Infinity Gaming Magazine April 2021 by Clever Duck Media

InfinityGaming www.gaming-awards.com | ISSUE126

GAMING + ARTICLES + BUSINESS+ GLOBAL + ONLINE + NEWS+ AWARDS + etc

24 MUSIC FOR CASINOS

12 RICHARD NOBLE

18 UNICORNS IN BUSINESS

Opinion Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in all external articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Infinity Gaming Magazine Any content provided by our feature writers or authors are of their opinion, and are not intended to malign any religion, ethic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.

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4 EDITOR NOTES Editor welcomes you to the latest edition of Infinity Gaming Magazine.

6 IGA2021 We are back see the latest news

08 OUR WRITERS Meet our feature writers, the superb writers on our rosta.

36 ANDY COSGROVE ARTICLE IGA 2021 IS BACK!

41 FLORIDA SPORTS BETTING 42 TERESA TUNSTALL ARTICLE

JON WEAVER

51 JAPAN SPORTS BETTING + NEWS & MORE NEWS from the gaming industry

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A note from the editor CONTACT US Clever Duck Media Centrix@Keys Keys Park Road Staffordshire WS12 2HA UK Tel: +44(0)1543 478 889

an email and we can discuss.

We Are Back!”

So back to the magazine and inside

PRODUCTION Clever Duck Media Centrix@Keys Keys Park Road Staffordshire WS12 2HA UK

this edition we have a great deal of coverage on sports betting expansion,

Lana Thompson - Editor

from Japan and all over the US, not to mention Florida and our Editorial team breaking the news Florida are opening up to sports betting, wow that is going

Welcome to the latest edition of the

to be huge!

Infinity Gaming Magazine and welcome back to the International Gaming

As always our superb writers give us

Awards for 2021, yes it is not in Febru-

their experience and insight on the

ary this time but in the beautiful sum-

gaming

mer of July 29th at the stunning 5 Star

this month by, Andrew Cosgrove, Lynn

Savoy Hotel in London.

Pearce de Freitas, Teresa Tunstall and

industry

with

contributions

PUBLISHING Infinity Gaming Magazine is operated by © Clever Duck Media Ltd ® Company Reg. No. 687 1018 (Registered in England) V.A.T reg. no 972 6372 91

Sponsorship Opportunities Colin@cleverduckmedia.com

Tim Cullimore.

Business Partnerships Svetlana@gaming-awards.com

we can host the awards this year and at

Now you would think that is enough but

Marketing & Advertising claire@cleverduckmedia.com

the same time ensure the safety of all

no, we have two superb interviews with

our attendees. With the vaccine rollout

Jon Weaver the CEO of the World’s larg-

across Europe and around the world we

est pull tab operator with turnover of

are confident that come July we will be

$1.5 billion a year! Jon sits downs with

close to a normal life as possible. But

us and discusses about private equity

never fear whatever is needed to en-

firms and the positives of them. Then

sure your safety we will do, what is im-

we have Richard Noble the Chief Exec-

portant is the whole world wants to get

utive from Aspers Group talking about

back to face to face meetings and we at

the horror of the last twelve months

Clever Duck Media want to bring that

and how the company moves forward.

Our team has worked so hard to ensure

special experience back to you in the form of the IGA and later in September

Phew what an edition this is, enjoy the

the Women in Gaming Awards &Diver-

read and......

sity Inclusion. As always- “May the Force be with you” Since we launched (nominations and

- Star Wars

categories are open and on the website) our family of sponsors have sup-

Regards,

ported the event and thank you to

Lana

Betconstruct, Digitain, Ultraplay, BBIN, 1XBet, Pilot Games and Pragmatic Play. We welcome more sponsors to take part, just give myself or any of the team

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The Editor

Editorial Content & PR media@cleverduckmedia.com

CREATE YOUR OWN SUCCESS STORY WITH 1xBet 1xbet.com b2b@1xbet.com partners1xbet.com support@partners1xbet.com INFINITY GAMING

GAMING NEWS

The IGA 2021 Is Back & Here Is Why You Cannot Miss It

he International Gaming Awards (IGA) is back following the announcement that the World’s most recognised awards ceremony for the gambling industry is to be held on the 29th July at the stunning Savoy Hotel in London. Delayed from its normal February slot because of the dangers with COVID-19 the July event will be a celebration of innovation and endeavours through what has been the most difficult period in a lifetime. With the latest news that in the coming months a tablet form to fight the effects of COVID along with the major rollout of vaccines has prompted the expectation of normality returning to the events industry by summer. To this already major companies within the gaming sector have already supported the IGA as sponsors and the list grows every week.

Colin Thompson the co-founder of the IGA said of the new date: “It has seemed like a long time ago now since the IGA2020 and the feedback from the industry has been a positive one for the July date. Not just our industry but the whole world wants to get back to normality,” Thompson went on to say, “the IGA has adapted their land based categories to allow our friends who have been hit hard by the pandemic to take part.” With online gaming continuing to make huge strides during the last year the interest shown by that sector is amazing and shows that people want to get back to meeting, enjoying a normal life and doing business face to face. In line with government guidance the IGA will ensure the safety of both attendees and staff and with international flights to begin in early June the IGA expects to see an international audience at what has become the recognised event

of the year for the entire gaming industry. So far sponsors include, Betconstruct, Digitain, Melco Resorts, Ultraplay, BBIN, 1XBet, Pilot Games and Galaxy Entertainment and with more to be announced soon. Nominations and categories are open and as always FREE to enter, the IGA is a charity focused event and supports deserving charities such as Care International, Children with Cancer and Breakthrough Breast Cancer. By taking part and booking seats along with entering our charity focused fundraising you help to support these truly amazing charities and the work they do. Good luck to all those entering the nominations and we look forward to seeing on the 29th July at the Savoy Hotel.

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Infinity Gaming Magazine Contributing Writers A magazine is only as good as the content inside and with some of the leading specialists within the gaming industry. With specialised articles covering customer service, the gaming law, new products, technology and current affairs with the sector the Infinity Gaming Magazine is delighted to showcase our superb line-up of contributing

Christina Thakor-Rankin Christina is Principal Consultant at 1710 Gaming Ltd, a specialist betting and gaming consultancy, delivering a range of services including licensing and compliance (incl. regulation, money laundering and social responsibility), business start-up, training and strategic re-engineering, project management, research, business analysis and development, to start-ups and

established multi-national operators and providers, gambling regulators, law enforcement and government agencies, media, and specialist interest groups and associations within the sector, in both established and emerging markets across the world. www.1710gaming.com

Teresa Tunstall – Independent Gaming Consultant After many years of working in casinos in the UK and on USA ships as a croupier and inspector, Teresa turned from ‘poacher to gamekeeper,’ spending 16 years with GamCare, who offer help and support to those who develop problems with their gambling. Working closely with the betting and gaming industry, She developed strong links delivering Social Respon-

sibility and Problem Gambling training around the world, Teresa now works independently consulting on all issues relating to Social Responsibility and Problem Gambling. To contact Teresa regarding consulting please email:

Andrew Cosgrove - Slots Guru Andrew Cosgrove is a seasoned slot operations veteran and certified project manager with over 24 years of hands on experience in Latin America and the Caribbean. Andrew has worked on both the operator and supplier side of casino slots and continues to help clients succeed and exceed customer expectations.

