor, can’t open up,”.

Some in Nevada Has Its Doubts About Addressing the Outbreak

Nevada state reaction was mixed as Jon Ralston, an old-timer editor and reported of The Nevada Independent questioned why a gaming insider such as Murren was picked. Ralston deemed that Gov. Sisolak was handling the crisis quite well so far but did note on Twitter that his announcement can face a bit of criticism.

Driven by fear of spreading the virus, states ordered the closing of many businesses and casinos. A lot of US leagues canceled their entire seasons or banned their fans from watching the games live, in person.

MGM did not stand idle by and took action to close all of its Strip casinos in Vegas. Only a few days after this decision, on Thursday, Sisolak ordered a state shut down for 30 days of all gambling establishments.

Murren noted that “There’s nothing more important right now than helping our state and each other through this crisis”. He continued with: “When we defeat this pandemic, I am confident that our state will come roaring back, as we have from the great hardships of the past.”

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Betway Fined £11.6M For Failure To Protect Customers

Posted on by Aran Malik

The UK Gambling Commission continues its series of penalty-imposing actions, with the latest operator, Betway, fined a record £11.6 million for failure with regards to gambling addiction protection and player source of funds checks.

The gambling regulator in the UK meted the severe punishment to Betway, after it had found out serious violations in dealings with high-spending VIP clients that meant the operator handled around £5.8 million of suspected criminal proceeds, and the gambling Commission is now returning the money to the victims.

In one of these VIP cases, Betway allowed a customer to deposit over £8 million, in the span of four years, lose £4 million and in the meantime having his account flagged 20 times as a potential risk, only in each of these occasions for the staff to accept the client’s word as evidence of the source of the funds. Even the board of directors of the company, when the case was referred to them, allowed the gambler to continue, with the actual closure of the client’s account happening after the police’s intervention.

Another client was allowed to deposit £1.6 million and lose more than £700,000, in a period of 3 years, despite being unemployed, and Betway failed to verify customer employment status due to reliance on open source information that confirmed the client could afford the losses.

A violation of the customer self-exclusion policy was found when a client made a series of deposits totaling £494,000 into 11 different accounts, after that customer had previously signed up to exclude from gambling, a glaring example of gambling addiction behavior.

Another VIP client deposited and lost £187,000 in just 2 days, without being asked by Betway’s staff about the source of the money.

“The actions of Betway suggest there was little regard for the welfare of its VIP customers or the impact on those around them. As part of our ongoing programme of work to make gambling safer, we are pushing the industry to make rapid progress on the areas that we consider will have the most significant impact to protect consumers” Richard Watson, Executive Director, UK Gambling Commission.

Betway will pay £5.8 million back to the victims of the crimes committed by its customers, plus another £5.8 million to the Gambling Commission that will be spent to reduce gambling addiction. Betway accepted to pay the penalty and improve their existing processes.

“Betway takes full responsibility for the small number of historic cases which have led to this settlement. We have fully cooperated with the investigation and will take further proactive steps to ensure all recommendations and findings are implemented” Anthony Werkman, CEO, Betway.

The latest imposed financial penalty by the UKGC is almost 4 times the amount of the previous one, the £3 million fine meted to Mr Green, an online gaming company owned by William Hill, and the GC is determined to make the gambling environment safer in times when the society shows sensitivity on the matters.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

New NetGaming Hire Natalya Ovchinnikova – A Clear Sign Of Ambition

Posted on by Aran Malik

NetGaming has hired Natalya Ovchinnikova as the new head of product, with the task to grow the company’s start-up slot portfolio.

Experience On Board

The Malta-based creative casino games design studio NetGaming continues its efforts to further strengthen its senior management team by bringing in more experience in the shape and form of former slot product owner at Yggdrasil Gaming and product manager at NetEnt, Natalya Ovchinnikova.

New Content Every Month

The new head of product will be responsible for the oversight of the production process for the company’s engaging portfolio of slot games, as NetGaming is planning to release new content every month during 2020, a mixture of original and branded content in a premium quality slot catalogue, available in 26 languages and compatible with 41 currencies.

CEO Knows Best

The newly employed Natalia Ovchinnikova is a former colleague of current NetGaming CEO Pallavi Deshmukh, at NetEnt, and he is delighted to be able to add her to his team.

“We are absolutely delighted to have Natalya on board. With a fantastic track-record of achieving consistent results, her extensive and successful industry experience speaks for itself. I am pleased to be working with Natalya again”, Pallavi Deshmukh, CEO, NetGaming.

New Hire Excited

With nearly a decade of iGaming experience under her belt, Natalia Ovchinnikova is the perfect solution for the growing slot product needs of NetGaming and the new employee is looking forward to meeting the high expectations in front of her.

“I am thrilled to be joining NetGaming, an exciting provider boasting an immersive gaming suite and ambitious plans for global expansion. With international growth and high-profile content in the pipeline, this is a company gearing up for major 2020 success”, Natalya Ovchinnikova, Head of Product, NetGaming.

Global Expansion

The creative content designer NetGaming has recently signed lucrative deals for partnership across the world, including the content distribution deal with the provider of online gaming solutions BetConstruct, as well as with EveryMatrix, to gain access to the largest casino content library with more than 8,000 games and 260+ local and global jackpots, the casino aggregator, CasinoEngine.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Spain Posts Decent 2019 Results Despite Slow Q4

Posted on by Grant Mahon
  • Spain’s Q4 gaming and betting results drop
  • The country’s industry remains strong in 2019
  • A series of regulations expected to hit in 2020

Spain is seeing an uptick in 2019 gaming and sports betting revenue, despite a slowdown in the fourth quarter and a rapidly intensifying regulation.

Spain Posts Strong 2019 Results Despite Q4 Drop

Unperturbed by the most recent government announcement that online gambling advertisement will come under heavy regulation, the Spanish market grew 7.1% in 2019, even though Q4 produced slightly worse results.

Spain posted a total of $821.5 million in 2019, even though the last three months of the year were fairly challenging. According to the Dirección General del Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), the country’s gambling regulator, sports betting has been the largest incentive the industry saw in 2019. There have been headwinds as well, specifically in the case of several high-profile sports figures accused of match-fixing.

