May 2016 Infinity Gaming Magazine

InfinityGaming www.gaming-awards.com | ISSUE 2016

NEW CEO MR GREEN EXCLUSIVE Front Cover - Jesper K채rrbrink

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

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22 NYX NEW SUPER POWER? Christina Thakor-Rankin

18 JESPER KĂ„RRBRINK CEO Mr Green Ltd

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WIG7 FINALISTS Who are the leading ladies in 2016?

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 Lana welcomes you to the latest edition of Infinity Gaming Magazine.

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

08 ALL THE FINALISTS WIG & APP AWARDS together

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14 JESPER KÄRRBRINK Meet the new CEO of Mr Green Ltd

28 NYX THE DIGITAL LEADERS? VIRTUAL BET OR NOT? Paul Swaddle

Christina Thakor-Rankin

40 LIZ KARTER Exclusions and explorations

SELF EXCLUSION SELF EXPLORATION Liz Karter

47 LADBROKES REVENUES Soaring as they merge with Gala Coral

48 ASPERS WIN SOUTHAMPTO Another large casino in the pcoket

+ ALL THE LATEST NEWS & Opinions

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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

Spring is in the air and we all can take a breath

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

Lana Thompson - Editor

Welcome to this special birthday edition of the Infinity Gaming Magazine covering the forthcoming Women in Gaming & App Awards

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

Sponsorship Opportunities Colin@cleverduckmedia.com

Welcome to the latest edition of Infin-

Jesper Kärrbrink the new CEO from Mr

ity Gaming Magazine and happy birth-

Green Ltd as our Exclusive interview,

day to us as we reach the ripe old age

find out what the main man has to say.

Business Partnerships Svetlana@gaming-awards.com

we have been delivering the best news,

Then we have Judge and legal eagle Ba-

articles and interview since March of

har Alaeddini interview, but let’s never

Marketing & Advertising claire@cleverduckmedia.com

2010.

forget some great articles from our team

of 6 years old! Yes can you believe it

of Christina Thakor-Rankin, Paul SwadIt has been a journey and can tell you

dle and Liz Karter.

it’s been emotional and sometimes even fun!

We are truly blessed with great writers and great people to talk to.

But more importantly we are still standing, blowing against the tide of con-

Oh I forgot good luck to the Women in

formaty to bring you each and every

Gaming Awards finalists and also the

month the unbiased view from the

App Awards finalists on the 20th May.

gloabl gambling industry. The first pub-

As always look forward to seeing you all.

lication to cover both online and land based together.

Enjoy the magazine.

I told you it was emotional......

So, “To Infinity and Beyond!”

But let’s look forward and into this

Regards,

superb edition with front and center Lana The Editor

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Editorial Content & PR media@cleverduckmedia.com

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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 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

Liz Karter – Psychotherapist specializing in women and problem gambling Liz Karter is a specialist in gambling and women and has worked as a therapist in gambling addiction since 2001. Liz is also author of the book “Women and Problem Gambling” published in March 2013.

In January 2010 having worked with all leading UK problem gambling treatment agencies, and having successfully established the first UK groups for women with gambling addiction, Liz launched Level Ground Therapy. A treatment service in the City of London, Level Ground specialises in meeting the individual needs of women with gambling addiction.

Throughout her career Liz has been regularly consulted by the media regarding her specialisation and has made frequent national TV and radio broadcasts including This Morning, Radio 4 You and Yours and Women’s Hour and given numerous national newspaper and magazine interviews.

Paul Swaddle - CEO Pocket App A self-confessed ‘gadget geek, Paul Swaddle has been working at the leading edge of mobile technology for the past 15 years. He co-founded Pocket App in 2011 to bring the creative and technical development elements of mobile technology together under one roof.

This unique approach continues to differentiate Pocket App in today’s increasingly competitive landscape.

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Working across a range of communications disciplines such as acquisition, loyalty, retention and customer development, Paul understands the importance of a strategic and coordinated marketing approach, particularly between on and off-line communications. In the past decade he has enabled brands as diverse as Kellogg’s Fruit Winders, Barclays and Loaded magazine to get the best out of mobile.

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WOMEN IN GAMIN FINALIS

20th May 2016 - Jumeirah K

Affiliate Manager of the Year Caroline Klytseroff (Casino Heroes) Janine Jules (LeoVegas) Melanie Hainzer (BetHard Group) Renee Mate (Rewards Affiliates)

Hidden Talent Abby Cosgrave (Betsson Group) Claire Thacker (Amaya) Donna Brown (Microgaming) Kelli Wilson (Playtech) Mayan Eisner (Scientific Games) Sarah Robinson (Caesars Entertainment) Tatjana Vesel (IGT) Wendy Debattista (LeoVegas)

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B2B Excellence Award Danielle Murray (NetEnt) Ebba Arnred (PlaynGO) Joy Jiang (Playtech) Lydia Barbara (Microgaming) Roxy Deniz Ozalp (Playtech) Sarah McChesney (Fresh8 Gaming)

Industry Achiever Alexia Smilovic (NetEnt) Clodagh Hansen (Microgaming) Ebba Arnred (Play’n GO) Elizabeth Dutton (Playtech) Melanie Hainzer (BetHard Group) Sandra Beaver (IGT) Sarah Sculpher (Caesars Entertainment) Sigal Blonder (Amaya)

NG AWARDS STS

Knightsbridge London

Employee of the Year Aimee Bowditch (Aspers) Cari Blomquist (IGT) Janine Woodford-Dale (Microgaming) Lingashree Willis (Derivco Isle of Man) Malin Angbo (Mr Green) Nadine Thys (Playtech) Sandra Karlsson (NetEnt)

Innovator of the Year Anna Romboli (NetEnt) Linda Lewis (Aspers) Lisa Silver (Amaya) Lydia Barbara (Microgaming)

Excell in Customer Service Joanne Smith (Aspers) Johanna Johnstone & Team (Caesars Ent) Joy Jiang (Playtech) Kamelia Gankova (Paysafe Group) Leah Griffin (Mr Green Ltd) Nicole Ward (Aspers) Sara Tyche (Mr Green Ltd)

Inspiration of the Year Alison McEvoy (Playtech) Bea Stevens (Aspers) Claudia Wegner (Tipico) Donna Crellin (Amaya) Ebba Arnred (Play’n GO) Frida Östberg (NetEnt) Shenaly Amin (LeoVegas) Therese Carlzon (Mr Green)

