January 2019 Infinity Gaming Magazine by Clever Duck Media

InfinityGaming www.gaming-awards.com | ISSUE102

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW GAVIN ISAACS

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

22 CHATBOTS! Lynn Pearce De Freitas

14 GAVIN ISAACS EXCLUSIVE

46 TAKE TIME OUT Lee-Ann Johnstone

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 IGA12 FINALISTS 14 GAVIN ISAACS INTERVIEW

22 CHATBOTS! Lynn Pearce De Freitas

DIVERSITY @ GAMBLE AWARE

26 DIVERSITY

Teresa Tunstall

ARE ALL AWARDS EQUAL? Christina Thakor-Rankin

36 EQUAL? Christina Thakor-Rankin

46 TIME OUT Lee-Ann Johnstone

58 HISTORY OF GAMBLING + NEWS & MORE NEWS from the gaming industry

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

IT’S AWARD TIME, AT LAST!

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

Lana Thompson - Editor

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

the apetities of you all.

Infinity Gaming Magazine and Happy New Year to all our readers. Indeed in

But not just that, we have the man of the

this magazine let me wish all our Chi-

moment, the man who just left Scientific

nese readers a Happy New Year also, it

Games and now is Chairman of SBTech.

is soon Year of the Pig.

This man moves fast and we caught up with Gavin Isaacs to find out some truly

So the results are in, the finalists have

special stuff and more to come. A MUST

booked their places and arranging to

READ.

have their tuxedos cleaned and new dresses bought (well maybe).

Apart from all that we have a four page special on the history of gambling, want

We are now less than 4 weeks from the

to know where it all started then read

biggest, most important awards evening

about it all inside. And of course if you

of the year and we were sold out three

like all the very latest news then we got

weeks ago, truly amazing. For all those

that for you too.

people with tickets we are going to have a superb evening, for all those people

Have a super month and Enjoy the mag-

booking too late, I am sorry but there is

azine and will catch you all after the

always next year.

IGA12 to tell you all about it.

Apart from the excitement of the awards

“To Infinity and Beyond!”

evening, we have one bumper magazine for you all. As always we have our su-

Regards,

perb writers supplying some truly var-

Lana

ied articles this time that will surely wet

The Editor

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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

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

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

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

www.1710gaming.com

Teresa Tunstall â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;poacher to gamekeeper,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; spending 16 years with GamCare, who offer help and support to those who develop problems with their gambling.

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

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

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

Lee-Ann Johnstone - CEO Best Odds Marketing With almost two decades of digital marketing and affiliate experience gained within retail, payments and blue chip iGaming brands, Lee-Ann has a wealth of expertise as an award winning digital marketing expert and business mentor. She is the creator of AffiliateFEST, founder of Best Odds Marketing a digital consultancy specialising in affiliate marketing and recently launched Affiliate Insider offering training, events and business development for the affiliate channel.

www.affiliateinsider.com|www.bestoddsmarketing.com

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

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

Lynn Pearce de Freitas

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

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Interview with

Gavin Isaacs Non-Executive Chairman SBTech

Gavin many thanks for speaking to us, it has been a memorable 12 months for you, looking back at 2018 what would you say was the highlight of the year for you? Personally it was a year of setting up for the future - I enjoyed watching Sports

objectives and overall focus. That was a

ing those great games and products is

great deal of hard work but very enjoy-

something I particularly enjoy

able in retrospect.

In total you were with Scientific Games for 4 years in different roles, how challenging was working for the company?

betting beginning its advances into the US.

The further development of the

apps being used by casinos to connect

I have enjoyed all my roles to differing With all the different brands, there was

degrees….if I had to choose, running

never a dull moment!

SHFL would be up there but all my roles

on and off property with their players is also exciting.

It was recently announced that you will be stepping down from Scientific Games as Vice Chairman, how was your time at the company and what was you feel your greatest achievement there?

Now you have left Scientific Games which company and role have you enjoyed the most in your twenty years?

had highs and some lows.

You are a veteran of some twenty years within the gaming industry, what do you enjoy about the industry so much Gavin? I love gaming in all forms; casino, online,

It has been reported that you still want very much to stay within the gaming sector but based in Las Vegas, is this correct and what is the reason for basing in Las Vegas?

lotteries, sports betting…..the people who develop the products and run the

I can’t think of any other industry I

operations all have a common objec-

would want to be involved with other

I enjoyed my time at Scientific Games.

tive…to entertain players. Gambling can

than Gaming now. Challenges always

The highlight for me was bringing 4 com-

be great fun if done responsibly with

present opportunities and I do believe

panies together…common leadership,

great games. The challenge of creat-

there are some great opportunities for

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the Gaming industry. Las Vegas is my home. I love living there. It is also the home of Gaming. As technological ad-

Moving into the New Year, you are now a free agent, have you had any offers so far?

vances become accepted in the USA,

first started working in the US with Aristocrat we really introduced the market to multiline video slots, which now are dominant globally. I believe the next

Las Vegas will continue to be the domi-

There have been a few but for the first

evolution is the ability to stay connect-

nant center for Gaming globally.

time in my life I can be very picky….Ini-

ed to the player both within and outside

tially I want to use my experience to as-

the casino. Some good products have

sist companies bridge the gap between

begun to faciltate this however we are

online and land based gaming. The first

just scratching the surface.

You are most certainly one of the most respected, well known name and indeed recognized face in the gaming world, do you enjoy the celebrity status? I love people…I have so many friends

role I have accepted is as Chairman of SBTech.

Is now working in the Online gaming industry excite you?

globally in Gaming across all roles. I

All your previous companies have a focus on gaming machines and then other online services, is that something you want to still work in?

enjoy interacting with them and seeing

Absolutely! In fact it is where I am most

them both professionally and socially.

interested. Online gaming has been

I am open as I believe that there are op-

I love seeing new ideas created by dif-

held back in the US but I do not doubt

portunities in all areas. However at this

ferent groups become adopted….that is

that it is the future. Casinos aren’t going

time i’m really interested in the online

the key to the future If you call that be-

away; nor are slot machines or tables.

offerings.

ing a celebrity then yes.

However technological advances are needed to attract and entertain players and enhance the experience. When I

INFINITY GAMING

Gavin Isaacs Exclusive Interview

Online gaming in the US is certainly now growing, what are your thoughts on that sector? As I said above, I believe that growth in online is inevitable. There is no good reason to hold online gaming back; from a regulatory perspective every dollar spent can be better traced. From a technological perspective, every other industry in the world has evolved in that space so I cannot see how or why Gaming won’t or shouldn’t .

When I

was running the larger land based suppliers I used to be asked what we were doing to help develop different games and to attract younger players? At the same time, many of those asking were supporting prohibiting our use of online technologies. It is like fighting with one hand tied behind your back. In 2002 the average age of a slot player was 46. in 2015 it was 47. Most younger people don’t have the disposable income to gamble. others are technologically driven. Bringing the experience together is the key, at least that is what I believe. As we do with almost everything else, if we can choose to use technology like our phones or go into a casino to gamble, we should be allowed to make that choice and the player experience will be enhanced. I think it is really exciting.

You are somewhat of an expert in mergers and acquisitions over the years, do you see this trend continuing with companies in the coming year Gavin?

What drew you to joining SBTech as their new non-executive Chairman?

Definitely. Companies that are success-

I like the people at SBTech. From my

betting, and I think SBTech with its om-

ful reinvest in their technologies and

first meeting with their founder I found

ni-channel modular technology has a

have a desire to grow. To do that you

someone who shared my philosophy,

fantastic opportunity to help drive this

need size and scale. It is often easier to

was forthright and energetic. I liked

next evolution in the US gaming market.

do that via acquisition rather than de-

SBTech’s leading technology, its strat-

veloping your own” me too” products.

egy for future enhancements and its

Financiers and PE firms look at M&A as

focus on growth in regulated markets.

a way to efficiently invest capital to in-

I have always been a big believer in

crease potential returns. As long as the

technology as an enabler and I continue

I will be joining the Boards of 2 leading

focus remains on developing products

to believe that technological advance-

online gaming company’s, one in B2B

that entertain players, revenues can

ments will increasingly be needed to

(SBTech) and the other in B2C (to be an-

grow and M&A can be an effective way

attract and entertain future players and

nounced). Helping them to grows very

to achieve the best results.

enhance the experience. The next evo-

exciting for me.

lution in the US market will be the ability to stay connected to the player both within and outside the casino as well as the proliferation of regulated sports

Have you got any special news for our readers Gavin?

