Gaming America July/August 2023

 OIGA PREVIEW: OIGA Chairman Matthew Morgan tells us about the 'biggest little show'

 HOT TOPICS: Politics, UFC betting, AI, second listings & self-exclusion

 VIEWPOINTS: Why do operators need advanced casino management systems?

COO, EDITOR IN CHIEF

Julian Perry

STAFF WRITERS

Stephanie Feeley

Stephanie.Feeley@gamingamerica.com

Laura Mack

Laura.Mack@gamingamerica.com

LEAD DESIGNER

Brendan Morrell

DESIGNERS

Olesya Adamska, Christian Quiling

DESIGN ASSISTANTS

Radostina Mihaylova, Svetlana Stoyanova, Gabriela Baleva

MARKETING & EVENTS MANAGER

Mariya Savova

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANT

Sacha Watson

PRODUCTION CONTROLLER

Oleksandra Myronova

IT MANAGER

Tom Powling

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

Deepak Malkani

Deepak.Malkani@gamblinginsider.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7729 6279

US BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Aaron Harvey

Aaron.Harvey@playerspublishing.com

Tel: +1 702 425 7818

ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE

Ariel Greenberg

Ariel.Greenberg@playerspublishing.com

Tel: +1.702 833 9581

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER

Michael Juqula

Michael.Juqula@gamblinginsider.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 3487 0498

ACCOUNT MANAGERS

William Aderele

William.Aderele@gamblinginsider.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7739 2062

Irina Litvinova

Irina.Litvinova@gamblinginsider.com

Tel: +44 207 613 5863

Serena Kwong

Serena.Kwong@gamblinginsider.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 3435 5628

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Michelle Pugh

Michelle.Pugh@gamblinginsider.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7739 5768

CREDIT MANAGER

Rachel Voit

WITH THANKS TO:

Fallon Porter, Stephen Crystal, Morgan Stanley Research, Matt Wilson, Matt Sodl, Flutter Entertainment, Konami Gaming, Gerard Crosby, Tashina Lazcano, Gaming Arts, Jean Venneman, Bruce Urban, Light & Wonder, Matthew Morgan, Renato Almeida, Sportradar, James A. Lewis, Duane Morris LLP, Oliver Lovat, Lawrence Epstein, Ali Schempp, Keith Whyte, Rea L. Cisneros, NIGC, Jun Kawasaki, Brian Montano, Brooke Fiumara, Jeff Baldi Gaming America magazine ISSN 2632-766X

EDITOR’S LETTER

JULIAN PERRY, COO, Editor-in-Chief

When you consider the fluidity of this industry, the events that have transpired since the last issue of Gaming America paint quite a picture. Since our May/June edition, PointsBet has accepted a $150m bid from Fanatics for its US operations, received a $195m counterbid from DraftKings and then agreed a definitive $225m sale to original bidder, Fanatics.

The Dallas-esque soap opera was quite the headline generator – finally signalling Fanatics' much-anticipated concrete entrance into the sports betting market, watch this space – but an Editor's nightmare in many respects. The Gaming America team, for instance, had an interview with PointsBet Group CEO Sam Swanell primed and ready for print... before the second and third bids had come in. Needless to say, a little adaptation was needed.

And yet some things in gaming never seem to change. Take the themes you see on a slot machine. There are certain symbols and graphics that connote luck and resonate with players: mythological imagery linked with Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt, the dragons of the Far East, particular animals, specific fruits. The list goes on.

In this issue's cover feature, that is exactly what we explore; what makes players tick and how have companies used that in their slot designs? We hear from renowned industry experts at Light & Wonder, Konami Gaming, Eclipse Gaming and Gaming Arts on the past, present and future of slot themes, in what we hope you'll agree is a very in-depth exploration of the Thought Behind The Slot

Elsewhere in this issue, we look back on 10 years of the Global Gaming Awards Las Vegas, ahead of a landmark ceremony in October. The scholarly Oliver Lovat is back to delve into all things Las Vegas in his inimitable way. Meanwhile, the National Indian Gaming Commission is another returning contributor, while the Duane Morris team examines the particularities of Florida's skill gaming legalities.

Finally, in our Viewpoints section, we hear from three casino management system experts, and also speak with Chairman of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA), Matthew Morgan. With the OIGA tradeshow upcoming, all eyes will at first turn to Oklahoma – before the industry at large starts to focus on G2E Las Vegas. Blink and you'll miss it: we'll all be in Nevada before you know it.

Editor-in-Chief Julian Perry

08

FORMULA 1 BILLION

The F1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix will provide a massive drive for the city’s economy.

10

HOW ONLINE POKER OPERATES IN DIFFERENT STATES

We explore the details of the US online poker scene, which varies across just a handful of states.

12

TEN OF DIAMONDS

Gaming America looks back through the years of the Global Gaming Awards ahead of its 10th anniversary, with Julian Perry and Mariya Savova.

14

SPORTS BETTING ANALYSIS: WHO’S BETTING AND HOW MUCH?

A look at figures and projections from Morgan Stanley Research, with surveys surrounding sports betting and its effects on sports, media and their intersection.

16

ARE TWO LISTINGS BETTER THAN

ONE?

Flutter Entertainment, Light & Wonder CEO

Matt Wilson and Founding Partner & President of Innovation Capital Matt Sodl all discuss capitalizing on new markets with an additional public listing.

22 THE THOUGHT BEHIND THE SLOT

Gaming America speaks to executives and designers from Konami Gaming, Light & Wonder, Eclipse Gaming and Gaming Arts, about how and why slot games become successful.

28

‘THE BIGGEST LITTLE SHOW’ RETURNS: OIGA CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW PREVIEW

Gaming America looks ahead to the 2023 edition of The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association Conference and Trade Show.

32

FBM’S US JOURNEY

Renato Almeida, Director at FBM, discusses expansion within the US and plans for the upcoming OIGA conference.

34 THE ENGAGEMENT ZONE

Four experts in the fields of sports betting and sports data discuss the evolution of betting sponsorships in a Sportradar webinar.

32 Renato Almeida

22 Jean Venneman

36

FLORIDA'S GRAY MARKET: THE SUPPRESSION OF ILLEGAL SLOT MACHINES

James A. Lewis practices gaming law at Duane Morris LLP, and analyzes the Sunshine State's new regulatory dynamic concerning the proliferation of slot machines.

38 THERE WILL BE TRIBAL AHEAD

Denstone Group CEO, Oliver Lovat, delves into the history of Native American Tribes as casino operators, and why this history has largely been outside Las Vegas – so far.

42 THE GROWING POPULARITY OF UFC BETTING

Gaming America speaks with Lawrence Epstein of the UFC and Ali Schempp, SVP and Head of Business Development at US Integrity, about the rise of interest in UFC betting.

44 SELF-EXCLUSION: DOES IT TRULY WORK?

We investigate with the NCPG's Keith Whyte.

48 DOING BUSINESS IN INDIAN COUNTRY

Rea L. Cisneros, NIGC Acting General Counsel, explains the processes and uses behind a declination letter in Tribal gaming.

50 THE BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO PARTIES

What has made gambling, and in particular sports betting, the one issue that has garnered bipartisan support?

54 AI IN THE GAMING INDUSTRY: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Jun Kawasaki, CEO of MetaX Global, writes about how AI has transformed both our physical and virtual worlds.

56 VIEWPOINTS

Gaming America speaks to Brian Montano (Certus Gaming USA), Brooke Fiumara (OPTX) and Jeff Baldi (CasinoTrac).

62 PRODUCT REVIEWS

Gaming America looks at suppliers' newest land-based slots, available across the country.

62

42 Lawrence Epstein

56 Brooke Fiumara

the event. The Wynn Las Vegas was fully booked for November 15-19 by early June; The Venetian’s website also already had November 16-18 marked as unavailable before the summer even started. Rooms at Caesars Palace cost over $500 more a night for Grand Prix weekend than for bookings either the weekend before or after the event. Most hotel rooms will set any Vegas visitor back a grand a night – and not necessarily the MGM kind.

Entertainers Major Lazer, J Balvin and Mark Ronson are set to headline the T-Mobile Zone at Formula 1’s Sphere Stage, while performers from resident Vegas acts Cirque du Soleil and The Blue Man Group will also be seen both onstage and in fan zones. The Grand Prix will also feature an opening ceremony on the Heineken Silver Stage, with a lineup that has yet to be announced.

Fallon Porter, Communications Manager Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, told Gaming America that the scale and success of the event is what F1 has been banking (its turns) on. “Liberty Media acquired Formula 1 in 2017 with a belief in the significant growth potential for the sport, especially in the US. Las Vegas has quickly evolved into a top sports destination. In the last five years, the city has added four professional sports teams and has shown a demand for sporting events

by consistently filling up arenas and stadiums. With a new, exciting track taking over the iconic Las Vegas Strip and elevated hospitality experiences, we believe we are building an exciting sporting moment that fans will love for years to come. Las Vegas is no stranger to putting on a show, and we expect the event to be a huge spectacle.”

Economic impact won’t be booming just from the grand spending of attendees at grandstands, hotels, fan zones and stages, however. The physical landscape of Las Vegas and its iconic Strip will be fundamentally changed to suit drivers on track, while developments in the economic landscape extend to drivers who aren’t even competing in the race. The Las Vegas Review Journal reported that the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit, and its related upgrades and infrastructure renovations, will cost an estimated $80m. Clark County Commissioners voted on June 6 to negotiate with F1 regarding its request for a contribution of $40m in public funds. The vote narrowly passed 4-3. A privately funded repaving project actually began in April for the much-anticipated November event. Public roads will comprise a large part of the Grand Prix’s racetrack, including Las Vegas Boulevard, Harmon Avenue and Sands Avenue. Liberty Media is funding these

works, with final paving occurring from mid-July to mid-September.

Raised taxi rates in Las Vegas may also contribute to a vehicle-based economic boom. The ‘drop rate,’ which all taxis charge as a passenger enters the car, is said to increase from $3.50 to $5.25. Fare structures were approved at a meeting of the Taxicab Authority in June, and said to be commensurate with inflation. Meters and rate cards will need to be updated to reflect the price changes, and there’s no current deadline set for when this will be completed, though November is a possibility.

Price increases will help to pay drivers more during heavy traffic and unusual hours, as well as surge during special events occurring in the area, such as the Las Vegas Grand Prix. This model, based on a system already in place by Uber and Lyft, will encourage more drivers to work during busy times and take more passenger fares. It’s hard to say who may end up doing more laps of Vegas during the busy weekend…

The Las Vegas Grand Prix has already brought in hundreds of millions of dollars before the laps have even begun. Though it’s still speculative to predict how fast that spending will take effect on the Vegas economy, we’re guessing it could be at least 200mph.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix date: Sunday 19th November 2023

HOW ONLINE POKER OPERATES IN US STATES

MICHIGAN

Online poker became legal in December 2019, but it was not until January 2021 that the first operator was set up. The law was updated to allow interstate connections with New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware as part of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement. There are three poker sites currently operating in Michigan: BetMGM Poker, PokerStars and WSOP Poker.

NEVADA

Online gambling has been legal in Nevada since 2013 and online poker has been around ever since. However, as Nevada was already a hugely popular area for live casino, with Las Vegas hosting the biggest poker tournaments, the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour, initially online poker didn’t take off until the Covid-19 pandemic.

PENNSYLVANIA

Online poker became legal in 2017; however in Pennsylvania, it is intrastate or “ring-fenced.” Therefore, players can only play against people who are also in Pennsylvania. There has been much talk about the prospect of Pennsylvania becoming a multi-state operator.

WEST VIRGINIA

Online poker was legalized in 2019, however much like in Connecticut, there are currently no online poker sites operating in the state.

NEW JERSEY

Online gambling, including poker, has been legal since 2013. New Jersey has the highest amount of online poker players in the US, with seven different operators, and PokerStars as one of its main brands.

CONNECTICUT

Online poker is technically legal in Connecticut. However, at this moment in time, Connecticut law only permits up to two gaming platforms, currently held by FanDuel and DraftKings, neither of which offer online poker. Therefore, it is legal, but there is no legal way to play. However, poker sites are rumored to be in the process of being set up

DELAWARE

Has a smaller population than Connecticut but has not had the same issue. In fact, Delaware became the first state to legalize online poker in 2012. Providers must conform to various state laws to ensure the safety of players. In 2014, Delaware signed a multi -state poker agreement, allowing players to compete with people in other states.

Despite real money online casino being legal in six US states as of June 2023, online poker is currently only available in five.

THE TEN OF DIAMONDS

Gaming America reflects on the Global Gaming Awards' journey so far, ahead of their 10th anniversary, with Julian Perry and Mariya Savova.

When the Global Gaming Awards Las Vegas arrive at the Venetian later this year, it will mark the 10th edition of the ceremony.

From Derek Stevens’ charismatic suits to Soo Kim’s trademark Bally’s baseball cap, the Global Gaming Awards have seen a variety of winners over the years – from land-based to online, and from table games to sports betting. The industry has changed in that time, and so with it have the Awards winners – as voted by the Awards’ esteemed panel of C-Level Judges over the years.