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WOMEN IN GAM FINAL

20th May 2016 - Jumeira Leader of the Year (iGaming) Adriana Rocha (Tipico) Åsa Bredin (NetEnt) Ebba Arnred (Play’n GO) Kelly Kehn (Initial Rewards) Linda Arbman (Mr Green) Louise Nylen (LeoVegas) Lucy Owen (Playtech) Sigal Blonder (Amaya)

Star of the Future Anastasia Muljajew (Tipico) Cari Blomquist (IGT) Caroline Klytseroff (CasinoHeroes) Clodagh Hansen (Microgaming) Huiru Zhang (Aspers) Jill Bergforth (Mr Green) Letizia Angelo (Playtech) Vanessa Simpson (Amaya)

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Leader (Land Based) Anne Blight (Rank) Helen Rowles (Aspers) Marieanne Carmody Weir (Aspers) Micky Swindale (KPMG) Nicola Hodgson (Crown Melbourne) Rachel Barber (IGT)

Team of the Year Application Setup Team, Infrastructure, Playtech (Playtech) Aspers Stratford Management Team Becs Cubbon (Amaya) Fayan Pourisa (NetEnt) PokerStars Advertising & Campaign Marketing Team (PokerStars) PokerStars Public Relations Team (PokerStars)

MING AWARDS LISTS

ah Knightsbridge London Sales Manager of the Year Kelli Wilson (Playtech) Magdalena Podhorska (NetEnt) Marina Bogard (IGT) Victoria Best (Caesars Entertainment)

Industry Pride of the Year

To be announced on the evening

Marketing Award B2C Abby Kimber (KPMG) Krisztina Simon (Hero Gaming) Shenaly Amin (LeoVegas) Sofia Edbom (Amaya)

Outstanding Contribution

To be announced on the evening

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GAMING AP FINAL

20th May 2016 - Jumeira App of the Year Betsson Jackpots App Duel by PokerStars Jackpot Poker by PokerStars LeoVegas Mecca Bingo (Rank Digital) Mr Green Pilot Games Inc Unibet

Best Casino App 888Casino Big Fish Casino Free to Play App Grosvenor Casinos LeoVegas Mr Green Ltd Unibet

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Best App Company Amaya Gameloft King Pilot Games Supercell The Rank Group

Best Free to play App Big Fish Bingo Big Fish Casino Free to Play App Duel by PokerStars FlowPlay Jackpot Poker by PokerStars Mobile Strike

PP AWARDS LISTS

ah Knightsbridge London Best App Design Bejeweled Betsson Jackpots App Duel by PokerStars Jackpot Poker by PokerStars LeoVegas Mobile Strike

Best Lottery App Health Lottery Irish National Lottery Ladbrokes Lottos Lottoland The National Lottery

Best Bingo App 888Ladies Bingo Big Fish Bingo Bingo Partyland Foxy Bingo Gala Bingo Mecca Bingo (Rank Digital)

Best Poker App Jackpot Poker by PokerStars PokerStars Unibet WSOP Zynga Poker

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GAMING APP FINAL

20th May 2016 - Jumeira Best Slots game App Betsson Jackpots App Grosvenor Casinos LeoVegas Mr Green Ltd Slots Vacation

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Best Social gaming App Big Fish Casino Duel by PokerStars Jackpot Poker by PokerStars Minecraft Mobile Strike Plumbee

P AWARDS LISTS

ah Knightsbridge London Best Sports betting App Betfair Betway Coral Sports Betting Nordicbet Playtech Skybet Unibet

Innovative App of the Year Betsafe Betway Duel by PokerStars LeoVegas Mecca Bingo Mr Green Ltd Pilot Games Playtech

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EXCLUSIVE Interview with Jesper Kärrbrink The New - CEO of Mr Green Ltd

Thank you Jesper for speaking to us today and indeed congratulations on becoming CEO of Mr Green, how exciting is it to join the company?

data driven, in house developed sys-

years gave me a good insight in manag-

tems, customer experience is key since

ing a gambling company. I also spent

the products are quite generic why

4 years in the Advisory Board of Vera

brand management, online marketing

John, another strong competitor, seeing

and customer retention are key ele-

the “the other side” and learned what

I’m very excited. It’s great to be back

ments. And in both cases the winning

a dedicated and agile team can accom-

in the gaming industry again. It is the

formula is about the people working

plish in a short time.

world largest entertainment indus-

there.

try and in fast transformation. And of course I’m excited to join Mr Green, one of the strongest brands in the industry.

Before joining Mr Green you were both CEO and Vice Chairman of Euroflorist for almost 5 years which is quite a change in business, what challenges are the same?

You have of course been within the gambling industry before with Svenska Spel for almost 4 years, will that time and experience helps you with your new role with Mr Green?

What was it about Mr Green that attracted you to join the company?

First, the brand. It is an exceptional good brand that has lost some of its position the last couple of years. Mr Green has been a pioneer in this industry. I know

Absolutely. Svenska Spel is a great

there are casino start ups saying to their

company and now a strong competitor

system providers and designers: “We

More than what most people thinks.

on the Swedish market covering every-

would like to have a Mr Green feeling” –

Both companies are fast growing inter-

thing from scratch tickets to casino and

but there are others out there that have

net businesses, active in 12 countries,

online gambling. Of course these four

caught up. We have to admit that. The

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EBBA ARNRED

opportunity to once again take the position as the pioneer is tempting, I love the competition. Secondly, there is a really good team down here with some amazing plans for the future. And basically that’s all one need: A strong brand, great people and amazing ideas for the future.

Walking into the company which has seen so much success recently what can the incoming CEO do to improve?

My predecessor Bo Wänghammar has done a fantastic job with setting the groundwork for Mr Green to take the next step. My job will be to make sure that we deliver on this and take the new platform, a broader game portfolio and all new ideas and adapt this to a fast changing industry where online, mobile, new customer demands and reregulation’s will re shape the industry the coming years.

As an experienced Chief Executive in different businesses is it easier to walk into a company that is struggling and so can improve it or such a successful company as Mr Green to take it even further forward?

Both yes and no. My sweet spot is actually well managed companies that are at the brink of taking the next step.

Europe, what is it that makes Mr Green stand out from the competition?

Euroflorist was very much the same and

There are some things you never should

in four years we almost doubled an al-

Today, the brand. In a couple of years a

ready good EBITDA and reached 30%

lot of things. If we manage to deliver on

online growth. In these situations I can

the plan we have I hope you ask me that

apply my experience and a set of new

question at a later point.

eyes and to some extent infuse new energy in a working process.

