July 2019 Infinity Gaming Magazine by Clever Duck Media

Infinity Gaming www.gaming-awards.com | ISSUE107

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

18 A UNIQUE SKILL Lee-Ann Johnstone

24 ANOTHER DOLLAR Teresa Tunstall

INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP Charlotte Sweeney OBE

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

08 ONBOARDING Lynn Pearce De Freitas

12 INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP

18 AFFILIATE MARKETING

ONBOARDING

24 ANOTHER DOLLAR Teresa Tunstall

34 BEAUTIFUL GAME THE BEAUTIFUL GAME Christina Thakor-Rankin

Christina Thakor-Rankin

39 CAESARS LATEST 43 WILLIAM HILL + 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 PRODUCTION Clever Duck Media Centrix@Keys Keys Park Road Staffordshire WS12 2HA UK

Celebrating the summer“

PUBLISHING Infinity Gaming Magazine is operated by © Clever Duck Media Ltd ®

Lana Thompson - Editor-in-Chief

Welcome to the latest edition of the Infinity Gaming Magazine

Company Reg. No. 687 1018 (Registered in England) V.A.T reg. no 972 6372 91

Welcome to the latest edition of the

pliment of feature writers, Christina

Infinity Gaming Magazine and Summer

Thakor-Rankin, Lee-Ann Johnstone, Te-

has arrived, well for some of our friends,

resa Tunstall and Lynn Pearce De Freitas

in the UK we still waiting for it, but for

with always superb insights from the

sure it will happen.

world of gaming.

Business Partnerships Svetlana@gaming-awards.com

As mentioned in the previous magazine

Not just that but we are also covering

we are now gearing up for the launch on

the latest book from our lead speaker

Marketing & Advertising claire@cleverduckmedia.com

the 2020 International Gaming Awards

at the WIG Diversity Awards Charlotte

(IGA) with the categories and judges to

Sweeney OBE, a superb read.

be announced very soon. As always we got the all the very latest We already have some super sponsors

news and reviews from all parts of the

on board for the event and we are all

world covering the business.

looking forward to what we believe to be the biggest and best ever in recog-

Have a super month, enjoy the maga-

nising and celebrating the best within

zine and summer, we will catch you all

our industry over the last 12 months.

with the categories for the International Gaming Awards 2020 in the next edi-

Summer always makes you feel happy

tion.

and is a time to relax and have some fun before the heavy work of Autumn and

“To Infinity and Beyond!”

Winter comes with all the exhibitions and conferences come along.

Regards,

In our latest edition we have a full com-

Lana The Editor

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Sponsorship Opportunities Colin@cleverduckmedia.com

Editorial Content & PR media@cleverduckmedia.com

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 prducts, technology and current affairs with the sector the Infinity Gaming Magazine is delighted to showcase our superb line-up of contributing writers.

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 reengineering, project management, research, business analysis and development, to start-ups and established multi-national operators and providers, gambling regu-

lators, 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 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;poacher to gamekeeper,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; spending 16 years with GamCare, who offer help and support to those who develop problems with their gambling.

Teresa now works independently consulting on all issues relating to Social Responsibility and Problem Gambling.

Working closely with the betting and gaming industry, She developed strong links delivering Social Responsibility and Problem Gambling training around the world, from Antigua to Moscow, and Auditing in the UK.

To contact Teresa regarding consulting please email: Teresatunstall1@gmail.com

Lee-Ann Johnstone - CEO Best Odds Marketing With almost two decades of digital marketing and affiliate experience gained within retail, payments and blue chip iGaming brands, Lee-Ann has a wealth of expertise as an award winning digital marketing expert and business mentor. She is the creator of AffiliateFEST, founder of Best Odds Marketing a digital consultancy specialising in affiliate marketing and recently launched Affiliate Insider offering training, events and business development for the affiliate channel.

www.affiliateinsider.com|www.bestoddsmarketing.com

Lynn has creatively strategized and implemented B2C and B2B acquisition, conversion and retention marketing campaigns.

She joined Forwardslash, (an igaming marketing company) as Marketing GM: Creative Studio. She then went on to work for a sportsbetting company to launch a poker room and casino for a while, before being headhuntered to join a startup casino company in Prague, where she worked as the Marketing Operations Manager. Longing for the sea and sunshine, she relocated to Malta to consult for a B2B igaming software development company.

Lynn Pearce de Freitas

Lynn started off her igaming career consulting to LCI, a prestigious land-based casino in the UK, where she was responsible for the online marketing and projectmanagement of conferences, events, presentations, video production, and other activities.

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Onboarding – or is it? By Lynn Pearce de Freitas

aving recently spent the last year working as a consultant within the gaming industry has taught me quite a few things regarding the good, the bad and the ugly of joining a new company, albeit temporarily. My biggest stress is going through the onboarding process, which theoretically should be the best thing, a welcoming occasion, getting to meet new people and learning new software applications, which I can add to my portfolio going forward. But what is onboarding really? According to Wikipedia: Onboarding, also known as organizational socialization, is management jargon first created in the 1970’s that refers to the mechanism through which new employees acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors in order to become effective organizational members and insiders. The dictionary further explains onboarding as: noun: onboarding; plural noun: onboardings: the action or process of integrating a new employee into an organization or familiarizing a new customer or client with one’s products or services. The principles of onboarding have been around forever, so why does it differ so much from company to

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company? And why do some companies get it so wrong? Relating it to my recent experiences only, with 3 companies and 3 completely different onboarding processes, made me dig a bit deeper, as I was really curious to find out, particularly as it all started with HR and training, but has extended to the “onboarding” of new clients and products as well. Onboarding should be the best part of joining a new company –getting to know your peers and colleagues, a time to learn new software technologies, feeling that you are being set up to succeed properly before hitting the grindstone hard! But recently I find myself struggling with that, and speaking to colleagues and friends from all different walks of life, in all industries from pharmaceuticals to banking, I find that others are struggling with the onboarding process as much as I am, probably because the majority of my friends are all digital nomads and they tend to either consult, or freelance regularly as well in different companies around the globe. Onboarding is a very important process for a business to succeed, whether with a new client or a new staff member and should not be undervalued.

A recent report by the Society for Human Resource Management showed that 1 in 25 employees leave their new jobs because of bad onboarding experiences. Poor onboarding processes can have disastrous effects. It can set a new employee up for failure, inhibit workplace efficiency and change an employee’s outlook on your company. The same applies to new client onboarding – done badly, this could lose the company a fortune in potential revenue. The reason for that, I think, is the lack of “pre-onboarding” processes within companies. I believe that pre-onboarding is as important as onboarding a new person into a company. In many instances new people arrive in a company and the staff are taken completely by surprise! Sometimes they have not even been informed by management that the role was on offer, with some staff being resentful that they were not given an opportunity to climb the corporate managerial ladder, or the chance to become a senior specialist in their field of choice. This leads to immediate resentment of the new employee, which brings out the worst behavior in people. It is not that they dislike the new person,

Onboarding - Or is it?

it is more that they are disappointed, or even a little bit in shock. Generally, these feelings dissipate, but had they been informed in a pre-onboarding session, none of these negative feelings would have occurred. In addition, having a pre-onboarding session with existing staff would give them the opportunity to find out about the new employee’s role, their past job experiences, their skillset and accomplishments and allow them to choose a mentor, preferably someone from the new employee’s team that would be able to guide the new employee through the company infrastructure and their position within the company.