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GAMING NEWS

Romania Imposes New 2% Turnover Tax

he gambling market in Romania has suffered yet another blow as the government has imposed a new tax of 2 percent on gambling turnover. A few days before Christmas 2018, an emergency ordinance was issued by the Romanian government, which called increased tax hikes for several industries. This included a 5 percent turnover tax for online operators, and a 3 percent tax for land-based casinos. These taxes were referred to as “gambling participation fees” by the government. To make matters worse for gambling operators, these hikes were to be imposed on them in addition the 16 percent tax that they were already paying on their gross gambling revenue. Fortunately for the operators, the Romanian government, on December 29, released an ordinance which was revised. This new ordinance reduced the gambling turnover tax to just 2 percent, a much lower number com-

pared to their initial hike. These came into effect on 1 January, 2019. However, it has been reported that the government will retroactively apply the tax to last year’s performance of gambling operators with a Romanian license. Operators are given a deadline, till February 25, to pay this amount. The Romanian government has done this before in the past – retroactively charging the gambling industry to help fund its budget requirements. In 2015, operators which were going to be licensed at the time were required to pay back taxes, which was 20 percent of the revenue they generated from Romanian punters since 2009. The government made a last-minute announcement to force operators to pay the amount. New rules to drain operators’ profits, market takes a hit Currently, there are 22 gambling operators in Romania with online li-

censes that were issued by the Oficiul National Pentru Jocuri de Noroc or ONJN, which is the regulatory body in the country. All of these operators will take a hit from the lump sum demand, in addition to the new taxes imposed. It is believed that the new rules will have a significant effect on their profits. As a result of the new taxes, several operators have made announcements regarding their new decisions. CEO of Pokerfest Romania, Sorin Constantinescu said that the UKbased 888 Holdings had pulled out from organizing a live poker tournament which was supposed to happen in March in Bucharest. He added that the company will also stop “marketing activities” in Romania. Shortly after, 888 said that they aren’t planning to withdraw from the Romanian gambling market.

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EXCITING ROLE FOR FRENCH SPEAKING CASINO MANAGER EXCELLENT SALARY AND BENEFITS

GAMING NEWS

Stars Group Gets Save From $870 Million Lawsuit

t may just be pure luck or a wonderful Christmas miracle, but the pending lawsuit against The Stars Group’s for $870 million in damages for their wrongful administration of the PokerStars game, has just been ruled in their favor. This has given the global conglomerate a reprieve from the years of torturous lawsuits initiated by the State of Kentucky Court of Appeals. But this reprieve may just be a temporary saving grace, as the long-standing case still has potential to be revived according to Kentucky’s Loss Recovery Act (LRA). The lawsuit in question was filed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 2010 against The Stars Group PokerStars website, in an attempt to recover the alleged losses made by Kentucky residents after their playing the game between the years of 2006 and 2011. The lawsuit’s primary ruling which stated that the group owed

the State of Kentucky a massive $870 million in damages, was made by Franklin County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate. This is the same Wingate of the gambling domain seizure fame, a 2008 case where he tried to seize 141 gambling-related domain names in a (failed) attempt to prevent the setting up of casino websites in the state. The initial ruling made in November 2015, was for $290 million, but Judge Wingate trebled the damages to be paid to $870 million, shocking players and operators across the country. The lawsuit relied heavily on the draconian Loss Recovery Act (LRA) and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, both of which allow losing players to recover their money by suing their winning counterparts. Law enforcement officials claim the laws were primarily intended to prevent cheating by winning players. However, they were

never intended to give the Commonwealth of Kentucky power to illegally sue a gaming operator. For their defense, The Stars Group provided the State of Kentucky enough evidence, substantiating their claim of innocence. The group argued that they were hardly responsible for anything done by Isai Scheinberg and Mark Scheinberg, the previous owners of PokerStars. Both PokerStars and its company Amaya Gaming were sold by the Scheinberg’s in 2014; years after the alleged losses were made by state residents. News of the Kentucky State initial ruling had forced The Stars Group NASDAQ stock prices by 1% over the years. But the new ruling has brought cheers all around and currently, the group’s stock prices have risen by 7% on NASDAQ and by 8% on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

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Intelligent Chatbots is that an oxymoron?

By Lynn Pearce de Freitas

almost smashed my laptop recently because of a conversation I had with a Chatbot!

I wanted to change my travel ticket to a later date. Simple request, right? Well, clearly not, when dealing with a clearly unintelligent Chatbot, who had not been trained in the art of conversation, even though I tried to keep my requests, or suggestions to it, as simple as possible. Me: I want to change my travel date. Chatbot: I am a chatbot, try rephrasing your question. Me: I want to change my booking Chatbot: You can call us on xxx xxx or alternatively use our contact form. Me: I phoned and held on for 20 minutes, no answer Chatbot: You can call us on xxx xxx or alternatively use our contact form. Me: I filled in the contact form yesterday, still no answer Chatbot: You can call us on xxx xxx or alternatively use our contact form.

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Me: I have called and have used your contact form Chatbot: You can call us on xxx xxx or alternatively use our contact form. Me: I tried to call again – hung up after 15 minutes, this is the second time I have tried today Chatbot: You can call us on xxx xxx or alternatively use our contact form. Me: Can I speak to a human being? Chatbot: You can call us on xxx xxx or alternatively use our contact form. Me: I have done both already Chatbot: You can call us on xxx xxx or alternatively use our contact form. Me: I want to speak to an AGENT Chatbot: We offer many payment options, so you can securely pay for your booking! After entering your details simply select from the available options. Depending on the flight selected or the time from booking to departure we may not offer all options. Me: WTF??? – oh forget it! Chatbot: You can call us on xxx xxx or alternatively use our contact form.

According to Wikipedia: A chatbot (also known as a smartbots, talkbot, chatterbot, Bot, IM bot, interactive agent, Conversational interface or Artificial Conversational Entity) is a computer program or an artificial intelligence which conducts a conversation via auditory or textual methods. Clearly not all chatbots are created equal. I cannot believe that a major airline has not used an AI (machine learning) chatbox, but rather a fixed rule bot – this must be damaging to the brand. When you give these bots questions they do not understand, they really do not know what to do and they never will! This poor bot has found itself in the wrong place, at the wrong time – it would have been much more suited for information gathering, or to RSVP to events! The other issue with bots, is that technology is now available for anyone who thinks he can develop his own chatbot, and therein

CHATBOTS!!!!!

lies the problem. Just google that for yourself and you will see how easy it is to develop your own rules-based bot, with very little development skills needed! As a strategic brand marketer, I have been instrumental in assisting the implementation of chatbots into customer service departments, in social media messaging environments, for several years already. I love new technology and was 100% sold on AI and chatbots. I was told that Artificial Intelligence (machine learning, naturallanguage processing) would assist chatbots to “learn” using patterns in data. All well and good, but I believe that even the best minds in the business could not determine the limitations (let’s not even get into the ethical dilemma), and it is these chatbot limitations which are the root cause of customer dissatisfaction and frustration – to the extent of perhaps even some of the best and biggest brands losing their customers because of bad servicing bots, but whose fault is this

really? Ours? After all, we are the initial implementers – and the bots learn their bad habits from our chats!

consumers say they’ll drop a brand (even one they love) after just a few sub-par experiences.

Nowadays, it is common for businesses to use bots in order to reduce dependency on customer service staff, most of which is seen as repetitive tasks, in order to lower costs.

On a more positive note, AI chatbots are the way of the future, they can be extremely useful and will evolve to ease most of the customer journey pain points in the very near future.

The reality is, as consumers and customers, we do not view service as a repetitive task, especially when we need answers to situations which we deem to be of the utmost important to us.

In fact, studies show that Millennials are pretty happy with chatbot services, with over 66% saying that they prefer the interaction of chatbots and enjoy the service – even Baby Boomers are warming up to chatbots, which is just as well, with most marketers agreeing that by 2020 most companies will be taking advantage of this technology.

Here is an interesting study on Chatbots done by Inc.com: Your customers don’t view service as a repetitive task. New research out today shows customers want more humanity and less automation, especially when something goes wrong. They want their experience with your brand to be personalized--not cookie-cutter.

I see the technology as being in its teenage years, still covered in pimples and insecurities, but pretty soon it will bloom into a fully-fledged adult, smooth and sharp and opinionated.

