Infinity Gaming Magazine December 2019

Infinity Gaming www.gaming-awards.com | ISSUE111

BREXIT THE FACTS FOR GAMBLING IGA 2020 FINALISTS INSIDE Maltese Gambling Chief Accused of Murder Special Feature Inside

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

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08 MALTESE SCANDAL

22 SLOTS OF ADVICE Andy Cosgrove

BREXIT & THE INDUSTRY

Opinion Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in all external articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Infinity Gaming Magazine Any content provided by our feature writers or authors are of their opinion, and are not intended to malign any religion, ethic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.

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4 EDITOR NOTES Editor welcomes you to the latest edition of Infinity Gaming Magazine.

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

08 THE MALTESE SCANDAL

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12 MEET THE IGA FINALISTS 28 ROLL ON 2020 Lynn Pearce De Freitas

IGA 2020 FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

32 2019 A SIGN Christina Thakor-Rankin

38 DON’T THEY KNOW? Teresa Tunstall

MALTA SCANDAL

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43 ALAN HO SENTENCED

51 SWEDEN FALLING NUMBERS

+ NEWS & MORE NEWS from the gaming industry

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A note from the editor CONTACT US Clever Duck Media Centrix@Keys Keys Park Road Staffordshire WS12 2HA UK Tel: +44(0)1543 478 889 PRODUCTION Clever Duck Media Centrix@Keys Keys Park Road Staffordshire WS12 2HA UK

Welcome our IGA FINALISTS

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Lana Thompson - Editor-in-Chief

Welcome to the latest edition of the Infinity Gaming Magazine Welcome to the latest edition of the In-

politics, we are still Europeans and we

finity Gaming Magazine and the finalists

always want to remain that.

are in and congratulations to you all, it was again another record amount of en-

Now back to the magazine and our fea-

tries and by just reaching the finals for

ture writers, Teresa Tunstall, Andy Cos-

the 2020 International Gaming Awards

grove, Christina Thakor-Rankin and Lynn

(IGA) you have done superbly.

Pearce De Freitas bring as always some superb insights from the world of gam-

It truly is remarkable the amount of en-

ing, along with that we have a special

tries and diverse entries into the IGA

articles on the Malta scandal among

and shows the strength in depth within

others.

our industry.

Have a super month, enjoy the magaWe would also like to thank Moore our

zine and we will catch you all in 2020,

partner Audit Company for their help in

let’s make this a year to remember.

working with the judges on their votes.

As always we would like to thank our sponsors for their superb support of

“To Infinity and Beyond!”

this charity focused event: Melco, IGT, BBIN, BetConstruct, Les Ambassadeurs,

Regards,

Ultraplay, Galaxy Entertainment, Scien-

Lana

tific Games, Connective Games, Pilot Games, Pragmatic Play, Play’n GO and Yggdrasil.

Now a word has to be said on the recent UK elections, it seems that with the new Conservative Government the UK will be leaving the EU, however we are not leaving Europe just the EU and its

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Infinity Gaming Magazine Contributing Writers A magazine is only as good as the content inside and with some of the leading specialists within the gaming industry. With specialised articles covering customer service, the gaming law, new prducts, technology and current affairs with the sector the Infinity Gaming Magazine is delighted to showcase our superb line-up of contributing writers.

Christina Thakor-Rankin Christina is Principal Consultant at 1710 Gaming Ltd, a specialist betting and gaming consultancy, delivering a range of services including licensing and compliance (incl. regulation, money laundering and social responsibility), business start-up, training and strategic reengineering, project management, research, business analysis and development, to start-ups and established multi-national operators and providers, gambling regu-

lators, law enforcement and government agencies, media, and specialist interest groups and associations within the sector, in both established and emerging markets across the world.

www.1710gaming.com

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

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

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

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

Lee-Ann Johnstone With almost two decades of digital and affiliate marketing experience gained within retail, payments and iGaming brands.

Lee-Ann Johnstone has a wealth of expertise as an award-winning digital and affiliate marketer and business mentor. She is a regular speaker , industry writer and the founder of AffiliateINSIDER a specialist agency offering strategic consulting and affiliate program management, training and coaching.

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

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

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

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The Wealthy Maltese Gambling Chief Accused of Murder

T

he case for a two-year old unsolved murder has just sprung open again as Yorgen Fenech, the wealthy gambling entrepreneur from Malta was arrested in connection with the death. Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in a car bomb that exploded in October 2017 and Fenech is believed to be one of the individuals who ordered the hit.

But who really is gambling tycoon Yorgen Fenech and why did he mastermind the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia? To do this, we first need to learn more about Daphne Caruana Galizia and why she was targeted.

Who was Daphne Caruana Galizia?

Born in 1964, Daphne Caruana Galizia was widely regarded as one of Malta’s most well-known investigative journalist who had ruffled many feathers over the years with her uncompromising approach.

Caruana Galizia believed that corruption was at the core of Maltese politics and was unrelenting in her quest to expose it. She regularly worked as

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a journalist for top publications such as the Malta Independent and the Malta Times. Daphne Caruana Galizia also had a popular blog, Running Commentary, where she outlined her investigations into corruption and other wrongdoings of a criminal nature. She alleged that corruption was rife in Malta to the highest level and not long before she died, Caruana Galizia was reporting on claims about some of the most senior politicians in the country.

One of the high-profile cases Daphne Caruana Galizia was known to have been working on revolved around the PM Joseph Muscat and his wife.

Claims were made that the PM’s wife was one of the secret owners of a company in Panama which was being used to siphon funds from the ruling family in Azerbaijan.

Daphne Caruana Galizia didn’t just target politicians operating on Malta, the ex-European Commissioner John Dalli was fired from his role due to a tobacco scandal. Caruana Galizia played no small part in this and was dubbed as a “one-woman Wikileaks”

by influential website, Politico.

One of the last cases which Caruana Galizia wrote about in her blog was a Dubai company known as 17 Black Ltd, a business which was shrouded in complete secrecy. By the time of her death she hadn’t been able to uncover the owner but alleged that the business was connected to corruption with Maltese politicians.

It’s perhaps not a surprise to hear that the provocative journalist was singled out for many threats over the years, and by extension, her family received them too. Unfortunately on 16 October 2017, one of those threats was to become a reality.

How did Daphne Caruana Galizia die?

Daphne Caruana Galizia died close to her home in Bidnija when her car exploded after a bomb was planted.

According to rumours, a hit was originally planned which included shooting her but at the last minute the method was switched.

Three men have been detained in

Daphne Caruana Galizia

custody and are facing prosecution for the murder of the journalist: Vincent Muscat plus brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio.

According to Muscat’s version of events, the trio stalked Caruana Galizia for some time with the Degiorgio brothers procuring a rifle from Italy, intending to shoot her. Plans progressed as far as setting up sandbags to create a stable base to shoot Caruana Galizia while she sat near a window.

At some point the plans were changed and instead, a bomb was purchased from Maltese gangsters, allegedly made by the Italian mob. It took a few weeks for the new plan to be hatched but they were unable to figure out how to reach the car which was usually parked inside a compound, with a pet dog running loose. Sadly for Daphne Caruana Galizia, on the night of 15th October 2017 the car was left parked outside providing her killers with the perfect opportunity.

The three gang members all went together to Bidnija to plant the bomb, with Alfred Degiorgio the one who was designated to do the deed. He

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placed the bomb beneath the driver’s seat while the other two kept watch.

Caruana Galizia was driving away from her home when the bomb exploded en route, killing her instantly.

The arrest of Fenech It may seem like quite a jump between the three villains accused of planting the bomb and wealthy Malta casino owner Yorgen Fenech. However, investigators have been steadily collecting evidence on Fenech for the past year or more, taking their time to build up a strong case against him.

Fenech did not transact with the bombers directly instead preferring to use a middleman, a loan shark known as Melvin Theuma.

The information gained by the MSS apparently confirms that Fenech paid Theuma €450,000 to pass onto the three bombers. Many of the conversations recorded by Theuma were in the aftermath of the killing, when they were discussing the refusal of the court to grant bail.

Investigators finally felt they had enough evidence to move against Fenech and his imminent departure from the country appears to have prompted an arrest. Fenech’s yacht was spotted manoeuvring out of the marina at Portomaso just before dawn but the vessel was intercepted. Police forced Fenech to return to dock where he was arrested on suspicion of ordering the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Yorgen Fenech: the gambling guru

The Malta Security Service (MSS) has allegedly been monitoring all conversations between Theuma and Fenech since 2018, with a tap placed on the latter. Theuma also secretly recorded conversations with Fenech on his mobile phone and the police have been provided with access to these.

Yorgen Fenech has been a wealthy but shadowy figure for many years, with authorities suspicious about his involvement in criminal activity.

He is of course, well known in Malta as the son of one of the richest families in the country, with responsibility for

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The Wealthy Maltese Gambling Chief Accused of Murder

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Yorgen Fenech has now resigned entirely from his roles at both the energy firm and the casino and hospitality venues. He made his resignations before attempting to escape by boat from Malta but has backdated them to the start of November.

