September 2020 Infinity Gaming Magazine

InfinityGaming www.gaming-awards.com | ISSUE119

Vikings_A4_print.pdf

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18/08/2020

13:03

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

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24 THE DECLINE OF CRAPS

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30 SLOT VS GENERAL MANAGER PART2

20 THE RISE OF ESPORTS

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.

13 ONLINE GAMBLING BANNED 23 LITHUANIA WARNING 35 THE VIKINGS LIFE ON THE OTHER SIDE

37 MACAU ONLINE GAMBLING 41 REDUNDANCIES AT RANK

LET’S COMMUNICATE

+ NEWS & MORE NEWS

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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

The New Normal”

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

Lana Thompson - Editor

Welcome to the latest edition of the

I know.

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

Infinity Gaming Magazine and indeed to a new world at present, to update

Not to mention our line-up of regular

all our readers the International Gam-

writers offering a superb array of sub-

ing Awards (IGA) has now moved to

jects by Christina Thakor-Rankin, An-

April 2021 to ensure all our attendees

drew Cosgrove, Lynn Pearce de Freitas

are safe and able to fly once again. We

and Tim Cullimore.

Business Partnerships Svetlana@gaming-awards.com

all again and celebrating 2021 as this

This month’s magazine covers news and

Marketing & Advertising claire@cleverduckmedia.com

year has been the most difficult for eve-

views from all around the world in all

ryone.

sectors of our industry, sometimes it is

very much look forward to seeing you

difficult as a news service to report on However the amazing response we have

positives when there is so much mis-

receive from for the Industry Communi-

ery and stress at present, we at Infinity

ty Awards has been amazing and entries

Gaming Magazine do our best to offer

are still open till the 18th September so

a bright future for the industry and the

you still have time to take part and as

world at large. To this we always wel-

always free to enter, for more informa-

come news on success so please do

tion please do go over to our website.

send them over and we will happily

We are so proud of all our current spon-

cover them.

sors in supporting this innovative event and more details on the ceremony will

As always- “May the Force be with you”

be given in later updates so keep look-

- Star Wars

ing out.

Now to our latest magazine and firstly let me welcome our latest guest writer, Mike Pertgen is something of a legend in the dice (craps) industry and he has offered a superb starter article and a must read for anyone who has ever played what is the most exciting game

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Regards,

Sponsorship Opportunities Colin@cleverduckmedia.com

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

Teresa Tunstall – Independent Gaming Consultant After many years of working in casinos in the UK and on USA ships as a croupier and inspector, Teresa turned from ‘poacher to gamekeeper,’ spending 16 years with GamCare, who offer help and support to those who develop problems with their gambling.

bility and Problem Gambling training around the world,

Working closely with the betting and gaming industry, She developed strong links delivering Social Responsi-

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

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

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

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

Lynn Pearce de Freitas Lynn has creatively strategized and implemented B2C and B2B acquisition, conversion and retention marketing campaigns. 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 project-management of conferences, events, presentations, video production, and other activities.

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

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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.

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Life on the Other Side

By Christina Thakor-Rankin

T

he events of the last 6 months having taken their toll on this industry - from complete operational standstill and rapid reassessments of financial forecasts, marketing plans and product roadmaps to staff lay-offs and business closures - most notably the iconic Ritz Casino in London, which after over a century of uninterrupted service, including remaining open through both World Wars finally closed its doors for the very first, but also the very last time, earlier this year.

For the majority of businesses, both in and out of the betting and gambling sector, 2020 has been a total write-off. For the hospitality and leisure sector however, the combination of physical lockdown and threat of an economic down-turn, redundancies

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and higher unemployment has hit harder than most. As the lockdown starts to ease there has been a rush towards traditional leisure activities such as shopping, holidays, meals out, and watching sports - heralding a return to some semblance of normality.

It is important to recognise however that whilst some things are starting to return to the old normal, some are not and never will. For example, for some industries such as fashion and retail, online is now an irreversible part of the business model, with customers having initially been forced down this route now finding they actually prefer the convenience of online shopping. And not just fashion. How many customers who visited physical betting and gambling prem-

ises for the purpose of product and play as opposed to the environmental experience have now switched online and find they prefer it?

And not just that. At the start of the lockdown there was a perception that there might be an increase in online gambling as customers barred from physical premises shifted channels, or existing customers increased time and spend as a means of alleviating boredom. The initial research suggests this has not been the case, although the reasons why have yet to be fully assessed. . It could be because regulators across the world stepped in and took early and preemptive action (from a ban on lottery ticket sales in Cape Town to deposit and session time limits in Europe),

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or it could be because operators took it

down, venue closures, staff on furlough,

incoming restrictions on advertising,

upon themselves to take a more socially

no sports, and proactive regulatory ac-

marketing and customer bonuses and

responsible stance with a reduction in

tion, and the possibility of more busi-

promotions, will add to the compliance

advertising and marketing, or it could

ness closures and lay-offs depending

burden whilst limiting acquisition and

be because of a change in customer at-

on how long it goes on.

retention activity.

This time around though it could be

A second wave will also have a second-

much worse, for the following reasons.

ary impact on customer ‘habits’- habit

As the world starts to ease out of lock-

A second wave is likely to bring further

as in regular action or activity, such

down, like other industries it is time for

economic challenges, redundancies and

as having a bet when watching sports

betting and gambling to start thinking

higher unemployment rates, all of which

with friends (socially or in a gambling

about what a return to ‘normality’ might

will impact on customers’ finances fo-

venue), going to the bingo every week

look like. Is it all doom and gloom or is

cusing minds and pockets even more

with friends, or a night at the casino (not

there a glimmer of light at the end of

on essentials rather than non-essential

in the sense of addiction). For many of

the tunnel?

expenditure, as has already been expe-

these customers the primary activity is

rienced by many industries over the last

the social interaction and experience -

6 months. This is likely to be accompa-

betting and gambling merely the facili-

nied by heightened regulatory concerns

tator. Facilitators are inter-changeable

If the predictions of a second wave as

and the prospect of further pre-emptive

and replaceable, and once this happens

the weather changes are even remotely

measures, which coupled with the re-

operators will have to work even harder

true, there is every chance that 2020

quirements of the incoming 6th money

to win customers back.

will end as it started - physical lock-

laundering directive and existing or

titudes and behaviours towards money, life and life-style choices.

Firstly, the doom and gloom.

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Christina Thakor-Rankin Article

Those customers that do venture back into land-based venues are in for a very different physical experience from protective screens to social distancing. Great for slots players perhaps, less so for other products where numbers of participants (around a roulette or poker table or the sports-book area) is a part of the experience. Some will adapt. Some will not.

Some products such as sportsbooks will continue to have the challenge of a product beyond their control.