Andrew can be reached at andy.cosgrove@hemingwaycasinoconsulting.com or see http://hemingwaycasinoconsulting.com/

Lynn Pearce de Freitas Lynn has extensive senior management experience in online gaming. She is an experienced, data-driven, commercially focused, strategic marketing leader. She has over 15 years of proven success in gaming, from land-based casinos, to online gaming companies offering sports betting, poker and casino, live casino and Esports. Lynn has many start-ups under her belt

and is now co-founder and CEO of a start-up igaming company, Mobius Interactive Ltd, headquartered in Vancouver BC Canada.

Tim Cullimore From dealer to CEO in the U.K., Europe and North America, Tim has pretty much seen it all in Casino gaming. For over 40 years, from running slot rooms which needed to frisk for guns to the Ritz in Mayfair, arguably the most luxurious casino in the world, Tim has never stopped challenging what we think we know about casinos.

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Tim is a well-respected Consultant to the gaming industry, encompassing project management and operational analysis, as well as representing and advising some key manufacturers within the industry. Tim is a renowned conference speaker and also proud to be visiting lecturer at the University of West London College of Hospitality and Tourism.

www.betconstruct.com

BetConstruct is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission for the provision of gambling software under licence number 040767-R-320911-007

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GAMING NEWS

Evolution To Acquire Big Time Gaming

Betfred Loses 3 Year Battle And Pays £1.7 Million

Evolution Gaming Group has entered into an

Betfred has lost its three year battle against a gambler and will now payout the £1.7 million that was originally won by the customer.

agreement to acquire the entire issued share capital of Big Time Gaming Pty Ltd for a total consideration of up to EUR 450 million, payable in cash and Evolution shares the company has announced. Big Time Gaming is the thought leader in online slots. Big Time Gaming titles include world-wide player favourites like Bonanza and Extra Chilli as well as the ground-breaking Game Mechanic Megaways™ which is incorporated in over 200 games from multiple providers. “With the addition of Big Time Gaming to our portfolio of slot brands we strengthen our strategic position as the leading provider of digital casino games in the world. Big Time’s focus on innovation and creating unique playing experiences is a great fit with our culture and mind-set at Evolution. We look forward to continuing our journey together.” – Jens von Bahr, chairman, Evolution.

A High Court judge ruled that the terms and conditions laid out by the gambling firm did not match the error that was claimed by Betfred in saying there was a programming error in the Magic Seven game Andrew Green was playing. At the time Betfred informed the gambler that they would not payout the company said: “Betfred loves to pay out all our jackpot winners – both big and small. “Unfortunately, and as Mr Green is aware, a new game release suffered a software malfunction in January this year and no legitimate jackpot win occurred.” It was in January 2018 that Andrew Green won the jackpot on the game and after three year the High Court Judge Mrs Justice Foster said on her ruling in favour of Mr Green: ‘I am of the clear view that these clauses in the terms and conditions are inadequate to

“Evolution and Big Time Gaming are both driven by innovation, hence the perfect match. A bright and entertaining future awaits for our players.” – Said Nik Robinson, CEO, Big Time Gaming.

exempt Betfred from the obligation to pay out on an ostensibly winning bet or series of bets.’ Mr Green said after the ruling: “This to me today isn’t just a win for me, it’s a win for everybody that they can’t treat people like this.

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Interview with

Richard Noble Chief Executive Officer at Aspers Group Limited

Infinity Gaming Magazine speaks to leading UK Casino Operator on how the COVID-19 pandemic hit their business & now in recovery Richard thank you for talking to the Infinity Gaming Magazine, we are sure our readers know about the Aspers Group but can you tell us a little about the company please?

Limited, Australia’s largest gaming and

downs?

entertainment group. Aspers Newcastle opened in 2005 raising the benchmark

To say the last year has been challeng-

for UK casinos, and Newham, the first of

ing would be a huge understatement.

the 2005 Act casinos, opened in 2011,

Fortunately, we had a strong balance

immediately becoming the busiest casi-

sheet when the UK’s first lockdown

Aspers Group operates four land-based

no in the UK. We also have an online ca-

closed our businesses in March 2020,

casinos in the UK, two 1968 Act casinos

sino offer which we launched in 2017.

but we never anticipated that we would

in Newcastle and Northampton, and two 2005 Act Large Licence casinos in Newham and Milton Keynes. The business is a joint venture between Damian Aspinall, English businessman and conservationist and Crown Resorts

still be closed 12 months later. Protect-

The past year has been extremely difficult for everyone but especially those businesses like Aspers, how has the company coped with the constant restrictions and lock-

ing cash has been a key priority. The various government furlough schemes have certainly assisted, and protected jobs. After a short period of trading in the summer, the introduction of a 10pm curfew was the start of what has felt like death by a thousand cuts. Casinos generate almost half their revenues after 10pm, so the curfew made operating a UK casino profitably almost impossible. What was particularly hard to understand was why casinos were suddenly deemed to be riskier after 10pm. Through the BGC we had agreed a comprehensive list of safety measures with DCMS which made our venues one of the safest places to visit, and Public Health England had visited a London

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casino and were extremely impressed

and conduct ‘check-in’ telephone calls

Aspers Good Causes Fund. Our venues,

with what they saw. The curfew was a

to all our colleagues. We sadly had to

however, have remained fully closed

very costly, and in my view unnecessary,

undertake a redundancy exercise dur-

during the lockdown periods.

burden for our sector. The introduction

ing the summer, which was unsettling

of the tiering system, followed by fur-

for the team, so it was even more critical

ther national lockdowns, has only exac-

that we reassured everyone that we will

erbated the problem.

reopen and once again run an industry leading casino business.

We are looking forward to reopening

Casinos and all hospitality have been badly affected by the pandemic, do you think the severe restrictions the government issued to them was fair and correct?

our properties on 17 May, in fact we

We have reopened our businesses

have become experts at this! Fortu-

twice now following national lockdowns

I have to question the logic of the cur-

nately, the curfew has been removed.

and have enjoyed seeing our colleagues

few. Having all venues close at the

We will obviously continue with our

again. Induction days were particularly

same time resulted in large groups of

stringent social distancing measures

enjoyable for everyone.

people congregating outside of ven-

and rigorous cleaning regimes for the foreseeable future.

Has the company stayed in touch with staff over the period?

ues, at transport hubs etc, which must

Has the company involved itself in community work like other casino companies have?

have added to the risk of Covid transmission. My understanding is that the virus doesn’t become more contagious at 10pm! This initiative was a very blunt

Like many hospitality businesses we

tool that I’m yet to see any data or evi-

Absolutely! This has been a key priority

donated produce to local community

dence to support its implementation. As

for me personally since the initial lock-

groups and Aspers continued support-

mentioned before, this was particularly

down. We send out regular newsletters,

ing several organisations through our

discriminatory to casinos where up to

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14 We have changed our hospitality EPOS system and will be trialling a new app to enable players to order food and drink from anywhere in the casino and have it delivered to wherever they are. We have also had the opportunity to review many of our operational procedures and had the time to provide essential training to our all colleagues in anticipation of reopening.

Do you think 2021 will be a time of difficulty again if social distancing measures are still in place? It will take time for consumer confidence to return, however the experience from our last two re-openings is that the core of the business remains. Traditional players returned, and to be honest, embraced the social distancing measures that are in place. It will however take more time for the leisure/ 50% of revenues are generated after

only three across all land-based casi-

hospitality guest to return whilst social

10pm.

nos, but the restrictions and focus by

distancing measures remain.

government and the media on the sec-

Was there anything you felt the government could have done differently to help businesses such as casinos, restaurants and other night-time economies? Our sector offered to close casino bars/ restaurants at 10pm to prevent the curfew impacting our venues, but this

tor can only damage consumer confidence. We need the narrative to reflect the reality, we are safe environments to visit.