The latest developments Although Yorgen Fenech was widely believed to have been the person who ordered the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia, the businessman is claiming that this isn’t the case. In the latest turn of events, Fenech has requested immunity in return for providing full testimony about who he received orders from. running some of the most profitable businesses on the island.

Tumas Gaming Group was one of the most prominent companies that Fenech ran, providing him with an elevated position as the only boss of multiple casinos on Malta. Tumas operates three casinos on the island including Oracle Casino, Portomaso Gaming and Portomaso Casino. Other resorts operated by the casino group include the Dolmen Resort Hotel and the Hilton Malta, plus locations in Singapore.

However, it wasn’t Fenech’s role as a casino owner that put him directly in the firing line of Daphne Caruana Galizia; it was the fact that he is the secret owner of Dubai company 17 Black Ltd…the same company that she was investigating.

At the time of Caruana Galizia’s death, it appears that the journalist had not joined up the dots to pinpoint Fenech as the man behind the scenes. It wasn’t until many months later when Reuters followed up on the investigation that Fenech’s involvement became public.

Financial regulators in Malta also uncovered a string of payments planned

to be made by 17 Black Ltd to hushhush Panama companies for services, unspecified. These Panama companies were owned by Keith Schembri, the closest aide of the PM and government chief of staff, and Konrad Mizzi, who at the time was the Energy Secretary.

Both Schembri and Mizzi denied any knowledge of Fenech being the owner of 17 Black, and said they were unaware of any payments being made which were linked to the energy project.

For his part, Fenech flatly denied plans to make payment to any politician or their associates.

However, in his role as chief of the gambling empire, Fenech was also involved in the company’s other pursuits, including heading up a group which had been tasked by the Maltese government to build a giant gas power station. In return the company was granted giant energy concessions from the state. Investigators have questioned the links between Fenech’s energy company, 17 Black Ltd and the payments made to Mizzi and Schembri.

Insiders say that Fenech has claimed that Keith Schembri approached him in November 2016 to broach the subject of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Schembri was allegedly upset about a blog the writer published on the subject of his cancer treatment.

Schembri has been arrested over Fenech’s claims but has been released on police bail. Police officials working on the case have said that no charges have been brought against Schembri yet, and that some of Fenech’s evidence has proven to be unreliable.

It is believed that Fenech is holding out for a presidential pardon in return for providing such explosive information. Last week the PM wrote a letter recommending the pardon of the middleman who planted the bomb, and undoubtedly Fenech is expecting something similar.

At present, Fenech remains out on police bail and not yet charged with any offence. He is subject to police surveillance around the clock due to fears he may try to escape via the water yet again.

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Brexit and the Gambling Industry: WHAT Will Be THE Fallout?

B

rexit is the subject that’s been on everyone’s lips in the UK for what feels like forever, and at the time of writing, the outcome is still far from certain.

In theory the UK will still be leaving the EU, with a tentative date set for the 31 January 2020.

However, this will be the third time a concrete and non-negotiable date has been agreed, and twice so far an extension has been granted. Understandably the EU are becoming frustrated at being left in limbo and are pressing the UK to make a decision one way or the other.

The UK is in the midst of a general election campaign and the winning party will be able to decide how to proceed. Unsurprisingly Brexit has dominated the manifestos.

If the Lib Dems or Labour win and form a majority government, Brexit may get canceled. The Lib Dems are promising to revoke Article 50 completely but realistically they’re

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not likely to get into office on their own. Labour are offering the people a second referendum and to implement the result, and that could swing either way.

With so much uncertainty around the subject of Brexit and the future role of the UK within the EU, businesses are being advised to prepare for the worst. This means having a clear strategy for Brexit and how to cope with any legislative and practical changes.

But what of the gambling industry, what effect has Brexit had? Here’s a closer inspection on how the political landscape has influenced a high value but volatile market.

Hard or soft, that is the question The problem with examining the Brexit conundrum is that there’s not a single fixed solution. Brexit means different things to different people, with some preferring a soft Brexit and customs union while others are still pushing for the hardest possible Brexit available.

The outcome matters greatly for several reasons, but for the gambling industry the difference could be particularly significant.

No Deal Brexit A hard Brexit will be the worst possible outcome for the market, especially if the UK crashes out without a deal. Boris Johnson has secured a Withdrawal Agreement which removes the backstop but creating a hard border in the Irish Sea is unacceptable to many. If he fails to secure backing for this deal in Parliament and no extension is granted in January 2020, the UK will leave on a No-Deal basis.

Many have assured investors that a No Deal won’t cause an issue because the UK can simply rely on WTO terms. For the gambling industry that presents a real problem because WTO terms are not as relaxed as current UK and EU laws.

Under WTO terms, gambling companies would face much higher taxes

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and individuals could have to pay more tax on any winnings too. This could spell disaster for the UK industry, causing many companies to withdraw. There are recent precedents for gambling firms withdrawing from nations who choose to impose higher taxes, so there’s a very real possibility that it could shrink the UK market.

WTO terms would also preclude the UK from being permitted to take part in any gambling negotiations in the EU on the subject of market access.

This is stipulated in WTO terms and means that the UK would be excluded from any kind of bidding process for business within the EU. There is also a question mark about whether the WTO would force the UK to accept gambling firms from countries the Gambling Commission doesn’t currently view as acceptable.

In the US, the WTO forced it to accept horse-racing from Antigua on the basis of discrimination. If the same occurs in the UK, standards could plummet from the current high levels.

Tariffs and regulations Even without having to resort to WTO terms, the gambling industry could be facing tough times. This is because many betting firms have chosen the UK as their base, supported by a strong regulatory framework which enables them to access prime markets from all over the world.

If Britain imposes tougher tariffs and increases taxes on gambling firms who want to export their business, profits could be hit hard. This may lead to gambling firms opting to relocate away from the UK to prevent losing their unencumbered access to lucrative markets elsewhere.

Aside from taxes, there’s also the pressing issue of regulation. At present the UK is aligned with the EU but this could all change after Brexit. Although there are no single centralised gambling laws in the EU, the wider changes in regulation and the law could have a knock-on effect on betting. There are many laws

which are centralised such as data protection and money laundering, and should the UK opt out it could cause insurmountable problems for gambling firms that want to operate in both jurisdictions.

Changes in regulation and taxation could leave UK players with a far smaller pool of firms to be able to play with, and the jackpots and winnings on offer may be more modest too. With higher taxes and with less competition in the market, most companies will not offer the same big payouts. When the law changed in 2014, there was a stampede of gambling firms looking to quit the UK and experts predict the same will happen post-Brexit.

It’s not just those present in mainland UK which will be affected; Gibraltar is expecting to be disproportionately hit by the change. Many betting firms based in Gibraltar could opt to move to Malta to retain their unbridled access to the EU market. With a strong UK community and English as a

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Brexit and the Gambling Industry

common language, Malta is viewed by many as the potential solution.

Gibraltar gambling firms employing physical employees could hit a further stumbling block as there will no long be free movement over the border.

Estimates suggest that approximately 60% of the workers in the Gibraltar gambling industry live in Spain and Brexit may render them physically unable to come to work.

The Isle of Man is another jurisdiction which falls under UK law, and is home to a vast number of betting firms.

Withdrawing from the EU market could be catastrophic for the island economy, and just like 2014, see many betting firms opt to shut up business for the UK as a whole.

The impact on poker The poker market is linked directly to the performance of the pound, with stronger sterling benefitting domestic players and putting players from overseas at a disadvantage. Unfortunately for those closer to home, sterling has

been through a terrible patch since Brexit was first announced back in 2016.

Despite a number of attempts from the Bank of England and the government to prop up the ailing currency, the pound has been on an intractable downward trend since the country voted to leave the EU. Other than the occasional positive blip, there are no signs that the pound is recovering its footing or returning to previous highs.

This hasn’t necessarily been a bad thing for the industry, especially for poker players. A weak sterling means they get more pounds for their own currency, attracting them to the game. This has attracted more poker players to play, with more visiting land casinos. The fate of the pound has been far less attractive for UK players competing in international tournaments, with a greater number of competitors flooding the game.

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other factors could influence tournaments more, such as travel restrictions. It may be necessary for visitors to obtain a visa to enter Britain postBrexit and that will deter many players from participating in tournaments.

In a nutshell No-one can be sure yet of the potential impact of Brexit on the gambling industry and much will depend on the precise route that the Uk takes.

The loss of the single market will be significant for the UK industry and could mean that many firms restrict their services to the UK or withdraw completely.

At present the market is buoyant in Britain but there could be significant changes afoot. The gambling market in the UK is far too strong to collapse completely but the shape of Brexit will determine how many companies choose to continue to operate on these shores.

If Britain leaves the EU, the value of sterling will matter far less because

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Slots of advice for the Caribbean

slots management tips for making it big in paradise

By Andy Cosgrove

T

he Caribbean has plenty of world class hotels, some of the finest beaches on the planet and is one of the most culturally diverse regions on the face of the earth. However, this article isn’t about travel, it’s an article about casino slot operations butlet’s not forget that the Caribbean is also home to its fair share of legendary casinos not to mention the stories and personalitiesthat go with them.

