Infinity Gaming Magazine Special 2023

THE AFTER PARTY - VIDEOSLOTS

DIGITAIN CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION

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.

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 GAMOMAT EXCLUSIVE

21 CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION

23 MEET THE IGA 2023 WINNERS

FIND OUT THE WINNERS

38 FRACTIONAL CMO

THE BIGGEST EVENT OF THE

50 SLOTS 101

+ NEWS & MORE NEWS from the gaming industry

A note from the editor

the evening.

Then came the ceremony itself and congratulations to all the winners, we know how very competitive it is to win an award, so very well done to you all. Indeed reaching the finals in competitive categories is recognition of your achievements is a statement of your success.

A MAGICAL EVENING”

Special Edition of the IGA 2023 Awards

Welcome to the latest edition of the Infinity Gaming Magazine and also the special feature for the 2023 International Gaming Awards (IGA) that took place on Monday 6th February at the iconic Savoy Hotel in London.

What a very special evening it was, to see so many companies attending from all over the world and celebrating their achievements over the past year. It was also a time to recognise the continuing difficulties companies are having with their colleagues suffering in Ukraine and indeed we, with your help we have raised thousands on the evening in support of Save the Children in their work in the country, so thank you all.

Thank you to Digitain for hosting the Champagne Reception it was a truly glamorous affair and a superb start to

The IGA has always been the statement event of the year for so many companies, but one attendee and their company told me that the IGA event was the best evening they had had for many years. It does mean so much for all the team and myself to know how special the IGA is to our attendees as we work so very hard to bring a magical evening to everyone. On that note if you were there you know absolutely what we mean.

Finally we had the superb Videoslots After Party and all who was there knows what happened there, the race was definitely on especially the final race boys against girls!

We want to thank all our wonderful sponsors for making the IGA such an amazing and special event.

Enjoy this special edition of this magazine.

“To Infinity and Beyond!” Regards, Lana

The Editor

Lana Thompson - Editor

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

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.

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.

Lynn Pearce

Lynn has extensive senior management experience in online gaming. She is an experienced, data-driven, commercially focused, strategic marketing leader. She has over 15 years of proven success in gaming, from land-based casinos, to online gaming companies offering sports betting, poker and casino, live casino and Esports. Lynn has many start-ups under her belt

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

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.

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

and is now co-founder and CEO of a start-up igaming company, Mobius Interactive Ltd, headquartered in Vancouver BC Canada.

general manager and CEO

FANCY BEING A WRITER? The Infinity Gaming Magazine are looking for writers to join our team, if interested and want more details please contact our editior at:

media@cleverduckmedia.com

Interview with

Dr Alexandra Krone Joint Managing Director & Dr Sebastian Reddig Chief Product Officer

Thank you for talking to the Infinity Gaming Magazine, can you start by telling our international readers what is GAMOMAT?

Dr. Alexandra Krone - I’d be delighted to, GAMOMAT is a German-based online software developer that delivers outstanding gaming experiences for slot lovers. The GAMOMAT-Group was founded in 2008 for land-based gaming before we recognised an opportunity to migrate our expertise online to start creating innovative iGaming products.

Our founder Dietmar Hermjohannes built the business on two core principles at its heart, firstly a passion for games and secondly, a passion for people. We have nurtured an open space that breeds reliability and quality, enabling us to grow together and inspire people because we take our corporate culture very seriously and above all else, we are a team.

Our commitment to fostering an inspirational culture at GAMOMAT has also played an integral role in our growth. Providing a consistent and reliable culture against the backdrop of a disruptive, volatile world gives our employees stability. We’ve created an environment where a high value orientation meets a digital, hybrid, highly flexible working environment. We’re proud about the extent these values and concrete actions convey a consistent image to create credibility.

How has the company been doing over recent years?

Dr. Alexandra Krone - The company is enjoying a fantastic growth period. Our workforce has really increased and the business continues to thrive within its operational markets while simultaneously exploring new opportunities to expand its reach. Our most recognised games are performing excellently in the regulated markets that we operate.