Online gambling is a fiercely competitive market especially in

stay the same for the big 10th year coming up?

The company has supported the International Gaming Awards as its charity sponsor for a few years now, for all our readers will that

change as a new CEO…

Talking about the International Gaming Awards (IGA) have you heard of the event and the success Mr Green has enjoyed over the years?

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Yes, if you follow the business IGA is hard to miss and of course I have seen all the prizes here at the office. It is

you be keeping the Mr Green team dressed for awards and events in the future?

basically the first thing that meets you when you enter in to the office. And

Dressed for sure, and in green. Is there

On a more serious note, Mr Green is known for its Casino games and previously rumours were that the company was considering sports betting, is that still possible?

they are important, not only as marketing tools but more

Yes, that is actually a fact.

important internally for all of

We will launch a sport

us working here. It is a proof

book later this year. As

that we are doing things

the gentleman Mr Green

right.

is, he asked our customers what they missed.

Have you met Mr Green yet?

Most of them answered; Sports betting, preferably the Mr Green way.

No, he is out roaming the

Before we let you go Jesper, in your role as CEO of Mr Green what do you want to be remembered for?

world and looking for the next generation of entertainment in typical Mr Green style, a gentleman at his prime with a smile to all of his friends and always a friendly com-

any other way?

ment. But I got an e-mail from him the first day at the office, welcoming me and prompting me not to forget how to be a

If my colleagues remember me as a fair,

Will Mr Green ever have a Mrs Green?

gentleman.

Hm, a delicate question, I pass that one

It is now an iconic image whenever the bosses attend an event, will

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for now.

daring and strong leader under a period of strong growth, than I’m happy.

Expect the Unexpected

Voted

Online Casino of the Year for three years running

Consider this your invitation to join mrgreen.com

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Gaming’s New Super Power?

‘Every dog has its day’ - Is this NYX’s time?

By Christina Thakor-Rankin

A

phrase whose first recorded use was in the 16th century by no less a person than Queen Elizabeth I, then merely a princess, and taken to mean that every person has a period of power of influence.

It is also a phrase which rather aptly describes the rise and fall, and relative cycles of success of some of the sector’s more prolific suppliers and providers. For a long time gaming was an ‘each to their own business’, based upon regional and cultural nuances – the exception being an explosion in the global land based casino sector, where the rising costs of game choice, development, production and supply, saw a small group of suppliers move from being just another supplier to a super supplier.

A big change in the worlds’ of IGT, Huxley, Aristocrat et al, but a relative insignificance for everyone else. Then came the internet – a phenomenon which removed all jurisdictional and cultural barriers and took gaming to a global .com stage – paving the way for those suppliers and providers who were able to innovate or adapt their existing offering to this new digi-

tal format to go from being just a local supplier to a global super supplier.

Examples of these early movers include Orbis - pioneers of the B2B online sports-betting platform, now better known as Open Bet. Microgaming and Boss who were quick to react to the operator demand for a simple plug and play B2B poker network, allowing them to tap into a lucrative global trend without the cost, hassle and headache of in-house development. And, of the land-based cross-overs, the likes of IGT, Aristocrat and Bell, who were able to quickly and effectively transform their most popular land titles into a digital format.

Since then, there has been a succession of providers and suppliers (in no particular order Parlay, Dragonfish, Virtue Fusion, NetEnt, GTS, Novomatic, Williams, GTech), who at some time of other have had their ‘dog day’ as one of the sector’s provider of choice, either by way of product or platform provider.

Whilst an ability to innovate and adapt is a given, what all of these super suppliers had in common

was their ability to pre-empt or see a future opportunity and ensure that they were first in line to capitalise upon it. None more so than the sector’s current super supplier - Playtech.

Whilst everyone else was focusing on core single products, Playtech saw the potential of a unified platform which offered a single wallet multi-product, multi-channel experience, and started moving in that direction. They turned out to be right.

It gives NYX an immediate and wider reach within the UK and Europe, and instant access to operators who are not yet familiar with its products.

Secondly, it gives NYX the technology to capitalise on what continues to be the world’s most popular and lucrative gambling past-time, sports betting

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By applying a strategy that blended

ti-jurisdictional super supplier – owning

the lynchpin of their offering, and any

building (where there was no appro-

and operating what are most likely, the

change in supplier or provider is fraught

priately suitable market product such

world largest multi-operator poker and

with a huge number of technical and

as poker), with buying best of breed

bingo networks, as well as a casino and

logistical challenges, not to mention

rivals (such as GTS, Ash and Virtue Fu-

games portfolio that boasts some of the

the cost. Further, Open Bet have not sat

sion amongst others), Playtech ensured

world’s best-known brands such as Mar-

back and rested on their laurels. They

it was in prime position to capitalise

vel.

have continued to evolve the platform

on what was likely to be the inevitable

and keep it relevant to today’s customer

conclusion of mixing technology with

Despite their international footprint,

with initiatives such as early cash-outs,

consumer experience – multi- and om-

and dominance of 3 out of 4 of the main

so the reason to switch suppliers would

ni-channel.

core betting and gaming products, the

need to be very compelling.

Playtech success story has been slightThe secondary benefit of buying best

ly marred by two glaring omissions –

Under such market conditions, the

of breed providers, as in the case of

sports betting and the US.

only way of breaking into the Open Bet

Virtue Fusion, at the time the UK’s big-

dominated market would be to do what

gest bingo provider, allowed Playtech to

Playtech has a sports-book offering but

Playtech did with Virtue Fusion and

build relationships very quickly with a

it has yet to make much headway in a

bingo back in 2010 – buy ones way in.

number of operators who they may oth-

market place still largely dominated by

Which is exactly what NYX has done –

erwise not have had access to.