As we see light at the end of the tunnel come May 17 for casinos and similar businesses, what are Aspers doing to be ready?

was not accepted by government. The

What in your opinion needs to be done by the government to help the night-time economy survive into 2022? Alongside the current business support schemes it is important that government helps to reassure consumers that it’s safe to use hospitality and leisure venues. Also, consideration should be

temporary reduced rate of VATmayhave

We have used the period of lockdown

made to extending the relief on VAT and

been helpful to the wider hospitality

to make several changes to our venues.

business rates further andinitiatinga re-

sector, but this has a minimal benefit for

With the uncertainty of when we could

duction in gaming duty. We obviously

casinos. Reducing gaming duty and ap-

reopen and the pressure this places

all hope that by 21 June the country

plying temporary COVID relief to some

on cash, this hasn’t stretched as far

has continued to make progress so that

archaic legislative wording designed

as refurbishments! However, we have

legal limits on social contact can be re-

for another purpose, that has led to in-

changed our floor layouts and product

moved.

creased gaming duty bills for operators,

placement strategy in anticipation of

would have been a more equitable so-

changes in consumer expectation. For

lution with casinos being restricted in

example, we have broken down the

line with the wider hospitality sector.

traditional lines of slot machines and replaced with carousel type configura-

Casinos and the hospitality sector spent

tions. Overall, we have endeavoured to

significant sums of money to make their

maximise the space between playing

venues safe. There have been minimal

positions and provide both a safe and

confirmed cases of Covid infections,

enjoyable player experience.

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Of course, it is difficult to predict but personally how do you see the casino industry moving into 2022, will there be casualties along the way in terms of some casinos not re-opening?

Richard Noble Exclusive Interview

We have already seen seven casinos

for many years. We need this reform

nificant progress in recent years, closely

permanently close during the last year,

more than ever because of the impact

reviewing and monitoring our play-

and I’m sure there will be a few others

of Covid. Our sector’s asks are modest,

ers and interacting when appropriate.

which are borderline. Any further lock-

customer orientated, not opposed and

I hope that the recent consultation on

downs or significant restrictions, for ex-

inline with government objectives to

affordability by the Commission strikes

ample curfews, would sadly push a few

ensure player protection. In short, we

the right balance between protect-

more casinos businesses to the brink.

have asked for the harmonisation of

ing customers and allowing consumer

It’s highly possible we’ll see some fur-

1968 and 2005 Act casino licenses and

freedom, whilst also appreciating the

ther M&A activity in the not-too-distant

the modernisation of legislation. Key

complexities of applying affordability

future.

asks are the increasing of gaming ma-

practices across multiple locations and

chines for 1968 Act ‘converted’ casinos,

companies.

Currently we are in the midst of a UK government gambling review and the results of this are expected in October, do you think there will be any positives for the industry and are there any regulations you fear may be introduced that could damage the industry that is struggling at present?

expanding the range of casino table games that can be played on electron-

We also mustn’t lose sight that casinos

ic terminals, allowing casinos to offer

are purpose-built venues for gambling,

sports betting, and the ability to allow

with a broad and sequenced program

cashless payments on casino gaming

products. I believe we are better placed

manned entry controls, high levels of

for government to seriously consider

supervision by highly trained, and per-

our asks and will work proactively with

sonally licensed team members at eve-

DCMS and the Commission as the re-

ry stage of the journey, with additional

view enfolds.

data analytics systems that allow for

Starting with the positives. The jour-

customer

protections,

including

real time analysis and interaction with

ney for reform and modernisation for

On the subject of affordability, the

land-based casinos has been on-going

land-based casino sector has made sig-

players.

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GAMING NEWS

Regulator Fines Crown & Bans It From Junket Operations

rown Casino in Melbourne has been fined AU$1 million and banned from commencing any junket operations. The judgement by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation is the strongest fine the regulator can impose. The judgement follows an investigation by the regulator that found Crown had failed in following regulations in relation to junket operations for International players. In its findings the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation said: “The commission concluded that in respect of the analysed individuals, the processes implemented by Crown were not

robust.” The regulator went on to say the company failed in acquiring necessary information on junket players to make “informed decisions” about the suitability of those gamblers. “This failure meant it was unclear how certain decisions were reached by Crown and whether such decisions were made with due regard to Crown’s regulatory obligations,” the commission went on to say. In making the decision to fine Crown Melbourne the Commission and issuing a letter of censure banning the company from operating junkets, the regulator said, “the company failed

to implement a robust process over a sustained period of time.” Crown Melbourne and its parent company Crown Resorts are still awaiting a review by the Royal Commission there to decide if it is suitable to continue to hold a gaming license. The Royal Commission is due to make its findings and conclusion known to the Victorian Government by the 1st August. Crown Resorts have been hit heavily by recent reviews into its compliance protocols, the license review to its Sydney new flagship casino was refused a license following failings into procedures due to VIP gambling and money laundering failings.

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Unicorns in business globally

By Lynn Pearce de Freitas

ew startups get off the ground around the world every day. However, for each successful idea, there are thousands that fail. Highly valued startups are known as unicorns, which is a reference to their elusiveness. In business, a unicorn is a privately held start-up company valued at over $1 billion. The term was coined in 2013 by venture capitalist Aileen Lee (Cowboy Ventures), choosing the mythical animal to represent the statistical rarity of such successful ventures, according to Wikipedia. When the term “unicorn company” first came into usage in 2013, there were only 40 private companies in the world that held a valuation of over $1 billion. Now there are 12.5

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times as many unicorns currently in business globally. A good example of this is Airbnb, which was founded in 2008 in San Francisco by Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia who were totally broke and could not afford the rent on their apartment. The story goes that they stuck an air mattress on the floor and started renting out the space as bed and breakfast – fast forward to 2017 and their company was valued at $31 billion! In December 2020, after the IPO, Airbnb’s fully diluted valuation came to $100.7 billion, more than 5 times the $18 billion Airbnb was valued at in a private fundraising round in April, at the outset of the pandemic. There are few venture capital firms

that command as much interest as A16Z, the firm founded by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. And lately, they have been doing a lot to warrant the attention. As Kate and Amir detail, the firm is flexing under a strong portfolio and some early bets on crypto. (Coinbase, alone, returned all their funds.) As recently as two years ago, the performance of Andreessen Horowitz’s investments in tech startups were average, despite the firm’s outsize public profile. But its partners had placed bigger bets on cryptocurrencies than almost anyone else, and they did so during moments when most investors had soured on the field.

The firm’s patience paid off. With this week’s Coinbase public listing, Andreessen Horowitz generated one of the biggest paper returns from a single-company investment in VC history. Its stake in the cryptocurrency brokerage is worth $10 billion, which is more than half the amount of capital the firm raised from investors in its 12 years of operation. It could generate a similar return from its stake in enterprise software firm Databricks, and it holds billions of dollars’ worth of other cryptocurrency assets, according to a person with direct knowledge of the firm. Amazon - Jeff Bezos this week wrote his final shareholder letter as he steps aside as CEO of Amazon. It is remarkable what he and the company have accomplished. I vaguely remember buying my first book on Amazon.