The shut-down of sports had a huge impact on sportsbooks and is likely to do so again, especially as a second wave is likely to coincide with the peak of the sports-betting season for the most popular markets such as football. In 2021 however this could be exacerbated with sport taking a stand against racism - as is already happening in some parts of the United States. Given that the Black Lives Matter movement has and continues to resonate around the world, it is not difficult to imagine a situation where some of the world’s highest-profile play-

ers and teams decide to follow the US example, as they have with ‘taking a knee’.

Against this background of necessary pessimism however comes the opportunity for invention and innovation. Pretty much every business has now accepted that it needs to have some form of online presence to keep customers engaged and interested. The challenge is in making this work when customers have neither the inclination, the motivation or the funds to play. One of the solutions lies in tapping into some of the most popular trends during the first lockdown - the most popular ones being based on the concept of social interaction and challenge but not necessarily with the traditional concept of a winner - whether it’s a cerebral online pub quiz or a physical dance, dress or other challenge on social media.

And free - or at minimum cost.

The betting and gambling sector is better placed than most to be able to capitalise on this. The concept of challenge is part of any betting

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products DNA and it doesn’t take the sharpest brain to see how a live sports vacuum could be filled with a re-positioning of the popular low entry cost sports-betting jackpots as a sports betting quiz - different levels and prize tiers catering for everyone from the casual player to the pro.

Poker being social by nature saw something of a resurgence, and savvy operators could look to take land-based tournaments online by combining online poker platforms with the likes or Zoom. Bluffing is bluffing whether it’s an actual or virtual table. And there is nothing preventing bingo operators from expanding their text and IM chat rooms to support land-based players presence of being able to see each other.

For sure there are more challenges ahead of us.Life on the other side will be tough, but for those who are open to change and wiling to think differently, there will also be opportunity.

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GAMING NEWS

Ultraplay Joins Industry Community Awards

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Andhra Pradesh Bans All Online Gambling

Clever Duck Media the hosts and organisers

of the Industry Community Awards (ICA) have announced the latest sponsor for the inaugural event with Ultraplay joining as their latest sponsor.

Ultraplay joins an array of successful companies: Eyecon, Les Ambassadeurs, Betsson, Pilot Games, IGT, Scientific Games and Videoslots.

So far eight companies have joined as sponsors to support this innovative event recognising the amazing work companies and individuals have done in helping businesses, communities and health care workers in these most difficult of times.

Nominations which are free to enter close on the 18th September with the event taking place online in Oc-

The Andhra Pradesh government in India has announced it is to ban all online gambling including all forms of betting online including poker.

In the statement the government said that it has taken the measure to protect the young and vulnerable in taking the wrong path.

It was also announced that prison terms will be issued to those caught playing in online gambling sites of up to 6 months and for those operating or running online gambling a year’s imprisonment including fines and confiscation of funds.

tober. Click here to view the categories and nominations form.

It is understood the new rules will be implemented immediately.

Colin Thompson Director at Clever Duck Media said: “The support we have seen towards the ICA is amazing, we have heard some truly inspiring stories of how

BCLC Sees Rise In Online Business

companies have helped others during these difficult of times for us all, we want to recognise and reward those people and companies that have gone the extra mile, not because they are looking for recognition but deserve it.�

Canadian based British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) reported its full annual figures ending March 31st showing a decline in revenues of 2.2% and net profits down 4.8% compared to the previous year.

About Ultraplay: UltraPlay is a modern technological company, founded in 2010, with the core ambition to offer an innovative approach to the online gaming industry by providing advanced betting solutions focused on sports and eSports betting, live betting, white label, online casino and blockchain technology.

Assembled by a team of iGaming professionals with vast experience in betting product development, operations, eSports and marketing, UltraPlay is a trusted partner for delivering superior sports software and

With the results ending year at the end of March the impact of COVID-19 on the companies land based operations were only affected for the final month of its reporting annual calendar when lockdown of businesses were enforced.

The company generated total revenues of $1.94 billion for the year, casinos saw revenues down 3.7% while profits fell 5.5% compared to the previous year.

odds products to its customers. Learn more about the company here: www.ultraplay.co About the ICA: The Industry Community Awards recognises the outstanding work companies have done

However its online business which includes the PlayNow.com site showed an increase of 19.5% compared to 2019 helping push up results overall.

in helping others within their business and externally within the wider community, supporting colleagues,

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Let’s Communicate

By Tim Cullimore

I

n the spring of 2006, returning to Brussels from a management conference in Switzerland, I took the time to visit Baden Baden in south western Germany. As all connoisseurs of casinos know there are a small number of mythic luxury casinos that all merit a visit. Back then I couldn’t have envisaged that I was a future Chief Executive of the Ritz Casino in London, perhaps the most luxurious of all, so to see the opulence of Baden Baden casino was extraordinary. What brought a smile to my face more than anything was to see the sartorial elegance of the majority of the clients, with a sprinkling of gentlemen in black tie evening dress, unlike that other queen of European casinos, Monte Carlo, which despite its glorious inte-

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rior and sensational atmosphere has more of a Mediterranean atmosphere, with less formality. Still, the point that really made me stop and reflect was how the Casino is such an important and integral part of the town as a whole, being a major employer, a focal point for culture and undoubtedly a financial rock on which the wellbeing of the town is built. This can be seen elsewhere of course, especially in the aforementioned Monaco, but also in France with for instance Evian and Divonne, and numerous coastal resorts throughout the continent.

Without citing Vegas and Macau, elsewhere in the world casinos are the pivotal industries in the locality where they are built: Genting in Malaysia, Foxwoods and Mohegan

Sun in New England, Sochi in Russia, and of course one of the original examples, Sun City in South Africa.

So, if casinos can be seen as a positive generator of employment and revenues elsewhere in the world how come the U.K. authorities treat casinos with so much disregard.

I was sad to see the closure of the Ritz Casino in Mayfair, London, a place where I was never happier to go to work each day. Whenever the London International Casino Exhibition came round the highest prize for visiting Casino executives was a visit, or even better, dinner at the Ritz Club Casino. Those who came knew that this was not only the most luxurious casino in the world

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but had the expertise to cater to the biggest players, the whales are they are sometimes called. Nevertheless, this expertise which was recognised within the industry has never been appreciated by those in power, either locally in London or nationally. It is not impossible to imagine in other industries some form of state encouragement to help attract business to the U.K. International high-end players have so many options to play in many different countries, indeed the options have grown over the past 20 years, and it is not whether they will play, but when and where. Therefore, wouldn’t it make sense for all concerned; trade departments, tourism organisations, overseas chambers of commerce, to help develop the U.K. Casino industry, which is when all

is said and done a highly regulated sector operating well within the law.

