Casino Life Magazine Issue 184 Volume 26

The magazine for the owners and management of international casinos

Volume 22: Issue 184

CreateFuture Driving Digital Transformation for the Modern Casino

Editor’s Note

CASINO The magazine for the owners and management of international casinos

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Volume 22: Issue 184

Welcome...

Last Casinos Standing

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ew York City’s initial Class III casino operators have been chosen. They consisted of two wire-to-wire frontrunners and one dark horse candidacy. Genting Americas, Hard Rock International and Bally’s Corp. all finished in the winners’ circle.

It was no surprise that Genting got tapped, very little that Steve Cohen’s venture with Hard Rock got a nod and a late-breaking surprise that Bally’s won.

Why? Because MGM Resorts International appeared to have inevitability, incumbency and scale all on its side in Yonkers.

Then MGM pulled the plug at the last minute. Its complaints about taxes and term of licensure sounded manufactured … but it’s no secret MGM has been retreating in the United States, putting more and more of its marbles on Japan. Whether MGM Empire City can survive as a Class II casino now is an open question at best and, frankly, it doesn’t look good.

MGM’s defection opened the door for Bally’s long-shot candidacy.

Bally’s was a late entrant, seemed unlikely at the time to be able to scare up the requisite $4 billion and has no megaresort experience. It’s also carrying excess political baggage in the form of Donald Trump, to whom it owes $115 million in presidential payola. (It’s a long and seamy story.)

However, even borderline-toxic political connections didn’t dim Bally’s chances once MGM had fled – and all Manhattan casino sites were nixed. Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim talks a good game and now he’ll have a chance to back it up.

Speaking of big talk, New York State Gaming Commission Chairman Brian O’Dwyer seemed to have Genting in his crosshairs last autumn when he fumed that character and fitness would be key criteria for selection. Genting has been rather challenged in those departments of late, having been fined $10.5 million in Nevada. Seems that Resorts World Las Vegas facilitated money laundering by illegal bookies. Nor has it been contrite.

Fortunately for Genting, not only is Resorts World New York City wildly successful, it also enjoyed near-universal support for its $5.5 billion expansion. A quick-and-dirty, temporary Class III casino is to open in March now and the eventual megaresort will be grandiose indeed: 6,000 slot machines and 800 table games.

Even costlier will be Cohen’s Metropolitan Park, near Citi Field.

Thanks to Hard Rock, it will bear the most remunerative brand name in contemporary casinos. It needs the affiliation if Cohen is to make good on some sky-high revenue promises.

All three megaresorts are sited on the fringes of the Five Boroughs area, well away from Manhattan hot spots. Does this bode good or ill? For the sake of the three winners, we hope it’s ultimately for the best. There’s a great deal David McKee of money riding on it.

DMcKee Editor

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Contents 3 Editor’s Note The last casinos standing in New York City.

By David McKee 5 The White Album When casinos gave up on the courts.

7 Promises and Threats The UK gaming industry is on the verge of exciting – and sometimes worrisome – changes. By Mark Harper

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10 Vedi, Vini, Vici How a REIT came, saw gaming and conquered. By David McKee 20 Sun, Sand, Sea and Hemingway Resorts World Bimini offers something for every stripe of traveler. By Peter White 26 The Rise of Digital Gaming What land-based casinos must do to survive.

By Shaun McCauley 32 An Ounce of Prevention A conversation with John Pierce, director of enforcement for the Great Britain Gambling Commission. By Peter White

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26

42

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39 A Clear Indicator Why color-prediction games signal the next phase of social-casino gaming engagement.

By Mark McGuinness 42 Not-So-Sunny Italy The land of song may have a gambling problem. By Eugene Gerden 44 The d’Alembert System Let’s talk about betting systems for non-card counters. By Al O’Grady 46 1xBet in 2025 Celebrity guests, exclusive parties and memorable gifts.

48 Creating Tomorrow, Together Today Why digital transformation is now a leadership challenge. By Mark McGuinness 54 Connected Casino Evolution DRGT unveils player-centric kiosks, smarter transactions and seamless cashless solutions at ICE Barcelona.

57 A Kodal Moment Seizing new opportunities through disruptive technologies. By Raymond Chan

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Editorial Policy: The views and opinions expressed in Casino Life remain principally the views of contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or publishers.

The publishers wish to avoid inaccuracies and, whilst every precaution has been taken to ensure that information contained in this publication is accurate, no liability is accepted by the editor or publishers for errors or omissions, however caused.

Unless otherwise stated, articles appearing in this publication remain the copyright of the publishers and may not be reproduced in any form without the publisher’s written consent.

Printed in the UK by Pensord Press.

www.casinolifemagazine.com

Words: From The Publisher

The White Album

Arbitration Everywhere When casinos gave up the courts. By Peter White

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t some point, and it is hard to say exactly when, casinos stopped going to court.

Not entirely, of course. Licenses are still contested and regulators still challenged. But in the everyday, commercial life of the industry, a quiet shift has taken place. Disputes that once would have unfolded in public courtrooms are now routinely channelled into arbitration.

Arbitration was sold as progress: faster, cheaper, discreet. No headlines, no reputational damage, no unpredictable judges. For operators and suppliers alike, it sounded sensible. Contracts grew longer, clauses denser and arbitration became the default setting for almost every significant commercial relationship in the casino world. What was rarely discussed was what was being given up in exchange.

Courts may be slow and expensive but they create precedent. They establish a public record from which others can learn. Arbitration does not. Each case exists in isolation, sealed by confidentiality, its

outcome known only to the parties involved. For an industry built on regulation and transparency, that contradiction should not go unnoticed.

The recently authorized class arbitration involving automatic card shufflers brings this issue into focus. Here is a dispute with genuine industry-wide implications, with allegations of monopolistic behavior stretching back more than a decade. (Page 29). Yet it will be heard behind closed doors. The arbitrator will decide the outcome. The industry at large may never see the reasoning. That should give operators pause.

Arbitration subtly shifts the balance of power. Large suppliers arbitrate for a living. They draft the contracts, select the forums and build institutional expertise around the process. Operators, even sizable ones, encounter arbitration infrequently and defensively. The playing field is not as level as it appears.

There is also the question of scale. Arbitration was designed for individual disputes. Yet many of Volume 22: Issue 184

Peter White, publisher of Casino Life Magazine

the challenges operators face today are structural: pricing practices, exclusivity, technology lock-ins, data ownership. When every contract mandates arbitration, the ability to challenge those structures collectively is diminished.

Class arbitration is rare and its emergence suggests growing discomfort with that reality. When arbitration clauses collide with issues too big to ignore, the system begins to strain and that tells its own story.

None of this is to argue that arbitration is inherently flawed. Often it works exactly as intended. But its near-universal, unquestioned adoption has consequences. It reduces sunlight, fragments accountability and keeps patterns of behavior out of view.

January is a month for reassessment. Arbitration deserves to be part of that conversation. Because when an industry gives up the courts, it also gives up the chance to resolve its most important disputes in the open. And once that habit is lost, it is very difficult to recover.

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Guest Comment: Mark Harper

Promises and Threats ICE Barcelona finds the UK gaming industry on the verge of exciting, and sometimes worrisome, changes. By Mark Harper, managing director, Grosvenor Casinos.

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s the festivities of 2025 become distant memories, this is inevitably a time when we all take stock, review the past 12 months, consider our goals and hone our plans for the calendar year.

Having now been in the gaming sector for some two-and-a-half years, I personally find myself ever more excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.

The pace of change, innovation and development is evident for all to see, especially within the land-based casino sector. This will, no doubt, be brought into crystal-clear focus at ICE in Barcelona over three days from 19 to 21 January. This is my first ICE, but I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to network, review the latest technology, and explore innovative solutions to further excite and entertain our customers.

The Pace of Change

Change, innovation and development are all critical to a modern, premium casino estate. We have seen in Mark Harper, managing director, Grosvenor Casinos recent years the advent of broadcast technology which has allowed Grosvenor exciting slots-game packs, content and cabinets, Casinos to link our estate of electronic gaming alongside sports betting with self-service betting terminals to a central studio, offering a wider choice of terminals, HD screens, and premium hospitality, all games and new content. available 24 hours a day.

On the back of this we have been able to launch Improvements in data and technology have also multi-terminal, multi-site progressive games and enabled land-based casino operators to provide jackpots to add greater excitement and entertainment improved live-table service for customers, with datafor customers. The long-awaited land based reforms based decisions guiding pricing, and table-opening provide a further transformational opportunity for the plans ensuring that the optimum number of tables are UK casino sector, enabling the introduction of more open at the right time and at the right price.

Volume 22: Issue 184

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Guest Comment: Mark Harper

Miles to Go

There is, of course, a long way to go. This is why I believe the sector has such a bright future. Nowhere is this more evident than in the introduction of cashless payments.

Cash-based casinos are increasingly archaic in today’s digital age and ‘cashless’ is a logical modernization that will bring casinos in line with the High Street by providing the same level of choice in payment options.

We need support from the UK government to bring this to life. In their review of the Gambling Act 2005, the government set out its intent to support cashless payments, and the use of debit cards and payment apps.

It will be a very welcome change and will serve to further modernize the sector.

Government support is also needed to ensure that there is fiscal framework that supports growth. The tax increases announced in the UK Autumn Budget in November represent a significant blow to the entire regulated betting and gaming industry in the UK. Increased taxation, wherever it is applied within the gambling ecosystem, inevitably carries a significant risk of growing the black market for gambling, with customers increasingly channel-agnostic. Over time, tax raids will ultimately lead to fewer betting offices, fewer casinos, fewer jobs and a boost to the gambling black market, with the inevitable reduction in tax receipts. As an industry, it is vital that we speak with one voice in articulating these concerns.

For now though, I am looking forward with enthusiasm and positivity to ICE and three days of innovation, insights and networking opportunities. I look forward to seeing you there.

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Feature: VICI Properties

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas 10

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Feature: VICI Properties

Veni, Vidi, Vici How a real estate investment trust came, saw gaming and conquered. By David McKee

Volume 22: Issue 184

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Feature: VICI Properties

MGM Grand Las Vegas

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ew York City doesn’t have full-fledged casinos yet. But it does already host one of the capitals of the gaming industry, VICI Properties. Born in 2017, out of

adversity experienced by Caesars Entertainment, the real estate investment trust (REIT) has become far, far more than a spinoff of the Roman Empire. It has grown to 54 casinos and racinos … and 38 bowling alleys.

(More on them below.)

In the gambling sphere, VICI’s tenants have grown to include Penn Entertainment, Jack Entertainment, Indigenous Gaming Partners, Foundation Gaming, Century Casinos, Hard Rock International, The Venetian/Palazzo (an affiliate of Apollo Global Management) and — in a coup among coups — a baker’s dozen of MGM Resorts International casinos.

One of the latter, MGM Northfield Park, is changing its leadership, its operations sold by MGM to Clairvest, adding yet another client to the VICI fold.

Nor was the VICI team done. At press time, it had swung a deal whereby the assets of Golden Entertainment — which was grappling with a challenged stock price — would be sold to VICI, 12

part of a broader re-imagination of Golden. Caesars, meanwhile, was having some performance issues of its own. This led one Wall Street analyst to speculate that the Roman Empire’s regional-casino lease with

VICI would be renegotiated, with the master lease potentially extended through 2044.

In any event, VICI and CEO Edward Pitoniak are in the catbird seat. They’re aggressively branching out into non-gaming-resort development, retail, sports venues and more. It’s a philosophy strikingly different from that of gaming-centric main rival Gaming & Leisure Properties Inc. Pitoniak’s take on the New York City market is also almost 180 degrees removed from GLPI’s. We spoke with him on a nippy November morning. Our conversation has been slightly edited for length.

Now that MGM Resorts International is no longer competing for a New York City casino license, does MGM Empire City have a future?

We believe it does. I would say that, pragmatically speaking, it’s really not clear how long it’s going to take before there are Class III facilities actually www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: VICI Properties open and operating in New York. Genting could get operating sooner, given they have a facility. But I would say our MGM partners are quite confident that they can continue to operate a profitable business in Yonkers. Certainly over the next few years, given what the landscape of New York gaming is likely to be over that period.

What is your view of the NYC casino market as an investment and would VICI still get involved?

It’s a somewhat uncertain environment at this point.

The fact that a gaming license does not appear to be in the future for Manhattan, it’s not clear the degree to which a New York City gaming facility will attract a national and international clientele. If certain Manhattan bidders had won, especially if Related Cos. and Wynn Resorts continued and had they won a license, a Wynn facility would have been an international and national draw, given the excellence that Wynn is famous for. As it stands right now, likely without a facility in Manhattan, it remains to be seen the degree to which any other bidders — and there’s only three left — will be able to attract a national or international audience to Queens or the Bronx.

VICI owns most of the Las Vegas Strip, it feels like.

Do you ever feel overexposed in that market?

We don’t own most of it but we do own a lot of it.