But what impact have the Awards had?

What do they tell us about the global gaming industry? And why, in the first place, did Gaming America Editor-in-Chief

Julian Perry even found the Awards? Gaming America spoke to him and Mariya Savova, Event Manager, to look back over the last 10 years, from standout winners to memorable moments and more.

Outside of the Global Gaming Awards and Gaming America teams, were there any driving forces that helped turn the ceremony into what it is now?

Julian Perry: Looking back, there are two

people I could not fail to mention. The first is Micky Swindale (Partner at KPMG’s Global Gaming Team). Micky has been at every Awards ceremony – even the virtual ones! – across Las Vegas, London and now AsiaPacific. The belief she had in the Awards, and the pedigree she brings when it comes to adjudication and industry representation is second to none.

But I also have to mention Matt Davey. Now CEO at Tekkorp, where he is still helping to mould the direction of the industry, Matt was previously the CEO of NYX Gaming and SG Digital. From day one, he believed in the Global Gaming Awards 100%. When key individuals within the industry see what we

are trying to achieve, it justifies our vision and shows that the sector acknowledges and understands that vision. Matt has always been instrumental and his assistance helped propel the Global Gaming Awards in the early years.

What moments stand out to you over the last few years? Is there one that immediately comes to mind?

Mariya Savova: I have a couple of favorite moments. The first one is from 2019 when Incredible Technologies won the Product Innovation of the year category. They were up against some of the industry’s biggest companies in that category and when Micky from KPMG announced that IT was a winner, the company’s team genuinely could not believe it. If you look back at photos from that year you can just see the pure joy from IT’s President & CEO, Elaine Hodgson – to this day she’s the happiest winner I remember.

Another moment that stands out for me is from last year, when Amy Howe took home the American Executive of the year award. At that time she had been with FanDuel for a little over a year. She joined

the biggest online sports betting operator in the US from outside of the gaming industry and was appointed CEO just a few months later. Within one year of her assuming the CEO role, the gaming industry voted her American Executive of the year. It was amazing to see her efforts being recognized so quickly by her fellow industry executives. It of course also showed that our industry can be very welcoming. And for women like myself, who work in the gaming industry, it was inspiring to see Amy pick up this Award.

How has the industry changed in recent years, and is it fair to say the Global Gaming Awards are representative of that change?

MS: The industry just doesn’t slow down! Every year, before we start the process for the Awards, we look at recent industry trends and evaluate whether the Awards categories represent the industry at this moment in time. For example, as sports betting continued to grow at a phenomenal rate, we added the Sportsbook Supplier of the year category. When the industry started to shine a light on the importance of payment processors, wallets and other cashless

technology, we added the Payment Solution of the year category.

Industry changes are also reflected within the actual Shortlist well. For instance, over the past couple of years, one of hottest topics has been technology and how it is transforming land-based casinos. That is why in the Shortlist for Land-Based Product of the year we have started seeing more casino management platforms rather than classic casino products like cabinets and card shufflers.

As you look back now, are any winners in particular memorable?

JP: Most definitely. I remember the 2021 Awards so well: when the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians brought what felt like its whole Tribe on stage because they were so proud. You could see the delight they took in winning but also that this is a true family, not just a corporate business. When they won Responsible Business of the year in 2022, it was much the same; we were treated to a beautiful speech from Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena. MGM Resorts is another winner I always remember. I can still hear the cheers from a table full of C-Level executives in 2015 to this day!

What do you hope the legacy and impact of the Global Gaming Awards are and will continue to be?

MS: I hope everyone will continue to see the Global Gaming Awards as the most prestigious in the industry. We are working hard to produce Awards that companies are proud to even be Shortlisted for, as they have indeed earned their place amongst the 10 best in the industry. I think from the very first edition of our flagship event in Las Vegas, the industry saw the integrity of Awards – the fact that we nominate companies for a specific reason, the quality of the Judging Panel and the presence of KPMG as the official voting adjudicator. All this made it easy for us to expand the Global Gaming Awards beyond the Americas. We have had an event for the EMEA region for six years now, and one for Asia-Pacific for two years – both of which received the same positive response from the industry in those regions for the exact same reasons. I hope that all three Global Gaming Awards events will continue to grow and recognize the best performers from all industry verticals, and I hope companies continue to respond so positively when we tell them they have been nominated.

Mariya Savova, Event Manager

Julian Perry, COO, Editor-in-Chief

Micky Swindale, Partner at KPMG's Global Gaming Team

ANALYSIS: WHO’S SPORTS BETTING AND HOW MUCH?

Gaming America takes a look at figures and projections from Morgan Stanley Research, with surveys surrounding sports betting and its effects on sports, media and their intersection.

After the overturning of PASPA in 2018, sports betting was legal in 21 US jurisdictions by the end of its first full year, 2019. According to a December 2019 American Gaming Association (AGA) press release, Michigan was the last state to legalize that year. Currently, 34+ states and Washington

DC have legalized sports betting, with four more states legal but not yet operational. Morgan Stanley estimates that by 2025 there will be 20-30 million online sports bettors in the country, with FanDuel and DraftKings’ players representing over 10 million of that total. FanDuel's parent company, Flutter,

reported in its Q1 results that the sportsbook had an average monthly playerbase of 12.3 million players in that quarter alone, up 30% year-on-year. The below graph assesses annual sports betting revenue from 2018 until 2022, also projecting 2023, 2024 and 2025.

GROSS HISTORICAL & FORECASTED US SPORTS BETTING REVENUES

Source: State data, Morgan Stanley Research estimates

SPORTS TYPICALLY BET ON (AMONG SPORTS BETTORS)

SPORTS BETTORS

ONLINE SPORTS BETTORS

A Kagan sports survey conducted in Q3 of 2022 showed that those who self-iden�fied as sports be�ors were more engaged with sports media, including paying for a sport subscription service, and watching live spor�ng events at least once a week. With the highest percentage of sports be�ors (96%) watching sports from the comfort of their own home, it’s no wonder that mobile sports be�ng has taken off, and has added to the home-watching experience. Viewing sports from a smartphone or tablet also makes it convenient for mobile be�ors, as a device is already in the hands of 86% of those surveyed.

Sports betting is attracting younger people and the breakdown between demographics seems to mirror that of media companies. According to a recent statement from Betr, the sportsbook primarily targets the 21-34-year-old male demographic, which corroborates Morgan Stanley research suggesting that the average age of sports bettors, both online and in retail locations, was 21-34. The 45-64-year-old age demographic was still the largest for those who gambled in a casino, according to the same research. The sport bettors are taking the most chances on at any age, however, is football. The NFL holds around 40% of the market share. Sports with high viewership for their televised events (such as the NFL and the Super Bowl), and sports with many or frequent games (such as the NBA and MLB), are trending toward larger shares of the overall market.

Source: Alphawise, Morgan Stanley Research

KAGAN SPORTS VIEWERSHIP SURVEY

ALL RESPONSES

SPORTS

BETTORS

Source: Kagan, Morgan Stanley Research

Watches sports in household

Subscriber to paid online sports service (i.e. MLB. TV)

Frequent live sports viewer (at least once per week)

Viewed a live sporting event smartphone or tablet

ARE TWO LISTINGS BETTER THAN ONE?

Gaming America speaks with Flutter Entertainment, Light & Wonder CEO Matt Wilson and Founding Partner & President of Innovation Capital Matt Sodl, about capitalizing on new markets with an additional public listing.

In the span of about three weeks, both Flutter and Light & Wonder announced approvals to pursue additional public stock listings. Flutter, an industry giant that owns FanDuel, currently has its primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), but will be seeking a US listing soon; while game developer Light & Wonder has its primary listing on the Nasdaq and has been approved to list on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). With the world of gaming becoming ever more connected, and nearly every operator and supplier looking to diversify into as many markets as possible, perhaps an additional listing could become a more standard industry tactic.

But what is the purpose of listing outside of a company’s ‘home country?' Every C-Level executive will tell you that additional listings, along with any other decision approved by a company’s Board, will maximize shareholder value. Beyond this, Gaming America spoke to Matt Wilson, CEO of Light & Wonder, and Founding Partner & President of Innovation Capital, Matt Sodl, as well as obtained comments from Flutter CEO Peter Jackson. How do these businesses plan to raise their stakes by diversifying their stocks?

The decision for Flutter to pursue a second listing – which will be on either the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or the Nasdaq – was approved by 99.99% of shareholders at the

company’s Annual General Meeting. Flutter owns several household-name betting brands in the UK including Paddy Power, Betfair and Sky Betting & Gaming, as well as the popular US sportsbook, FanDuel. In Flutter’s Q1 financial report, FanDuel held a US sports betting market share of 50%. Without plans to either sell FanDuel or go through the process of an Initial Public Offering (IPO), Flutter's listing in the US gives the company opportunities for US-specific growth. Sodl said, “This listing is a means for Flutter to get more liquidity for its share trading. It provides opportunity to raise capital in a market where their sizable business operates.” Sodl, however, said a US listing will have “no bearing” on FanDuel’s independence from Flutter. He added, “It doesn’t strengthen independence, but the overall company.”

Flutter had been considering the decision for a few months before putting a second listing to a shareholder vote; a FanDuel Capital Markets Day report in November concluded that FanDuel was Flutter’s largest business, by revenue. The company’s view, supported by both investors and

"IT IS ABOUT ACCESSING CAPITAL MARKETS IN THE US WITH THE GREATER LIQUIDITY POOL US-BASED INVESTORS HAVE."

shareholders, was that a US listing would enhance the group’s US profile, enable recruitment and retention of US employees, provide overall liquidity in Flutter’s shares and allow access to new capital markets and investors. As for which US stock exchange Flutter will choose, Sodl says, “More tech businesses tend to list on Nasdaq.”

Jackson said, “From our perspective, the things that are driving us to seek the US listing are ‘pull factors.’ It is about accessing capital markets in the US with the greater liquidity pool that they have; about the opportunity to have our brand talked about in the financial media in the US and, of course, there’s a strong overlap between the retail consumer in the US and people who would like to participate in FanDuel’s success and open accounts with us. We’d also like to

use US-based equity to reward and retain our US colleagues, and do deals with other media businesses and partners. The fact is that 60% of our stake globally is now done in America. We’re delighted with the 50% market share and we’re delighted with the 95% growth year-on-year. We’re really consolidating our leadership position in America.”

Light & Wonder hopes to enhance the company’s presence within the Australian market, similar to the strategies of Flutter within the States, as well as increase the company’s profits Down Under. The company is looking for long-term investment opportunities, but we wondered if they weren’t also looking to equate themselves with direct competitors in the Australian market, like Aristocrat, by listing on the same exchange. Sodl, however,

SCAN HERE

TO VIEW THE FULL HUDDLE MICHAEL DALY, CEO, CATENA MEDIA

CATENA MEDIA CEO MICHAEL DALY ON US LISTING

“Timing becomes everything because of market conditions, because of the markets we’re in and the markets we want to go

to, as well as our own growth trajectory, and making sure that that’s a clear story and message. The next year and a half may be bumpy on some of the things in North America, so it’s making sure we can be clear enough to the market. Also the weight that bears on an organization to go through something like that can be distracting, and we want to make sure it’s not going to be distracting to the operational side of the business. The benefits are opening up new streams of investors. We have a large pool of individual investors in Sweden, which we very much respect. We have a couple of large institution investors, like North American investors. It is very difficult as an individual to invest in a company like Catena Media, which is in the Nordics. I’m probably on my eighth broker myself trying to figure out how to do that. There is more interest and appetite at the moment in North America around sports betting and the expansion of the business – I think this is why a number of companies are going there. The Nordic markets tend

dismissed the competition angle.