Another pre-onboarding session internally should be with IT and software development teams who manage the security of the company assets. These are the staff who are going to be allocating admin access and rights to new staff members, including setting up of the workstation, mobile phones, social media access, email and allocating the correct programs, giving them the tools to perform at their best. In the gaming industry, we never seem to have enough time to train up a new employee properly, as we live in a 24/7, fast-paced environment and you are expected to hit the ground running. However, it would be great to set aside a week or two to focus on

training on all the software platforms that a new employee will need to learn in order to do their job properly, as most companies have some proprietary software systems in place. It does not matter how many systems I have worked with in the past – there will always be different software systems to learn, so training is always necessary. The best part of onboarding? Getting to meet your new colleagues over a lunch or after-work drinks, which breaks the ice and allows you to get to know your colleagues in a relaxed environment!

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GAMING NEWS

China and Vietnam crackdown on online gambling

n the 10th of June, police in the Anhui province swooped in and arrested 78 suspects for the running of an online gambling ring. It was an unnecessary reminder for those in China and Vietnam that online gambling is still illegal within the country. The story was reported by XinhuaNet. It was confirmed that police had begun their investigation in to the group in October 2018, after a victim came forward to complain that they had lost 300,000 yuan (around $43,000) in an online game called Zork. It is unclear if the game has any connection to the 1980s text adventure game. It has been alleged that the illegal operation stretched into the neighbouring provinces of Jiangsu and Hubei, and is estimated to be with 128 million yuan ($18.5 million). It

is believed that new gamblers were brought in to the game by the use of a live stream. At the time of the article being written 46 of the 78 were still being held in police custody. In addition to this, Gambling Insider reported that 35 Chinese nationals have recently been deported from Vietnam for also partaking in the illegal online gambling market. Gambling is strictly regulated in Vietnam, with it only being permitted at certain casinos and online gambling being entirely banned. It is claimed that they were arrested following a police raid on 6 rental properties in the area. These suspects, believed to be 31 men and 4 women, were then handed over to the Chinese authorities at the Mong Cai border.

This deportation follows a crackdown by the authorities in Vietnam, who have recently taken tough action on itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own illegal online gambling industry. In May, 30 were arrested and brought in for question over two alleged online gambling rings in its Hung Yen and Hai Duong provinces. From a moral standpoint, many see these stances as being ideal but they are far from practical or effective. For those in China who wish to gamble, they simply take travel breaks and it is seen as a huge source of income for the region. In addition, those unable to afford to travel will always turn to illegal gambling rings, as they want to pursue their own enjoyment. Whilst the government continues to force overly strict regulations, these people will continue to seek underground solutions to their wants.

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Excerpt from:

Inclusive Leadership: The Definitive Guide to Developing and Executing a Powerful Diversity and Inclusion Strategy – Locally and Globally

Authors: Charlotte Sweeney OBE and Fleur Bothwick

“All organisations are perfectly designed to get the results they are now getting. If we want different results, we must change the way we do things.” - Tom Northup, Author and Leadership Guru

t’s over two decades ago that we first started to hear people talk about diversity (usually without mention of inclusion) in relation to talent management. For many diversity and inclusion (D&I) practitioners it was almost by accident that they became involved in what would usually have been part of Human Resources (HR) or sometimes even corporate responsibility (CR). Back then, people were far less ‘politically correct’ and it was not unusual for a manager, when briefing an HR Director about an open vacancy, to make a comment such as they didn’t want any ‘fertile women’ applying for the role because they already had two team members on maternity leave. On the whole, such overt conversations are now history in many

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geographies, but it doesn’t mean that as individuals, we don’t momentarily process similar thoughts in the deep recesses of our minds. In addition, over the years, the reach of D&I has developed beyond talent management to have a significant influence over many aspects of how business operates. One thing is certain, the term D&I is increasingly one that is part of the everyday business language in large employers and is raising its profile in small to medium sized workplaces. What is Diversity and Inclusion? It is important from the very beginning to outline what we actually mean by D&I as there are so many variations available. We have both experienced examples where the words D&I have been used interchangeably to have the same meaning when, in

fact, they are both two very different words which are part of an important jigsaw. Diversity is about every single person. Everyone is unique and their perspectives are different, based on lots of influences such as their own life experiences, culture, learning styles, personality type, education, the list could go on. For this reason it is often misleading to stereotype anyone, for example, girls cry easily, boys are better at science, older people can’t learn about new technology. Every single one of us makes up the richness of the mix and diversity, by default, is naturally around us. The real challenge is making that mix work and that’s where inclusion comes in.

Charlotte Sweeney OBE

Inclusion is about creating an environment where everyone can be themselves, feel that they are able to contribute their views and that these will be valued. An example that is used to bring the above differences to life is a quote by Verna Myers, Author and D&I Professional based in the US : Diversity is being invited to the Party, Inclusion is being asked to dance’ Although we will look at terminology in more detail later in the book it would be remiss of us at this stage not to share what ‘equality’ and ‘inclusive leadership’ are. These are terms that are also used alongside D&I and it is

important to understand the differences from the outset. Prior to the start of the D&I journey for many organisations their focus was on ‘Equal Opportunities’ or ‘Equality’. This was initially driven by legislative requirements and expectations from laws that were introduced. An example of this is the Sex Discrimination Act that was introduced in the UK in 1975. Equal Opportunities in the UK is defined as ‘the right to be treated without discrimination’ and Equality is defined as ‘the state of being equal, especially in status, rights or opportunities’.

inclusive leader is someone who is aware of their own styles, how they view the world and then allows, in fact, invites, others to share their own perspectives and is able to work with many styles different to their own. The above terminology can be confusing to get your arms around initially, Charlotte uses the following example to give a simple overview of the differences: Equality is being invited into the room. Diversity is getting a seat at the table. Inclusion is sharing your views and being heard. An Inclusive Leader enables all of this to happen.

The other term that is used within the D&I world is ‘inclusive leadership’. An

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Charlotte Sweeney

Why is it important?

in many other countries

http://vernamyersconsulting.com

There are many reasons to focus on D&I in some way and often there is more than one reason why an organisation starts along this journey. One catalyst is the introduction of new legislation, for example quotas for nationals in the Middle East or the requirement to publish your gender pay gap in the UK. Another may be a tribunal claim/s made by a member of staff or low engagement scores in your employee survey. You might be prompted to do something to keep up with your competitors or to qualify to pitch for new business. In an ideal situation, the catalyst is when your leadership teams see the value of diverse perspectives and want to see it embedded in to how they do business.