Instead, owing to excessive AML strictures on overseas players, it is nigh on impossible to successfully runa highend casino, indeed any type of casino, and support all the jobs and revenues they create.

Have you ever wondered why there are so many British ex-pats working in casinos throughout the world?

I myself have worked in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and the Caribbean. I can’t think of many jurisdictions where there hasn’t been a British presence on the gaming floor, from dealers to General Managers. Apart from the fact that British ex-pats move abroad to escape the weather at home, the principal reason

is that British staff are prized for their integrity.

That is not to say that those from other jurisdictions are not equally honourable, but for some reason, over the years the reputation of those holding a British gaming board license has been highly regarded, by both prospective employers and the authorities. When I have applied for personal licenses in other countries a letter from what was then the Gaming Board was usually more than sufficient to satisfy their requirements.

I sincerely hope that this will continue to be the case, but the disconnect between the Gambling Commission and the industry must put this in doubt.

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Tim Cullimore Article

Before I proudly received my license to be a dealer back in 1978 my home was visited by a senior police officer to ensure I was the person on my application, even my parents were interviewed. When I started working on the gaming floor my presence, along with all the other trainees, was made known to the local Gaming Board official. Therefore there was a clear sense of respect and accountability felt by all the casino employees to a human presence, not to some faceless bureaucracy, one that would be very displeased to witness behaviour that went against the law, and more importantly, counter to the spirit of the law. I doubt very much that an operative of the Gambling Commission could today walk into a casino and name a senior manager, never mind a dealer. There aren’t a great many more casinos today than there was in the days of the Gaming Board, indeed with recent closures there may be less, so closer understanding of the industry by the Commission should

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not be unfeasible. In recent days the U.K. press has written about reducing the budget and work force of the Commission by 20%, leading to even less of a presence.

The point that needs making is that a respectful relationship between operators and those policing the industry is achievable, and that support from politicians and the authorities should not be seen as a weakness or shameful stance towards a 100% legal industry. As Spandau Ballet sang, its all down to Communication.

Swedish Deposit Cap I recently commented on the report that the Swedish regulator has admitted that the iGaming deposit cap is unenforceable. I said: “So you must choose the best way to protect a player who may be showing a tendency to gamble above and beyond their means.

Option 1. Allow them to play on the provider of their choice, and encourage that provider to monitor the play and intervene if there is a suspicion that the player is getting into financial difficulty. Encourage that provider to give full and meaningful training to its employees and audit the provider on a regular basis. Or: Option 2. Encourage the player through misguided legislation to spread his betting across many different providers, thus making it absolutely impossible to monitor their play, and most importantly, denying the opportunity to offer help, guidance and, if warranted, treatment to that player.�

As I never tire of saying, artificial barriers to playing will never work. Engagement with the players and support for those in difficulty is the only way forward, along with education and openness for all stake holders.

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NOMINATIONS OPEN www.gaming-awards.com

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The Rise of ESPORTS

By Lynn Pearce de Freitas

I

have always been fascinated by the esports phenomena, the fact that children spend long hours playing against their friends and are so intent on perfecting their game and beating their competitors in cyberspace. I worried about their general health and wellbeing, being cooped up inside all day, instead of spending time outside, enjoying the fresh air and doing “normal” activities.

However, they all seem to be perfectly fine, their brains are sharp, trained and they mostly appear to be thriving within their communities of friends and competitors – I guess this is the new normal, or at least part of it!

For the past few years, as an igaming consultant, I really got into the

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esports frame of mind and tried to convince the online sports betting companies to include esports in their product offerings, and even though they were not against the idea in general, some of them were actually quite willing to add in this product vertical, they never really put their money where their mouth was.

One of the reasons for not doing so, was that it was difficult to monetize esports, besides the fact that there was a general lack of knowledge of esports and knowing how to market it to the esports community at large. In addition to that, esports games take place over a much longer period than regular sports – and sports bettors were not interested in the lengthier time period, as they generally want more instant action, resulting in a lack of interest overall. And then Covid-19 happened. This pandemic

forced the closure of many traditional sports, which left sports bettors with not much choice, in lockdown.

So, they turned to esports and the rest, as they say, is history. Even after sports started to re-open, the rise of esports has continued and is gaining momentum.

Personally, I am betting on the growth of esports. Right now, my team and I are in pre-launch mode of 3 amazing new brands, with the main brand being almost 100% esports focused. The most interesting factor for me is that we are being approached by esports companies and esports communities to be involved in the re-opening of local offline events as and when it occurs going forward – and we are very excited to be involved in this growing and

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thriving community,and to be the lead sponsor of the first offline event happening in Hamburg, Germany, towards the end of this year! Due to Covid-19 and having to take obvious precautions as recommended by the WHO, these offline events will only have the teams participating at the physical event, with the viewership taking place online. As these offline events start up again, this esports game community need all the financial support they can get, and we hope that by giving this company and the Tier 4 and upwards teams the support that they need by sponsoring this event, that it will create a cyclical fandom within the online attendee base, and therefore be mutually beneficial. According to Newzoo, over 60% of the monies raised for esports will come from sponsorships going forward. This year has been an interesting one, when looking at investor relationships, partnerships, and sponsorships alone.

Being in the investor capital fund raising state of mind right now, it is remarkably interesting to see how much money is being raised for those

participating in the esports arena, regardless of industry. In this past week alone, I have read of many companies that have successfully announced millions in funding.Esports Insider have some fascinating articles on the latest deals and sponsorships, with $13.8M raised in disclosed esports investments since March 2020. Czech esports organisationEntropiq has unveiled fast food restaurant chain Mcdonald’s as its latest partner. Artificial intelligence startup Anybrainreceived a €1 million (£889,648.67) investment from Trust Esport. Tribe Gaming raised over $1M, including from NBA, WWE stars – the list goes on and on!

On a global basis, Newzoo estimates that there are 173 million frequent viewers of esports and an additional 222 million occasional viewers today.

By 2022, Newzoo expects the esports total audience to reach 645 million, roughly double the entire population of the United States. These figures may suggest esports has already become a mainstream form of entertainment, though the industry is still seeking more effective audience monetization channels. Uncover-

ing these monetization channels is likely a key factor in industry revenue and profitability going forward.Even though most organizations target the Gen Z and Gen X generations, for good reason, I believe there is a huge untapped market in older generations, especially in gaming peripherals, especially based on the fact that there is an almost equal amount of Gen Z at 20% (16 – 22) and Gen X (39 – 50) at 19% players. The Millennials (23 – 38) make up for 42% of the gamers.

Newzoo also estimates that the global esports market will hit $159.3 billion this year and will exceed $200 billion by 2023!