After returning recently from a sixweek consultancy contract on the islands I couldn’t help but reflect on the unique challenges that operators face in the region and how both operators and employees come together in some of the most adverse conditions in orderto make your stay in Paradise amemorable one.

Running a Casino isn’t easy in any jurisdiction but running one in a region constantly plagued with natural disasters can makes the challenge a much more imminent one. Every casino has its own slots formula for success, some thrive while others fail; some bosses listen while others ignore advice. With such a broad spectrum of operators having a presence in the region it can be hard to navigate in these apparently calm and crystal-clear waters. I’ve found that considering some of the following might help your Casinoon the way to becoming the next slotslegend of the Caribbean.

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Culture – Anybody who has ever lived in the Caribbean knows that it’s a different way of life, a different way of expression and a different way of doing business. As I’m sure you’ll agree, culture is different anywhere and a potential operator or slots manager must take advantage ofall these differences and make them into strengths. Working side by side with the local businesses, getting involved in the local community and encouraging positive relationships can and will help create a positive image for you and your company amongst the local population and help cement a solid relationship with the local authorities.

Having a good reputation, respecting the local culture and integratingit correctly as part your best practices strategy will also attract the attention of the best local staff and best local customers and turn your operation into a win-win situation. It’s also incredible how far a polite ‘goodmorning’ or a simple ‘thankyou’ will take you towards creating a culture ofexcellent customer service, and simply because keeping your staff happy will make your guest’s even happier.

If you’re hiring expats as part of your senior management team, make sure they are also a solid cultural fit as a bad manager never created an army of leaders, a successful company or a customer experience worth coming back for.

Regulations – Every jurisdiction has different regulations and as any expe-

rienced and successful slots director can tell you, it’s important not just to know the local gaming law but it’s equally just as important it to create the correct operating and compliance procedures toensure that your operation is run above and beyond the minimum regulatory requirements. It’s also worth while researching other quirky regulations that might not seem so obvious, such as if there’s a cap on max machine payouts or if all your favorite manufactures are authorized to sell where you intend to operate. High gaming tax rates can also be crippling if you’re not careful.It’s always worth taking the necessary time to explore all aspects of gaming regulation at a local level before making any major commitments.

Yes, it can be expensive – Setting up and operating in the Caribbean can be expensive especially when it comes to importing slot machines and anything else required to build the next greatcasino legend of the Caribbean. Each island has different tax rates andoffer different foreign investment incentiveswhich can be dependent on the size of the investment and the type of industrywhich is why it’s so important to do your research and if necessary, contact a business consultant with experience in the region to ensure that both your short, and long-term investments are protected. If you intend to bring in good expat staff, then it’s

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also wise to find out what the local cost of living expenses are such as apartment rental costs so that your salaries and benefit packages are adjusted accordingly.

Know your market – Operators and slot managers alike have come and gone because they didn’t take the time to study the market. Do you really think the islands are just like Las Vegas? From my experience, unless there is indeed an island in the Caribbean with the actual name ‘Las Vegas’ then I suggest you think twice about your slot mix, player’s club benefits and marketing strategy because you can’t just build a casino in the middle of the desert and expect players to come, can you? Besides, even in the

fabulous city of Las Vegas there are different types of Casinos that cater to different types of clientele. The point being that doing some research into areas such as local demographics, the competition, logistics and marketing constraintsbeforehand might save your slot techs a lot of scraped knuckles from bolting down machines and your boss from having to buy a map in order to finally discover that there is indeed no such island called ‘Las Vegas’ in the Caribbean.The best of intentions added with a dose of seriously poor planning can and will easily see someone’s inspirational investment dream get abruptlyretired into the history books as another great casino epic adventure of the seas that ended up sinking into the realms

of another even greater tragedy. It’s also very nice to have the best casino management system with fancy marketing and promotional modules for your casino, but be aware, that they are very expensive so I always advise to first ask if what’s on offer is what your operation really needs, and if you are prepared to invest in the necessary staff to run it.

Skilled Labor shortages–A lot of the islands of the Caribbean are small which can, and does make for a limited amount of manpower available at the levels required to run a world class casino and slots operation. Because of such limitations the education resources and specialized technical and degree courses necessary may

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also be in short supplyat a local level which can inevitably add to the challenge of an operation reaching its full potential and delivering above and beyond customer expectations. However, all is not lost as an exceptional and experienced operator will see these challenges as opportunities to help key employees reach their full potential through training, mentoring, rewarding and encouraging employees to achieve their goals.

Online specialized courses are readily available in all major disciplinesandwithin a wide variety of price ranges, so what are you waiting for? Investing in your employees sends out a powerful and positive message for your brand and will give them a greater sense of purpose and of belonging.It will boost their confidence and make them more like family than mere employees. This kind of investment in human resources will ignite a passion within your staff that will create you an army of leaders who will surpass even your wildest expectations and make your operation become a selfsustaining success.

Organization please! – Having a solid

business case is one thing but not having a solid plan and a strong team to execute the plan can be the difference between success and failure.

Unfortunately, not all operators come prepared and a poorly executed plan can easily turn into a project manager’s worst nightmare. I’ve witnessed some very avoidable situations such as where someone who forgot to order systems brackets which caused a six week delay, another purchased the right amount of locks but they were all keyed alike and yet another sent a whole team of tech’s down to installmachines inside a brand new Casino before the machines arrived and all they ended up doing was enjoying the beach for a week and the advantages of a 5 star Hotel!!!!!Having a great team can and will cost you money but the alternative can cost you even more. A project team is always temporary, so the initial expense is justified when the project finishes on time and on budget.

Anybody that’s lived and worked in the Caribbean will probably agree that it’s not for everybody and that only those who are willing to com-

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promise, adapt and appreciate the unique beauty of each island will survive and prosper. It’s a well-known fact that the majority of people that playa slot machine liketo gamble,and I can safely add that with any investment comes a certain amount of risk.

However, by asking the right kind of questions to the right people and hiring a team that you can trust to deliver your project can help your tales from the Caribbean be of fortunes made and not fortunes lost.

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

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

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

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GAMING NEWS

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MGA’s new enforcement guidance

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he MGA has come out with a guidance note to bring clarification around how it makes use of its discretionary powers in the selection of scope and nature of enforcement steps it takes when it uncovers breaches of the law.

The contents of the note are of particular interest to licence holders as they describe the conditions and activities which the Authority gives a close look to during its decisionmaking processes, which include the interactions that take place between the Authority and the licence holder in breach.

The enforcement measures taken by the MGA start off with a warning, which is given when “the breach in question does not directly undermine the achievement of one of the regulatory objectives set out at law” and the behaviour of the licence holder involves one or more mitigat-

ing circumstances.

The Authority imposes an administrative penalty when one or more regulatory objectives are challenged by the breach; and, or the breach committed does not challenge one or more regulatory objectives, but the behaviour of the licence holder involves one or more aggravating circumstances; and, or the licence holder’s recent compliance track has not been, in general, sufficiently good.

MGA will move to suspend a licence when it finds issues that may challenge the ability of the authorised person to run its operations in a manner compliant with the legislation that applies in those circumstances. However, such issues may be resolved if the licence holder commits to undertake appropriate corrective action.

MGA will cancel the licence when the operations of the licence holder are affected due to some systemic issues which the Authority believes cannot be addressed in a way that will be satisfactory to allow the license holder to resume operations.

At the end, when it comes to breaches that are criminal in nature, the factors stated above, as well as mitigating and aggravating circumstances will guide the judgment of the Authority as to whether a regulatory settlement can be offered to the offending party or to opt for initiation of criminal proceedings.

Aptly, the Authority also reserves the right to publish the sanctions it imposes. This note should help the license holders get more clarity on how MGA functions.

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Roll on 2020

the new and the old revived

By Lynn Pearce de Freitas

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t seems like 2017 was one helluva year for most, 2018 turned out to be ok, 2019 appeared to be a rough year for friends and foes alike – with everyone looking very much forward to 2020 to bring stability - and even a touch of humour thrown in for good measure!

This does not only apply to one’s personal life, but asa marketer, I find I can relate from that perspective as well.

One of the most interesting trends to me is the rollout of new technology, that is driving the revival of technology and apps that we may have thought obsolete yet are making a comeback in 2020. Fascinating from an acquisition and conversion perspective – now to figure out how to use it to my advantage – herein lies my quest for 2020.

Firstly, there is one trend that has not changed and most likely will not change in the foreseeable future – and that is putting the consumer first and foremost – with GDPR

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and everything else thrown in, the customer decides what communication he or she wants to have, how they want it delivered and when.

Their preferences are clearly voice (the human touch), video (entertainment, mostly the humorous kind) and turning down the volume. Consumers are deleting communication channels that interrupt their leisure time – in fact, the higher the income bracket, the easier to switch off and the less chance you have of getting through to them, especially in their downtime.

During office hours they are open to all kinds of communication, if it serves their purpose, with email and messaging still being preferable to most other channels.