From a corporate structural standpoint, GAMOMAT has gone from strength-tostrength. We’ve installed a new management board, which has been bolstered with several C-Level managers who set the tone for the business. Most recently, industry veteran Andreas Kaufmann joined as the Managing Director of GAMOMAT Distribution GmbH.

These structural and strategic enhancements have been instrumental in GAMOMAT enjoying its most successful years in its history during 2021 and 2022. Two notable metrics are a substantial uptick in turnover and in doubling the number of employees.

They say “a week is a long time in the gaming industry.” New technology continues to push new boundaries, the industry attracts new audiences, and the business

landscape continually finds new areas of profit. What has been happening to your business in 2022?

Dr. Sebastian Reddig - On reflection, 2022 has been a really successful year for us. We have used our time wisely by doubling down on the products that we know work and looking for ways to build on them, through leveraging the latest technology and game mechanics. We have re-invested in successful, classic games such as Ramses Book and Fancy Fruits, finding innovative ways to take the playing experience to the next level. These enhancements will be rolled out during 2023.

During this year the German market has also been a major focus for us. This jurisdiction is renowned for its complex regulatory landscape, which can be a challenging environment to navigate at

times but instead, it has inspired us to develop new creative ways to engage and entertain German players.

It’s been great to see our efforts recognised by the industry, being nominated for several different awards across the year and taking the win with the Workplace of the Year Awards 2022. A great indication of the direction GAMOMAT is moving in and how we’ve developed our business over the past year. As we head into 2023, there will be further work done around enhancing our brand visibility through sponsorship and using our experience to be a consistent voice within the iGaming space.

What have been the most successful games GAMOMAT have launched in 2022, and what was the highlight in 2022?

Dr. Sebastian Reddig - Results continue to be strong from a variety of game releases, but the title that has been absolutely standout is Seven’s Fire. This game works so well because it combines classic fruit slot gameplay with a fiery hold-and-respin feature.

The thrilling mechanic accompanied by amazing artwork has really pushed this game to become the crowd favorite it is today. Apart from this, another proud moment was the launch of our Flaring Fruits game series. The release consists of three different games: 5, 20 and 50 Flaring Fruits. The games are beautifully designed and are attention grabbing, making them super fun to play. Further to this, we’re actually very excited to reveal that this year we will be upping the stakes on this game series with the planned release of 100 Flaring Fruits in February! Last year has been great but there’s still so much to look forward to for us and our customers.

You launched two new series last year. How does it work, and how are the games being played from the players?

Dr. Sebastian Reddig - Players have really taken to both series and we’ve seen a major boost in the number of slot fans trying it and with bet propensity.

The Fire Respins series has seen 65% more players play it compared to an independent GAMOMAT release. Furthermore, reports show that the Fire Respins games have had an over 85% increase of spins than a usual GAMOMAT game. Every title from the series garnered huge popularity from the off and the games continue to perform very well across our core jurisdictions.

Data on Flaring Fruits shows that 10% more players play it compared to a “normal” GAMOMAT release. Other evidence reveals the Flaring Fruits games have had an over 30% increase of spins than an independent GAMOMAT game. Each game from the series has been one of our top 15 games in almost all our jurisdictions from their release until endNovember 2022.

The Fire Series has also caused quite a storm in the streaming world where it regularly receives traction for engage-

ment and likes.

What makes GAMOMAT stand out from their competitors, and which regions in the World does the company work?

Dr. Sebastian Reddig - GAMOMAT stands for fair games. No free games are scripted and every reel layout produced is real and approachable. Each spin is new and every progression in a game is random. To guarantee this promise we have outstanding mathematics, we are really proud of the capabilities of our team of mathematicians. Solid maths means reliability. Our unshaking commitment to our ‘Ideas, that work.’ mantra means our partners have complete trust in our high-quality titles that produce results.

