Infinity Gaming Magazine December 2020 Edition

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

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32 A DAY IN THE LIFE

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46 ALIEN SLOT MANAGER

08 COMMUNITY AWARDS WINNERS

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 COMMUNITY WINNERS 20 CHRISTINA THAKOR-RANKIN 28 LYNN PEARCE DE FREITAS 2020 WIINERS

32 TIM CULLIMORE 46 ANDY COSGROVE

LIGHT AT END OF TUNNEL

+ NEWS & MORE NEWS

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from the gaming industry

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

Optimism for 2021”

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

Lana Thompson - Editor Welcome to the latest edition of the In-

As always our superb writers give us

finity Gaming Magazine and indeed the

their experience and insight on the

last edition before we enter 2021. Now

gaming industry with contributions

I have never said this before but thank

this month by, Andrew Cosgrove, Lynn

goodness for that!

Pearce de Freitas, Teresa Tunstall, Christina Thakor-Rankin and Tim Cullimore.

We all have had a terrible year with the global pandemic, even if the busi-

As well as all the above our team have

ness has not been too affected our lives

also fitted in the very latest news and

have. But we know many of our readers

reports from around the world to keep

around the world have had a bad time

you up to date on everything that is im-

both economically and personally but

portant, what more can you want from

with the recent announcement that

the leading magazine for the gambling

the UK government have authorised

industry?

the use of the COVID vaccine and now already been given to the most vulner-

We wish all of you a wonderful festive

able we now have hope that 2021 will

season, whether it be Christmas or at

be the year of the comeback for us all

present Hanukkah and more than ever

wherever we live.

have a superb New Year and let’s all wish and hope that 2021 will bring us

However we did celebrate the truly

all together to celebrate and recognise

amazing companies and people at the

the achievements our industry have

virtual Community Awards in Novem-

done.

ber and with some 900 people watching the event it showed that the event

As always- “May the Force be with you”

was really important, not just that but

- Star Wars

at a time when community means more than ever.

Regards,

So inside this edition we show just a

Lana

small portion of the companies and people that won and why they were picked by our professional judges.

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The Editor

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

Sponsorship Opportunities Colin@cleverduckmedia.com Business Partnerships Svetlana@gaming-awards.com Marketing & Advertising claire@cleverduckmedia.com Editorial Content & PR media@cleverduckmedia.com

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

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 re-engineering, project management, research, business analysis and development, to start-ups and

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

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

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

sibility and Problem Gambling training around the world, Teresa now works independently consulting on all issues relating to Social Responsibility and Problem Gambling.

To contact Teresa regarding consulting please email:

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

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

Lynn Pearce de Freitas Lynn has creatively strategized and implemented B2C and B2B acquisition, conversion and retention marketing campaigns. Lynn started off her igaming career consulting to LCI, a prestigious land-based casino in the UK, where she was responsible for the online marketing and project-management of conferences, events, presentations, video production, and other activities.

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.

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

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Tim is a well-respected Consultant to the gaming industry, encompassing project management and operational analysis, as well as representing and advising some key manufacturers within the industry. Tim is a renowned conference speaker and also proud to be visiting lecturer at the University of West London College of Hospitality and Tourism.

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UK | USA | FRANCE | GERMANY | CYPRUS | MALTA | URUGUAY | MEXICO | UKRAINE SOUTH AFRICA | LATVIA | TAIWAN | PHILIPPINES | PERU | ARMENIA

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BetConstruct is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission for the provision of gambling software under licence number 040767-R-320911-007

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INTERNATION 2020 Industry Comm Employees Support Operator

Betsson

Community Award Europe

Casinos of Monaco Wellbeing & Health Award – Supplier

Microgaming Business Continuity

LeoVegas

Employees Support Supplier

Microgaming

Community Online Operator

Casumo Innovation

Playtech Business Continuity - Tech. Creator

Pilot Games

NAL GAMING munity Awards Winners Business Hero of the Year

Galaxy Entertainment

Community Award Asia

Melco Resorts & Entertainment

Community Supplier

Corporate Wellbeing & Health

Flowplay

William Hill

Sustainable Business - Operator

Sustainable Business - Supplier

The Star Entertainment Group

IGT

Oustanding Individual Award

Lawrence Ho Melco Resorts & Entertainment

INDUSTRY COMMUNITY AWARDS SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS AWARD

S

ustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) have steadily increased in scope and importance since these concepts entered the public discourse. As a result, international and national authorities have also progressively strengthened their sustainability and CSR commitments.

IGT proudly stands amongst those corporations promoting Sustainability and CSR practices and contributing to the achievement of goals that benefit society as a whole.

IGT has fully embraced sustainability and acknowledges its fundamental principles that guide its actions in the marketplace. The Company has joined the United Nations (UN) Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate responsibility initiative for the development, implementation, and disclosure of responsible corporate policies and practices. Endorsed by several chief executives, the UN Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to voluntarily align their operations and strategies with 10 universally accepted principles

in the areas of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. To design an effective plan of action, IGT has identified nine SDGs the Company can pursue.

As a company operating on a global scale, IGT has among its main objectives to build a common sustainable culture by unifying company’s actions within its premises all over the world.

IGT is deeply aware of operating within a modern complex society that is quickly changing and constantly requires a great sense of responsibility towards its stakeholders. The Company has maintained its global gaming leadership by always maintaining its focus on important issues and sharing a common vision of sustainability. Consequently, IGT has created value in environmental awareness and capabilities by leveraging its employees’ passion and commitment to this important cause.

These results reflect the Company’s clear determination to meet its corporate stakeholders’ expectations.

IGT’s best-in-class solutions continue to deliver innovation and excellence to keep gaming fun for all.

IGT operates as a trusted growth partner for its customers. Attention and dedication to customers are integrated into strategies to provide prompt and complete assistance.

Partnerships with global customers are based on IGT’s core values: Pioneering, Collaborative, Passionate, Responsible, and Authentic.

This includes fostering a culture of integrity, respect, and excellence over time and through a vast range of integrated services and innovative, technologically advanced products.

The ongoing feedback from the customer base and disclosure of their concerns, needs, ideas and suggestions enable IGT to respond to and proactively overcome obstacles, and fully leverage advantages and opportunities.

INDUSTRY COMMUNITY AWARDS EMPLOYEE SUPPORT WINNER

B

etsson is powered by people.

Our employees are the ones that make the magic happen and deliver on our vision of providing the best customer experience in the industry. With this mindset, it follows naturally that supporting our employees is fundamental in everything we do.

COVID & REMOTE WORK Safety comes first. When Covid-19 hit, we were able to move to remote work for the vast majority of our employees very quickly. In addition to the laptop, we allowed our employees to take home any other equipment they need to work as comfortable as possible such as monitors, docking stations, keyboards, etc. We also allowed them to take their office chair home if needed.

In Stockholm, HR & Office actually went to all employees’ homes to deliver office furniture - and as a fun gesture also a roll of toilet paper since this was a scarce commodity, often commented in the media in the beginning of the pandemic.

COMMUNICATION Communication is key in these circumstances, and we sent out email

updates on local developments, government press conferences, health measures, etc on a regular basis, in some locations seven days a week.

have pushed our many online training opportunities.

Our CEOs Jesper Svensson and Pontus Lindwall also communicated directly with all employees on a regular basis through global emails, All Hands Meetings, QnA session and video messages.

People managers were encouraged to keep in close contact with their teams online, and to schedule oneto-ones as well as team meetings and more relaxed get togethers such as sharing a coffee or playing a game online. Team building, which we do quarterly, has also moved online.

ONLINE CHECK-IN On three occasions over the past six months, in April, June, and September, we checked-in with our employees through an online survey to ask how they were feeling about the whole situation and about working from home. A staggering 90% said that they still felt that special Betsson spirit!

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENTS Employee engagement has always been at the heart of the employee experience at Betsson. Going from working primarily in the office to almost everybody working remotely, we shifted focus to online employee activities. Examples include online yoga, meditation, stretching classes, etc.

We could also see that employees adapted quite quickly with numbers showing that they found it increasingly easy to work from home and that their engagement in online employee activities increased.

To support employees physical wellbeing, our health and fitness allowance was further extended to also cover home exercise equipment.