• Research by McKinsey found that workforces that are both diverse and inclusive have 12 per cent higher employee productivity; 19 per cent higher retention; 57 per cent higher team collaboration and 42 per cent higher team commitment

Purchasing Power of Women - http://www.

• Deloitte identified an 80 per cent improvement in business performance when levels of diversity and inclusion were high

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4f4b3c8e-

At a high level we know that the world is changing and what we have done in the past is by no means confirmation of success in the future. Who would have thought over a decade ago that today: • The world’s largest taxi company owns no taxis (Uber)

fona.com/resource-center/blog/purchasing-power-women http://www.mckinsey.com/businessfunctions/organization/our-insights/whydiversity-matters

d521-11e3-9187-00144feabdc0. html#axzz43RSb5Akd Women in Business: The Value of Diver-

• Grant Thornton estimated the opportunity cost associated with male only boards was approximately US$655bn for 1,050 companies across three markets (US, India, UK)

sity - http://www.grantthornton.global/ globalassets/wib_value_of_diversity.pdf The Peterson Institute for International Economics - Is Gender Diversity Profitable? Evidence from a Global Study February

• In its global study, The Peterson Institute found that 30% female representation on boards can increase company net profits by 6%

2016 World Population Ageing Report 2013 -

http://www.un.org/en/development/

desa/population/publications/pdf/age-

• Ageing demographics show that the average age in many countries is significantly increasing. For example, the average age in the UK hit a high in 2015 at 40 years

ing/WorldPopulationAgeing2013.pdf

• In 2015 it was estimated by The World Economic Forum that it would take 118 years to achieve gender pay parity

and Business Case for global LGB&T Inclu-

• Of the 20 biggest companies in the US, 14 companies score 100% in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index which rates workplaces based on LGB&T quality

who.int/features/factfiles/disability/facts/

http://reports.weforum.org/global-gender-gap-report-2015/ Open for Business (2015) – The Economic

• The largest accommodation provider owns no real estate (Airbnb) • The largest phone companies own no telecommunications infrastructure (Skype / We Chat) • The most popular media owner creates no content (Facebook) • The world’s largest movie house owns no cinemas (Netflix) When we specifically look at the changes we see in organisations, the case for change is compelling:

sion 2015 - by Jon Miller and Lucy Parker World Health Organization - http://www. en/index.html

• Over a billion people live with some form of disability. This corresponds to about 15% of the world’s population. Rates of disability are increasing, due to population ageing and the global increase in chronic health conditions .

• In the US women account for 85% of all consumer purchases, this is similar

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GAMING NEWS

How Brexit could affect the iGaming market

here is always media coverage dedicated to the potential negative impact that the gambling industry is presumed to have, with stories regularly making the news. In particular attention is often given to addiction, with news outlets quick to focus on how families can lose their homes as a result of irresponsible gambling. However, often in these stories the blame is given to the businesses, as it is easier than addressing other societal or personal responsibility. The United Kingdom is the perfect example of how gambling can contribute to a country’s economy, as it contributes millions to the national budget each year. And this is something that could be adversely affected by Brexit. The full impact of Brexit is yet to be fully understood, although economic uncertainty is already beginning to impact the country’s industry. At the moment, it seems increasingly likely that the UK’s withdrawal could have severe monetary consequences, and this will undoubtedly affect the gambling world. It is likely that several businesses will be simultaneously hit by Brexit and

it’s therefore likely that there will be tax hikes for all businesses in the UK. It is also assumed that this could mean license payments will also be increased, having far reaching consequences on profit and other factors. In particular Gibraltar could find itself facing the impact, despite its citizens voting remain in the referendum. The relationship between the UK and Spain has always been strained, something that is easily observed from its border. This perfectly demonstrates the delays that are often faced in relations that involved both Spain and the UK. However, at the moment, there is no limit on the number of coursings that can be made, but this is something that could dramatically change following Brexit. At the moment, some of the world’s largest online gambling businesses operator out of Gibraltar, largely the result of the low taxes. There are 35 licensed online gambling business based there, with giants such as William Hill and Gala Coral choosing to house their HQ’s on The Rock.

Furthermore, 60% of those that work in Gibraltar actually live in Spain, as the current situation allows for easy travel between the two. As a result of previous tensions and political motives, it’s likely that Spain could use Brexit to make things difficult for Gibraltar, particularly making it harder for seamless border crossings. As a result, there is likely to be an impact on jobs, as people find it harder and harder to move between the two. It therefore stands to reason that we will likely see, numerous businesses move from Gibraltar to Malta. In fact, many already considering the move. However, it is going to be a few more months before we know any further details. Thee Brexit process has now been extended to the 31st of October, with a new Prime Minister soon to be handling the process. As the gambling industry is naturally concerned with how things now move forward, let’s hope that the new PM will do what is right for the wider British economy.

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Why Affiliate Marketing is a unique skill, and what it takes to build a long term career By Lee-Ann Johnstone

oo many times, I’ve seen affiliate marketing being lumped in with digital marketing in general, but actually – it needs to be treated as a unique skill set. Affiliate managers have a broad job spec. They sit in the nucleus of the marketing division and tend to need to offer everything to everyone to make the model really work. I can tell you after twenty years in the business, that there is a lot expected of you - from your boss and the partners you choose to work with. I tend not to think of it as a career, but more of a life choice. I tell the attendees in our training academy this all the time. To be a truly good affiliate manager, it takes time. It takes experience and it takes a hunger to not only learn the fundamentals but to also continue to master it as a skill, because it is constantly changing. What Skills Should an Affiliate Manager Have An affiliate manager has to wear many hats as mentioned – but here

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are some fundamental marketing skills that are critical for any affiliate manager to be successful at what they do. Confidence Although confidence is a skill in every type of business life, it’s something that every affiliate manager needs to have in bucket loads to get by. Some people confuse confidence with sales. It’s not really the same. Confidence is being sure of what you know, and being able to communicate effectively even with strangers. It is the first skill set that is tested when you set out recruiting affiliates into your program. It does require a lot of groundwork, as you need to make sure the advice you are giving - is sound. It is why as an affiliate manager your learning on digital trends, never ends. If you are confident, then you are much more likely to be able to negotiate good deals with affiliates, and the likelihood is affiliates will feel much more comfortable working with you and building a good relationship based on trust. Business Acumen

An affiliate manager needs to have a keen interest in the basic mechanics of running a business to be able to measure their efforts against company margins. A basic business acumen will allow you to make educated decisions and have a better understanding as to how these decisions can affect the programme profits as a whole. It is a skill that can be learned - however, it will only get better through day to day experience. Originality As an affiliate manager, it’s your job to be innovative and come up with original ideas. These ideas are what will make your marketing campaigns stand out above others. Not every idea you come up with will be the best, but the key is to collaborate with your entire team regularly and brainstorm innovation to make the most of the events that take place around you. If your idea doesn’t work – pick yourself up and move on share the learnings and try again.