Uber???? We cannot speak of unicorns without mentioning Elon Musk! As the world’s largest, privately owned aerospace technology and space transport company, SpaceX has been pushing boundaries since its founding in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk. SpaceX was the first private company to launch a spacecraft into orbit and recover it. The manned Dragon spacecraft are positioned to lead the first instances of Mars colonization and lunar tourism for the world. With an annual GDP of $18.03 trillion, it’s no surprise that the United States boasts over 100 unicorns, followed by China and India, with Germany and South Korea following behind.

although not all the businesses are in India, they are all owned by Indian Unicorns. One97 Communications, makers of e-commerce platform Paytm Mall, remained the most valuable startup in India this spring with a value of $16 billion as of April 2021. ByteDance, a Beijing company owned by37-year-old Zhang Yiming, is already the most valuable privately held, venture-backed technology company in the world, but at least some of that value is tied up in the revenue-generating potential of the company’s TikTok assets.ByteDance offers content platforms that enable people to enjoy content powered by AI technology.

In India, there are 32 Unicorns – with 11 being added in 2021 alone,

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Lynn Pearce de Freitas Article

Female-founded and female-led startups are becoming more commonplace, but still only account for a small fraction of startups worldwide. This is true across all countries in the world, though there are some regional differences. For instance, Central and Eastern Europe has more female founders than any other region in Europe. However, the fact that male founders outnumber female founders is universally true: West Africa, Sweden, or the United States. Why are there so few female founders? There are several factors which play a role in the lack of female founders, or even cofounders. Fundraising is vital for the survival of an early-stage com-

pany, because they need capital to develop and market their product before they begin turning a profit. However, there is a gender financing gap when it comes to both debt financing and equity financing, which means that male founders are raising more capital than their female counterparts. Additionally, the share of venture capital funding invested in startups with at least one female founder has remained at around 12 percent every year since 2011. Another factor which may be deterring women from entering the startup scene is the prevalence of workplace harassment they face. A higher share of female founders reported experiencing gender discrimination while fundraising in a 2020 survey.

How successful are female-led startups? Some of the key success markers for startups are their market valuation, or whether they successfully exit and go public. The number of femalefounded startups achieving unicorn status, or a valuation of at least one billion U.S. dollars, has steadily grown in recent years, but these startups still only account for a small percentage of all unicorns worldwide. Similarly the number of companies led by women which went public over the past decade only account for a fraction of all companies which completed an IPO during the same period.

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GAMING NEWS

Flutter Shareholders Could Oppose Pay Rise

Betway Owners Plan NYSE Listing For Company

Betting

Betting company Betway is to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) by its owners Super Group, the owners are using a SPAC vehicle to enter the US listing market and propel Betway into the burgeoning US sports betting business.

giant Flutter Entertainment could face shareholder anger this week at the annual meeting along with announcing its first quarter results. Although Flutter is expected to report a good first quarter shareholders are reported to be upset by the latest pay rise to Peter Jackson the Companies chief executive. According to reports over the weekend a proxy voting service said shareholders should reject the current pay rise to its boss. Jackson received a pay rise back in May 2020 following the completion of the merger with rival Stars Group of 17.5%, with bonuses, pensions and other benefits that saw Jackson scoop a salary package last year of £7.5 million. Those opposed to the new salary increase say Jackson has already seen his remuneration package rise by 258% since the previous year and already in March this year has had a 3% increase apart from what is recommended now. However those supporters of the rise say the complete offering to Jackson is not excessive given the size and scale of the company compared to others, taken this and the excellent year the gambling giant has had it is good practice to reward and ensure you keep your top manager.

Over the weekend Guernsey-based Super Group confirmed that it will use a blank-cheque SPAC, namely Sports Entertainment Acquisition (SEAC) to merge with Betway so it may be listed on the NYSE. Early valuations have Betway and the SEAC at $4.2 billion, the plan would be for the current owner to remain the majority shareholder which at present retains 88%. Super Group of the plans: “Super Group is an online gaming and betting powerhouse with a track record of global growth and a strong balance sheet. Super Group’s core DNA is rooted in digital technology, which drives its unparalleled expertise in data and analytics.” Betway originated from igaming Company Win Technologies back in 2006 and has seen tremendous growth in the UK and European markets and only recently announced its first foray into the US sports betting arena.

Flutter will announce its latest results on the 29th April and any opposition to the latest salary rise will be brought up then.

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Music for Casinos By Tim Cullimore

s a kid the only reference I had for casinos was from the movies, no more so than the Bond films, and some of the old black and white films we watched on a rainy Sunday afternoon. So, it comes as no surprise that the image I had in my head of how a casino would be on the inside was very much one of glamour, wealth and people living the high life. I imagined dramatic sweeping staircases leading to a gaming floor where players were drinking champagne and there would be an orchestra playing cool jazz and swing music, with an extraordinarily charismatic singer. And the music was a big part of my fantasy casino.

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Possibly the most glamorous of 70’s and 80’s rock stars, Bryan Ferry had often cited casino references in his songs, a certain hangover from his infatuation with all things 1920s in his early work. From singing about “Where the chips may fall”, to “Midnight blue casino floors” he gave me an idea of what casinos should be. So, imagine my surprise, and frankly, disappointment that when I started my life as a dealer there was no sweeping staircase, and certainly no band playing jazz, although at least back in the 1970s the players did get dressed up to go to the casino, but rarely in white tie and tails or tuxedo.

Bryan Ferry

As time went on, I learned that not only was livemusic not allowed in U.K. casinos at that time, but neither was alcohol permitted to be consumed in the gaming area. So, no cool singer and no champagne. There was of course Muzak, as this was the period good taste forgot (brown velvet dinner suits for the male dealers anyone?) Muzak being generic easy listening tunes copied by sub standard session musicians, trying to sound like the real thing. During a 14-hour double shift you would hear the same badly played song 3 or 4 times which started to drive you crazy after a while. The players never seemed to notice as they were fully concentrated on playing, but for a dealer who is patiently wat-

ing for the next group of players to come along it was torture. Imagine the surprise when one of the trendier shift managers brought in a tape of Phil Collins! Yes, Phil Collins who is now thought as a safe musical choice for those who had no interest in music, a choice so redolent of Mom-and-Pop music. We were shocked to think that such a modern artist would be allowed in the halls of a casino, which just goes to show how far we had come, although my suggestion of putting a Sex Pistols tape on came to nothing, and still probably wouldn’t today. As my career progressed, I did finally experience the types of casino I had dreamed of at the start of my profes-

sional journey. At the Ritz Club Casino we would have a very cool singer/ pianist entertaining the players most evenings, and I have seen some great pop/rock bands playing in the middle of the gaming floor in some of the Holland Casino properties. I have had the privilege of visiting the House of Blues in Vegas and listening on the Strip to some great free concerts coming from the casinos. I guess the ultimate rock tie in for any casino is the Beatles “Love” show at the Mirage, and of course until recently the Hard Rock casino, which though no longer in Vegas has spread to Florida and beyond. I have also remarked on how important Electronic Dance music has

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Tim Cullimore Article

become to the Vegas experience, with superstar DJs hosting nights at several of the major clubs. This is all a long way from the Rat Pack, Sinatra and friends, but there still seems to be room for that as well. So if Rock music has found itself a place in casinos around the world as entertainment, how has it developed as part of the core gaming activity. Motorhead sang about “The Ace of Spades” and the love of gambling, Steely Dan sang in “Do it Again” of being back in Vegas with wheels turnin’ round and round, but if you are a rock lover where can you enjoy that Rock atmosphere whilst at the same time having a bet. Well, there are now some very cool

slots based on rock bands and their music. You can get a Guns and Roses game, playing their hits with every spin and putting you in live concert atmosphere, there is a Kiss branded slot, and of course numerous Elvis themed slot machines. These all seem to have one thing in common, they are all, well, a little old? Guns and Roses were at their peak 30 years ago, Kiss even before that, and of course Elvis left the building in 1977, two years before I became a dealer! So do artists have to be of an historic nature before being considered for a slot game or is it that artists who are still very much in the public eye do not need the licensing income. When will we see a Harry Styles jackpot game, or a Dua Lipa featured slot?