DGOJ recognized the contributions of all verticals that grew over the period, beating year-over-year (YOY) results. Sports betting added an estimated $417.51 million. Spain also saw the so-called real-money contests mark a 170% increase YOY.

While online gambling and sports betting seemed strong, poker and bingo inched down during the period. Both segments saw a tangible decline with bingo operations shrinking 9.7%. Revenue through December 31, 2019 declined by 2.1%.

Interestingly, in-play betting picked up a little in Q4, driving revenue for the sports betting segment, which collapsed by another 29.7% in the last three months of the year, a normal development for that part of the year.

However, roulette results went up in Q4, for example. The segment generated an estimated 24.9% uptick translating to $17.53 million, underlining Spaniards’ appetite for the rather pricey segment that is roulette. All gambling companies bolstered their affiliate operations, investing up to 6.4% more or a total of $12.02 million to gain a foothold following a number of restrictive regulatory measures.

Spain to Tighten Gambling Regulation

Spanish lawmakers have been going gung-ho about gambling in the country. Even though the industry has been shaping as a staple GDP product, regulators and politicians have been paying a closer eye on ongoing developments.

For example, at the end of 2019, the Spanish government approved to limit the size of bonuses new players can receive at EUR 100, around $125. Now, online advertisement is coming under scrutiny with as much as 80% of all advertisement up to be restricted, a new law suggests.

Other countries, such as Italy, have already gone through with a blanket ban, targeting all advertisement in full. Globally, regulations are tightening. The Stars Group recently signed a partnership with GiG Compliance to bring affiliate companies for its poker brand, Poker Stars, in line with specific regulatory norms in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States.

Spain’s quickly-developing market will definitely occasion more scrutiny and with it the need for better self-policing by brands who wish to stay in regulators good graces.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Portugal’s Gambling Revenue Grows for 8th Consecutive Quarter

Posted on by Kat Orlov
  • Portugal’s gaming and sports betting revenue continues to grow in Q4 2019
  • Players spend some $941.10 million on games of chance
  • Close to 163,900 people register to bet and gamble over the period

Portugal has posted another successful quarter in Q4 2019 with online gambling revenue climbing to a new high and reaching $72.3 million over the period. The national regulator, Serviço Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos do Turismo de Portugal (SRIJ), reported growth across all main online gambling segments consolidating the country’s position as a developing iGaming market.

Sports Betting Continues to Drive Market Growth

In terms of comparing results year-over-year, Portugal managed to pull 52.1% more in pure revenue in the three months leading up to December 31, 2019. Not only that, but Q4 2019 was also the eight quarter in which the country’s market had only grown without showing any signs of slowing down.

Part of the positive development was also occasioned by sports gambling, which reached $36.88 million, or another 55.0% uptick compared to the same period a year before. Portuguese gamblers put down some $204.63 million in total bets, pushing the results up 67.5% year-over-year.

Football and basketball were the main drivers of sports betting interest in the country with both segments posting some significant improvement. Football, for example, had soared up by 74.6% more wagers compared to Q4 2018. In the meantime, Portugal has also been revving up its efforts to clamp down on illegal gambling.

Casino Products Make Steady Expansion Efforts

iGaming products also contributed a fair bit, pushing the total number of wagers placed up 49.1.% year-over-year. Specifically, players spent$941.10 million on online gambling revenue in the last three months of the year, marking another significant progress or 47.9%.

Slots topped these developments with some 69.0% of all money placed on casino products going in the way of slots over the quarter. Interestingly French roulette was the second most played game, with some 13.6% of the wagers going its way.

This indicates a maturity among Portuguese gamblers who are well aware of the inherent advantages of the game as one of the best-paying versions of roulette. Third came poker, with a 9.4% share of the market.

Poker has been a rather popular pastime in Portugal especially now that PokerStars has been part of the available options since 2016. Not only that, but Portugal is also sharing liquidity with other countries to boost the overall prize pool available for poker tournaments, something that places such as the United States still lack.

The Scope of the Portuguese Market – 12 Operators Active

Presently, the country has 12 approved gaming and betting operators that are active and hold multiple skins. The total number of licenses issued is 20 and the majority of those – 11 – are allocated to games of chances, such as the ones offered at casinos.

In the quarter, some 390,400 people placed a wager online, marking another increase. Estimated 163,900 new registration were made in the country during the fourth quarter of 2019.

Kat Orlov

Newcomer Kat is our newcomer poker aficionado whos skill not only lives on the table but flourishes on the site as through her many sources she never fails to be the first to hear of any important or exciting poker news around the world.

Evolution Introduces Speed Blackjack to Slash Waiting Times

Posted on by Carmen Thompson

Developer of live games, Evolution Gaming, has introduced yet another innovative game to its portfolio, with Speed Blackjack slashing waiting time for players by 30-40%.

Evolution Gaming Debuts Speed Blackjack

On Thursday, Evolution Gaming introduced its latest blackjack live dealer version, Speed Blackjack, adding to a what is already an extensive list of accomplished titles in the segment. Once again, Evolution has found a way to introduce an innovative feature to their game and help it stand away.

While the core principles of the game remain fairly the same, in Speed Blackjack, all players get the option to Hit, Double Down or Split at the same time. The player to act the quickest will be the first to get the next card.

This dealing process will repeat itself until all players are happy with their draw and reveal their hands. Commenting on the news, Evolution Chief Product Officer, Todd Haushalter, has lauded his company’s efforts in the segment.

Mr. Haushalter explained that the game introduces a key difference to any casino product out there. In an official statement, he rhetorically asked ‘why should players have to wait?’ suggesting that Evolution Gaming has discovered a much more efficient way to proceed to playing.

He acknowledged that the game didn’t seek to introduce a new skill-based element, but rather slash the overall waiting time. Evolution ahs been trying to innovate the live dealer segment at a time when many other companies have been happily joining in.

In a similar vein, Evolution released First Person Lightning Roulette and First Person Dream Catcher in 2019, expanding on an already fantastic portfolio of options. Evolution’s emphasis on random number generator (RNG) game that transcend the traditional live gaming segment has won it a reputation for the most innovative company in the segment.

Optimizing the Game and Serving the Player

Players now stand a unique opportunity, the company argues, to slash the overall waiting time by estimated 30-40% times, allowing them to play more or simply play quicker, Mr. Haushalter has explained.