We are very happy to be in Las Vegas because of the Las Vegas Strip being what we believe is the most

economically productive street in the world. I mean, when you go from the south end at Mandalay Bay to the far north end at Fontainebleau, you are talking about assets the economic productivity of which is really not rivaled by anything but the very biggest theme parks, in Orlando and Anaheim. These assets are incomparable and they are operated by teams that can continue to innovate and sustain the relevance of those properties, whether it’s innovations in music or other forms of entertainment, food and beverage, and gaming. Now, of course, we have sports as a demand driver.

Finally, we have great confidence in the future of Las Vegas, given Las Vegas’ competitive superiority in the global convention, conference and trade-show market. There’s no city in the world that currently rivals it and we don’t believe there will be any that will soon rival Las Vegas when it comes to being the best place for large conferences, conventions and trade Volume 22: Issue 184

Edward Pitoniak, CEO, VICI Properties

shows. It brings together the best meeting spaces in the world, combined with great room inventory, great food and beverage, great entertainment, sports and the infrastructure that can support that marketplace, whether it’s Harry Reid Airport or the highway systems.

VICI continues to refrain from exercising its option on Caesars Forum Convention Center, which runs through 2028. How come?

We’re continuing to watch it ramp. It opened during Covid, which meant it opened in a window where meeting planning was effectively on hiatus. Nobody in the world, especially meeting planners, knew exactly how the world was going to unfold. But it has certainly established itself as an absolutely first-class convention facility, not only within the Las Vegas context but nationally and internationally. As we continue to watch it ramp, we’ll be talking with our partners at Caesars about what the economics of that convention center are and what the right rent level would be, based on those economics.

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Feature: VICI Properties

Hard Rock Casino, Cincinnati

The REIT has also pulled back from options on two Indiana racinos. Why? I still believe we made the right strategic decision in not calling those two racinos in Indianapolis, given what we felt was already sufficient exposure to both the Indiana marketplace (through what we already owned in southern Indiana and in Hammond) and we also felt we had sufficient exposure to Caesars’ regional gaming.

There is nothing remotely – and I mean remotely – close to The Venetian in regional gaming and, as a real estate company, we believe over the long term it’s always to the benefit of investors to own assets that have that singularity or rarity, where the supply growth barriers are quite significant — given the cost and complexity of creating a significant asset on the Las Vegas Strip.

What are the respective pros of the Vegas market versus regional casinos?

Regional has going for it a lower-than-average cyclicality, when it comes to consumer discretionary spending.

Vegas has more cyclicality. Regionals tend to be more steady. That was obvious during the Great Financial Crisis and we also saw regional come back very quickly in the recovery from Covid. The one thing you have to be attentive to is supply growth, especially in regions where supply can grow faster than demand does. That is one thing you have to be careful about in regional gaming.

In terms of Las Vegas, one of the key aspects is the singularity and rarity of Las Vegas assets. Let’s take The Venetian as an example, one of our 10 assets on the Las Vegas Strip. It is the largest single hotel complex in America. It is the largest, private-sector conference/ convention/trade show facility in America. It is the property on whose land Sphere sits.

How is the Northfield Park transition progressing?

At this point, Clairvest, the acquirer of the OpCo from MGM, would be engaged in the regulatoryapproval process with the gaming authorities in Ohio. They obviously have not taken over yet and can’t until they get regulatory approval. Given their track record in gaming, I have very high confidence that Clairvest will be approved. Until that happens, there is no transition.

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Will the partnership with Clairvest lead to further branching out by VICI into Canada?

We actually are in Canada. We have eight gaming assets already in our ownership through Century Casinos and PURE Gaming. PURE was actually our first Canadian investment. We made that, I believe, in late ’22 or early ’23, when we acquired four www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: VICI Properties

Caesars Southern Indiana Hotel & Casino

assets. PURE remained as the OpCo. Since then, they have sold the OpCo to Indigenous Gaming Partners, a First Nations investment group. Subsequently we bought the real estate of four gaming assets from Century.

So we have eight assets in Alberta now and, whether it’s Alberta or other provinces like Ontario or British Columbia, Canada will continue to be an area we would love to invest in – given what is generally the greater Canadian propensity to game versus the U.S.

roster so that we are not overexposed to any one tenant, geography or category. The fundamental reason for tenant diversity is to achieve intrinsic risk management. One of the benefits is that rating agencies, which obviously play a greater role when it comes to the cost of our debt, generally favor tenant diversity.

VICI has myriad gaming-oriented tenants, sometimes within the same market. What are the pluses of this … and are there any minuses or conflicts?

There’s no conflicts that arise because we have nothing to do with the operations, directly or indirectly.

We never want to be in a position where the tenant is going to feel we are favoring one over another. It is a situation-by-situation evaluation. Generally speaking, we are strong believers in tenant diversity. We are most fundamentally believers in owning good real estate occupied by really good operating partners. If there’s more than one asset in a market and more than one good operator, we’re very happy to be invested behind those assets and those operators.

lease, which is comprised of Caesars Palace and Harrah’s Las Vegas, both of which we own. Then there’s the Caesars regional master lease. Caesars also gives us a corporate-rent guarantee. All of our rent is guaranteed at the corporate level by Caesars, with corporate coverage that is around three times the rent and we are very comfortable with that coverage and the guarantee behind it from Caesars.

In terms of Caesars’ regional performance, you want to talk to them about the way they’ve seen their assets perform over the last few years and they way in which they are continuing to refine their regional strategy. That refinement is borne out by what you’ve seen in recent quarters, in terms of Caesars regaining share of gross gaming revenue. We have 10 years to go on the regional lease, and we have high confidence in Caesars, over that time, gaining or regaining its fair share of market revenue and market profit, being a lease that has durability to it.

What’s the importance of tenant diversity?

Basically, risk management. We have worked over time and will continue to diversify our tenant Volume 22: Issue 184

What is the status of the Caesars master lease?

Will they be able to cover it?

We have two leases. We have a Las Vegas master

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Feature: VICI Properties

MGM Northfield Park, Ohio

Why was it important to get involved in tribalgaming projects?

It is and isn’t new. We did our first tribal deal with Hard Rock back in 2019. We partnered to buy the Jack Entertainment asset in Cincinnati, which was then rebranded Hard Rock. At this point, we have three investments in Hard Rock: Hard Rock Cincinnati, the old Mirage, which will be Hard Rock Las Vegas, which we still own, and we supported them through an investment in senior secured notes, to finance redevelopment of their asset in Ottawa, Ontario.

We chose to partner with tribes because they are very good operators. They have had the vision in recent years to come off tribal land, to establish their presence within commercial gaming. So not only do we have a relationship with Hard Rock, we have a relationship with the Eastern Band of

Manadalay Bay, Las Vegas 16

Cherokee Indians at Caesars Southern Indiana. We have a relationship with the Cherokee Nation at Gold Strike, in Mississippi, of which they acquired the OpCo from MGM Resorts International. We also have a relationship with the Foxwoods tribe (the Mashantucket Pequots), through our partnership with Blackstone on the Great Wolf Lodge that has been developed in Connecticut.

Then of course we chose to partner with Red Rock Resorts in financing of the North Fork Rancheria gaming facility in Northern California. That is our second instance of making an investment in an asset that is being developed on tribal land. At this point, we’re taking a very careful, measured approach, given the realities of investing on tribal land for a non-tribal entity. But we’ll certainly watch the way the North Fork project unfolds and see where we go from there.

VICI owns nearly 40 bowling alleys. What makes them such a good investment?

We have five key investment criteria: lower-thanaverage cyclicality against consumer discretionary dollars; an absence of secular threat – the experience that takes place in the real estate is at lower risk of being sent directly to your house in a box or through a wire; healthy supply and demand balance; proven durability over decades; and what we call ‘economic dynamism.’ That is to say the business model is one that’s highly responsive to innovation and intensity, in terms of continually improving the economics of the occupant’s business.

When we looked at bowling, it ticked all five of those boxes. It’s a very durable category. It’s been around literally for centuries. It does have lower-thanaverage cyclicality. There really is very little in the way of secular threat, given that most people aren’t www.casinolifemagazine.com

19-21 January 2026 Welcome to our stand

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Feature: VICI Properties

Harrah's, Las Vegas

building bowling alleys in their houses. The supply and demand balance is healthy, insofar as it costs a lot to build a proper bowling alley. There’s only four contractors in America that are qualified to build the foundation for a bowling facility. You have to have tolerances within one-thousandth of an inch. Finally, it’s got a P&L that’s very responsive to innovation and intensity, which our Lucky Strike partners are very, very capable of.

What other non-gaming diversification has VICI done?

We have partnered with Blackstone on the financing of Great Wolf Indoor Water Resorts, which is a category of resorts that we are very strong believers in. Great Wolf is a family attraction that has proven their durability and economic attractiveness over the last 30-40 years. We are big believers in the secular trends around wellness and are proud to be partnering with Canyon Ranch Spa, which is the originator of what we think of as modern wellness in America.

We partnered with a golf company called Cabot.

We’re strong believers in the creation of golf-resort experiences that have the ability to attract a very strong clientele made up of highly dedicated golfers, who are willing to come back year after year and who then create viral awareness of really great golf destinations. We own the leasehold interest of Chelsea 18

Piers in New York, which is an incomparable recreation and event facility on the Hudson River. Those are the main ones.

Next up are college sports stadiums. What inspired this move?

It may or may not be stadiums. What is interesting is the degree to which colleges and universities are increasingly focused on making sure they have highly

competitive sport infrastructure. That includes training centers, arenas and stadiums. In terms of colleges, we have a very strong belief that these could be very good investments in the same way that on-campus student housing turned out to be very good real estate investments, when that category was pioneered over the last 20 years.

We will see over time the degree to which universities and colleges are interested in our capital as long-term real estate capital, given the challenges university sports currently face figuring out what the economic model of the future will be. Obviously, NIL and other factors make the whole college sportseconomic model very dynamic and, for some, very challenging. The degree to which we can be a virtuous source of capital to athletic directors and university finance departments that are trying to figure out how to access the best capital for their sports infrastructure, we’d love to be of use. www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: VICI Properties

The Venetian, Las Vegas

What property or market has been your happiest surprise?

I would say the performance of The Venetian since we and Apollo Management partnered in acquiring the asset in 2021. The Venetian team, led by Patrick Nichols, one of the most dynamic leaders in American gaming right now, are running that asset

with a level of creativity, innovation and rigor that is very strong. Harvard Business School just did a case study on The Venetian, and the impact that Patrick and his team have had on its performance.

We always knew it would it would perform well but Patrick and his team have brought it to levels that we frankly didn’t dare consider when we were making the investment.

Anything you’d do differently?

No, I would say not. We’re satisfied with the investments we’ve made. We’re satisfied with the way we’ve grown. Of course, that satisfaction with what we’ve done is balanced with our energy and conviction to keep building a better company. We don’t build in order to just get bigger. We build in order to get better. That’s what we have done from the beginning, in terms of increasing the quality of the our portfolio, the tenant roster, our balance sheet Volume 22: Issue 184

and our access to capital. That’s what we’re going to continue to do: work every day to build a better company.

VICI often highlights its sustainability commitments.

Why is this important to you?

Because it’s the right thing to do. We want to be strong

supporters of our communities. We want to be strong supporters, obviously, of our operating partners – and the environments in which our assets sit. Anything we can do to reduce the risks that could potentially threaten our assets and our partners is well worth doing.

Finally, what makes a REIT like VICI a good investment?

The prospects for a compelling, total return, should you invest and hold for years. Our whole model is based upon generating a total return, compounded year after year after year. While in the current environment, with AI being the craze that it is, compounded returns may not sound all that exciting. When you are trying to create wealth over the long term – and moreover, when you are looking to accumulate wealth that can produce income that actually comes into your pocket every quarter – we believe that VICI, along with so many other REITs, is a sound investment in a diversified portfolio.

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Feature: Resorts World Bimini

Sun, Sand, Sea and Hemingway W

Resorts World Bimini offers something for every stripe of traveler. By Peter White

ith a career spanning over 40 years in the gaming and hospitality industry, Robert DeSalvio has built and led some of the most iconic brands in North America.

Past president of Encore Boston Harbor, he oversaw all aspects of the largest development in the history of Massachusetts. He previously served as the president of the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, responsible for the development of that project from concept 20

to casino operation. Prior to his tenure at Sands Bethlehem, now Wind Creek, he was responsible for all marketing efforts at Foxwoods Resorts Casino in Connecticut.

DeSalvio joined the Resorts World team in 2019 as the President of Genting America’s East, which includes three casinos in New York and a resort destination in the Bahamas. Under his leadership, Resorts World New York City, recently won the www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Resorts World Bimini Given your extensive career in the hospitality and gaming business, what makes Resorts World Bimini stand out for you?

The people and the culture. The island of Bimini is a special place, with a unique history and rich culture.

Bimini isn’t very big in comparison to other islands in the Bahamas, like Nassau and Freeport, which gives visitors to the island an instantly warm feeling. You’ll notice that the main method of travel is by golf cart, which gives you an idea about size of scale.