“It’s a way for Light & Wonder to provide access to share trading in Australia. There appears to be a sizable investor base for gaming tech businesses.” Sodl was also of the opinion that an Australian listing would not create a different perception of the company in that region. Wilson, a native Australian himself, noted the country’s prominence within the gaming industry as a whole, not just Light & Wonder’s success within Australia. He said, “You go to any gaming market around the world and you hear an Australian accent. Whether it’s on the supply side or the operator side, but also the investor side. Australian investors have had a lot of success investing in gaming businesses over the years.” Wilson also alluded to both

to be a little more contractionary in their interest in this type of activity, all for variously good reasons. But that means the better place to find capital and investment is probably in the Americas. There’s more desire there for this type of activity. That to us is: How do we unlock that? How do we make it easier for people to understand and invest in Catena Media, so we can open up more capital sources for potentially M&A. That’s sort of why we are looking at a re-listing or a dual listing, or all the ways you could get there, whether it’s mergers, what have you. There’s many ways and some are better for the company overall in terms of not shutting down or distracting the company so much while you actually go through such a process. An IPO is a very, very difficult process in the US with Sarbanes-Oxley and other things you’d have to go through. That will be a long and significant undertaking if we go that route. All options at this point are on the table and timing remains TBD. It has to be assessed.”

his own and Executive Chair Jamie Odell’s previous roles with Aristocrat and how this experience still serves as inspiration for the Light & Wonder Board, but that the listing is not necessarily linked to Aristocrat doing the same. “We have a Chairman who was the CEO of Aristocrat through its transformation years and really took that business on an amazing journey in terms of shareholder value and gains over time. I was there for a long period of time.” Light & Wonder’s Gaming CEO, Siobhan Lane, also previously worked with Aristocrat for over a decade. As for Sodl’s comment regarding the size of the investor base in Australia, Wilson agrees on the potential for opportunity, saying, “Investors in Australia know the category really well. They understand the economics of how the gaming business works. I think investors love nothing more than an opportunity to

invest in something they really understand. They’ve done all the heavy lifting and hard work to get their head around what drives this industry.” While Sodl also mentioned the possibility of longer trading days by listing within vastly different timezones, Wilson also mentioned the tendency of Australian investors to pursue business interests within the country. He said, “I think we’ve had a lot of inbound over the last three or four years, from Australian investors, who have these Aussie-only mandates. They can only invest in Australian companies. They’re saying, ‘hey, this is a really interesting story that we like, that we would love to invest in. How do we participate in the Light & Wonder story if we can’t invest offshore?’ Our main listing, or primary symbol, will continue to be the Nasdaq. We have the majority of our shareholders there, but we already have about 58% of the investor base that’s on the Australian dollar. By doing a secondary listing, they can move their Nasdaq stock down to Australia and hold their stock in Australian currency, and be able to trade it on the local market. It was a very demand-driven thing, with a lot of interest in how do we participate in this story.” Wilson said that the interest level from major and potentially Australian investors has already proven to be “very, very successful” with the amount of acquisition stocks

“well above expectations.”

Sodl said that other companies operating with significant growth or presence in more than one country may perhaps consider additional listings in the future. It seems companies putting additional stock exchange entries on their 'to-do lists’ are just as interested in offering investors the opportunity to take part in a company’s progress and ‘story’ as they are in raising capital. Any competition between either operators or suppliers within the same market isn’t fought in the arena of that country’s stock exchange. Flutter’s stock price, at the time of writing, is £160.02 (US$203.90) per share on the LSE, while Light & Wonder’s stock price is $67.30. Both brands have seen a rise since January. It will be interesting to see how these prices are affected as the companies grow both ‘at home’ and ‘abroad’ in their new markets.

MATT WILSON Light & Wonder CEO

MATT SODL Innovation Capital Founding Partner & President

Gaming America

spoke to executives and designers from Konami

Gaming, Light & Wonder, Eclipse Gaming and Gaming Arts about how and why certain slot themes become successful.

performance of a game comes down to the math on which it’s built; however, players will naturally gravitate toward certain visual and audio cues before they even take their first spin or experience any gameplay.

GOING FOR GOLD

contentious subject by 1902, the initial dispense fruit-flavored gum and flash

on both traditional reels and video slot in the slot industry. Some of the other

trending themes and how these machines will carry on into the future of gaming.

Konami Gaming SVP & Chief Games Product Officer, Gerard Crosby, told Gaming America, “The success of a popular game theme traces back to a compelling math model. If this math model is combined

with attractive and memorable game mechanics, art, sound and packaging, then it’s sure to be an entertaining experience for all players. And if done well, players will continually return to the game, seeking to reproduce or improve upon the experiences they’ve achieved in the past.” This view of a slot machine is inherently both

simple and complex.

Any game designer will agree that the actual

Slots games and their designers try to draw on universal, relatable and memorable experiences. Popular themes gracing the reels of slot machines cover a wide variety of genres, all with the express intent of capturing the attention of a different kind of player. It may not be a surprise to learn that riches and wealth pop up in many slot games, but these symbols of luck and prosperity can vary greatly across different games for different markets. Konami Director of Marketing & Communications, Tashina Lazcano, notes popular themes can contain any form of currency including: “gems, coins, ingots, chips and gold.”

legal gaming age, why do we see so many

Slot machines have captivated players long before they were ever placed in casinos, let alone made available online. The first slot machines were invented in the late 1880s and were found largely in shops, like barbers and cigar stores. Already a contentious subject by 1902, the initial ban of slot machines is what gave them one of their most iconic themes: fruit. While the machines could not offer coins as prizes after this official ban, they could dispense fruit-flavored gum and flash fruit-shaped symbols as a signal of winning. Today, colorful fruits still whizz past players on both traditional reels and video slot machines as one of the most popular themes in the slot industry. Some of the other themes filling casinos and iCasinos alike, however, have less of an obvious, storied history. Where did the buffalos come from (other than North America)? Why are ancient civilizations so popular even within some of the most modern video cabinets? When slot machines are designed for players of legal gaming age, why do we see so many cute baby animals, childhood toys and fairytale characters?

Gaming America reached out to representatives at Konami, Light & Wonder, Eclipse Gaming and Gaming Arts to delve deeper into the thought process – and the slot process – to learn more about the industry’s evolution over time, current

Bruce Urban, CPO at Eclipse Gaming

Bruce Urban, CPO at Eclipse Gaming added, “I think there’s association with those ancient times with wealth, gems, and the pyramids. Any slot machine theme that gives you the right connection with

wealth is attractive.” Urban also said that the color gold, or at Eclipse Gaming ‘golden sand,’ is also used often in his game design, even when gold coins themselves are not.

Matt Wilson, Light & Wonder CEO, agrees, stating, “I think it’ll continuously evolve. Some of these Egyptian themes or dragon themes – the underlying ideas of wealth and prosperity – I think they’ll still resonate with players, but I think the real creators in the industry are trying to push the boundaries on what new worlds of play can mean.”

Being immersed in reels of wealth, warriors, heroes and winning can certainly put a player in the mindset that they are on an exciting course to victory themselves. The jackpot may be the destination, but designers work to make the journey just as rich.

GOING BACK IN TIME

Along with the excitement of fortune and the potential of winning, one of the other

biggest motivators for players and designers alike seems to be the pull of nostalgia. There are many games with bright colors, cute animal characters, familiar tales and themes specifically chosen to delight not children, but the inner child of a player demographic. Rubber ducks and piggy banks aren’t staples of today’s children’s toys, but can be seen in Eclipse games, for example. These images and motifs serve as a delightful reminder that we were all children at some point, and that gaming is intrinsically about play. Urban said, “If you pick themes that people can relate to when they walk up to the game, that relationship is there. As the demographics in the market change, we pay attention to what was popular in their upbringing.” He expanded on his point with the mention of another popular theme for the kid-at-heart: candy. “We’re not supposed to have candy; it’s bad for us. But there’s some elements of, ‘Ah look at that! I can play this candy game!’”

Jean Venneman, Gaming Arts COO, shared in the desire for nostalgia in games. She told Gaming America , “When I see something that reminds me of my childhood, that’s generally a positive feeling, so we want to recreate that with our playerbase.” Venneman also commented, “When we

started launching machines into the industry in 2019, it seemed like the market at that point was heavy towards really serious themes.” Now, for every serious warrior or dragon on the hunt for gold, there’s a light-hearted rubber duck or delicious sweet to balance the casino experience, whether on the floor or online.

GOING WITH THE FLOW

The production of the perfect slot game has so far relied on the use of captivating visuals to create memorable characters and emotionally accessible themes; although, sound design also plays a hugely important role within the slot industry. Sound is key, even when considering those near the machine, but not playing it. Volume of the games must be kept in balance with their surroundings, so that the games’ sonic atmosphere need not compete with either bartenders trying to hear guests’ orders or neighboring slot players hearing their own games. The flow, rhythm and melody of the games all influence anyone who can hear them.

Venneman noted that sometimes the proximity of Gaming Arts machines to each other may influence the balance of the games’ audio as well saying, “Sound is critical. If we have a few of the same

"WHAT QUALIFIES AS MUTUAL ENJOYMENT FOR MOST PLAYERS, HOWEVER, MAY ALSO INFORM GAMING PROFESSIONALS AND MORE VETERAN SLOT AFICIONADOS."

games in the same area and one, for whatever reason, doesn’t have its sound on (or it’s on low), we see a performance difference because the player experience is multisensory.” For every visual cue advancing the story of the game, there is an accompanying sound to notify not only the player, but also everyone in the vicinity, for a communal experience where progress and bonuses can be celebrated together.

Urban spoke from the point of view of both casino-goer and gaming industry developer. He began, “I might not be winning, but it’s nice to hear someone around me is at least winning. It helps everyone enjoy the game.” What qualifies as mutual enjoyment for most players, however, may also inform gaming professionals and more veteran slot aficionados. “I know very specifically what the celebration sound is for an IGT machine. I know what the celebration sound is for Aristocrat. So, I not only know someone’s winning, I actually know on what particular kind of machine.”

Speaking of Aristocrat, as for the persistent success of the brand’s Buffalo-themed slots, maybe this harkens back to a simpler time as well. Urban brought up the ‘screeching eagle’ sound that ‘cuts through’ casino floors during a Buffalo win. Yet Wilson countered, “I think the buffalo games haven’t necessarily done well in markets outside of the US, because buffaloes aren’t really a thing in other parts of the world.” The Buffalo, or the American

Bison as they’re often referred to outside of the gaming industry, is the largest North American mammal. Perhaps these megafauna purely symbolize the largest wins. Casino-goers may also close their eyes and picture ‘the home where the buffalo roam’ as the peaceful lyrics of “Home, Home on the Range” fill their minds – until that eagle screeches out a win.

GOING BACK TO BASICS

Another motivator that may come as a surprise is tradition. Along with both the ever-trending themes and first-to-market themes, it’s not unusual for tried-and-true classics to perform well. Though the slots of today no longer dispense fruity chewing gum, fruits are still such a popular slot theme that the gaming devices themselves are still also referred to as 'fruit machines.’ Venneman commented, “The traditional sort of gaming experience with the bars, the cherries and the sevens still has a place in the market. Players tend to enjoy having new experiences, but then they have their good old favorites. There have been machines that have been on the floors for 20+ years. Players love the games they feel comfortable with . ”

Anyone looking to create the newest, flashiest video cabinet need not fear, though. As with any form of technology, it will all be down to individual preference whether a player relies on a classic or jumps at the chance to try something new. Urban discussed that there is absolutely a market

for both of those options and a slot out there for any type of player. He said, “There’s still a lingering player that plays stepper games, mechanical reels. When they first came out, there were no video displays, so it’s very obvious what you’re chasing and what you’re playing for. There’s still a player demographic out there where that is very important to them. If you do interviews with video players, it’s like what are you playing for? ‘I don’t know. I’m just hitting the button and then hopefully something cool happens.’ Two different demographics.”

The charm of mechanical slots and their clear processes and outcomes have, though, been largely overtaken by the convenience of not carrying nickels. Even the most traditional of players would probably agree. Other traditions could be classified more as superstitions. If playing slots is all about reproducing luck and good memories, what is the easiest way to ensure that happens? Gaming Arts features one series of slots themed around different beverages – which may correspond to a player’s drink of choice while at the casino. Certain players prefer to choose the same game each time they play, or even sit at the same, physical machine. Venneman explained, “I do know that players are very superstitious, they have their rituals and their routines. They know if they wear certain socks or if they drink a certain drink while they’re playing that they’re going to have better luck. And those are all fun things to see.”

GOING THE DISTANCE

By both sight and sound, slots have come a long way since their inception. A number of slot games today may not even fully earn the title of slot ‘machine.’ That mechanical element is missing from not only the slots which populate online casinos, but has also been smoothed out of existence in the latest and greatest video cabinets as well. Technology can be cyclical, however, even as it innovates. Though aspect ratios, screen sizes and cabinet designs have all changed, video reels may still seek to emulate the

"SLOTS SEEM TO SIT AT THE INTERSECTION OF LUCK AND SKILL, WITH SOME PLAYERS SEEKING TO PREDICT WHAT THEY MIGHT SEE, AND OTHERS MERELY ALONG FOR THE MULTISENSORY RIDE."

familiar sounds that mechanical reels made. Urban commented that the evolution of screen sizes and ratios has “changed the game.” He added, “Game designs can change to growing reels because now I can have that extra real estate to grow the reels.”

With the advancement of the cabinets also comes the advancement of the story of the game itself. Wilson said, “It’s not just about spinning, reels, mechanics and symbols, it’s: what’s this experience that we’re trying to create?” When asked what is trending now in the industry, everyone who spoke to Gaming America agreed that it’s all about the bonuses and features within a game. Crosby and Lazcano stated, “Cross -screen animations and many, elaborate bonus features” are the aim of Konami’s current game library.

Urban described the rationale behind incorporating those features, “I love the phrase 'feature forward.' We build in bonus features and other things within games. Often times, the chase is about the feature; it’s like the climax of the story. As we design games, we try to put different feature elements in. You’re getting some

reward other than just your reel pays. That is something we’ve noticed players responding to.”

Venneman also looked at extra features from a player’s point of view. “Players are a little bit more interested in more entertainment value in the game than maybe they had been prior. They’d like to see a variety of bonus experiences and ways they can win. The player can play the game multiple sessions, multiple times and discover different things while they’re playing it.” Everything leads back to creating a layered, repeatable and playful experience. Regardless of all the (sometimes literal) new bells and whistles, slot games are still designed to be enjoyed again and again.