There are plenty of passive slot games with Rock Music, such as the Jimmy Hendrix game, but you can also get slots where participating in, say, a samba dance will get you higher bonus credits. The next logical progression must be a Garage Band inspired slot where the better the music you make, the more credits you get. (maybe I should I.P. that?). But of course, with all the good stuff has to come the bad. Even if it had the best returns of any slot, I would struggle to put anything with Simon Cowell on the slot floor, so I guess I’ll give the American Idol slot a miss.

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Interview with

Jon Weaver CEO Pilot Games

Talks about recent acquisitions & Private Equity Firms

Hi Jon thanks for speaking to us, let’s get started and discuss what Pilot Games has been doing over the last few months?

-cluded deals with NHL, NHL and MLB

mobile app for a couple years and we

professional sports teams to expand our

wrapped up approvals in the Apple and

game library and reach out to players

Android stores in early November of

and sports fans in new ways.

2020. It was about that time that the US was hit with another COVID-19 wave

We have taken the last few months to inject new products into our product line up. So, in addition to our site-specific tablet system, we have added new cabinet hardware and our PlayerConnect™ mobile app. We have also expanded

We all know the pandemic has affected so many businesses with lockdowns etc, however Pilot Games has moved into allowing their players play online, how has that gone?

our live, hosted Pilot TV to 10 hours of

and a new set of business shut-downs. Since the app was available to players, we thought that we might as well take advantage of the shut-down timing, give our players something to do and launch with a promotional tournament.

content daily at over 1,400 bars and on

Very well. It has exceeded our expec-

I think we did one ad on Facebook for

PlayerConnect™. Finally, we have con-

tations. Pilot had been working on our

what we planned to be a soft launch of the “virtual” Pilot Championship Series (“PCS”). We launched the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Pilot threw in some cash for tournament prizes and the Minnesota Vikings generously contributed team merchandise for weekly prizes and we were off and running! Our PCS Final Round was held on 12/15 and between that date and the end of November, we had over 1.5MM plays. The most valuable thing we took from this experience was the Pilot player organic interest in our games and the

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29 Now, as we see tribal gaming and international expansion hitting a peak, attention has turned to the charitable segment as a “new frontier”. This attention has been heightened by the rise of companies like Pilot. Also, the charitable aspect of the market combines well with corporate social responsibility goals. Charitable gaming is very unique in this aspect. Supporting local causes is the primary focus for Pilot.

Given the above question recently there has been quite a bit of activity by private equity firms and larger gaming companies buying into the industry, what are your thoughts on this? It’s the “natural business cycle”, right? I think that this type of interest and investment is frankly overdue but was expected at some point. Most firms like businesses that fit into a certain slot for them. In the past, charitable gaming was compared to casino markets by investors and did not frankly compare well to those markets. “unprompted” social implementation

convenient and accurate reporting to

by players.

state agencies.

Pilot Games is recognised now as the World’s largest pull tab gaming operator, where did it all begin and where did Jon Weaver come from to found this company? Pilot Games started Manufacturing operations in Minnesota in late summer

This level of real-time

Also, the primary form of charitable

accurate reporting leads to reduced

gaming was paper products, which has

theft and improved regulatory oversight

its own set of challenges.

- meaning more dollars to a charity’s bottom line.

There’s the old saying: “when you’re a hammer, everything looks like a nail”.

Indeed the rise of charitable gaming has been quite astounding over recent years, why do you think that has been Jon?

of 2014. Prior to this time, I had been

Same could be said in our business: “when you’re in gaming, everything looks like a casino”. But it’s not the case! The charitable player is not a casino player nor a Lottery player. They

involved in several businesses, kind of

Like I said, charitable gaming had been

are their own market subset. I think that

a serial entrepreneur. I was initially at-

an under-the-radar segment of the

the larger gaming firms and sophisticat-

tracted to charitable gambling because

gaming market for many years. Under-

ed investors see that distinction and are

of the low-key nature of the business

the-radar, but still significant. That be-

entering the space.

and the potential I saw to create posi-

ing said, other segments of the gaming

tive impacts for local charities. I figured

market were more “significant” and al-

the impact was two-fold: 1. Raising

ways overshadowed charitable gaming

dollars for good works by providing fun,

due to their size - and for good reason.

entertaining games for players, and 2.

For years, those other market segments

Absolutely.

Providing charities the tools that they

were the focus of expansion.

fresh ideas and new capital in the mar-

need to track their sales and provide

Are these recent acquisitions a good thing for the sector? These acquisitions inject

ket. But investors need to be careful.

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Jon Weaver Interview

All companies do not have the same

given that the pandemic recedes?

track record, and some have come to

state-of-the art technology, which is secure, well-regulated and entertaining

regulated gaming from unregulated,

: I believe that there is a is of room for

grey market gaming.

substantial growth.

for players. In addition, many states are looking at

As the market for charitable gaming

Charities around the world are look-

the “Minnesota Model” as a way to fund

expands, regulatory oversight is also

ing for new and innovative sources of

large public works. In Minnesota, elec-

expanding. Companies who have a his-

funding. Many markets allow charita-

tronic charitable gambling is the source

tory in grey markets are under increas-

ble gambling but there has not been a

for paying the State’s share of the US

ing regulatory scrutiny.

The days of

movement towards electronic content.

Bank Stadium construction bonds. This

“having a pulse and $10” to get a state

We feel that an evolution from paper

has proven to be a successful model for

charitable gambling license are over.

forms of charitable gambling to an elec-

the State, charities, Main Street bar busi-

This is also a good thing for our market

tronic format is well under way - and

nesses and every Minnesota taxpayer.

segment.

has been accelerated by COVID.

How far can the charitable gaming sector grow in the coming years,

Pilot has demonstrated that our electronic format is an easy to operate,

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GAMING NEWS

ECA Says “We Been Hit Hardest”

he European Casino Association (ECA), which represents 30 casino members has released an update on how badly affected the land based industry has been during the pandemic, below is the following release from the ECA: European land-based casino sector hardest hit ECA poll reveals the scale of the challenge its members are facing. Brussels, 26 April 2021 – Covid-19 has had a devastating effect on the European gambling industry, with the land-based casino sector taking the brunt of the impact. European casinos were closed for an average of 136 days in 2020, and the vast majority of operators have been unable to welcome guests in 2021. The latest ECA members’ poll reveals that 70% of casinos in Europe remain closed. Exceptions such as Luxembourg, Spain and Monaco have reopened in 2021 under Covidspecific restrictions, while the worst affected casinos, such as in Sweden, have been closed for an entire year. The facts: * Land-based casinos lost an average of over 37% of normal operating days throughout 2020 due to mandated COVID-19 closures. * 70% of all European land-based