ONGOING TRAINING Both employees and managers have been encouraged to continue their professional development and we

In our social clubs, Betssonites get together to discuss mutual interests such as arts & crafts, books, e-sports or food. We supported the clubs to transfer their activities online. This is from the Garagesson, which as the name implies is all about cars. The

13 In Malta, the Easter gift was a voucher for a takeaway of their choice in a bid to delight Betssonites and at the same time support local eateries.

CEO for Betsson AB, Pontus Lindwall, joined the club to chat about their shared hobby.

GLOBAL ENGAGEMENTS Our newly established network, Women in Betsson, WiBE, held its session online with a very appreciated lecture and QnA on gender roles. For Pride we had an internationally well-known gender expert who shared details of his own transition from female to male and gave insightful info around gender and transsexuality at the workplace.

We highlighted Mother’s Day and Father’s Day by asking employees to send in photos of themselves with their kids.

whilst keeping to social distance guidelines (we only approached them by drone).

MILESTONES COMPANY VALUES With no travel allowed, we celebrated one of our brand’s – Europebet in Georgia – 10th Anniversary since going online with recorded best wishes from the Operational Management and a video of our Georgian employees – we visited most of them at home

In challenging times, it is all the more important to stand strong together.

We launched the Betsson Group Value Awards as a way to put added focus on our core values – One Betsson, Passion and Fair Play.

We also arranged a singing competition ‘Betsson Voice’ where employees all over the world send in their contributions, recorded in their own homes, and their fellow colleagues all over the world got to vote for the best entries until only one winner remained.

We also organised various competitions such as a global online poker tournament, global slots tournament, a music quiz night, bingo, and more.

One added benefit of having the activities online was that they could be global, bringing all employees, from Georgia to Peru, together as One Betsson.

*

SPECIAL DAYS For Easter, employees globally got a small gift, ranging from chocolate to fruit, and even face masks.

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INDUSTRY COMMUNITY AWARDS SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS WINNER The Star Entertainment Group

A

t The Star we believe in a bright and sustainable future creating places to enjoy and supporting a bright future for our people, guests and cities.

Our Bright Future is a framework for sustainability at The Star.

MATERIALITY Our Sustainbility Strategy is underpinned by a structured materiality assessment process and responds to our material environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues identified.

In addition to identifying the material ESG issues relevant to our business and industry and ensuring we respond accordingly through policy, process, targets and reporting, material issues have been mapped to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Upholding human rights is fundamental to our business and underpins all that we do for our people, our guests, our partners and our communities. It is reflected through each of our values and is at the heart of our business. Each year our materiality process is conducted to ensure our material issues remain

relevant and current. The material issues matrix demonstrates the relevance of these material issues to our business and stakeholders.

OUR APPROACH The Materiality approach adhered to the requirements of the following: I. Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

II. AccountAbility AA1000 Materiality Principle and Assurance Standard International III. the intergrated Reporting Council Frameword and IV. consider the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDGs capture global sustainable development priorities and demonstrate where corporations can have an impact on global environmental and social issues.

OUR CHARITY WORK The Star Entertainment Group is in a unique position to support charities through the redistribution of obsolete furniture, equipment, hotel linen and food donations.

Working closely with local women’s refuges and clothing charities, and with their guidance, The Star under-

stands the needs of our community partners and provide support accordingly.

Through The Star Sydney’s donation program, over 20,000 kilograms of linen, towels and bathrobes has been redistributed to local women’s refuges and clothing charities since the program began in 2018.

In the same period, The Smith Family received over 10,800 items of clothing, hotel linen, bathrobes and furniture through The Star Sydney’s donation program, to provide greater opportunities and support for disadvantaged families.

When The Star Sydney refurbished its hotel rooms and offices, 37 flatscreen TVs, fridges and furniture found new homes through one of The Star Sydney’s charity partners, Pyrmont Cares. Pyrmont Cares supports the rehousing of less fortunate community members through the provision of TVs, whitegoods and furniture.

15 our talented teams.

ucts over time.

By surveying our teams before and after occupation The Star aims to deliver tangible wellbeing benefits and to create a more sustainability focused culture at our workplace, and as an employer of choice.

STAR ACADEMY Creating Australia’s leading integrated resort company requires highly skilled and talented teams.

The Star Entertainment Group is focussed

REDUCING SINGLE-USE PLASTICS GREEN OFFICE - GREEN STAR The Star Entertainment Group’s Sydney corporate office at 60 Union Street, Pyrmont, NSW, underwent an extensive refurbishment and relocation of floors during the 2018 financial year.

upon attracting and retaining skilled, empowered team members and leaders.

The Star Entertainment Group is committed to building and operating world-class properties which work to continuously improve Sustainability in design, operations and through our guest experiences.

To grow and nurture our talent and to facilitate further growth in the business, the Group launched The Star Academy in March 2018. With the tagline “Your partner in potential” The Star Academy supports leaders and individuals in developing the right skills to be successful in their current role and future career.

The Star Academy supports the Group in ensuring we attract, develop and retain highly capable and diverse talent, with a focus on developing a generation of leaders whose unique strengths, skills and capability lead to outstanding guest service and deliver shareholder value.

STAR CULINARY INSTITUE As one of the largest single-site employers in New South Wales and Queensland, The Star has a commitment to mentoring and training the next generation of Australia’s hospitality and tourism professionals. Established in 2015, The Star Culinary Institute is our dedicated training arm and has grown to become one of Australia’s biggest privately-run programs employing around 110 full-time and school-based ap-

To ensure the new office design achieved our sustainability goals in line with our Sustainable Design and Operational Standards, and delivered targeted health and wellbeing benefits, the Group committed to achieving a 5 Star Green Star Interiors rating.

The 5 Star Green Star rating represents Australian excellence and will assist us in our journey to futureproof, tenant, own and operate efficient buildings, and ensure that the business is well placed to attract and grow

As a leading Australian company and destination business we are committed to reducing waste in our organisation and in the communities in which we operate.

prentices.

Part of this commitment is our pledge to reduce single-use plastics within our operations. We understand that alternatives are not available for all products currently.

The Star Culinary Institute provides ap-

It has been created by some of the best chefs in the industry alongside vocational institutions such as TAFE.

prentices both an opportunity to further their tourism and hospitality career at The Star and contributes to the upskilling of tomorrow’s workforce across the industry.

However, we will continue to test and improve our use of sustainable prod-

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INDUSTRY COMMUNITY AWARDS COMMUNITY WINNER

C

asumo has always been a community-first company— from building social-gaming features that establish community amongst players, to nurturing a sense of belonging across employees, to finding creative ways to make a positive impact within our local community.

Some of the most vulnerable to Covid-19 and its life-altering effects are the elderly.

With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, we recognised the opportunity to provide support and comfort not only for our employees, but for our broader community. Many minds came together to think outside the box, to find ways of reaching segments of the community who needed us most. We believe it’s not just about how much money you can give, but how you can find ways to deliver joy and hope to individuals during the most challenging of times.

We saw an opportunity to help. We reached out to local nursing homes and were able to deliver laptops so that nurses could help residents to use technology to connect them with their families and friends. It was the perfect way to repurpose older laptops that weren’t being used. The thought of a grandma, single-finger typing and learning how to use Skype on one of our retired laptops warms our hearts.

The following initiatives are all part of our 2020 Casumo Gives campaign, under which we continue to jump on new opportunities to support our community in Malta.

INITIATIVES Connecting the most vulnerable by donating laptops.

Disconnected from family and friends, the visits that brought them joy in The past became a thing of the past, as nursing homes restricted visits.

Empowering learning as education goes virtual.

Another segment of the community impacted hardest by the pandemic has been children.

They were uprooted in

the midst of their school year, forced to continue learning from home as best they could. Unfortunately, not every child has access to the tools needed to learn on remote. We recognised this and collaborated with the Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS) to get tablets into the hands of those in need. Upon delivering 25 new tablets, the Chief Executive of [FSWS] “appealed for more companies to follow the example of Casumo because the Foundation firmly believes that every child has the right to an education.”

17 healthy meal. We have been doing this for the past eleven weeks and continue to do so.

and Casumo matched those donations throughout the campaign. It’s nicer

MASKS Giving 1,000 masks to social workers and the less fortunate.

MEAL DELIVERY Delivering 300 meals to healthcare workers.

What’s one of the best ways to show how much you care? Food. With the early rise of coronavirus cases, we jumped on the opportunity to fire up our in-office kitchen to create hearty meals for those on the front lines. In the early weeks of the pandemic in Malta, we delivered 300 meals to local hospitals across the island.