Open Bet. There are a number of rea-

for a whopping £270 million, which may

sons for this. The most obvious being ‘if

incidentally, turn out to be cheap at the

This strategy has seen Playtech in-

it ain’t broke don’t fix it’. For many multi-

price.

stalled as the sector’s undisputed mul-

product operators, sports book remains

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NYX – Gaming’s New Super Power? , whilst it has a dominant presence in-

tion of DFS across the US, state by state,

taking in both online gaming and sports

ternationally,

constraints

is happening at a remarkable speed of

betting.

have prevented Playtech from doing

knots. All the hype and semantics not-

much, if anything, within the US and

withstanding, DFS is, to all intents and

Whilst both Playtech and NYX now offer

Australia, two of the largest and most

purposes, sports betting, albeit of the

an omni-platform, unlike Playtech, NYX

lucrative betting and gaming markets.

pool, rather than fixed odds type. This

is already an approved provider within

Not so for NYX, which proudly cites is

certainly appears to be the opinion of

the US market, covering lottery, social

office locations as Las Vegas, Stockholm

Nevada, one of the few states that offers

and crucially online gambling provid-

and Sydney.

regulated sports betting.

ing its NextGen suite of games to Poker

regulatory

Stars in New Jersey, as part of its current Whilst the importance of this acquisi-

In going down the road of regulating

tion should not be under-estimated

sports pool betting the US has well

activities.

( – the importance being reflected by

and truly opened the Pandora’s Box of

If this is indeed the first step towards

NYX’s own website where the Open Bet

sports betting. With so much money in-

the road to regulated US sports betting,

tab takes precedence over the Games

vested in the DFS sector, retrospective

then NYX has just bought itself a head

tab in the top level navigation). Never-

de-regulation is most likely not an op-

start in the race to conquer one of the

theless, some have asked

biggest sports betting mar-

why

kets in the world.

a

business

best

known for games, and a relatively modest pres-

This could also be the rea-

ence in the UK market

son why Playtech is ru-

would spend as much as

moured to be keen to buy

they did on acquiring the

Amaya. Playtech does not

UK’s biggest sports book

need another poker plat-

provider.

form, but it does need a way to get into the US,

One suspects that there

which Amaya could pro-

are several answers to this. Firstly, it

tion, which means that things can really

vide - and the acquisition of Poker Stars

gives NYX an immediate and wider

only go one way.

brings with it the benefits of a live inte-

reach within the UK and Europe, and

gration with state of the art sports book

instant access to operators who are not

Following on from last year’s broad

yet familiar with its products. Secondly,

consensus that the current regulation

it gives NYX the technology to capital-

of sports betting is largely ineffectual,

Any such move on the part of Playtech

ise on what continues to be the world’s

this year has already seen New Jersey

would take some time, and even then,

most popular and lucrative gambling

go back to court to push its case for le-

there is no guarantee, given the regu-

past-time, sports betting, allowing it to

galised sports betting in its casinos and

lators’ on-going scrutiny of Amaya and

explore new and emerging such as Af-

racetracks, and intimating it will go all

its controllers, that this would open the

rica and India, which are dominated by

the way to the Supreme Court if need

door to the US.

sports betting, and which might other-

be. More tantalising still, April saw the

wise have been closed to NYX. Thirdly it

American Gaming Association hosting a

Under such circumstances and based on

now has a full complement of products

session of panel discussions which in-

what is known to date, if the US sports

allowing it to take on its nearest omni-

cluded a discussion on the benefits of

betting market did open up in the very

channel rival, Playtech on a level play-

a regulated US sports betting market

near future there is really only one su-

ing field.

at Capitol Hill, to an audience consist-

per provider who would be in a position

ing of those closest and therefore, most

to take advantage.

provider Amelco.

It is the fourth reason however, that

likely, to influence Congress. This comes

could possibly be the most important

ahead of a Congressional session on

This alone would elevate NYX from its

of all – Daily Fantasy Sports. Despite the

11th May, cited as a discussion of issues

new position of super provider to super

best efforts of those clamouring for a

relating to DFS, but already widely ac-

power.

re-draft of the US Wire Act, the regula-

knowledged to be a broader discussion

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ISSUE 75

Interview with Bahar Alaeddini Senior Associate at Harris Hagan

Bahar many thanks for letting us interview you, to start can we ask you for all our international readers what your role is and what does it entail?

How long have you worked for Harris Hagan?

are based overseas. Also, we work very closely with gambling law specialists in foreign jurisdictions to help our clients

I joined 4 years ago and became a Sen-

establish the legality of offering their

ior Associate in January 2015. I joined

services in foreign jurisdictions.

the firm from a regulator, based in LonI am a Senior Associate at Harris Hagan,

don, and before that I worked on a pub-

which is the only specialist gambling

lic inquiry investigating government

law firm based in the City of London. I

corruption allegations in the Turks and

deal with all aspects of gambling law,

Caicos Islands.

including advising major land-based betting and casino operators, online operators (B2C and B2B), start-up companies and investors. My role includes advising clients on establishing opera-

Your role covers both online and land based, which of the two sectors keeps you the busiest at present, is it online or land based?

tions in Great Britain, preparing for and

You also offer investor due diligence, which would cover mergers and acquisitions, that is a hot topic current given the amount that happened last year. Do you see that happening again this year on the same scale?

I anticipate that consolidation (aka “merger mania”) in the sector will con-

applying for Gambling Commission

tinue. One of the key drivers is cost,

licences, the regulatory requirements

Generally the online sector keeps me

both from a tax and licensing perspec-

once licensed, changes of corporate

the busiest due to the size of the market

tive, of complying with regulation. From

control, conducting due diligence on

nowadays; however, my clients include

a regulatory perspective, both operators

the licensing aspects of corporate ac-

land-based betting and casino opera-

and regulators benefit from consolida-

quisitions, informal investigations by

tors, and investors in the land-based

tion given the regulatory burden and

the Gambling Commission and licence

sector.

cost attached to maintaining multiple

reviews.

And what is your role with Play’n GO, what does it entail?

licences.

Do you specialise just for the UK business or do you work internationally also for Harris Hagan?

For example, the Gambling

Commission would be able to regulate the same sized market, but with fewer licensees and operators would have reduced licensing costs after any merger

As Chief Marketing Officer, my job is to

We only advise on the laws of England

by making effective use of “umbrella”

ensure that the entire gaming indus-

and Wales, but given the innovative

arrangements. Another key reason why

try is aware of Play’n GO, and are well

nature of and popularity of online gam-

consolidation will no doubt continue

versed in our fantastic catalogue of

bling many, if not most, of our clients

is the intensity of competition and the

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BAHAR ALAEDDINI

scale of innovation in the sector, which will keep margins under pressure.

What is the most enjoyable part of your work?

The sheer diversity of clients. No client is ever the same and there are always new challenges.

On the flip side which is the most difficult part of your job?

Giving clients advice they do not want to hear!

Luckily, it does not happen

very often.

You are a judge for the 7th Annual Women in Gaming Awards being held in May, why did you accept?

WiG is a fantastic organisation aimed at promoting the development of women.