Lee-Ann Johnstone Article

Be a team player You will come across all types of people as an affiliate manager – and particularly in the iGaming industry, affiliate marketing is a very social business. You need to be able to represent your brand and leave affiliates with a positive impression. You are the front line of your business. Being a team player means working with your peers to achieve the end goal. Excellent social skills will allow you to nurture relationships with your partners and create better campaigns and it will also allow your team to work together instead of against one another to achieve your revenue business goals. Continuous training The digital landscape is continually evolving – and you need to be able to keep up with the latest digital trends to grow your ideas, try new things and grow revenue in a crowded market place. There are lots of great training programs and coaching programs out there that will allow you to hone in on the skills required and find your inner success. There is no one size fits

all approach and finding out how YOU can be the best affiliate manager is part of the success of working in this industry. Affiliate manager training academies – can give you structure, focus and vision. All of which you need to succeed in your campaigns. Ours goes a step further to help you be accountable to deliver. As a manager training always tends to fall on the back foot because you get so busy doing the job. Getting your team trained up and ready for battle allows them to learn, improve their networking skills and learn from industry experts who they can bounce around ideas with. You also may meet other contacts that are useful to you. It could be that you meet a marketing supplier to take your ideas to the next level, or it could be that you meet a mentor that can help growth hack you to success. Building a career in Affiliate Marketing Working in affiliate marketing can offer a rich and rewarding career and I can tell you from experience, that you

probably won’t experienced anything like it anywhere else. Since the world of digital and affiliate marketing is evolving at a rapid rate, there are always new things to learn and take on board. As a career choice it can’t be beaten. The problem is you need to learn your trade on the job. So finding an expert to learn from can be a hard call and it isn’t a fast skill to learn as it’s constantly changing. If you want to be on the cutting edge of digital marketing learning how to innovate on the fly and have a passion for online marketing, this is the job for you. Affiliate management is something that needs a lot of groundwork, expertise and effort to succeed it also needs the raw skill and talent I’ve listed above. If you want to develop your career, get a mentor for your team or look at investing in expert lead training you’ll be investing in the success of your brand growth. The two are absolutely, directly linked.

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GAMING NEWS

90% of American sports betting could soon be online

number of gambling and technology executives have suggested that within the next 5-10 years, 90% of sports gambling could be done on the internet. Discussing the future of gambling at the East Coast Gaming Congress in Atlantic City, the leaders of the gambling world confirmed that they believe rapid advances in technology has pushed sports betting further online. The discussion follows the U.S. Supreme Court decision last year, which has now paved the way for the legalisation of online sports betting. Since that decision was made, New Jersey has seen over $3billion worth of sports bets being paced, with 80% of these being done online. It is therefore expected that this will dramatically increase further. The CEO of NeoGames, a global provider of internet gambling and lottery technology, Moti Malul predicted that 90% of American sports betting would now go online. “Innovation will drive through that,” he said. “And who knows what mobile will look like 10 years from now?”

process. This was echoed by Parikshat Khanna, CEO of CG Technology, a licensed Nevada bookmaker, who stated that “when CG launched its betting apps in 2009, “It was always assumed you wanted to sit in a sports book for three or four hours to watch the game.” However, just two years later, 60% of the company’s bets are now being taken via mobile apps. On the other hand, the CEO of 888 Holdings, Itai Panzer, is slightly more conservative in his estimations but still believes that at least half of all bets will be done online. “Society’s movement to mobile in just about every area cannot be denied,” said David Rebuck, director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. “To ignore it will just cause problems in the future; Your customers want it, and they’ll access it on the black market for sure.” Yet, despite these bold and forwardthinking predictions, in the real world it is proving difficult for online sports betting to be approved, with many states lagging behind on this

In New York, for example, the question of wager legalisation has now been sat in the legislature for a number of months. In addition, in Illinois online fantasy sports providers-turned-bookmakers FanDuel and DraftKings were frozen out for 18 months, in order for land based casino’s to be given a higher chance of success. However, whilst many welcomed this likely advance in the online gambling world, David Cordish, who owns casino projects in Pennsylvania and Maryland, warned against it being pushed too hard. “You’re fighting for that customer up there in the ether,” he said. “It costs a lot to market to that customer, and you’re not the only one. What we should be doing is building real facilities that attract the guest. It’s a fun event. It takes a village to get online gaming up and running,” she said. “And unfortunately, you have to pay the village.”

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EXCITING ROLE FOR FRENCH SPEAKING CASINO MANAGER EXCELLENT SALARY AND BENEFITS

GAMING NEWS

MaxEnt to appeal, as UK licence is revoked

he gambling regulator in the UK has revoked the license of the Slotty Vegas operator, MaxEnts. The company, which is based in Malta, has recently undergone a revamp and will be disappointed by this decision. The decision was made following a concern which was raised over the source of funds that were used in the recent acquisition of the company. The announcement was made on Tuesday by the Gambling Commission and the revocation will take effect on the 18th of June. As a result, from date MaxEnt will not be able to operate within the UK’s regulated market. In the statement, the regulator said that it would expect the operator to engage fully with its UK customers and to provide them with information about its departure from the market. It was the Commissions choice not to revoke the license immediately, as it wanted to allow MaxEnt time for the

decision to be challenged. As the company stated its verdict, the decision follows the company’s recent change of ownership. However, it pointed out that after a hearing before the regulatory panel, it “has decided to revoke the operating license under section 102(4)(b) of the Gambling Act 2005.” Under current UK gambling law, when there is a change of corporate control, the company should either surrender its holding license or apply for a new one. Furthermore, if a person becomes the new controller, the license application should be followed by information about the new controller and regrading their interest in the company. In the statement, the commission stated that it is not confident that it would have granted the new license to MaxEnt – “had the new controller been a controller of the company

when the application for the operating license was made.” However, it further clarified this statement stating that it was “not satisfied as to the source of funds to acquire and support the licensee at the time of, and following, the change of corporate control.” It confirmed that it had concerns over the sustainability of the new controller and that he had failed “to be full and frank in his dealings”. MaxEnt has confirmed that it is challenging the decision, stating that it believed the commission’s decision had not been “sufficiently objective”. “We are hopeful of a positive outcome following our appeal, but we will be carefully considering our position in the UK market, nonetheless,” the operator added. “We believe that other markets show great potential for a responsible, prudent operator such as ourselves.”