In addition to providing meals, we delivered 1,000 masks to Aġenzija Appoġġ, which were used by social workers and risk assessors when out visiting their cases. From there, many were also given to families in need who could not afford to buy their own.

CAMPAIGNS A match campaign in support of #WeAreiGaming.

Delivering 60 meals to Red Cross volunteers.

It takes a village, or an industry.

When cases began to subside in Malta and after seeing many companies sprinting toward the same initiative of donating food to healthcare workers, our chefs shifted to supplying meals to volunteers at the Red Cross. 60 meals have since been delivered there.

Casumo joined forces with other companies in the industry to raise funds for Foodbank Lifeline Foundation and the Richmond Foundation in Malta.

Rather than write a check, we wanted to rally our internal community to support our external community,

Delivering 275 meals and counting to social workers and families in need

so we initiated a match campaign, where employees made donations

to make a difference together. And together, we donated over €2200 to the industry initiative.

Collecting for the local community What is it that families in need require most?

That’s what we asked the director of Aġenzija Appoġġ. We took that list and kicked off an internal drive to collect non-perishables, toiletries and the other household goods and basics that families need. Casumo continues to collect and give, recognising the wise words of Churchill, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

Through a bit of investigating, we discovered a group of unsung heroes: social workers. While the pandemic roared on, social workers at the local social welfare organisation, Aġenzija Appoġġ, never skipped a beat. They continued with their home visits and support of some of the most vulnerable in the community.

Recognising their dedication, we supported their efforts by supplying meals for them to distribute to families that were most in need of a warm,

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INDUSTRY COMMUNITY AWARDS EMPLOYEE SUPPORT WINNER Casinos of Monaco, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer

O

n March 15th, The pandemic was officially declared in Monaco and France thus the lockdown was implemented with the temporary closing of quite all the Resort. All the team members were truly affected by an unreal situation.

To face the situation with strength, the management decided to take action to build a momentum for maintaining social relationships and sharing values of the company. It was also a path to create a resilience, essential and desired by the staff.

Strong Together was born. Two words that came naturally and collectively and on their way to build a community.

The banner was first affixed on the facade of the most iconic gaming venue in Europe. The gaming marketing team worked hard to make it happen during lockdown and to share words of compassion and to keep a positive spirit. The story started from here.

A community to keep the contact during the lockdown.

Once “Strong Together” created and affixed , a virtual human chain was created naturally in Monaco and beyond with first employees of MonteCarlo Societe des Bains de Mer to show solidarity and support to fight Covid-19 related stress and quarantine that lockdown required.

It showed also that connection was a basic human need, “Strong Together” put very early, the feeling of belonging and the feeling of being part of something.

This connection involved having a sense of unity with group of people, feeling like team members or being part of something bigger than yourself, and taking opportunities to share your values.

On Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, employees started to share pictures of them at home showing resilience with the hashtag Strong Together.

After few days, the initiative took over the county, Monaco, and people started to use social media: the

initiative Strong Together became a movement. People were connected, resisting and holding on throught Strong Together. Pleasure and actions were on their way to create a national engagement and a national resilence with optimism to cope with the crisis.

Strong Together it’s also showing solidarity and support to the medical staff.

Employees under lockdown needed to show their gratitude to front-line healthcare workers in Monaco by sharing the savoir- faire of the Resort by delivering freshly baked cakes to all the staff of the local hospital.

For hours, about 30 employees volunteered by baking, cooking and packing bags to be distributed at the hospital.

Showing support by being there, giving time, sharing smiles with everyday heroes was key.

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Light at the end of the tunnel

By Christina Thakor-Rankin

F

inally, after months of uncertainty and insecurity comes the announcement of the world’s first coronavirus vaccine,and with it the first glimmer of hope of a return to something approaching normality for those who have spent the best part of this year in a state of suspended animation.

Whilst every business has been impacted in some way over the last nine months, some sectors, such as leisure and retail have taken a bigger hit than most - the combination of national lockdown, closure of non-essential businesses, the need to maintain social distancing and furloughs and lay-offs have all taken their toll on those businesses whose business model relieson travel, hospitality, social interaction and disposable customer income.

The betting and gambling sector just like travel, relies on all of these, and the impact of the pandemic has been felt by every type of business, from international gambling hubs like Vegas and Macauto their more

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modest local counterparts (including bingo halls and gaming parlours) and sportsbooks finding themselves with quite literally nothing to bet on.

The introduction of emergency player protection and social responsibility measures by regulators keen to safeguard those at risk of turning to online gambling as a means of escape or addressing financial worrieshas meant that there has been no aspect of the industry that has not been affected. Some jurisdictions have gone even further. South Africa pausing the lottery and more recently some states in India and Asia moving to ban online gaming and betting altogether amidst concerns around a rise in suicides linked to problem gaming.

The pandemic has taken its toll - and as operators both off and online struggle to keep their heads above water, news of a vaccine and hopes of a return to some semblance of normality could not have come soon enough.

But as operators start to go about the process of re-building their business-

es what does the future look like? Not only do operators have the challenge of recouping the losses of an unprecedented event, they will be required to do so against a backdrop of changing player habits with increased regulatory burden, especially in the case of new and emerging markets such as Germany and the Netherlands. On the face of it, things look pretty bleak.

But it doesn’t have to be. It is not all bad news and there is an opportunity for the industry to re-emerge from the ashes of closures, consolidation and enhanced regulatory measures as leaner, lighter and better.

Firstly, the industry has for some time now been fighting a losing reputational battle against arising tide of social responsibility and AML failings and regulatory fines and sanctions, each new story or sanction bringing more anti-industry sentiment from politicians and player protection groups in the UK, Europe, Australia and Asia all calling for greater regulation.

21

Whilst not quite a case of drawing a line

result of the events of this year Ireland,

uct stagnation (‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix

under the past, the pandemic does give

Canada and New Zealand ae now all

it’) - or it could lead to competition that

the industry a chance to come back with

activity considering a move towards a

drives product differentiation and inno-

a new approach and attitude to social

regulated online betting and gambling

vation. That could be really exciting.

responsibility. A chance to re-set and

sector.In the US the growing success of

accept the enhanced regulatory restric-

online operators compared with their

For sure things have been challenging

tions not as a temporary measure but

land-based counterparts over the last

over the last year and it would be natu-

as the new normal. A small step - but a

year will hopefully help to persuade

ral to assume that against a backdrop

necessary one if it is to turn the tide of

those states yet to move towards online

of casualties, lost revenue and calls for

adverse public and political sentiment.

to do so sooner rather than later.

greater social responsibility from politicians, regulators and those who view

Secondly, whilst the lockdown has re-

For the US however, one of the biggest

the sector as a pariah the future looks

sulted in some jurisdictions taking steps

impacts of the pandemic could be Shel-

bleak.

to prohibit online gaming and betting,

don Adelson’s decision to sell-up and

others have gone or are about to go the

turn his back on Vegas. A long-time cru-

The other side of the coin is that this is

other way. Those jurisdictions that have

sader against online gambling in the US,

an opportunity for the industry to press

enjoyed an established land-based sec-

his exit from the US could open the door

the re-set button. An opportunity to re-

tor have seen revenue from gambling

to the regulation of online betting and

evaluate the pre-pandemic political,

tax and duties evaporate overnight, and

gambling at a federal level. That could

player and product landscape, to learn

their citizens move over to unregulated/

be really interesting.

from past mistakes and re-align itself

offshore betting and gambling sites. This

with the attitudes of today.

together with a conscious global shift

Thirdly, there has been a fair amount of

towards digital and online has resulted

consolidation across the industry over

An opportunity to emerge from the ash-

in something of a lightbulb moment for

the last few years. This could have a

es of the pandemic a cleaner, fitter, bet-

those regulators who traditionally have

negative or a positive impact. It could

ter industry fit for the digital age.

sat on the fence when it comes to regu-

lead to market domination and compla-

lating online betting and gambling. As a

cency which in turn could lead to prod-

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GAMING NEWS

23

European and Asian Titans Collaborate for a Win-win

B

BIN has announced that the company has become the Official iGaming Supplier Partner of Atlético de Madrid in Asia in November 2020. Both BBIN and Atlético de Madrid share the colors red and white for their brand image, symbolizing that their passion and spirit is building a bridge between Europe and Asia, fighting side by side in the future.

more competitive with outstanding results. Atlético de Madrid is one of the biggest clubs in Spanish and European football in terms of honors, membership size and competitiveness. The men’s team has won 10 La Liga titles, 10 Copa del Rey trophies, one Intercontinental Cup, three UEFA Super Cups, two Spanish Super Cups, three UEFA Europa League titles and one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.