The WiG awards identify women who have made a significant contribution to

Managing the transitional licence ap-

the success of their employers, which

plications for some of the biggest gam-

should be encouraged and nurtured.

bling operators in the world following

for the regular gaming operator whether online or land based?

the implementation of the point of

The landscape is ever-changing in Eu-

consumption licensing regime. The ap-

rope, but we are likely to see more

plications involved complex corporate

Member States move to point of con-

structures and complicated licensable

sumption licensing regimes in rela-

activities and products, which was very

tion to online gambling. In theory, this

Yes, but there are significantly more

challenging. My ability and experience

should mean that operators will be able

men working and investing in the gam-

as a lawyer developed considerably do-

to apply for local licences, subject to

bling industry; however, women are

ing these applications.

any local requirements such as locating

Do you see a lack of women in high level roles compared to their male counterparts?

catching-up.

What has been your greatest achievement or success in your career?

servers in the Member State or having a

How do you see the regulatory gaming scene in Europe developing? It is made up of so many different interpretations it is a maze

local office.

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27

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GAMING NEWS

ISSUE 75

Mass gaming market falls nearly 5% in Macau for Q1

M

acau suffered a near 5% fall in mass market gaming revenues in the first quarter of 2016 and over the year has fallen 27% damaging the hope that mass market customers would increase to bolster the dwindling VIP market.

The Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau recently released figures also showed a combined fall of 13.3% of GGR for the first three months of 2016.

Mass market GGR for the first quarter of 2016 was just over MOP25.79 billion (US$3.23 billion), compared to nearly MOP27.11 billion in the previous year.

VIP baccarat revenue for the period was MOP30.38 billion, versus MOP37.67 billion in the first quarter of 2015.

VIP play as a proportion of all casino GGR stood at 54.1%, compared to 58.2% in the first quarter of 2015.

With mass market baccarat accounting for MOP19.01 billion, or 33.8%, of all casino GGR, and all forms of live dealer baccarat accounting for 87.9% of all Macau casino gaming revenue, meaning the figures do not look good for the world’s largest gambling hub.

City of Dreams Manila reports annual loss Melco Crown Entertainment announced a sharp drop in losses for its casino resort venture in the Philippines with the 2015 showing a 45% fall in losses to $259 million for the year.

The joint venture with James Packer which opened in 2014 and was hailed as the first foray outside Macau for Melco and still carries high hopes for the City of Dreams Manila resort which is the second of a planned four casino resort for the Entertainment City precinct built on 120 hectares of reclaimed land.

But the question by many observers is can and will the Manila project compete with regions such as Australia for business. In its recent report Melco said the loss for the 2015 was due to an increase in operating costs and

expenses from its first full year of operations.

The property has three hotels, including Crown Towers, 1700 poker machines, 380 gaming tables and cost more than $1 billion to build.

Casino revenues grew to 11.9 billion pesos from 300 million pesos, reflecting the short trading period in 2014, while net operating revenue rose to 13.7 billion pesos from 430 million pesos.

Melco owns about two-thirds of the Manila casino, alongside Filipino developer and billionaire Henry Sy’s Belle Corporation.

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Study shows US gambling expansion is only short term fix

A

ccording to a recent study by the Rockefeller Institute of Government states that expand gambling within their borders to help boost revenues to the budget are only making a short term fix and in the long term can even turn negative.

In nearly 10 year twelve states have expanded their gambling provisions in either online, lotteries or casinos but the rise in state revenues have now lessened as the increase in competition lowers tax returns for those states.

Indeed lottery revenues in the US have now fallen each year since 2015.

“History shows that in the long-run the growth in state revenues from gambling activities slows or even reverses and declines,” the study said.

The study comes as some states consider whether to expand gambling even further, New Jersey are looking at allowing casinos in the north of the state but the study shows that Atlantic City’s property tax base shrank nearly 70% in just six years as its casino industry suffers from competition in neighbouring states.

Pointing to gambling nationwide the study shows that between the biggest expansion in gambling over 2008 to 2015 in the US gambling revenues actually have declined since by 1.5%.

What is certain from the study is that although expanding gambling may very well help in the short term it is no replacement for strong fiscal policy by state lawmakers.

Michael Leven retires from Las Vegas Sands Michael Leven has retired from both the Las Vegas Sands Board and also from Sands China with immediate effect.

The long standing figure within Sands who at 77 years old was instrumental in the expansion of Sands through Asia gave no reason for his departure all but to say he had no disagreement with either board.

Stock Exchange.

“Mr Leven has decided to retire and has confirmed that he has no disagreement with the board, and there are no matters that need to be brought to the attention of the shareholders of the company in respect of his retirement,” Sands China said in a filing to the Hong Kong

In 2010 Mr Leven was named acting chief executive of Sands China, after the dismissal of Steve Jacobs. In July 2011 Edward Tracy was appointed to run the Sands China operation.

Mr Leven, 77, joined the board of Las Vegas Sands in 2004. He was president and chief operating officer between 2009 and 2014, when he was succeeded as group president and chief operating officer by Rob Goldstein.

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JANUARY 2015

Is virtual reality the future of mobile and online gambling?

By Paul Swaddle - CEO Pocket App

I

t’s no secret that virtual reality technology is gaining serious momentum. Across various industries and sectors, virtual reality, or VR to those in the know, is being extensively developed for a host of different uses. Organisations such as Sony are developing the technology to be part of their video-game and entertainment offerings, Facebook has acquired VR developer, Oculus Rift, to expand its social media experience,

and businesses are even working on ways to integrate VR into their daily operations, such as for virtual employee training programs.

VR’s adoption rate has simply rocketed over the last 12 months, with the number of active users expected to reach 171 million by 2018, and recent forecasts suggesting that revenue from virtual reality head-mounted displays will grow from $685 mil-

lion in 2015 to $3.89 billion in 2018.

I attended Mobile World Congress in February of this year, where you couldn’t move for techies competing to show off their strides in VR, and it was clear to me that while this explosion of interest may have come from seemingly nowhere, it’s not going away anytime soon.

Online gambling is one industry in particular that may not have been quite as vocal as others in the VR conversation, but it’s an area in which I believe we will see some very exciting developments over the next few years. In the UK alone, online gambling generates around £3bn annually, and this figure is only expected to climb as online casinos and mobile gambling apps continue to become more sophisticated and widely used.

Mobile gambling itself presents a significant opportunity for the industry to engage with new players, growing by 10% annually and predicted in recent forecasts to account for 40% of all online gambling in the next three years.