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Another day, another dollar By Teresa Tunstall

here is no doubt that the UK Gambling Commission is dishing out large ‘fines’ of over one million pounds to those companies who don’t comply with the required gaming law. Certainly one company concerned has been around long enough to know better; this reflects badly upon their staff, and questions the standard of their training. This immediately disturbs me as this situation could demonstrate that the majority of staff are just not able to deal properly with problem gamblers. Consequently and in time the problem gambler talks to the Gambling Commission and becomes yet another statistic. It begs the question as to what happens if a problem gambler decides to ’come out’ and clean up his act by approaching the company he has gambled with every day, every week for help. What happens if his luck turns and he’s in trouble, how will staff deal with it? The reality is that the in the first place the majority of problem gam-

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blers generally excessively gamble because they are escaping from their fears, work issues, trouble at home or other problems: momentarily it allows them to not face up to their woes. A multitude of issues can affect their lives - loneliness, marital problems, family problems, the list is endless. It seems that in the event of times of trouble life becomes disastrous and the only escape is to lose themselves, forget the reality of their problems and have a bet, a gamble to expunge their draining exasperating situation. I spoke with one problem gambler who took offence when I asked about his alcohol intake. He was furious “you’ll never find me in the gutter,” he retorted. I remember thinking that despite his answer relating to that topic he would easily lose next month’s rent at the turn of a card or spin of the wheel.

gambling, betting shops, casinos etc exacerbating what is already a terrible situation. Thus staff today have to know their customers and check or ask gamblers if they want to consider the extent of their gambling. We really have to take Mental Health issues seriously and the consider the effects that eventuate. How do our minds work when we are mentally distressed or upset? For gamblers reasoning goes out of the window and as the saying goes ‘When poverty knocks on the door love flies out the window.’ Mental Health awareness is coming to the fore especially with youngsters because half of all adult mental illness starts before a child is 14 years old. We need to fully acknowledge and realise that anxiety levels and the causes affecting children are totally different from an adult situation.

It’s obvious that staff who are dealing with a gambler in trouble are also confronted with a person whose life has spiraled out of control. Not only could he lose his home and job but every last bit of money on Online

It’s worth teaching kids to be kind to each other, a more valuable life skill than any high achieving exam results.

Teresa Tunstall Article

Unfortunately in the distant past there was little help or support for gamblers in trouble; they were probably too embarrassed to ask anyway, but now the tables have turned and refunds are happening. This begs the question as to whether problem gamblers now seek help, do they just leave it or maybe they just don’t care? The answer is we don’t know as those statistics are not released. Companies don’t share information and most problem gamblers don’t wish to divulge personal information. An Online betting addict caught forging receipts 90,000 pounds from his boss has pleaded guilty and has offered to pay back all he defrauded. Judge Benedict Kelleher sentenced him to a two-year suspended prison term and actually ordered him to pay back 75,000 pounds. He continued, “it’s an addiction to gambling you suffer from and an addiction which is not

easily overcome.Like all gamblers you failed to make a profit and were running up substantial debts.” The gambler involved additionally was ordered to complete 300 hours of community service and attend 10 days of rehab. This had me thinking as to who actually lost out on this situation - the company from whom he embezzled or the Online gaming companies he gambled with? Why didn’t any of these gaming companies pick-up on his gambling or the gambler recognize his criminal act? However, it strikes me that those 300 community hours sound much more encouraging than a prison cell!! Hackers and cybercriminals are looking to create fake emails that mimic staff within these big companies. Hackers access an employee’s work and are looking so good they appear to be from a work colleague.Armed with this access they start ‘phishing’

scam emails which in-turn activates a virus to take over computers and demand ransoms in Bitcoin currency. These thieves can often be caught out by spelling mistakes or bad grammar so cut down on ‘spell check,’ to avoid these pugnacious crooks! Finally, by the time you read this I hope to have received confirmation that I’ve qualified as a Counsellor! It’s been a long struggle but an interesting journey and I hope some of my skills will support those in need of help. The bottom line is that we need to get these problem gamblers to attend counselling. Hopefully we can achieve more openness when it comes to gambling problems instead of the shame that seems to exist along with the addiction…..it might be a long road but it’s the only way forward.

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GVC faces shareholder revolt over executive pay

he owners of both Ladbrokes and Coral, GVC Holdings, stated on Wednesday that it was disappointed in its stakeholders decision to reject its remuneration report. Despite it’s chief executive agreeing to take a pay cut, the proposals were rejected by more than 40% of its stakeholders. The company held its AGM in Gibraltar earlier this week and confirmed that 42% had voted against the proposal, whilst 52% had accepted. The chair of the remuneration committee stated that it was “naturally disappointed” with the decision. However, she confirmed that the company would now engage with investors over the next few months, confirming that the policy was due to be discussed at next year’s AGM. “We engaged extensively with shareholders ahead of the annual general meeting and would like to thank them for their helpful and constructive input. We understand that some shareholders ultimately felt unable

to support the report, in part due to our legacy arrangements, which going forward no longer form part of our remuneration framework.” Last month, GVC aimed to silence any revolt over excessive packages by confirming that it’s chief executive was to receive a pay cut. The current chief exec, Kenny Alexander, was to see his salary cut by £150,000 to £800,000. However, the appeasement did not silence critics, as it did not address wider concerns about over generosity of the long-term incentive plan. In 2018, Kenny’s total pay packet was £19.1m, compared to £18.4m in 2017. One shareholder, Merian Global Investors, confirmed that it had voted against the report. The UK head, Richard Buxton, confirmed that: “While we recognised the reduction in the salary increase that Kenny Alexander has taken following discussion with shareholders, we are concerned by the apparent lack

of consistency between the targets under the new LTIP awards and the performance that we, and we understand management as well, expect of the business. “It is essential that the incentives should only reward management for stretching performance that results in the rerating required to restore the confidence and value lost over the last year.” Additionally, the shareholder advisory firms Pirc and Glass Lewis, recommended that investors vote against the report. The firm, which is based in the Isle of Man and owns brands such as Foxy Bingo, acquired Ladbrokes Coral about two years ago in a deal that was worth around £4bn. Back in March, Alexander and the chairman Lee Feldman, caused anger when they sold a £20m worth of stock, causing share to fall heavily.

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Only 29% of Coloradans will vote for sports betting

survey by bettingUSA.com has discovered that only 29% of voting-age Coloradians would vote “yes” for sports betting if the upcoming referendum was to be held today. The survey was held ahead of the much anticipated referendum in November, with it being likely that the question will appear. It has been suggested that voters will be asked if they believe that sports betting should be legalised in casinos and mobile applications. The survey was conducted between the 2nd and 5th of June 2019 via Google Surveys and collected the responses of 5000 people aged over 18 and were residents of Colorado. They survey found that only 29% of these people would vote for legalization of sports betting, if the referendum was held today. While 31.% of

voting-age Coloradans would oppose the measure. However, 40% of those surveyed stated that they were undecided at the time. All voters were asked the same question; INovember, Colorado voters will vote on whether or not to legalize sports betting. If that vote was being held today, would you vote YES or NO? The editor of bettingUSA.com, Wes Burns stated that the results were hardly surprising given that the referendum legislation had only recently been signed. He believed that voters were potentially unaware of the issues likely to be on the ballot and that there was a likelihood that this poll results could dramatically change. The CEO of bettingUSA.com added that voter education was likely to be vital over the next few months. Add-

ing that “special interest groups such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Disney Worldwide Services spent millions on campaigns for and against a gambling referendum in Florida last year. We will not be surprised to see similar efforts in Colorado.” If the proposal is successful and a majority of people do approve of sports betting, Colorado casinos will then be authorised to launch retail sportsbooks and mobile betting apps. They will then be charged a 10% tax on revenue, with this money being funnelled straight into Colorado’s water plan. This is the plan that deals with water conservation and supply. Interestingly, the survey found that there was a gender bias, with men tending to favour the proposed legislation.