By the end of this year, there will be 2.7 billion gamers worldwide, with 2.5 billion playing on mobile, 1.3 billion playing on PC, and 0.8 billion on console.

The year 2023 will mark a major milestone for the global games market.

That year, the global number of players will surpass the three-billion mark!

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GAMING NEWS

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Lithuania Warns Illegal Online Gambling Operators

T

he Ministry of Finance in Lithuania has released a new warning to all non-licensed online gambling operators and below is the full statement:

gambling operators. The order of gaming operation is established in the Gaming Law of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter – Gaming Law).

The Gaming Control Authority under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania (Control Authority) regulating gambling in the Republic of Lithuania warns gambling operators about their illegal remote gambling activity, breaching national regulation.

After having identified the fact of illegal remote gambling activity in the Republic of Lithuania, the Control Authority is authorized to take measures established in the Gaming Law (payment blocking and DNS blocking).

In Lithuania, only proper licensed companies having special permission for this activity are authorized to offer online gambling in Lithuania. Companies, being not licensed for gambling activity in Lithuania and having not the mentioned permit but offering their services in Lithuania, shall be treated as illegal

The illegal gambling operators are also entered into the List of illegal online gambling operators (Blacklist) which is published on website of the institution and regularly updated adding new blacklisted subjects and domains.

for the possibility to remove the reference to the subject (gambling operator) from the Blacklist, if the subject was identified as illegal gambling operator in Lithuania, domain was blocked and blacklisted.

The only possibility to be removed from the Blacklist is to receive a license and permit to organize remote gambling in Lithuania, as it is established in the Gaming Law. Control Authority strongly recommends all online gambling operators to review all their activities related to remote gambling in the Republic of Lithuania and to take actions to ensure that such services are not available for Lithuanian customers.

Furthermore, the provisions of national legal acts do not provide

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The Decline of Craps

By Mike Pertgen

C

raps has enjoyed unprecedented success for many decades since the street version was played by most of our servicemen during WWII, forcing casino operators to offer a formal, updated, expanded version. Along with casino 21 and roulette, craps would become one of the industry’s three principal casino table games (baccarat would come later). But over the past 20 years, craps has taken a hit.

Nevada, for example, continues to experience a year-to-year decrease in the number of crap tables on the casino floor. In January 2000, there were 472 tables; in January 2020,

INFINITY GAMING

there were only 357. This is almost a 25% decrease in craps tables with no slowdown in sight. Why the decline?

Is the game losing interest? No! A lot has happened since 2000 and craps, in particular, has been negatively impacted by several factors.

First, during the 1990s, it became mandatory for dealers to proficiently deal three games: craps, casino 21, roulette, etc.—the so-called ‘multigame dealers.’ Previously, craps dealers dealt craps exclusively. They were considered specialists with their own crews, supervisors, schedule, and tip structure.

After dealing craps for about five

years, dealers became first-rate ‘clerks,’ an older term of respect.

They understood the intricacies of dealing the game. They took pride in their work and were proud to be crap dealers. And with this mastery, the experienced craps dealer was a bona fide asset who could keep the game moving (productivity), protect the game, and care for players with the highest level of customer service.

Today, craps dealers are routinely moved from the dice pit and asked to deal 21, which can be disconcerting and even embarrassing for a good craps dealer. In many instances, because of their skill and

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knowledge, craps dealers are moved to the floor as supervisors, causing a ripple effect where there is less overall competency with dealers and supervisors. This is especially true with the concept of ‘dual-rate employees:’ to save money, dealers are asked to work the floor for less than the standard floor person’s rate. Unfortunately, many dual-rate supervisors are weak supervisors: they understand their administrative duties (fills, credits, markers, etc.), but they lack in-depth knowledge of the game, making it difficult to provide leadership, game protection, and ensure optimal game

performance.

It’s tough enough to adequately learn one game at a dealer’s school,but imagine the difficulty and impracticality of learning three games. Regarding today’s overall dealing skill, mediocrity is the norm, which is the result of a new management philosophy that seems to be oblivious to the traditional ways of teaching dealers and the importance of specialization. There was a time when anyone who went to dealing school for craps only aspired to be a competent craps dealer . . . not anymore. All hope of being a genu-

ine, traditional craps dealer has all but disappeared.

Second, casinos made the radical decision to eliminate the traditional box-man position. Now, for new dealers, there’s no one to provide them with guidance. There’s no direct leadership. Modern craps dealers just do the best they can, dealing as they see fit, picking up bad habits, and developing vulnerable technical skills.

The end result is a workforce of craps dealers with no true knowledge or polished technical skill. Today, the art of dealing craps at the professional

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Michael Pertgen Article continued

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level has disappeared, and there’s no longer the pride or inspiration to achieve this status. As a young dealer, I used to treasure the opportunity to watch these professionals in action.

Third, once today’s players enter a casino, they have no easy way to learn how to play craps. When I broke in dealing craps in 1978 at the Golden Gate, it employed instructors on dead games to teach players how to play.

This was once a popular program promoted in other downtown and strip casinos. You would see signs that announced “Learn to Play Craps - Lessons at 10:00AM.” At the end of the lesson, each player was given a free-play $5.00 coupon, which made it easy to walk up to a low-minimum game to break the ice.

maximum odds allowed whether the player was betting the dice to win or lose. For those players trying to maximize their chances to win, taking and laying ‘full odds’ is important to them, so making it easy for players to enjoy this aspect of the game is equally important.

The $0.25 game provided foundational support for dealers. The $0.25 game was critical for two other reasons: (a) it helped create new players and (b) it prepared the dealers for bigger limits as the $0.25 check and $25.00 check are handled similarly.

In closing, there will always be great interest in craps, even from new players who want to learn how to play— no game provides more excitement.

And there will always be dealers who want to excel and master the art of dealing craps.

On a side note, I dealt craps at Binion’s Horseshoe throughout the 1980s.

I remember overhearing a player asking Teddy Binion why he spread a $0.25 craps game. Binion responded that the game was a “gold mine” and that the house “made a ton of money,” despite the small minimums. The thinking has definitely changed.

The future of craps is questionable, and from the perspective of a fortyyear gamer with a long stretch as a traditional craps dealer, I believe that the game’s fate rests solely with upper management. Will management provide the tools and assistance to help develop new players? Will management reevaluate the importance of developing competent crap dealers, enabling a process whereby they can hone their skills and take pride in their work? Only time will tell.

Last, subtle rule changes tend to cause confusion for many players. For example, every player understood the traditional single and double-odds format, but when the industry went to the ‘3-4-5’ format that allowed different multiples of odds based on the point, an already difficult-to-learn game became more confusing and intimidating for beginners who quickly lose interest. Moreover, there was confusion with the lack of consistency from casino to casino regarding the

-------------------------Mike Pertgen was born and raised in New York City, moving to Las Vegas when he was 16 years old. He has been a proud Nevadan ever since.

who took pride in mastering the traditional art of dealing craps. He later learned to deal all games including ten years of dealing Pai Gow Tiles.