Let’s talk about the apps that died out or faded away and are now making a resurgence – like Vine – the shortform video app that became popular seemingly by accident but was literally killed off by Instagram and Twitter. Apparently, Vine (now called byte) will be one of those apps making a comeback in a big way.

And then there is Viber, an app I almost forgot about, until a few weeks ago when a friend of mine showed me the FCBarcelona community of over 2.5 million people on the app.

This is an app that faded out of sight but has suddenly found its niche and is making quite a comeback, certainly something to watch out for in 2020 – how to use it, that is the question.

Snapchat is finally coming into its own with the advent of advertising on the app, so this is one that I will be taking advantage of in the new year.

Another app that is still going strong and which basically confused me because of its name is Telegram (having lived long enough to know the original Telegram messaging), which is proving very popular due to its security features, particularly with IT and developers – and anyone wanting to ensure that their messages are safe and secure (Signal comes to mind, wonder what happened with that).

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However, as a marketer and being very much into DMs, one of the hottest trends of 2020, I much prefer Whatsapp, along with millions of others, due to the voice and video capabilities. As a marketer I am always looking out for the best method of reaching out and engaging with customers and Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger and Viber are perfect for interactive communication with Customer Support, especially on social media. Obviously, customers need to opt-in to these channels before you can utilise these voice messaging apps. You can encourage them to do so with incentives, like special offers tailored to their specific needs.

Chatbots are also making a comeback (not that they ever went away,

they just faded from view) due to its improved AI and machine learning enhancements.

consumer base effectively, making video an essential part of your marketing stack.

Voice searches are becoming more sophisticated, with more customers using digital assistants like Siri or Alexa – this is where your SEO needs to pay special emphasis in 2020, with keywords based more on how people speak, rather than type. Even your images need to be paid special attention to, with the use of alt text embedded into the image prior to publishing it.

The one app that has taken the millennial and to a lesser degree Gen Z by storm is the Tik Tok app. Brands are suddenly taking notice and trying to figure out how to use to the app to their advantage, mainly due to the fact that it got over 1 billion downloads in its first year and has over 500 million active users of the app! I will certainly be taking advantage of its popular hashtagged challenges in 2020 – one of the reasons I cannot wait for 2020 - mixing the old with the new gives me a feeling of stability and excitement all rolled in together – a sure recipe for success.

Which finally brings me to video marketing, something a lot of marketers do not yet pay enough attention to!

If video is not an integral part of your marketing in 2020, you will not be able to attract, convert or retain your

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GAMING NEWS

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Philippines Shuts Door on New Online Casinos

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n an attempt to avoid a proliferation of the industry as witnessed in Cambodia, The Philippines is keeping its door shut for new online casinos.

Andrea Domingo, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation chairperson, said on Tuesday that her agency will be placing a halt on the acceptance of any new license applications in the foreseeable future to stay focused on the sustainable growth of the gaming industry in the Philippines.

The comments were made by Ms Domingo during her opening speech at the G2E Asia conference in the Philippines, which started today.

Domingo said, “We don’t want to overburden the industry by blatantly giving out licenses.” She added, “The President declared a ban on IRs and casinos in January 2018 and we have observed that. He lifted the ban in Clark last year and we have observed that too, but even the Clark region is saturated.” She reiterated, “Even in Clark we have stopped acceptance of any applications for new casinos.”

As per Domingo, acceptance of any new POGO licenses, which had been going on for some time, will also be halted. Domingo said the idea is to allow the gaming industry to mature so that all the regulations can be put in place.

we will be implementing by 2030.”

She also noted that she was confident that around 95 to 97 per cent of the issues related to POGO and its dark side, including kidnapping, prostitution and finance, will be addressed by the ned of 2020.

The Southeast Asian country does not want to benefit from Cambodia’s ban on online casinos and is monitoring if gaming service providers here are hiring workers from Cambodia, Domingo said.

The Philippines’s regulator also issued a warning to gaming operators who represent themselves as BPOs. She said, “We have the formula to catch that.”

Online casinos banned in Cambodia may relocate to the Philippines and boost office demand, property consultant Santos Knight Frank senior director Morgan McGilvray said in October.

Domino said that licences for e-bingo and e-games have also been halted in areas where they are deemed to be saturated.

“We want people to know that if it’s overcrowded, there’s no reason to put your money in, just go and invest somewhere else. These are the things we have been discussing with the board, and these are the things that

“But for all those that are here now, rest assured, that PAGCOR will do everything to support you and your profitability within the framework of the law.”

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. is regulating the issuance of new licenses for both land-based and online casinos. “We want to rationalize so that everybody with a license has a good chance of being successful,” Chairman Andrea Domingo said.

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2019 -a sign of things to come?

For many in the gambling sector 2019 could not have got off to a better start.

By Christina Thakor-Rankin

A

gainst the backdrop of regulatory sanctions and more stringent marketing and advertising restrictions across Europe in 2018 came the soothing balm of the much anticipated sports-betting gold-rush in the US, the newly regulated Swedish market, a slow but steady move towards regulation across Africa and Latin America, optimistic murmurings and actionfrom various parts of Asia (notably Japan and India’s Law Commission recommendation of regulation over prohibition being supported by a private bill in parliament), Brexitjittered Gibraltar operators finding new homes in Malta, and the promise of a new revenue earning kid on the block - esports.

With so much going on there was a real sense that things were starting to look up. And certainly, the start of the year suggested that the optimism was more than justified.

Sweden finally opened its doors to a new regulated market, the European states of Holland and Germany (and which have been on the operator Christmas wish list for as long as anyone can remember) declared their in-

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tent to move forward with regulation, event organisers strove to establish a presence in Africa and Asia in anticipation of events (no pun intended) out there - and esports continued to grow, and grow and grow.

There are also bright spots and windows of opportunity in Latin America where jurisdictions already have, or are about to, embark upon the process of regulation - the most recent addition, Argentina, and in particular the province of Buenos Aires, potentially being the most interesting and lucrative of all in that region.

But whilst the Americas and pockets of Eastern Europe and Asia, are looking at a new era of regulated betting and gambling, things in other parts of the world seem to be going the other way.

Having spent over a decade enjoying unrestricted access to white, grey (and in some cases black) markets across the world, the established sector is now finding itself facing a period of uncertainty as a combination of events, circumstance and a palpable shift in political and public sentiment

towards betting and gamblingon the back of social responsibility and problem gambling concerns,all suggest that the wheels may be about to come off.

2019 may have started off on a wave of optimism but it is hasn’t really finish on one.Whilst the US continues to embrace sports-betting the business of law-making can be infuriatingly slow, giving those early movers in Nevada and New Jersey plenty of time to establish their US credentials and in doing so ensure pole position for market entry into each newly regulated state. This together with the requirement to having landbased operations as a pre-requisite to sports-betting has made the US market expensive for new entrants locally, but also increasingly elusive to European operators hoping to get a foot in the door - the promise of stand-alone online/remote regulation unlikely to be realised any time soon.

In Europe, the initial euphoria of a newly regulated Swedish market (the ‘bread-basket’ of many a Malta licensed operator) has been rap-

Christina Thakor-Rankin

-idly replaced by the harsh reality of operating in a jurisdiction driven first and foremost by social responsibility and player protection. Not only do product and bonus restrictions have a significant impact on acquisition and retention within a fiercely competitive but declining market - for the fifth year running the annual gambling prevalence study undertaken by the regulator shows a downward trend in the number of Swedes gambling. The added weight of new AML obligations and a regulator prepared to back up its bark with bite in the form of financial penalties, sanctions and license revocations all make for an intensely chal-

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lenging environment.

The early hype surrounding Holland and Germany has been muted in Holland by the prospect of regulation that prohibits licences being granted to those who have been trading illegally 2 years prior to the market opening as well as the regulator driving home the point by issuing some fines to some of Europe’s best known brands for illegal trading in 2019. In Germany, any move towards national regulation needs to firstly address the more local challenge of individual states with differing approaches and attitudes to betting and gambling regulation.

And in the meantime, operators who want to continue trading in a market they consider to be grey now have the challenge of navigating ‘Wire Act’ style payments blocking on gambling transactions led by financial institutes and payments providers.

Any hopes that the Gambling Commission of Great Britain, the European regulator most synonymous with enforcement action in recent years was about to take its foot of the gas have faded in the face of not just continued sanctions,but licence suspensions and a clear warning to not just operators but accountable individuals within

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Christina Thakor-Rankin Article

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cited this as the primary driver behind a lack of wider regulations, or greater affirmative action such as raising the minimum age for gambling, taxation, more stringent regulations or refusal to renew the licenses of operators perceived to be talking the talk but failing to walk the walk of social responsibility.

And on a seasonal note, those who started off the year looking towards the east for the next rising starwill have become increasingly frustrated by the Beijing and Durante shaped clouds on the horizon. This coupled with Cambodia’s decision not to renew online gambling licences upon expiry and India’s on-going moral, religious and social tussle with gambling make Asia less attractive than it was 12 months ago.

those businesses of more to come.