Geographically, we work in a variety of growing markets. Our core market is Germany, and our games are specifically tailored to be compliant in these types of regulated market conditions. We also have an increasing interest in the Netherlands, as we see it as a jurisdiction with great potential for us to generate new revenue streams and market growth. Through our partnership with Bragg Gaming we are also exploring more international markets such as North America and developing novel features to better suit our games to younger adult generations and emerging consumer trends. The Company focuses strongly on its people, welfare, motivation and empowering them, do you find this makes a better workforce?

Dr. Alexandra Krone - We understand our GAMOMATIES are instrumental in delivering on the company vision and building a thriving working atmosphere. Consistently hiring the right people, especially the right managers, sets a platform for long-term success. Our people are the driving force of the company

GAMOMAT Exclusive Interview

which everything else is spawned. This is why company welfare and motivation has always been a top priority for us. Our working environment sees everyone functions at eye level and there are flat hierarchies.

At GAMOMAT we are a value-oriented company, so we place huge importance on people and our ability to empower them. We recognise that managerial behavior plays a critical role in bringing a team together and fostering employee engagement, satisfaction and productivity. In our company, leadership is a particular success factor because we have adopted a hybrid working model where face-to-face meetings are less frequent.

The recruitment strategy is driven by a candidate’s social skills as this is best for making an inclusive team environment. The energy and skill set, both intellectually and emotionally, of the GAMOMAT team is the strongest asset in continuing the course of success. Our continued endeavors in this area will always remain a key objective and again, it’s great to see the success of our efforts being highlighted with awards.

Can you please tell us more about the Gaming for the Climate initiative?

Dr. Alexandra Krone - GAMOMAT has a very clear commitment to Social Responsibility, which is derived from our socially oriented, value-driven corporate culture. Social and ecological causes are the pillars of our work. The latter saw the launch of our “Gaming for the Climate” initiative in 2021 to financially support important environmental activities.

We firmly believe that together we can successfully limit the effects of climate change. GAMOMAT is donating a part of its own revenue from actually two selected games to protect the climate, and the donation doesn’t affect the players’

RTP and possible winnings.

The initiative started in December 2021 with the ´Book of Oasis’ game that is an underwater quest for treasure. This inspired us to join forces with marine protection charity, Healthy Seas. Money raised from the game helps Healthy Seas’ mission to protect marine life by targeting abandoned ghost nets, plastic removal, collaborative projects with local fishing industries and educational workshops.

In November 2022, we added the slot game Monkey Mania to support BOS Deutschland e.V, who work tirelessly to protect the Mawas forest in Borneo, where there is an essential orangutan population. We believe that only through our actions can we truly make a difference and benefit our community.

You have launched in 2020 the Hybrid work model in your Company. Can you please tell us more about

the concept and how the employees are working with you?

We introduced hybrid working in 2020 following an evaluation led by an external professional team. All departments and stakeholders were involved in the process and there was a common template in order to make it crystal clear to everyone what changes could be introduced. We were certain we wanted to keep our original office as we’re proud of our beginnings, but renovations to the space were made following significant investment.

The results have been fantastic. One element that we were particularly pleased with was the Meeting areas and cultural ‘filling station’ - a play on petrol station - where ideas can be shared amongst each other. Employees are free to choose their workplace whenever they want, whether that be at home or anywhere within the renovated office.

$7.5 Billion Wagered on Sports Betting in US Last Year

Data released by the American Gaming Association (AGA) on sports betting in the US showed that gross gaming revenues from the current 33 states that have legalised the activity hit $7.5 billion in 2022 that is a huge rise of 75% on 2021 figures. The AGA also said that the total amount gambled in the US on all forms of gambling hit $60 billion.

AGA President and CEO Bill Miller said

on the data: “Our industry significantly outpaced expectations in 2022,” he went on to say. “Simply put, American adults are choosing casino gaming for entertainment in record numbers, benefiting communities and taking market share from the predatory, illegal marketplace.”

While currently 33 states have some form of sports betting legalised there are another 8 states that have legislation or are going through the legal

process of allowing sports betting.

Many analysts believe that number will continue to grow over the year and onwards, however one state that is bucking the trend and seems unlikely to join the sports betting industry for at least two more years in California, who late last year voted down any forms of sports betting in the state.