REELING IT IN

This brings us to the slot games of the future. It seems as if any predictions about what themes will populate tomorrow’s, next year’s or next generation’s most successful games can be made based on who is playing them. Wilson said, “One thing that we always say at Light & Wonder is: we’re in the fashion

business; the taste for different types of games changes every season. The next round of games needs to be really tailored to what the consumer is looking for today.”

The player’s quest for luck, nostalgia, excitement, replay value – and of course, a jackpot – will inspire game designers, while the technology to enhance that player’s experience will be created in harmony with that quest. The mystery of spinning a reel and the accompanied waiting for a number of possible outcomes may be a predetermined mathematical equation for a game designer, but for a player enjoying the game, it’s something else entirely.

Slots seem to sit at the intersection of luck and skill, with some players seeking to predict what they might see and others merely along for the multisensory ride. Knowing the odds doesn’t make it any less fun to try and beat them. Urban said a slot machine is “definitely a game of luck” and not necessarily a game of skill. However, he then concluded, “Maybe that skill is just hearing the sounds, knowing someone else is winning and still having a good time.”

"AS WITH ANY FORM OF TECHNOLOGY, IT WILL ALL BE DOWN TO INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCE WHETHER A PLAYER RELIES ON A CLASSIC OR JUMPS AT THE CHANCE TO TRY SOMETHING NEW."

‘THE BIGGEST LITTLE SHOW’ RETURNS: OIGA CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW PREVIEW

Gaming America looks ahead to the 2023 edition of The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association Conference and Trade Show.

The OIGA Conference and Trade Show will take place on August 14-16 at Tulsa’s Cox Business Centre. The trade show will consist of nearly 3,000 vendors and will kick off with the popular annual golf tournament before the conference and trade show begin the following day. This conference and trade show will begin with a keynote speech on the “Power of Can.” This will be followed by various speeches and roundtables, with talks on responsible gambling, industry emerging leaders and the history of gaming in Oklahoma. In anticipation of the show, Gaming America spoke to OIGA Chairman Matthew Morgan, with the Tribal executive giving us a preview on this year’s agenda.

What can we expect from this year’s show?

The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association's Conference and Trade Show is something I think a lot of people look forward to. While we’re a regional association, you would never know it when you come to our trade show. We have both domestic and international partners that come into the show to display products. We have a great educational aspect, covering not only traditional class two and class three gaming, but we’re also looking towards the future. You’ll see iGaming, sports betting and other topics that Tribal Governments deal with, financial issues, hotel resorts, amenities etc. It will include all kinds of things, like: What are you doing at your golf course? What are you doing

with your entertainment venues? It’s a wide gamut. We like to traditionally say that we are the 'biggest little show' in Indian country because we’re right there behind G2E and the Indian Gaming Association, in terms of both attendance and trade show space. Everybody tends to have a great time. It’s a place to come where you feel like family. But it’s also a great learning experience for everyone to have.

How does this year’s show differ from previous years?

One of the things that you’re seeing more of this year is an international aspect of folks coming in, especially from Europe, on things that are going on and looking at Oklahoma, where we’re traditionally an electronic games jurisdiction. But we’re

one of the few jurisdictions in the US that haven’t turned our attention fully to what the sports betting or iGaming landscape looks like. We’re right in those formative stages. This year, we’re two years past Covid-19 and so we’re getting a lot of people back. Not only to our show, but a lot of the suppliers are now in a better position to offer their products to our partners and to our members, and I think everybody’s looking forward to that as well.

Traditionally, this show took place in July, but it has taken place in August for the last few years. Is that a permanent move?

No, it’s not permanent. That change in date was due to Covid and the time to be able to get into these places. Because we’re just so big, there are only two locations that can accommodate us in Oklahoma. One’s in Tulsa and one’s in Oklahoma City. So, we had to adapt to what they had open in a post-Covid August timeframe. Next year, we will be getting back to our regular July timeframe, and I think a lot of people are looking forward to that as well.

What are the session topics and agenda for the show?

We’ll have topics in there for folks that want to come in and learn about the history of gaming in Oklahoma. What’s popular now? What’s coming? Some of the ancillary amenities that have to do with entertainment, as well as some of the things that just affect Tribal Governments. Whether you’re talking about customer service, becoming a better host, adding new technologies to your floor or looking around at what your competitors are doing or what they’re doing here in the US or in Europe. We’ll have everything there for folks to see both on the educational side of it and on the trade show side. I think there’s a little bit for everyone.

Traditionally, we always kick off the conference trade show with the John Marley Golf Scholarship. We provide scholarships to not only dependents of those people who work in our industry in Oklahoma,

but we also offer scholarships to those that are continuing their education and work in our scholarship. On the first day, the John Marley Golf Tournament has a great turnout from everybody. It’s very well supported. Everybody always has a great time there. That evening, we’ll have a welcome kick-off party at Kane’s historic ballroom in Tulsa. We got away from that for the last couple of years, but we’re going back to that. We’ll have our poker tournament there as well and a blackjack tournament. So, lots of activities to start. The next day we’ll kick off bright and early with some of our educational sessions; we’ll highlight some folks. That afternoon we’ll finally open the trade show floor. Everybody’s excited to see that again – I include myself in that. That’s always something where you can cut that ribbon, open the doors and see that floor. We always have a great turnout. Our partners from California and Washington always come down and see us, as we attend their shows. We’ll have members of the executive team from the Indian Gaming Association in Washington DC come down. There’s always a couple of members of the American Gaming Association that come down and join us too. While we’re competitors across our local properties, the associations and trade show groups really work hand in glove to make sure we

support each other and that we continue to move our industry forward.

The state representative business entry is ‘Made in Oklahoma’ and has been for five years in a row. Is that going to continue this year?

We’re going to continue to work with the Made in Oklahoma Group. They’re a fabulous group. We have a lot of products we like to highlight. A lot of our members use those products in their operations anyway, so it just makes sense to have those guys at the show. But we always like to highlight local providers. We have a lot of rural areas, so we have a lot of unique products that are very local from those rural areas. Our individual properties love to partner with those folks to showcase their products and make sure the community grows together.

You mentioned introducing iGaming into the trade show. How else would you say the trade show has changed over time and how will it continue to evolve?

MATTHEW MORGAN OIGA Chairman

I don’t think that will ever be an issue in Oklahoma. We have 35 of our Tribes operating gaming facilities in this state. Out of 38 federally recognized tribes we have over 130 facilities within Oklahoma. We have a lot of regional competitors. When we first got started with our show it was class two bingo only. It was a much smaller floor very focused on those products. As we’ve added products and different forms of gaming to the selection, we continue to grow from that aspect. Oklahoma’s market has very seasoned and sophisticated players. They know what’s in the market. They know what they want to see. They’re continually talking to our members about offerings. We’ve always been a leader in the gaming industry, making sure we have the best and newest products on the floor. To me, it only makes sense we turn our attention to iGaming and see what that realm may hold. When it comes, it’s always up to the policyholders. But, from an operator and regulatory standpoint, we can always start preparing and seeing what’s coming down the pipe, and making sure we’re prepared.

FBM’S US JOURNEY

Renato Almeida,

Director at FBM, discusses expansion within the US and plans for the upcoming OIGA conference.

What are you bringing to the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) Conference this year?

FBM is bringing a diverse portfolio of engaging slots to OIGA with its Easy$Link and Mythic Link collections. Catch the Gold, Rainbow Falls, Underwater Riches, Kingdom Gems, RacinGo-Wild and Viva Mexico compose the Easy$Link pack display, while Eternal Kingdom, Golden Voyage, Ancient Tropics, Nature’s Paradise, Eternal Kingdom Origins and Golden Voyage Origins form the Mythic Link offer for the event. These 12 games, with different themes, features and gaming experiences, will be available for visitors to try in FBM’s Galaxy II and Shadow III cabinets.

What was the process of launching slot games in Florida like? Do you anticipate the games going live in casinos other than Hialeah Park?

The launch of FBM slots in Florida was the output of a journey of hard work. We knew that the US was a tremendous challenge due

to the very competitive environment and advanced level of maturity of this market. Consequently, we created a solid strategy, did careful planning, nurtured the partnerships with key stakeholders and ran an extensive product development process to bring games ready to delight the American players. So far, the feedback is very positive and we are full of energy and motivation to grow FBM’s presence in this state.

What other Tribal operators do you plan to work with?

The priority is expanding FBM’s operation in the US with a special focus on the Florida and Oklahoma states. We know that this

is a challenging market where only the top players can thrive and we are taking the necessary actions on the field to ensure FBM’s next steps of expansion in America.

How has diversifying into FBMDS gone for you after 20 years of land-based gaming?

It has been an incredible journey. FBMDS has witnessed massive growth during the last few years and this evolution will continue. FBMDS’ commercial approach has been the success guarantee of the project. FBMDS combines the dedicated support and follow-up to each client with a growing portfolio of innovative and high-quality online casino games that attend each market’s local culture and specific player profiles. Since 2021, FBMDS has grown its network of clients in a significant way, while also diversifying its offer by introducing new, exciting and engaging online casino games.

The recent launch of Bailão Junino slot game, designed to honor the Brazilian traditions and festivities, the new generation of Top+Plus table games and the Champion Tales crash game are three perfect examples of this diversification. The second semester of 2023 will follow the same pace and bring several surprises from FBMDS.

"WE KNEW THAT THE US WAS A TREMENDOUS CHALLENGE DUE TO THE VERY COMPETITVE ENVIRONMENT AND ADVANCED LEVEL OF MATURITY IN THIS MARKET."

Renato Almeida, Director at FBM

THE ENGAGEMENT ZONE

Four experts in the fields of sports betting and sports data discussed the evolution and aim of betting sponsorships in a US-focused Sportradar webinar.

How have sports betting sponsorships developed?

Corey Plummer: There’s more access and engagement now. We’ve moved much farther away from just names on jerseys and a few television commercials. Technology like streaming has helped the sports industry, which obviously helps us in sports betting. We stream 10,000 events a month. Ten years ago, that was not happening. Older people will watch one full sporting event, younger people will watch five or six in that same period of time, on multiple devices. More technology, more data, more opportunity to engage with the athletes. If people want to make a sports wager, they can be more informed.

Ryan Bahia: In the US it’s only five years old. We’re still turning things on state by state with different populations and different engagements in sports. Massachusetts is a good example because of the way the teams are performing and how they were doing at the time it launched.

Do a lot of the US sports lend themselves well to sponsorships since the market opened?

RB: Yes, especially the major sports. They’ve got a good playbook in terms of how they work with sponsors and partners. We’ve worked with a lot of the major sports to build those assets out.

Hampus Lofkvist: The way we used to approach big rightsholders was always partnerships not sponsorships. You’re going to pay for the IP and the rights, but if you can

have a conversation and a strategy for how the rightsholder is going to drive a return on the investment, that’s when you have a foundation for that partnership. I think the NBA has been pretty understanding of the need to do that and create real value for their partners.

How do you create the most value for your sponsorship partners?

Kuljeet Sindha r: There are studies that show people who engage with their sport, in fantasy or sports betting, watch for longer, watch more often, watch games they wouldn’t normally watch and watch teams they’re not fans of. We try to form holistic partnerships. If you are an NBA fan, you should want to bet with our partners DraftKings or Olybet because they are providing the authentic NBA experience. Therefore, NBA handle and NBA market share for our partners should be increasing. We find ways to be mutually incentivized.

What might be possible in sports betting sponsorships that’s not currently happening?

KS: In the US, betting has been infused into broadcast in an engaging way. In mature markets, where regulation prohibits betting integration, all you’re really seeing is advertising around the court. Our goal is to put the NBA in front of fans in whatever dimension they wish to express their fandom. Betting is no different. We have telecasts that are produced with betting at the forefront. I’d love to have the ability to engage fans in international markets the way we do in the US.

CP : More than 70% of all our new customers are under 30. On our platforms we can see what people watch, how long

they watch and how many devices they have. I’m focused on how people consume sport; it’s up to other people to create technology to support on this data. You see guys running around on the pitch with things under their jerseys; that develops a lot more data points per person and more of that is integrated into platforms in sportsbooks and broadcasts.

KS: In the AFL, I think they’ve tried it; before a big kick you can see a player’s heart rate on screen. Obviously, that’s unlikely to be commonplace, but if you see that heart rate jump at an end of season big game, in comparison to what it does earlier, you could align markets to that.

HL : Everyone in the industry is trying get more fan data. There’s an opportunity in real, long-term partnerships to look at how we collectively connect and use that data together. How do we curate messaging that is targeted, instead of all going after the same fans for different platforms?

CP: Having fans engage directly with what’s going on with the athletes, the coaches, strategy and statistics in the game creates a more compelling in-game, live experience. The data has to go with the technology. Younger people want technology that doesn’t exist. Right now, they can’t pull a single device out and watch four different things, plus have all these overlays at the same time. But that’s the kind of technology we would like to see.