The ‘Speed’ segment isn’t entirely new either with Evolution already having debuted a number of games that are built on the premise of minimizing waiting time. The key difference to the new game is that the age-old rule where decisions are made from left-to-right is now gone and everyone gets to act on their own time.

Apart from working on new titles, Evolution has also been working on expanding into new markets. A recent license by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has allowed the company to launch live games with Parx Casinos’ iGaming sites in Pennsylvania.

Similarly, the company teamed up with Penn National Gaming to host live games. Evolution is in the process of setting up a studio in Pennsylvania, boosting its footprint across North America.

Carmen Thompson

Carmen is our residential reporter always on the move and hunting down the latest scoops and rumours to explore. Nothing gets past her keen nose, especially when it comes to some serious Jelly Bean poker tournaments.

The Guardian: 83% of All Bets Came From 2% of Player Base

Posted on by Sophia Rojas
  • The Guardian obtains a report showing over-reliance by betting companies in the UK on VIP customers
  • UK Gambling Commission promises tougher measures on the segment
  • In some cases, 83% of all bets came from 2% of the player base

New evidence has surfaced that the UK gambling industry may be over-reliant on problem gamblers, The Guardian wrote citing a report obtained by the newspaper. High-spending VIP customers were the drivers of economic and financial results for companies, the newspaper reported.

More specifically, The Guardian argued that the likelihood of VIP customers being addicts was bigger than that of regular and casual players. In fact, VIP schemes brought in 83% of the deposits, from just 2% of the player base on at least one occasion.

VIP Programs and the Root of All Evil

The report obtained by the newspaper focused on criticizing the methods used by gambling companies to incentivize players into playing. A reward VIP program was designed from head-to-toe to provide players with various incentives, such as free bets, cash backs, and even football tickets.

Stepping into the discussion, the UK Gambling Commission said that measures have been taken to address the issue and correlation between addiction and high incidence of gambling addiction. Specifically, a spokesperson for the Commission had this to say:

Operators must improve their interaction with VIPs and we have challenged the industry to make faster progress to improve how they manage their customers. We have also taken robust action against operators who fail to protect consumers and we will be even tougher if behavior does not change.

The worst case was that of a company which collected 83% of all its deposits from 2% of the customer base. Meanwhile, there were other worrying examples, such as another company that accumulated 58% of all deposits through 5% of its customer base.

A third company scooped up some 48% of all deposits from just 3% of its members, pointing to a growing inadequacy between existing regulatory measures and how VIP customers are protected. With some 47,000 VIP customers in the United Kingdom, at least 8% of them are already gambling addicts, the Commission said.

We Have the Means to Fight Gambling Addiction

One section of the report said that gambling firms are already aware of which customers are more likely to play and spend more, thanks to advanced algorithms. However, there has been no real effort to offer help to individuals who are likely to also be developing a gambling addiction.

However, the Commission has not been without a response on the issue. Several suggestions have been put forward on how to police the VIP segment better so as to avoid gambling addiction. One measure in the report reads that operators must come under more pressure.

Another says that an “industry-wide VIP code of conduct” must be put into place. A third goes even further, suggesting to altogether ban the VIP segment. Similar moves have been undertaken in Sweden where the country’s regulator, the Spelinspektionen, has shown zero policy for gambling products that incentivize further play.

Labor MP Carolyn Harris has gone even further to say: “This report shows how completely reliant the industry is on people with gambling problems and that they are profiteering from them. “ VIP players are indeed the segment that all companies are trying to retain and keep playing the most.

Sophia Rojas

Growing up around law firms, Sophia keeps our team of reporters atop any legislative developments to follow up with a welcomed dose of positive news as our house trivia nut!

PA Reaps 33% Increase in Sports Betting Revenue in November

Posted on by Grant Mahon

Pennsylvania has managed to amass strong gains from the launch of mobile gaming and sports betting, with the amount wagered in November increasing 33% from a month before in October.

PGCB Posts November Results

With Pennsylvania launching online sports betting, the state posted one-third better results in November, amassing over $300 million in total sports betting handle. Mobile betting has helped the Keystone State and specifically business in the state collect unprecedent overall handle.

Specifically, the bets went up to $316.5 million, marking a 31.2% increase from October, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) reported. Online betting soared to the whopping $266.7 million over the period, marking a nearly 85% increase.

The retail market also grew a little, probably riding on the popularity of the online segment with the month-over-month results rising to $49.7 million in total handle. The retail segment managed to generated bigger gross gaming revenue (GGR) at around $20.6 million, but about $5.9 million was spent on advertising, tipping the taxable GGR to $14.7 million – down from the October’s results.

How Did Operators Perform in November?

Operators posted positive developments in November, including the duo between Valley Forge Casino and FanDuel, one of the leading sportsbooks in the U.S., which pulled ahead with total handle worth $153 million. This was 29.6% higher than the previous month, PGCB data showed. Estimated $5.8 million was taxable account income.

FanDuel and Valley Forge were largely unchallenged. Rivers Philadelphia, the freshly rebranded SugarHouse Casino, amassed $41.3 million, a far cry from FanDuel’s results over the month. The next property on the list in November was $30.5 million with $2 million spent on promotional credits.

DraftKings, FanDuel’s main rival, made its first step into the market, owing to a partnership with Meadows Casino. DraftKings only amassed $18.1 million in GGR over the period.

Online Casino Market Remains Strong in Pennsylvania

Mobile gaming and sports betting have been a major boost for the Keystone State. Online slots revenue grew to $140.3 million up to 19.4% and revenue soaring to $5.1 million, or 28.1% more than a month before.

Table games notched up $176.5 million, proving a segment even more lucrative than the bulwark of all online gaming – slots. Revenue for operators from table games soared to $2.6 million. Another interesting development was poker with Mount Airy and the The Stars Group.

Mount Airy is presently the only operator have spearheaded poker, one of the weakest segments in the United States, but very popular in the offshore online gaming business. The Rivers Philadelphia may have come second in terms of sports betting, but the property definitely turned out to be the busiest venue among online gaming players.