Customer experience matters. 60% of

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GAMING NEWS

Denmark Celebrates Successful Regulation of Illegal Gambling

he regulation of the online gambling market in Denmark has resulted in illegal gambling becoming an almost non-existent issue. However, skin betting and social media gambling are yet to be tackled. A report published by Spillemyndigheden, Denmark’s gambling regulator, claims that the number of illegal gambling sites that cater to local gamblers has been greatly reduced. Throughout the month of December, last year, the regulator combed through the internet looking for illegal gambling websites. The search effort led to the identification of 742 suspicious websites, which is double the number of similar sites identified in 2017. However, Spillemyndigheden stated that the 2018 search was carried out on a much broader scale, which could explain the higher number. Petitions Sent

The recent sweep led to 22 petitions being sent out to the illegal operators, notifying them of their “crimes.” The illegal operations are in direct violation of the Danish Act on Gambling. The regulator also ordered ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to prevent access to sites that did not respond to the petitions. Around 18 sites were said to have been blocked. The number of petitions sent out is actually low compared to 2017, which saw around 31 petitions were filed. However, 2018 saw the highest number of illegal sites being blocked since 2012. 2012 was the year when Denmark began regulating the online gambling market. This resulted in around 20 illegal gambling sites being blocked. In fact, in the past five years, four have seen 0 blocked domains. The current numbers were invigorated by the court’s decision demanding that ISPs respond to Spillemyndigheden’s orders.

Skin Betting Sites Identified Spillemyndigheden’s sweep also led to the identification of 95 eSports skin betting sites. This resulted in the filing of 17 petitions and the issuance of 6 blocking orders. The regulator stated that more such sites (around 25 more) would be blocked by ISPs in the near future. The regulator also brought attention to the problem of illegal online gambling being offered through social media platforms such as Facebook. It is believed that illegal gambling options are being offered through these portals in the form of lotteries. Around four such groups were identified on Facebook last year. The regulated online gambling market in Denmark is cited to be one of the best in Europe. It does not limit the number of licensees and even allows them to offer a wide range of products.

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DIVERSITY AT GAMBLE AWARE By Teresa Tunstall

he Gamble Aware annual conference was definitely worth attending on a cold, wet, rainy London. There were some really interesting Speakers and subjects going on- the prominent one being Diversity which featured in most titles in fact 4 out of 5 programmes started with the word Diversity! The audience was informed that Diversity, being the flavour of the month, was not just about gender, ethnicity, or social status it was more than that and throughout the sessions Diversity was bought in by all the Speakers. The first speaker, Mims Davies, MP, Minister for Sport and Civil Society DCMS, who replaced the previous DCMS Minister Tracy Crouch who resigned over FOBTs. Mims Davies spoke of Gambling issues and gaming companies involvement in

INFINITY GAMING

changes for the future. Next, Neil McArthur, Chief Executive Gambling Commission informed us how proud he was to be chief executive of the Gambling Commission, and so he should be having waited so long for the top post. He then continued with particularly interesting points which I consider to be most relevant to the day, “ I hope you have noticed that I have been talking about gambling harms not responsible gambling, that is deliberate. Responsible Gambling tends to focus on an individual gambler’s behaviour and puts the onus on the individual consumer rather than a Gambling operator.” This was an amazing, forward thinking step, finally asking the industry to take some responsibility although

there has always been members of gaming staff who ‘on the quiet’ helped distressed gamblers thanks be to God! Neil continued “As I said earlier progress on the current National Responsible Gambling Strategy has been slow and the gambling industry needs to up its game by ensuring there is proper funding for Research Education and Treatment. As we stated in our advice to Government on the gaming review if the industry can’t provide what is needed there is a strong case for a statutory levy.” This is a clear threat to the industry however by the time you read this the Gambling Commission will have already started a consultation, something that should have been taken

Gamble Aware Conference

into consideration a long time ago. Switching to ‘Diversity,’ Neil McArthur continued, “Why is Diversity important to the regulator, a question l am asked quite often, at the Commission we recognise that there is no simple guaranteed solution to the difficult challenge of balancing choice and enjoyment against the risks of gambling related harms.” Without doubt things are moving fast and furious at the Commission anyone involved in the industry should be looking at their setups and making sure they’re doing the correct and right thing for their customers the horizon is clear- endorse it. Diversity in Health - Why Britain’s biggest diversity audience should be respected and not ignored, presented by Steven Lacey, The Outsiders, this was supported by a totally female panel which made me question, how much diversity that showed!!

After lunch Dr Rosena All-Kham MP Shadow Minister (DCMS) presented her speech and picking up mainly and similar to her earlier equal MP Mims Davies. Diversity in research, by Janine Robinson from Responsible Gambling Council, Canada. Janine gave an excellent, informative and in part hilarious presentation so much so that I’d rather have had more from her than the panel she joined!! Diversity in Consumers - Players are people: exploring diversity challenges and common ground within the gambling and video games industry. Finally, on the panel we had two members from the gaming industry isn’t it about time bearing in mind all the charities are happy to take money from the gaming industry which is really great but a conference about gaming only featuring two people???

Richard Flint from Sky betting and Phil Cronin from Tombola, took really tough questions one woman shouted “you’re murdering innocent men,” a shock for all of us to try and understand. Afterwards I spoke with Phil from Tombola who I vaguely knew from delivering social responsible training a few years ago. Why, I asked him didn’t he bring up to the audience the fact that Tombola set a weekly spend of £500 for every player? Or when they offered players a prize if they agreed to set a month limit on their spend! As I said earlier it was a great conference in many ways but not so great that the industry were almost made scapegoats.

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Dutch Gambling Regulators Issue €1,709,800 in Fines

he gambling regulatory body in the Netherlands, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has recently announced that during 2018, it had imposed a total of €1,709,800 in financial penalties. This marks a new record high for the Dutch regulatory body. For reference, the amount for the same was just €1 million in 2017. In addition, the fine for 2018 was more than four times the total fine in 2016. The increase in fines imposed happened as a result of the new rules introduced by the KSA which targeted online gambling operators who “didn’t do enough” to block access to their websites by Dutch punters. These strict rules raked in a huge portion of the fines imposed on five licensed international online operators in 2018. These operators include Bettson, William Hill, Mr Green, Bet-at-Home, and CyberRock/ Honeydew.

Even though the fines may be an alltime high, actually collecting them may prove to be difficult for KSA. The regulatory body has not announced how much amount of the €1,709,800 fine it has collected. It is believed that they haven’t actually collected any amount as of now. This is because the five online operators who have been fined by the KSA have licenses in jurisdictions over which the Dutch regulatory body doesn’t have an authority. Besides, several of these online operators which were targeted is appealing the penalties. They argue that the gambling laws in the Netherlands are not in tune with the rules against unfair restriction of trade between the European Union’s member states. However, Dutch courts do not seem to be very supportive of these appeals.

Remote Gambling Bill may change the course of gambling in the Netherlands The Remote Gambling Bill, a bill which will enable the KSA to issue its very own licenses for online gambling has been delayed in the Dutch legislation for quite some time. This has been heavily criticized by the former chairman and vice-chairman of the gambling regulatory body in the country. Both of these figures stepped down from their positions in October 2018. Lawmakers in the country have announced that the Senate will have a meeting on 5 February, 2019 to discuss the Remote Gambling Bill. This announcement comes almost three years after the lower house passed the bill. If legislators do not have any objections and qualms on the matter, it is likely that the Senate will vote on the Remote Gambling Bill on 12 February.

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William Hill Bringing Sportsbooks

he fans of New Jersey Devils are likely to get an experiential boost this season as watching their favorite game won’t be the same anymore. They will now have the option of viewing the game along with other live games from a Sportsbook-type lounge area. Thanks to renowned Sportsbook operator and team sponsor William Hill who’s bringing about this transformation at Prudential Center.

What’s new at the center? The entire space of Prudential Center has undergone a huge rebranding and transformation, but the operator hasn’t announced the opening date yet. Talking about changes, let’s begin with how odds will be displayed. They will be shown on the four-story scoreboard of teams and windows within the sports lounge. Irrespective of the event organized, the venue’s doors will be open always.

The Prudential Center lounge will feature about twenty big screens, all with odds boards showing the betting options across a variety of sports. The NHL, however, is not very comfortable with the venue turning into a sportsbook with betting kiosks and windows. As such, the CEO of William Hill US Joe Asher told that the ambassadors of the company would assist bettors in downloading the betting app.