This together with the on-going consultation to ban credit cards for on-line gambling, continued scrutiny of advertising practices and sport’s (and in particular the EPL) association with betting and moves from the financial sector to protect customers make for very uncertain times. The most recent initiatives from two high street banks is to not just allow customers to block gambling transactions on their cards, but to work with responsible gambling charities to take an even more proactive approach by identifying problem gamblers and offering a safe place to discuss issues in branch. Whilst all and any effort to address gambling related harms across the whole supply chain is

to be welcomed this move by the banks sets a new bench-mark likely to be adopted by banks in other parts of the worlds.

The first being Australia, the nation where 80% of adults have or do gamble and which is taking a similar path as the UK and Europe, where the federal ban on online gambling being supplemented by stricter rules on gambling advertising, banks blocking the use of credit cards for gambling, and ISPs required to start blockingaccess to illegal/offshore gambling sites.

And concerns around problem gambling are being picked up by emerging jurisdictions too. South Africa, Kenya and Uganda have all

As for e-sports, yes, it is growing, but so are the concerns around loot boxes, video game addiction, integrity and match-fixing - and that’s before we even get on to the moral and ethical conundrum of betting on something with is seen by many to be the preserve of kids.

Whichever way we look at it 2019 has failed to fully deliver on its early promise and done little to dispel the fears of those who believe that gambling is on its way out. That said, gambling has historically been one of those few industries that is able to adapt and re-invent itself to meet the challenges of changing times, and it so happens that 2020 is the year of the white metal rat, which amongst other things symbolises, entrepreneurial spirit.

With that in mind if, 2019 was a sign of things to come, maybe 2020 could be the year the industry takes those signs, embraces them and reinvents itself in a new spirit of so-

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..... 3rd February .....

LONDON

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GAMING NEWS

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Danish Government Warns 888 Over AML

O

nline gaming firm 888 has been ordered by Spillemyndigheden, the Danish gambling regulator, to improve its anti-money laundering processes after finding that the operator’s licensed subsidiary operating in the country had fallen short of requirements outlined in the nation’s Money Laundering Act. The regulator said that 888 Denmark was in breach of Section 25 of the Money Laundering Act on two counts. The Act states that companies must implement properly written rules to govern their approach towards recording, risk assessments, record keeping and communications for employees, to prevent terrorist funding and money laundering, demonstrable legal or clear economic purpose, to establish if they fall under suspicion of money laundering.

For the second count, the regulator pointed that 888 had, according to section 25, failed to notify the State Attorney for Special Economic and

International Crime (SØIK) about activities and transactions that were potentially linked to money laundering.

During investigations, the Spillemyndigheden found a customer who had spent more than DKK1m (€133,835/£113,788/$148,365) with 888 in 3 months. 888 had requested the customer for documentation to show how he was able to make deposits of DKK600,000 within a few days and had also run background checks on the customer.

However, 888 did not close the customer’s account for more than a month in which he was allowed to play, even though the player had declined to provide documentation of wealth or income. 888 said it could not find a reason to notify SØIK about this.

The regulator’s responded that the player’s account should have been closed earlier and 888 should have notified SØIK regarding the amount

of money involved and the customer’s refusal to comply with verification requests.

The regulator has instructed 888 Denmark to change its procedures to halt potential money laundering earlier and notify SØIK of such cases.

The Spillemyndigheden is authorized to make such requests under Section 66 of the Act. This week, the government announced that the tax paid by the country’s licensed igaming operators will be increased to 28% of gross gaming revenue (GGR), which will raise DKK150m in new tax revenue.

The tax hike will come into force from 2021 and will see the rate increased from 20% of GGR, which was set in 2012 with the opening of the Danish regulated online gambling market.

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Don’t they know it’s the End of the Year?

By Teresa Tunstall

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ands up those who know the term ‘mini-bonds’?This refers to a range of investments and from this day onward the Financial Conduct Authority(FCA) has hastily introduced permanent rules and restrictions to tackle the risks for investors. You could find ‘mini-bonds’ advertised online, however the FCA are now pushing Google and Facebook to withdraw these adverts immediately from their websites.

Age checks before gambling should always apply particularly for freeto-play games!How many times have I heard from punters who state “my son took my debit/credit card to play,but I knew nothing about it!”At the end of a day after an audit of slot machines, we went to a local pub which was recommended for its great food. It wasn’t long before I noticed a youngster obviously under18 years playing the slot machine. We pointed this out to pub staff who claimed he wasn’t known to them, and immediately asked him to leave.Of courseresponsibility has to be the concern of the player - no ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’- but when children are involved suchresponsibility has to remain with the adults.

The Gambling Commission continues to reiterate the importance of making progress with safer

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ways to gamble online, betting on mobiles,high street“slots”, how operators should use data technology to identify harmful play, and finally to step in to protect players without affectingtheir profit margins. However, we should remember that it has to be up to the player to make decisions about gambling. It goes without saying that in some cases the gambler will continue playing come what may… in the High Street bookies or online gambling etc but come what may the final decision will always lay with the punter.

Apparently Singapore plans to ban ‘fake’ news! I found this of great interest and wonder who exactly is posting fake news and how do you define and recognise what is fake to what is true? Now here’s the rub; it transpires that it’s nothing at all to do with gambling casinos, but relates to sugary drinks and particularly baby drinks and food which are full of sugar!This is a real problem and an excellent move forward to stop the amount of sugar used in our drinks and food.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a warning that many baby foods contain inappropriately high levels of sugar and are doing something aboutit.The UK should definitely follow suite, but it’s not happening over here yet.

Facebook’s digital currency has been

dealt another blow. Its Libra cryptocurrency will not be allowed to go ahead until the firm proves it is safe and secure, according to a report by the G7 group. It warns that even if Libra’s backers address concerns, the project may still not get approval from regulators. As a consequence Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has suffered setbacks attempting to launch it.

Bitcoin slumped to a six-month low after China’s central bank launched a crackdown on cryptocurrency, warning of the risks from issuing and trading digital coins. The Shanghai bureau of China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China, issued a rebuke to companies dabbling in cryptocurrencies warning that investments or offered services to crypto exchanges should exit the businesses. Investors were warned not to confuse bitcoin with blockchain which carried more risks.

Security Cyber Experts tracked down Russia based hackers who were posing as Iranian crooks after they targeted a UK victim. The National Cyber Security Centre spent more than 18 months investigating Turla after a UK academic organisation was targeted by them. Turia takes aim at governments, milltary, technology, energy and commercial organisation’s collecting intelligence.

Teresa Tunstall Article

NCSC, part of GCHQ said that Turia hijacked an Iranian group who attempted to carry out attacks on 35 countries, most of whom were in the Middle East.

Video games and board games are a form of entertainment often used nowadays to motivate staff in offices, thereby improving staff health and efficiency; this is calledGamification andis of benefit for staff. Imagine a video game version of your business… this should give you a realistic view of how staff approach problems they face. It capitalises on the surprising amount of knowledge these people gain from understanding insights on human interactions with software.

Approximately 50 per cent of the UK are gamers, and offices are using their game-playing skills to their advantage. If this continues according to plan, staff will benefit by overcoming mental blocks; offices are already full of game players some of whom will probably have fulfilled the 10,000 hours needed to qualify as an expert.

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Amigo, the money lending company, has seen its shares crashby 80%. It has taken a £7.5 million hit in the second quarter which has enabled staff to clear a backlog of complaints made to the Financial Ombudsman Service which highlighted a spike in new complaints. Amigo lends to people with bad credit ratings: if you borrow from them they demand a Guarantor who is legally required to repay the amount in question in the event that you are unable to do so. There are fears that a Guarantor may not recognise the consequences andunderstandably this has been brought to the attention of the Regulator. Of course some people use money lenders for a variety of different reasons. However, it is abundantly obvious that many gamblers borrow money in this way as it isn’t brought to the attention of family and friends. Complaints about Amigo in the last 6 monthshas risen to 266but shares are still down and in fact credit borrowing and payday loans are at an all-time high.

Joseph Muscat, the Prime Minister, to resign after proof was uncovered over the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was killed in 2017 when a bomb planted under the seat of her car was detonated.She was a brave journalistwho exposed corruption at the highest level in Muscat’s government.

Malta’s population of 420,000, has sought to attract foreign capital with schemes such as the “cash for passport” programeven though the EU has highlighted the risk that this potentially may attract the proceeds of criminal activities. Under the scheme, people can obtain a Maltese passport by investing in the country.The European Commission has asked Malta to clarify how it intends to address Bank of Valletta’s shortcomings over its monitoring of foreign customers who applied to buy Maltese citizenship under a socalled “golden passport” scheme. It remains to be seen…

Finally, in Malta they are calling for

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UKGC strengthens ties with Spelinspektionen

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he UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the Swedish gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their ties.

The partnership, which originally became effective on 11 November this year, is aimed at achieving a closer working relationship between the two regulating agencies so both can benefit from sharing their best practices in areas such as regulatory policies and procedures.