There is a strong sense of place that is quite present in the local scene, where visitors experience Junkanoo music, and traditional foods like conch salad and Bimini bread. Bimini has been the inspiration for many. Ernest Hemingway wrote The Old Man and the Sea based of his experiences here and remnants of his house still remain. Martin Luther King penned his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, among other notable speeches, while on the island. You can take a kayak out to the mangroves where there is a bust in his honor in the spot where King used to fish and reflect.

Resorts World Bimini offers a world-class casino resort experience that is steeped in the history and culture of this special place. Hotel guests like to catch the sunsets over the mangroves from their balcony or the sunrise at the water’s edge. Resort visitors can swim through

the shipwrecked SS Sapona, which is inside the famed Bermuda preliminary bid to Triangle, dive with the receive a commercial sharks off the south Class III license. This coast or pet the stingrays award will potentially at Honeymoon Harbor. allow Resorts World From an ecological Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting America’s East New York City to standpoint, few islands expand its gaming on the planet offer the offerings to include live tables, with an anticipated experiences Bimini boasts. And that’s just the outside. opening by March 2026. Once completed in its Inside, a world of entertainment exists. Dinner time entirety, the property would be the largest table games at the resort is bustling, with local Junkanoo artists operation in the U.S. serenading diners enjoying authentic cuisine. The Under the umbrella of Genting America’s East, casino fills with players, one of the few places in the the integrated resort casino property Resorts World world you can play blackjack and see the ocean. It’s Bimini provides visitors a globally renowned vacation really quite tremendous. experience. Our conversation with DeSalvio has been During the day, visitors are shopping or lying by one lightly edited for clarity. of the pools to relax. The more active crowd heads to Volume 22: Issue 184

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Feature: Resorts World Bimini the beach club to soak up the sounds of the DJ booth and the rays of the sun. From an ocean standpoint, I’d challenge you to find bluer waters than the waters of Bimini.

What does the launch of American Airlines’ new Miami-Bimini route represent for Resorts World Bimini and the island’s tourism economy?

The option of flying direct on American Airlines is a game-changer for new markets in the U.S. and Canada. This exposure provides the vacation opportunity that many Resorts World customers and cruise ship passengers already know: Bimini is the destination of choice in the Bahamas. To add some color, JFK International Airport is our neighbor at our Resorts World New York City property. We’re uniquely familiar with the travel options and patterns for the Northeast, due to our proximity to this major travel hub.

Before this direct offering, vacation goers had to fly to Miami or Fort Lauderdale to travel to a smaller airport to catch a sea plane or a ferry to the island. For many, this additional travel time made the option to travel less desirable than other vacation destinations.

Now, vacation goers can catch a direct flight, without any additional travel. As the closest Bahamian island to North America, American Airlines is providing the opportunity for new vacationers to get their toes in the sand even faster.

How is the resort preparing operationally and strategically for the anticipated increase in visitor volume?

The Resorts World brand owns and operates resort destinations in the U.S. and abroad, giving us a global perspective on vacation travel. Resorts World Bimini has been providing visitors with an unparalleled experience since 2013 and is well positioned for the increase in visitor volume because of our commitment to hospitality. The 300-room hotel provides a mix of stay types from elegant rooms to suites with lagoon pools.

Restaurant options whet the appetites across a wide range of palates, from an authentic Bahamian steakhouse, sushi to bistro-style service at Hemingway’s. Hands-down the best beach club in the Bahamas, Bimini Beach, provides the best beach, club and pool experience to be had in the Caribbean.

Fisherman’s Village, our retail experience, provides 22

www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Resorts World Bimini

shoppers with an array of resort wear and traditional vacation mementos with Bimini flair.

Live casino action every day provides gamers with easy access to our casino that overlooks the beach.

We have the capacity to entertain.

Resorts World Bimini’s traffic evolved from a few cruise ships a year to welcoming over 350 cruise ships a year. We’ve spent the last 10 years developing our cruise port to be the most desired stop on any Bahamian cruise itinerary. Now, we’re ready to welcome airline passengers on commercial flights.

What types of guests do you expect this new route to attract and how will this shift your market mix?

Guests to Resorts World Bimini are already a diverse market. We have casino players, sport fisherman, nightlife enthusiasts, ecotourists, and beachgoers of all ages and backgrounds, all with different motivations for their visits. Our visitors can kayak in the mangroves, relax quietly by the beach, dance all day and night at the Beach Club, play a winning hand at the blackjack table, or do whatever they choose.

Ever wanted to swim with the sharks or pet a stingray? Resorts World Bimini offers that, too. We have created a place that offers the experiences visitors can’t find anywhere else all in one place. We’re thrilled to be their destination of choice, providing these vastly different travelers with the experience they’re expecting. We anticipate this new travel opportunity to expose us to even more vacationers and we’re positive we can exceed their expectations.

Volume 22: Issue 184

How important is improved airlift to the longterm growth of Bimini as a gaming and leisure destination?

Improved airlift is vital to the tourism economy of Bimini and the Bahamas. Vacation-goers have choices with a wide variety of locations and experiences, all competing to capture their vacation spend.

Destinations not only have to provide the experiences vacation-goers are expecting across a wide range, but also focus on the ease of travel.

For example, the large population in the northeast United States has access to multiple airports with infinite travel destinations. It is important that we continue to innovate travel options and expose these lucrative markets to Resorts World Bimini. We know that Resorts World Bimini offers the variety of experiences across market segments that vacationgoers expect. Evangelizing our unique island offering as the closest option to airline travelers supports the entire island’s economy. Resorts World is not just an owner-operator of a casino hotel in Bimini, but a partner in the economic growth and long-term stability of the of the Bahamas.

As the closest offshore casino to South Florida, how does Resorts World Bimini differentiate its gaming offering from regional competitors?

Resorts World Bimini offers the most unique casino experience that you find in the Bahamas and I’ll even say the Caribbean. Firstly, our team members, committed to the best possible experiences, make 23

Feature: Resorts World Bimini us stand out. We provide a world-class gaming opportunity in an intimate island setting. When players play with us, they get the entertainment and attention they are looking for.

As one of the most skilled casino operators in the world, our attention to detail and commitment to entertainment translates directly to players on the Resorts World Bimini casino floor. This attracts gamers from all around the world, who prefer to play in a vibrant but intimate setting. On any given night, you’ll find the casino jam-packed with both table and slot players, who prefer to play in a place that exceeds their entertainment expectations.

Resorts World Bimini offers all the major games, including baccarat and the slot-fan favorites they expect on the casino floor. Despite the myriad of gaming in South Florida, none offers the quaint island charm that Bimini offers. Players tell me that, while Bimini is so close, it makes them feel like they’re a world away.

Have you seen changes in visitor gaming preferences, whether it be slots versus table games, VIP spending, the emergence of younger demographics, etc. How are you adapting?

We’ve certainly seen changes over the years, which includes expansion of gaming in the U.S. and South America. Our North American player base has many options with casinos in the states and our primary market in South Florida has variety of casino options for players to choose. Our South American markets have options with other resort casinos in their home countries as well. This expansion over time has evolved our business as we tailor our casino offerings to remain competitive with the market.

The cruise-port development has ushered in hundreds of thousands of new visitors to the island annually, and with that volume come all types of new casino, hotel and beach visitors. A younger audience is playing dice games, both live and electronic. We are able to cater to the entertainment needs of this twentysomething-plus crowd. With each new visitor, we expand our capacity to provide the Resorts World experience that is at the heart of what we do. We are committed to putting each and every visitor first. This is what makes Resorts World Bimini the destination of choice for vacation-goers of all backgrounds.

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www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Resorts World Bimini

The U.S. travel industry experienced volatility in 2025. What are your thoughts about the future?

Resorts World Bimini, and the Bahamas tourism economy in general, has been affected by volatility, driven by economic and policy concerns. Heightened Immigration & Customs Enforcement activity has had a chilling effect on certain U.S. demographics looking to avoid friction or long wait times through customs. This has been particularly impactful for our South Florida market segment.

Economic concerns for other U.S. market segments have shown some signs of softening, with fewer Americans planning trips or trimming

their overall vacation budgets. That said, I’m optimistic for the Bahamas, and Resorts World Bimini specifically. We’re able to respond with agility to changing market trends.

For example, the past year or so has seen an uptick in shorter booking windows for vacations.

Traditionally, vacation-goers might have planned out months in advance, but we saw same week fulfillment demand and were able to meet it.

We’ve seen record cruise passengers to the island, driven by a commitment to diverse interests and a variety of options. This model is aligned with our vacation offering, so it resonates with cruise passengers who visit the island. Our proximity to the U.S. and our vacation proposition provide a tremendous experiential value.

Consumers still want vacations and leisure travel, as we’re the closest and best Bahamian vacation to the U.S. Volume 22: Issue 184

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Feature: iGaming

The Rise of Digital Gaming What land-based casinos must do to survive. By Shaun McCamley

F

or more than half a century, landbased casinos have been among the most resilient entertainment businesses in the world. Through economic cycles, regulatory shifts, tourism booms and downturns, competition, and geopolitical realities, they continued to attract millions of guests seeking excitement, hospitality, and the unique atmosphere only a physical casino can provide.

But over the past decade – and especially since

the global pandemic – the foundations of that resilience have begun to shift. Younger audiences have different expectations. Traditional revenue streams have come under pressure. Digital entertainment has reshaped the psychology of engagement. And a new competitive landscape has emerged that extends far beyond rival casinos.

Never Assume

Amid these changes, one flawed assumption has quietly become one of the industry’s most significant risks: the belief that customers will naturally transition between physical and digital channels, flowing across both environments without deliberate guidance or incentives. This assumption is wrong. Dangerous, even. Casino players are not inherently omnichannel, nor do they “automatically” adopt the digital extensions of the brands they visit in person.

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The modern player may live inside digital entertainment ecosystems such as social games, mobile apps, streaming platforms and virtual communities – but that does not mean they intuitively connect those behaviors to a casino brand. Casinos have historically trained players to think of them as physical destinations. Players still behave accordingly.

This is where many operators are already failing.

They assume customers will migrate to digital services simply because a mobile app is launched, a website

is updated or a promotional campaign includes a QR code. But customers do not “self-onboard” into hybrid ecosystems. They do not suddenly replace physical habits with digital ones.

If the brand does not create a compelling reason for daily digital engagement – and make that engagement genuinely rewarding – players will not participate. They will default to what they already know: the physical casino visit. Any operator still assuming otherwise is setting themselves up for disappointment.

Endless Options

The rise of digital gaming is therefore not about chasing a trend. It is about correcting the industry’s misunderstanding of customer behavior and recalibrating the entire engagement approach. Digital is not replacing land-based casinos, nor should it.

But digital must augment the physical. It must extend the property experience into something continuous www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: iGaming rather than episodic. It must be built intentionally, strategically and with operational discipline. Without that, digital becomes a vanity project, disconnected from the core business and destined to fail.

This distinction is critical because the market is becoming more competitive – not only across casinos but across all forms of entertainment. Players have endless options: mobile games designed for habit formation, live-streaming platforms with constant content, esports tournaments, creatorled experiences, subscription services and social environments that deliver connection at any hour.

These products are engineered for daily engagement. They reward micro-sessions. They personalize experiences in real time. They have trained entire generations to expect entertainment that travels with them, adapts to their schedule and evolves constantly.

A Simple Truth

In that context, a casino’s traditional rhythm – visitation every few weeks or months – cannot compete for mindshare. Not unless operators design a hybrid model that extends their brand into their customers’ digital lives. This is not because customers naturally think of the brand that way, but because the operator deliberately creates this bridge.

The hybrid model begins with a simple truth: Digital engagement must be earned, not assumed. It requires the operator to build a digital environment compelling enough to justify the player’s attention, time and emotional investment. This environment should not be a static website or a generic loyalty app but a dynamic, branded digital hub that feels alive. It may take the form of a social-gaming platform, a gamified loyalty environment, a content-rich companion app or a fully integrated experience connecting on-property activity with digital progression. Whatever the form, it must reflect the casino’s identity and give players a reason to return every day.

Social gaming has emerged as the most effective bridge for this purpose. Crucially, it is not gambling.

It is entertainment – free-to-play, non-wagering and built around reward loops, missions, progression mechanics, collections, and community features.

It mirrors the engagement psychology of mobile gaming giants, but with an important twist: It can be branded, customized and tied directly to the casino’s loyalty program. Social gaming does not cannibalize Volume 22: Issue 184

real-money play. Instead, it expands the operator’s ability to engage players beyond the property, targets the 80 percent of visitors who do not gamble, gathers behavioral insights and builds habitual engagement.

Make it Worthwhile

Yet even with social gaming, the common misconception persists: “Players will simply use it.”

They won’t … not without the operator making it

worthwhile. A digital entertainment platform must compete with every other app on the player’s phone.