The level of exposure that the space is getting is incredible as it was ranked the 10th best in the world on Billboard’s Arena Power list recently. President of New Jersey Devil’s ownership group Hugh Weber expressed that the goal of the organization is to make Prudential Center a major entertainment and sports venue in New Jersey. William Hill Sports is likely to play a crucial role in the center’s mission to create the most dynam-

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ic experience for fans. A little about William Hill William Hill Sports operates the highest number of sportsbooks in the country, having about 108 locations in Nevada. The company has been doing aggressive campaigns in New Jersey since May this year when the Federal Court authorized states to exercise their own discretion while providing sports betting. The court also ruled that certain parts of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act 1992 were beyond the Constitution’s purview. William Hill became the first sportsbook operator in New Jersey after it launched an outlet at Monmouth Park racetrack this June. The state’s sports betting market is, however, extremely competitive, but is likely to surpass Nevada’s revenue.

FanDuel and DraftKings were among the first daily fantasy sports companies to launch their mobile app, which allows fans to place bets within rules permitted by state laws. After a month of the debut of William Hill’s racetrack location, FanDuel opened its first sportsbook at Meadowlands, the same grounds where Giants and New York Jets play. Although an expensive and competitive landscape, companies are investing whopping dollars in the New Jersey market. The state is the fastest growing among the others that have legalized sports betting, namely Nevada, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Delaware. Just after four months of sports betting becoming legalized, New Jersey bagged around $336.6 million in wagers. William Hill is one of the eight operators providing a mobile betting app within New Jersey. Also, the New Jersey Devils will become the second team after Vegas Golden

Knights to have received a sportsbook sponsorship from William Hill. The William Hill-NetEnt Partnership NetEnt is strengthening its foothold in the UK market by partnering with William Hill. The two operators have struck an agreement under which NetEnt will deliver its network tables to William Hill. The technical integration that will make the live casino a reality is already over and William Hill gamers can now avail live games. The live casino offering at William Hill is all about creating the best experience for players. The product is all set to work towards this objective with its interactivity and player feedback. It also proves an excellent marketing tool for gaming operators as they can run tailored campaigns to acquire and retain customers. William Hill seeks to maintain its legacy in providing live casino and provide its players with the best

games in the marketplace. The partnership with NetEnt is an innovative approach to bringing live casino games to the market. As such, the future of both gaming operators in the market looks promising enough, but only if they continue innovating their product offerings and beef up customer security. That’s not all about what William Will is doing. The gaming operator has also entered into a deal to buy 4.7 percent of MRG’s outstanding shares, offering £272 million for the acquisition. The offer’s acceptance period is expected to begin somewhere around 10th December 2018 and end around 11th January 2019 with settlement date set for 17th January 2019. The offer document for the deal is expected to become public before the acceptance period commences. The current deal involved 1,913,266 outstanding shares of William Hill in MRG, all of which are valued at £5.88 each.

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Italy’s Gambling Tax Hikes To Hurt Playtech’s Earnings

n a move that is expected to hit the gambling operators hard, Italy’s Senate approved the government’s proposal to increase tax rates on gambling. The revised tax rates were revealed on Sunday in the maxi amendment to the national budget. The proposed hike will be put to vote on Friday. Italy’s government proposes to hike tax on online casino revenue by 5 percentage points (20 percent to 25 percent), sports betting by 2 percentage points (22 percent to 24 percent), virtual betting by 2 percentage points (20 percent to 22 percent), and land-based sports betting by 2 percentage points (18 percent to 20 percent). The new tax rates will be applicable from Jan 1, 2019. Land-based gaming machines aren’t spared either. The government plans to increase the tax rate on amusement with prizes revenue by 1.35 percentage points. The minimum payout to customers will be reduced

to 68 percent. Tax rates on video lottery terminals will be hiked by 1.25 percentage points, while the payout will be decreased to 84 percent. These hikes are more than the government promised. The Conte government estimates that the revised rates will help it earn additional revenue of €770 million, most of which is expected to come from the land-based gambling industry. The move hasn’t gone down well with land-based and online gambling operators. Moreno Marasco, president of Logico, an association of Italian gaming operators, claimed the move would drive gamblers to international operators who operate in the country without the required permissions. Despite the criticism, the Conte government remained unmoved and claimed the change in rates is a part of its plan to restore some equity to the tax code.

Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio claims the goal of the hike in tax rates was to take money from those who have taken much from the Italian people over the years. To understand the impact the rate hikes will have on gambling operators, let’s consider the case of Playtech, an online gambling operator that acquired Snaitech for $1 billion earlier this year. The online gaming operator issued a statement on Monday in which it said the revised tax rates would drag down its total revenues for 2019 by €20-25 million. The estimated loss in revenue is a big blow for the company, which is still reeling under the effects of gambling curbs announced by the government earlier this year. In the aftermath of the company’s declaration, Playtech’s share price saw a decline of 7 percent.

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GAMING NEWS

The Gaming Tribes and The Michigan Online Gambling Bill

he state of Michigan closed its legislative session by casting a last-minute vote on HB 4929, a bill that would give legal status to many gambling activities, including online poker, casino games, and sports betting. The bill is lying on the desk of Governor Rick Snyder, upon approval of which, Michigan will become the fifth state to legalize online gambling after New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware and Pennsylvania. When Representative Brandt Iden pushed an online gambling bill in Michigan two years ago, the task seemed colossal. Michigan has predominantly been a tribal gaming state with commercial interests. Creating a legislation that contented all stakeholders seemed unusual, if not impossible. How will the legislation affect tribes in the state? Online casinos in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are not free from the involvement of tribes. But the landscape is far from comparison from Michigan. In Michigan, the state

and tribes enjoy their own individual compacts. The landscape of the state resembles that of other jurisdictions, mostly California, where online poker legalization has been benched for a decade now. So far, the scenario in California has been complicated owing to the conflicting self-interests of tribes, the horse racing industry, and card rooms. But Michigan shows that these stakeholders can come to a consensus and craft concessions when profits from online gambling are recognized. Senator Mike Kowall and Iden worked closely with commercial casinos, tribes, and Detroit city to bring all stakeholders on the same page. Commercial casinos in Michigan have come to a consensus to eliminate Section 16 of the House-passed bill, which allowed tribes to operate internet gaming even when faced by prohibition from the federal law. In response, the tribes had to forgo their sovereign immunity for online gambling, allowing state authorities

to regulate all casinos in the same fashion. What about sports betting? The Lawful Internet Gaming Act includes regulations for sports betting activities in the state. The law gives the Division of Internet Gaming that authority to permit gaming operators licensed by the division to call internet wagers on any professional or amateur sporting contest or event. At the same time, a tax rate of eight percent was imposed on all sports betting activities within the state boundaries. The legislation states that the law would be enforced within ninety days after the governor approves the bill. The new Division of Internet Gaming would get a year to devise rules governing the administration, licensing, and conduct of all internet gaming activities under the act. If everything goes as per plan, Michigan would have a legal online gambling scenario by the first half of 2020.

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All Awards Are Equal but some are more equal than others?

By Christina Thakor-Rankin

n the run-up to the start of the industry awards season, as exam questions go, this is as loaded a question as it gets, but perhaps also a legitimate one. Time was there were two or three big industry awards which almost everyone wanted to get their hands on at golden ticket ceremonies that every industry mover and shaker wanted to be seen at. But times have changed. The combination of internet, technology and de-regulation has resulted in an unprecedented boom in the global betting and gambling sector, and as the industry has grown so have the various fringe activities such as expos, conferences, events and of course, industry awards ceremonies. As the industry has grown from land into the multi-channel, multiproduct global behemoth it is today, so has the list of award categories. For example, what used to be ‘best casino’ is now split into best land, or online or mobile casino and then again into its component parts such as live dealer or slots. In fact, there