The Champagne Reception

Sponsored by Digitain

Above Our Champagne Reception sponsor Digitain organised an excellent start to the evening

When you have a chance to speak to some of the leading figures from the online and land based gambling industry Clever Duck Media and our interviewer Lauren Morris did not miss the opportunity.

The team were on hand to turn on the lights and record some truly memorable moments from the Champagne Reception sponsored by Digitain The reception party was in full swing thanks to the superb music on offer.

With the champagne flowing the attendees were delighted to network at the first major event of the year in the gaming industry.

As always with the International Gaming Awards there were some glamorous dresses by the ladies and all the men dressesd to impress.

This is a night for the entire gambling industry to get together and celebrate theirs and others achievements.

The setting for the 2023 International Gaming Awards was the Savoy Hotel London and attendees were treated to the highest level of service only one of the most exclusive hotels in the World can deliver.

Everything was in place for what was going to be one of the best nights ever for the awards ceremony and all those in attendance.

Above Photos Relaxing at the Champagne

Above Netwroking at the Champagne Reception

Left

Celebrating being back to face to face events

Above & Right Everywhere you looked great dresses and the men were well dressed too.

And the winners are....

Left Casumo winning - Best Customer Service Company of the Year

Below LeoVegas picks up Mobile Operator of the Year

Below Pilot Games - Best Innovative Bingo Product

Below SOFTSWISS Winner of Crypto Company of the Year

Below Innovation in Poker Awards goes to Relax Gaming

Above Pear Fiction Studios wins Rising Star of the Year

Left SA Gaming scoops Australia/ Asia Focused Technology Supplier of the Year

Below Sports Betting Operator goes to Betsson Group

Betsson awarded Safer Gambling Operator

ComeOn Online Gaming Operator of the Year

Above eSports Innovator of the Year- Ultraplay (ODDS Group)

Above RNG Casino Supplier of the Year - Just for the Win

Above Videoslots wins Online Casino Operator of the Year

Winning an award You got to thank people

Above Slots Operator of the Year goes to Rootz

Right Casino de Monte Carlo wins Casino Operator of the Year

Top Photo Game of the Year (Supplier/Operator) goes to Entain with Big Banker

Above Game Burger Studios happy to win Game of the Year (Games Studio Category) with Fishin’ Pots of Gold

Left Gamomat wins Charitable Community Award

Above Pragmatic Play wins Slot Provider of the Year

Above Unique Gaming Company of the Year of course goes to The Mill Adventure

Right Great Place to Work Award (Supplier)went to Fast Track

Above Mobile Sports Product went to LiveScore Bet

Below Les Ambassadeurs wins Great Place to Work

And The Winners are The Stage Photos

Above Multi-Channel Provider/Supplier winner Light & Wonder

Right Innovator of the Year Award (Operator)went to 1xBet

Above Lottery Product of the Yeat went to IGT – Progressive Elnstants

Below Yggdrasil wins Innovator of the Year (Supplier)

Above Winner of Live Casino of the Yeargoes to Bombay Live

Right iGaming Software Supplierwinner Betconstruct

Above Pilot Games wins US Gaming Company

Above Technology Provider/Supplier goes to Bragg

Below Digitain wins Sports Betting Platform of the Year

The After Party Sponsored By

The Role of the Fractional CMO is Gaining in Popularity

By Lynn Pearce

Today, fractional CMOs are especially crucial, as they bring a consultant’s strategic mindset, agency-level execution abilities, and act as a marketing mentor for the inhouse team, all while being responsible for delivering quantifiable outcomes for the company.

he fractional CMO is becoming increasingly popular, as more and more companies are recognizing the need for a strategic and experienced marketing leader, without the financial commitment of a full-time CMO, particularly for startup companies who require the expertise. In this role, the fractional CMO brings expertise and experience from multiple industries and compa -

nies to provide a fresh perspective and help drive growth.