I therefore see no reason why online and mobile gamblers couldn’t find themselves, in the not too distant future, using VR headsets to sit across from each at a table in a virtual casino, playing a game of poker or blackjack with a stack of virtual chips, when in actuality, they are connecting remotely from the comfort of their own homes.

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JANUARY 2015

Paul Swaddle is CEO of Pocket App a leading design company in the App Construction world

Sound farfetched? Not too long ago, so did the notion of an application on your mobile phone that could connect directly to your bank account and provide you with instantly updated odds, news and a platform for betting on virtually every major sporting event in the world. We already know that participation in online gambling is snowballing, so if the entertainment industry can use VR to simulate the experience of being inside

a video game, or social media sites can give you the opportunity to not just see your friends’ pictures, but to walk through them, why shouldn’t online casinos be able to do the same?

VR may actually be the hook that mobile and online casinos need to draw in more millennials, with the average age of players in mobile casinos currently being 40, and the average age of mobile gamblers in general being 35. Millen-

nials simply aren’t engaging with mobile and online casinos to the same extent as older generations, and I suspect that this is down to younger players being much more used to immersive and sociable gaming, as a result of the cuttingedge developments that are being constantly rolled out in the video gaming industry. Online casinos can often appear less engaging to a younger player who is used to regularly gaming on a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.

Some might see this as a fruit salad...

IF YOU SEE WHAT WE SEE, You belong with us - vegasmaster.com

Is virtual reality the future of mobile and online gambling?

The recent success of wearable technology, such as the Apple Watch and Fitbit, clearly demonstrates that millennials connect more enthusiastically with the gamification of tasks that they usually find less engaging, such as the use of targets to make exercise more rewarding. By using VR technology to transport players and their friends to exciting locations for their online gambling experience, such as a famous casino in Las Vegas, or a smoky basement room in 1920’s New York, or even to the poker table in the James Bond film, Casino Royale, mobile and online casinos may stand a better chance of drawing in younger audiences if they use VR to gamify the casino experience.

VR may have largely lain dormant for the last 20 years, but with the groundbreaking progress that is being made today,

and the growing availability of VR devices to consumers, I think it is very possible that this kind of online gambling experience will be commonplace in the next few years. With Sony not far off launching a new PlayStation that hinges on its implementation of VR technology, and headsets such as the smartphone-compatible Samsung Gear VR retailing toady at the incredibly affordable price of around ÂŁ79.99, this technology has well and truly landed, and the gambling industry needs to make sure it is firmly seated on the bandwagon.

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comfortably in your armchair, put on your headset and pick out your sharpest virtual suit. The VR casino will soon be open, are you ready to be dealt in?

To learn more about how your business can make the best use of Apps, contact the Pocket App team on contact@pocketapp.co.uk or 02071 834 388

In short, here at Pocket App, we are big believers that virtual reality is here to stay. The ball is rolling and we expect to see a flood of increasingly sophisticated offerings making a mark on every mobile development in industry over the next few years, including online gambling. So position yourself

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37

Sheldon Adelson his battles & hiring of new lobby firm in online gambling fight

S

heldon Adelson the Las Vegas

the solicitations of women of ill repute at

Sands boss and billionaire has

In his troubles with the Wall Street Jour-

been quite busy of late with

nal journalist who called him a “scrappy,

LVS’s casinos in Macau.

suing the Wall Street Journal and the Na-

foul-mouthed billionaire from working-

Finally for Adelson and his supporters

tional Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC)

class Dorchester.” Which is still in the

against the spread of online gambling in

for Libelous accounts.

courts Now, the billionaire is eager to let

the form of “The Coalition to Stop Inter-

his legal team loose on another being

net Gambling”, Adelson has hired another

He is also in a tricky position with his

the National Jewish Democratic Council

firm to lobby on its behalf, The Keelen

support of any Republican presidential

(NJDC) for an online petition it circulated

Group. It is the second firm hired by the

candidate as it goes down to a two horse

in 2012, with a hyperlink Adelson says is

coalition, after Squire Patton Boggs in

race between Donald Trump and Ted

libelous.

May. Many thought that Adelson was

Cruz, in fact Sheldon Adelson is not on

backing down from his fight against the

his own as many of the major Republican

The petition in question called for then-

spread of online gambling in the US, but

donors find it hard to support either and

Republican presidential candidate Mitt

it seems he is looking at new avenues to

are currently taking a step back from

Romney to refuse Adelson’s campaign

take in his battle with this new lobbying

both leading candidates and may not

donations. Because of a Associated Press

firm.

even support either in the long run.

release that suggested Adelson tolerated

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Michigan presents online gambling bill to Senate

F

riday the 15th April saw the introduction of SB 889 to the States Senate by Michigan Senator Mike Kowall which could see the state legalise online gambling.

The bill introduced came under the radar of many observers in the US interested in online gambling who were more interested in California, Pennsylvania and New York, not believing anything could happen there sooner.

already and if ever passed would be unique as wording currently in the bill allows for overseas online gamblers to stake wagers. Michigan has the 10th largest population in the US with almost 10 million residents, offering the potential to be the largest state so far to enter the online gambling market in the US. However introducing the bill and getting it passed into state law is a long way to go, but as one gambling observer said “if you don’t buy a ticket you can’t take the ride.”

But the bill SB 889 has the support of four sponsors

Riveiera sign removed before demolition

One of the most famed names in Las Vegas history the Riviera sign has been removed prior to the 60 year-old casino being demolished this summer.

The Riviera neon sign will be kept at the Neon Museum in Nevada and will be the only piece of the famed casino that saw acts such as Frank Sinatra and Liberace headline survive demolition later this year.

The casino had been struggling over recent years with much of the area where the Riviera stood was left undeveloped and deterred walk-in business.

In a deal worth $190 million the venue was purchased by The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors in February 2015 with plans to replace the 26-acre site with an expanded Las Vegas Convention Center.

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Self Exclusion & Self Exploration; a Powerful Combination

By Liz Karter To find out more about Liz Karter and her work visit these links: www.levelgroundtherapy.uk - www.lizkarter.com & Liz Karters Books

H

ow do we best deal with problematic behaviour? My friend and I were doing our usual debrief of our respective week.

She told me of a younger, mutual friend who had caught her partner red handed – and red –faced- having downloaded one of the many available apps offering the opportunity to meet others for an erotic encounter. This understandably had caused more than a little pain and damage to their relationship.