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are so many different categories that some organisers have taken to breaking down one big award ceremony into several smaller ones based upon specific channels, products or disciplines to make them a little more manageable for all concerned. Today, the industry awards circuit with its fancy venues, premium sponsorship and entry fees in the guise of tables and seats, has become, like the conference circuit before it, something of a cottage industry in itself. And in a bid to tap into this market, awards are no longer just about companies, products and services they now extend to people too, with a number now having whole sections dedicated to celebrating the achievements of individuals. This situation raises a number of questions for the nominees. The same conundrum as with the plethora of conferences and industry events which is the best one to go for? And with so many awards being handed out across so many categories by so many awards organisers to so many winners, what does an award actually

mean anymore? Does anyone even care? Have the awards ceremonies just become a nice, albeit expensive, night out? Judging (pun intended) from the numbers of companies and individuals that do put themselves forward and the effort taken with the nomination submissions, the answer is a resounding yes – companies and individuals do still care, and it does still matter. This then leads to the question, are all awards worth the same or do some carry more value than others? And if so, which are the awards that count - which are the Oscars, and which are the Razzies, and how to tell them apart. The obvious answer is the ones that have been around the longest and will continue to attract the world’s big names as both sponsors and nominees, such as the IGAs or the EGRs. Having been around for at least a decade, they have not only stood the test of time, more importantly the companies that have been award winners have also stood the test of time. This means that these

awards come with a proven pedigree of choosing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;winnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; giving them gravitas and commanding respect. These are the Oscars. Every industry has challenger brands and imitators though, and the awards industry is no different. As the world of betting and gambling has grown, so have the number of awards ceremonies. Some have tried to emulate the success of the established awards, but over time fallen by the wayside for any number of reasons not least, the suspicion of gongs may have been exchanged for sponsorship or

purchasing of dinner tables. These are the Razzies. And in between there are the Golden Globes, the Emmys and the next generation of awards which will ultimately go on to be the Oscars of the future. These are the more considered attempts to break into the market. The savvy challengers who have looked to carve their own niche, or fill a gap or need in the market by focusing on specific products, markets or jurisdictions - such as the SBC awards and Maltaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iGaming Idol. Others have focused on individuals and groups

rather than just organisations, such as women or in the case of Gambling Compliance, compliance professionals. Some have done a little of both, and in doing so delivered a more inclusive and democratic set of awards. This is great news for the industry. These newer awards lend themselves to experimentation which allows them to introduce new, more exotic categories show-casing innovation, new products and services which serve to champion and celebrate start-ups and smaller companies doing exceptionally well in niche areas

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Are All Awards Equal?

such as data or risk management. They also help to highlight trends within the industry such as compliance, or reflect those in the wider world, such as sustainability and diversity. These new awards have also provided industry with the chance to recognise individual and professional achievements and some of the sector’s unsung heroes and heroines who may not fit the traditional mould of publicly acknowledged life-time achiever, but without whom the sector would be poorer. These individual awards are a slightly trickier beast. Given they are recognising individuals still at the peak rather than the end of their career they do carry a small risk of a past winner being unmasked as undeserving of the accolade at some future point. There is also the underlying and slightly

uncomfortable feeling that those nominees who did not win (the losers), as individuals rather than companies, may end walking away with the feeling that they are not quite good enough. Is that reason enough to not recognise those who are deserving though – perhaps not. And then there are the more nuances, jurisdiction specific events. The local events for local people, and which the wider world often struggles to come to grips with. These for the time being, are probably best left to their own devices. So back to the question, are awards and awards ceremonies still worth it? The dictionary defines an award as ‘a prize or other mark of recognition given in honour of an achievement’. It is a message to the world

that says, ‘we did it, and actually we did it better than everyone else’. And in business this kind of message matters. It may only be for 12 months, after which time the gong will be retained reinforcing the message ‘still doing it better than anyone else’ or it will pass to another worthy. Whether the award was justified or not, either way, for a whole year the winner, company or individual, has been able to market themselves as ‘better than the rest’, and both companies and individuals can do a lot of business in one year - and especially so where that business comes with a minimum term which extends beyond a year. In that context and marketed in the right way by the winners - all and any awards, even the Razzies, are worth it.

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GAMING NEWS

Fake Online Lottery Racket Foiled in Mumbai

he Navi-Mumbai police have arrested eight people in connection with a fake online lottery scheme. The raid of the site where the scam was being operated happened following a tip-off to the police. Mastermind Usman Gani Hussain Tiddikal, originally from Trichur, Kerala and others were arrested on December 26th, 2018. What exactly was going on The gang had set up an illegal online lottery site that mimicked an official government site and was tricking customers into buying the fake tickets. The operations were being carried out from a government authorized lottery center in Kopar Khairane, Navi Mumbai. The owner of the center Anil Pawar, his accomplice Aashish Pujari and others were arrested from the center, while Tiddikal was arrested from Goregaon, Mumbai. Tiddikal who masterminded the

operation supplied Pawar and Pujari with the unauthorized software used in the scam. According to Inspector Jagdish Kulkarni, Crime Branch, Navi Mumbai Police, the parallel lottery scheme was being run from several places in Maharashtra including Nashik, Ratnagiri, Latur and Kolhapur. The fraudulent schemes were both stealing money from the unsuspecting public and causing the government lottery scheme to suffer losses. Equipment including six laptops, five desktop computers, 37 hard disks, adapters, printers, scanners, and results sheets was seized during the raid on the center. The investigation is ongoing, but a case has already been registered against the accused under the Indian Penal Code, the Maharashtra Lottery Act and the Maharashtra Gambling Act. Crime Branch teams were also probing the matter further according to Inspector Kulkarni.

Online lottery scams are quite common in Mumbai and the Crime Branch carries out raids regularly to try and contain the problem. Earlier in December 2018, six online lottery centers were raided, and 11 persons were held in connection with selling handwritten tickets to avoid paying GST (Goods and Service Tax). A similar racket was also exposed in April 2018 and six people arrested. The surge of fake online lottery schemes in recent times appears to be caused by tightened regulations on online sports betting in India. With premier league sports tournaments like the Cricket T-20 series coming under the scanner, scammers are diversifying into other forms of online schemes. The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has their hands full, but the problem extends to other parts of the country. During the interrogations, the accused are reported to have said that they have ties in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi as well.

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GAMING NEWS

Caesars Now an Official Sponsor of the NFL

n what appears to be an interesting turn of events the NFL has taken on Caesars Entertainment as an official sponsor. The news would have been fairly unremarkable save for the fact that the move is very uncharacteristic of the NFL. The NFL has, for a long time treated gambling as illegal and perhaps even dishonorable, so to be partnering with a casino operator now was an unexpected step. Caesars Entertainment along with MGM are the owners of a majority of the casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. The decision by the NFL to take on Caesars Entertainment as their official casino sponsor has come as a surprise to some, while others write it off as the influence of money. With more and more states in the US legalizing sports gambling, the NFL seems to have relaxed its views on wagering.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going down The announcement was made on Thursday the 3rd January by both the NFL and Caesars Entertainment that the sponsorship deal was made official. The sponsorship deal takes effect with the NFL playoffs which are almost immediately. As per the partnership Caesars Entertainment is only the casino partner of the NFL and does not include sports betting, hotels and resorts or daily fantasy sports. The terms appear to be an attempt by the NFL to steer clear of sports betting despite taking on a casino sponsor. What Caesars Entertainment can do, however, is use all NFL trademarks in the United States and the United Kingdom, and the casino properties will be used as a site for NFL parties. Major NFL events like the Super Bowl and the NFL Draft can be celebrated at Caesars Entertainment

casinos with all the official signage and merchandise. The casino owners plan to rope in celebrity chefs, music artists and a variety of other entertainment features to give NFL fans a unique experience. The NFL has been dubbed the most prominent of all the sports leagues in the US but is the last to come on board with a casino sponsor. A representative of Caesars Entertainment said that they are thrilled to be the NFLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first casino sponsor. The sponsorship deal is a multi-year contract and a lot already seems to be planned for 2019 and 2020. Other major sports leagues have been taking on casino sponsors for a while now, but it has taken the NFL a long time to accept that revenue from legal gambling might not be so bad after all.

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GAMING NEWS

Hesse Plans to Separate Itself from State Gambling Treaty

he German state of Hesse’s current ruling coalition is looking to exit the State Treaty on Gambling and formulate its own regulations if there is no development in the Federal Framework front by the end of the current year. The Schwarz-Grün coalition of the Christian Democratic Unionists and Green Party stated in its agreement spelling out the main goal for the government’s 5-year term that it would work towards establishing a system that would protect players. To carry this out, the coalition stated that a proper framework was required; one that complies with European law. Other than that, it also stated that licenses should be given out in accordance with the applicant’s quality, rather than limiting the number of certifications. Disagreement on Model If the 16 federal states in Germany are unable to come to an agree-

ment on a model that can overhaul the controversial State Treaty on Gambling by the end of the year, the coalition has stated that it would cut itself out from the treaty. The end of 2019 is also the same time the break clause in the treaty becomes activated, which will allow Hesse to make an exit without any problems. The coalition wants to boost funding for Landessportbund Hessen, the association that represents all the association and sporting clubs in the state, via an expanded gambling regulation bill. It wants to makes sure that the sports funding channeled via gambling is directed towards certain key objectives. This includes providing support for competitive sports, increase the representation of disabled people in sports, and boosting sports participation for health.