casinos remain closed. * European land-based operators have seen revenues fall by over 50% in the last year. * The majority of ECA members do not have a clear schedule for the official reopening of their businesses in 2021. * Pre-pandemic, ECA members’ 900 European casinos employed 70,000+ staff. Post-pandemic employment is estimated to fall to 50,000. “This is the deepest trough the European land-based casino industry has ever experienced. The financial impact of the pandemic on the land-based casino sector has been extreme, and these numbers show the economic realities of COVID-19 on the European land-based casino sector,” states ECA Chairman Per Jaldung. “Some casinos have closed permanently, and many casino employees have lost their jobs. We are under no illusion that the industry can return to ‘business as usual’ any time soon. We are, as a matter of fact, very far from business as usual”. Restricted opening hours, maximum occupancy and amenity limitations, social distancing protocols, restricted gaming offers, protective measures including plexiglass, masks and on-site testing are just some of the hurdles that the land-based casino business is currently facing. Country to country variations in

the restrictions and mandates have also been compounded by regional variations within national borders. These restrictions are the next major challenge for a sector that the pandemic has hit the hardest. “Guests want to visit casinos again,” adds ECA Secretary General Hermann Pamminger. “The relaxation and tightening of numerous lockdowns in 2020 demonstrated the ability of the land-based sector to safely and responsibly return to business. Guest registration has enabled quick and practical social distancing measures, and casinos have implemented comprehensive hygiene initiatives, far exceeding local requirements, ensuring that our guests feel comfortable and safe. Our industry is part of the service and tourism sector in which we employ a large number of highly trained and motivated people. The closures affected 130,000 direct and indirect employees not only across our gambling facilities but also in our restaurant and entertainment areas. Our employees cannot wait for the day business is back to normal, and they can once again welcome guests to their casino and entertainment venues, but our industry continues to need support to achieve this during an extraordinarily challenging period.”

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Slot Management 101:

The Business Case

The Business Case is the most important part of your next big project, but do you know what it is, what it does and how it can help you avoid disaster, frustration, financial ruin and possibly your job!

By Andy Cosgrove

ny manager that hasn’t experienced failure has either never been a manager or has never achieved anything other than becomingtheartful dodger and the box ticker that wrote the “how to” manual on avoiding failure by blaming others. Failure is how we learn, failure is how we grow, and failure is part of human nature so we must embrace it and use it as a powerful tool on the wet, coldand often treacherous road to success. The good news is that a well written business case will minimize the dreaded risk of failure by providing simple guidelines and clearly defined project objectives that will inspire confidence, maintain focus andhelp your project finish on time and on budget while addingessential value to your customer experience. It

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will also turn you into a key person of influence, transform your boss into a legend and greatly decrease the risk of you being thrown underneath yet another proverbialbusshould failure rears its ugly head. The main purpose of the business case is to establish mechanisms to judge whether a project is desirable, viable and achievable. It serves as the business justification for the project and weighs the costs of the project against the anticipated benefits. It is created prior to project approval and is reviewed and update throughout the life of the project so that the focus remains on ‘why’ the work is being done as opposed to the ‘what and how’ approach to work that needs to be done. The main composition of the business case is as follows:

Problem Statement: The main focus of the business case is the problem statement (also known as executive summary) and it focuses on the pain that you business is experiencing and providesa high level analysis and possible solution for how you intend to turn your business pain into prosperity.A poorly written problem statement might read something like: “Antonio from marketing told me that somebody told him that we should increase the hold percentage on the slots because it will attract more customers.” A well written problem statement might read as follows: “During the first quarter of 2022, the slots customer counts was down by 10,000 player’s. This represents a decrease of 10%from the same period in 2021 which amounts to loss of 2.2 million in quarterly-

net win. By making changes in 5 key areas of slots operations over the next 6 months we can recoup lost revenues and see a healthy ROI within a 12 month period.” Can you spot the difference? Project summary: Defines and describesin greater detail how the project will put the problem statement to restand explains how it will enable the achievement of company strategies and objectives. For example: “By making changes in5 key areas of slot operations,including slots performance, slots inventory, slots marketing,players cluband customer service evaluation techniques, we will add more value to the customer experience, improve revenues and ultimately grow the customer count and the strength of the brand. Business options: Provides a clear

analysis and reasoned recommendation for the basic business options of do nothing, do the minimum and do something. ‘Do nothing’ should always be the starting point to act as the basis of quantifying the other options. The difference between ‘do nothing’ and ‘do the minimum’ or ‘do something’ is the benefit that the investment will buy. A good example of business options might be: “The option of ‘doing nothing’ will result in an accelerated decline in customer counts. The option of ‘doing the minimum’ will only stall the decline but will most likely not result in an increase in revenues. The recommended option of ‘doing something’willincrease customer countsbyreplacing some of our worst performing slots and upgrading others. Additional efforts to increase the customer count will come from a change to the current slots promo-

tions, a change in players club strategy and a change in customer service evaluation tools and techniques. Expected Benefits: These are the result of the desired outcomes to be achieved through the outputs of the project and are expressed in measurable terms against the situation as it exists prior to the project. Benefits might includemore competitive and better performing slots that can be measured in terms of revenues as a direct effect of the increase in customer counts; promotions and player’s club offerings that are more customer focusedwill generate higher customer counts which is how the benefits can be measured.A higher level of customer servicedue to a highly motivated, engaged and better trained staff can also, you guessed it, be measured in terms of the customer count.

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Alien Slot Manager (continued)

Expected Dis-benefits: The impact of one or more outcomes of the project that might be perceived as negative by one or more stakeholders. All projects come with a certain level of risk and despite your best intentions the majority of your hypothetical positive outcomes can result in a dis-benefit as a direct consequence of an improvement activity. A typical dis-benefit might be that an increase in customer counts could be perceived as causing an increase in problem gambling. Another could be that one of the proposed new machine models requires specialized maintenance which will increases downtime and service costs. Whatever the perceived dis-benefit may be, it needs to be valuedand incorporated into the investment appraisal Timescale: The period over which the project will run and the period over which the benefits will be measured. This usually includes a project stage by stagetimescale summary that comes directly from the project plan. Costs:A summary of the project costs and, the ongoing operations and maintenance costs and funding arrangements. These also come from the project plan. Investment appraisal: Compares the aggregated benefits and dis-benefits with the project costs and ongoing incremental operations and maintenance costs. The selection of appraisal technique may be influenced by the type of organization’s and their own standards. Nobody want’s their project to fail but if the benefits don’t justify the investment the project will fail and in failure will come the proverbial bus of destiny. Appraisal techniques includebut are not limited to whole-life costs, net benefits, payback period, net present value and ROI. Major Risks:Gives a summary of the

key risks associated with the project. The purpose of the risk theme is to identify, assess and control uncertainty and are measured in terms of a perceived threat or opportunity occurring and the magnitude of its impact on objectives. Typical risks examples could be related to a change in gaming regulations that could impact revenues generated by the new machines; the risk that the new games won’t be popular resulting in anincreased ROI timeframe. Adisruption to current operations duringproject execution could impact customer counts and revenues. As part of project management, a risk management approach is prepared that describes how risk will be managed. It includes processes, procedures, techniques, standards and responsibilities. Conclusion:The business case is a simple and effective tool that should be used to justify your project before approval and to assist in maintaining focus on the business justification during the life of the project. It’s an essential part of project management that will save you time, money and

add value to your customer experience.Stay tuned to for more slot management 101 tips and improve your chances of lasting success in these most uncertain times.