He has worked in several management capacities including boxman, floorman, dice-pit manager, and back-up shift manager. He has been employed as a surveillance operator and is an expert in the gameprotection field, having studied all facets of cheating and advantage play throughout his career.

He is the inventor of several casino table games and holds several patents.

Most notably is High Card Flush and Quick Pay Blackjack. Both games can be found on the Las Vegas Strip.

As a serious collector of early gaming memorabilia and artifacts, Mr. Pertgen is best known for his amazing Asian collection, consisting of hundreds of Asian dice, playing cards, checks, tile sets, cheating paraphernalia, antiquarian books, and much more.

It’s one of the finest Asian collections known to exist.

Mr. Pertgen never stops inventing new casino games and concepts, and pursuing interesting projects. His most recent passion is a video project that will finally teach the traditional art of dealing craps.

He boasts an impressively diverse 40year gaming career. Starting in 1978, for 20 years, he was a craps dealer

INFINITY GAMING

THE INDUSTRY

COMMUNITY AWARDS CATEGORIES

Below a list of the categories for both operators and suppliers to enter, full deďŹ niions are available on the website.

Best Employees Support Award

ABOUT

Clever Duck Media are proud to present a new innovaave

Business Connnuity Award

awards programme for the ennre gaming industry, both

Business Hero Award

online, land based and globally recognising those

Community Award

companies and individuals that have gone above and beyond in tackling major issues due to the global pandemic.

Corporate Wellbeing & Health Award Innovaaon Award O utstanding Individual Award Sustainable Business Award

Sponsored By

https://gaming-awards.com/community-engagement-awards/

GAMING NEWS

29

Playtech & Buzz Bingo Team Up

P

laytech the gambling technology company, has partnered with Buzz Bingo to launch slot Tournaments via its Leaderboard solution – giving players the chance to compete for prizes.

Playtech’s Leaderboard configuration options even allow licensees to set a maximum qualifying bet amount, meaning they can promote safer gambling behaviour as well as increasing player engagement.

After a two-week exclusive launch period for Diamond Players, Tournaments are now available to all Buzz Bingo players. When a player joins a live Tournament, they are added to a leaderboard, with every win on the applicable slot game earning them points to climb the rankings.

James Frendo, Casino Director at Playtech, comments: “Tournaments offer a whole new way to engage players, as well as adding an extra level of enjoyment for players at no extra cost to themselves. The element of competition and the chance to win prizes adds a sense of anticipation for players, making every win more exciting. Also, because points are awarded based on the size of the win in proportion to the bet, players who prefer to stick to lower stakes are not disadvantaged, encouraging them to stay within their limits.

The point system is based on a win compared to stake ratio, with no wagering requirements, meaning players have an equal chance to progress regardless of their stake per spin, and do not get extra points for betting larger stakes which encourages players to continue playing at their preferred amount. Every spin during a Tournament, up to a certain amount, is eligible to earn points.

“Ever since Playtech began working with Buzz Bingo following the brand’s launch in 2018, they have been one of our most proactive part-

ners in terms of adopting new tools and functionality, with some excellent results. We’re really impressed with the drive and commitment the Buzz team has shown to make Tournaments happen – particularly the addition of the in-game widget, which the dedicated portal team has invested much time in delivering, allowing players to register for and follow the leaderboard without leaving the game environment.”

David Swaine, Head of Digital Operations at Buzz Bingo adds: “Following a highly successful exclusive period for selected players, we’re delighted to be bringing Tournaments to a wider audience and offering a key point of differentiation. A range of Tournaments will be available every Wednesday from midday to midnight and, with a dedicated homepage portlet and the in-game widget.

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Slot Manager vs General Manager Essential Dialogue Part 2 Essential dialogue and dealing with difficult conversations are critical if you want your operation to remain focused, competitive and productive, and here’s why you can’t achieve success without them.

By Andy Cosgrove

I

n part one of Essential Dialogue we concentrated on conversations with the GM, but with casinos operators all over the planet still facing a lot of uncertainty,essential dialogue is going to be necessary on every organizational level if casinos want to successfully adapt, thrive and maintain a high level of operational consistency. Each department will need to re-define their strategy in order to remain competitive, which might include: staff taking on more than one role in the department (or casino), reducing staff levelsand even reducing the number of slots on the casino floor. In part 2 of essential dialogue we’re going to start a conversation with the marketing manager as some say that the last thing the slots manager needs is a marketing debacle courtesy of the ever-illustrious marketing department.

No matter how uncomfortable you

INFINITY GAMING

might feel about essential dialogue, you need to step out of your comfort zoneand engage in sometimes controversial conversations in order to address the fundamental issues that impede progress, put the brakes on productivity and inhibit success.

Why? Because if you don’t, you could end your day, and your career, by being directly responsible for the failure of your slots department and possibly the entire casino. And how good would that look on your list of accomplishments as you queue up to be interviewed for your next job?

Even when knowing the dire consequences of inaction, many people still choose to remain silent during essential dialogue and avoid giving an opinion for fear of retribution.

Others often resort to verbal violence to protect their power at any cost and may even resort to sneaky Machiavellian tactics such as encouraging

negative feedback, hiding the truth, and throwing the slots manager under the proverbial marketing bus!

However, those who understand the need for essential dialogue recognize its value and use it as an integral part of their improvement strategy.

Some say that part of essential dialogue is knowing and understanding the answers you seek before asking the big questions, and if the marketing manager doesn’t listen and take note while you’re engaging them in a difficult conversation, then success will remain an illusion and failure imminent. But, if you’re like me, you will want to work as a team, you might find the following examples of essential dialogue useful the next time you have to confront the marketing manager about yet another poorly planned, poorly executed and poorly measured, slots marketing blunder.

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COMMUNICATION – “My staff and I don’t know anything about the slots promotion you started yesterday. How do you expect to make it successful without making the slots department aware of its existence?” This has to be one of the most classic examples of a total communication breakdown that I have ever had the privilege of being a part of, and as hard as it may be to believe, it continues to happen on a frequent basis costing casino’s potentially millions in lost revenues, and all due to a lack of basic communication skills which, come to think about it, should be one of the strongest attributes of the marketing department. Effective marketing requires effective communications and a competent marketing executive will use communication at

every opportunity to increase employee buy-in, improve promotionalsuccess rates and promote teamwork as a way of strengthening the image of the brand and adding extra value to the customer experience. Essential dialogue will help maintain focus, keep egos in check and help us avoid doing our worst when it matters the most.