Treaty invalid. Failed Amendment The State Treaty was put into effect in 2012 and since then, it has been discredited in several legal battles, leaving operators in confusion. An attempt was made, in 2017, to remove the 20-license limit clause. However, it failed. The revised State Treaty was unable to gain approval from the Schleswig-Holstein and NordrheinWestphalen governments. As a result, it could not be put into force. For amended versions of the treaty to be established, signatures from all participating state legislatures are required. Hesse, apart from focusing on online gaming, is also looking to transfer the monitoring of slot machines to the federal states. The coalition intends to bring about a motion in the Bundesrat regarding this.

Hesse’s goals will make the State

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10 Reasons why its important to take time out to attend more educational events By Lee-Ann Johnstone

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At events , you can

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49 events to attend. Review the speakers in the line up and make sure they really are experts in their chosen fields. This means that you don’t need to worry about regurgitated content or not learning anything new. Everything will be relatable to current events and trends. When you find an event that focusses on good content they should be put in your diary to attend on a regular basis to keep ahead of changes in the industry which take place regularly. 8. Networking builds trust , trust builds good relations Never underestimate the power of personal connections, having a direct contact at affiliate programmes helps breaks through the noise. We’re all busy being busy - making a human connection can help to speed things up. You should create meaningful relationships with suppliers that can offer relevant services – and even learn some new things from other affiliate business owners. iGaming is a close-knit industry, making useful connections that can introduce you to their contact sphere could be incredibly helpful, you never know when someone you meet at an affiliate event may come in handy. 9. Invest in your personal development As an affiliate, it’s your job to be on the

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GAMING NEWS

Spain’s State Lottery faces Backlash

he state-run lottery in Spain is facing intense backlash after a 15-year old teenager was revealed as the winner of the €200k jackpot. Cosmin Rotariu, the 15-year old student from Barcelona, was revealed as the lottery this weekend by the Spanish news outlets. The boy held the jackpot ticket in the recently conducted El Niño lottery. The boy informed the news reporters that he bought the €200k lottery ticket for €20 which he won in the El Gordo Lottery right before Christmas. The main problem here is that the state-run lotteries and the Sociedad Estatal Loterías y Apuestas del Estado or SELAE requires all the participating lottery players to be 18 years old or older. While Cosmin claims that the ticket was purchased with the permission of his father Valeriu, this doesn’t explain why the lottery ticket seller

and SELAE chose to sell tickets to a minor. Almost all of the groups representing the gambling sector in Spain, who themselves have faced heat for luring underage gamblers now want the government to find the person responsible and be accountable for this entire public relations mess. The government in the country is considering passing legislations that would severely curtail the marketing freedom of private gambling operators. This will put the gambling sector in the same level of restrictions faced by the tobacco industry. The government is still not sure if these newly proposed regulations should be applied to state-run lotteries like SELAE, since they engage in transparent marketing campaigns and even sponsor sports events. SELAE and most staterun lotteries do not engage in any kind of unethical or even experimen-

tal marketing tactics to lure people and this current mess simply looks like an error. Last year in June, the digital channels and website owned by the SELAE surpassed one million registered users. The net online sales crossed €136 million in 2017 which almost a 17% increase from 2016. CEJUEGO, which is the industry association representing the private gambling sector has issued a formal statement saying that they would reserve their harsh criticisms and comments for later when they actually meet the officers from the Ministry of Finance. They have heavily criticized the government’s failure to follow up policies and protocols regarding minors. The body has also criticized the nature of media coverage and the attitude that has been portrayed by the winner, saying this will prompt other kids to follow in his path.

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GAMING NEWS

Gambling and Sports Betting Legalization On Top Of Virginia Lawmakers’ Agenda

018 has been a wonderful year for states having already legalized sports betting and online gambling. With 2019 looking very promising for the industry, legislative discussions have kicked-off across the country, the primary agenda being the legalization of gambling and sports betting services in states where sports betting is still illegal. One such state in the grips of this debate is Virginia. The state of Virginia, which is still considering legalizing sports betting, started-off its 45-day legislative proceedings (it’s 60-days only during even years) with both the Republican and Democratic Governments looking to regain voter trust through favorable taxation policies and improved state-wide safety. Virginia’s Governor Ralph Shearer Northam, in particular, wants to focus on issues like stricter gun laws, tax rebates for families earning less than $50,000 a year and improved state economy, amongst others. However, the first thing on his agenda for 2019 – probably the most

contested topic of discussion to ever grace the floor of Virginian’s Senate – is the issue concerning the legalization of online gambling and sports betting in the state. The retirement of respected Speaker Bill Howell, who has been an ardent anti-gambling advocate, has opened new doors for the state, with the legalization of sports betting looking a very real possibility in early 2019. Additionally, the extensive support the state is receiving from cities like Danville, Bristol and Portsmouth for the setting-up of new casinos and remote sports betting services, makes industry insiders and pro-legalization lawmakers confident that a positive outcome may be in the offing. Currently, Governor Northam’s proposed study to understand the state-wide attitude towards sports betting is receiving resistance from deep-pocket developers, all of whom are insisting that decisions be taken without further delay. Insiders believe any further delay can result in Virginia

losing out on big business to neighboring states. The legalization of sports betting is just one of the issues the state has to deal with in the on-going legislative discussions; the framing of favorable gambling taxation policies being another. However, things may not be smooth sailing initially. The 2017 federal law overhaul, limiting the losses businesses and individuals can claim is set to allow Virginia to gain huge windfalls in the billions. The state plans to use these windfalls to improve state-wide facilities and this includes the gambling technology used in the state. However, the Virginia state tax code is currently out-of-sync with the Federal tax code, creating operational problems for lawmakers. The biggest taxation-related legislative debate will be whether to conform to the Federal’s definition of income, in relation to state taxes and deductions and to pass the conformity law or not.

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Irish Gambling Law Reform to Include “Big Beast” Regulator

he upcoming Irish gambling law reforms will now likely make provision for a “big beast” independent regulator that will employ around 100 people. David Stanton, the Minister of State, tasked with overseeing the gambling industry, admitted that there was frustration over the delay in the reforms. The legislation was supposed to have been published five years ago. However, the minister stated that the reasons for the delay were genuine. He pointed out to the major changes that have impacted the industry, such as the rise of online gambling and the subsequent involvement of offshore companies providing the service. According to Stanton, the new “superregulator” will oversee gambling addiction, sponsorship, advertising, promotion, underage gambling, and a range of online gambling offerings including continuous betting, virtual betting, and games.

Arcane Laws to be Done Away With Ireland is home to a betting and gaming industry that is estimated to be worth several million euros. However, it is regulated by arcane laws, mainly the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956 and the Betting Act of 1931. The Irish government has openly admitted that both acts were out of touch with the times. Now, Mr. Stanton plans to draft amendments for the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956, which primarily applies to gaming machines provided at amusement arcade, to oversee online gambling, a growing sector in Ireland. This will be followed by a draft of the comprehensive Gambling Control Bill, which will be followed by the complete Bill. The minister stated that he expected both to be published sometime in 2019. However, based on the current timescale, the bills may only see the light of day in 2020, at the earliest. The bills have to pass through the Oireachtas before they’re enacted

as law. Stanton also spoke about addressing some major concerns such as the problem of gambling addiction, especially with regard to online gambling. He mentioned that the advertising and glamorization of gambling needed to be heavily regulated, citing that internet gambling could lead to massive losses for the individual. He also spoke about the possible grooming of children through online gaming advertisements and added that new laws would be put in place to oversee underage gambling. He pointed out to the controversy surrounding loot boxes in internet games, where money is requested for acquiring new skills or defense capabilities. Stanton was curious about whether or not this could be classified as a form of gambling.