It must be emotionally rewarding. It must offer clear benefits. It must be updated frequently to feel fresh and relevant.

Operators who believe that simply launching a social casino will generate organic daily engagement are misunderstanding the fundamental realities of digital behavior. Success requires consistent promotion, thoughtful incentives, integrated loyalty mechanics and seamless user experience. It must feel less like a marketing program and more like a living entertainment product.

The broader industry challenge is that many leadership teams have not yet internalized the operational discipline required to succeed in digital.

There are still boards and executives who treat digital as a technology investment instead of a behavioral and experience-driven one.

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Feature: iGaming These roles are typical in any digital entertainment business yet almost entirely absent from traditional casino structures. Expecting digital success without these capabilities is like expecting a resort to run itself without a GM, a casino floor to operate without dealers or a hotel to function without housekeeping. Operators must build or partner for these competencies, or the digital effort will remain cosmetic.

New Architecture There are still leadership teams who imagine that a single vendor or partner can “solve digital” without the operator needing to restructure, rethink or reallocate resources. There are still CEOs who fear cannibalization rather than understanding that digital engagement actually strengthens property visitation when executed properly. There are still senior operators who confuse “digital marketing” with “digital strategy.” These blind spots are not minor. They are existential.

Modernize Now

What makes these leadership blind spots even more glaring is that major operators in the United States have already demonstrated what committed, hybrid investment can achieve. Without relying on real-money online gambling, several U.S.-based groups have built highly profitable social-gaming ecosystems that generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually and command enormous daily engagement levels. They achieved this not by treating digital as a side project, but by investing in full product organization, live ops capability, behavioral analytics and continuous content development.

Their results prove that digital success in gaming is not hypothetical: It is proven, repeatable and commercially robust. The only operators still struggling are those who refuse to modernize their thinking and continue to hope that digital engagement will “happen on its own.” It won’t and the U.S. market has already shown why.

Digital success requires capabilities that most casinos do not have in-house: product managers, UX and UI designers, software engineers, live ops specialists, data scientists, digital marketers, content coordinators, and behavioral economists.

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A hybrid strategy also demands a new loyalty architecture. Most casino-loyalty systems were built for transactional, on-property behavior: points earned for spend, tiers based on theoretical win, rewards structured around comps. This model does not translate into the digital world. Digital loyalty must be dynamic, interactive and progression-based. It needs missions, challenges, daily rewards, badges, cosmetic collectables, leaderboards, time-limited events and themed campaigns.

These mechanics create emotional resonance and drive daily engagement in digital environments. When loyalty becomes experiential rather than transactional, players begin to care about it. When that loyalty spans both digital and physical environments, hybrid behavior begins to emerge.

This is also where tokenization can play a future role, not as a financial instrument but as a mechanism for meaning. Tokenized rewards, cosmetic items,

access passes or limited-edition experiences can give players a sense of ownership and uniqueness. Tokens can unlock digital content or real-world perks. They introduce scarcity, which is a powerful motivator. While tokenization is not necessary for hybrid success, it can significantly deepen the emotional value of rewards if implemented responsibly.

Not an Option

Operationally, hybrid gaming requires a structured approach. First, leadership must align on the vision: Digital is not optional. It is core to the business’s future. Second, resources must be ring-fenced so digital does not compete with legacy operations for budget. Third, a dedicated digital leadership role must be created – someone accountable for product, engagement, analytics and continuous optimization.

Fourth, the operator must select the right platform model. www.casinolifemagazine.com

AMERICAN ARBITRATION ASSOCIATION CLASS ACTION ARBITRATION, COMMERCIAL TRIBUNAL

Did You Purchase or Lease Automatic Card Shufflers between April 2, 2009 and December 31, 2022?

You Could Be Part of a Class Arbitration.

The American Arbitration Association has authorized this notice. You are not being sued.

You could be affected by a class arbitration with Light & Wonder, Inc. and L&W Gaming, Inc. (together, “L&W”). The arbitrator with American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) approved this dispute to proceed to arbitration on behalf of a “class” or group of people and entities that could include you. The arbitrator has not decided how to resolve the dispute. There is no money available now and no guarantee there will be.

What is this dispute about?

This dispute involves claims that for over a decade, L&W used patent lawsuits to keep a monopoly on automatic card shufflers for casinos.

Claimants say L&W filed fraudulent patents and sued competitors for patent violations until they went out of business or were acquired by L&W. As a result, people and businesses paid more for automatic card shufflers than they should have. L&W denies that it engaged in any improper conduct in either obtaining patents for its automatic card shuffler products or bringing patent lawsuits for infringement of those patents.

The lawyers will have to present their arguments during the arbitration hearing that is set to begin on April 15, 2026.

Are you included?

Generally, you may be included in the class if you are a person or entity or business who: • Directly purchased or leased automatic card shufflers within the United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia, from L&W or any of their predecessors, subsidiaries, or affiliates, at any time between April 2, 2009 and December 31, 2022; and • Agreed in writing to arbitrate disputes arising from such purchases or leases under the rules of the American Arbitration Association.

Who is the arbitrator?

John Wilkinson is acting as the arbitrator for this class arbitration. Mr. Wilkinson for many years served as a full-time arbitrator and mediator. For over 25 years, he was a trial attorney, litigator and partner at Donovan Leisure Newton & Irvine. Thereafter, he served as mediator or arbitrator in hundreds of domestic and international cases, primarily involving complex, multi-party commercial disputes.

Who represents you?

The arbitrator approved the law firm Cohen, Milstein, Sellers & Toll PLLC (“Cohen Milstein”) to represent you and the other class members as “Class Counsel.” Founded in 1969, Cohen Milstein is one of the largest and most prestigious firms focusing on plaintiff-side litigation in the United States. As lead or co-lead counsel in some of the nation’s most complex antitrust cases, Cohen Milstein has recovered billions of dollars in damages for injured plaintiffs.

The arbitrator also approved Mohawk Gaming Enterprises LLC (doing business as Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort) (“Mohawk”) as the class representative. Mohawk is a casino located in Hogansburg, New York that opened in 1999 as a limited liability company formed under the laws of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe. Mohawk filed the dispute with AAA and will represent all those with similar claims during the arbitration process.

More biographical information is in the detailed notice, available at www.CardShufflerArbitration.com.

You don’t have to pay Class Counsel or anyone else to participate. Instead, if Class Counsel secures a monetary award or benefits for class members, they will ask the arbitrator to award attorneys’ fees and costs. Any fees and costs would be deducted from any money obtained or paid separately by L&W. You may hire your own lawyer to appear at the arbitration hearings for you, but if you do, you have to pay that lawyer.

What are your options?

To stay in the class, you do not have to do anything. If you remain in the class, you will be bound by any class judgment. If money or benefits are obtained, you will be given another option to opt out and, if you choose to remain in the class, will be given details about how to apply for a share of the recovery.

If you want to keep your rights to use arbitration to resolve these claims against L&W on your own, you need to exclude yourself from the class. If you exclude yourself, you cannot get money or benefits (if any are awarded or obtained) from any class award or settlement.

The deadline to exclude yourself is March 15, 2026.

The arbitrator will hold an arbitration hearing, starting on April 15, 2026, to hear evidence and decide how to resolve the claims in this dispute. You or your own lawyer may ask to speak at the arbitration hearing by March 15, 2026 and may also appear at this hearing at your own expense.

Detailed information about how to exclude yourself is available at the website.

How can I get more information?

You can get more information at www.CardShufflerArbitration.com, by calling toll free at 1-877-543-5143, writing to Card Shuffler Arbitration, c/o A.B. Data, P.O. Box 173020, Milwaukee, WI 53217, or emailing info@cardshufflerarbitration.com. You can also get case information through the AAA Class Arbitration Docket, https://apps.adr.org/CaseDocketApp/faces/CaseSearchPage.jsf.

For more information: 1-877-543-5143 www.CardShufflerArbitration.com

CO INN NNEC CE OVAT T LEB E RAT E

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST barcelona.igbaffiliate.com | #iGBA26

Feature: iGaming Building in-house is resource-intensive and risky.

Renting a white-label solution limits control and differentiation. The optimal path for most operators is a self-hosted approach: a proven back end with complete control over data, branding and user experience.

With the platform in place, the operator must launch a digital MVP – a minimum viable product – that delivers immediate engagement value. This MVP should be simple: a curated social gaming hub with integrated loyalty, missions and rewards. Once launched, the focus must shift to iteration: analyzing user behavior, refining touch points, personalizing experiences and experimenting with events.

Digital demands speed. Weekly cycles. Constant updates. Operators who try to run digital initiatives at the pace of traditional casino operations will fail before they begin.

A Broader Relationship

The next phase is integration. Hybrid ecosystems only work when digital and physical experiences reinforce each other. Digital missions should drive visitation.

Property experiences should unlock digital rewards.

Loyalty progression should reflect both environments.

Hosts should be able to see and recognize digital engagement. Promotions should exist simultaneously across channels. Over time, as hybrid habits form, the property becomes more than a destination. It becomes a hub within a broader lifestyle relationship.

This integrated approach also strengthens resilience. Casinos that rely solely on physical visitation are vulnerable to external shocks, whether regulatory, economic, political or tourism-driven.

Digital engagement provides a buffer, maintaining brand presence even when visitation slows. It also broadens the operator’s reach, enabling engagement with customers who may live far from the property or who visit infrequently. Hybrid ecosystems are not just about revenue. They are also about stability.

But perhaps the most compelling reason to embrace hybrid models is the expanding competitive landscape. Casinos are no longer competing only with other casinos. They are competing with every digital platform that captures attention: mobile games, social networks, streaming services, short-form video ecosystems and virtual worlds. These platforms have mastered the art of daily engagement and they train customers to expect frictionless experiences. Casinos Volume 22: Issue 184

cannot fight this shift. They must adapt to it – not by copying these platforms, but by creating their own hybridized version that extends their unique strengths into digital form.

An Active Shift

Ultimately, the rise of digital gaming is not something casinos can observe from the sidelines. It demands an active, intentional shift in how operators think about their business. Hybrid behavior does not emerge naturally. Digital adoption does not happen on its own. Engagement must be designed, built, promoted, and continuously optimized. The physical casino is still powerful, but without a digital companion that enhances, extends and reinforces that power, the property becomes an island in an increasingly connected entertainment landscape.

The operators who survive and thrive in the next decade will be the ones who understand that hybrid is not a trend. It is a structural evolution. Digital is not a substitute. It is an amplifier. And customers are not inherently omnichannel. They become omnichannel only when the operator gives them a reason to be.

Land-based casinos do not need to become online casinos to succeed. But they absolutely must become hybrid experience businesses – deliberately, strategically and with full commitment. The future belongs to those who understand that engagement is now continuous, not episodic. Those who act now will build stronger, more resilient and more valuable enterprises. Those who delay will watch the market move around them, wondering how they missed the shift that was right in front of them.

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Feature: Great Britain Gambling Commission

An Ounce of Prevention A

A conversation with John Pierce, director of enforcement for the Great Britain Gambling Commission. By Peter White

s the UK steps up its battle against illegal gambling, the spotlight has turned firmly on the scale, sophistication and persistence of unlicensed operators targeting British players. In this in-depth conversation, John Pierce, Director of Enforcement at the Great Britain Gambling Commission, outlines how the regulator is responding, from technologyled disruption and international cooperation to partnerships with search engines, payment providers and law enforcement. Speaking to Peter White, Pierce explains why proactive enforcement, data-driven intelligence and collective responsibility across the supply chain are central to keeping Britain’s gambling market fair, safe and crime-free.

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The Gambling Commission has ramped up its efforts against illegal online casinos. How significant is the current scale of unlicensed online activity targeting UK players and what new tools or partnerships are being deployed to combat it?

Tackling unlicensed gambling is central to the Commission’s objective of preventing gambling from being a source of crime and disrupting this illegal activity at scale.

Measuring the size of the illegal gambling market is difficult. We’ve recently released a report which looks at the challenges at estimating the size of illegal market, in which we explore different approaches.

Alongside this, we have provided insight into our approach to enforcement, recognizing the challenges www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Great Britain Gambling Commission we face in dealing with the ongoing threat.

Our corporate strategy sets out a clear commitment to increasing investment, resources, and capacity to tackle illegal markets and we’ve made strong progress in the space. We are committed to disrupting the unlicensed gambling market by working in close partnership with technology platforms, search engines, hosting providers, domain registrars, payment services and advertisers. International cooperation with regulators is essential, as is raising concerns with law enforcement partners, including HMRC. Are you seeing a shift in tactics by illegal operators, for instance, exploiting cryptocurrencies, social media channels or offshore servers – and how is the Commission adapting?

We recognize that the illegal market will continue to evolve, with trends including crypto-based payments, AI-generated branding, copied gaming content and targeted social-media promotions. Looking ahead, emerging threats like generative AI, deepfakes, and decentralized platforms will require us to further strengthen our technical knowledge and capabilities in the future.