The amount wagered in November reached $64.2 million from slots alone. The second biggest in terms of slots revenue was Penn National Gaming. Interestingly, the state’s video gaming terminals (VGTs) also managed to amass a fair chunk of the revenue, estimated $659,288.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Macau’s GGR Takes a Tumble in November, 7th Time in 2019

Posted on by George Hansen

Gross gaming revenue in Macau dropped for the seventh time in 2019 in November, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau revealed, posting the latest results.

Macau’s GGR Drops in November for 7th Month in 2019

Macau’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) took an 8.5% tumble year-over-year in November, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau reported. The regulator specified that the amount generated by the industry was $2.84 billion stood at November.

Previously, revenue dropped in August when it shrunk by 8.6%. This coincided with analyst forecasts who had been expecting Macau to take hits, occasioned by over-regulation, investigations in Australia, and a simmering trade war between the United States and China.

JP Morgan, an investment bank, said that the contraction was expected, but also better than original forecasts. The daily revenue amounted to nearly $88 million a day, the bank confirmed.

The VIP segment was also affected, registering a 13% drop in overall performance. More importantly, Macau posted a year in which the months of declining revenue exceeded those of positive growth. November was the seventh such month in 2019.

Sanford C. Bernstein Ltd, a brokerage firm with focus on Macau’s gaming sector, also confirmed the numbers, from falling VIP revenue to overall daily handle. A tightening VISA control from the mainland has also been an issue, as Chinese authorities are now more scrupulous about mainland visitors in Macau.

Meanwhile, brokerage Nomura, suggested that December may bring a modest growth for the gaming hub:

“Assuming December GGR increases sequentially in line with its trailing seven-year median, or up roughly 5 to 6 percent versus November, we estimate GGR for the month should settle around MOP24 billion,” said the institution.”

While Macau has a relative freedom to run its business as it sees fit, mainland China still has a big say in what happens. China President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Macau on December 20, marking the official handover of Macau back to China. Analysts predict that this would curb the growth of GGR in December.

Macau Claims $12bn in Taxes until October

While challenges continue, Macau claimed $11.7 billion in tax revenue from the casino gaming sector in the first 10 months of 2019. Despite several months of drops in the overall GGR, Macau generated 0.4% more handle over the period.

Despite the fairly strong results, Macau’s government has pursued a policy of exclusion whereby gambling revenue is never factored as a reliable source of tying up expenditures for the public purse.

Income is duly redistributed, however. Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong has recently said that Macau will focus on protecting public interest above all else.

Having just stepped into his position, the Secretary is committed to optimizing a number of matters related to the gaming industry in Macau, including the existing gaming concession contracts.

While no details about the future of Macau’s gaming have been revealed, it’s certain that management will be introducing changes.

George Hansen

Taking a liking to the occasional bout of slots, George used to moonlight as a roulette dealer, giving him a unique perspective into the casino world. From there he continued his journalist education and has been with us ever since a star-aligned graduation brought him and our team together.

Trade Group Calls for Liberalization of Austria Gambling Market

Posted on by Carmen Thompson

A trade group has called for the end of monopoly in Austria, specifically targeting Casinos Austria.

Does Austria Have a Gambling Monopoly?

Austria has called for an end of monopoly in the iGaming sector, and specifically Casinos Austria’s tight control over the industry. The appeal has been made by the leading gambling trade group in the country, The Austrian Association for Betting and Gambling (OVWG) .

The OVWG expressed concerns over Casinos Austria’s CFO Peter Sidlo and specifically his participation as a district councillor in Vienna from the Freedom Party of Austria (FPO). Not least of all, Mr. Sidlo is also a shareholder in Novomatic, one of the largest developers out there.

Both Sidlo and Novomatic have denied to have benefitted in any way from the councillor’s position and connections in politics.

An Investigation Proving Otherwise

The OVWG acted after the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) carried out raids as part of investigation looking into alleged links between politicians and the gambling business.

Responding to these developments, the trade group said that Austria needs to re-consider how gambling business operates in the country and that Casinos Austria need to lose clout by liberalizing the market and allowing more actors to join.

The OVWG further said:

“On the one hand, this concerns the multiple function of the Federal Minister of Finance as the supervisory authority, licensing body and co-owner. On the other hand, it is an unjustifiable fact that there is only one national online gambling license, which also raises significant concerns about its compliance with EU law.”

Not least of all, Mr. Sildo’s appointment has been perceived as an appointment designed to exploit his connections in politics.

The OVWG also cited Denmark as a great example of how an industry should operate, both in terms of transparency as well as player protection measures. Specifically, the trade group argued that Denmark didn’t limit the number of licenses, for example, but rather, the country introduced very high customer protection and licensing standards in the first place.

Operators Need to be Supervised by the State

The necessity for a more liberal system is to guarantee that competition strives to meet the standards set out by the government, the OVWG has specified.

However, in the absence of high licensing standards, and the power concentrated in the lottery and Casinos Austria, there is little opportunity for a meaningful change to follow.

Earlier, the European Court of Justice issued a ruling that Casinos Austria was at odds with European regulatory measures in the gambling industry. Specifically, the court said that there was a clear absence of a competitive procedure to justify how the company has obtained its license.

While ‘European meddling’ has been a common dismissal of Brussels trying to tell member states how to run their gaming industries, even countries traditionally thought of as protectionists have been liberalizing their markets, including France.

European Union commissioner for financial services, Michel Barnier has long been calling for harmonization of European directives, and gaming is specifically an area where Austria needs to become more liberal in.

Carmen Thompson

Carmen is our residential reporter always on the move and hunting down the latest scoops and rumours to explore. Nothing gets past her keen nose, especially when it comes to some serious Jelly Bean poker tournaments.

New Jersey’s Sports Betting Results in October Up

Posted on by Grant Mahon

The State of New Jersey has posted its October results for sports betting, generating some impressive figures over the period. The state’s sportsbooks managed to collected a total handle of $487.9 million. Total gambling revenue for the month in the Garden State hit $2.86 billion.

New Jersey Continues to Post Reassuring Gambling Results

New Jersey has managed to rake in estimated $46.4 million in revenue in October, 2019, posting a strong betting handle for the month as well. Sportsbooks in the state scooped up as much as $487.9 million over the period.