Our mutual friend had insisted however that all would be well; she had banned her partner from all social media accounts, demanded she be allowed unlimited access to his phone to check its content and, for good measure, fitted his phone (and so him) with the latest tracking device... Who amongst you reading thinks that is going to work as a long term strategy for positive change? I imagine not too many. We all realise that it is not enough in the long term to ban and police the errant fellow’s digital activity, probably because we understand that the couple would be better off to get to the bottom of why he had felt the need to stray;

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that is the way to best insure he does not slip back to bad habits. As someone who works extensively with addiction I am only too aware that without him understanding his own

motivation for his behaviour, taking away his ability to be unfaithful will not take away his desire.

This month new UK gambling regulatory system has been put in place to strengthen social responsibility.

Betting shops must share informa-

tion on those who have excluded themselves from their premises in order to identify addicted gamblers and prevent them from playing. A free phone helpline means that there is now a one step process for excluding oneself from all betting shops in the local area. This is a real positive. Those I treat for gambling addiction find it shameful to self exclude and so to making this a one step process limits the embarrassment they experience and expands the chances of their deciding to take that first courageous step of excluding themselves.

Taking a more cautious perspective on the potential effectiveness of the new regulatory system, in the national press I read an interview with a diagnosed pathological gambler, talking of how he believes the new regulations will make no difference.

He had self excluded from every betting shop within miles of his home and still had found a way to gamble hundreds of thousands of unaffordable £s. You see here is the thing; there will always be a way to gamble if someone really feels a strong need to.

ISSUE 75 to get to the bottom of their desire to gamble.

Ways that Self exclusion Helps.

• If cravings feel unmanageable it helps someone realise just how dependent they are on gambling • It puts them in touch with thoughts and feeling gambling was helping them to avoid • It slows down the cycle of loss chasing that perpetuates the addictive cycle • It buys someone time out in which to make conscious decisions such as seeking treatment

We must remember that cravings to gamble when in active addiction are felt to be every bit as overwhelming as cravings experienced by anyone addicted to Class A drugs and in desperation someone will always find a way to get their gambling fix. As with the amorous partner of my young friend and his urges, simply taking away the ability will not take away the desire.

We must get to a stage where everyone who develops an addiction to gambling realises that having taken advantage of the first step, the new one step self exclusion, that they are better off taking the second step of working in treatment to understand why they felt the overwhelming desire to gamble to such a damaging degree. It is the best way to insure they do not slip back into old habits. Just as with the example of the relationship at the start of this article there are always reasons why we

would risk losing all we have.

The new regulatory system potentially is a very positive step toward helping those with a gambling problem get to a position where they will want to take, not only the first step of self exclusion but, the second vital step of self exploration; finding those reasons why. Opting for self exclusion and so cutting off as many avenues open to gambling as possible will eventually leave someone in a position where they have to face not only the fact that they cannot control their cravings to gamble, but also the intolerable levels of stress, depression and anxiety that their absolute immersion in gambling was helping them to hide from. This then is a crucial tipping point; either they will take a backward step into finding further gambling opportunities to get away from troubling thoughts and feelings, or they will step forward into seeking treatment for their gambling cravings and

Good news! My friend and her partner are now in couple counselling. It transpires that he was struggling with becoming a first time father, driving him to him seeking attention and distraction elsewhere. With that understanding they will not need to rely on a life time of monitoring and exclusions to insure he does not relapse to damaging behaviour as they are re building trust built on exploration, understanding and making a few adjustments; getting to the bottom of the problem. The same is true with gambling addiction. Someone can rebuild trust in their own ability to remain free of gambling by working to understand the motivation for their addiction and making a few adjustments so that their life feels better. It is incredibly empowering for anyone to realise that they are gamble free because they experience inner control, and are not relying exclusively on external controls such as self exclusion. All it takes is that valuable first step of self exclusion; couple it with the vital second step of self exploration and you have a powerful and empowering combination.

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New CEO at Mr Green

J

esper Kärrbrink today assumes the position as CEO of online casino Mr Green Ltd. The previous CEO Bo Wänghammar will work with business development within the Mr Green Group. ”It is exciting to be back in the gaming industry, and to be working with one of the industry’s strongest brands.” says Jesper Kärrbrink. “I now get the chance to develop an international product offer and strengthen Mr Green’s position further.” ”We are very pleased to have recruited Jesper. He is a driven leader with extensive experience in online and gaming companies. Jesper will have a strong focus on continued growth and the development of the product offering.” says Per Norman, CEO of the parent company Mr Green & Co AB. Jesper Kärrbrink’s most recent assignment was as CEO and Executive Vice-Chairman of Euroflorist AB. He is a Board Member of Euroflorist AB, Carpet Vista AB and Wallvision AB. Kärrbrink has a background in media as Head of Bonnier’s digital businesses and Bonnier Magazines. Between 2004-2008, he was the President CEO of Svenska Spel.

Kärrbrink was President and CEO of Eniro 2008-2010. In 2011, he was appointed CEO of Euroflorist and grew the company’s online sales by 30 percent per year.

Four igaming bookmakers investigated by regulator Four online gambling companies based on the Isle of Man are to be investigated after a large amount of complaints were lodged with local police.

Now the Isle of Man’s eGaming regulator is investigating after it was claimed that the companies were voiding bets and closing customer accounts. The companies involved are said to be 138.com, 12Bet, Fun88.co.uk and TLC Bet have been accused of sending emails to customers suggesting they have abused the sites’ promotions systems in relation to deals offered during the recent Cheltenham Festival.

The island’s Gambling Supervision Commission confirmed it is investigating.

It said it is in dialogue with the licensees’ representatives:

‘When we become aware of a complaint about fairness we gather information from customers and from the licensee. We then examine the information and form a conclusion. This two-stage process can take some time.

‘Conclusions are shared with the relevant parties and any party may challenge the conclusion. Once that process is complete, the GSC makes a recommendation to resolve the issue.’

12Bet, Fun88 and TLC Bet have pledged to review all circumstances, promised to pay winnings where bets have been incorrectly disallowed, and have requested a thorough report from operator and licensee TGP Holdings. 138.com is licensed with Xela Holdings.

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NYX acquires Openbet with help from William Hill & Skybet

W

illiam Hill and Skybet have agreed to support Canadian online gaming software supplier NYX in the acquisition of one of its competitors Openbet for £270 million.