Illegal operators are rapidly adapting their tactics, using domain rotation, cloaking and embedding gambling content in unrelated websites. Some sites change their display depending on the device used, while others employ unusual advertising methods such as Google Maps to draw in users.

These behaviors, while presenting new challenges, indicate that illegal operators are having to adapt their approach in response to our work and that our interventions are having some impact. We continue to invest in technology to support our work; our testpurchasing and website-analysis platform allows us to access these websites without leaving an attributable footprint.

On the land-based side, unlicensed gaming venues remain a concern in parts of the UK. What progress has been made in disrupting these illegal sites and what role do local authorities play in supporting enforcement?

Tackling illegal gambling – whether that is online or in person – will always be a priority for the Commission.

Whenever we become aware of such criminal acts, we will take action. To aid this we launched our Volume 22: Issue 184

anonymous Tell us something in confidence hub on our website.

In terms of the roles of licensing authorities, it varies.

This year our intelligence team has been involved in an increasing number of engagement activities with law enforcement, to promote the use of greater intelligence sharing between agencies. We will be looking to maximize opportunities to work with other law enforcement agencies and will continue to refer suitable cases to partner agencies, when there are links to wider criminality.

There has been an increase this year on the total number of criminal cases being pursued by the Commission and we anticipate this trend will continue.

We would like to extend our work to further engagement with local authorities to ensure we continue to develop our approach to co-ordinate efforts, and to ensure that all intelligence opportunities concerning land-based, illegal-gambling activities are captured by the team at the Commission.

We need this data to support our strategic assessment of the illegal marketplace, so we can ensure any enforcement activity is targeting in the areas where it will have the greatest impact. We will generally take the lead in prosecuting the offense of providing facilities for gambling, where it is committed in the context of illegal gambling, which appears organized and has a potentially national or regional impact, or where there are deliberate, reckless or significant breaches by a licensed operator.

In England and Wales, the expectation is that licensing authorities will take prosecutions against those providing or facilitating illegal gambling – in effect gambling without a license or permit – where the criminality is contained in one premises. It’s slightly different in Scotland, where the expectation is that licensing authorities will work with the police to address this criminality.

Dealing with illegal poker or illegally sited machines in specific premises often lends itself to a multiagency, coordinated approach with licensing-authority officers leading the operation, and the police (and sometimes HMRC) providing support, advice and expertise. Licensing officers should, however, contact us in the first instance to agree if such a multi-agency approach would be appropriate. It should be noted that the annual premises-license fee is set to cover the costs of compliance and enforcement work undertaken by licensing authorities.

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Feature: Great Britain Gambling Commission

John Pierce, director of enforcement, Great Britain Gambling Commission

We recognize that cases where there is significant illegal gambling activity taking place, where operations are taking place on a regional or national basis, or where there are links to wider criminal activity or organized crime, we will typically seek support from regional or national law enforcement teams, such as the National Crime Agency.

How do you balance strong enforcement with ensuring legitimate operators aren’t overburdened by compliance designed to tackle bad actors?

Our approach is built on a simple principle: compliance at the earliest opportunity. Where regulatory deficiencies are identified, we often use the Special Measures process to work with licensees to resolve issues quickly. This collaborative route requires operators to acknowledge failings, and to meet the necessary threshold for engagement and action to put things right.

However, there are cases where this is not appropriate, either because the matter is too serious or the operator is unwilling to take responsibility. In those situations, we focus our enforcement efforts firmly.

To support the regulated sector, we publish insights on emerging themes from casework, not just after enforcement action but also where we see weaknesses in areas like AML controls. This helps the wider industry stay informed and address risks proactively.

Volume 22: Issue 184

Our goal is a strong, world-leading marketplace that puts compliance and consumer protection at its core. Encouragingly, we are seeing a maturing market with fewer serious issues entering enforcement. This reflects both an effective approach and operators committed to doing the right thing. That said, we remain vigilant and far from complacent, and recognize this is a rapidly changing market.

Has the Gambling Commission’s cooperation with payment providers and Internet-service companies been effective in cutting off the illegal market’s financial infrastructure?

A significant part of our strategy is to target efforts upstream, working with technology platforms, including search engines and payment providers, to disrupt the unlicensed market. To reduce the visibility of illegal operators, we have developed referral pathways with major search platforms – Google, Bing and Yahoo – which together account for around 97 percent of the Internet search engine market in Great Britain. These partnerships enable automatic delisting of illegal content, intelligence sharing and early disruption. While sites often reappear, this remains a valuable tactic.

Since April 2024, the illegal-markets team has issued over 3,100 cease-and-desist and disruption notices, and referred more than 447,000 URLs to search engines, resulting in nearly 288,000 removals.

Alongside this, our test-purchasing activity means we can now report payment facilities associated with

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Feature: Great Britain Gambling Commission illegal gambling to Visa, with plans to extend this to Mastercard. We are also working with law enforcement to act on financial intelligence and target financial accounts linked to illegal gambling.

We recognize that illegal gambling is not a static threat; it is adaptive and increasingly sophisticated.

Operators are deploying tactics such as domain rotation, cloaking and crypto-based payments. We anticipate emerging risks from generative AI and decentralized platforms. To stay ahead, we are investing in data science and technical capability, strengthening partnerships with financial institutions and social media platforms, and working internationally to deliver a coordinated response. While disruption often leads to displacement, our interventions are having an impact – recent analyses showed a 32 percent drop in British user engagement on targeted sites. Tackling this threat will require sustained effort, innovation and collaboration, and we are committed to going further.

Some critics argue that tightening regulation risks pushing players toward unlicensed sites. How does the Gambling Commission ensure that safer gambling measures do not unintentionally fuel migration to the black market?

We have consistently said that lowering regulatory standards is not a credible way to tackle the risks of the illegal market – and we stand by that. Our latest research shows that not all expenditure by British consumers in the illegal market should be seen as a

‘loss’ to the legal market. A proportion of consumers engaging with unlicensed sites are self-excluded and therefore unable to gamble in the regulated market, with vulnerable individuals often targeted by marketing focused on “non-Gamstop” or “not on Gamstop.” The risk of harm to these consumers is significant, but this is not a legitimate revenue stream for responsible operators.

When consumers move away from the regulated marketplace and access illegal websites, our Consumer Voice research, published earlier this year, examines the reasons behind this behavior. Key motivations include perceptions of better odds and promotions, availability of products not offered in Great Britain, the ability to gamble despite self-exclusion, and alternative payment options such as cryptocurrency. Additionally, some consumers struggle to distinguish between legal and illegal products, highlighting the importance of clear messaging and robust consumer education.

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We have also seen complaints from consumers who found withdrawals blocked or subject to excessive limits on illegal sites, and reports of allegedly fake gaming products that may not meet fairness or testing standards.

These insights underline why our focus remains on strong enforcement and consumer protection, rather than diluting standards. Lowering safeguards would increase harm without solving the problem. Instead, we are investing in disruption tactics, intelligence sharing and international cooperation to make it harder for illegal operators to reach consumers, while continuing to strengthen the regulated market as the safest place to gamble. Targeting advertising to disrupt the supply chain, particularly where it appears on social media directing consumers to illegal sites, is an important area of focus.

What are the Commission’s current priorities in intelligence-sharing with other jurisdictions and law enforcement bodies to combat cross-border illegal operations?

We are working closely with regulators across the world because illegal gambling is a global issue that demands a coordinated global response. Through the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR), we created the Illegal Gambling Working Group.

It brings together jurisdictions worldwide to share intelligence, best practices and disruption strategies.

We are proud to be leading this work. One practical

example is sharing contacts internationally, making it easier for other regulators to engage with major technology platforms like Google and establish their own disruption pathways. We also use the same technology as other jurisdictions involved in this work, which opens the door to future collaboration, targeting websites that are not just aimed at British consumers but those across Europe and beyond.

Recently we presented our approach to regulators globally and continue to seek opportunities to deepen these relationships, share expertise and identify jointenforcement actions. One example we highlighted was an illegal website using terms associated with the British market such as “not on Gamstop” while simultaneously targeting consumers in Europe and America. This illustrates why a joined-up approach is essential.

We are not there yet but my ambition is clear: to see a truly coordinated international response to tackling illegal gambling. www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Great Britain Gambling Commission Is there scope for stronger collaboration between legal operators and the Gambling Commission in identifying and reporting illegal market activity?

Tackling illegal gambling requires a coordinated response. Efforts to measure, monitor and disrupt the illegal market will depend on continued collaboration across government, industry, digital platforms, and financial services.

Operators providing Business-toBusiness (B2B) gaming solutions including live games, live casinos and slots can help the Commission tackle the illegal market by reviewing their own practices.

We advise operators to actively monitor their business relationships to ensure any partners are not participating in offering illegal gambling facilities to the GB market and, where identified, terminating relationships where non-compliance has occurred. It is critical that licensees also actively engage with the Commission where such activity is identified, setting out the preventative measures adopted, to ensure such activity ceases immediately. Actively notifying the Commission and setting out a clear plan to mitigate the issue at pace is a minimum requirement.

We continue to explore opportunities with the

enables us to respond faster and more effectively to illegal activity. For example, we have developed automated systems to extract URLs linked to unlicensed operators, which has significantly increased reporting by our enforcement team and expanded our reach.

This work is still at an early stage, and we recognize the importance of collaboration. We are actively seeking input from other regulators to share expertise and explore opportunities to align approaches. Our goal is to build capability that allows us to identify patterns and connections at scale, prioritize high-risk

Under your enforcement remit, how is the Gambling Commission investing in data science and analytics to identify illegal activity or risky patterns more quickly?

We have strengthened our processes by investing in data-science techniques that automate how we extract and analyze consumer footprint data. This

Looking ahead, what would you define as the top enforcement priorities for 2026 and how will success be measured?

2026 is the final year of our three-year corporate strategy, Gambling Regulation in a Digital Age, so our enforcement and intelligence priorities will focus on playing our part in delivering the remaining commitments. A major priority will be continuing to develop our illegal-markets strategy, building on our early successes in understanding the marketplace, and devising methods to disrupt the supply chain.

Increased funding will create opportunities to extend our reach but effectiveness will remain the benchmark for success, measured by the scale and impact of

industry to strengthen our collective response. This includes looking at how advertising techniques used in the regulated market are being copied by illegal operators, identifying the parts of the supply chain that are most vulnerable, and gathering insight from operators on how these risks can be addressed.

Working together on these issues will give us greater reach and more traction in disrupting illegal activity.

We also encourage operators to reach out to the Gambling Commission if they become aware of any illegal market’s activity taking place.

Volume 22: Issue 184

targets more quickly, and act with greater precision.

Tackling illegal gambling is a constantly evolving challenge. Data-driven solutions will be central to staying ahead.

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Feature: Great Britain Gambling Commission disruption and reductions in consumer engagement with illegal sites. We anticipate continued oversight of B2B and B2C licensees through test purchasing on illegal market websites and apps to ensure licensed products and services have not entered the illegal marketplace and that the legitimate supply chain remains intact.

For regulatory enforcement cases within the regulated market, we expect to maintain a similar approach to the work delivered this year. However, as we progress with digitizing our processes, new opportunities will emerge to adopt a more proactive stance. I anticipate continued attention across all sectors of the market, with particular emphasis on our role as the AML supervisor for casinos, which remains a critical area of focus.

Finally, we are developing our first strategicintelligence assessment, taking a data-driven approach to identify areas of highest risk and emerging concerns.

Success will mean faster identification of threats, stronger collaboration and measurable improvements in consumer protection. By the end of 2026, we want to demonstrate that enforcement has supported the delivery of the strategy and strengthened the regulated market even further.

The Gambling Commission’s strategy speaks of being “proactive rather than reactive.” What does that look like in day-to-day enforcement practice?

Being proactive means anticipating risks and acting before harm occurs. In practice, this includes early

engagement with licensees through tools like the Special Measures process, test purchasing to disrupt illegal market websites and using data to inform decisions so we can intervene quickly.

It also means sharing insight with the wider industry.

Our recent AML bulletins highlight best practices, issues identified in casework, and emerging risks such as high-risk payment methods and weaknesses in customer-risk profiling. These updates help operators strengthen controls before problems arise. Alongside this, blogs such as Confronting the Threat and Building the Illegal Market Evidence Base demonstrate our commitment to transparency and collaboration. Our Operator Engagement Forum that took place in October was the first time that we had AML on the agenda. We also had a marketplace set up for operators to directly engage with the Commission, as well as a dedicated session on best practices and casework issues to support Industry.

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We have also concluded our consultation on financial penalties and our new approach is now in force. This is all about consistency, openness and clarity around how we apply enforcement measures.

Combined with intelligence-sharing and international cooperation, these steps ensure enforcement is targeted and fair, supporting all three licensing objectives: keeping crime out of gambling, ensuring gambling is fair and open, and protecting children and vulnerable people.

Finally, what message would you send to operators, affiliates and technology providers

about their shared responsibility in keeping the UK gambling market fair, safe, and crime-free?