The latest figures surpassed results in September when operators reported $37.9 million in collected revenue. More specifically, the revenue was almost 300% higher than the figure posted in September, 2018, marking a tremendous progress since that time.

Meanwhile, total handle also went up and October saw total bets worth $445.6 million placed. This was 87.14% up from October 2018.

Can New Jersey Beat Nevada in Sports Betting?

The big question is whether New Jersey will manage to outpace Nevada’s own pace of expansion. Everyone knows that the Garden State has a slightly more accessible climate, but Nevada has been the world’s chief gambling hub for a while.

Commenting on these developments, sports and gaming analyst Dustin Gouker had this to say:

“If New Jersey is going to pass Nevada during the NFL season, it will be in large part due to the comparative popularity of basketball in the Northeast. In Nevada, football betting is king, and it’s nearly as popular in New Jersey.

Similarly, Mr. Gouker cautioned that New Jersey sports fans were more active compared to Nevada where the casino gambling industry was leading the way.

Meanwhile, there has been very little evidence to suggest that in either Nevada or New Jersey, online poker can gain any momentum, to the disappointment of poker enthusiasts in both states. Even the recent addition of Pennsylvania as an eligible state hasn’t helped.

The Total Handle in NJ in October

Nevada managed to amass $5.1 million and a total handle of $546.4 million. However, New Jersey has outperformed Nevada in every month leading up to September, definitely a promising sign.
New jersey also saw mobile sports bet to dominate all forms of betting. In fact, estimated $417 million worth of bets were placed online. FanDuel and PointsBet dominated the industry in October once again.

Next came Resorts Digital thanks to its multiple partnerships with leading operators such as The Stars Group and DraftKings.

Monmouth Park and William Hill’s efforts placed them third, generating $2.8 million or up 133.8% compared to October 2018.

Online Gambling Going Up

Official data by New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) showed great results insofar as online gambling went. New Jersey posted a 69% increase YOY, with the total amount hitting $45.2 million.

In the conditions of an expanding online gaming and sports betting industry, the retail sector register a modest by reassuring growth of 0.8% at $202.3 million. Combined, the total gaming revenue in the Garden State for October hit $2.86 billion.

Big sports such as the NFL, NBA and MLB remain the chief drivers of all activities in New Jersey.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

DC Superior Court Rules Against Intralot Sports Betting Injunction

Posted on by George Hansen
  • DC Court Judge Campbell blocks Intralot betting injunction
  • DC Lottery says plaintiff’s claims were baseless
  • Intralot now has green light for sports betting contract

DC Superior Court blocks injunction against Intralot

The Washington DC Superior Court denied a request on Friday for a preliminary injunction that would have blocked a no-bid contract with Greek-based Intralot. The contract will allow Intralot to manage the city’s planned foray into online sports betting. The decision by Judge John Campbell allows the District to move ahead with the contract, although the lawsuit itself is still pending.

The District’s contract with Intralot had been on hold for several weeks as both sides made legal arguments. The lawsuit filed by Dylan Carragher, a DC resident and the founder of a sports-betting technology business, argued that the $215 million contract over five years with Intralot violated federal law because District officials awarded it without competitive bidding.

The lottery’s deal with Intralot has ruffled feathers for a while, mostly because of the ‘unfair conditions’ under which it was awarded. Councilmember David Grosso was among the first officials to call out the lack of a bidding process in February, describing it as a giveway.

In its response to the request for an injunction, the DC Lottery said that Carragher’s claims were “without basis” and that “the plaintiff falls far short in proving entitlement to such extraordinary relief”, Washington Post reports.

Carragher’s attorney, Donald Temple, said that he was disappointed and that an appeal was in order. “It’s clearly a disturbing opinion and contradicts the case law,” he commented. “The city should be concerned that if the case goes to an appellate court and Carragher wins, it loses the money it has paid to Intralot so far,” he clarified.

Arguing authority

Earlier this year, the DC Council narrowly voted to suspend competitive-bidding rules and allow Intralot, which already held the contract to operate the DC Lottery, to continue running the lottery and to also manage the city’s new online sports gambling.

The lawsuit claimed that by suspending competitive-bidding rules for the contract, District officials violated the Home Rule Act, which established local government in the nation’s capital.

Under the Home Rule Act, the District’s chief financial officer is to carry out his office’s procurement of goods and services but must follow District procurement law. Temple argued that because the DC Lottery falls under the purview of the chief financial officer, the council was not entitled to exempt the contract from the procurement law.

The judge disagreed. “We can spend all day asking whether the council should have done it,” Campbell mused. “But it clearly and unquestionably was within the council’s authority to do that,” he stated.

DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said in a statement Friday that he was “glad the court has given this the green light.”

“The fact is that we’re going to see sports betting with a mobile application expand among many states over the next several years, and there’s no reason the District should be left behind,” he added.

A spokeswoman for the DC Lottery, Nicole Jordan, said in a statement that the agency is “fully focused on resuming the modernization of the Lottery and implementation of sports wagering in the District.”

Any further attempts by Intralot to launch its sports betting offer will come head-to-head with the suit against the organization. More developments will come in the following weeks.

George Hansen

Taking a liking to the occasional bout of slots, George used to moonlight as a roulette dealer, giving him a unique perspective into the casino world. From there he continued his journalist education and has been with us ever since a star-aligned graduation brought him and our team together.

Germany’s Ads Industry Boosted by Casino Spending

Posted on by George Hansen

The German advertisement industry has been boosted by a spike in how much casinos have been advertising their bonuses and promotions across various mediums.

German Casino Ads Spending Goes Up

There is a link between how much the German advertising industry earns at home and how many casinos are looking for ways to sell their promotions, a new report has revealed. Advertisement in Germany has been going well with online casinos investing big buck into spreading the word about their current offers.

The data is based on a study by Research Tools, a consultancy firm. The firm simply collected publicly accessible data from AdVision, a media monitoring company and found out that all online operators have collectively spent around $450 million in running ads for their promotions as of May 31, 2019.

These numbers cover the last 12 months. As Research Tools’ report noted, these numbers were driven mostly by online advertisement in the iGaming sector. Specifically, operators have spent estimated $80 million more on promoting their products year-over-year, or 20% based on Research Tools’ assessment.