“This is an important agreement for us,” said Director General of Spelinspektonen, Camilla Rosenberg. “We have common interest in many areas. By opening the communication channels between the authorities, we become stronger in our supervisory activities. This is the beginning of a broad and long-term cooperation. Earlier this year we have entered a MoU with Malta Gaming Authority and Gibraltar Gambling Division.”

UK Gambling Commission chief executive Neil McArthur stated, “We have excellent relations with other

gambling regulators from across the world and our new link up with the Swedish Gambling Authority will give more opportunities to share good practice on a whole host of regulatory issues, cooperate closely and take shared action where appropriate. We look forward to working with colleagues in Sweden over the coming months and years.”

This MoU includes provisions that open the doors for the two agencies to provide operational assistance to each other to enhance their effectiveness. The enhanced relationship will lead to the Spelinspektionen and the UKGC working hand in hand with each other for promoting a common approach to protect the legitimate interests of their markets, engage on issues related to operational interest and mutual regulatory policy.

Both the regulators will meet periodically to review the memorandum of understanding to evaluate the effectiveness of this pact and propose any suggestions for amendments to strengthen the MoU going forward.

The UKGC and the Spelinspektionen

will work closely to oversee supervisory and general wagering issues, topics pertinent to operators engaged in remote gambling, as well as measures associated with counter-terrorist financing and antimoney laundering. The two agencies will also connive on matters associated with gaming, betting and related transactional data to safeguard the interests of their respective gaming markets.

All the information collected by the two regulatory agencies as part of their operations will be shared to spot any potential adverse impacts on remote bookmaking operators.

The agencies will also share data related to regulatory actions or enforcements that could also lead to material impacts on any remote operator.

Regulatory authorities around the globe have a mandate to improve the playing field in their respective markets, the best way to achieve that is to support each other in developing best practices and assisting each other in enforcing compliance. This step will certainly help both the agencies in increasing their effectiveness.

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GAMING NEWS

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Alan Ho Sentenced for Prostitution, Organised Crime

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acau’s Court of Second Instance sentenced gaming tycoon Stanley Ho Hung Sun’s nephew, Alan Ho Yau Lun, to 8 years prison last week for running an organized criminal group at Macau’s Hotel Lisboa. He was also found guilty of 58 counts of exploitation of prostitution at the venue. During the arrest, it was discovered that he was a director of affiliates of Macau casino operator, SJM Holdings Ltd. The decision taken by the Court of Second Instance last week resulted from an appeal filed by the Public Prosecutions Office of Macau.

At the time of arrest of Alan Ho, a senior executive of Hotel Lisboa had been sentenced to 13 years prison time in 2016 for one count of exploitation of prostitution at the hotel premises.

At that time the court had acquitted him of the crime of participating in or forming a “secret association or society” with the objective of exploi-

tation of prostitution at Hotel Lisboa.

Macau considers “secret association or society” to be a reference to association with Chinese criminal gangs known as triads. The hotel is owned by a firm founded by Stanley Ho, Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau SA (STDM).

Alan Ho, along with other senior executives of Hotel Lisboa, was part of the folks arrested in Jan 2015 on charges of letting prostitution-related gangs operate in the hotel. As per a statement released by the police, more than USD 50 million (MOP400 million) had been exchanged as fees.

The police had arrested 96 suspected prostitutes, ageing between 20 and 27, for prostitution in the 2015 raid.

One belonged to Vietnam, while the rest were attributed to mainland China. It was alleged that the prostitutes were forced into paying an annual entrance fee to seek clients in the hotel’s public areas. The police added that they also had to pay a monthly protection fee.

The Court of Second Instance also increased the sentences of other 5 senior executives of the hotel involved in the case.

A former deputy manager of the hotel, Kelly Wang, was sentenced to a 6-year prison term by the court.

Initially, she had been charged by the court to 29 months of prison, after it was established that she had used her position to command fees from prostitutes. Now, she has also been charged as a member of an organized criminal group.

As per a statement released by the city authorities at the time, this was the largest suspected case of prostitution in Macau since the city had been passed to China by the Portuguese administration in 1999.

STDM, the owner of Hotel Lisboa, controls close to 54.1% of Macau based gaming operator SJM Holdings. The Lisboa complex casino is managed by SJM Holdings.

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45

Virginia casinos to help local economies

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irginia’s general assembly is expected to debate the potential impacts of gambling and casinos in the state outlined by a new study undertaken by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.

the total revenue will be generated by out-of-state visitors, with Bristol and Danville being the big beneficiaries owing to their small local markets. However, they would both be at risk if developments happened in Tennessee and North Carolina.

The legislature will need to vote to re-enact the bill introduced by Governor Ralph Northam last year to proceed with the issue, with SB 1126 providing regulatory rights to the Virginia Lottery Board.

Each of these entities would employ at least 1,000 residents providing them with a median wage of 33,000 USD. Half of these will fall under the “low skill and low wage” category.

The study developed along with the national gaming consultant, The Innovation Group, identifies Richmond, Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth and Norfolk, Portsmouth as prime locations to build and sustain resort-style casinos.

Assuming a starting 200 -300 million USD capital investment and a yearly gaming revenue state tax rate matching the national medium of 27%, the 5 casinos are projected to generate an estimated 97 million yearly in net gaming revenue and approximately 260 million USD in gaming tax revenue for Virginia.

It is estimated that around 1/3rd of

A casino from Northern Virginia, which was examined during the study though it was not authorized in SB 126, would increase the state’s gaming tax revenue by approximately 59% or 155 million USD and employ 3,200 workers.

It would take around four years for land-based establishments to be opened after the passing of authorizing legislation, with casino gaming negatively affecting the revenue generated by most existing forms of gaming.

The ones to be most impacted will be historical horse racing, a small part of which supports the state’s revived live horse racing events. The rev-

enues are expected to drop by 45%.

A fully developed sports wagering industry in the state could lead to a generation of 55 million USD in yearly gaming tax revenue, depending on how it is structured, with online casino estimated at around 84 million USD annually.

The JLARC report includes recommendations to: 1. Establish a dedicated, stable funding source for problem gambling prevention and treatment, even if additional forms of gaming are not authorised.

2. Include a requirement in any casino authorising gaming legislation that: 3. Applicants for a casino license submit a responsible gaming plan as part of their application, and casino operators obtain accreditation for responsible gaming practices.

Casino licenses will be awarded through a competitive selection process, overseen by a designated committee whose members have experience in business finances and operations and represent state and local interests.

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GAMING NEWS

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Slovak Lottery CEO Charged With Money Laundering

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s per a report published in Slovakia’s English-language newspaper, Slovak Spectator, two employees of the state-run Tipos, the national lottery run by Slovakia, have been charged with breaching the terms of their employment and engaging in money laundering.

The Slovak Spectator reported that Miloš Prelec, head of the IT department, and Ján Barczi, the CEO of Tipos lottery, were charged with the crimes on Monday.

The reports published in Slovak Spectator revealed that the two had been earlier detained after a raid carried out by the authorities on the Tipos lottery office on November 26.

Both the employees had been accused of “violating their duties when managing entrusted property and of money laundering”, as per the post made on their Facebook page by the Slovakian police.

As per Aktuality, a Slovak news website, the NAKA (National Criminal Agency of Slovakia) is carrying out investigations to establish if Tipos had been allowing money to be transferred to private bank accounts from gambling accounts without any bets being placed.

of a fraudulent money laundering scheme. At that time, Tipos had said that around 260,000 euros had been laundered, though the authorities are still in the process of investigating whether the actual numbers were higher than originally reported, as per an Aktuality report.

The report stated, the fraudulent scheme was apparently being operated using the state-run lottery’s online game room eTipos, which provides sports betting, online lottery, poker and casino products.

Investigators are trying to find out if the gambling transactions originated as a result of legitimate wins or were initiated by making use of the fraudulent scheme, the report said.

A whistle-blower had blown the cover on the fraudulent scheme related to the alleged money laundering and this was followed by 30 NAKA members participating in last month’s raid on the Tipos lottery office to look for evidence in the alleged crime.

The state-run gambling company has been under continuous investigation by the National Criminal Agency of Slovakia for more than one year. The company was forced to shut down accounts of 142 players under suspicion of being part

Quoting the Aktuality report, NAKA has also undertaken an investigation into the Barczi’s appointment of an assistant who had allegedly facilitated the transfer of money. According to the news website, contracts that were facilitated by Barczi are also being examined by the authorities.

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Terry Glebocki First Woman To Run Atlantic City Casino

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n a rare move, Ocean Casino Resort has hired a female CEO to run its Atlantic city casino.

The Ocean Casino Resort officials announced that Terry Glebocki was appointed to the office of the CEO on Tuesday morning. This was done after she had been serving in the job in an interim capacity since August.

This makes her a member of a group of a small handful of women who are leading casinos or casino companies in the entire nation.

Glebocki comes with more than 30 years of financial management experience and has recently also served as the chief financial officer of the casino.

“I’m so excited about this,” she said just a little while before the casino employees were informed of her promotion. “I like to think that I’m qualified for this job, whether I’m a man or a woman. But I do think I bring a

different perspective to things. I like when there’s diversity in the team.”