In the illegal marketplace we are seeing concerning practices, such as marketing that targets vulnerable consumers, hijacked websites and unlicensed operators. Tackling this requires shared responsibility and coordinated oversight across the industry. Key partners across the regulated sector and the wider supply chain should be vigilant, reporting illegal activity, tech providers must help remove paid ads for unlicensed gambling, and financial institutions should disable banking facilities linked to illegal operators.

By working together and coordinating how we tackle illegal-markets activity, we can better protect consumers and strengthen our regulatory reach.

A strong, well-regulated market remains the safest and fairest place for gambling, given the protections in place – and the assurance that gambling activity is fair, genuine and tested to meet the highest standards. www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Color-Prediction Games

A Clear Indicator C

Why color-prediction games signal the next phase of social casino gaming engagement. By Mark McGuinness olor-prediction games look simple on the surface; almost throwaway it feels. Yet

their growth tells a more serious story about how socially native users engage with risk, reward and play. For industry leaders, they offer perhaps an early signal of how future game concepts will be designed, distributed and consumed as we head into 2026.

Three colors appear on your phone screen. A countdown begins. One tap with your finger locks in a choice. Seconds later, the result is known. There is no tutorial, no rules screen, no need to explain what comes next. You understand it immediately.

That ‘immediately’ moment matters. Not because it is clever but because it feels familiar. Familiarity is the key to reducing player friction and indecision.

Color-prediction games are gaining traction not through novelty or controversy, but through alignment – with today’s attention-deficient players. They match the way modern users already interact with incessant amount screens and digital products. Fast decisions.

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Clear outcomes. Minimal friction. In a world shaped by feeds, notifications and constant noise interruption, that alignment is powerful when it comes to game designs.

Instant Gratification

Across digital entertainment more broadly, prediction – with the likes of Polymarket, Kalshi and Robinhood – has grabbed headlines and become a form of participation. Users are invited to react, vote, forecast or signal intent in real time. The act of choosing has become the content mechanics. Waiting, in a world of instant gratification, now feels like friction and complexity often feels like work, very hard work.

Color-prediction games compress that entire loop into seconds.

For many casino executives, this challenges longstanding infrastructure assumptions. The industry has historically linked engagement to depth: more mechanics, more features, more perceived sophistication. Color-prediction games quietly 39

Feature: Color-Prediction Games

undermine that belief. They show that, for large audiences, engagement density now matters more than mechanical depth. These games do not ask players to learn systems or refine strategies in their busy digital lives. They simply ask them to decide, Yes or No. At their core, color-prediction games are short, probability-based micro-events. Each round is time-bound, visually clear and quickly resolved. The player is not trying to master the game over time but to participate in a moment – and life is all about ephemeral moments. That distinction is critical.

Traditional casino games reward familiarity and repetition. Color prediction rewards presence in the moment, however short that may be.

Intentional Simplicity

From a design point of view, this simplicity is intentional. Risk and reward are signposted visually rather than explained in text. Outcomes are unambiguous. Anticipation is built into the countdown itself. The brain recognizes the format instantly, which removes onboarding friction, and lowers the barrier to entry and game participation in the same way that Crash Games are so popular.

This is where legacy thinking can mislead. Simplicity in human society is often treated as a weakness in traditional product discussions. In socially native environments, it is an advantage. Attention today is fragmented by default. Feeds refresh constantly.

Algorithms retarget based on signals. Notifications interrupt without apology. Color-prediction games 40

respond by making decisions easy and fast. There is nothing to decode to learn and relearn. You either participate or you don’t.

One of the most underestimated elements in these games is the visible timer. It creates urgency, but also closure. Each round has a clear beginning and end. Unlike infinite-play mechanics, these bounded cycles give players a natural stopping point – which in today’s era of social responsibility needs to be baked in. That sense of control can increase trust, especially among users who are wary of opaque or endless game formats.

From a responsible innovation standpoint, this is not trivial. Short, predictable cycles are easier to understand and easier to monitor for safer-gambling interventions. Transparency is built into the interaction itself rather than layered on later. Simplicity does not reduce responsibility. It raises it in my opinion.

A Bigger Picture

Color-prediction games also introduce social context without social pressure. Many formats show aggregate choices or recent outcomes, allowing players to sense momentum without being pulled into direct interaction.

There is no chat to manage, no leaderboard to climb, no social performance required. You feel part of something larger while remaining anonymous.

That mirrors how people already behave online today and tomorrow. They follow trends, react to polls and observe collective behavior without speaking directly. It is social but low effort. For mobile-first users, that balance feels natural.

There is also a subtle but important identity shift at play. In many markets, traditional gambling still carries a lot of stigma. Color-prediction games look and feel closer to casual games or interactive media.

They do not require users to see themselves as “gamblers.” They are simply making a prediction.

That reframing lowers psychological barriers (and potentially gambling-related harm), particularly for younger audiences, emerging markets and first-time participants.

A Vast Audience

When we look at the market through that playerfirst, socially conscious lens, it becomes clear why color prediction is scaling quickly. It should not be viewed as a stand-alone vertical but as a high-velocity engagement format, emerging inside one of the www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Color-Prediction Games world’s fastest-growing, mobile-gaming ecosystems.

India provides the clearest example on this discussion.

Online gaming revenues there already run into the tens of thousands of Crores, with real-money gaming accounting for the majority of value. Color prediction draws from this vast addressable audience rather than creating a new one.

That also explains the shape of the competitive landscape. There are no globally consolidated, tierone operators in color prediction, in the way casino executives would recognize. Instead, the space is defined by fast-moving brand clusters such as 91 Club, OK Win, and Big Daddy, which scale through social acquisition, referral mechanics and messaging channels rather than traditional app-store discovery.

In many cases, the most powerful players are not the game brands themselves but the distribution and payments rails that enable high-frequency, low-value interactions to happen seamlessly.

Demographic data reinforces this argument. While category-specific research on color prediction remains limited, broader mobile-gaming data is instructive.

The audience skews young, with strong participation from users aged 15 to 24. Female participation is growing steadily. A significant share of players sit outside major metropolitan centers, accessing games via smartphones and paying through instant, bank-tobank methods. This is a socially native audience in the truest sense: mobile-first, time-poor and comfortable making rapid digital decisions.

A Paradigm Shift

Color prediction works because it mirrors how these users already live. It does not ask them to adapt to a game. The game adapts to them, and is a critical shift in how we should think about game design.

Crucially, color prediction should not be analyzed in isolation. It sits at the intersection of several wider, societal trends. Prediction markets are becoming more visible across finance and media. Casual games dominate daily active usage globally. Social platforms increasingly reward interaction over content creation.

Color prediction is not an anomaly. It is a convergence in the real sense.

The real opportunity lies not in copying existing formats but in evolving them. Color prediction is a starting point, not an end point. Future concepts are likely to layer optional depth beneath simple choices, introduce collective dynamics where group behavior Volume 22: Issue 184

influences outcomes, and experiment with live or creator-led prediction moments. Skill elements such as timing, pattern recognition or streak management may add nuance without sacrificing accessibility.

Conclusion

For the casino industry, this shift raises practical questions. Are platforms built for high-frequency micro-events measured in seconds rather than minutes? Can compliance frameworks move at the same pace as product innovation? Is responsible play designed into the interaction itself, rather than added later as a safeguard? These formats reward operators who think holistically across product, technology and governance.

Ultimately, color prediction games are neither a loophole nor a passing trend. They are a signal of consumer interest and desire. They show that attention is earned through clarity, that engagement is driven by rhythm rather than complexity and that social context can be as influential as odds.

Most importantly, they reveal that prediction itself is becoming a form of entertainment and something we can’t discount.

The future of iGaming will not be defined by louder games or deeper mechanics. It will be shaped by products that fit naturally into how people already live, think and interact. Color-prediction games are not the end state, but they are one of the clearest indicators yet of where the industry is heading.

ABOUT MARK MCGUINNESS Mark McGuinness is a global marketing leader with 20-plus years of experience across Web3, iGaming, and crypto. He specializes in building communityfirst brands, scaling growth strategies, and integrating NFTs, tokens and decentralized ecosystems into engaging digital experiences. As CMO of Devilfish.com, he is redefining social poker for a new generation of free-to-play players via monetization of digital avatars and microtransactions within the co-creator ecosystem.

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Feature: Italy

Not-So-Sunny Italy The land of song may have a gambling problem. By Eugene Gerden

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he Italian government will consider additional measures aimed at fighting illegal gambling activities in the country in the coming years. In recent years, the Italian gambling sector has significantly expanded from €111.7 billion of overall bets and turnover of the industry in 2021, to over €157 billion in 2024, an increase of 6.5 percent compared to 2023. The largest share was online, with €92 billion. Casino gambling remained stable at €65 billion in 2024.

This year the growth of the industry is ongoing.

According to a recent report by Libera, an Italian association that promotes outreach activities and various types of protest action against the Mafia, these are huge figures. They mean that every year Italians gamble away approximately 7.1 percent of the national GDP. For comparison, in 2023 Italy’s public healthcare spending was just over €130 billion, 6.7 percent of GDP. 42

A Huge Outlay

Most local analysts believe gambling has become a de facto structural component of the Italian economy. According to data collected by Libera, 18 million people in Italy have tried their luck at least once in the last year; 5.5 million are regular gamblers and 1.5 million are now pathological gamblers.

From 2004 to 2024, Italians gambled a total of €1,774 billion, averaging over €88 billion per year.

In 1990, the industry totaled just €4.8 billion, while in the last 35 years these figures have significantly increased. The average annual growth rate of 8.7 percent far exceeds the increase in national GDP. The current trend is ongoing, with a single decline in 2020 due to the pandemic, followed by an immediate rebound in 2021 (up 15.5 percent).

In 2024, the state collected €11.5 billion in taxes.

This is, however, less than in the past. www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Italy

Up and down the Boot

In geographical terms, among the centers of gambling in Italy are such provinces a Lombardy, with almost €25 billion. It is followed by Campania (€20.5 billion), Lazio (€16.6 billion), and Sicily (€15.2 billion), with Rome and Milan being leaders in terms of gamblers (among the Italian cities), and their spending.

As the current level of profitability of the industry is steadily growing, that attracts various criminals to the sector. An example is Prato, a city and municipality in Tuscany. It is the capital of the province of Prato which has unofficial status of the capital of illegal gambling of the country.

This is also confirmed by recent data of the Italian Ministry of Internal Affairs, which has discovered 17 illegal gambling halls in the city. These are run primarily by Chinese groups but with the presence of Italian Mafia.

As confirmed by Prosecutor Luca Tescaroli, the phenomenon is “widespread and deeply rooted.” It is a serious problem not only for the city of Prato but also for other Italian cities and provinces, especially those located in the south. Tescaroli alleges that in the existing, illegal gambling halls such games as as Pai Gow and Mah-jong (being especially popular among Chinese) were practiced, “as well as large-scale illegal betting.”

Mob Involvement

According to the Anti-Mafia Investigative

Directorate (DIA) and the National Anti-Mafia Directorate (DNA) , between 2010 and 2024, 147 Mafia clans were identified as being involved in the legal and illegal gambling business alike. Sixteen regions were affected, from Campania to Liguria, from Calabria to Piedmont. Gambling has become for the Mafia what the cement business was in the 1980s or the waste business in the 1990s: an inexhaustible mine, capable of generating enormous profits with limited criminal liability.

Currently the most complex situation with illegal gambling is observed in the southern provinces.

Campania is the most affected region, with 40 active clans; Calabria follows with 39 and Sicily with 38. At the same time, the situation in the north remains also complex.

According to experts from the DIA, domestic Mafia clans don’t just run betting shops or slot machines.

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They control the supply chains of money and technology by installing tampered equipment, as well as creating fake companies to obtain licenses and concessions.

Others infiltrate the online sector, opening “mirror” platforms that imitate legal sites but effectively transfer money flows abroad. In this way, gambling becomes a perfect washing machine: Every day, billions of euros are mixed, moved, laundered and reinvested in seemingly legitimate activities.

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Feature: Al O'Grady

The d’Alembert System

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Let’s talk about betting systems for non-card counters. By Al O’Grady here is plenty of information written about blackjack strategy. You can find all sorts of material on the Internet

pertaining to basic strategy. It will tell you when to hit, stick or double down in every situation. But the truth is that basic strategy is only one half of the game. The other half pertains to money management.

Why do you play the game? Is it to win hands or win money? What would you rather do, win three out of four hands and lose money or win one out of four hands and make money? If your goal is to win hands, then follow basic strategy to the letter. But if you want to make money, money management plus basic strategy is your one-two punch.

The Importance of Strategy

Blackjack is the only game in the casino where a player can have an edge if they are a card counter.

They bet the minimum in unfavorable situations, but they increase their bet as the concentration of tens remaining in the deck increases. But what if you 44

do not have it in you to count cards? How can you become a tough player for the casino? The answer is in your betting strategy. It is those strategies that I

would like to discuss in this article and the next three articles in this magazine.