In other words, private advertisers have been spending more than state lotteries. Moreover, up to 64 brands have promoted gambling products, another increased compared with 47 a year before that. Specifically, it has been Kindred Group’s Unibet-owned operator, Wunderino, to significantly increase its involvement in the country and put more investment in online ads.

German TV Dominated by Casino Ads

The Research Tools’ study also established that TV remained the dominant medium of promotion in the country, with 80% of all advertisement revenue spent on that. Plus, the majority of the ads focused on stressing how “exciting” these offers were.

Brands also reached out to popular athletes to help them promote their product, such as in the case of Oliver Kahn and Diego Maradona. However, such moves have merited some negative attention from authorities, not necessarily in Germany. The study was focused on 500 consumer magazines, 190 specialist journals, 71 radio and 45 television channels, plus a sample of 500 pages.

Yet, Germany’s casino prospects are somewhat dimmer. The country is looking to enforce the Third State Treaty on Gambling which is coming on January 1, 2020 and will see the first official sportsbook in the country launch on June 30, 2021.

Presently, online casinos are operating in a sort of a grey legal area in the state. Furthermore, Germany has already issued recommendations to payment processors to restrict the transaction of money between German citizens and any offshore operator.

PayPal was one of the operators that needs to enforce the measures. The payment processor has had run-ins with authorities in the past, specifically in the United States and over the same issues with not suspending transactions.

George Hansen

Taking a liking to the occasional bout of slots, George used to moonlight as a roulette dealer, giving him a unique perspective into the casino world. From there he continued his journalist education and has been with us ever since a star-aligned graduation brought him and our team together.

Buenos Aires iGaming Licensing Process Continues in Full

Posted on by George Hansen

  • 14 operators formally present their offers
  • Slots Machines SA fails to meet prerequisites
  • Buenos Aires will serve as a litmus test of further gambling expansion

Buenos Aires continues to prepare its iGaming sector for a full-scale launch. Argentina may expand gambling across the country if a good working model is found out.

Buenos Aires Moves on with iGaming Licensing

Argentina is preparing to welcome iGaming companies in Buenos Aires, the capital. The process will cover 14 operators which are now looking to make an entry in the country and specifically in the city. Having mulled sports betting for a while, Argentina is now focusing on digital casino games, with the help of a number of established companies.

Originally, 15 companies were expected to join the registration process, but Slots Machines SA failed to show up any viable offer within the specified deadlines. All 14 remaining operators made a presentation hosted by the Provincial Institute of Lottery and Casinos (IPLyC).

Biyemas, a local operator, has decided to go it solo and not involve other operators, nor any international company. This can be seen as a drawback, as the current pool of participants are all teaming up with a number of companies that have years of experience under their belt.

The full list of local and international partnerships is long and it involves names, such as bet365, 888, and William Hill as some of the most recognizable casino operators in the world. Presently, the partnerships are as follows:

  • Betway and King Bingo
  • Betsson and Casino de Victoria
  • Playtech and Hotel Casino Tandil
  • William Hill and Argenbingo

More big operators are also part of the applicants list. All of them have teamed up with international operators to create a feasible economic model that would let local brands learn from the best and scale their offer as legislation becomes available.

Buenos Aires’ Long-Term Gaming Goals

Buenos Aires and Argentina have the ultimate goal of popularizing online wagering and casino gaming across the country. There has been a strong push from Buenos Aires Governor María Eugenia Vidal to introduce the activity in the first place.

To achieve this, however, a workable framework will have to be established in the country’s capital so as to replicate its success elsewhere.

This won’t be easy for a number of reasons, not least of which because of the arbitrary non-compliance of some operators. Even in a regulated market, such as the United Kingdom, the UK Gambling Commission, the nation’s regulator, has hit gaming operators with fines have hit over £19 million, pointing to serious shortcomings in the work of iGaming companies.

Argentina has no experience with regulating betting and this leaves the country vulnerable to abuse in the iGaming sector. Buenos Aires will be an important litmus test which must come with lessons for both the government and operators.

George Hansen

Taking a liking to the occasional bout of slots, George used to moonlight as a roulette dealer, giving him a unique perspective into the casino world. From there he continued his journalist education and has been with us ever since a star-aligned graduation brought him and our team together.

Denmark’s Q1 Online Gaming & Sports Betting Revenue Increases

Posted on by George Hansen
  • Land based properties in Denmark lose 10 per cent revenue
  • Online revenue soars – mobile platforms lead the way
  • Sports betting verticals post 10 per cent increase

Denmark continues to be the safest gambling market in Europe. While upholding the best practices in the industry, Denmark has also been able to drive revenue for the iGaming sector while land-based properties have seen a dip in their revenue.

Online Gambling Revenue in Denmark Climbs Up

Denmark’s iGaming sector has posted good results in Q1, 2019. The market successfully consolidated its online presence, but this came at a cost for brick-and-mortar operators which are now struggling to catch up.

The results for the quarter ending on March 31 have revealed a shift towards online gambling. Danish operators have managed to hit over DKK1.6 billion ($910 million) in the three months since the beginning of the years, which is a 4.5-per-cent improvement year-over-year.

Once again, online operators focused exclusively on sports betting which continued to lead the way, generating 619 million in the first quarter online.

This accounted for almost 40 per cent of the total amount that online gambling generated in Q1. Sports betting also marked the highest year-over-year improvement, accounting for 10.4-per-cent improvement compared to Q1, 2018.

Denmark Shifts Towards Mobile Betting

Mobile platforms have certainly seen a spike in the total use for the purposes of gambling, as betting apps accounted for 53.3 per cent of the total wagers placed in Q1, 2019. Desktop betting remained strong as well, with the total accounting for 27.3 per cent. People who opted to place a wager in person accounted for 21.9 per cent of the total, a still decent turn-up.

Denmark Q3 iGaming Results Strong Despite Mild Dip

Casinos also did well, at least the properties operating online that is. Online casinos managed to amass DKK556 million in the period. Q1 brought nearly a million more in terms of revenue. Once again, online slots remained the most lucrative segment, which has accounted for over 60 per cent of the total revenue.

The improved results come at a time when Denmark has successfully continued to enrol problem gamblers in its national self-exclusion scheme. Denmark is the only country in the European Union which enforces consumer protection practices in full.