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Pennsylvania video gambling lands in….just one store

n Wednesday 12th June the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board granted a license to the owner of Rutter’s convenience store chain. The license officially gives them permission to install video gambling terminals at just one store in Walker Township, Juniata County. It is the first Pennsylvania chain convenience store to be granted permission to enter the expanding commercial gambling market. The stores location appears to offer it a lucrative opportunity, with the store falling along Route 75 near Mifflintown and close to U.S. Route 322, the major highway artery in the area. However, it is unlikely to be the last, as there are currently 19 other pending applications for additional stores in Pennsylvania. Interestingly, many of the applications fall within communities which last year removed themselves from a separate selec-

tion process for a set of new casinos. In a statement issued by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, it confirmed that it was still reviewing these other applications. The spokesman, Dough Harbech, also added that the Walker Township store was the first to be approved as it was it was the first store to be visited by the review team. He added that it could take some time for the other applications to be fully decided upon, stating that Rutler “may need to address some issues”. However he further stated that “if remedied, they may eventually be recommended to the board for approval or, if they are not able to remedy in order to qualify under the guidelines of the act, then they may be recommended for denial. We are moving on them as quickly as our staffing will permit.” At the moment, Rutter’s operate around 70 company-owned stores within Pennsylvania, Maryland and

West Virginia. However, the company has pinpointed less than a third of them as being suitable for the truck stop gambling industry. In their view, the spokesperson confirmed, the chosen stores are those that were built more recent and which have been built on or near major highways. “They’re completely different than the Rutter’s down at the corner,” spokeswoman Pam Baldwin added,. “We don’t call them truck stops… But that’s what they are designed to be.” The Rutter application has proven to be a controversial and contentious issue, as they are the first of convenience chain to attempt to break into the commercial gambling market. As a result, they have drawn serious criticism from some municipalities and Lancaster County state senators are now trying to fast-track legislation that would allow communities to opt-out of this market too.

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Cambodia are handing out gambling licenses for fun

six-year-long legal turmoil between New Jersey state officials and five sports organizations was undoubtedly very bitter. But since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last spring that New Jersey and other states could offer sports betting, David Rebuck, Division of Gaming Enforcement Director, feels things are no longer the same. At the Meadowlands Exposition Centre in Secaucus, David Rebuck expressed that the adversarial position between sports leagues, the state, and the NCAA was very intense and they have all decided to end the battle. As part of this cooperation, they had asked for the ability, not to have veto power, but to communicate directly with each other about prohibitions on specific betting. What can other states learn from Rebuck’s approach? At the “New Jersey — Land of Opportunity” panel, Louis Rogacki, Rebuck’s deputy, announced that March Madness saw sports bettors plunking down over $100 million in New Jersey, 10% of that would go to the trea-

sury of operators. But Rebuck made a few critical points that other states should take note. These include: * Having clear and strong gaming regulations. * Setting the tax rate in the bracket of 10 to 20 percent on revenue instead of the gaming handle. * Deciding the role of operators and whether casinos, racetracks, and third-parties can come to bid. * Granting regulators criminal and civil authority. * Deciding on mobile sports betting, retail sports betting, or both. It’s certainly a major decision for a lot of people as per Rebuck. If online betting isn’t there, then he’s determined to urge the legislature to take measures to protect the commercial entities. The online gaming market is enormous, robust, but threatens retail operators as they can lose their business to unregulated offshore sites.

Rebuck suggested that other states should be cautious about how much money they want to give to the sports leagues. So far, none of the states with regulated sports betting have mandated that operators pay a “royalty” or an “official data” fee. However, many legislators are worried about certain concerns. The biggest question facing them is—Will mobile sports betting cannibalize revenues of well-established brickand-mortar casinos or racetracks? This is where Rebuck gave them the confidence that the idea of cannibalization is meaningless in the present context of New Jersey’s excellent gaming performance. Rebuck also said that fall NFL Sundays have transformed casinos in Atlantic City, turning them from “dead” to “buzzing with excitement.” We can only hope that New Jersey lives up to the sports betting community’s expectations and manifests an environment that is conducive to operators, sports leagues, legislators and of course, the gamblers.

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The fairer sex and the beautiful game By Christina Thakor-Rankin

nce again, we find ourselves in the grips of World Cup fever. This time it’s the women’s football world cup, so the hype and exposure is not as loud and in your face as the male version, but it’s there all the same and in it’s quiet way starting to mark it’s mark - as is women’s sport in general.

of women’s football. I have also suggested that the next World Cup (2022) may also be the tipping point for woman’s football - but more about that later.

Two years at a Betting on Football event I was asked to join a panel taking about the challenges of acquiring and retaining new players. I had two points I wanted to get across. 1. That the profile of the traditional ‘ betting’ customer was changing and that the next big thing would be women’s football – operators should start thinking about this; and 2. That in the digital age, fuelled by social media, peer pressure and influencers, traditional affiliate and retention models are losing relevance and being replaced by the new model of engagement and responsibility.

The Women’s World Cup 2019 has already surpassed all expectation. Record attendances at a tournament now attracting the same big brand sponsors as the men’s game, matches shown live on mainstream TV (and not relegated to some obscure satellite channel or a late-night high-light show) supported by serious punditry and a growing cache of recognisable national and international players. It has also contributed it’s fair share of commentary to the debate about VAR and the behaviour of players on the pitch. All this on the back of Norway deciding to pay both national teams the same for representing their country and greater awareness of Player of the Year awards. Women’s football is on the rise. And this is just the start.

At the start of this year I was asked to ‘predict’ what the trends would be in 2019, and one of them for me remains the growth and importance

And it’s not just football - its women’s sport in general. In women’s cricket both India and England continue to push the issue of gender pay gap

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debate with some success, but still some way to go before parity. In a country like India where the role and treatment of women and girls remains a deep societal and cultural issue, the importance of the national women’s team of a sport which many consider to be on a par with religion, these may seem like small gains but are actually immeasurable in providing strong role models, and helping change deep seated views and traditions of the role of women and girls in society. Elsewhere the success of Naomi Osaka is starting to push the conversation about both women and colour, as well as providing a new role model to an already impressive list which includes Billie Jean King and the Williams sister for shattering stereotypes, and the furore around Caster Semenya has raised a number of questions around gender definition within sport, but also the treatment of a human being, dignity and respect – the subject of the debate perhaps showing far more than the governing body accused of treating her like a ‘guinea-pig’.

Women’s sport is on the up and its continued growth and popularity provides very real opportunities for sportsbooks to engage with a new and younger customer demographic, but also for bingo and casino operators who have not always seen sports as a natural cross-over. That said, the fact that sports-betting has (with the exception of specials and novelties) largely been viewed and treated by many as a largely male preserve will also bring challenges - not just for engagement and acquisition, but also social responsibility and problem gambling and betting integrity.

some models that look like ‘real’ women, some have a man - a nod to gender diversity, and many include an element of ethnic diversity. None appear to have done anything by way of cross-sell, and despite having a number of accounts neither I nor anyone I know, appears to have received any CRM about the event.