PRODUCTIVITY– “Slot machine revenues have been negatively impacted by the marketing departments failure to plan sufficiently ahead of time.” Success does not come from ideas alone. Success also depends on planning, managing and execution of those ideas so that they produce the expected benefits. I’m no marketing expert but for a promotion

to produce the expected results, I’m pretty sure that they should be advertised to the staff and customers a little sooner than the day before the event.

Learning from past disasters is part of effective project management and practicing essential dialogue at the right time will help substantially decrease the risk of failure and increase productivity where it matters the most. The next time you notice that slots productivity falling due to lack of planning, use essential dialogue to first identify which behaviors are causing the decline in productivity, clarify expectations and work together with the marketing department to plan the kind of change that will be beneficial for all involved and produce the expected benefits.

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Slots Manager vs General Manager (continued) ACCOUNTABILITY – “You claim that your promotions fail because I don’t have the right slots mix on the floor yet 95% of my game changes are successful, while only 15% of marketing efforts have increased coin in by expected margins. Are you trying to avoid being held accountable?” Sadly, tying to pass the blame for a failed promotion is one of the most widely used tactics in any business. And, depending on the state of internal politics and how well the marketing department are “in favor” with the GM, you could well be blamed for that “failed” promotion, regardless of the facts, so it’s important to enter into essential dialogue as early as possible in the marketing process to ensure that the right kind of decisions are being made at the right time, that actions are being taken as planned and that accountability is used as a tool to improve results as opposed to being used as a devious tactic to make you, the slots manager, look that you couldn’t run a bath!

TRUST – “It was agreed 4 months before last weekend’s major event that we would have a specific slots promotion to maximize revenue over the event weekend. We came up with a plan, but you failed to execute. How can I trust you if you fail to meet your commitments?”

With any major event to plan it is easy to feel overwhelmed and lose focus. A competent leader knows that making a commitment, and taking action, is part of an unspoken bond of mutual trust between an employee and an employer. Betraying this trust and not expecting consequences is a slippery slope that will only end up stimulating angry exchanges, poor results, poor relationships and possibly loss of employment. Essential dialogue should be used to lower the risks of potential trust issues and help improve understanding, increase trust, strengthen credibility and create

the kind of transparency that right’s wrongs, shows loyalty and achieves the results that you always knew were possible.

SUCCESS– “Your lack of cooperation, integrity and professionalism is directly contributing towards poor slots results and our competitors are using this to steel our customers. How can we work together to deliver the kind of success that reaches beyond expectations?” Anyone who has been part of success knows that the meaning of the phrase:“the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts,” yet so many managers still choose to be lock up their knowledge like a bank vault and are readily available to accuse others for their own failures in order to hang on to their illusion of power.

But don’t despair, there’s good news because even the most paranoid marketing managers can be encouraged to open up, share their knowledge, and work effectively as part of a team when essential dialogue is used correctly to safely share ideas, accept that opinions vary and identify a common purpose that will lead to building successful relationships and

33

successful results.

CONCLUSION –The slots and the marketing department need to work together if success is to remain a consistent part of your slots operation, and by using essential dialogue it’s possible to improve your relationships, increase your potential and use different opinions to your advantage by making the best possible marketing choices when the stakes are high and before your competitors start calling you up to congratulate you for their success.

----MY MINI-BLOG - Andrew Cosgrove is a seasoned slot operations veteran and certified project manager with over 24 years of hands on experience in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Andrew has worked on both the operator and supplier side of casino slots and continues to help clients succeed and exceed customer expectations.

Andrew can be reached at andy.cosgrove@hemingwaycasinoconsulting.com Or go to: http://hemingwaycasino-

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GAMING NEWS

35

Minnesota Vikings Team Up With Pilot Games

P

ilot Games, Inc has teamed up with the Minnesota Vikings to create the new and exciting Vikings Victory electronic pull tab game, available in over 1,200 bars across the state, with huge bonuses available in the “Skol Bonus Game.�

Pilot Games is the largest charitable gaming provider in the state of Minnesota and every time customers play the Vikings Victory game local communities receive much needed donations.

Indeed all of Pilot Games huge catalogue of games helps communities across the state and have helped raise hundreds of millions (before operational costs) to help much needed

projects.

About Pilot Games: Pilot Games the e-gaming operator and creator of casual innovative games with highly entertaining experience are designed and distributed via Pilot Games charitable gambling site for licensed organizations. Pilot Games offers a unique experience in a non-traditional casino market.

Whether it is at your favourite corner bar, or at a Fraternal or Veterans club, Pilot offers a fun, low stakes social gaming experience to all our players.

Pilot Games secure wireless network connections ensure that only legally eligible players participate in regulated gaming. http://www.pilotgames.com/

About Minnesota Vikings: The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings joined the National Football League (NFL) as an expansion team in 1960, and first took the field for the 1961 season.

Minnesota ranks sixth all-time in win percentage[6] and seventh overall in combined regular season and postseason wins. The Vikings have won 20 division titles and have made 30 playoff appearances. The club has appeared in 10 conference championship games, winning four to reach the Super Bowl.

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GAMING NEWS

Illegal Online Gambling In Macau Warning

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Holland Casino Lose €28 million In H1 of 2020

Holland Casino the Dutch state owned gambling company posted its first half results showing a decline of 60% in revenues for the year, with a loss of €28 million due to the pandemic lockdown within the country.

The Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordina-

To help with the losses to the business the government has offered not to take its dividends for the year of €68 million, this is on top of the Dutch government’s aid to supports workers at Holland Casino while the lockdown was in place for the companies 4,000 workforce.

It comes after a spate of illegal websites fooling residents has been reported with the name Macau trying to represent legal land based operators with online offerings.

The company said on the current situation: “We are now looking at how we can make sure our company is financially sound and future proof in this difficult period.’ Casinos are now open again, but customer numbers have been slashed to 30% because of social distancing regulations.”

tion Bureau have warned its residents that online gambling in the territory is illegal and not to be fooled by websites that carry the name “Macau” in its URL.

The regulator says that some websites are claiming also to be the official Macau Lottery online, this is also wrong as the lottery service is not online and once again illegal. The announcement goes on to say that if any residents suspect online activities to be illegal then they should report them to the police.

This latest announcement follows rumours in the region that the Chinese government could be considering the possibility of allowing some forms of online gambling while the COVID-19 pandemic is hitting the World’s largest gambling hub in the world hard with revenues down almost 90% since the pandemic struck in March this year.

The Macau government receives 84% of its revenues from gambling and last year casinos generated nearly $17 billion in revenues. With estimates for this year quoting those revenues could shrink by as much as 60%, rumours whether they are right or wrong will continue.