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GAMING NEWS

2018 Not a Great Year for Las Vegas Gambling Stocks

tocks of major gambling operators in Las Vegas performed poorly in 2018, with most companies ending the year with their stocks 30 percent down. This is the worst recorded performance of the same since the Great Recession ten years ago. In 2018, the Dow Jones U.S Gambling Index, which constitutes the top gambling stocks of Las Vegas, dropped by a staggering 33 percent. For reference, the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index dropped 5.6 percent. The only top gambling company that performed positively was Eldorado Resorts, which rose 9 percent by the year. The year started on a positive note; decline not expected at first Initially, the declines weren’t expected. During the start of 2018, gaming stocks performed well as a result of the U.S government passing tax cuts for law corporate and personal income. This resulted in huge one-

off profits for casino operators in the gambling capital of the country. Wynn Resorts gained as much as $340 million, while Las Vegas Sands Corp gained $526 million. This gave people hope that the economy will grow, making companies, as well as citizens, spend more of their money at the casinos in Vegas. During this time, the stock of Wynn Resorts rose 19 percent in just three weeks, while MGM Resorts International saw a 10 percent increase. Trump’s policy a huge blow to Las Vegas gambling stocks The impressive performance of the stocks did not last very long. When Trump imposed huge tariffs on $34 billion of goods from China in July 2018, China wasn’t too happy. To make things worse, the U.S government imposed even more tariffs. This spat between the two countries affected gambling in Macau since many big players were taken aback.

Over the next few months, gaming revenue in Macau dropped by 13 percent. As a result, stocks of major companies such as Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands saw huge drops as more than half of their earnings come from Macau. By the end of the year, Wynn Resorts was down 41 percent, while Las Vegas Sands took a 22 percent hit. Even though the tax cuts were great for the economy as a whole, the Strip suffered. On August 1, Caesars Entertainment Corp. announced that Q3 earnings of the strip would be lower than they hoped for. MGM followed with the same announcement the next day. This alarmed investors, and both these companies started experiencing major drops in their stocks. This trend went on till the end of the year, forcing them and others to close the year on an unsatisfactory note.

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The History Of Gambling As we enter 2019 let’s look back on the history of gambling

oday, the gambling industry is a multi-billion dollar global industry that plays a vital role in the economy of the world. From huge gambling operators to the ever-increasing number of casinos, the breaking down of social and moral stigma around the act, and the digitization for increasing accessibility, it appears gambling has a very rich contemporary history. However, what few know is that gambling is as ancient as civilization itself. It’s not only in the modern world that humans like to play a game of chance. We have indulged in gambling since thousands of years ago till today. Here, we take a look at how we started, important events, and the journey so far. 2300 B.C – Earliest gambling evidence from Ancient China Even though human history is tied with some form of gambling ever since the dawn of time, the first concrete evidence comes from Ancient China, dating back to about 2300 B.C. It is believed that these found tiles were part of a lottery game of

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sorts. It was also found that in about 200 B.C, keno slips were used as lottery for funding state work, which experts believe was the construction of the Great Wall of China. This practice is a common way of funding civic constructions and other purposes till today. 500 B.C – Dice were mentioned in Ancient Greek text Sophocles celebrated Greek poet, mentioned in his writings dating back to 500 B.C that dice were invented during the siege of Troy by a mythological hero. While this doesn’t provide us with a solid and believable story, it is still important because it was the first time dice were mentioned in Greek history. However, it is to be noted that dice have existed since 3000 B.C in the Egyptian civilization. The Greeks and Romans were so obsessed with gambling that all gambling acts, including dice games, were strictly not allowed in Rome. If found gambling, punters had to pay a high fee. So, then this led to Roman punters inventing gambling chips

as a way to fool the guards, making them believe they weren’t playing for real money. 800 A.D – First playing cards in China It is commonly agreed by experts that China was the first to use playing cards around the 9th century. However, we do not know how it was played. Some scholars believe that the cards could have both the stake as well as the game, like the trading card games we play today, while others suggest that these cards could have been paper forms of the popular Chinese domino. We do know that cards the Ancient Chinese used were not similar to the playing cards we have today. The 1400s – Baccarat emerges in Europe Baccarat, a two-player card game is a popular game in many casinos all over the world. It is also one of the earliest games to have been invented. A version of the popular game was first mentioned in as early as the 1400s when the game traveled to France from Italy. Ever since then,

the game has gone through many alterations to evolve to the Baccarat we now know today. The standard version of the game that we now play in casinos across the globe originated from Cuba and came to the US through Britain. Since it’s extremely popular with high-rolling gamblers, baccarat is common in casinos despite being more of a spectator sport. 1600 – Origination of Blackjack The origins of Blackjack, one of the most popular casino games, is heavily debated. Some believe that the earliest form was a Spanish game known as ventiuna, meaning twenty-one, as this game appeared in a book in 1601, written by the author of Don Quixote. On the other hand, some experts suggest that blackjack came from a game

of trente-un, meaning thirty-one from 1570. While the origination is unclear, we do know how the game reached the U.S., which is through a French game known vingt-et-un sometime in the seventeenth century. The early French settlers brought it with them, and through the years, the game has evolved to what we know today. It was referred to as blackjack during marketing efforts by Nevada casinos in the 1930s. 1638 – Earliest casinos pop up in Italy The world saw its first gambling houses in Italy in the 17th century. These are significant because they closely resemble the workings of casinos we have today. The Ridotto was established in 1638 in Venice so as to

gambling amidst the chaotic carnival atmosphere. Then, during the 19th century, casinos started popping up everywhere in Europe, while America saw informal gambling houses. One of the most popular gambling spaces were steamboats where farmers and traders traveled through the Mississippi. 1796 – Roulette is popular in Paris Around the latter half of the 18th century, roulette, as we know it today, was extremely popular in Paris. Here, players in gambling houses used the wheel which we now call today as the American Roulette wheel. Then, 50 years later, the ‘European’ version of the wheel, which has just one green zero, was developed. This is still used in many European casinos till today. The famous Monte Carlo casino is to thank for this, as it adopted the single

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History of Gambling

ero version of roulette during the 19th century when the game became extremely popular. However, Americans continue to use the double zero wheels. 1829 – The origins of poker We don’t quite know how poker originated as a gambling game. It is believed to have gone through many versions and alterations to become the game we know today. While some experts believe that poker originated in Persia around the seventeenth century, some believe that it was derived from a French game known as Poque. A defining moment in the history of poker was when, in 1829, an English actor called Joseph Crowell reported that players in New Orleans were engaged in the game, although this

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may have been different from the poker we know today. Through the years, poker didn’t grow very popular, until in the 1970s, when the world poker tournaments were introduced. However, the real win for poker was the advent of online gambling, and since then, it has managed to be one of the most popular gambling activities. 1891 – First gambling machine developed in New York It was in New York, in the late 19th century that Messrs Sittman and Pitt developed the first gambling machine resembling the ones we have today. The machine used 52 cards on drum reels to create a game that was highly similar to poker. During the same time, the Liberty Bell machine was also invented in San Francisco by Charles Fey. The latter was a much

better invention because winnings could be regulated accurately, and this was a major event that sparked the popularity of slot games. At first, when users won, the machines gave out gums and cigars, and not real money. However, with its growing popularity, the money dispensing machines were soon installed in casinos everywhere. Then, in 1976, video slots were invented. 1910 – Gambling banned in America Gambling has always been a popular, yet controversial topic in America. When Puritan settlers arrived, they completely banned gambling in their settlements. However, those who came from England were much more tolerant towards the activity. This has always resulted in two strong opposing voices till today, one that is

a nationwide ban on gambling was implemented. An outright ban on something that half of the population supported and indulged in regularly proved to be difficult and gambling still occurred in a discreet manner. As a result, the economy suffered too, and combined with other factors at play led to the Great Depression and the Wall Street Crash in the 1930s. Subsequently, gambling was legalized again, as this was the only way for many people to escape their severe poverty. Today, gambling is legal in many states in the U.S, and online gambling too, although still banned in many states, has come a long way. Besides, with the U.S Supreme Court legalizing sports betting in 2018, gambling in the country has entered a whole new era.

1994 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The first strides of online gambling It was as early as 1994, when the first steps into online gambling was taken by Microgaming, one of the largest and most well-known casino and slot game developers we have today. Being pioneers in their field, they saw the opportunity that online gaming provided, and seized it as early as possible. Only within five years, the online gambling industry grew to be worth more than a billion. Today, it is one of the fastest-growing and most profitable industries that contributes greatly to many countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economies. In 2003, Playtech introduced the first live dealer casino to the world. Today Gambling has grown to be a fastevolving industry that has churned out billions of dollars. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in Europe, Macau or America, great

strides in the field can be seen. In 2011, online gambling was legalized by New Jersey, which created a huge buzz and got even more people interested. Then, in May 2018, the U.S Supreme Court struck down a law that prohibited sports betting in the country. Ever since then, several states including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New Mexico, West Virginia and more have legalized sports gambling. This has really pushed forward the popularity of online gambling, while more and more states have now realized how they can benefit from the revenue. Punters in many places can now gamble and/or bet on sports events with a few taps and swipes on their phones, without having to leave their homes.