When it comes to engagement the majority of operators seem to have gone for the tried or perhaps tired and trusted strategy of face-painted fans, the visuals seemingly being determined by the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and ranging from models that look like models,

Women’s football matches tend to be far more family friendly and inclusive. Not yet marked by the violence or racism that have marred the men’s game in recent times and used as a springboard for female education and empowerment and a proactive drive to create good role models and calling

This suggests two things. That either operators just don’t see female bettors as a group or as an opportunity to engage with a new player demographic, or they don’t know how to or both. Women’s sport is here to stay.

out bad behaviour they are open to all of society and are supported by mums and dads. For the young women of Generation Z - ‘this girl can’ and is starting to. As this group starts coming into its own, this ‘can do’ mentality coupled with the rising profile and popularity of women’s sports and real-life role models where the female team actually did better than their male counterparts equivalent, and sports academies acting as a force for empowerment and education, and men supporting the choices made by the women in their lives it doesn’t take a genius to predict the run of play. Women’s sport isn’t just here and here to stay, it could actually in time come to eclipse men’s sport as not just the more popular option but also as the safer, more diverse, tolerant and inclusive option.

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Christina Thakor-Rankin Article And with these fans will come a group of customers who have traditionally fallen into the bingo or slots bucket but who in future may be far more aligned to the sportsbook camp. So far few seem to have woken up to this, although there are some very forward-thinking souls out there who have started to experiment with inclusive marketing which seems to be resonating well with customers and is also commercially clever - a one fits all approach. Clever and cost effective. Oddly enough the companies leading the march are not betting companies but broadcasters whose approach to selling TV sports channels is as inclusive as it gets rather than targeting any specific social or cultural group. For those who wish to continue with segmentation, the challenge is how to engage the female sports fan – is it a new group or an extension of an existing one. Some advice might be to have the internal discussions – do you use pink, model or real women, pushing the tribalism and rivalry or champion love of the sport and bringing people. Or maybe just hire a bunch of women who get sports-betting and know how to reach out to others like them as customers. The other challenge is in relation to social responsibility and problem gambling. We know that problem gambling can effect anyone and is not gender specific. So far much of the research and established triggers or markers of harm are delin-

eated exactly along those lines. Traditionally problem sportsbook and poker players have been male, whilst problem bingo or slots players have been female. The rise in women’s sport will see a rise in female sports-bettors who need to be included in the problem gambling spectrum but how applicable will the established markers and triggers of harm, developed using

research and information based predominantly on a customer base that is overwhelmingly male, be to female sports-bettors? Someone needs to be looking at this now, but this does appear to be on the radar or any of the problem gambling groups or strategy boards. There is also the question of betting integrity. The issues of insider knowledge and match-fixing have been prevalent in the male game as long as betting has existed, and to suggest that they will not apply equally to women’s sports is just naive. Anyone who makes money from exploiting sports betting can only view a new set of sports bet-

ting markets attracting a new genre of sports-bettors with new betting patterns as a window of opportunity, certainly whilst the integrity authorities are getting their heads around things. Given the debates about tennis players returning from maternity leave and the impact on performance, the disparity in pay and opportunities and speed at which the sports are growing, women’s sports are just as vulnerable of corruption as their male counterparts - someone should be looking at this now.

And finally, why might the World Cup 2022 be the tipping point for women’s football? 1) According to a number of sources (including the BBC) women’s football is the fastest growing sport on the planet - look where it is now and ask where it will be in 3 years’ time. 2) The men’s world cup will be held in a country which has very different views on the role and position of women in society, and which will invariably impact on female fans attending the event. 3) The conversation relating to diversity and inclusion will have ratcheted up a notch or two driven by the millennials and Gen Z who which will by then be the largest generational group on the planet. 4) Politics in the region will play a part and Saudi Arabia has already used women and football as a way of showcasing its move towards greater equality and liberalisation. You do the math.

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GAMING NEWS

Tilman Fertitta loses Caesars Entertainment but still wins

espite there being an eightmonth pursuit beforehand, Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta has now ended his pursuit of Caesars Entertainment, after Eldorado Resorts confirmed that it was buying the giant. The Las Vegans casino giant has confirmed that it is paying $17.3bullion for the deal. In doing so, it will now create the world’s largest gaming company. Yet, despite not landing the main prize, Fertitta could somehow manage to end up with a piece of the Caesar’s empire, as it was confirmed that some assets would have to be sold off. Reno, Nevada based Eldorado confirmed that it would be selling a few of the nine casinos currently owned by Caesar on the Las Vegas strip. It plans to do this to avoid federal antitrust issues. On Monday, Fertitta, who owns five Gold Nugget casinos and is gamed for being the star of CNBC’s “Billion Dollar Buyer”, was asked for a com-

ment but he refused to respond. His pursuit of Caesar’s came last year, after he was approached by a number of stakeholders who asked if he might have an interest in the company. The hospitality mogul is said to be worth an estimated $5.1bullion and has developed reputation for being a hard-charging entrepreneur who can turn things around for underperforming companies. The year prior, 2017, Caesar’s had emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is one of the best knowing brands in the industry. In October, Fertitta made his first bid for the company, offering for Golden Nugget to absorb the casinos and the company’s debt in exchange for stock that would give him control of the business. The deal would have valued the shares at $13 each and was rejected by Caesars board in November.

4.5millions worth of shares and began conducting due diligence to make another bid for the company. However, Eldorado ultimately won the bid with a deal that was backed by activist investor Carl Icahn. He had acquired a 28.5% ownership stake and then pushed for the company’s sale. Eldorado will now pau $8.6billion for the company, $17.3billion including its debt. In a statement, Icahn stated that “this merger is the quintessential example of how an activist shareholder, working collaboratively with the board, can greatly enhance value for all stockholders,” The deal, which is expected to close in 2020, will see the company called Caesars and will be headed by the Eldorado CEO Rim Regg and its Chairman , Gary Carano.