Atlético de Madrid, nicknamed Los Rojiblancos, are a well-known century-old Spanish professional football club that plays in La Liga, and are also one of the traditional continental powerhouse in Europe.

Atlético de Madrid are also known for cultivating talented strikers, with some world-renowned top strikers such as Fernando Torres and Diego Costa were from the club. In recent years, the club has become even

Atlético de Madrid possess a youthful and vibrant team, with all players showing relentless efforts and great team spirits on the pitch. “Coraje y corazón”is as much of the club’s slogan the team put into practice as is the perseverance with which BBIN pursues excellence and breakthrough for more than 20 years since its establishment. As the leading brand in the industry, BBIN is committed to providing the most competitive

and comprehensive service for its customers, which has be recognized by multiple international awards.

Moreover, BBIN also put its efforts in corporate social responsibility, developed a charitable brand TGB Charity and cooperated withworldwide welfare organizations to promote various activities. Across all regions, BBIN is realizing its corporate value to share love and contribute to the society.

BBIN believes that the partnership with Atletico de Madrid will be a great success. BBIN also wishes the team could have outstanding performances in the future La Liga and major international competitions, keep clean sheets in every match, and enjoy the glorious moments together!

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24

Camelot Criticised Over Age Limit The Sazka Group who are bidding for

moving the age limit on lottery prod-

the UK National Lottery License has

ucts from 16 to 18 should that be the

come out and said it would only sell

result of the upcoming consultation.”

their products to 18 years and over if they were to win the UK bid.

Camelot’s license expires in 2023 and it is understood both Sazka and the Virgin

At present Camelot who have operated

Group run by Richard Branson will bid

the National Lottery since 1991 allow

for the UK Lottery operator license.

16 year olds and above to purchase lottery tickets and scratch cards.

In a move to critic the current operator and just before the government begins

SPAIN NEWS

a full 16 week review of gambling in the UK Sazka have stated they would raise the age limit to 18.

Spanish gaming industry association Cejuego along with the University

A Sazka spokesperson said: “In ac-

Carlos III of Madrid have compiled a

cordance with local laws, Sazka Group

report based on the first ten months

currently limits the sale of its lottery

of gaming in Spain, showing a mas-

products to those who are 18 years of

sive fall in revenues of over 50%.

age and older in four of our existing European lottery markets and for online

In total the report shows gross rev-

sales in the fifth, markets where we

enues of €4.35 billion for the year up

have proven that innovation and strong

to October, in 2019 the full twelve

player protection measures can work in

year revenues stood at €10.23 billion.

tandem to grow lottery sales and fund good causes.

COMMUNITYAWARDS The Industry Community Awards which took place on the 18th November, celebrating the amazing work many within the land based and online businesses have done to help and support not just their workers and colleagues but the wider community also.

Clever Duck Media who are presented the awards have announced the winners and details on what amazing work they have done can be seen inside the magazine.

The huge impact of the COVID-19 pandemic of course had a major

“And while it is of course a matter for

impact on land based operators, but

the Gambling Commission and leg-

even last year prior to the pandemic

islators to decide here in the United

revenues were down 6% so the de-

Kingdom, we would strongly support

More details can be found by contacting the organisers.

cline is not new.

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This proves Pilot’s ability to deliver a play at home product while bars and clubs remain closed due to the global pandemic.

Along with this amazing number customers who compete weekly have the opportunity to win Minnesota Vikings merchandise with the partnership Pilot Games has with the professional American football team to create the new

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25

Lottomatica Sold By IGT

DFNN Given First Online Gambling License In Philippines The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR) has issued its first online gambling license allowing for gambling online to locals to DFNN, the general online license is the first outside of a casino environment with Bloomberry Resorts’ Solaire Resort & Casino allowed to offer online gambling to its VIP customers.

The Philippine based gaming technology company with offer its products through the URL inplay.ph, however the details of those games DFNN will offer

International Gaming Technology (IGT)

monetise its leadership positions in the

has announced it has entered into an

Italian B2C gaming machine, sports bet-

agreement to sell its Italian B2C busi-

ting, and digital spaces at an attractive

ness Lottomatica to an affiliate linked

multiple to comparable Italian trans-

to Apollo Global Management for €950

actions, providing us with enhanced

million with the bulk of the payment,

financial flexibility.”

€725 million on sealing the deal and the remainder over two years.

“Aligning with our recent reorganisation, the favourable rebalancing of our

Lottomatica operates gaming machine,

business and geographic mix reframes

sports betting, and a digital gaming

and simplifies our priorities while

business and IGT said the sale would

improving the company’s future profit

help pay off outstanding debts held by

margin, cash flow generation, and debt

IGT.

profile.”

Marco Sala the CEO of IGT said on the sale: “The transaction enables IGT to

have not be made public at present.

With the issue of the license PAG-

Sun International Sells Carousel Casino

COR has allowed the move in light of

The casino was opened by Sun Interna-

the reduction in Philippine Offshore

tional back in 1991 but the recent pan-

Gambling Operators (POGOs), who

demic that swept through South Africa

were licensed to offer online gambling

forced the company to review its future

to overseas gamblers. Those operators

and the decision was made to keep the

have reduced over recent months with

casino closed.

the Philippine government increased demand on taxes and costs.

In a statement by Sun International it said: “A regulatory application has been

With also the land based sector also being hit hard by the COVID pandemic the regulator has now moved to allow for online gambling within the country to help generate much needed revenues for their charity and public services.

submitted to the North West Gambling Sun International has announced it has

Board and this will follow due process.

sold it shuttered Carousel Casino to an

In the interim, Sun International has

un-named buyer and will reopen the

appointed a management company to

casino in mid-December as the man-

run the casino.”

agement team.

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27

UK Gambling Act Review To Begin

T

he UK government is expected to launch the start of the Gambling Act Review, which will be the most comprehensive consultation on gambling since the 2005 revised Gambling Act. Many believe this latest review will change the way gambling operators will work for over 50 years, not since the former Prime Minister Tony Blair passed laws allowing for major changes in advertising, sponsorship and a liberalisation of gambling will this new review be more important.

Many Members of Parliament on both the government side and the opposition have placed themselves against gambling operators to enable more restrictions to the way the UK public may place a bet or indeed see their favourite gambling company operate.

The Gambling Act Review will take 16 weeks and receive consultations from the general public and many other organisations such as gambling regulators, professionals in addictive gambling and indeed from the general public.

However there are many MPs pushing for restrictions which some operators are expecting to come in irrelevant of the consultation period, these would see the sponsorship of sporting teams be more censored, such as the removal of shirt sponsorship.

Promotional advertising on free spins or games removed or reduced heavily, enabling law to remove advertising during live sporting events (this is currently enforced by operators but is expected to be made law).

looking to scale back gambling in the UK even though they create tens of thousands of jobs and add billions of pounds to the treasury each year.

There possibly could be a delay to the start of the review given the talks on Brexit but as one gambling consultant told the iGaming Post, “if it’s not this month it will start in early January, there are now too many in Westminster who want this to happen.�

However there is a thought that the Prime Minister and the government are getting tired of the chorus for change for a reform to gambling, as stated it does create thousands of jobs and a huge income to a treasury that in 2021 and beyond will need the much needed finance to recover from the pandemic that has sweeped across the globe.

It seems that Westminster is again

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28

The combination of lockdown and mobile has been good for video games and esports

By Lynn Pearce de Freitas

T

he rise in popularity of video gaming, streaming and either watching or participating in esports is set to continue post lockdown, according to several reports being released recently.

A new study from The NPD Group: ‘2020 Evolution of Entertainment’ report, shows that in the USA alone – four out of five US consumers have played a video game in the past 6 months! The total sales of video game hardware and software within the United States in the first six months of 2020 reached US$6.6 billion, the highest since 2010.The report details that U.S. consumers have increased their video game spend by 33% this year. According to Goldman Sachs Investment Research, 18 to 25-year-olds now watch more video games than traditional live sports and that esports will reach 276 million viewers globally by 2022. Activision have just reported

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that Call of Duty has seen more players than ever before with 200 million in 2020 alone, bringing in $3 billion in the past 12 months, helped along in no short measure by the free-toplay Warzone, plus free-to-play Call of Duty Mobile, a global pandemic that gave people reasons to stay inside, including a shortage of other sports and entertainment options. Asian gaming giants Nintendo and Tencent both saw sales increases during the first quarter (between 30-41%). Analysis from GamesIndustry.biz shows that sales across 50 key markets rose by 63%.