This interim solution works well, as the role is often expanded to include responsibility to onboard and build a high-performance marketing team needed for developing and executing marketing strategies, plans and programs, while keeping HR costs low. The fractional CMO, acting as an external consultant to the business, can also provide guidance and support to the existing HR team in developing and implementing marketing-specific training and development programs. They also provide guidance and support to the marketing team to help them develop their skills and reach their full

potential.

Another extremely important task of the fractional CMO is to align the marketing strategies with the overall business goals and long-term objectives, working together with the senior management team. Once this has been achieved, the CMO then must ensure the marketing efforts are aligned with the operations of the business, understanding their needs, and implementing processes to optimize the marketing activities and provide reports and updates to the management team to help track progress to make informed decisions towards the business growth.

Ultimately, the fractional CMO’s goal is to develop and execute a marketing plan that leverages the strengths of both online and offline channels to drive growth for the company.

In the online environment, the fractional CMO utilizes their expertise in areas such as SEO, performance marketing, content, design, and UI/UX to maximize the impact of digital marketing efforts. They use data to inform their marketing decisions, ensuring that their efforts are targeted, effective, and efficient. They will use tools such as web analytics, customer feedback, and A/B testing to measure the success of their campaigns and optimize future efforts.

In the offline environment, the fractional CMO leverages their experience in direct marketing to drive results through targeted, personalized campaigns. They may develop and execute direct mail campaigns, telemarketing initiatives, radio advertising, video campaigns and other targeted marketing efforts to reach the company’s target audience and drive engagement, tracking key metrics such as ad engagement, conversion rates, and return on investment (ROI).

However, the specific channels a fractional CMO may offer will depend on a variety of factors, including the target audience, budget, and goals of the marketing plan. In their role as frac-

tional CMO, they should be able to offer a variety of options to ensure that the company’s marketing efforts are comprehensive, effective, and tailored to the specific needs and goals of each campaign.

With their experience and expertise in both the online and offline marketing environments, a fractional CMO is wellequipped to drive growth and success for a company through the use of effective marketing strategies and tactics.

In addition, it is in their own interests for fractional CMOs to stay on top of industry trends and leverage these technologies to create a comprehensive marketing plan that drives growth and success

for the business. For example, by incorporating AI, that can be used to track user behavior and provide real-time feedback, they can create more personalized and interactive experiences that respond to the user’s behavior, interests and preferences.

As a fractional CMO, it is also important to consider the benefits of incorporating gamification into a new or existing loyalty program into the marketing strategy, and to design a program that is tailored to the needs and goals of the business. Incorporating gamification into the loyalty program can help drive engagement and create a more interactive and fun experience for users. For example, companies can create gamified challenges that allow users to earn rewards for completing certain actions or achieving specific goals.

An interesting additional benefit of hiring a part-time CMO is their vast network of contacts, providing access to new opportunities, brand partnerships and industry insights. Brand partnerships allow companies to reach new audiences and tap into the customer base of another brand. By partnering with other brands, companies can leverage their marketing efforts and resources to reach new audiences and drive growth. Furthermore, brand partnerships can be used to create unique and innovative marketing campaigns that stand out from the competition. By combining the strengths and resources of two or more brands, companies can create memorable and impactful marketing experiences that engage customers and drive growth.

Overall, brand partnerships can be a

valuable tool for driving growth and building brand awareness, and fractional CMOs can certainly make use of their partnerships and associations to include these brand partners into their marketing strategies, ensuring that they align with the company’s values and goals, and that the partnership is a good fit for both brands.

Given the benefits and growing popularity of the fractional CMO role, providing access to new opportunities, partnerships, and industry insights, I believe that the role has the potential for longevity and will continue to be a popular option for companies looking to drive growth and success through marketing.

The full yearly results for Sands China showed a $1.58 billion loss for 2022 with casino revenues dropping by 52.3% for the year to $947 million, showing a bigger loss than the entire revenue recorded.

Indeed there was not much joy for the parent company either Las Vegas Sands which showed an operating loss in Q4

of $166 million, this is despite showing an increase in revenues of 10% to $1.11 billion.