One such whisper coming out of Macau is that Operators there could be given a limited online gambling license until travel restrictions both locally and internationally are relaxed. No confirmation on this has been given and the official

Holland Casino also said that it did not expect a bounce back in figures for the second part of the year because of customer confidence and the limit on their venues to ensure social distancing measures.

It is expected an update on the full year results

US Online Casinos Huge Rise US online casinos enjoyed a huge rise in revenues during the second quarter of 2020 by 253.8%, according to figures online casinos showed revenues of $402.7 million for the quarter.

For the half yearly figures the rise in online casinos rose by a staggering 189.7%, outperforming online sports betting, but given the COVID-19 pandemic during March onwards forcing sporting events to shutdown those numbers are not surprising. Sports betting fell dramatically compared to last year by 46%.

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GAMING NEWS

William Hill US To Merge With Caesars

It seems a deal to merge William Hill US business with Caesars Holdings it has emerged with both parties seemingly keen on a deal.

William Hill US already works with the new owner of Caesars Eldorado since 2018 servicing its sports book offering so they already know each other well and have grown in size because of it.

Analyst’s believe that a merger of William Hill in the US with Caesars would generate an extra $700 million a year.

Not just that but it would also become a strong competitor to leader DraftKings in the sports business, so far DraftKings is valued at $13.5 billion, a merger with William Hill and Caesars would be valued at around $7 billion.

Caesars already has a 20% stake in William Hill US and so a merger would be highly likely, indeed William Hill CEO Joe Asher said to Bloomberg recently: We’ve been riding on their coattails as they’ve been growing. Clearly, we bet on the right horse.”

Eldorado CEO Tom Reeg said back in July that the company would like to gather their assets including sports betting into one entity.

William Hill currently has some 130 sports bet-

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Hong Kong Racetrack Breaks Gambling Record

Macau casinos are suffering huge drops in gaming revenues at present but one industry that is weathering the COVID-19 pandemic is the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC).

On Sunday 6th September the opening day of the horse racing season, the HKJC announced that it had smashed the current record for betting for the day.

Even without no on-course betting and no customers at the racetrack betting was up by nearly 7% to HK1.76 billion.

Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said: “We had the best start we could hope,” he went on to say, “We were able to increase turnover despite the fact we had to close [off-course betting branches] for race day.

“Our turnover was HK$1.376 billion which is an increase of 6.83 per cent, this is a record high for

Macau August Revenues Down more than 94% The Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau has reported the August figures for casino operators showing a 94.5% fall in revenues compared to the same month last year.

Revenues for August stood at just $166.6 million which is down 1% from the previous months revenues, with August now over the gross gaming revenues for the eight months of 2020 is down a huge 81.6% from the same period in 2019.

With some travel restrictions from mainland China easing there were hopes of a small recovery but analyst’s warn that this will take time and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on customers confidence not just in Macau but globally will be a slow process to bring gamblers back.

Many insiders believe that improvements in revenues and customers numbers will not see a marked improvement till early 2020.

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GAMING NEWS

41

Major Redundancies Taking Place At Rank Group

T

he Rank Group who operate Grosvenor Casinos, Mecca Bingo and also have an online business are in the midst of making large numbers of redundancies within the company.

The iGaming Post, our sister publication has been informed from employees within the company that the process is well underway. From our sources the redundancies at present are within the Grosvenor Casino and Mecca Bingo businesses and are currently at management level.

Departments that have been made redundant are in marketing, promotions and VIP service.

With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting hugely on land based casinos in the UK which closed in March and was only allowed to reopen in the middle of August, business so far with current health and safety regulations to protect customers and staff, numbers are reportedly at present below 50% of what attendance and revenues are normally reporting.

According to our sources those figures are not even helping to break even on costs for casinos and the hard decision to make wholesale redundancies has been made.

It is understood that senior management are trying to protect gaming staff such as dealers along with service staff and have identified departments that can be sacrificed due to the current impact on business such as marketing, advertising and VIP sectors.

However should the current situation with revenues and customer attendance continue into Autumn and

winter gaming staff will be next to face redundancies it is believed.

Although Rank Group are now making those hard decisions with their staff it is understood that all other casino operators are in the same situation as customer confidence is low and with current restrictions in place gamblers are just not going back to gamble.

It is feared that as much as 50% of the current 12,000 casino people working in the sector could be lost over the coming months if the situation does not improve.

and senior management said that currently numbers in attendance and revenues are well below the 50% threshold needed for the company to just break even in operating costs.

The situation cannot continue for the medium and long term without major restructuring of the business model and sadly that means job losses.�

The iGaming Post contacted the Rank Group for comment on the story and replied that the company would not be making any comment at this time.

One individual that has been made redundant told the iGaming Post, “I was informed that our whole department was being made redundant

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GAMING NEWS

43

Eyecon hits the Jackpot with Clover Rollover 2

W

ith more than twelve years’ success and a huge player following, popular Playtech title Clover Rollover will see another version of the game built and distributed by one of Playtech’s leading studios, Eyecon. Released from September, Clover Rollover 2 is an eagerly anticipated slot game ready to thrill and delight players across online bingo and casino.

Playtech launched Clover Rollover back in January 2008. Thanks to its progressive Jackpots and ease of play, it instantly became one of the most popular slots across Playtech Bingo. Now Eyecon, a Playtech Studio, has created the sequel to this popular game.

Clover Rollover 2 stays true to the original player experience. The graphics have been updated with the vibrancy Eyecon games are known for, whilst keeping all the key elements of this beloved game.

Fans of the original Clover Rollover will be pleased to see all the familiar symbols such as the four-leaf clover,

pot of golf and bar maid which have all been carefully redesigned and animated.

One key element that differentiates Clover Rollover 2 from the original is the addition of Eyecon’s three tier jackpot system. This system features a Mega, Maxi and Mini jackpot which all build up and drop at various frequencies, allowing for more frequent jackpot winners, whilst still providing a potentially large win for some lucky players. This flexible jackpot system createsan engaging and rewarding player experience by creating even more jackpot winners.

Playtech Bingo have exclusivity throughout September, which will be supported by significant network promotions, before launching to Eyecon’s wider distribution on 1st October. Clover Rollover 2 will be available across desktop and mobile as well as within the Playtech Bingo minigame client, thanks to Eyecon’s premium and embedded position as a Playtech Studio.

Paul Gielbert, Commercial Director at Eyecon says “Clover Rollover is one of the most recognised and popular slot games in the UK Bingo segment.

Leveraging Playtech’s assets to build and distribute the sequel is hugely exciting which will benefit Playtech and Eyecon customers, bringing more entertainment to their loyal network of players.”