Before talking about betting strategies, I cannot stress enough the importance of three rules.

First, have a goal. This is why most people fail.

They do not know specifically what they want. Make it realistic. It can be very modest: anywhere from 25 percent to 50 percent of your buy-in.

Second, have a plan and stick to it. This is where the money-management system comes in. Finally, and this is the toughest one, know when to walk away from the table. It happens every day in the casino where someone is up $300, $400 or $500 in the first 10 minutes and they stay at the table. They think it is easy. Greed has gotten a hold of them. What inevitably happens is they give back their winnings and then their original buy-in. Time is the casino’s friend. Have the self-discipline to walk away after meeting your goal. www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Al O'Grady

The Destroyer

Now let us talk about some betting strategies. Last year, I wrote an article called “Double Up Catch Up – Double Up and Die.” This pertains to one of the most famous betting strategies. It is called the Martingale System. Please, please, please, do not use this.

Theoretically, it works but it will destroy you.

The system is simple. You start with the table minimum. If you win, continue betting the table minimum. If you lose, double your bet. If you win the second bet, go back to the table minimum, but if you lose twice in a row, double your bet again. You continue doubling your bet until you win a hand and then you go back to the table minimum.

With each win, you gain one minimum bet to your stack, but here is the problem: Losing streaks happen.

What happens if you lose five in a row? It is not a matter of if it will happen but when it will happen.

Assuming you are at a $25 table and you are cold as ice, your subsequent bets are $50, $100, $200, $400.

If you lose the $400 bet, you cannot bet $800 because the table maximum at a $25 table is $500.

What do you do now? So far, you have lost $775. If you take your chips to the $100 table, and if you bet and lose two more hands ($800 and $1,600), what now? The table maximum at a $100 table, depending on the casino, is either $2,000 or $2,500. You cannot bet $3,200 even if you have the bankroll, and if you asked the casino to raise the limit, they would probably say no because they can see what you are doing.

Also, are you going to risk another $3,200 so you can be up $25? If your answer is yes, I have some real estate real cheap for you. Have a reality check. The risk far outweighs the reward. Those are the pitfalls of the Martingale System.

A Faulty Premise

However, there is a system I admit I find intriguing. It is called the d’Alembert System, named after the French mathematician Jean le Rond d’Alembert. His system is quite simple. You start with the table minimum. Let’s call this one unit. Each time you lose, you increase your next bet by one unit. Each time you win, you decrease your bet by one unit until you reach the table minimum. Then you keep betting the minimum until you lose and you start the process over.

It is as simple as that. If you lose four bets in a row and then you win four bets in a row, you have an equal Volume 22: Issue 184

Al O'Grady

number of wins and losses, but you would be ahead by four units. This system works very well at a choppy table where you win one, lose one, win two, lose two, etc. You increase your profits slowly and steadily.

Does this work every time? Absolutely not. This is gambling and there are no guarantees. You can have a lengthy losing streak and never get the equal number of wins to offset your losses and make a profit.

However, if you are a recreational player looking for a modest win without having to overwhelm your brain with a card-counting strategy, the d’Alembert system might work for you. But you need to set a limit.

I would suggest not going higher than five units. If you hit that mark, reset and start over or consider walking away. But this is a progression system that can have short-term success and keep you at the table a little longer.

The d’Alembert system is based on a faulty premise and that is you are “due.” Just because you lose a bet that is close to a 50-50 proposition, does not mean the same wager has a greater chance of winning next time. It does not. Past performance does not impact future performance.

Don’t be thinking that you can quit your job tomorrow and become independently wealthy with this. In the long run, the casino edge will take over this and all systems. Remember, there is a sign outside Las Vegas for those that have “systems.” It says, “Welcome.”

Good luck at the tables and do not forget to tip the dealer.

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Feature: 1xBet

1xBet in 2025 Celebrity guests at exhibitions, exclusive parties and memorable gifts for partners

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he year 2025 became a record-breaking one for 1xBet on the international stage. The brand’s team participated in more than 20 professional exhibitions worldwide, showcasing innovative solutions, sharing its expertise and strengthening its leadership.

Active expansion of the partner network, deepening relationships with 1xAffiliates members, and hosting unique events all contributed to the company’s significant growth and rising recognition within the industry. Let’s look back on the key milestones and achievements of 1xBet.

Star Guests

The presence of famous athletes increased visitor interest, strengthened the company’s positive image and turned its booths into vibrant spaces for productive networking.

SiGMA Eurasia was memorable for the appearance of Gregory van der Wiel, the former Paris SaintGermain and Netherlands national team footballer.

He gladly interacted with the audience, taking photos with them, while his signed T-shirts became one of the

most coveted prizes in the 1xBet draw.

At the SBC Summit in Lisbon, the star guest at the 1xBet booth was Claude Makélélé. The legendary football player became a magnet for attendees.

Makélélé enthusiastically supported the activities, gave autographs and took photos with guests. Thanks to his presence, the 1xBet booth remained one of the most energetic and lively areas at the exhibition.

Toward the end of the year, the company participated in SiGMA Central Europe 2025, where its guest was Luis García. The former Barcelona player helped create a warm, professional atmosphere at the booth by chatting with visitors about football and the entertainment industry.

Simon Westbury Strengthens the 1xBet Team The addition of Simon Westbury to the 1xBet leadership team marked an important milestone 46

Simon Westbury, strategic advisor to 1xBet, with former French International and PSG player, Claude Makélélé

in the brand’s development and to its focus on regulated market expansion, and responsible gambling and player protection. His experience, strategic mindset and leadership qualities have strengthened the company’s positioning on the international stage. Westbury’s participation at various industry discussions, panels on player

protection, sports integrity, and future of regulated iGaming demonstrated his expertise and pragmatism.

Westbury reinforced 1xBet’s global commitment to building a responsible, innovative and player-focused organization.

A notable moment in Westbury’s public activity was his meeting with Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela. Their dialogue highlighted 1xBet’s status as a global operator and the company’s important role in discussions about the future of the industry at the governmental level.

Exclusive Gifts for Partners

1xBet held numerous giveaways for visitors at its booths, making participation in the exhibitions even more memorable. Guests had the chance to win flagship gadgets, from headphones to smartphones and tablets, as well as branded merchandise, football match tickets, and exclusive clothing. www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: 1xBet The prize draws became a vibrant highlight of the exhibition events. One of the most anticipated giveaways of the year was the draw for an Omega watch, a symbol of prestige and recognition of 1xBet partners’ contributions to the company’s overall success.

Our partner who won the watch shared that it meant far more to him than just a gift – it symbolized achievement and hard work: “My legs were shaking when my number was called. The prize means a lot to me. That was my first conference and I was the only one from my team there.

The watch was a great reward for my work at the forum.

I’ll keep it forever and wear it all the time.”

The winner explained why he chose the 1xAffiliates program: “Loyalty, openness, willingness to help and trust. Thanks to 1xBet’s recognition in all countries, stable payment solutions, simple registration, strong reputation, and the presence of cash agents working with users, I can earn consistently and achieve great results.”

He also spoke about how his collaboration with 1xBet began: “I’ve been in affiliate marketing for some time. I didn’t really have a mentor – my brother taught me the basics and, after that, I studied everything myself. Our team now drives traffic to Africa and Latin America via social media platforms. We don’t have call-center operators. Artificial intelligence handles all user communication. It removes the human factor and, consequently, we achieve good results, especially with large volumes. I haven’t experienced any failures yet, but I know they’ll come and I’m ready for them.”

To conclude, the winner expressed gratitude to the brand: “Huge thanks to the entire 1xBet team for your work. You’re amazing, open people and it’s a pleasure to talk with you. Thank you again for such a great giveaway!”

Vibrant Parties

Throughout the year, 1xBet’s informal events became an important platform for strengthening business connections and exchanging experiences in a relaxed atmosphere. Guests enjoyed live music, engaging activities and the chance to meet celebrity performers.

The brand’s first party of 2025 was held in Barcelona during ICE Barcelona and iGB Affiliate. 1xBet hosted the event at the Maritime Museum, one of the city’s most renowned cultural venues. The headliner of the evening was British singer John Newman, who electrified the audience with his powerful voice.

The company continued to delight its partners with informal events during iGB Live London. The brand held Volume 22: Issue 184

Former Spanish International and Barcelona player Luis García

an exclusive party, called The Icons, highlighted by a performance from the duo Hurts. It emphasized the high status of the occasion.

Guests enjoyed a dynamic entertainment program that blended elements of British culture and iconic references to its most distinctive figures.

The next event in the series was Legends of the Game in Lisbon during the SBC Summit, immersing industry leaders in an atmosphere where gaming becomes true art and everyday reality transforms into illusion. Guests, joined by Claude Makélélé and Simon Westbury, enjoyed a performance by the legendary group Boney M. The final event of the year was the New Empire Party in Rome, combining ancient aesthetics with modern show formats. Partners relaxed after a productive day, enjoyed a live performance by Akon and discussed new trends shaping the industry.

Results and Plans for 2026

The 1xBet team represented the brand at the highest level across numerous key industry events. Parties, star guests, vibrant activities and valuable prizes demonstrated that 1xBet is a company with which you not only achieve business success but also enjoy spending time.

Next year, the brand is preparing even more exciting formats: creative booths, generous giveaways and exclusive celebrations. 1xBet will continue to strengthen its flagship position in the iGaming sector, expand the 1xAffiliates network and create new opportunities for its partners.

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Feature: CreateFuture

Creating Tomorrow, Together, Today Why digital transformation is now a leadership challenge. By Mark McGuinness

D

igital transformation has shifted from a technology issue to a leadership challenge. In this C-suite interview, Hass Peymani, head of iGaming at CreateFuture, discusses how trust, culture, and embedded teams now provide a competitive edge for casino operators facing rapid change. Today, leadership and culture drive transformational success, not just technology.

Let’s start at the beginning: CreateFuture was founded in Scotland. Can you tell us how that journey began?

Heritage and cultural roots are important.

CreateFuture began in 2010 as xDesign, founded in Edinburgh by our CEO, Euan Andrews. The goal was clear: help organisations solve real problems and deliver business outcomes through design, engineering, and technology. Scotland is recognised for innovation across sectors, with a practical culture that values effective, enduring solutions.

As the business grew, we acquired additional innovation and design capabilities and rebranded as CreateFuture in 2023. The name reflects our belief that transformation is built collaboratively over time, with the right people, mindset, and leadership alignment.

Today, we are headquartered in Edinburgh, with major hubs in Manchester and London, and employ more than 600 people in the UK with further colleagues in Europe, including strategists, engineers, product designers, cloud specialists, and creatives. Our team is action-oriented by nature.

Our business purpose is straightforward: help clients address their most significant challenges today while building platforms, teams, and cultures that remain effective in the future. 'Creating 48

Hass Peymani, head of iGaming, CreateFuture

tomorrow, together, today' is not just a slogan; it defines how we operate. Sustainable digital transformation requires developing both capability and culture for the long term.

Building on this Scottish foundation, how does your heritage connect with CreateFuture's relationship with FanDuel?

Scotland has made significant contributions to modern technology, prioritising practical advancements over theoretical ones.

FanDuel shares this heritage. Although now headquartered in New York, it was founded in Edinburgh.

Its origins combine entrepreneurial determination with strong technical expertise, reflecting its Scottish roots.

Following its acquisition by Flutter Entertainment in 2018, FanDuel became one of the fastest-growing sports-tech entertainment companies in the world.

Today, it operates across 37 US states and ranks as the US's fastest-growing iGaming brand. www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: CreateFuture As US deregulation gathered pace, FanDuel recognised that capturing market leadership would depend on speed, scale, and execution. To realise its ambitions and move faster than the market, the business partnered strategically to accelerate delivery across critical workstreams.

They did not need a traditional consultancy; they needed skilled people, quickly.

Turning to your recent work: what did CreateFuture deliver in practical terms during that period of scale?

FanDuel required rapid cross-functional capabilities across front-end, back-end, mobile, and cloud. More importantly, they needed teams that could integrate seamlessly into their ecosystem without slowing decision-making or affecting culture.

We partnered with FanDuel across multiple strategic initiatives and continue to support the business today.

Our work has focused on strengthening core gaming verticals, including Sportsbook and Casino, through the design and delivery of high-impact innovations that improved operational efficiency and deepened player engagement. By introducing more advanced automation and reusable components, we significantly reduced deployment timelines while increasing longterm scalability.

A key area of impact was FanDuel’s player account management environment, where our work in advanced fraud prevention generated annual savings in excess of

£12 million. Building on this foundation, we were then entrusted with FanDuel’s most ambitious transformation to date: the insourcing of its Canadian operations. This programme represented a highly complex migration, but one with substantial strategic upside.