Net revenues for Sands China reflected the ongoing restrictions over the year due to COVID but the companies group CEO said that Sands was optimistic in Macau and believed it would be able to turn fortunes around. Sands said that

Sands China Reports $1.58 Billion Loss for 2022 Trump Getting Back into Casino Business

it already had invested $15 billion in Macau and recently was awarded a continuation for another 10 years.

Rob Goldstein the CEO said: “we believe the Macau market will recover and will benefit in the future from the meaningful infrastructure investments being made in Macau and throughout the Greater Bay Area”.

Former US President Donald Trump is looking to get back into the casino business but this time as a landlord, the extravagant former president has agreed a deal with US casino operators Bally’s to lease 17 acres of land on his golf course in the Bronx.

In fact Donald Trump leases the land for the golf course off the city council parks department which covers 200 acres of a

former land fill area.

Trump would not have his named at the casino or have it covered in any signage and would only be the landlord of the development Bally’s would build and it still has to be authorised for development and also passed for licensing approval to operate a casino in the Bronx.

However the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point is in the zone that has been

approved to to build three new casinos in downstate New York.

According to the original report on the deal Bally’s if successful in developing the area would eventually want to buyout Trump from the golf course and develop it in a green zone for residents.

Trumps golf empire that consists of 15 properties has lost over $300 million in two decades.

UK GOVERNMENT WANT RETIREES BACK AT WORK

By Tim Cullimore

Towards the end of last year, 2022, I was fortunate enough to see in concert my all-time favourite rock band, Roxy Music. 50 years after seeing them for the first time as a young teenager I was so excited to see the four stalwarts of the group who have been a constant presence throughout their history.

I was especially excited to witness the power of the Great Paul Thompson who has been the Roxy Music drummer for 50 years, and at 72 years of age is still playing for 2 hours in front of 20, 000 fans. So no early retirement for these guys, it seems that there is no upper age limit for rock musicians, but one or two generations ago being 72

was synonymous with being really old, and certainly past working age.

Coincidently the U.K. government is asking for those people who have taken early retirement to return to the work force, “Leave the golf course and get back to the office” as one condescending politician put it. The shortage of skilled workers is a very real problem here in the U.K., in large part down to Brexit (as a dual passport holding committed European you can guess my thoughts on this subject) but speaking with colleagues from all parts of Europe this seems to be a common theme.

The ageing population is having a drastic effect on all our nations’ finances, and some companies especially in

retail, are actively targeting more mature employees. I still regret that one of my choices to join my sales team when I was in the supply side of our industry was vetoed because the candidate was judged to be boring and not dynamic enough. You can read that as him being too far down his career path.

To take the example of gaming dealer jobs, if you look at the employment websites for all the major corporate casino operators in England, Scotland and Wales you will see opportunities for dealer positions on all of them, both trainee and experienced positions, but nowhere will you see that they would welcome applications fromapplicants who are retired or perhapsmiddle aged

or older, and that special dispensations will be made to accommodate this particular demographic.

Working in Montreal for Lotto Quebec opened my eyes to making sure everyone had a chance of success at work regardless of their individual requirements. Perhaps more time needs to be given getting to and from the staff room for breaks. Perhaps more importance needs to be given to more frequent comfort breaks and thought given to the appropriateness of the uniforms.

I recognise that I am speaking from a position where I have a lot of career to look back on and rather less in front of me, and it is true that employees with

great experience have more patience but perhaps less time in front of them, but surely patience and understanding are fundamentals when working in a gaming environment, especially as a stronger focus is given to social responsibility and player protection.

Let us, as an industry reach out to those who wish to stay in the workforce, after all, they will be flexible and with no childcare needs, and it is unlikely that they will be partying too hard before the start of their shift.

DraftKings Reports Q4 Revenues of $855 Million

DraftKings has announced its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2022 financial results. The Company also posted a letter to shareholders and an earnings presentation on the Investor Relations section of its website at investors.draftkings.com.

For the three months ended December 31, 2022, DraftKings reported revenue of $855 million, an increase of 81% compared to $473 million during the same period in 2021 driven primarily by continued customer retention and monetization in existing states, the successful launches of its Sportsbook and iGaming products in additional jurisdictions, and structural sportsbook hold improvement. Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended December 31, 2022 both outperformed the commentary previously

provided by DraftKings on November 4, 2022.