Corey Plummer, CEO and Founder of Olybet

Ryan Bahia, Sales Enablement Director of DraftKings

Kuljeet Sindhar, Associate VP of International Gaming & Data Ventures for the NBA

Hampus Lofkvist, Direct of Global Sponsorship Sales at Sportradar

FLORIDA'S GRAY MARKET: THE SUPPRESSION OF ILLEGAL SLOT MACHINES

James A. Lewis , who practices gaming law at Duane Morris LLP, analyzes the Sunshine State's new regulatory dynamic concerning the proliferation of slot machines.

Eighty five years ago, the Florida Supreme Court held that, “Gambling, like many other practices in modern life, has had its evolution and in no field has the wit of man been shrewder; but if the elements constituting gambling are present, the name by which called will not defeat the penalty.” Creash v. State, which defined “gambling” in Florida, is widely cited as a seminal decision in the state’s ever-evolving gambling jurisprudence. This definition read, “Chance actuated by the hope of getting something for nothing is the controlling element in gambling.” However, the court’s declaration ‒ that illegal gambling constitutes illegal gambling not withstanding the name of the activity ‒ never fully deterred the widespread use of illicit slot machines within the peninsular state.

Change may be coming, albeit nearly a century later. In May, the Florida Gaming Control Commission’s (FGCC) Division of Law Enforcement announced statewide raids

targeting illegal slot machine operations. The FGCC made several arrests and seized millions in cash, and illegal “gray market” gambling machines, from alleged “adult arcades” in a sweeping joint law enforcement operation. It is one of the FGCC’s first major policing operations conducted since its inception and it also comes on the heels of other states’ efforts to address the prevalent use of similar gambling machines in the last 18 months; including Kentucky, Nebraska, Virginia and Wyoming.

Every jurisdiction in the US maintains gambling statutes, which vary in scope and sophistication. Florida is no exception. There, most forms of gambling are illegal unless exempted by statute or court decision. Section 849.14 of the Florida Statutes provides a lengthy, 129-word prohibition on staking, wagering and betting anything of value on any contest of skill, speed, or power or endurance of human or beast. Section 849.15 prohibits unlicensed slot machine

operations. Given the state’s formidable statutory proscription against illegal gambling activities and its abundance of political infrastructure, it is ostensibly a mystery why so-called adult arcades pervade strip malls, standalone structures and the dimly lit backrooms of dive bars across the Sunshine State.

This does not mean the adult arcades and the illegitimate gambling they're in went unnoticed. Florida officials were aware of the rise in adult arcades for years, but the state’s responses were minimal and its operations isolated. Occasionally, county law enforcement agencies, utilizing the assistance of the state’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, conducted minor raids on illicit gambling operations, often making a small number of arrests and seizing cash and gambling devices. Largely absent from these law enforcement operations was the former entity tasked with regulating gambling – the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering (DPMW). The DPMW, despite being Florida’s then-gambling regulatory agency, was unauthorized to conduct law enforcement operations. This changed in 2021 when the DPMW was transformed into the FGCC as a component of the gaming compact between the state and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The rectification includes, inter alia,

THERE WILL BE TRIBAL AHEAD

Denstone Group CEO Oliver Lovat delves into the history of Native American Tribes as casino operators, and why this history has largely been outside Las Vegas – so far.

The past 25 years have seen some of the world’s most exciting and innovative global gaming and hospitality companies emerging from nowhere; from across the US to Korea, to The Dominican Republic, the influence and reach of Native American Tribes is here. In Nevada, the movement for Tribal resort operators to compete with the established US casino giants in Las Vegas is finally underway.

GROWTH OF TRIBAL GAMING

The nascent entrepreneurs within the Tribal gaming industry saw casinos as a means to support Tribal operations, which had faced generations of wider societal neglect, suspicion and injustice. Opposed by many states – and some casino operators – The US Supreme Court confirmed the rights

of Tribes to operate and regulate casinos on their land. Clarified in the shape of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, the legislation set out the operating framework, including Class III gaming, which exists in Tribal-State compacts. The legislation is based on pre-existing practices within the individual state Classes I and II, which are internally regulated and also established the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC).

The bold moves, notably by the Seminole Tribe, native in Florida, which opened the Seminole Classic bingo parlor in 1979, have paid off. In the intervening years, 245 Tribes have opened over 520 casinos. The earliest movers include the most successful, notably the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe Nation (Foxwoods), Shakopee

Mdewakanton Sioux Tribe (Mystic Lake) and The Mohegan Tribe, in partnership with South African casino developer Sol Kerzner (Mohegan Sun).

In California, Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians (Pechanga), San Manuel Band of Mission Indians (Yaamava’) and Morongo Band of Mission Indians (Morongo) dominate the market. However, the largest Tribal property in the USA is Oklahoma’s Chickasaw Nation’s WinStar, which opened in 2003.

The NIGC reports that from $5.4bn gross gaming revenue (GGR) in 1995, Tribal casinos took $39bn GGR in 2021. From providing much-needed resources, some Tribes have grown to become effective corporations, with the sector coming to wider prominence with

the near $1bn acquisition of the Hard Rock business by the Seminoles in 2006.

However, there is a clear distinction between Tribes and corporations, with the former acting more akin to an extended family office with Tribal members on board; the casinos remain a means to an end, providing education, employment, careers, training and other life-enhancing investment. Moreover, the financial benefits have allowed the Tribes to preserve their heritage and build infrastructure to enable wider economic benefit.

A CHALLENGE TO STRATEGIC COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

My own research into strategic competitive advantage within casino resorts points to two drivers: location and customer loyalty. In many cases, Tribal casinos flourished as they were the only show in town, as gaming was a highly restricted sector. Indeed, one of WinStar’s primary success drivers is its proximity to the population-heavy Dallas/ Fort Worth area and prohibition of gaming in Texas. Likewise with Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods in Connecticut in the northeast.

Over time, these resorts implemented many of the loyalty drivers seen in other markets, to compete against other Tribes, even taking the lead in innovating in technology, offerings and amenities to have facilities that rivaled – and even surpassed – those of the nation’s premier resorts. Elsewhere, multiple generations of Las Vegas’ operators had three theoretical

concerns over the viability of the desert town as a sustainable concern.

First was the proliferation of gaming across America, which would question why someone would travel to a remote town in southern Nevada – a concern that was justified; from 1980 to 2000, the Strip played second fiddle to Atlantic City as the US gaming leader. Second was an economic downturn, or the grounding of air traffic (although a pandemic closing the casinos was too far-fetched). The third fear was a tragic incident in the resort corridor that would cause mass fatalities. All these scenarios have occurred and yet Las Vegas has continued to thrive, with growing visitation and revenues, as well as diversification of both its customers and revenues. To misquote one of Nevada’s former residents, the many reports of Las Vegas’ impending demise “have been greatly exaggerated.”

To mitigate these three concerns, Las Vegas operators sought presences in other markets, both nationally and internationally. Where commercial casinos have been permitted, the likes of Boyd, Bally’s, Penn, Pinnacle, Caesars (and their forerunners, Harrah’s, Eldorado) have built significant portfolios, diversifying their revenues from Nevada and Atlantic City. Even Wynn’s Boston Encore has luxury leisure on offer, and MGM’s footprint ranges from urban

properties in Springfield and Detroit, to National Harbor and Borgata on the East Coast. Macau has proved fruitful for Sands, Wynn and MGM, and Marina Bay Sands stands peerless in terms of performance. It seems that Sands’ bid to receive gaming consent in Texas has stalled, but New York City is firmly on track, eroding the competitive position of both Tribal casinos in Connecticut, but also in Atlantic City.

However, these moves concerned Tribal operators, who themselves have sought to expand their domestic footprint. What if there is further deregulation of casinos within states, thus permitting commercial operators to enter the market and challenge their primacy? A well-disciplined and funded Tribal lobby has resisted such attempts in many states. However, it was perhaps these factors that gave rise to the idea that now is the time for the Native American Tribes to consider entry to Las Vegas, the most competitive market on Earth – and one with little regulatory barriers to entry for established operators, such as the now well-schooled and highly professional Tribal operators.

A DIFFERENT DECADE

In the 1990s, as Tribal gaming was emerging as a serious business, Las Vegas’ ownership was significantly diversified, but by 2010 there had been significant consolidation. MGM had acquired Mirage and Mandalay Resorts, Harrah’s had acquired Caesars Entertainment and other

independents on The Strip, plus taken active strategies to increase customer loyalty.

Evidence on customer behavior contrasted from research taken in 2021 compared to 2011; indeed, it shows a marked increase in customer loyalty – and thus success from existing operator strategies.

This makes entry to the consolidated Las Vegas market for new operators much harder, particularly without a differentiated offering and, more importantly, without an established database of customers. This was the narrative of The Cosmopolitan, which took several years of operation until profitability and may explain the apparent relative underperformance of Genting’s Resorts World – the two newest ground-up developments – on the Strip.

Evidence also shows that 84% of visitors are members of MGM’s loyalty program and 69% of Caesars Rewards, compared

to under 40% of any other single players’ club. Strategically, the regional diversification model of Boyd, Caesars, Penn and MGM allowed them to exercise a hub-and-spoke model, where local players can redeem points and receive benefits for their play in Las Vegas, thus driving loyalty to the commercial casinos, an option not available for standalone properties who can only offer local redemption. With these considerations, Tribal operators began to advance their own strategies.

ENTERING THE MARKET

At time of writing, we have seen several Native American Tribes make moves into the Las Vegas market, with a myriad of strategies deployed. The first entrant to the market was Mohegan Sun, who took part in a unique operating experiment conceived by

Richard Bosworth, CEO of JC Hospitality. After the acquisition of the off-Strip Hard Rock, which for legacy reasons was not operated by the Seminoles, Bosworth compiled a portfolio of brands and partners within the resort. Hospitality giants Virgin and Hilton were engaged, with the new resort branded as the former and the hotel under the Curio brand of the latter. Restaurants were a selection of leases, licenses and joint ventures; AEG ran the entertainment and, most uniquely, the casino and sportsbook were to be licensed and operated by third parties. The sportsbook was the first Nevada concern for UK bookmaker Betfred, and Mohegan Sun was selected to operate the casino – and only the casino. So, at the Virgin Hotel, guests could book through Hilton’s platform, dine at independent restaurants, see a show programmed by AEG and play at The Mohegan Sun Casino – difficult to navigate for customers, operators and marketers alike!

The theory was intended for the unconnected brands and established databases to leverage off each other; however the experiment is yet to be proved, with the component parts yet to align cohesively. Bosworth stepped down as CEO in March this year.

Mohegan operates a handful of resorts across the USA and Canada and is currently completing the $5bn Inspire Resort in South Korea. Mohegan has lots to do in Las Vegas to meet its aspirations that exist in other markets. Meanwhile, The Palms in Las Vegas was an innovator. On opening in 2001, it catered for both the younger customer at the weekend, with a decorated nightlife program, while capturing local players during midweek.

After a recession-induced bankruptcy, the property struggled to find a role in the new Las Vegas, which had successfully adopted many of the drivers of The Palms’ success. A second wind beckoned for The Palms when Station Casinos acquired the property for over $300m and invested over $650m in the new asset, in an attempt to restore it to former glory.

Despite this investment, the reinvention was cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic

THE GROWING POPULARITY OF UFC BETTING

Gaming America speaks with Lawrence Epstein of the UFC and Ali Schempp, SVP and Head of Business Development at US Integrity, about the growing interest in UFC betting.

With UFC betting growing in popularity in recent years, what are the reasons behind its rise, how can it keep that momentum going but has it made enough of an impact to be considered by major operators? Gaming America explores… The UFC opened its cage doors on November 12 1993 with UFC 1 as its first show. Originally the fight promotion was a no-holds-barred contest between different fighting styles. However, when the UFC wanted to be taken more seriously, it introduced a ruleset and regulations.

UFC BETTING GROWTH

Since the UFC launched 30 years ago, bringing mixed martial arts from a minority sport to one of the more recognized sports in the world has been a slow process. However, sports betting has made the competition more entertaining for spectators. Thanks to gambling sponsors, MMA promotions like the UFC, can now grow faster. Ali Schempp, SVP and Head of Business Development at US Integrity, tells Gaming America, “UFC is one of the fastest-growing sports in terms of not just popularity, but sheer betting on the sport. We’re seeing increasingly more betting engagement, especially as more and more jurisdictions come online in the US.”

The UFC has over 700 million fans worldwide who are loyal to the UFC brand. It produces more than 40 events and 500 bouts per year, with a roster of athletes from more than 75 countries. The UFC has no off-season and covers multiple demographics and time zones, potentially making UFC wagering more appealing for people all around the world. UFC SEVP & COO Lawrence Epstein tells Gaming America, “MMA betting has seen meaningful growth in the past five years and with UFC’s status as the world’s premier MMA organization, we are continuing to see growth in this space. GGR for

LAWRENCE EPSTEIN UFC, COO

UFC has grown at an estimated CAGR of over 18%. The regulatory changes in the global betting landscape, particularly in the US, would point to this trend continuing –if not increasing.”

The growth in UFC betting is catching up with other sports. Schempp said, “Betting on the UFC is very popular. I’d say some UFC pay-per-views are currently on par with notable marquee events, like golf majors; some even surpassed that. So although they may not be an NFL playoff game yet, the UFC is one of the faster-growing sports. It doesn’t pull in the handle of an NBA final game or an NFL playoff game, but in terms of growth, it’s certainly among the top movers.”