At the time, FanDuel’s Canadian business was operated via third-party platforms, including GAN and IGT. While functional, this structure limited margin control and constrained the ability to deliver FanDuel’s benchmark player experience. The strategic decision was therefore taken to bring Canadian operations inhouse, enabling greater control, reduced dependency on external providers, and full access to FanDuel’s proprietary technology advantages. Crucially, this transformation needed to be delivered without disrupting the existing US product roadmap.

The objective was clear: migrate Canada onto FanDuel’s core platforms, reusing proven systems at scale while minimising risk, cost, and operational Volume 22: Issue 184

complexity. Our role was to orchestrate a seamless transition that would allow FanDuel to expand its Canadian footprint while delivering a premium experience for local sports fans.

To achieve this, we implemented significant enhancements within FanDuel’s US codebase, enabling Canadian operations to run independently and removing the need for third-party infrastructure. We mobilised ten cross-functional teams spanning multiple business verticals, working in parallel under tight constraints to maintain momentum across both US and Canadian priorities.

Despite the scale and complexity of the programme, delivery was executed smoothly. More than 600,000 customer accounts, along with their full historical gaming data, were migrated successfully onto the new platform.

This included sportsbook, casino, back-office systems, player account management, and wallet services.

The resulting platform matched the full functionality of FanDuel’s US operations while meeting all Canadian regulatory requirements.

The outcome was a fully integrated, future-ready Canadian operation, all delivered at scale, without compromise, and positioned for sustained growth.

We embedded over 100 CreateFuture consultants across 12 teams, operating as a true extension of FanDuel’s organisation and not as suppliers or outsiders, but as internal partners, which is an important distinction to make.

We took ownership of outcomes, delivery performance, and people leadership, enabling FanDuel’s executive team to focus on growth, regulation, and customer experience.

Trust developed through proximity, accountability, and consistent delivery.

That partnership continues today and has become a model we see as essential for operators navigating rapid growth in regulated markets. Embedded partnership models support sustainable scale in complex industries.

You've mentioned that culture is critical throughout.

You often refer to a 'people-first' approach. How is this important to digital transformation?

Culture should not be regarded as a soft issue; it should be thought of as an operating system or framework. We support global brands across sectors such as financial services, energy, public sector, healthcare, consumer technology, and iGaming. The pattern is consistent: technology fails when culture is misaligned.

49

Feature: CreateFuture

Our client roster includes Baillie Gifford, PayPal, Skyscanner, Adidas and the NHS, alongside iGaming leaders such as FanDuel, Fanatics,, Evoke, Tombola, Sportingtech and Flutter.

In every engagement, success depends on understanding both commercial and human objectives. What pressures do teams face? How are decisions made? What does 'good' look like within the organisation?

Trust is earned gradually through listening, empathy, and emotional intelligence, and sometimes by asking difficult questions to achieve better outcomes. At its core, digital transformation is about behaviour change, which applies to leadership teams as much as to platforms and codebases.

Let's look at the wider industry. Many land-based casino operators are still grappling with digital scale-up. Where should leadership focus first?

Land-based operators often underestimate how much latent advantage they already have.

Operators have strong brands, physical presence, loyal customers, and discipline. However, many lack a seamless digital operating model and 360 degree customer view, that brings these strengths together.

The first step is leadership alignment. Digital transformation fails when delegated too far down the organisation. Boards and executive teams must agree on the role of digital in future business, whether for revenue growth, customer retention, operational efficiency, or all three.

From there, the challenge is sequencing. The strongest results come when operators focus on three parallel tracks: modernising core platforms 50

for resilience, security, and regulatory readiness; unifying customer data across all touchpoints to enable personalised experiences; and upskilling and empowering internal teams so digital capability is embedded rather than outsourced.

This is not about replacing what works, but enhancing and extending it. Land-based environments excel at human interaction and trust, and digital environments should enhance these strengths.

When integrated effectively, operators move faster, understand customers better, and create unified experiences that drive growth.

That is the moment when digital stops being a cost centre and becomes a growth engine for land based operators.

Looking forward and considering your experiences, how should C-suite leaders think about regulation, trust and long-term competitiveness in iGaming?

Regulation should be viewed as a strategic design input rather than a constraint. Successful operators treat regulatory change as an opportunity to differentiate through trust, transparency, and quality of experience. This mindset shift is essential.

We are already seeing trends that show Regulators, players, and investors increasingly aligned in seeking sustainable growth, safer products, and accountable leadership. Operators who proactively design for compliance, rather than react to it, move faster and with greater confidence.

From a modern leadership perspective, this requires thought and consideration in three areas.

First, invest in systems that adapt quickly to regulatory change without disrupting operations.

Second, ensure data integrity and governance to support real-time insight and responsible decisionmaking. Third, foster organisational cultures that prioritise long-term thinking over short-term gains.

Trust should be considered as a commercial asset.

Brands that demonstrate consistency, transparency, and responsibility will more easily enter new markets, attract partners, and retain players. Those who do not will encounter increasing challenges at every level.

For C-suite leaders, the question is no longer whether to transform, but how deliberately and how soon. Those who act now will shape the market; those who wait will be shaped by it. Proactive, deliberate action defines future leadership in fast-moving industries.

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Feature: DR Gaming Technology

Connected Casino Evolution DR Gaming Technology™ unveils player-centric kiosks, smarter transactions and seamless cashless solutions at ICE Barcelona 2026

D

R Gaming Technology (DRGT) is gearing up for another standout showing at ICE Barcelona 2026. There, it plans to unveil a powerful lineup of new player-centric technologies designed to streamline operations, strengthen cash management and elevate the casinofloor experience.

Kicking off the lineup at Booth 3E50 in January is the drPlayerKiosk. Built on DRGT’s robust CMS framework, this next-generation terminal consolidates account management and real-time player interactions, and transactional features into a single device. Designed to reduce queues and ease operational pressure, the drPlayerKiosk gives players more control while offering operators greater efficiency.

Also launching is the drCARM, DRGT’s new cash54

redemption kiosk. It is engineered for high-traffic environments, with a key focus on security, as well as operational accuracy and efficiency. With payouthandling and advanced-auditing capability, the drCARM is built for busy gaming floors requiring a reliable, friction-free, cash-out solution.

Breaking new ground is DRGT’s transactional banking kiosk. It enables players to transfer funds directly from their bank accounts into their casinoplayer wallets via an integrated bank-card speed point.

This solution merges digital-banking convenience with the compliance and traceability casinos require, further supporting the company’s ongoing drive for secure, cashless operations.

Alongside these new releases, DRGT will spotlight its suite of system-driven jackpots, offering operators flexible, fully customizable jackpot configurations tied www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: DR Gaming Technology directly to live game play. These jackpots, already a global favorite and central to the company’s product suite, continue to evolve with deeper analytics, more dynamic triggers, and enhanced visualization options.

Visitors will also get a first look at the updated drPlayerApp, which now includes third-partypayment-provider integrations that ensure smooth, secure and simple wallet top-ups. Complementing this is the refreshed drGate access-control hardware.

It offers even faster authentication, including facial recognition, tighter security, and full integration with the company’s CMS for real-time player and staff management, and engagement.

A unique strength behind DRGT’s product development remains the company’s ownership and operation of its ever-expanding Infiniti Casinos.

These include locations in Acapulco, Polanco and Tlalnepantla in Mexico, Oostende and Dinant in Belgium, and most recently Grasse and Berck-surMer (as of January 2026) in France. This reinforces the company’s recent entry into France as both a systems-service provider and an operator. These live environments allow it to rigorously test both new and existing solutions before bringing them to market.

“Our focus this year is simple: smarter transactions, smoother journeys and stronger connectivity,” said Marco Herrera, CEO of DRGT. “Everything we’re showcasing at ICE 2026 is designed to remove friction – for players, for operators and for the entire casino ecosystem. Best of all, we know it works because we’ve tested it at our casinos with our players.”

With cutting-edge, self-service kiosks, world-class jackpots and CMS, enhanced cashless capabilities, and an integrated portfolio of reporting tools, DRGT is set to deliver one of its strongest ICE showings yet.

Volume 22: Issue 184

Marco Herrera, CEO, DR Gaming Technology™

ABOUT DR GAMING TECHNOLOGY™ DR Gaming Technology™ (DRGT™) is an independent global developer and supplier of integrated, scalable casino-management, cashless, and jackpot solutions.

Established in 2003 by Executive Chairman Jurgen De Munck and Chief Technology Officer Michiel van Dam, its state-of-the-art systems are developed using the latest technology, resulting in the unique ability to operate without a permanent server connection, in so doing simplifying system installation and implementation, and ensuring customers total management control over their entire operation/s.

At present the company’s modular, flexible, and costeffective system and jackpot solutions operate across over 70 different countries, and on more than 80,000 gaming devices, boasting some of the most powerful functionality in the world.

In addition to its headquarters in Belgium, DRGT™ also has offices in Austria, Malta, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay and South Africa. www.drgt.com 55

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A highly regarded team of Internationally experienced journalists, all of whom have a wealth of knowledge in online and land-based gaming involving, legislation, e-commerce, responsible gambling along with the latest online operating systems and solutions. www.sportsbettingoperator.com

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Feature: Raymond Chan

A Kodak Moment Seizing new opportunities through disruptive technologies. By Raymond Chan

I

n today's fast-paced business environment, the ability to adapt to disruptive technologies like AI is not just advantageous – it’s crucial for survival.

As industries evolve, successful companies face the daunting choice between sustaining their existing practices and venturing into unfamiliar territories that promise future growth. This internal struggle often breeds resistance to change, as teams weigh the potential of investing in disruptive technologies against the comfort of familiar, immediate returns.

Historically, companies that delay embracing change have faced dire consequences; a classic example is Kodak. Despite pioneering digital photography, it ultimately faltered as it clung to its traditional film business.

Volume 22: Issue 184

The risk of obsolescence looms large for those unwilling to navigate the challenges of integrating transformative technologies. This makes it imperative for organizations to seize new opportunities rather than succumb to inertia.

Challenges versus Opportunities

In pursuing new, disruptive technologies and business models for future growth, successful companies often encounter several common challenges. One of the most significant obstacles is the necessity to prioritize limited resources to meet the current demands of existing customers, alongside the pressure to deliver a strong return on investment (ROI) to stakeholders.

57

Feature: Raymond Chan For instance, Kodak’s unwavering focus on providing the highest quality photographs through its film products blinded the company to emerging trends and alternative opportunities. This fixation on immediate financial returns led Kodak to neglect its own innovations, even as its pioneering technologies in digital photography were being sidelined.

Meanwhile, its rival, Fujifilm, demonstrated agility by pivoting to new business avenues, leveraging its technologies to enter the cosmetics market.

That move not only diversified its portfolio but also opened up a larger, longer-term runway for growth.

This comparison underscores the critical need for companies to balance their short-term objectives with the foresight to explore disruptive innovations that can shape the future.

Innovations Step by Step

To effectively navigate the investment landscape for disruptive technologies, companies must adopt a strategic mindset that accommodates the unique characteristics of innovation. Initially, all innovations operate within small, emerging markets that may not immediately address the growth needs of large organizations. Acknowledging that these nascent markets cannot be analyzed through traditional metrics is essential for senior management and decision-makers.

Disruptive business models often target entirely different customer segments that do not align with the existing client base. Fujifilm exemplifies this pivot by redirecting its efforts toward serving the bio-beauty sector in cosmetics, thereby tapping into new demand rather than trying to satisfy its traditional photography market.

Hence, success metrics should not derive solely from current-performance indicators; instead, a broader perspective is necessary. To enhance the likelihood of success, appointing leaders with substantial experience in innovative business models can provide invaluable insights.

Additionally, spinning off disruptive ventures into separate companies can facilitate focus and agility. General Motors' years of investment in electric vehicles juxtaposed with Tesla's rise as a competitor reinforces this strategy, highlighting how seemingly small disruptors can reshape entire industries.

58

ABOUT RAYMOND CHAN Raymond is a software engineer by profession with a track record in corporate innovation and entrepreneurship. He co-founded two prosperous startups, TGG Interactive and Global Gaming Group in USA and Asia respectively, where he served as director and CEO to lead the electronic gaming businesses from 2007 to 2018. Earlier in his career, Raymond was a founding member of the business intelligence team at ETRADE from Morgan Stanley and played a pivotal role in designing the TiVo customer intelligence system in Silicon Valley.

Conclusion

In a world accelerated by AI and disruptive

technologies, the choice to act – or to delay – can determine a company’s future. Balancing the demands of current customers and investors with the uncertain promise of new markets requires leadership that thinks beyond traditional metrics. Such leadership embraces experimental mindsets and structures bets so they can grow without undermining the core business.

Practical moves – appointing leaders with innovation experience, isolating disruptive initiatives in spinouts or autonomous teams, and judging success by appropriate, forward-looking key performance indicators – reduce the risk of being blindsided by change. History offers clear lessons: Companies that treat disruption as an existential threat rather than an opportunity often pay the price. Those that intentionally invest in small, nascent markets today – while still protecting their core – stand the best chance of turning disruptive technologies into long-term competitive advantages. www.casinolifemagazine.com

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