“I am very pleased with how we concluded 2022, with continued top-line growth and strong focus on expense management,” said Jason Robins, DraftKings’ Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder. “In the fourth quarter, we grew revenue by 81% versus last year and delivered positive Adjusted EBITDA in October and for the quarter when adjusting for our launch costs in Maryland and Ohio. Moving into 2023, we will continue to drive revenue growth and focus on expense management to accelerate our Adjusted EBITDA growth. We have already taken several actions that resulted in an increase to our revenue guidance and significant improvement in our Adjusted EBITDA guidance.”

“We executed very well in the fourth quarter and drove better than expected sportsbook hold due primarily to our investments in product innovation,” added Jason Park, DraftKings’ Chief Financial Officer. “We are also seeing strong customer retention and improved monetization as promotional intensity declines in our more mature states. We are increasing the midpoint of our fiscal year 2023 revenue guidance to $2.95 billion from $2.9 billion and improving the midpoint of our fiscal year 2023 Adjusted EBITDA guidance from ($525) million to ($400) million. Our fiscal year 2023 Adjusted EBITDA guidance reflects a meaningful slowdown in the growth rate of our fixed costs as we continue to capture efficiency opportunities and optimize our organizational productivity.”

Massachusetts Sports Betting Moves Closer

Massachusetts protracted journey towards establishing a native sports betting industry has received a huge shot in the arm this week, after a specialist Senate Committee advanced House Bill 3933 to the next legislative stage.

Gambling stakeholders in the Bay State have had to endure a prolonged period of inactivity, with lawmakers in the Senate Ways and Means Committee, the body charged with processing the proposal, hesitant to progress the bill without presiding over a lengthy due diligence campaign. As of last

Friday, this has now been satisfactorily completed.

House Bill 3933, which details a provision for three commercial casinos to be constructed within the state, was originally forwarded through the House of Representatives last summer. The proposal gained unilateral support in the House, with 156 out of 159 members voting in favour of the provisional legislation. Nevertheless, the bill has sustained some changes as a by-product of Senate readings, and therefore looks a little different to the original plan

passed by the House of Representatives in July 2021. The directive permitting bets on local collegiate teams has been stripped out, and taxation rates have been subjected to a considerable increase. In the initial draft of HB 3933, and operator was set to be taxed at a rate of 12.5% of retail revenue, and 20% of online GGR, this has now been adjusted to 15% and 35% respectively.

The bill will now be officially debated in the Senate chamber, with discussions commencing this Thursday, 28th April.

Slots management 101 Slots of strategy or not!

By Andy Cosgrove

In the first part of a two part series on slots strategy we’re going to explore what a good slots strategy shouldn’t look like because so many executives seem to miss the point and mistake goals for strategy without first framing the key opportunities that they wish to exploit.Many operators define strategy as goals

and initiatives that symbolize progress without having a coherent approach and the necessary understanding of the resources required to actually achieve them and measure their success. The most basic definition of strategy is the application of strength against weakness. It’s the “how” of achieving your goals and the creation of new strengths that by exploring new sources of advantage and weakness that will keep you ahead of the competition, keep your slots fans raving about their experience, keepyour team motivated, and maybe even make your boss happy. The following are examples of bad strategy and a brief analysis of

why they were doomed to fail.

Open the doors and they will come – This is a bit like betting on a horse to win a race that the horse isn’t scheduled to race in and still expecting them to win! Anyone who has even considered opening a casino and done even some minimal research knows how expensive it can be so it’s vital to have a strategy that sets out what success looks like, how success will be achieved and how momentum will be maintained in the long term. Simply building a casino and opening the doors won’t work without first answer the question of, “what is it we want to achieve, and how do we achieve it?” Not answering this question could result in a combination of any of the following: opening a casino without a market; opening

In an ever more demanding market your slots strategy can be the difference between producing an Oscar winning performance and the slots manager that was….

a locals casino in a high end tourist location; opening a casino in an area where video poker is popular and not installing video poker…, and the list goes on!