LOCATION OF UFC BETTORS

Popular US locations of UFC bettors often coincide with the overall betting volume of each state. Schempp states that New Jersey, New York and Ohio are popular UFC betting states due to their sheer amount of bettors. However, Nevada – home to the UFC Octagon – also has high UFC betting rates,

due to both fans and locals betting when the events are on. He expands, "Nevada still does very good numbers because you have a lot of people traveling here for UFC events, whether they attend them or whether they go to a local UFC watch party. Locals are betting on it, so are people from California. For as long as California is not going to have regulated sports betting, you’re still going to get a massive rush of Californians that come to Nevada for betting and a lot of that will be for UFC betting.”

INCREASED EXPOSURE VIA THE HELP OF BETTING PARTNERS

The UFC has a range of global and regional betting sponsors, including bet365 (UK/ IRE), DraftKings (US and Canada), Stake.com (LatAm and Asia), and Neds/Entain (Australia), with “additional potential partnerships under discussion” Epstein recounts.

The exec continues, “Our betting partners have seen combat sports – and UFC in particular – evolve from a niche offering to a high-demand category with significant growth potential. For UFC and our betting partners, we also collaborate on meaningful brand activations that can enhance the fan experience, like in-broadcast odds integrations and digital content that highlights upcoming bouts. It’s worth noting that the UFC embraced betting very early on, as we saw it as a great fan engagement opportunity. In fact, UFC became one of the first sports to incorporate odds as part of its broadcast and website as early as 2013. We have long believed that wagering on UFC events is likely the most impactful way we can activate our existing fanbase, and add new fans to the UFC ecosystem.” Betting has clearly played a huge part in the exposure, growth and popularity of the fight promotion. Perhaps the reason the UFC is so far ahead of other MMA promotions is because it was the first to add odds.

KEEPING ON TOP OF UNUSUAL WAGERING ACTIVITY

With an increase in wagering comes an increase in unusual wagering. The UFC recently partnered with US Integrity to help monitor nefarious betting behavior and make sure its betting integrity remains at a

ALI SCHEMPP US Integrity, SVP & Head of Business Development

high standard. Schempp explains, “The UFC seems to be taking not just the integrity of the sport extremely seriously, but the education aspect of it as well – educating the athletes, the trainers, coaching staff and even employees.” Schempp states there is an obvious correlation between increased betting handle and an increase in unusual betting, but believes there is no direct link between particular events and unusual betting. “People are far more likely to watch an event if they are wagering on it.”

THE FUTURE OF MMA BETTING

Inevitably, the more states legalize sports betting, the more states will take part in betting on the UFC. Schempp expands, “More betting offered on the UFC means more books get comfortable with putting up new markets, new props, new options, expanding the menu and we’ve seen that with DraftKings.” Epstein comments, “More than 50% of UFC’s events take place in the US, which is a quickly changing betting market estimated to be worth potentially $21bn by 2026. So that timeframe is becoming a key driver of UFC betting growth.”

Alongside the legalization of sports betting in the US, Epstein also believes the popularity of UFC wagering is linked to the enhanced betting experience

that is offered to bettors, “The increased handle will be driven by the consumer’s overall betting experience. Increasing the number of markets and enhancing the inplay experience via in-depth statistics and visualizations, as well as integrating sports betting into broadcast and media, will likely grow handle as UFC fans become more mature betting consumers.”

Overall, it is clear that over the past five years, UFC betting has risen – and remains on the rise, with fans and fighters located all over the world feeding into the UFC betting machine. The rise in popularity of UFC betting is in respect to the legalization of sports betting in the US, the collaboration with operators, its early entry into the industry and its worldwide appeal has been growing since the '90s. The UFC got there first. But, naturally, to achieve a knockout blow, there is still a way to go to challenge the very biggest sports.

SELF-EXCLUSION: DOES IT TRULY WORK?

Whyte expands, “In the US, we place far too much emphasis on the individual excluding themselves. Even though there are all sorts of gaps and problems, and not nearly enough on the public health model, which says you should be doing prevention and education. You should be talking about this in families, in faith communities, in schools and then all of those layers then add up to make a protective system of which self-exclusion is a relatively small part.”

access. We’ve got one number that covers the entire US. You can call, text, or get referred to local resources. Self-exclusion is just the opposite. There’s no funnel. There are hundreds of different

Self-exclusion works as a means to restrict people from gambling of their own volition. But how much does it really help and is it the best option to help combat problem gambling? If people can unblock themselves from exclusion programs, or just go elsewhere to gamble, to what lengths does self-exclusion really work? Gaming America speaks to Keith Whyte, Executive Director at the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) to find out more.

When discussing the efficacy of self-exclusion programs, Whyte states, “I think they do work and we’d certainly love to see more evidence. We need more published outcomes in reporting, not just from the exclusion companies themselves, but third-party reviews. That’s a big missing gap. What’s the evidence base? How does this work? But, I think the other thing is that we put far too much weight on self-exclusion or self-exclusion apps in particular, when we need to conceptualize problem gambling as a public health issue. Then you realize the apps are just one tool or one layer."

LACK OF DIRECTION

Unlike the UK, Whyte says the US doesn’t have an equivalent to the likes of Gamstop (a charity to help those wanting to self-exclude from both mobile and land-based gaming). Instead, there are hundreds of different self-exclusion apps, most of which are standalone. “You could exclude yourself from one (app) a day and spend a whole year, and still not have reached all of the jurisdictions or all the operators or all the verticals in the US.” The NCPG operates the National Problem Gambling Helpline. The helpline is a single national access point to local resources for those seeking advice on problem gambling, be it for themselves, or a friend/family member. The network consists of 28 contact centers that provide resources and referrals for all 50 states and US territories. The website states that help is available 24/7 and is 100% confidential.

“I would say it’s a great concept (self-exclusion) but, as it’s evolved, has become very consumer unfriendly. Consumers are looking for a single point of

“It all starts with making that first phone call. Saying ‘I need help, I can no longer do this on my own.’”

"GAMBLERS AREN’T JUST IMMORAL, GREEDY, WEAK-WILLED CRIMINALS."

programs the consumer has to find on their own and exclude on their own. They all have different terms such as: length, jurisdictional, where they’re effective, how you can get off them if it’s not a lifetime exclusion, etc.”

WAS TREATMENT BETTER 30 YEARS AGO?

Due to the advancement in technology, the way we deal with everything now is different. However, just because technology has advanced, it doesn’t mean strategies have advanced too. Whyte reflects on his experience in the industry over the years, “When we originally helped conceptualize self-exclusion in the late '90s, it was a post-treatment program. The theory was somebody who had a gambling problem received treatment from a professional counselor and then at the end of their treatment, if they had really stopped their gambling urges and were in a solid state of recovery, they could apply for exclusion as a means of relapse

prevention – so they were literally in a better state of mind. They could make an informed decision about exclusion and, as a result, a lot less people breached. So it’s no surprise that a ton of people breach because if you’re someone with a massive gambling problem, and your spouse catches you gambling, you go, ‘ok I’m going to exclude.’ But if you haven’t addressed the fundamental underlying gambling disorder, you’re much more likely to go back next day.”

THE CRIMINALIZATION OF SELF-EXCLUSION

In the US, 100% of the burden is placed on the individual as most operators have no legal or regulatory obligations to honor the individual’s self-exclusion. This doesn’t mean to say the person self-excluding should have as little responsibility as possible, according to Whyte, but they shouldn’t have 100% of it. Indeed, the NCPG chief claims there shouldn’t be an enforcement mechanism as that will deter people from seeking help or self-excluding. “In some ways, we have almost criminalized a mental health disorder because many of the self-exclusion penalties are criminal and so even though self-exclusion is a great concept, it still places the majority

of the burden on the individual. It’s consumer-unfriendly in a lot of different ways. Instead of getting help, you may go to jail. Instead of having a balanced approach to responsibility, the majority of responsibility is placed on the consumer and instead of having one funnel to hundreds of different programs, we have hundreds of different programs that have no common funnel. The National Council would like to help everyone do a lot better, but trying to get our arms around it is really difficult.”

THE STATES CAN DO MORE

According to the NCPG’s 2022 comparison report – in regards to what each state is doing to help tackle problem gambling – the likes of Pennsylvania and New Jersey appeared to be doing the most, while states like Delaware had very few objectives they were fulfilling when it came to helping combat problem gambling. This means that perhaps more control is in the states' hands than the operators. “We’ve been at this since 1972. We’ve been urging the gambling industry to do better responsible gambling and by large they have. The hard part has been getting the Government to follow best practices. Since 2015, we’ve had a set of internet responsible gambling best-practice standards. Out of the states that allow iGaming, only New Jersey has adopted those in regulation. Why didn’t Delaware? I don’t know.”

Large operators often upkeep global responsible gambling practices, even when they’re not required to, but the same can’t be said for the rest, accoring to Whyte. To verify operators responsible gambling efforts, the NCPG has created a verification system which is optional for operators but it still isn't getting fully utilized. Whyte explains, “Leading operators – the Caesars and the Entains of the world – tell us that they do maintain those standards even when they’re not required, but a lot of their competitors don’t. We even offer a third-party assessment; if you say, ‘Hey, look, I’m doing this voluntarily,’ the National Council will bring an audit or an evaluator in there, from a

KEITH WHYTE Executive Director National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG)

consumer-facing perspective, to say, ‘Yes, Company X in Delaware (for example), maintains the same high standards and we’ll bring our brand, our seal of approval. So regulators, legislators, customers and competitors all know that Company X is maintaining the same high, responsible gambling standards voluntarily and I think that would be powerful. I think we’ve got a lot of credibility in this area. We just can’t get anybody to utilize our internet compliance assessment program (iCAP) in the iCasino space. Lots of lotteries do it. We’re seeing sports betting companies do it; we have seen others do it too.”

WHAT CAN OPERATORS DO?

As previously established, states and their regulators can do a lot more, but what more can operators do to help problem gamblers on their platforms? By utilizing data, Whyte hopes operators can detect markers of harm and provide appropriate messaging that will signal people away from high-risk behavior. Operators may be less inclined to do this if it puts a dent in their profits. However, Whyte thinks operators who look out for their customers will benefit more than those who don't.

“There’s considerable evidence that the more responsible gambling tools you provide your customers, the better lifetime value they have. They’re less likely to exclude themselves. They’re less likely to go for bonus views or shop with other operators. They’re more likely to stay loyal to a company they feel cares about them and is not

just trying to squeeze every single cent as fast as possible from them. There’s a lot of studies in Europe and we hope to see the same in the US. The customers who engage with RG tools have higher lifetime value for operators. So it’s not just the ethical case for responsible gambling, it’s the economic case too.”

THERE’S NO ‘ONE-CURES-ALL’ SOLUTION WHEN IT COMES TO ADDICTION

Recovering from any addiction can be extremely difficult, especially when there’s little guidance on what to do to help aid recovery. But just like any other addiction – it all starts with admitting it to yourself and accepting that you need help. It's just that everyone is different.

Having been in the industry for a long time, Whyte is well-versed in addiction behavior, “It all starts with making that first phone call. Saying ‘I need help, I can no longer do this on my own, so I need some help.’ We will help take you the rest of the way. You call text or chat or go on our website, and we’ll then get you the resources in your state. And for some people, that pathway may be spiritual. For some people, that pathway may be treatment – professional treatment and professional counseling. For some people, that pathway may be self-help groups. Some people recover on their own, so we just want to be that funnel.”

NCPG was contacted by 270,000 people last year who were seeking recovery from problem gambling. The charity informs the

individual of the help they can receive as well as refers appropriate sources to them. Whyte continues, “Self-exclusion can play a valuable role. I think we would just say, in general, we want to make sure a gambler is making an informed decision about their options, including self-exclusion, and that is difficult when they’re still in the throes of gambling addiction; and by definition they’re not thinking clearly. Everybody’s different. Maybe some people can exclude, and for some people it may be a really helpful thing to start them in their recovery, but other people may benefit by delaying self-exclusion.

"One of the biggest barriers to people getting help and staying in recovery is the lack of understanding and the shame and stigma surrounding gambling problems. The biggest thing we can do in the US is remove more of the shame and stigma attached to problem gambling. There are lots of tools; we have known for a long time how to deal with addictions in general. Gambling has some nuances, but by and large, it’s a lot like dealing with addiction to alcohol or other drugs. It’s more helping people understand that problem gambling is a public health issue. It’s a preventable and treatable disorder that there’s hope and help, and that gamblers aren’t just immoral, greedy, weak-willed criminals. If we can change public opinion, that’s going to help a lot more people feel a lot more comfortable seeking help when the help is there.”

In conclusion, overall it seems that – as an idea – self-exclusion apps work. However, in the US, the concept needs to be better executed. The tools are there but they aren’t transparent and self-exclusion itself is seen more criminally than as a recovery tool. The root cause needs to be addressed before problem gamblers self-exclude or else they will most likely find themselves going around in circles. Environment is crucial to recovery and de-stigmatizing gambling is also vital for those wanting to seek help. The more people view problem gambling as a public health issue, according to Whyte, the more people will feel comfortable to step forward and ask for help.