It appears the trend is much the same globally, where participation, time and spend have significantly increased in this past year.It seems that in all markets, the growth is consistent across platforms, with more players overall spending more time and money on the video gaming category, as consumers have sought greater

variety in their at-home entertainment options.

Growth is particularly strong on mobile, which is likely to be the most accessible platform to a wide audience of consumers. Consoles also saw notable increases, driven by families seeking options for group play and by those seeking options for online play.

The numbers are fascinating, as are the age group increases in adoption rates. According to Tim’s take on the Roundhill Roundup: while the gaming industry is already larger than the movie and music industries combined, its relevance in older demographics is trending higher: NPD found that both time spent and dollars spent increased year-overyear in the 45-54 age group (+59%, +76%), the 55-64 age group (+48%, +73%), and the 65+ age group

29

(+45%, +29%). Second, mobile is a key driver of adoption from “nontraditional” gaming audiences, which he believes will ultimately filter through and be a key driver of esports growth moving forward.Yearover-year growth for participation, time and money spent on gaming has been significant among less traditional gaming segments as well, notably adults over 45 years of age. In particular, video games are one of the most consistent growth categories in terms of overall participation and investment.

I found all this information rather interesting for 3 reasons: firstly, the increased engagement with games is part of a general year on year rise in digital activities and device usage, which is something we have known for a number of years already, although 2020 certainly helped to accelerate this growth. Gamers themselves reported increases in their online activities, from social media to streaming. Secondly – during lockdown – family time increased

– and the need to keep the family entertained seemed to have worked particularly well for the video gaming industry, especially during the lockdown periods, with COVID-19 restrictions, which impacted most of the offline events, the ability to be able to dine out, or go to a theatre, a gym, or see a movie. Thirdly, sports bettors turned to online esports due to the cancellations of major sports events throughout the lockdown. One of the biggest challenges for the online gambling industry – up until the Covid-19 pandemic - has been in trying to tap into this potentially lucrative esports vertical and to try to find ways in which to monetize esports. When the pandemic forced the shutdown of most of the sports events and sports bettors were left high and dry, stuck at home looking for some sporting activities, they turned to esports, something they would not normally have done, as the playing time for esports is much longer, depending on the amount of teams involved, these events could go on for up to 12 days or more. Traditional sports betting is

much faster in comparison, allowing them to bet on multiple games simultaneously, mostly on mobile, which has also resulted in a huge uptake in mobile usage.

Most gaming activities usually take place at home, whether playing the game or as a spectator, streaming games on Twitch, YouTube or Facebook Gaming – all of whom have also experienced a surge in growth, with around a 20% increase in usage hoursreported.Verizon has reported an increase in gaming traffic during peak hours of 75%, compared to increases of 12% increase in digital video traffic and 20% in web traffic.

To summarise, in the words of Mike Sepso, CEO of Vindex“In the COVID-19 era, all of this activity has increased dramatically, because of both the new time available to people and their need for social interaction, which gaming provides.”

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GAMING NEWS

Kindred Criticises Swedish Government

31

UK Latest Gambling Figures Announced

The Kindred Group has come out and stated

that the current proposed restrictions imposed in Sweden are unfair to licensed online gambling operators.

Unibet operator Kindred were responding to the proposed extension by the Swedish government that says the limit cap of $580 on deposits by players till the end of June 2021.

The government are concerned that the current COVID restrictions would see an increase in gambling and follow problem gambling increases, however the operator says that even as the restrictions that are proposed to be extended have not seen any increase since July this year.

In fact the operator says the government is more concerned with controlling and limiting license operators and not unlicensed operators who are not limited to deposit controls.

Indeed Kindred says that the government have done nothing to tell players not to play with unlicensed operators. Henrik Tjärnström, CEO of the Kindred Group said on that matter: “During these seven months that the restrictions have been in place, the Swedish government have not been taking any measures to determine the level of channelisation, they have not accounted for any measures against unlicensed operators in Sweden, and they cannot present any notable connections between the pandemic and increased problem gambling in Sweden at licensed Swedish operators.”

Kindred are the second licensed operator to criticise the Swedish government after LeoVegas came out recently to complain at the current restrictions.

The UK Gambling Commission released figures for the gambling industry showing that overall gross gaming yield was down 0.6% for the year ending 31st March 2020. Many observers will be surprised given that the yearend only just touched the start of the global pandemic.

The UK lockdown started on the 19th March meaning that it was only 11 days into the lockdown of casinos, betting shops and bingos while of course online gambling remained open.

In total £14.22 billion was staked, with online revenues seeing a rise of 8.1% for the period with £5.68 billion, bingo halls saw a drop of 5.75 compared to the previous year to £636 million and land based casinos suffering a 4% drop to £1.02 billion.

The National Lottery run by Camelot saw revenues of £5.45 billion in retail and online sales of £2.46 billion helping to see a rise of 10.4% in gross gaming yield at £3.04 billion, the National Lottery is still by far the most wagered on activity in the UK. The numbers for the UK gambling industry only saw a small impact from the pandemic and certainly those figures for next year will show devastating drops for all the land based elements.

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32

A Day in the Life

By Tim Cullimore

W

hen I would discuss with my sales team the best approach to negotiating with Casino management I proposed at all times one particular approach, learned from my experience as a casino G.M. Make the life of the Manager as easy as possible. Don’t bombard them with unnecessary questions, try and predict the requirements and make recommendations accordingly, and make sure that what they ordered is what they get.

spend time with me over dinner.

This all may sound like common sense but until you have walked the walk in the shoes of a Casino manager you cannot imagine the stresses, time constraints and enormous work load they operate under.

Having an understanding of the pressures under which a Casino manager performs helped the sales team to ease the purchasing process.

As a Manager I always tried to carve out time to spend with a visiting sales executive, hopefully at least dinner, and likewise, as a sales Director I very much appreciated the gesture when a manager and perhaps also their team would

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Now of course there is a pleasure motive in this as well, as spending time with fellow professionals is always a great way to end the day, and equally casinos invariably have great restaurants (I may be referring to you Holland Casinos). And if a Casino manager wants to get out of his work environment, they always know the best places to go (thank you to the team at Casino de Liban, what a dinner and setting).

But just how does a day in the life of a Casino Manager unfold? Firstly, being everywhere all of the time would seem like a good idea. I remember when I was a dealer wondering why we hardly ever saw the G.M. on the gaming floor at its busiest times of mid-night on a Friday and Saturday night. I used to find

it peculiar that he or she wouldn’t want to be on the gaming floor when the bulk of the business was being done. I promised myself that if I ever became a Manager I would spend as much time as possible on the gaming floor at peak times.

How naive I was.

So what are the qualities required to be a successful land based Casino general manager?

A knowledge of gaming would of course be considered a prerequisite, but I have worked with some excellent executives who have come through the finance, F&B or security routes, therefore gaming knowledge is a big positive, but not necessarily from an operations background. Experience in as many departments as possible? Always a good thing, I myself started as a dealer, worked as slot manager and made a point of learning cash desk procedures before becoming a G.M. These skills are good to have so you can support your departmental managers, butthey are only a part of the whole package.

33

Whilst working in Brussels I spent at 30% of my time dealing with H.R. matters. As we were a new casino there were many meetings with the local labour authorities as to the working practises of the staff and the legalities of the special environment of which a casino is. Another large slice of my time was spent on F&B affairs, as the kitchen and bars were forever being analysed to improve performance.

Security was obviously a major concern, and the advances in technology used by the surveillance department meant that there would often be an information overload that needed attending to. So, to my consternation, less and less time was left for pure gaming affairs. Thankfully I have had through my career great heads of department for tables games and slots, but I craved first-hand knowledge, and frankly missed being where the action is.

At the start of each week I would promise myself that I would spend

more time on the gaming floor, getting a feel for the atmosphere, judge the working mood of the gaming staff, hope to meet some clients and have a much better understanding of the things we were doing right, and more importantly, having a greater knowledge of the things we were doing wrong. I would plan to interact on a personal basis with the slot attendants, always the most knowledgeable people in a casino regarding customer preferences and complaints.