Between the two online gaming operators William Hill and Skybet they will contribute £100 million to purchase Openbet with William Hill putting up £80 million while Skybet £20 million.

Openbet has supplied games to William Hill since 2008 and recently supplied more than a third of the games features on the William Hill Vegas platform.

Alongside the investment, the bookmaker has agreed a ten-year commercial agreement with NYX to further develop existing sports betting, gaming and retail platforms and develop a new platform over the next three years.

William Hill chief executive James Henderson said: “This route draws on the OpenBet team’s proven sports betting technology expertise and NYX’s gaming platform to give us a bespoke technology solution to support and deliver our UK and international growth strategies.

“I am delighted that William Hill is supporting NYX’s vision for growth and expansion into sports betting alongside its strong gaming proposition.”

Paddy Power Betfair looking at shedding 10% of workforce As the newly merged Paddy Power Betfair gambling firm that was finalised back in February after a £1.1 billion merger the company are now looking at cost cutting and that means jobs.

According to local newspapers in Ireland it is quoting that Paddy Power is looking at shedding 300 jobs and Betfair 350 which would roughly represent 10% of its combined workforce of 7,200.

The combined company has set a target of saving £50 million a year and so jobs that are duplicated at both betting firms are at the highest of risk of going.

highest profile senior management to leave the newly combined companies.

Last month Andy McCue, formerly the chief executive of Paddy Power prior to the merger, was announced as the

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Ladbrokes online revenues soar

L

adbrokes the UK betting firm that is in the middle of a £2.2 billion merger with former rival Gala Coral announced encouraging Q1 results with revenues rising by 10.6% compared to last year.

The rise in revenues continued with the firms online business contributed a huge part of the rise with increases in revenues of the digital business at 36.5% compared to the same period in 2015.

UK bookie Ladbrokes also reported 59% year-on-year growth of sports betting net revenue – the ninth consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth in sports.

Ladbrokes said it is “confident” its results throughout the rest of 2016 will be in line with expectations.

UK Bookmakers have warned that they were hit by this year’s Cheltenham festival and combined lost more than £60m to gamblers as many of the favourites won.

“At Cheltenham we were reminded of the intense competition with offers and pricing at levels which, in our view, abandoned bookmaking principles. We competed hard but refused to pursue unsustainable strategies,” chief executive Jim Mullen said.

Jim Mullen, Ladbrokes chief executive, said: Since July 2015 we have been successfully implementing our strategic plan and the encouraging customer metrics we saw at the end of the year have continued during the first quarter of 2016.

While results have generally been favourable, Cheltenham proved to be the worst in living memory which took some of the shine off the period. While we see plenty of evidence to support that our plan is working, our focus remains on delivering against our strategy and our 2017 targets.

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You’ll find all our current vacancies via the links below.

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ISSUE 75

Aspers win Southampton large casino license

A

spers have been named as the winner of the Southampton large casino license to be developed at the £450m Royal Pier Waterfront which is scheduled to open in 2021.

the city.

Others who were in the fight for the last remaining large license available in the UK were Grosvenor, GGV and Kymeira. Aspers will under the large license be able to offer 150 slot machines and 30 gaming tables.

Mr Tucker said the casino would create a minimum of 180 new jobs and £100,000 would be given to the council on the granting of the licence, with a further £150,000 on opening.

Matt Tucker, chairman of Southampton City Council’s licensing committee, said it had been the “largest and most complex competition” for this type of licence, enabling the authority to “negotiate the best deal for the city”.

The authority will receive at least 2% of the gross gaming revenues from the casino and the Aspers will pay £50,000 a year towards ongoing problem gambling initiatives.

“The regeneration of the waterfront at Royal Pier and Mayflower Park has been a longstanding aspiration for

“The casino will play a big part in making the redevelopment happen.”

Aspers already run two of the large casino licenses with Milton Keynes and Stratford in East London.

Star City Casino and complex up for sale

S

tar City Casino in Birmingham along with the leisure complex is reportedly going up for sale for £60 million according to local newspaper reports.

Current owners of the development Cerbus Capital Management want out of the complex that was purchased along with a raft of national loans accumulating to £680 million. Star City was opened in 2000 by film stars George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg and covers some 400,000 sq ft and includes a cinema, Tenpin bowling alley, Genting casino, Twin Peaks indoor climbing centre, gym and other retail outlets.

Cerbus Capital Management could be taking a loss on the deal as it is believed to have acquired the complex for £85 million back in 2006, but those who have followed the leisure complex say that it has many problems and some even fear it could be

demolished and used for other purposes.

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53

Svenska Spel Chairwoman steps down

T

he wife of the former Swedish Prime Minister Anitra Linnéa Steen is stepping down from her

role as Chairperson of state owned gambling firm Svenska Spel.

It is believed that her replacement will be Erik Strand currently the CEO of a leading Swedish healthcare company. Giving her reason for leaving Svenska Spel it is understood the drop in socially responsible gambling is to blame, not just with Svenska Spel but with the booming offshore online gambling sector that she believes is destroying the fabric of what Svenska Spel is all about in protecting gamblers.

She recently said to a local newspaper that, “For a social democracy it has always been important to have a clear

private profit interests drive sales in

1999 to 2009 where she got caught up

social responsibility, and [Svenska Spel]

these activities.”

in a corruption scandal, which involved bribery of shop managers and senior staff

has had an efficient gaming policy which has been of great importance for social

Ever since Steen who is 67 became the

by major alcohol suppliers, the former

causes. Now it is on the way out.”

controlling manager of the country’s

politician has been a staunch advocate in

state owned monopoly in alcoholic bev-

cleaning up corruption in the sector.

Finishing she said, “One should not have

erage retailing, Systembolaget between

Czech government nears proper online gambling laws

T

he Czech government is slowing moving towards legalising online gambling in the country and at the same time preparing to hunt down and close any illegal offshore online gambling firms.

With the new tax on slot machines coming into effect shortly at 28% to 35% and sports betting and lotteries paying 23%, these taxes separate from corporation tax which is 19% expected to go through parliament and be signed by the Czech President.

framework for allowing operators to be correctly licensed by the State Supervision of Gambling and Lotteries Department of the Ministry of Finance, of which there are five licensees currently in operation Sazka, Synot Tip, Chance, Fortuna and Tipsport. However these operators have been highly critical of the current tax laws which have restricted their growth.

It is expected that new online gambling laws and a framework for regulators to work with will be present in early 2017.

With the current online laws inadequate for purpose these laws need to be updated and regulated before a proper

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