“WE HAVE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME HOW TO DEAL WITH ADDICTIONS IN GENERAL. GAMBLING HAS SOME NUANCES, BUT BY AND LARGE, IT’S A LOT LIKE DEALING WITH ADDICTION TO ALCOHOL OR OTHER DRUGS.”

DOING BUSINESS IN INDIAN COUNTRY

Rea Cisneros, NIGC Acting General Counsel, explains the processes and uses behind a declination letter in Tribal gaming.

One of the most common requests of the National Indian Gaming Commission’s (NIGC) Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is for a declination letter (a nonbinding legal opinion) that specifies whether a Tribe’s planned action or contract conforms to the sole proprietary interest provision of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) and does not constitute a management contract under it. Over the past several years, such requests have routinely been submitted to the OGC by IGRA-gaming Tribes as a precursor to obtain funding for their gaming operations.

Before discussing the purpose of a declination letter and what it is or is not – and when or how to request one – let’s be clear that declination letters exist to ensure Tribes operate in accordance with IGRA and not as a guarantee that banks will get paid.

PURPOSE OF THE DECLINATION LETTER

In 2010, the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin decided Wells Fargo Bank v. Lake of the Torches Economic Development Corp., which held that a trust indenture entered into by Lake of the Torches EDC and Wells Fargo Bank was an unapproved management agreement and, thus, void.

After the Lake of the Torches decision, OGC issued declination letters to ease lending in Indian Country for gaming-related projects. Declination letters have since become a regular part of doing business in Indian country. But now, 13 years later, do declination letters still serve this purpose? Quite simply, yes. OGC continues to issue declination letters to facilitate lending in

REA L. CISNEROS NIGC Acting General Counsel

Indian Country, especially in such uncertain financial times, because it is foremost an acknowledgement that agreements into which Tribes enter are legally sound and do not violate IGRA. Perhaps a more nuanced question to consider is whether declination letters should be part of an IGRA-gaming operation’s tools to secure financing.

WHAT IS A DECLINATION LETTER?

A declination letter is an advisory legal opinion that the submitted agreement, contract or their plural – as a whole – do not constitute a management contract under IGRA, requiring the NIGC Chair’s review and approval, and do not contravene IGRA’s mandate for the Tribe to possess the sole proprietary interest in its gaming activity. Historically, for purposes of a declination

letter, OGC has reviewed various types of contracts and agreements including: development agreements, loan agreements, security agreements, promissory notes, bond indentures, consulting agreements, employment agreements, independent contractor agreements and depository account agreements or a package of some but not all of them.

Tribes seeking financing desire such an opinion because unapproved management contracts are void. Thus, the declination letter provides an assurance of the contract’s (or contracts’) validity. Additionally, the letter addresses whether the Tribe maintains the sole propriety interest (SPI) in its gaming activity, an IGRA requirement serving the Congressional purpose that Tribes be the primary beneficiaries of their gaming. In simple terms, this means that the Tribe, through the submitted contract(s), has not relinquished ownership of its gaming operation, its gaming activity and profits therefrom. Ownership includes the right of possession in, control of and present use of the gaming operation and activity; as well as exclusive control and responsibility for it.

SHOULD A TRIBE REQUEST A DECLINATION LETTER?

Based on available data, from 2010 to present, the NIGC has reviewed approximately 682 declination letter requests. Of these, 418 (61%) related to financing. Most of the reviews were straightforward, indicating most practitioners have fine-tuned their agreements over the years to remove any provisions that implicate management

or sole proprietary interest conflicts. Hence, OGC review may not always be necessary and certainly should not be automatic. Instead, Tribes and financing entities should rely upon NIGC guidance regarding what constitutes management, control of a gaming operation/activity, or a proprietary interest in it.

So, back to the original question: should declination letters continue to be a routine part of doing business in Indian Country? The quick answer is “it depends.” Each Tribe’s agreements, previous NIGC declination reviews and unique or changing circumstances should factor heavily in a Tribe’s decision to request a declination letter. Present and past circumstances matter. For example, if a Tribe is making a discreet amendment to a credit agreement that OGC reviewed a year or two ago (e.g., only changing the London Interbank Offered Rate-LIBOR to Secured Overnight Financing Rate -SOFR), then there is very little risk that the amendments implicate management or sole proprietary interest concerns. The Tribe probably does not need to submit the amended agreements to OGC for a declination letter.

There are, however, circumstances where a Tribe may want to consider submitting agreements to OGC for review:

• Entering into financing agreements with a bank that does not typically lend in Indian Country and is unfamiliar with IGRA requirements. This is a good opportunity to submit the agreements to OGC for a declination letter to avoid inadvertent management or sole proprietary interest problems;

• Planning to submit a management contract for the Chairman’s review or possessing an existing management contract. New or updated financing documents may cross reference the management contract, or the documents may incorporate one another by reference, creating management or sole proprietary interest issues;

• Adding a new type of gaming to the gaming operation (e.g. sportsbooks). As the market matures, new types of gaming develop and there may be

SEEKING FINANCING

new vendors entering into agreements with Tribes who may have limited knowledge of IGRA.

HOW TO REQUEST A DECLINATION LETTER

An initial declination letter request should include in the body of the cover letter a list of all relevant draft documents that have been submitted, as well as any and all exhibits, schedules and any other documents referenced in the submission. Because OGC is not familiar with each item included in a Tribe’s request, it is extremely helpful to summarize the nature and purpose of documents. Be sure to include any unique circumstances of the agreements that impact the terms but may not be apparent from the documents (e.g. an abnormally high interest rate, because only one bank was interested in lending, or it is a greenfield project, etc.). If the declination letter is time sensitive, please specify the date by which you are requesting the letter in the request.

Keep in mind several factors impact OGC’s ability to meet a requester’s proposed deadline, including: the number and complexity of changes recommended; the number of parties, including the Tribe, who must agree to the changes; and whether the Tribe and third parties accept OGC’s recommendations. OGC conducts its reviews as quickly as possible; however, declination letter reviews typically take between four and six weeks. Additional time may be required depending on the complexity of the documents or issues raised during the review, so parties to the agreements should factor in sufficient time to allow OGC to accommodate requests for review by a specific date.

The most efficient way to request a declination letter is by e-mail at: legal_opinions@nigc.gov.

Using this e-mail address ensures that OGC assigns the matter quickly. Tribes may also mail the request to NIGC, attention Office of the General Counsel. For more detailed instructions, see NIGC’s website homepage for “How to Request a Declination Letter.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

After the request is submitted, the assigned OGC Staff Attorney will reach out to you. They may have questions or concerns during their review and may call to discuss them. If specific provisions implicate management, the Staff Attorney will discuss them with their supervisor prior to advising the parties to the contract(s). If there are not any issues or once they are all addressed, the Staff Attorney will draft a memorandum summarizing the terms of the documents, and submit it and supporting materials to an Associate General Counsel – and ultimately to the General Counsel – for final review and issuance of a declination letter.

In conclusion, declination letters are and will continue to be an essential part of doing business in Indian Country for the foreseeable future. They help ensure the integrity of the industry and make crystal clear to all parties that the proposed agreements comply with IGRA. NIGC and OGC continue to support the declination letter process as a vehicle to help ease lending to tribal operations and, by doing so, can help preserve – and grow – for decades to come, the valuable resource Indian gaming represents to native communities.

"TRIBES

DESIRE SUCH AN OPINION BECAUSE UNAPPROVED MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS ARE VOID."

THE BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO PARTIES

What has made gambling, and in particular sports betting, the one issue that has garnered bipartisan support?

Over the last several years we have witnessed an increasing political divide in the United States. We have seen two highly polarized presidential elections in the last eight years. Both sides of the aisle have taken a hard line on issues like abortion, same-sex marriage, immigration, government spending and on many other topics, lending almost no weight to bipartisan camaraderie when dealing with these important issues. However, our nation’s two major parties have come together in recent years in an unexpected way.

To date, more than 35 states have embraced regulated sports betting since the US Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) in May 2018, also known as the Bradley Act. Red and blue states alike

eagerly embraced opening a regulated sports betting market within months of the ruling, an interesting phenomenon during a time when the nation has been so visibly split along political lines.

But perhaps this trend is not as surprising as people might think. Could it be that our two major parties have agreed more often than not on the subject of nationwide sports betting?

To answer that question, let’s take a brief journey back in time to the early 1990s when the Federal Government ruled in favor of a nationwide sports betting ban. During this time, many lawmakers held a different view on sports betting, with several concerned that allowing nationwide wagers could be potentially harmful. The rising opposition to sports betting led to multiple public hearings

in June 1991, headed by the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks.

These hearings involved testimonies from members of several sports organizations. The NBA’s Commissioner at the time, David Stern, told the committee, “The interstate ramifications of sports betting are a compelling reason for federal legislation.” The subcommittee agreed with Stern’s viewpoint and said that sports betting on a federal level “is a national problem.” The group went on to add that, “The harms it inflicts are felt beyond the borders of those States that sanction it.”

Arizona Senator Dennis DeConcini first introduced a bill proposing a nationwide sports betting ban to the US Senate in February 1991. By the summer of 1992,

AI IN THE GAMING INDUSTRY: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Jun Kawasaki, CEO of MetaX Global, writes about how AI has transformed both our physical and virtual worlds.

JUN KAWASAKI MetaX Global CEO

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming every aspect of our lives and the gaming industry is no exception. AI-powered games have revolutionized the way we play, creating new opportunities and challenges for developers, players and the industry at large. The use of AI in gaming has come a long way since the early days of simple computer opponents. Today, AI technology is being used to create more immersive and engaging gaming experiences, personalized content and more intelligent game mechanics.

One of the most significant benefits of AI in gaming is the ability to create more realistic and intelligent virtual opponents. This has led to the rise of competitive AI-powered gaming, where players compete

against sophisticated computer algorithms in complex games like chess, go and poker. AI-powered opponents can learn from the player’s behavior, adapt to their strategies, and offer a more challenging and rewarding experience. AI is also being used to create more personalized gaming experiences, tailoring the game’s content and difficulty level to the player’s preferences and skill level. This can be seen in games like Assassin’s Creed, which uses machine learning to create unique and personalized side quests for each player, based on their gameplay patterns and style.

In addition to creating more immersive and personalized gaming experiences, AI is also transforming game mechanics. AI-powered game mechanics can create more intelligent and dynamic gameplay, such as creating realistic traffic flow in racing games or generating more realistic and unpredictable weather patterns in open-world games. However, with all the opportunities that AI presents to the gaming industry, there are also significant challenges that must be addressed. One of the most significant challenges is the ethical use of AI in gaming. Developers must ensure AI-powered games do not perpetuate harmful stereotypes or reinforce negative behaviors.

For example, a study found that those who played games with stereotypical depictions of women were more likely to express sexist attitudes than those who played

games without such depictions. Developers must be aware of the potential impact that their games may have on players and strive to create inclusive and diverse gaming experiences. Another challenge is the potential for AI-powered games to become addictive. As AI algorithms learn and adapt to the player’s behavior, they can create a more compelling and engaging gaming experience. However, this can also lead to players becoming too absorbed in the game and neglecting other aspects of their lives. According to a study by the World Health Organization, gaming addiction affects 3% of gamers worldwide. Developers must take responsibility for ensuring that their games do not contribute to gaming addiction, and provide players with the necessary tools and resources to manage their gaming habits.

Finally, the use of AI in gaming raises concerns about data privacy and security. As AI algorithms collect and analyze vast amounts of data about player behavior, there is a risk that this data could be misused or stolen. Developers must take steps to protect player data privacy and ensure their games are secure from cyber threats.

Despite these challenges, the future of AI in gaming is bright. The use of AI in blockchain gaming and GameFi is becoming increasingly popular, with AI-powered smart contracts enabling new forms of decentralized gaming and more intelligent player reward systems. Furthermore, the emergence of Web3 technologies is creating new opportunities for AI-powered gaming experiences. Web3 technologies like decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) can enable more personalized and decentralized gaming experiences,

with AI algorithms enabling more intelligent and dynamic interactions between players and virtual worlds. Overall, it is clear AI is transforming the gaming industry, creating new opportunities and challenges for developers, players and the industry at large. While there are ethical, addictive and security concerns that must be addressed, the benefits of AI-powered gaming are significant.

"AI-POWERED GAME MECHANICS CAN CREATE MORE INTELLIGENT AND DYNAMIC GAMEPLAY, SUCH AS CREATING REALISTIC TRAFFIC FLOW IN RACING GAMES."

WHAT BENEFITS DO CASINO MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS BRING?

Gaming America speaks to Brian Montano (Certus Gaming USA), Brooke Fiumara (OPTX) and Jeff Baldi (CasinoTrac).

BRIAN MONTANO COO

Certus Gaming USA

Montano joined Certus Gaming USA in 2019, bringing with him over 25 years of gaming industry experience. He has held progressive leadership roles at renowned organizations like BMM Testlabs, DiTronics Financial Services, JCM, IGT and Acres Gaming. Montano launched his career in casino operations and understands the dynamic challenges casino operators face internally and externally with the evolving gaming technology landscape.