Perhaps I would have time to share a coffee with the shift managers and catch up on the gossip. But each time I planned this the rhythms and shifting priorities would shave away the hours of each day, leaving me with a rushed visit to the tables and slots, and never enough time to absorb the details of the operation.

And then of course there is the challenge of managing upwards, communicating with the parent company and your superiors, who had often

times a very different view of the priorities you had set yourself. And local officials would like a chat, perhaps the Mayor would like to invite you for lunch. I’m getting stressed just thinking about it all.

So, to my younger self, I have to say that the view changes the higher up the mountain you climb, and that is true at each level. When I think back to the different jobs I have had I think the most satisfying was probably Shift Manager in the Casino de Montreal. A sensational place to work, a brilliant team from valets to the senior directors, and at the level of Shift Manager, the chance to be hands on whilst having insight into the direction of the whole enterprise.

Therefore, whoever you may be, whether co-worker, supplier, dealer, slot tech, or boss, have a little compassion for the lady or gentleman at the top.

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ITALIAN DESIGN, TAILORMADE SERVICE

Tim Cullimore at London Gaming Dal Negro distributor for UK phone: +44 (0)7826857931 mail: tim.cullimore@londongaming.co.uk

Tim Cullimore Article

These are people who won’t think twice about helping to clear up when the bathroom floods, or help security at the entrance when there are colleagues off sick, and who, most importantly have the well-being of all the people working in the casino as their overriding priority.

35

Covid Lock Down

ronments to play. I can only imagine the discussion within government departments, making choices that impact tens of thousands of households.

And I would be fascinated to know just how many of those making the draconian decisions have ever set foot in a casino. I guess they feel they have all the data they need from having watched Ocean’s Eleven.

Here in England we have again been under strict lockdown throughout the month of November due to Covid, which of course includes casinos. The lack of consistency from the authorities has once more shown their poor understanding of the industry and how it functions. From the start of the pandemic the casinos have made enormous efforts to create safe envi-

Inmainland Europe there are further inconsistencies, with neighbouring casinos struggling under widely different directives, even within the same country!I am not wishing to downplay the severity of the situation, but when theatres, restaurants and food halls, some sporting venues and shops and cinemas are allowed to open, but casinos aren’t, those in

authority are showing a serious dereliction in their duty.

Happy Holidays The Christmas and New Year holidays have always been an especially important part of the Casino financial year, as well as allowing employees and clients to enjoy this special time of year. This year, perhaps more than any, I hope that there can be some kind of normality and all our colleagues and friends within the gaming industry can celebrate in their own way, and may I wish everyone a more promising and cheerier 2021.

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38

The End of the World…… or maybe not!

By Teresa Tunstall

B

reaking News! Run to the nearest Air raid shelter; China and North Korea are forecasting the beginning of hostilities and adding to our fears by displaying their monster missile parades. On China’s National Day crowds gathered in Hong Kong chanting for pro-democracy butsimultaneously Beijing clamped down on all anti-China sentiment within the territory. All this while the universe suffers from the greatest pandemic in centuries.

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However, many top infectious disease experts and professors worldwide are busy creating antidotes in an attempt to beat the virus. Only time will tellas to whoever and whatever vaccine finally gets accreditation but suffice to say the winner will make substantial financial gains.

On a different note, I was surprised to read that Playboy Enterprises will become a public company after ten years as a private business.You may be surprised to learn that I worked at the first London Playboy Club which

opened in the mid-70’s as acasino: at that time Las Vegas was the only really famous place noteworthy for its casinos. The colourful Playboy costumes werer enowned for their Bunny ears, high heels and black stockings, drawing many famous customers to the club. So many people visited and gambled that we weren’t always aware of who came and went. As an example, during a quiet day shift at my Blackjack table I saw a small strange man heading towards my table with string around his waist holding up his trousers!

39

My ‘Inspector,’ immediately called to me“Please give Mr Lucian Freud, £2000,” which completely surprised me as this was very unusual. Of course he was the renowned English painter from the famous Freud family... it taught me a lesson to never judge a book by its cover!

Maybe a little-known fact is that Las Vegas casinos whilst famous for gaming and betting have all their hotel windows sealed shut to avoid losers doing anything stupid. With this in mind I listened to Sheriff Joe Lombardo from Clark County Nevada who has experienced many issues since Covid-19 arrived explain why crime

there has spiked. He discussed who is behind the violence and what measures the police are doing about it.

been navigating as violent crime on The Strip, has increased by 4% over a year.

He described an argumentthat occurred inside a casino on The Strip which led to a struggle for a gun and a bullet fired into the floor. Another incident resulted in one person being shot and two others injured in a sidewalk tussle outside a Paris resort. All these situations aggregate into unseemly situations resulting in untenable and unnecessary police enforcement throughout the world.

Furthermore as pandemic cases mount and the death toll surges, the statistics that Las Vegas police have

Lombardo continued,“I believe the pandemic is directly related toanxiety and unemployment as nightclubs and live entertainment are all closed during Lockdown. Little problem occurredfrom people in our local jurisdiction, rather it arose via others coming from Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego”.

(PTO)

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Teresa Tunstall Article continued

Apparently in the two previous years, 40 percent of either suspects or victims in felony crimes were from the California region. He ended, “I now have undercover units, tactical units, traffic units and everything else I have available to address this issue. If you look now violent crime is down 31 percent. What we’ve done is working.”

Many European countries have at least partial bans on certain forms of online gambling, but apparently the fact remains that most of these bans aren’t showing to be effective. Anyone in Europe can visit any number of foreign online gambling sites to play in real money games; it’s as easy as running a few searches on Google.

The truth is that several top gambling sites accept players from most parts of Europe.

What can be said is that online gambling is a multi-billion dollar a year industry in Europe. It’s impossible to know the laws of each individual country so it’s important to check out the laws of the country in which you live or want to gamble in so you can determine if it’s safe to gamble online.

Having said that, most players are perfectly safe betting online at any of the major gaming sites. Apparently, the majority of governments have no real interest chasing after gamblers who merely place bets online.

Nevertheless, every online company will definitely have a ‘Security’ department which continually checks irresponsible gambling on their own company sites.

I felt sorry for the gambler who after winning the Jack-pot was told there had been a software problem- they termed it a “glitch” - between the gambler and the very well-known company concerned. It’s now awaiting a High Court Decision. But the reality is that every gambler wants to win,be it the Jack-Pot, Blackjack or any other game.It’s the anticipation of ‘feeling good’and hitting the ‘Tops”… so deflating to be told they have lost!

It’s unlikely you know the name Harry Vaughan, an 18-year-old from London. He is also an‘ A-star-grade,’ former Tiffin grammar school pupil, but unfortunately,within the next weeks he will be sentenced at the Old Bailey for neo-nazi, terrorist and

41

satanism activity. It’s a sad reflation on our society that one so young involved himself in such a dangerous activity thereby damaging his life for the future. I very much hope he is given therapy to help understand the pain he and his father, a House of Lords Clerk, have been put through.

Finally, many people hear the word gambling and think of betting shops or casinos. However, those in the know assess Remote gambling which now brings in £7 billion a year, roughly half its total revenue. Does this make the UK a world leader in online gambling or is this because we have the most liberal laws? We know that gambling online has seen an enormous increase in play over this terrible period. Many in family lockdown search for some form of escapism from the virus and sadly find release in gambling! How long can it continue? Well,this is a subject that must be addressed in the near future for the good of all.

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45

Park Lane Club Questions Asked On License

A

fter recently reporting on the license revocation by the UK Gambling Commission on The Park Lane Club in Mayfair London last week a UK newspaper has followed up the story.

ing company of the casino in 2018, the previous owner was already under investigation by the UK Gambling Commission because of court action against him in Ukraine for fraud, although he denies all charges brought against him.

tors listed says the newspaper and what does raise concern is that it took the UK Gambling Commission took two years to decide to revoke the license even thou the regulator had major concerns with the takeover.

The London Evening Standard although somewhat over glamorizing the casino which is located in the Hilton Hotel had some interesting points such as the question on how an owner of a UK casino can remain anonymous and in turn how can you show that owner can prove source of funds used to buy and operate the casino?

The newspaper claims he sold the casino to an unnamed owner and the new owner used a little known law called “Section 790ZG” which allows an owner to not disclose their identity to Companies House if they are “at serious risk of violence or intimidation” due to their business’s activities.