Glebocki has previously worked for Tropicana Entertainment and Trump Entertainment Resorts and has served as chief financial officer at Ocean’s predecessor, Revel. Revel bled red ink in the just over two years that it was open, and never came close to turning a profit.

Glebocki started her career in accounting. Her casino jobs included working as an internal auditor at Bally’s, serving as vice president of finance at Trump Entertainment and chief financial officer at Trump Plaza, and corporate chief financial officer at Tropicana Entertainment.

“I’m a detail-oriented person,” Glebocki said. “I look just as closely at a $1,000 expenditure as I do at a $1 million expenditure.”

cannot just simply cut their way to profitability, the focus must be on growing revenue.

She will be focussing on projects to changes to the casino floor, designing a high-end Asian games area and new high-limit slots area, She adds that she reads every single social media post from customers about the casino she comes across.

“Feedback is important to me,” she said. “If they don’t come, we’re not here.” Glebocki feels she is ready for the challenges her new job brings. “I work hard,” she said. “Nothing’s ever been given to me; I earned it.”

Glebocki is one of two females running an Atlantic City casino, and the city has seen others before her. Karie Hall is vice president and general manager at Bally’s. She is in-charge of all operations at Bally’s though she answers to a regional president.

She says that her management team

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GAMING NEWS

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Sweden Sees Falling Gambling Participation Rates

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he latest Swedish annual survey on gambling participation, carried out by polling specialist Novus (on behalf of Spelinspektionen, the country’s regulatory body), revealed that 60% of adults had gambled in the last one year. This is a six percentage points decline from last year (66% in 2018) and a 16% drop since the survey was first conducted in 2013.

1,600 Swedish adults were interviewed over the web during Oct, with 45% saying they had gambled in the last month. 31% of which had done so in the last week. Another 21% said they had gambled more than one year ago, with 17% saying they never gambled. 2% were not sure if they had ever gambled.

Out of 31% who gambled last week, the majority were male (39% of respondents) aged between 50 and 64 (43%). Men dominated even more in

the bracket that gambled in the last month, amounting to 50% of gamers, with 50-64-year-olds making 58% of this figure.

Lottery continues to be the most popular gambling form, with 75% of gamblers participating in the last year. Other draw-based or numeric games were played by 50%, followed by horse race betting, played by 38%.

Sports betting was played by 21%, casino by 5%, with only poker being less popular.

Sweden market is still dominated by retail, with 48% of players visiting betting shops, 29% using mobile devices and 19% using computers.

Swedish adults tended to gamble as a form of entertainment. 62% of players attributed this to be the main reason for gambling, up one percentage point compared to 2018. The second biggest motivation was winning big

(31%), followed by the ones who said the probability of a win motivated them to gamble (30%).

In terms of selecting the operator with who to gamble, 40% of the players said that security was crucial, followed by the 36% who said that they were motivated by the most entertaining offer. With the Swedish Gaming Act coming into force from Jan this year, which regulated online gaming for the first time, 33% responded saying that it was important for them to know if the operator was licensed by the Spelinspektionen.

For the ones that had not played for more than one year, or never gambled, 43% did not provide a reason for not doing so, though 29% stated this was because they had never won. A mere 2% of this segment said it was because of gambling problems.

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GAMING NEWS

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The March Of Century Casinos

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entury Casinos has partnered with real estate giants Vici properties to expand their property portfolios.

lease agreement with Century with an initial annual rent of $25m and term of 15 years, with four five-year renewal options.

Colorado based Century Casinos along with Vici properties snapped up three properties from Eldorada resorts earlier this month.

President and Chief Operating Officer of Vici Properties said that the deal will expand the company’s geographic footprint into the new market of West Virginia. He added that he is excited to work with Century who are experts in operating small to mid-size casinos.

Expansion into Missouri and West Virginia for the gambling company which has 7,185 gaming machines and 285 table games, took over the operations of Isle Casino Cape Girardeau and Lady Luck Caruthersville in Missouri and West Virginia’s Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort for $107m. While Vici, the real estate investment trust acquired the land and real estate assets of each for $278m.

Vici also secured a triple-net master

Isle Casino Cape Girardeau, located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, features 41,500 square feet of casino space, 863 gaming machines and 20 table games. The casino also has an enormous event space with room for 500 guests and has four restaurants on site. Century’s future plans include building a hotel at the casino.

The Lady Luck Casino Caruthersville is a 21,000 sq. ft riverboat in Caruthersville, Missouri, offering a dockside casino, 507 slot machines and nine table games.

Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort is a thoroughbred racetrack and casino resort located on the Ohio River north of New Cumberland, West Virginia. It is notable for being the first race track in the United States to get slot machines and become a racino. The resort offers 14,86 slot machines, 36 table games and a poker room.

Co-chief executive offers of Century Casinos, Erwin Haitzmann and Peter Hoetzinger said they are looking forward to working with the staff and communities to continue the success of the newly acquired casinos.

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75% Non-Gaming For Resorts World Las Vegas

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he new mega casino currently under construction on the strip in Las Vegas is expected to generate three quarters of all revenue through non-gaming sources and is the most expensive casino ever to be built in Sin City’s history.

That is according to management at the Resorts World Las Vegas responsible for currently building the behemoth. The complex will feature 3,500 hotels rooms, a 220,000-square-foot pool complex and 350,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space and is expected to open in 2021.

The scheme is being developed by Malaysian conglomerate Genting Bhd. Resorts World Las Vegas president, Scott Sibella, told media outlet Vegas Inc this week that the resort will also cater to those who are not necessarily in Vegas to gamble.

He said: “You have to think differently and design differently, because not everyone is going to want to gamble.

It’s a different way of thinking than it was years ago.”

Although the casino will not be Asian themed as previously promoted there will be Asian influences in the interior design including art, the colour palette and floors, according to Mr Sibella. Only two thirds of the 88-acre site will be used for the scheme leaving the rest for future development.

Genting confirmed in November this year a budget of $4.3 billion for the megaresort. which would make it the most expensive resort property ever developed in Las Vegas. Plans include a 5,000-seat theatre, a 75,000 sq. ft nightclub and day club for a younger demographic. The resort will also include an LED video globe,

measuring 50 feet in diameter. In addition, the west hotel tower will include one of the world’s largest LED video screens, measuring 100,000 sq. ft, while the east tower will feature a 19,000 sq. ft video screen.

Not forgetting a paradise for players with gaming facilities featuring a 110,000 sq. ft casino with slots, table games, high limit gaming areas, private gaming salons, dedicated poker room and a 14,000 sq. fit entertainment zone including a race and sports book area and live entertainment.

Founded in 1965, the Group has garnered over 52 years of experience in developing, operating and marketing casinos and integrated resorts in different parts of the world, including the USA, Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

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GAMING NEWS

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Mobile Sports Betting Brings in the Big Bucks

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ports betting has become a major earner for gambling businesses across the US with changes in the law and a rise in mobile betting.

legally bet on sports than Nevada. As it stands in the three of the last four months New Jersey has taken more money from sports bets than Nevada for the first time in gambling history.

per cent of all sports bets were made online and with the advent of smart phones this it is easier than ever for busy players to place bets while on the move.

Big money is being made since the Supreme Court allowed individual states to decide whether they offer legalised sports betting. To date 13 states have started taking wagers on sports with even more expected to follow.

Some states, Arkansas, New York, Oregon and New Mexico are yet to publicly disclose state handle figures due to legislation issues and tribal casino restrictions.

Other states do offer mobile betting services but businesses have not taken full advantage of the option like New Jersey. Pennysylvania, for example, has a high mobile bet percentage but only recently began taking mobile bets which has led to the state’s total handle to suffer due to the lag.

Trailblazing New Jersey has been taking sports bets for more than a year and is now challenging Las Vegas as the King of sports betting.

Since taking sports bets in the summer of 2018, New Jersey’s sports betting handle continues to expand. So much so that New Jersey became the first state ever to have more money

Among the remaining nine states, New Jersey has the highest handle by far as nearest handle is Pennsylvania at more than $413 million, a million miles away from New Jersey’s $3.8 billion, according to publicly disclosed data.

The rise in sports gambling across the US has been attributed to mobile betting. For example in New Jersey 80

However, now that Pennsylvania is in the game the state could be poised to be the front runner in mobile betting with an increase in players using this mode and has a much larger population than New Jersey.

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Crackdown on Dirty Money in Canadian Casinos

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asinos in Canada are being warned to be on the look out for customers paying with bank drafts – the latest way for criminals to hide dirty money.

Following intense media and government scrutiny the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, know as Fintrac, issued a red alert for the industry that cash is no longer being used for illicit casino transactions.

Fintrac’s recent analysis of suspicious casino transactions highlighted that criminals are choosing the relative anonymity and liquidity of bank drafts.

Professional money launderers are always trying to change their methods in an effort to evade detection according to Fintrac Nada Semaan. He explained that although it is difficult the agency tries to stay one step ahead of the launderers.