Sweden, a new entrant in online gambling as of January 1, 2019, has already had to issue fines to prominent gaming operators and threaten with suspension of license – Betway has been among the affected parties. William Hill, another UK-based betting agency has also acquired assets in Sweden.

Sweden and Denmark remain the most challenging markets in the world of iGaming where rules need to be followed to the T lest regulators decide to issue hefty payments. The fact that revenue continues to grow while regulations tighten is a positive sign for the future of sports betting and iGaming. Meanwhile, Denmark remains one of the safest places to gamble and place sports wagers.

The biggest takeaway of the quarter was that revenue at land-based properties, restaurants and other designated areas fell by 3.6 per cent over the period while the seven land-based casinos in Denmark posted 10-per-cent worse performance over the quarter year-over-year.

George Hansen

Taking a liking to the occasional bout of slots, George used to moonlight as a roulette dealer, giving him a unique perspective into the casino world. From there he continued his journalist education and has been with us ever since a star-aligned graduation brought him and our team together.

LeoVegas expands with Pixel.bet in the Nordic Countries

Posted on by George Hansen

Amid the growing Swedish sports betting market, Leo Vegas has decided to expand into an unlikely segment – betting on competitive video gaming or esports.

LeoVegas, Pixel.bet and Sweden’s Promising Market

After acquiring a controlling stake in Pixel.bet, LeoVegas is finally rolling out its esports book in earnest. The newly-licensed Swedish market is the perfect moment for the company to launch competitive video gaming betting.

With a successfully acquired permit from Spelinspektionen, the national regulator, Pixel.bet is arriving in one of the most esports-friendly countries and home of the DreamHack festival.

EveryMatrix Expands Offer with New Esports Markets

Pixel.bet is also planning for the long-term, having cut a five-year licensing deal with the regulator. The offer launched today, on February 26, with the majority of the offer focusing on esports, a still very young segment.

There are inherent challenges to this segment of the industry as well, so following Pixel.bet’s ambitious progress would be like a weathervane for other operators.

Esports Betting and the Challenges Ahead

Esports betting has been growing since 2013. Though the segment wasn’t explored until later on when Betway and Pinnacle entered the market with modest offer, 2018 has been particularly generous for the industry.

At the end of 2017, only 5% bookmakers had registered a profit out of introducing esports. With conventional tactics failing with esports fans, who have turned out to be much smarter and better informed about odds and the winning probabilities, the best companies have been adapting their offers.

Pixel.bet is the result of the rapid expansion of the segment. LeoVegas now holds 51% in the company and they don’t intend to attempt any of the known techniques that have worked for mainstream sports.

There’s no need for bonuses, for example, as esports fans tend to get capricious with anything that may appear to be too complicated or even fraudulent.

Another great boon to Pixel.bet’s offer in Sweden is that esports fans won’t have to undergo the traditional KYC process if they opt for the Pay & Play payment option, which will additionally slash time for everyone.

A Nordic Beginning

Pixel.bet will be focusing primarily on Nordic markets as they tend to be some of the richest, both in terms of purchasing power among the customers there and the fact that all youths play video games in one form or another, although not necessarily esports.

Pixel Digital CEO, Eirik Kristiansen had the following to say commenting on the latest developments:

With this licence we gain the opportunity to offer our product and passion for esports betting to the Swedish market. Moreover, we have added a truly exciting casino experience that we know customers will appreciate.

This springboard in Sweden will also position us for continued expansion internationally.

Meanwhile, LeoVegas’ won top brass has seen reason to invest in Pixel.bet, citing “economies of scale” as one of the main factors for advancing in the company.”

During a year when we focus on strong growth but also on cost efficiency, it is inspiring to see that Pixel.bet are developing well and that we as a group, ” LeoVegas Group CEO Gustaf Hagman said.

Pixel.bet is also a member of the Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC), a body that focuses on uprooting match-fixing in esports contests.

George Hansen

Taking a liking to the occasional bout of slots, George used to moonlight as a roulette dealer, giving him a unique perspective into the casino world. From there he continued his journalist education and has been with us ever since a star-aligned graduation brought him and our team together.

Catena Media to Continue Acquiring Big Businesses in 2019

Posted on by George Hansen
  • Catena will focus on growing organic traffic in 2019
  • The company will seek to integrate existing products better into its core business
  • Growth in the US is happening faster than expected
  • New markets and acquisition also planned for 2019

Catena Media, one of the largest owners of iGaming affiliate businesses, has said that it’s ready to pursue new Merger & Acquisition opportunities, recovering from a slowdown in 2018.

Catena to Continue Expanding in 2019

Catena Media marked a slight dip in its organic performance in 2018, but nothing too serious to dissuade the company from pursuing a course towards growth today.

According to Per Hallberg, Catena executive, the company will now re-focus its efforts on big acquisitions and business opportunities rather than snapping up small chains.

Organic growth may indeed have been a bit slow in Q4, 2018, but Catena managed to notch up $120 million in revenue, over 50% year-over-year. EBITDA hit $54 million, with the company now hoping to pursue a course of growth that would lend it at $100 million by 2020.

Catena has kept busy by mid-2018 when it concluded the acquisition of LeapRate.com and ASAP Italia, marking for the last major deals of the year. During the company’s earning call published on February 7, Mr. Hallberg said:

The process of transitioning from a distinct acquisition strategy to an increased focus on organic growth is progressing and the results have already been favourable, with clear indicators that we are on the right path.

Organic Growth Opportunities This Year

Catena wants to prioritize organic growth as its most important metric in 2019. This makes sense as inflating the numbers might backfire eventually. However, Catena is no where near giving up on pursuing important deals that will secure it better positions in future. Mr. Hallberg confirmed that the company will continue to pursue growth:

Focusing on organic growth does not mean that Catena Media will not make any acquisitions. We will make acquisitions in 2019.

At the same time, he noted that Catena is now focused on achieving more with its existing products, including the integration of new assets into the core business of the company.

Catena’s sales have been growing exponentially, Mr. Hallberg said and new markets, including Japan and the United States.

The defeat of PASPA had also played an important part in this strategy, with Mr. Hallberg now saying that growth in the US market has outpaced any previous forecasts.