Our new strategy is to focus only on high rollers – Anybody who knows who Vilfredo Pareto is knows that in the casino business 80% of your revenues come from just 20% of your customers and any good casino manager knows that they need to have a good strategy in place to attract the 20% of high roller’s in a way that adds real value to their customer experience and that exceeds the competitors ability to do the same. That’s all fine and well, and isn’t any great secret, but what about the other 80% of your customers? Is it really a good strategy to leave them out in the cold? I was once asked to do a root cause analysis to discover why

revenue had fallen by 20% since the then new CEO had been hired. I didn’t surprise me to find out that the sudden fall in revenues was due to the new CEO’s strategy for the casino to focus on high rollers. I produced a timeline of new policies that had been implemented alongside the fall in revenues. The evidence couldn’t have been more convincing and proved that the 20% drop in revenues was due to the casino losing 80% of it’s customers. Upon presenting the results of the root cause analysis to the new CEO, he refused to believe that he was wrong. Let’s just say that he wasn’t CEO for long! In failing to take care of all his customers, the strategy crumbled before it even got off the ground.

We don’t need new slots to attract customers, all we need is a nice looking casino – As hard as it may be

to believe, this actually happened! This so called strategy came direct from the owners and nobody from the casino management team questioned it’s logic! This strategy could work if you have a captive audience such as on a cruise ship, at an airport or inside a remote all-inclusive hotel, but if you’re in a mature, competitive locals market the opposite strategy might be a good idea as was the case with this particular operation. The biggest flaw in this strategy was that the casino management team had failed to question the logic behind the proposal mainly because they had failed to identify the market they were in and they failed to frame the correct strategy to capture customers in a mature, competitive locals market! Or were they afraid to disagree with the owners?

Give them free slots play and we’ll make money – This is a great strategy for attracting customers and it works every time because who doesn’t like free money? I personally have never met a casino slots player (or anybody else for that matter) who doesn’t love freeplay, especially the type that you can cash out and redeem at the cash desk. However, from the “we’ll make money” perspective, there isn’t anything further from the truth. I once worked with a company that were losing 50% of their net win through free play and still couldn’t understand why. The Casino was packed but very few people were actually gambling their own money. Once I presented my findings, the management team were afraid of cancelling the free play promotion and having to explain the mass exodus of customers that could potentially happened to their bosses! Free play is a great marketing tool and it can be used strategically with great success, but it should be used as an incentive and given away in small amounts. Nothing is for free, as the then casino management team soon found out after their contract was cancelled.

We need to make more money so let’s tighten up the slots – Any slots manager worth their title knows that tightening up slots is not always a good idea at the best of times but to do it in order to make more money is like not playing the lottery and expecting to win. It’s a well known fact that not all slots are created equal and that depending on factors such as location, denomination and stepper slots or video reels, the volume of play will vary and that the volume of play can and will determine how a slot machines payback percentage is set, but to just lower all percentages by 2% in the hope that the casino will make more money is nothing more than utopian wishfulthinking. The end of this failed strategy happened when the customer count diminished as fast as the revenues and once the pay back percentages were increased, it took a real good marketing strategy, a lot of time and a lot of money to attract the customers back. Hopefully some strategic lessons were learned!

Conclusion – As you can see, basing your slots strategy on your idea of suc-

cess alone without first examining how to use your strengths and resources to exploit and gain advantage from an opportunity, your idea, vision, goal, and mission holds with it a higher risk and a greater chance of failure. I don’t know about you, but I’m of the opinion that failure isn’t a word that’s going to help you find your next job or create your next winning strategy.A good one however will help you every time. In the next article we’ll examine what a good strategy looks like and how it can help you achieve consistency and keep your customers coming back for more.

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 is available to help you succeed and exceed customer expectations via contracted consultancy services. Andrew can be reached at andy.cosgrove@henimgwaycasinoconsulting.com or seehttps://hemingwaycasinoconsulting.com/