Undeterred, Fertitta purchased

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GAMING NEWS

Spanish online gaming revenue rockets in Q1

lthough the iGaming market in the UK remains a lucrative and important area of income, Spain is increasingly being seen as one of the important battlegrounds with it having stolen the UK’s crown for being the fastestgrowing European market. The iGaming sector in the UK produced an impressive GGY of £5.6billion in the year ending September 2018 and this is likely to see further increases. However, with its recent improvements and substantial rise in value, it seems likely that Spain will now be the frontrunner. Over the first quarter of 2019, the Spanish market has seen an increase of 20% with profits now sitting at €193.25 million year-on-year. However, if you look at these figures more closely, you can see that

Spain’s online sports betting GCR seen a rapid increase of 36% in the year ending March 2019, a total of €100.8 million for the same period. The sports betting vertical also grew by 0.63%, a figure that looks likely to be repeated. In addition, this sector also peaked at €67.1 million during the first quarter, as this niche becomes increasing popular and accessible to operators from outside of Spain. The growth is also being driven by online bingo, with 37 operators now offering this vertical to users. A factor that has helped to bring some needed diversity and helped the industry to peel to the larger target market.

which has reduced the tax burden on operators and enabled them to optimise their bottom-line profits. It slashed its basic tax on gross gaming revenue from 25% to 20%. At the same time, it also empowered various enclaves to offer further tax incentives to both domestic and international operators. The ideal example is that of Cueta, which is able to offer a reduced tax of 12.5% on gaming activities. It then charges 11.8% in corporation tax on iGaming firms that are prepared to relocate there. An offer that is proving to be appealing for companies at home and abroad. As a result, it is rumoured that several iGaming brands are considering moving to Cueta from the UK and mainland Spain.

The growth comes amid recent changes to Spanish legislation

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William Hill to benefit from Caesars merger

here was good news for William Hill who is said to be likely to benefit from the Eldorado Resorts’ merger with Caesars Entertainment. The comments were made by Morgan Stanley, who also stated that the merger made William Hill’s “position for UD sports betting more powerful with wider market access, boosted revenues and potential optionally on brand, database and media assets.” He further went on to say that “with US sports worth 3555% of the current market cap, we would by the shares here” In addition, Morgan Stanley went on to point out that Caesars currently

have an agreement with Scientific Games to provide its technology and pricing. “Given Willian Hill is migrating its US operators into its new technology stack in the next two months, we could theoretically see the logic for ERI to realise synergies by moving the supply of Caesars online sports betting operation from Scientific Games. Should such a situation play out, it would create a third major brand in the US market from which William Hill would generate revenue.” At the moment, the banks rate William Hill’s shares as being “overweight”, with a current 235p price

target. It was announced in September 2018 that Eldorado had taken a 20% stake in the US business part of William Hill’s 25-year US-focused sports partnership. Under this agreement, William Hill serves as the exclusive sports betting technology operator for all of the Eldorado land-based businesses. At the time of this article being written, the shares were up 2.6% to 149p. Additionally, Eldorado owns 13.4million ordinary shares in William Hill.

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GAMING NEWS

Sands properties to be huge part of IHG network

he hotel and resort operator, InterContinental Hotels Group Plc (IHG), confirmed on Tuesday that some properties of Macau casino operator Sands China Ltd will be part of IHG’s InterContinental Alliance Resorts network. The Venetian Macao and the Parisian Macao will become partners of the IHG with immediate effect and until 2027. In addition, it was also confirmed in the press release that once it is completed in 2020, the Londoner Hotel will also join the network. As part of the $1.35-billion project to turn the Sands Cotai Central casino complex into a themed resort called the Londoner Macao, the 600 all-suite Londoner Hotel will replace the existing Holiday Inn.

The InterContinental Alliance Resorts is a network of partnership with hotels and resorts that do not currently have any InterContinental property. The press release stated that such partnership allowed guests to “enjoy all the rewards of being an InterContinental guest.” The statement also confirmed that two properties owned by the US Las Vegas based Sands Corp – a parent company of Sands China – are already part of the InterContinental Alliance Resorts. These two resorts are the Palazzo and the Venetian. The release then quoted president of Sands China, Wilfred Wong Ying Wai, as saying: “We are delighted to be expanding our strategic alliance with our long-term partner, IHG … This

valuable partnership further reinforces our commitment to Macau, and to providing outstanding customer experiences across our properties.” In a prepared statement, Jolyon Bully, the IHG’s chief executive for Greater China, stated that the partnership would offer its rewards club members more than 5000 luxury suites in Macau. In order to celebration the new partnership, IHG confirmed that it would launch a “serious of exclusive accommodation, dining and entertainment packages” with the Venetian Macao and the Parisian Macao.

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GAMING NEWS

Pennsylvania online sports betting expansion

t has been confirmed that the Parx Casino in Buck’s County will now be the second operator and casino to offer online sports betting in Pennsylvania. The Rivers Casino will also follow shortly behind. According to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Body, Parx Casino in Bensalem will hold online sports betting test periods next week The first will be at 4pm on Monday, followed by 2pm on Tuesday and noon on Wednesday and each will last until midnight on those days. During these times, anyone within the borders of Pennsyl-

vania can create an account and take part in live wagering. The spokesman for the Control Board told the Philadelphia Business Journal that if “all is good, we would sign off for it to operate 24/7.” This follows last month’s decision to allow SugarHouse Casino in Fishtown the chance of becoming the very first operator to launch online sports betting. It’s sister casino, River Casino, in Pittsburgh stated that it would hold test periods on Tuesday and Wednesday.

According to the Control board, throughout May, sports betting in Pennsylvania generated $2.9million in revenue on $3.9 million wagered. It is believed that $573,163 of this income came from SugarHouse Casino’s online sports betting. It had operated this for three test days. Since the first sports bet was cast at Hollywood Casino in Dauphin County in November, the 12 in Pennsylvania have collected $19.7million on the $198million wagered.

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GAMING NEWS

GB gambling commission issues warning

he British gambling regulator has issued a written notice to operators to remind them of responsibilities in place to ensure that affiliate partners are not offering free-to-play games. This comes over concerns that many of these games are offered without age verification controls being in place. The Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, which were updated on the 7th of May, state that remote licenses may only allow players to use such products after they have verified their age. At the moment, users must be over the age of 18 to use such products. In the letter, which has been shared by some operators, the commission stated that it had been made aware that licenses could be benefiting from advertising models that offer free-to-play versions of real-money games on their websites without the necessary age verification. The commission then goes on to remind operators of their obligation

under provision 1.1.2 of the Social Responsibility Code, which states that they are responsible for the actions of any third-party marketing organisations. These organisations must “conduct themselves in so far as they carry out activities on behalf of the licensee, as if they were bound by the same licence conditions and subject to the same codes of practice as the licensee”. Any users who are found to be failing on age verification checks for such products will be in breach of the updated conditions. The letter went on to state that companies “should take steps immediately to ensure that your freeto-play games cannot be accessed by children and young people via affiliate’s websites.” However, at the same time, the commission has reiterated that the new requirements do not apply to other forms of advertising such as screenshots or videos of games, which might appear on gambling affiliate

websites. In addition, B2B suppliers who use free-play demo games as a form of advertising to commercial third parties are also unaffected. This letter follows recent comments made to by Clive Hawkswood, the chair of Responsible Affiliates in Gambling Association, that one of its first acts would be to open a discussion over the use of free-to-play games. He noted that these games had already raised concern with the regulator and therefore needed to be looked at. In a blog post by the law firm, Wiggin, they commented that: “It will be interesting to see if marketing affiliates are able to justify the cost if introducing age verification processes which could meet the standards required by the Gambling Commission.” The UKGC letter stated: “You should take steps immediately to ensure that your free-to-play games cannot be accessed by children and young people via affiliate’s websites.”

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