James Chambers, Slots Manager at Playtech Bingo says “With the original Clover Rollover slot being one of the most popular across the Playtech Bingo network, we are extremely excited to see the launch of Clover Rollover 2. It was very important to us that the essence of the original gamecontinued throughto the sequel, and by introducing Eyecon’s jackpot mechanics we have been able to deliver a fresh and engaging experience toour players. Additionally, Eyecon has done a fantastic job in overhauling the graphics within the game introducing some impressive animations and giving a new look to an old favourite.”

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GAMING NEWS

Japan’s Chance Of Casino Resorts Gone

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Tabcorp Results Plunge To $870 Million Loss

Australian gambling giant Tabcorp announced their annual results to June 30th posting a loss of $870 million compared to a profit of $361 million for the previous year.

It seems that the recent resignation of Japanese

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has spelt the end of Integrated Casino Resorts in the country for the foreseeable future.

Tabcorp chief executive David Attenborough said on the annual results: “COVID-19 restrictions meant that hotels, clubs and TAB agencies were closed for significant periods of time,” he went on to say,“We continue to support our venue partners and have waived more than $100 million in fees to date.”

The shock departure of the main supporter of casino resorts in the country has now gone and whoever it will be to take over later this month is not certain to want to continue what is not a popular topic with the Japanese public.

The company actually improved its lotteries and digital channels by having 400,000 new signups to their products during the period, but with the impact of COVID-19 the revenue streams effected the bottom line.

Indeed more than 50% of the public are strongly against casinos being legalised even if it would generate more tax and create jobs, the majority of the public see the dangers of problem gambling a greater risk.

In concluding Mr Attenborough mentioned the current situation: “It remains a challenging time, especially for the Victorian community, which is

Many now are questioning if Las Vegas Sands and its boss Sheldon Adelson who were the strong favourites for an Integrated Resort pulled out of the running s few months ago knew more than they were saying. The company quoted for leaving the race for a resort as negative taxing by the government and the possibility that any return would take longer than expected.

Wynn Resort and Genting followed suit and also left the race for Japan which only a couple of years ago was quoted a becoming worth $40 billion a year to operators and challenging Macau.

That now seems a long way off with the Prime Minster who pushed for them gone and an incoming Prime Minister unsure if the idea now is a good one.

Even when Japan launched the Integrate Resort race some observers were sure that it would not go to plan, well nobody knew the COVID-19 would also add to the problems and with any sight of a resort happening in this decade with the departure of Shinzo Abe the chance could

Ainsworth Announce Results & Redundancies Ainsworth Game Technology the Australian based slot machine maker has reported unaudited results for the year of a loss of $24.4 million for the year ending June 30.

The company said that the damage the COVID-19 pandemic had on the industry was particularly hard and Ainsworth suffered quite badly. It was also confirmed that Ainsworth would be making some 67 redundancies with 23 in Australia and 44 in America.

A subsidiary of Novomatic Ainsworth CEO Lawrence Levy said on the recent set of results: “While Covid-19 hit our industry hard, we moved quickly to protect AGT. We took proactive measure to streamlining our overheads and we are securing more flexible financing arrangements to ensure that we can endure a protracted downturn. AGT is now well positioned as customers across our major markets look to recover from the effects of the pandemic.”

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THE INDUSTRY

COMMUNITY AWARDS CATEGORIES

Below a list of the categories for both operators and suppliers to enter, full deďŹ niions are available on the website.

Best Employees Support Award

ABOUT

Clever Duck Media are proud to present a new innovaave

Business Connnuity Award

awards programme for the ennre gaming industry, both

Business Hero Award

online, land based and globally recognising those

Community Award

companies and individuals that have gone above and beyond in tackling major issues due to the global pandemic.

Corporate Wellbeing & Health Award Innovaaon Award O utstanding Individual Award Sustainable Business Award

Sponsored By

https://gaming-awards.com/community-engagement-awards/

GAMING NEWS

47

The Industry Influential Women of 2020

A

s we enter 2020 and look at who will show the leadership and innovation within our industry both online and land based, The Women in Gaming Diversity has revealed the most influential, innovative and inspiring ladies within our business.

As we all know the gender gap is still there with the most recent survey by “Gender Imbalance in Business” shows that: 35% of women hold junior level roles within the

Media and Online sector, 25% represent mid-level management, which is the same proportion in Senior level roles also, BUT the big disparency is at the most senior level where CEO’s live, there is only 13% of women in those positions.

good.

However below we celebrate the women that not just have made the highest peak in business but those leading the charge to show that women in all levels have made a huge impact on their business for

See the next page to see the full list of influential ladies that made the 2020 Influencers of the year.

The list below is in alphabetical order only and does not represent any other order of importance, but shows the most influential women within the entire gambling industry.

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GAMING NEWS

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Influential Women of 2020 - The List

The List

T

he list was compiled through a range of metrics, their time at the companies, their rise within the companies, their activity within business, any activity supporting women within their business, of course their influence in their region (geographically) and this is only the first “LIST” and an annual list will be updated and improved on in future

lists.

Here are the ladies that made the 2020 Influencers list in alphabetical order: Chryssa Amanatidou – Group Corporate Affairs Director at Intralot Ebba Arnred – CMO at Play’n GO Rachel Barber – CTO at IGT Britt Boeskov, Chief Experience Officer at Kindred Jennifer Bowman – Senior Director Marketing at IGT Hiu-Yu Vanessa Chan – Vice President, Business Development, Greater China & Asia Pacific IGT Stephanie Cheung – EVP and Chief Legal Officer at Melco Resorts & Entertainment Denise Coates – CEO at Bet365 Tracey Cohen – Director of Marketing at TCSJohnHuxley Irina Cornides – Chief Commercial Officer at Gamesys Group Melanie Hainzer – Chief Marketing Officer at Rootz Helen Hedgeland – Managing Director at Evolution UK Therese Hillman – CEO at NetEnt Pansy Ho – Co-Chair at MGM Macau Deb Krupinski – Vice President – Insights and Analytics at Scientific Games Siobhan Lane – Chief Commercial Officer Gaming Division at Scientific Games Ciara Nic Liam – Director of Product Gaming at Betsson Group Lucy Owen – Commercial Director & Head of Account Management at Playtech Alexe Reichert – Head of Marketing Operations at Mr Green Limited Brigid Simmonds – Chairperson at Betting & Gaming Council Paris Smith – CEO Pinnacle Sports Melissa Summerfield – Chief Commercial Officer at Pragmatic Play Shelly Suter-Hadad – CEO at Casumo Akiko Takahashi – Executive Vice President & Chief of Staff to Chairman and CEO – Melco Resorts & Entertainment Paddy Tang Lui Wai Yu – Executive Director/Board Member Galaxy Entertainment Kostandina Zafirovska – CEO at BtoBet

INFINITY GAMING