It does seem amazing that an unnamed person can own a casino in the UK with the regulations in place for “fit and proper” of a person proof needed.

It is claimed that the previous owner of the Park Lane Club sold the own-

The operating named company of Silverbond has questionable direc-

Calls are certain to be made from politicians to change this rule that any owner of a casino can use a little known rule to hide their identity.

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46

Who’s that alien they call the Slot Manager?

The slots manager isn’t an alien! He can fix your slots, build your team, influence your customers and increase your revenues. Isn’t it time you got to know him?

By Andy Cosgrove

S

lot managers all over the world are misunderstood, un dervalued,heckled,tormente d,and often frowned uponwhen observed by others for their apparent alien like behavior while walking the casino floor with a sense of purpose and alaptop. In many casinos GM’s are confused by slots managers and often go to great lengths to avoid them as if they were debt collectors or angry customers. Some say this is because they dread feeling not in total control of a conversation and so prefer to stay inside their comfort bubble where VIP customers, baccarat limits and the “someone is stealing” theory are the topics they feel comfortable discussing.

Many GM’s see the slots manger as subservient, a mere slot tech guy with an inflated title who can be

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summoned 24/7 to fix their electronic pencil sharpener or teach them how to switch on their computer! Clearly a deeper understanding and awareness of what a slots manager actually does and what makes them successful can and will go a long way to stamping out misconceptions, strengthening the executive team and offering aspiring managers a valuable insight into the mind of that “slot tech guy with the inflated title.”

It is a well-known fact that a lack of knowledgeabout the core functions and responsibilities of other departments and their respective staff can and will lead to a decline in performance and an eventual decline in customer counts. This lack of awareness can result in mistrust, misinformation, misconduct, missed opportu-

nities and more importantly missed revenue targets.Even the newly promoted slots manager might not understand what it means to be in a topleadership positionand many newbies get fired before they get the chance to find out if they have what it takes so it’s wise to do your research before taking the plunge.

Add the fact that slots revenues surpass table revenues in many jurisdictions and you will hopefully reach the conclusion that now could be an ideal opportunity to review your concept of the slots manager.

The following are some my thoughts about what the tech guy known as the slots manager does and should be doing to become a slots manager that inspires, leads, and generates revenues beyond expectations.

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Start with yourself before you lead others – Prior to becoming a great leader it’s of fundamental importance that you get to know yourself first as without first acknowledging, accepting and understanding your own strengths and weaknesses, your ability to lead, manage, influence and inspire others to achieve beyond their own expectations will be limited. It’s a well-known fact that we humans inevitably make mistakes, but a wise person will use mistakes as a learning experience to grow stronger and become a better person. Having the ability to turn your frustration into something positive is a skill worth having and it will earn you the respect of your peers, your friends and even your enemies. So how do we become a better person? We do it by taking one step at a time and you can start by ceasing to do what you know to be wrong and move towards the positive with something simple such as regular exercise and healthy eating.

Transform these changes into habits and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a great slots manager. Get your own house in order before you try to change the world.

ably don’t already know and plausibly not enough to convince the GM not to call you at 3am to fix his electronic pencil sharpener! Technology is constantly improving so keep learning.

Technical abilities – this is the easy part of the equation as it goes without saying that a slots manager should be able to install, program, maintain slot machines and related systems.It also helpsto have experience in other areas such as planning, managing projects, using auto-cad, being an analytics geek and the list goes on... Equally important for a slot managers survival is ensuring that they have an in depth knowledge of policies and procedures and that their staff are adequately trained, supervised and evaluated on an ongoing basis in order to ensure compliance and operational consistency. In short, these are all things that can be taught and are normally included in the job description. Nothing that you prob-

Leadership - Great casino operators value a great slots manager, but to become truly successful you must first become a great leader and a great leader knows their leadership style and usetheir strengths to maximize their skills in the domains of leadership by building relationships, thinking strategically, influencing ideas and executing plans. Leadership requires constant focus on adding value to each customers experience and for this to happen a great slots manager must inspire trust, engage their staff, encourage feedback,and make it an integrated part of their ongoing improvements process. Without the support of your team you will already have failed at leadership.Would you rather be a follower or a leader?

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INDUSTRY-LEADING ECOSYSTEM Scientific Games is a committed game-changer, playmaker, innovator, and partner, exclusively offering the industry’s broadest portfolio of products that work together to create an evolving entertainment ecosystem.

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Alien Slot Manager (continued) Integrity, trust and professionalism – are must have qualities for anyone who manages other people. Integrity is a word that is floated around and sounds good at an interview but how many people actually know what it means to be a person of integrity?A person of integrity can be anyone who is honest, with high standards and moral principles, such as caring, giving more than receiving and focusing on constant improvementand standing up for what they believe in.

Trust is also essential as when your team doesn’t trust you, they will never work above expectations and will disengage from you and your customers. Staff need leaders they can trust to inspire, help them grow and lead them when times are tough. Being professional is, in part about having the skills and abilities to get the job done and influencing others to work together to make every customer experience a memorable one. Being professional is also about constantly adapting to the ever changing workplace and feeling comfortable with the uncomfortable.

Negotiations, listening and understanding – To begin to solve any problem you need first to listen to all involved, and then understand the situation before exploring any possible solutions. Through understanding we will gain clarity and with clarity we can suggest and influence solutions. The word influence is key because the best outcomes to any given situation can only be achieved when you engage your team and negotiate with them so that they themselves ultimately produce the required solutions.A team that feels understood will create value for the customer and stimulate both personal and professional growth.A great slot manager knows this and ensures that the combined effort of the whole is always greater than the sum of the individual parts.

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Managing change and getting personal – Change is inevitable and businesses that choose to stand still will fast become assigned to history.

There are many powerful individuals and entities that dislike change or anything else that takes them outside their comfort zonebecause introducing change involves disagreement which can turn even the most friendlydiscussion into a verbal wrestling match so it’s essential to explore everyone’s personal viewpoint objectively and without bias.

Change is born out of a need for a new product or service that creates value to the customer. Therefore, to successfully introduce change, a good leader needs to understand why the change is needed and must be clear and focused on the results and benefits measurements required to ensure success. Part of the process involvesidentifying the vital behaviors that need to be changed, and communicating the musing the influences of personal, social and structural motivation (backed up with training) required to successfully implement the changes for both staff and customers.

Change is here to stay, embrace it!

Conclusion – Effective slot managers are more than just “the tech guys” who fix your electronic pencil sharpener. They may seem alien but if they do, it’s because they’re focusing on adding value to the customer experience, increasing productivity and leading from the front. Changing your attitude towards the slots manager opens up an opportunity to change the way you operate. It will change the way you’re perceived, gain you the support of your staff, the respect of your competitors and the admiration of your customers.

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

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

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

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GAMING NEWS

888 Holdings Now In Six US States

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Michigan Push Online Sports Betting This Year

There seems to be a major push by both lawmakers and regulators to get Michigan up and running for online sports betting and casino games before the end of 2020.

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It has been a year since the legislator passed online gambling into law and now only Tuesday 1st December did the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules forgo the normal 15 day waiting period to review and trial new laws towards online sport betting and casinos to allow it to go straight to the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) to accept licensing applications and approve them before the year end.

The London listed online gaming operator has signed deals with operators in those states to allow for them to be third party suppliers with Catfish Bend Casinos in Iowa, Caesars Entertainment’s Harrah’s Hoosier Park in Indiana and in Colorado with Colorado Grande Casino’s.

The NFL Super Bowl is the biggest betting event in the US and it seems Michigan want in on those bets especially as casinos are suffering with closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The possibility of casino being able to offer online sports betting and other games would help them and help raise much needed lost tax dollars for the state.

888 CEO Itai Pazner said on the new deals: “We are delighted to sign these agreements with three great partners – the Colorado Grande Casino, Catfish Bend Casino II LLC, and Harrah’s Hoosier Park – that will enable 888 to bring its first-class online sportsbook to bettors in Colorado, Iowa and Indiana,” he went on to say. “The US online betting and gaming market has huge growth potential, and we continue to build a strong platform for growth across both our B2B and B2C operations.”

Initial rumours out of the MGCB say they believe some operators applying for a license will be up and running before the end of 2020, however those playing online poker will have to wait it is thought as this will be on a separate license and at present not applicable.

88 Holdings have now entered another three US states after signing deals allowing them access to Colorado, Indiana and Iowa. That now raises the tally of states 888 have now entered to six.