----MY MINI-BLOG - Andrew Cosgrove is a seasoned slot operations veteran and certified project manager with over 24 years of hands on experience in Latin America and the Caribbean. Andrew has worked on both the operator and supplier side of casino slots and continues to help clients succeed and exceed customer expectations. Andrew can be reached at andy.cosgrove@hemingwaycasinoconsulting.com Or go to: http://hemingwaycasinoconsulting.com/

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GAMING NEWS

Florida To Approve Sports Betting This Year

t looks almost certain that Florida will see sports betting this year and also an expansion of casinos along with the possibility of a casino resort in Miami. According to local reports in Florida the governor Ron DeSantis has brokered a deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida that will see the Tribes given permission to open three new casinos on their land and also have a major control on any sports betting activity in the state. An announcement could happen as early as today by lawmakers on the deal which still has some way to go before the end of the legislature session on the 30th April. If the deal is approved at state level which could call for a special session to approve the agreement but then still needs any changes to the country’s Indian tribal agreement being signed off by the Department of the Interior (DOI), who has final approval for all matters relating to tribal affairs in the US.

the deal according to reports would see the Seminole Tribe of Florida become the major winner in this, with the tribe given almost exclusive rights on sports betting and no sports betting allowed in a 100 mile radius of all the current seven casinos the tribe operates. It is understood the tribe would be allowed to use third party operators to run sports betting but the tribes would be given a major piece of the action, currently it is not certain but online sports betting will also be permitted once again under exclusivity of the tribe.

However what may be a stumbling block to the deal is the part that allows for a casino resort in Miami, there has been huge opposition from anti-casino protestors but it appears this is in the deal which would bring in an outside operator to the state, indeed only recently the son of the former President of the US, Eric Trump said that the families Trump National Doral would be interested in turning it into a casino resort. Also the owner of the Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach, billionaire real estate mogul Jeffrey Soffer has stated he would very much like to run a casino resort on his property.

In return the Seminole tribe will pay 10% of all profits from those operators and 13.75% of its own profits to the state. It is thought that would bring in around $600 million a year to the state coffers.

Only a few months ago this would seem to be a ridiculous idea, but as Friday the 23rd April dawns in Florida residents could learn that it is now reality.

If the agreement is finalised it would last for a term of thirty years and the state lawmakers believe it could boost the tax revenues by as much as $2 billion a year.

But still there are some powerful players against the proposals and only time will tell if the agreement by the governor and the Seminole Tribe will actually become a reality.

Should all this happen in time then

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April brings the Good, the Sad and the Lovely By Teresa Tunstall

inally, I’ve had my second ‘Jab’ of the Pfizer vaccine although frankly it did hurt! However, now I have “peace of mind” and coupled with the easing of Lockdown I hope this Pandemic is coming to an end. In some ways it’s a sense of Liberation. Meanwhile Australia and New Zealand have created a ‘Bubble’; the sharing of both countries to enable more holiday visitors. By the time you read this it is understood over

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200 planes will have already been booked with flights to New Zealand bringing many tourists to enjoy the delights of skiing in the mountain slopes. Gaming and gambling continue to appear in the news yet again. More and more punters are working from home and with time on their hands they are playing Online until to the early hours. Controversially one punter – a certain Mr Green - hit the big time

when playing with Betfred and winning over a million pounds. However, he was refused the payment due to a ‘glitch’ caused by Betfair themselves! The upshot was a long drawn-out fight for the ‘small’ man fighting for his rights against the big operator. Speaking after the judgment which was totally in his favour Mr Green said, “I’m numb, very numb, but pleased it’s over and done with, still so unreal.

I don’t know what to say, it’s just unreal, we finally got it to an end, there’s relief.” He continued: “Today isn’t just a win for me, it’s a win for everybody to show that they can’t treat people like this, people who use these platforms hopefully will realise by my story there is justice out there. Don’t be bullied by these people and in the end, justice will win it as it has for me. I did nothing wrong, I played a game, I was congratulated for five days on being a millionaire, and then it was all snatched away from me.” Betfred may be ordered to pay out more than £2million, including nearly three year’s interest on his jackpot,

plus all of his legal costs. This will be very justified especially as Mr Green spent a substantial amount celebrating his win after being told that he’d hit the jackpot when playing Frankie Dettori’s Magic Seven game for the sake of clarification he actually spent some £2,500 toasting his luck back in 2018 and he had to battle for nearly three years to receive his winnings. The so-called “glitch” was blamed on a problem with Betfred’s software. All’s well that ends well and when the judge finally ruled in his favour, Mr Green stated: “I did nothing wrong when I played the game.

I was congratulated for five days on becoming a millionaire and then it was snatched away from me”. Meanwhile back at the branch, while Betfred ‘lick their wounds”, “Bet365” owned by Denise Coates - the ‘Betting Queen,’ with an empire which has bought in millions of pounds to this unique Online gaming company and which pays millions to the Exchequer - added to her own fortune to the tune of £422 million pounds plus £48m in dividends! (PTO)

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Teresa Tunstall Article continued

In farness she has created a Foundation charity which donates millions to a variety of charitable organisations. It’s somewhat of a dichotomy inasmuch that so much charitable goodness does, indeed, said those in need but it doesn’t help the hapless gamblers who are addicted. As we all know no one wins whether it’s at a casino, at the racetrack or playing online. Problem gamblers invariably lose and then begin a process of “chasing the dragon” by trying to recover their losses. As far as I am aware Bet365, Denise Coates and/or her Foundation haven’t contributed to help the woes of the gambler, but of course make money from their plight. It begs the question how by making a fortune from assisting the process of gambling, do betting organisations have clear consciences? There’s a pronounced difference between being addicted to making money and being addicted to gambling. The former seems to be normality whilst the latter turns into abnormality, an illness. Not unexpectedly during Lockdown Online gambling increased fivefold .For many, gambling can

be an, ‘escapism,’ particularly for men although we know women can also be entangled too. Problem gambling was only recognised and addressed some 30 years ago but really didn’t gather too much attention. Today it is being tackled but half-heartedly and without real zeal. However, and in fairness, we are the first country to provide treatment for problem gamblers by way of a Mandatory Levy on gambling companies. This is an amazing and enormous salutary step forward for the UK and possibly in time for other countries to adopt. It’s bitterly sad to say but most problem gamblers only admit to their situation when they’ve lost almost everything which in some cases has led to suicides. So here we are in April and for some people “Spring has sprung”. The UK Roadmap has meant that Betting shops and bookies have finally opened together with most nonessential organisations. However they must be Covid-secure to nullify any chance of the spread of coronavirus .Additionally they have to complete a risk-assessments daily

as well as consulting with workers and trade union representatives to ensure they can operate safely. Bosses and Managers need to ensure that branches are cleaned regularly and protective coverings will be placed on items regularly touched by the public. Until now, only essential retailers have been allowed to stay open during the third lockdown, which covered food from supermarkets etc. Most Betting shops have longer working days through to evenings in order to cater for regular punters but it can also be a lonely job for the staff; consideration should be given to having at least two employees at any time of the day or night One a last note it was tremendously thrilling watching the Grand National this year. It was a fairy tale ending: a wonderful story concluding with Irish born Rachael Blackmore who became the first female jockey to ever win such a famous and difficult race! Long may it continue!

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GAMING NEWS

Betsson Partnership Announced For Mexico

etsson Group, the online gaming operator, and Big Bola Casinos, have agreed to partner together for online gaming operations in Mexico.

local partner that lives and breathes the local culture.

result in an outstanding product for Mexico.”