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GAMING NEWS

Wynn Resorts Sues New Las Vegas Resort

n 21 December, hotel and casino giant Wynn Resorts Holdings filed a federal trademark infringement lawsuit against a company that is building a casino worth $4 billion right across the street. The owner of Wynn states in the lawsuit that the company being sued, Resorts World Las Vegas, has copied Wynn’s architectural style so they could trick consumers into believing that they are affiliated with Wynn, a major player in the casino industry. Resorts World Las Vegas is set to open its 87-acre, 3000-room casino, which is currently under construction, by the end of 2020. Wynn claims that the building looks way too similar to its building designs all over the world. During the Friday filing at the Court of Nevada in Las Vegas, Wynn showed its casino design in Macau, proving that the concave building shape along with bronze glass and creamcolored horizontal lines between the

windows is synonymous with their brand. The lawsuit in detail; Wynn asks for profits In the filing, which had a total of 17 pages, it was stated that the architectural design of the casino and hotel being built by Resorts World Las Vegas is “substantially similar” to Wynn’s registered copyrighted work, which makes Resorts World violate Wynn’s copyrights as well as the “registered and common law trade dress.” Due to this copyright infringement, Wynn has asked that Resorts World removes all the goods and materials that constitute infringing trade dress from its upcoming hotel and casino which is to be opened in 2020, right across the street from Wynn. In the lawsuit filed, Resorts World is accused of federal trade dress infringement, copyright infringement, federal trademark dilution, unfair

competition and false designation of origin, as well as state trademark dilution, which means that the group is up against five counts. Wynn, in their lawsuit, has claimed that once opened, the Resorts World casino and hotel will like cause confusion among consumers, deceiving them and making mistakes as a result of the similar building designs. For these reasons, Wynn Resorts Holdings wants any profits that Resorts World Las Vegas LLC makes from copying their architectural design elements. In addition, Wynn has also asked for exemplary and punitive damages. This is not the first time Wynn has attacked another company, accusing them of copying their unique architectural design in 2012, Universal Entertainment in Japan was accused of the same. However, the case was settled for $4.2 billion back in March.

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Cyprus Casinos Opens Second Satellite Casino

elco Resorts & Entertainment, one of Asia’s largest casino gaming and entertainment service provider is on a spree of development this holiday season. As 2018 draws to a close, the renowned casino developer has launched its second satellite casino in the city of Larnaca. Their first satellite casino, called C2 Nicosia located in the island-nation’s capital city and the new casino in Larnaca are part of the casino’s integrated development plan; an effort to expand its €550 million City of Dreams Mediterranean integrated resort, that is still under construction. This casino is being built in the tourist hub of Limassol and is set to be finished and operational by 2021. The new satellite casino, named C2 Larnaca, is a port-side casino, located smack-dab in the middle of the Larnaca International Airport, in the south coast of Cyprus. It’s the

second satellite casino, part of the four casinos that the company has been allowed to set up, as part of the casino concession granted to the company in June 2017, by the Republic of Cyprus and under the 30-year partnership between Hong Kong-based Melco International Development (parent company of Melco Resorts & Entertainment) and Hard Rock International. As of today, Melco International is the only company to hold a Cypriot casino license. The C2 Larnaca has two facilities at the Larnaca International Airport. While one facility is dedicated for use only at the departures wing by flyers, the other is located near the exit and is for use by arrivals. The general public can access the arrival wing to use the casino’s facilities for a nominal fee. According to the President of Cyprus Casinos, Craig Ballantyne, the C2

Larnaca will offer Cypriots and tourists a unique entertainment experience. Ballantyne believes that the casino’s extensive experience and state-of-the-art technology will elevate the gaming experience. The new casino currently offers 42 slot machines and may add more games in the future. Now, Melco International’s consortium-led Integrated Casino Resorts Cyprus Ltd has plans to set up the remaining two of their satellite facilities – one in the southwest harbor city of Paphos and the other in the Mediterranean resort town of Ayia Napa, both of which are known to be clubbers’ favored Mediterranean destinations. Company insiders believe the setting up of the final two satellite casinos will lead to the generation of massive revenues, which they plan to use for the further development of their City of Dreams Mediterranean integrated resort.

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Wynn Resort Takes Over Arrows and Flower Neon Sign and Proposes Rebuilding of Golf Course

Las Vegas gets an enriched artistic experience

ynn Resorts Limited, known for their exotic resorts and premium casinos, recently announced that it had acquired Arrows and Flower Neon Sign, which is a contemporary sculpture with multi-media features developed by Virgil Abloh and Takashi Murakami. Let’s first throw some light on this remarkable piece of art here. What to know about the art and the artists behind it? Measuring about nine feet in height, the Arrows and Flower Neon Sign is a stunning masterwork featuring kinetic neon and fuses Murakami’s impressive rainbow flower with off-white arrows of Abloh’s fashion label. Crafted from aluminum, neon, and stainless steel, the Arrows and Flower Neon Sign was initially a part of Abloh and Murakami’s pivotal exhibition called “America Too” at a space owned by Gagosian in Los Angeles. In less than two weeks after the exhibition, the artwork was installed at Wynn Las Vegas. It’s now a sig-

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nificant feature of Wynn Plaza as the owners of the resort wished to treasure it as a commitment to public art. Takashi Murakami said that Las Vegas’ neon signs were the major inspiration behind this art and it’s good to see it’s going to its intended home. According to Murakami, an artist is one who discerns and adorns the borders between different worlds. Murakami combines refined classical painting techniques with an eclectic blend of anime, pop, and otaku imagery in his style. He traverses freely within the ever-expanding realms of cultural inspirations and aesthetic issues. Murakami’s works are pervaded by dystopian themes; the Arrows and Flower Neon Sign is a parallel rendition of these themes, and recollects and reinvigorates traditional narratives of enlightenment and transcendence. Murakami also mines secular and religious subjects that are favored by non-conformists artists from Japan’s early modern era. He places himself in their league with a lively and bold individualism that is

apt for his time. Virgil Abloh’s contribution towards the creation of this artwork has been immensely valuable too. He was born in Rockford, Illinois in 1980. He pursued civil engineering and received a master’s degree in architecture. He founded a clothing line based in Milan in 2013 called Off-White, for which he won the British Fashion Council’s Urban Luxe award in 2017. Virgil showcased his first line of clothing collection for Louis Vuitton at the Paris Men’s Fashion Week in June this year. The Museum of Contemporary Art is all set to organize a retrospective of his collection in 2019, something that will get Michael Darling on board for curation. What other plans does Wynn Resorts have? It was in 2016 when Wynn Resorts announced a plan to boost the gaming experience of people of Las Vegas with a nine-hole golf course. The proposed Paradise Park was planned to be built behind Wynn

Resorts Las Vegas, and would also feature a man-made lagoon measuring twenty acres. The facility would allow visitors to paddleboard, water-ski, and parasail during the day and relish fireworks at night. It’s already the later part of 2018, and a lot has changed. Wynn Resort’s Paradise Park project is still on, and the focus is still less on gaming. But the company has scrapped the idea of the building a lagoon and decided to rebuild the golf course with 18 holes after seeing its enormous economic potential. At Wynn Resort Limited’s third-quarter conference, CEO Matthew Maddox sees how Las Vegas has changed over the years. The change is even more evident after the casino giant bought about thirty-eight acres of land from

from its resort last year. The proposed convention center is likely to be ready by January 2020, something that is expected to add Encore Hotel’s occupancy. Wynn Resorts will also get an excellent opportunity to push rates higher during busy times and maintain its occupancy rates throughout the year. Officials from Wynn Resorts were taken aback when they saw revenues falling after they scrapped the idea of the golf course. The company lost about 16,000 golf rounds, each of which costs $350 to $500, thereby amounting to about $6.8 million. Nearly seventy percent of this amount would have been transacted in cash. The loss from its domestic casino business also rose, lying somewhere between 10 to 15 million dollars, because Maddox decided to choose

another location for golf trips as Vegas lacked the Wynn golf course. Like Macau, the market in Las Vegas is slowing too, which is why a golf course is becoming the need of the hour. Wynn Resort’s golf course has the potential to drive incremental revenue growth and push a large group of people to its casinos. Also, the golf course will be an amazing amenity of the resort, giving golfers a strong reason to visit Las Vegas. We can only hope that Wynn Resorts can materialize this vision soon and get the highest possible return from every penny they invest.

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