The push is for online sports betting and many now believe that with the MGCB already having advance tested many technology suppliers previously that will supply to the operators the state is only weeks away from going live.

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GAMING NEWS

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Crown Resorts Has A Year To Forget

Digital Currency A Possibility In Macau

Australian casino operator Crown Resorts has

Macau could see the emergence of cryptocurrency, a digital yuan being used in its casinos which could also spell the end of VIP junket operators and indeed VIPs themselves.

had a year to forget, with a major investigation into the company still continuing regarding money laundering and the suitability of the operator to actually hold a gambling license along with now the delay of its $2 billion plus Barangaroo resort scheduled to open this month but now told to delay until February at least and to top it all results have been appalling.

A report from the Australian news service says that Crown Resorts have suffered a 25% drop in its share price over the months because of the investigation and now delay in its major development.

According to a report by Bloomberg the central Chinese government are keen on bringing out a digital currency that would be used in the world’s largest gambling hub as the official currency of use.

At present the article says there have been no actual formal proposals on this but it is understood the mainland government are keen on the idea and it is also being reported that Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, the regulator for gambling has been in discussions with operators over the past few months to sound out their thoughts.

It scares junket operators as it would make gamblers and in particular VIP gamblers funds traceable by the central Chinese bank. It also puts even more pressure on the VIP industry that accounts for almost half the revenues Macau generates each year.

However some argue that the ability by large VIP gamblers to use the currency to convert their yuan into Hong Kong dollars which is the currency of use in Macau would be made easier and remove the use of junkets in providing credit on that.

James Packers private company Consolidated Press Holdings, has a 40% stake in Crown Resorts and has reported say the Australian a A$402 million loss for the year. Profits from Crown for this year stand at A$16 million down from A$46 million and that is before expenses and tax.

There is no imminent possibility of the change to a digital currency at present for Macau the winds of change are coming some believe to the world’s largest gambling zone.

With the drop of 25% of its shares Crown are looking at a major loss of some A$600 million in value, much of course is down to the COVID-19 pandemic but on top of that the enquiry and delay in reopening Crown Resorts are hoping that things pick up significantly in 2021.

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GAMING NEWS

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What The UK Public Gamble On

I

n statistics released this year by both the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the Office of National Statistics (ONS) regarding UK gambling, let us see if there is anything that offers opportunities.

106,000. Much to do with betting office closures, casino and bingo closures and re-organising of manpower.

Here are some general numbers first on gambling in the UK:

When you split the sexes you find that men gamble more regularly than women within a 4 week space, with men at 51% and women 41%.

*47% of Brits have gambled in some form or another in the past 4 weeks. *The most popular form of gambling is of course the National Lottery with 30% of the nation having a go at least once in the last twelve months. *The National Lottery has contributed £1.6 billion to good causes over the 2018/2019 year. *Each person in the UK on average spends £2.60 per week on some form of gambling, that totals up to £135.20 per year. *According to figures by the UKGC the gambling industry in 2019 was worth £14.3 billion. *In total there are 98,174 people employed by the entire gambling industry in the UK, that figure has gone down over recent months from

Peoples Activity:

20% of all Brits say they have gambled twice or more per week.

So what are Brits betting on, As we stated National Lottery wins, but what else: *Other lotteries 12.7% *Scratchcards 9.9% *Sports betting 6.7% *Private betting 5.6% *Slot Machines 4.2% *Horse Racing 4% *Casino Games 1.5% *Poker games at a club/pub 0.5% *Spread Betting 0.3% As the numbers show Camelot the operators of the National Lottery really do sweep up a lot of gambling spend in the UK with the lottery and scratchcards taking a combined spend 42.3%.

No wonder Sazka the giant European lottery operator is looking at applying for the UK National Lottery replacing Camelot when the next round of licensing comes.

Sports betting is second but interestingly “private betting” is right behind sports betting on 5.6%. Now who would like to know what those people are gambling on, well mostly private poker games, unlicensed mahjong gambling and casino games. Since the UKGC introduced stronger money laundering controls on gambling operators the “private gambling” percentage has gone up and up.

Previously the number 7 years ago stood at 1.2% in private gambling, indeed operators have warned of the increased in unregulated gambling because of the stricter rules towards money laundering and proof of funds.

Everything else on the list is pretty much as you would expect, however poker games in pubs and clubs is doing well at 0.5%, surely some entrepreneurs will be considering how best to maximise that area.

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GAMING NEWS

Ainsworth Losses Continue In Latest Results

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Hundreds Of Jobs Lost At NetEnt Studios

According to local newspaper MaltaToday hundreds of jobs have been lost at the island based live casino studio in Qormi operated by NetEnt. Reports from sources say that employees at the studio were told to go home and they would receive a following email regarding their jobs.

It is believed that hundreds of jobs from the studio will be now lost as the takeover from Evolution Gaming takes hold. The news comes as the €1.8 billion takeover by Evolution Gaming earlier this year was supposed to create jobs Maltese staff believed with

Ainsworth Game Technology Ltd the Austral-

ian gaming machine manufacturer has stated that they expect their first half results for 2021 which ends on the 31st December this year to mark a loss of $11 million.

the expansion of the studio run by NetEnt, however it seems the reverse is actually fact.

The Maltese Economy Ministry has offered support and help to any workers that may lose their jobs during the Christmas period it said in a statement.

Chief Executive of Ainsworth Lawrence Levy said at the virtual AGM for investors that, “We cautiously expect the challenging market conditions experienced” up to June 30 this year, “to continue in the first half, fiscal year 2021.”

According to the newspaper neither Evolution Gam-

It has been a disaster for land based suppliers and manufacturers this year and many businesses are pinning their hopes on a major recovery within the sector in 2021, Levy went on to say, “As a result, for first half fiscal-year 2021, we expect to report a loss before tax for the group, excluding the impacts of foreign exchange and one-off items, of approximately AUD15 million which is in line with the company’s expectations given the effect of the September quarter, he went on to say, “Our focus remains on protecting Ainsworth Game should a protracted downturn eventuate across global markets.”

Playtech Looks To Move To Mainland UK

Back in August the company announced the redundancies of 109 staff due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and also that the 2020 year end results stood at a loss of AUD$43.4 million.

ing or NetEnt have offered any comment.

Playtech the global supplier of technology to the online gambling industry that is tax registered and head quartered in the Isle of Man have stated their intention to relocate its tax registration and headquarters to the UK mainland.

The companies board are recommending that at the upcoming Annual General Meeting shareholders agree to the move which would the company says help with future shareholder meetings which in turn would assist in greater shareholder activity.

On December 18 the company holds what could be its last AGM on the Isle of Man if shareholders agree to the move which would take place in early 2021 should it be approved.

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GAMING NEWS

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Job Losses Increase In UK Gaming

T

he cost of job losses felt in the UK through the Covid-19 pandemic has been immense with estimates currently at almost 200,000 of jobs lost or reported by employers at risk.

In a recent report by the Telegraph Newspaper it documented the companies that have announced redundancies caused by government lockdowns and closures due to lack of business.

Some observers say that many of those jobs lost were inevitable and the COVID-19 outbreak has just accelerated those losses.

In the UK the government has instilled in law that any company making 20 or more redundancies must notify them of the process. On the government website it states: “You are required by law to notify us of a proposal to dismiss 20 or more employees as redundant at

one establishment within a period of 90 days or less. An establishment is the site where an employee is assigned to work.

If you operate from more than one site, each one is treated separately for notification and consultation purposes.�

As the pandemic continued the Telegraph has compiled a list of companies in the UK that have made the notice of redundancy to its employees.

Currently within gaming it shows The Genting Group are set to announce or have made redundant 1,642 within the UK and have already closed several casinos totally.

Buzz Bingo have reported that they are making 573 employees redundant and closing 26 of its venues.

The Rank Group that operates Gros-

venor Casinos and Mecca Bingos have currently not reported large redundancies, meaning their figure for the threshold has remained below 20 in a 90-day period. This does not mean that jobs are not being lost but at a slower rate at Rank than others.

The same has happened at casino operator, The Aspers Group where redundancies have already happened at Milton Keynes.

The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics have shown that in reporting up to September this year.

Redundancies increased by 195,000 on the year compared to the same period in 2019, and a record 181,000 on the third quarter, to a record high of 314,000 in the three months to September 2020.

The annual increase was the largest since February to April 2009.

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