However, he didn’t mention anything about the DoJ’s recently reversed opinion on the Wire Act, which will effectively slash the performance in places such as New Jersey, Nevada, and the ambitiously opening-up market of Pennsylvania.

With subscriptions and search revenue increasing, Mr. Hallberg and Catena have big expectations for the future.

George Hansen

Taking a liking to the occasional bout of slots, George used to moonlight as a roulette dealer, giving him a unique perspective into the casino world. From there he continued his journalist education and has been with us ever since a star-aligned graduation brought him and our team together.

Illegal Gambling Continues to Expand in the Netherlands

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • Illegal gambling in the Netherlands jumps by 20%
  • The industry’s estimated at the same figures as before the increase
  • The government to vote on the Remote Gambling Bill on February 5

Despite its gung-ho position on gambling, Dutch regulators have been unable to curb the rise in numbers of illegal bettors.

The Netherlands See Illegal Gambling Increase

Illegal gambling has been cited as a problem by the country’s regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA). In a bid to punish the so-called bad actors, in 2018 the Netherlands decided to go after established brands that have been offering localized betting solutions to Dutch citizens.

William Hill and Betsson have since contested the claims. Meanwhile, illegal gambling has grown by 20%, a Holland Casino report has established. Estimated 1.8 million people are now actively participating in offshore gaming websites.

However, the growing of the market has not occasioned an increase in revenue, with customers apparently practicing responsible gaming. The report put the gross estimate of the market at €600 million yearly.

William Hill to Contest Regulatory Fine in the Netherlands

To qualify as a gamer, a person must have wagered at least seven times in a year. Even though the majority of interviewed people said that they would prefer to wager with a licensed bookmaker or a casino, partly explaining why William Hill and Betsson have been successful in the country, people continue to turn to offshore operators.

In light of the steadily developing (illegal) gaming market, the Dutch government is now potentially missing out on €175 million in tax money every year, given the current levels.

Regulating the Dutch Gambling Market in 2020

The KSA has been calling for the regulation of the market for a while now. In 2018, government officials briefly considered addressing the issue and pushing through with it, but plans have since fall through, with a proposed bill being mothballed instead.

KSA officials criticized the government for failing to act in its full capacity and start regulating the industry as intended. The bill also touched upon on “bad actors”, i.e. casinos that have been offering products to Dutch gamers without permission.

Even brands such as William Hill and Betsson were targeted (hence the litigation). The bill has now been in a sort of limbo since 2016, but the House of Representative is picking up the subject again on February 5.

Fighting Addiction in a Lawless Market

Despite the growing number of gamblers, the level of gambling addicts hasn’t been increasing. According to Holland Casino, the property has been able to actively curb gaming habits spiralling out of control thanks to advanced algorithms identifying customers with unhealthy gaming habits.

Meanwhile, the KSA has been actively seeking to mete out punishment for what it considered illegal activities. The regulator issued nearly $2 million in penalties in 2018, an unprecedentedly high level.

However, in light of the recent findings, the KSA may be coming to realize that applying financial punishment would do little to actually address the bigger question – how does the country gets its people to play with legalized operators.

Passing the Remote Gaming Bill and licensing operators would be the first logical thing to do.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

EveryMatrix Expands Offer with New Esports Markets

Posted on by Sophia Rojas
  • OddsMatrix expands its involvement in the esports betting markets
  • The sportsbook provides parent company EveryMatrix with perfect opportunity to launch into new verticals, comments CEO Ebbe Groes

Esports betting continues to be a large part of the betting industry, which is only know beginning to seriously consider expanding more determinedly into the sector. EveryMatrix has added improvements to its OddsMatrix sportsbook to now accept esports bets.

EveryMatrix Expands Across the US with Esports

Enjoying a relatively sweet spot from a legal standpoint, esports are in a position where bookmakers offering odds on the outcome of video games can cover multiple domestic and international events.

Unikrn, one of the leading companies in the United States, recently acquired a license from Isle of Man effectively allowing it to service esports fans from across the entire country.

Black Ridge Acquisition forms Allied Esports Entertainment

EveryMatrix is following in these steps by streamlining its own offer. Presently, the OddsMatrix sportsbook accepts bets on 50 major esports events, which includes 1,200 pre-match bets and 400 live bets every month. OddsMatrix first expanded in 2013 when it focused on sports exclusively.

Talking about the involvement of his company with esports betting, EveryMatrix CEO Ebbe Groes had the following to say:

The esports revolution has finally begun, and we are pleased to join the commercial breakthrough of esports betting with our newly released esports services.

OddsMatrix, Mr. Groes has explained, has increased Matrix’s ability to expand into new sports and betting markets.

What’s Esports Betting Exactly?

EveryMatrix has become one of the latest betting agencies to actually expand into this new segment. Esports betting works like traditional sports contests, with the slight wrinkle that the disciplines competed in are video games.

There is a number of high-demanding and skill-based video games that people spend mastering months, if not years, with hours of rigorous play day in and day out. Presently, the market for esports on OddsMatrix, includes Dota 2, League of Legends, StarCraft, Fortnite, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Call of Duty, and others.

With OddsMatrix, we’ve increased our ability to easily add new betting markets and sports. – Ebbe Groes

There are multiple other markets and developing games which are also often featured at the largest sportsbooks, but the size and offer depend solely on the betting agency. Nevada officially signed an esports betting bill in May, 2017.

Esports Betting – New Opportunities, New Challenges

While esports is considered a great market because of the size of the esports industry (expected to be worth over $1 billion in 2019), there are inherent challenges to providing winning betting odds. Here’re several facts that make the undertaking even more complicated:

  • Around 97% of all esports bet are won in favour of the customer
  • Sportsbooks are not as of yet prepared to offer well-balanced odds
  • Gamers are much smarter, as they’ve played the games they bet on for years

Thankfully, esports betting is not a no-man’s land, with an established regulatory body, the Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC). However, the regulator is now as well funded properly to address every concern across the board.

Meanwhile, Unikrn is pushing out with exciting new developments, including “skill betting” or “betting on one’s self”. Luckbox, a blockchain-based company, is preparing to launch its official sportsbook in March.

Sophia Rojas

Growing up around law firms, Sophia keeps our team of reporters atop any legislative developments to follow up with a welcomed dose of positive news as our house trivia nut!