The Centre assists in the detection,

prevention and deterrence of money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities and is independent from the police, law enforcement agencies and other organisations.

FINTRAC’s remit is to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

Fintrac tries to zero in on cash linked to terrorism and money laundering by sifting through millions of pieces of information annually from banks, insurance companies, securities dealers, money service businesses, real estate brokers, casinos and others.

Overall, the centre divulged 2,276 pieces of intelligence to police and security agencies such as the RCMP and Canadian Security Intelligence Service last year.

FINTRAC is publishing the Alert as part of Project Athena, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police-led public-private partnership aimed at improving understanding of the money laundering threat, strengthening financial

systems and controls, and disrupting money laundering activity in British Columbia and across Canada.

Nada Semaan, Director and Chief Executive Officer, Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada said: “With this latest public-private sector partnership, we are committed to working with Canadian businesses and regulators, the provinces and territories, and our anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing regime partners to ensure the safety of Canadians and security of our economy.

Our new Operational Alert will help us generate critical financial intelligence in support of Project Athena, and the federal government’s broader efforts to combat money laundering activity in British Columbia and across Canada.”

The centre says it has made more than 30 financial intelligence disclosures so far in relation to Project Athena.

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Green Light for Michigan Sports Betting

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reat news for bookmakers and online gaming this week as bills to legalise sports betting and internet gambling were approved by a legislative panel in Michigan. Law makers expect to sent the measures to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer by the end of the week.

Following changes to the package that cleared the house in October the Senate Regulatory Reform Committee voted unanimously for the bill to go head.

Michigan would legalize sports betting and internet gambling under bills approved Tuesday by a legislative panel, as lawmakers worked to send the measures to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer by week’s end.

It’s good news for Michigan’s public schools as most of the taxes on the gambling revenue will go into the public schools fund. The tax on internet poker and other online games would range between 20 per cent

and 28 per cent while sports wager receipts would be 8.4 per cent.

This follows the trend of other US states which have taken advantage of the new laws passed last year by the US Supreme Court which allows individual states to pass laws on sports betting and internet gambling. So far 13 states have joined the movement, according to the American Gaming Association with Nevada and New Jersey already seeing a massive increase in sports betting as a result.

The bills would also regulate and tax the paid fantasy sports industry, create regulatory changes to charity poker rooms and overhaul rules for the Detroit casinos. But plans to repeal a ban on casino interested donating to candidates or political committees have not been welcomed by at least one senator.

Sen. Ruth Johnson, a Holly Republican, argued that it is Michigan voters who voted for this restriction in 1996 so is the people’s choice to exclude gaming corporations from

making political contributions. The amendment would need the support of three-fourths of the Senate because it would change voterapproved law.

However, Hertel defended the possible change in law arguing that casino owners and management already donate through super political action committees.

If approved, the development would be a landmark in a state already proliferate with gambling options including three commercial casinos in Detroit, 24 tribal casinos across Western and northern Michigan and the Lottery which already has an online component.

The development would be a landmark in a state with many gambling options already. Those include three commercial casinos in Detroit, 24 tribal casinos across western and northern Michigan, and the Lottery, which also has an online component.

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Casinos Austria & Novomatic Embroiled in “Casino Affair” Scandal

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ustria is all set to decide on granting sweeping new powers for investigation of the casino scandal probe famously referred to as the “Casino’s Affair”.

A new parliamentary committee has been set up to tackle the escalating corruption scandal that has hit the political establishment of Vienna.

Austrian lawmakers will soon decide if the committee investigating the “Casino’s Affair” needs to be given more teeth to smoothen the probe.

WKStA, the prosecutor for economic crimes and corruption in Austria, is currently examining 11 people for tracing their role in unlawful political funding, bribery, and a probable promise of making changes to the nation’s gambling law so it can benefit one of the nation’s largest companies, and its elusive 70 something years old owner and billionaire, Johann Graf.

The investigation in the “Casino’s Affair” is focussed on the association between the state-funded gambling company and its shareholders. The

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details of this relationship became public after Heinz-Christian Strache, the Freedom party leader, was secretly videotaped soliciting money from Russia. This led to triggering the downfall of the government in May earlier this year. Mr Strache, who was holding the chair of the vice-chancellor then, had assisted in the installation of a crucial ally, Peter Sidlo, in the position of the new chief financial officer at Casino Austria, despite him having no previous executive-level experience.

“Casino’s Affair” investigation is also centred around determining whether there was some hidden motive behind Mr Sidlo’s appointment.

Specifically, was the former coalition government considering ending the monopoly of Casinos Austria in the online gambling space? Such a move could have meant hundreds of millions of dollars of value to Novomatic.

Novomatic is an Austrian gambling firm which is also a partner in Casino Austria along with the Czech Sazka Group and the Austrian government.

As far as Mr Strache is concerned,

he has denied his involvement in any political corruption. He took to his Facebook account on Friday and wrote, “Never have I offered or accepted anything unlawful in connection with the CASAG (Casinos Austria) executive board appointment.”

Novomatic has always held strong ties with both the traditional ruling political parties of Austria, the Social Democrats and the People’s party. As per Karla Jurka, who is now a political consultant based out of Berlin and worked as campaign manager for the People’s party in the past, “This is an old political tradition in Austria. The governing parties discuss between themselves which job will go to which of their favoured candidates for any company or organisation that the state has an interest in. Independent candidates have more or less no chance in Austria. It has been this way since the end of the second world war for all jobs linked to the public area, including state-owned industry — anywhere the government has influence.”

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A spokesman working for Novomatic has rubbished the accusations made in the “Casino’s Affair” scandal as being “completely unfounded”. As per the press release, “Novomatic is a minority shareholder of [Casinos Austria] with only two out of 18 mem­bers on the supervisory board [and] has no claim to a management board position and therefore cannot nominate a management board member on its own.”

The allotment of gambling licenses in Austria is, for now, the subject of a “special legal procedure . . . only possible within the framework of an international, transparent and public invitation to tender,” Novomatic added.

Public consciousness regarding “Casino’s Affair” has increased with a series of explosive headlines, leaks and dawn raids conducted by the police. There was a report over the weekend that stated that a police raid conducted at a remote Tyrolean

alps hotel, used as a hiding place by Mr Strache and senior Freedom party members, unearthed a pile of gold bullion. The party claims the stash to be an investment.

Parteibuchwirtschaft — party-book economics, the broader culture of political nepotism and placemanship dominating the political system of Austria since the war, is blamed by many for the “Casino Affair.”

The extent and devious complexity of the “Casino’s Affair” scandal have overshadowed discussions related to the formation of a new government after the snap election held in October. Hartwig Löger, the former finance minister of the People’s party, is also being investigated by the WKStA for allegations of promising certain favours to Novomatic.

committee to focus on investigating the Freedom party and its activities during its time in government with the People’s party. The People’s party, on the other hand, wants the inquiry broadened to encompass the dealings of Social Democrats with Novomatic. The Freedom party has said that it will support a probe into the prevalent corruption and political interference in the Austrian economy.

A lot of people consider the “Casino Affair” as merely a tip of the iceberg.

As Thomas Hofer, a leading political commentator and consultant from Vienna put it, “The design and powers of this investigatory committee will be crucial but we don’t know yet how far it will go . . . there is so much to examine here.”

Forming the terms to guide the investigating committee for the “Casino’s Affair” is in itself a high political game.

The Social Democrats want the

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THE IGA2020 JUDGES 01

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Alexander Stevendahl CEO Videoslots

Desmond Lam Ph.D Professor in International Integrated Resort Management

Jennifer Bowman Senior Director Global Field Marketing at IGT

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Ebba Arnred CMO Play’n GO

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Britt Boeskov Chief Experience Officer at Kindred Group plc

Christina Thakor-Rankin Gaming Consultant

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Gavin Isaacs Chairman of SBTech

Liz Karter Specialist in Gambling Addiction in Women Lynn Pearce de Freitas Global Head of Marketing OGaming

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Marek Milewski Operations Manager Casinos Poland

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Noam Kanfi CEO Playtech B2C

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Paul Fitchford Managing Director & Casino Consultant at iGamingUK

Jenny Nilzon – CEO at the Swedish Gambling Association

Richard Thorp – CoFounder and Director of RPM Gaming

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Peter John Caveny Assistant Senior Vice President, Investor Relations Galaxy Entertainment Group

Phil Horne - Chief Executive SG Gaming UK

Richard Noble Chief Operating Officer of the Aspers Group

Roger Marris CEO at The Ritz Club

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Sarah Sculpher Chief Marketing Officer Caesars

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Stephanie Cheung Chief Legal Officer at Melco Crown Entertainment

Teresa Tunstall Head of Development & Training GamCare

Stefan Hamann – Founder Shamann Advisors

Tracey Stevenson General Manager – Compliance & Integrity at Crown London Vigen Badalyan- CEO BetConstruct

Marek Oleszczuk- Gaming Consultant

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Chris Welch – Consultant CW Consulting

Claudio Caruana – Director of Legal GiG

Jeremy Taylor – Managing Director at Genting Online

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