BROOKE FIUMARA

Co-Founder & Co-CEO OPTX

Prior to Co-Founding OPTX, Fiumara served as the CMO for Warner Gaming, overseeing all marketing and business intelligence operations for Warner Gaming’s properties, from Four-Diamond destinations to local gaming and tribal properties. Fiumara is an alumna of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and uses her vast knowledge and expertise in casino operations, marketing and technology to drive day-to-day operations for OPTX.

JEFF BALDI SVP, Commercial Strategy

CasinoTrac

Baldi has worked in the casino industry since 1995, starting out as a Slot Floorperson at Par-A-Dice Hotel & Casino before working his way up the ranks and becoming Director of National Accounts at Aristocrat in 2010. Baldi then continued to work in executive roles within the gambling industry before becoming SVP, Commercial Strategy at CasinoTrac.

BRIAN MONTANO: Unlike our competitors, Certus' agile methodologies allow us to tailor our solutions to our partners' unique market requirements for maximum performance. Our cloud-based architecture and in-depth marketing capabilities allow operators to quickly obtain real-time, granular-level data paired with intuitive analyses for effective, real-time campaign management and actionable reporting. Our connected casino suite of solutions helps operators optimize their gaming floor by better understanding and engaging with their patrons in real-time to drive revenue and create impactful, personalized guest experiences.

BROOKE FIUMARA: At OPTX, we offer an easy-to-use platform via web and native mobile application that allows various operational departments to access all available data seamlessly. This approach eliminates barriers between departments and enables quicker, more precise and more flexible decision making. The OPTX product includes AI features that make recommendations, present insights and anomalies and allow users to take action on them. The system tracks, measures and reports on all actions taken against a business-as-usual baseline. Overall, OPTX stands out from its competition by offering a unique combination of tools on web and mobile to handle day-to-day operations, as well as advanced AI modeling across multiple departments including slots, slot dispatch, marketing and campaigns and player development.

WHAT DIFFERENTIATES YOUR CASINO MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FROM YOUR COMPETITION

JEFF BALDI: There are many unique benefits to selecting CasinoTrac as your casino management system.

CasinoTrac is a full-featured, fully unified CMS stack; all our support is US-based and distributed strategically near customer sites. Our unique licensing models eliminate expensive third-party costs, upgrades are free forever and finally, the biggest differentiator is that we are a technology company only – we are not a box fabricator or game designer that also sells systems. Systems, as a business, is all we do. As employees, what makes CasinoTrac special is less literal; it's more of a feeling. We always do what’s right. We are focused on doing business with integrity, treating everyone with dignity and respect. These are fundamental, core beliefs in our day-to-day business.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU UPDATE YOUR CASINO

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND

WHY

BRIAN MONTANO: We constantly evolve and enhance our engineering techniques and product offerings to provide our partners with cutting-edge technology, new tools and features for a competitive advantage. Certus is committed to providing a robust suite of solutions that optimize and streamline the operator and guest experience. We offer cloud-based updates regularly to ensure our partners always have access to the latest and greatest technology that we offer. We can instantly add value by upgrading our suite of products and solutions, while modernizing our offerings across all gaming operations in a more simplified and efficient manner.

BROOKE FIUMARA: OPTX is a software that can quickly respond to client requests for feature enhancements and usability improvements. This is why we work in partnership with our clients to enhance the OPTX product every four to six weeks.

JEFF BALDI: All the time! Seriously, though, we have ongoing parallel, yet synchronized development efforts. For example, it's commonplace for Chad Hoehne’s (President and CEO) development groups to design and implement customer requests from both Colombia & Oklahoma, all while working on system-wide updates and enhancements for v5 – which is our major ‘re-vamp’ project to update the UI and system in general. We are planning on v5 being in submission by October – just in time for Global Gaming Expo ’23.

BRIAN MONTANO: Selecting a more agile and advanced casino management system, like Certus' Connected Casino, can offer some unique advantages over the legacy architectures of some of our competitors. Our proprietary suite of solutions allows operators access data on both carded and anonymous player sessions. We provide a complete, holistic view of all their guests' activity throughout their property, allowing them to personalize their guest experience and drive incremental revenue by leveling up their player engagement.

BROOKE FIUMARA: The OPTX platform provides our clients with a user-friendly interface that displays their data operationally, with the added benefit of artificial intelligence to increase efficiency, reduce costs and boost revenue in different departments. OPTX is crucial in enabling future-proof operation as new data sets emerge around players and machines, amid increasing competition for patrons' entertainment budget.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT

FOR OPERATORS TO USE AN ADVANCED CASINO MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

JEFF BALDI: Great question. It's important to use a casino management system that provides what the operator needs. While CasinoTrac has all the bells and whistles of every other CMS, we focus more on system utilization. It’s commonplace for the average casino to use 10-20% of the functionality provided by their CMS; this is due in part to the CMS provider who ‘oversells’ features, doesn’t provide adequate training and never returns to the property once the install is complete. CasinoTrac takes a different approach here. We introduce features in phases allowing the operator to fully adopt the system in smaller pieces; this drives acceptance and more power users who grow into much more appropriate, higher utilization rates. Advanced systems need to be flexible and elastic, allowing the operators’ needs to dictate the implementation of ideas and help enforce policy and procedure – like CasinoTrac does.

BRIAN MONTANO: Our decades of industry-specific experience and knowledge base give us a leg up on our competition, allowing us to prepare and anticipate the evolving needs of our partners, especially when difficulties or challenges arise. Our advanced product suite, combined with our stellar service, allows our partners to stay ahead of industry trends and challenges to ensure our partners continue to capitalize on new opportunities for increased engagement and offer more immersive, personalized guest experiences. When issues arise, we handle them effectively and efficiently. We're known for our exceptional customer service worldwide and remain committed to providing responsive customer-centric service to all of our partners.

BROOKE FIUMARA: At OPTX, our biggest challenge is to gather data from various sources on a site. It takes a lot of time and effort to properly set up a customer's data and align it with our operations. However, our top priority is to make sure that the data is accurate and relevant to the customer's business. This is why we are constantly improving our processes to ensure that our data is thoroughly tested before every launch, both internally and with our partners.

JEFF BALDI: Almost 30 years ago, Chad Hoehne, our CEO, designed and built a Linux ecosystem using COBOL platforms designed for business, government and finance. Today, CasinoTrac remains unhacked, even when ‘racked’ next to systems that have been penetrated and pillaged. Fortunately, elegant and diligent design has kept us and our customers from the worst of emergencies: data breach and loss. Of course, good security is more than system design. CasinoTrac employs a three-layer proprietary program for system and data security. A blend of physical security, infrastructure design and specific, segregated interface models along with custom-designed, proactive monitoring and detection solutions are deployed with all our installations. It’s pretty cool – we haven’t lost one yet! The most common ‘emergencies’ we deal with are power and data outages. Fortunately, and thanks to Chad’s original design, our servers start immediately and pick up right where they left off… just like a refrigerator.

HAVE YOU EVER FACED ANY TECHNOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES/EMERGENCIES AND HOW HAS YOUR SYSTEM OVERCOME THOSE PROBLEMS

WHAT'S NEW

Gaming America looks at suppliers' newest land-based slots, available across the country.

INTERBLOCK PRESENTS BLACKJACK XTREME

Venture into the future of gaming with Interblock’s revolutionary Blackjack Xtreme, the game-changer that transports casino enthusiasts to new dimensions of excitement. This cutting-edge creation takes the traditional game of blackjack to unparalleled heights, offering an electrifying game-within-a-game experience. Blackjack Xtreme captivates both players and operators with its visually stunning design, exclusive line of product variations, innovative Graphical

User Interface (GUI), enticing side betting opportunities and unparalleled gameplay. Recognizing the diverse preferences of players, Interblock caters to a wide range of gaming styles with its versatile Blackjack Xtreme, available in both single and multihand versions. The Universal Cabinet (UC) configuration guarantees a personalized gaming journey, catering to individual player choices. The Diamond Video Blackjack Xtreme is a standalone unit with a double or single-sided Player Information Display (PID), accommodating groups of six or

three terminals respectively. For a truly exhilarating and communal gaming encounter, the Blackjack Xtreme table brings players together, competing together against the live or virtual dealer in the Interblock Stadium and Pulse Arena settings.

The enhanced Blackjack Xtreme GUI was ingeniously designed by Interblock to draw players and amplify participation. With an array of side betting opportunities, this immersive interface supports up to nine side bets per hand, providing players with ample chances to win. The seamless “Bet All” button empowers players to effortlessly place bets on all available side bets simultaneously, while extending to the main hand(s), thereby maximizing participation and amplifying winning potential.

Players experience long-term recognition with redesigned side bet logos, ensuring easy identification and adding to the overall appeal. The optimized layout and extended winning animations create a truly rewarding sensation. Strategically positioned below the main information display, the dealer’s history offers players an optimal view of preceding outcomes, enhancing decision making and strategy. Moreover, Interblock’s adjustable game cycle speeds ensure a pace that suits all players, fostering elevated engagement and an enjoyable gaming involvement. Embark on a revolutionary gaming adventure with Interblock’s Blackjack Xtreme, where cutting-edge technology, immersive interfaces and thrilling gameplay redefine the casino experience.

INCREDIBLE TECHNOLOGIES INTRODUCES PRISM ELEMENT CABINET

Incredible Technologies (IT) has begun its nationwide rollout of its latest hardware, Prism Element. After its spring reveal, the cabinet is ready to hit casino floors as a sleek and focused addition to IT’s Prism product line. The newest core cabinet leverages the established Prism platform and brings a simple silhouette with powerful gameplay to slot floors.

Element features a 55” 4K portrait screen with touchscreen capabilities for interactive gameplay. The 18.5” PrismDeck button panel is flanked by dual bash buttons for a more comfortable and extended time on device. Element Banner signage above the EGM advertises game features and progressives to create a cohesive, branded package on a core bank. Element’s focused design and game development position it as a revenue-driving core cabinet, ideal for placement in multiple banks.

as a revenue-driving core cabinet, ideal for features. Players can expect a purposeful

The Element theme catalog is designed for avid and repeat players with a focus on proven math and innovative, trending features. Players can expect a purposeful audio and animation package with focus on what matters most: gameplay. Element launches with two unique game families: Lotus Link and Hold N Gold.

Hold N Gold themes feature a Lock and Spin style bonus where players are looking for six scatters to trigger the Hold N Gold bonus. A familiar mechanic is given added excitement with a three-spin persistence feature, a progressive wheel and extra help from Hold N Gold characters who may award bonus scatters, prize upgrades, and additional chances to win big!

growing bonus pots that build excitement

and Spin bonus with pay enhancements reels, and instant wins! With progressives features that address current trends and

Lotus Link themes launch with three growing bonus pots that build excitement with every spin. Any pot is triggered by its corresponding scatter and features a Lock and Spin bonus with pay enhancements like multipliers, credit upgrades, extended reels, and instant wins! With progressives at any bet and huge win potential, Lotus Link is a meticulously designed family with features that address current trends and cater to repeat players.

GAMING ARTS' THOR'S THUNDER TAKES THE COUNTRY BY STORM!

Gaming Arts is extremely excited to announce the latest summer hit that is sure to light up casino floors across the nation, Thor’s Thunder! Thor’s

Thunder is a cash-on-reels game with a wide variety of features and jackpots available to the player that are unlocked when Thor appears in the center position. Offering prizes such as credits, jackpots that scale by player’s bet, free

games, and an innovative Storm Fever Mode, players are sure to love the big wins and frequent features. A prominent Thor character with an electrifying lightning storm behind him will draw players’ attention from across the casino floor. During gameplay, Thor can introduce wins, add winning symbols to the reels, laugh to indicate a big win is imminent, and initiate a Super Spin where numerous extra cash-on-reel symbols appear almost guaranteeing a big win. In addition to the Super Spin, the player can win up to 25 free games when Thor appears with a free game cash-on-reel symbol. Multiple free game awards are also possible to rack up long free game sessions. During the free games, Thor is locked into the middle position, guaranteeing a win for any cash-on-reel symbol that appears. The free games also feature a higher rate of Super Spins, giving the player an opportunity to win big and win often. The Storm Fever Mode is a unique, player-funded feature that allows for higher cash-on-reel values, Super Spins that happen more often, and Thor that appears generously. The Storm Fever Mode has an extra layer of excitement as there is no countdown meter for games remaining; the Storm Fever Mode ends when the storm ends, keeping players on the edge of their seat. Don’t miss this summer’s newest hit and play Thor’s Thunder at a casino near you.

ARE YOU THE NEXT LUCKY RINGER?

SCA Gaming’s all new digital ring toss game allows guests to toss rings in hopes of ringing in millions. Your guest will toss rings at the bottles to see what they have won. If the lucky bottle is rung, the guest could win a life-changing prize of up to $5,000,000! The Ringer is sure to boost the level of excitement on your casino floor.

The Ringer is available in both 46” and 70” monitor sizes.

46" monitor

70" monitor