The partners plan to launch the gaming operator’s flagship brand, Betsson, by the end of the year. Upon launch, Betsson Mexico will offer casino, live casino, and localised sportsbook with a wide range of sports and markets and US ways of betting, such as money line, parley, and teaser bets.

“We are really excited to start this collaboration with Big Bola as we believe they are well suited to help us understand the market better and ensure that our offering not only fits the Mexican culture but also earns the public’s trust. Our vision is to provide the best customer experience in the industry and I’m confident that we will manage to replicate this success in Mexico too,” concluded Jesper Svensson.

Jesper Svensson, CEO of Betsson operations, said, “This is yet another expansion into the LatAm region which we see so much potential in. As we have done in Brazil, Colombia, and the Province of Buenos Aires in Argentina, we are teaming up with a

Emilio Quiros, Director of Operations for Big Bola, said, “We are happy that Betsson Group has chosen to partner with us for their operations in Mexico. We believe that our market expertise and their knowledge and experience about online gaming will

Both companies are actively involved in supporting the communities in which they operate. Betsson Group uses OneBetsson.com as a vehicle for local community engagements in multiple countries. During the current circumstances, Betsson has supported COVID-19 related initiatives in Malta, Sweden, Estonia, Georgia, and Hungary. Big Bola also runs Fundación Big Bola which is driven by values such as altruism, commitment, honesty, solidarity, justice, and generosity and supports children and youths in Mexico. It also collaborates with other public and private organisations to support healthcare and crisis relief in Mexico.

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GAMING NEWS

Sazka Group Partners With Vodafone

Evolution Gaming Q1 Revenues & Profits Jump

Sazka Group the lottery firm that is bidding

Evolution Gaming announced their first quarter results for 2021 showing operating revenues soaring by 105% to €235.8 million, with EBITDA increasing by 105% to €160.1 million.

for the UK National Lottery has now enlisted the help of Vodafone in a partnership to boost online sales of lottery tickets. The mobile giant is now helping the lottery company that has rebranded in the UK to Allwyn for the bid in boosting customers to play online instead of paper ticket version. Since the start of the pandemic sales in online tickets has risen massively in the last twelve months. Sisal Group who is Sazka’s biggest rival in Europe is believed to be making a late bid for the National Lottery which is currently operated since its conception in 1994 by Camelot.

However there is a belief that Camelot may lose out as there are some impressive bids coming in, not least from Sazka Group who are now believed to be the favourite. Camelot is owned by a Canadian pension fund but was formerly a consortium of companies such as Cadbury Schweppes, Gtech Corporation and De La Rue.

Profits for the three month period stood at €132 million compared to €54.2 million in the first quarter of 2020. Evolution Gaming CEO Martin Carlesund said: “The positive trend from 2020 continues in to the first quarter of 2021 where we see a good momentum both in terms of growth and profitability. The integration of NetEnt has been successful. I am truly impressed by the work from our teams, who, without losing focus on the daily high-quality delivery, and in a very short time, have managed to merge both workflows and organizational structure. We can already see good results from this work in the first quarter and I believe that we are well-set to continue to capitalize on the growing interest in online casino world-wide.” “The revenues for the first quarter, including the acquired NetEnt business, increased by 105 percent to EUR 235 million, compared to the first quarter of 2020. EBITDA increased to EUR 160 million, corresponding to a margin of 67.9 percent. During the quarter we have closed the synergy project reaching EUR 40 million in annual run-rate cost synergies related to the acquisition of NetEnt – 9 months earlier than our original plan. We will continue our constant aim towards cost-efficiency even if not reporting any synergies moving forward.”

Sazka has the backing of asset firm Apollo Global Management and Sisal has the backing of investment firm CVC which is well known in the gaming sector. The UK Gambling Commission will decide on the merits of all bidders and announce the winner in the Autumn of this year, whichever the winning bidder will be, will then take control of the National Lottery from 2023.

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Japan Considers Legalising Sports Betting

Entain Ups Offer For Tabcorp

Tabcorp the Australian gaming operator has stated to the Australian Stock Exchange that it has received an improved offer from Entain for their business. Entain the UK based gambling firm behind Ladbrokes and Coral have according to Tabcorp offered AU3.5 billion or £1.95 billion. That is up from the original offer of £1.68 billion.

Japan are considering including sports betting

in the licensing of casino resorts which could be very good news for MGM and Entain. Both companies work together in the US on sports betting products to players and MGM are one of only a few International casino operators applying for a casino resort license on Japan. Now it has been revealed that the Japanese government are in discussions on allowing sports betting on the countries two most popular sports, that being football and baseball. Japan are desperate for new tax revenues and along with opening up the country to have three integrated resorts it is now considering allowing sports betting which analysts believe could generate up to $65 billion a year in revenues. MGM are the only bidder for an integrated resort in Osaka along with its local partner Orix, Entain has a partnership with MGM in the US sports betting market called BetMGM. Indeed MGM made a bid for Entain earlier this year for 22% premium of Entain’s share price, that offer was rejected by the Entain board which the company is valued at £6.6 billion. MGM said in January that it would not go back with an improved offer but stated that their venture with Entain remains a key factor with BetMGM.

Earlier this year Tabcorp turned down the initial offer saying that it did not reflect adequately the value of the business. The Australian company said it has yet to review fully the new offer and the board will consider the new valuation from Entain. Entain said: “This would present an opportunity to acquire an attractive business which, if combined with Entain’s existing Australian business, would create a leading, integrated multi-channel and multi-brand wagering company.”

Holland Casino Reports Major Losses Holland Casino has announced their annual results for 2020 showing the company lost €58.8 million in the year due to constant closures and the major effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. The operator said that revenues plunged by 53.8% in the year to €333 million, much of that revenues was derived from slot machines that brought in €185.9 million, with table games at €124.7 million. The company that was only able to open its 14 casinos for 71 days in the whole year of 2020 said that its visitor numbers non-surprisingly fell by 60% to just 2.5 million for the whole year.

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Arizona Green Lights Sports Betting

he state of Arizona has signed off on a major gambling expansion allowing for online sports betting among a raft of other gambling activities. Arizona governor Doug Ducey signed the bill allowing for state tribes and professional sports teams to offer sports betting along with more casino related games and an increase in slot machines. The measures passed will help the struggling government’s budgets and allow for tribal Indians to have four more casinos but only two in the next ten years. Governor Ducey said on the new gambling expansion: “There’s no question that Arizona has grown and changed significantly since the last major compact update in 2003,” he went on to say. “It’s

important that we account for these changes in our policies and our compacts.” In total there are 24 tribal casinos in the state and that now is set to grow with the new bill, along with an increase of 6,300 slot machines, however the current number allowed 20,500 has not been full used. The same goes for the increase in table games which currently allows for 13,500 card table games but just 430 are currently used. But the major item is the allowance of sports betting for tribes and professional sports teams, both will be allowed to operate up to 10 licenses in and around their locations along with offering an online platform for sports betting.

isations to operate the licenses and no external operators are allowed to apply, making only suppliers allowed to partner with those organisations. Sporting teams such as Arizona Coyotes, Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals could see a major windfall along with tribal Indians, but companies like DraftKings could come in to offer their platform to those involved. The bill also will allow for all options of online gambling and lawmakers believe that the expansion in gambling could bring in as much as $34 million a year in tax revenues. Last year Tribal gambling generated $2 billion in revenues, helping the state receive $102 million in taxes.

The bill only allows for these organ-

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