Infinity Gaming Magazine January 2022 by Clever Duck Media

InfinityGaming www.gaming-awards.com | ISSUE134

21 VR FOR GAMBLING?

34 SLOTS OF PROBLEMS

08 CRUCIAL CROSSROADS

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.

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

22 IGA 2022 FINALISTS 39 BRIT BOESKOV JOINS BC BRAND LOYALTY

42 TERESA TUNSTALL

47 LVS POSITIVE ON ASIA

PLAYER AFFORDABILITY

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NEWS & MORE NEWS from the gaming industry

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A Note From The Editor In Partnership within

to 2022 and hope that we can get back to our lives and normality or as near as possible and what better than the IGA & WIG Awards to celebrate this.

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

One other piece of great news is that we have also launched the US facing news service for the gaming industry with “iGaming Post US” so any of your US latest news we will be posting just

Lana Thompson - Editor

for you. Now in the magazine we have a superb

PUBLISHING Infinity Gaming Magazine is operated by © Clever Duck Media Ltd ® Company Reg. No. 687 1018 (Registered in England) V.A.T reg. no 972 6372 91

review on Macau and what the future Welcome to the first edition of the In-

may be for the world’s largest gambling

finity Gaming Magazine for 2022 and

hub. Also a brilliant article on afford-

Happy New Year to all our Asian read-

ability checks by our writer Christina

ers, it is the year of the Tiger and wish-

Thakor-Rankin.

Business Partnerships Svetlana@gaming-awards.com

But not just that but we have the su-

Marketing & Advertising claire@cleverduckmedia.com

ing everyone a prosperous and successful year in our lives.

perb articles also by Andrew Cosgrove, Now I am delighted to announce that

Lynn Pearce, and Teresa Tunstall.

the 2022 International Gaming Awards (IGA) will be held on the 11th April at

So until next month enjoy the maga-

the Savoy Hotel once more.

zine and catch you all soon.

And it does seem that it has been re-

As always- “May the Force be with you”

ceived positively as our sponsors and

- Star Wars

so many attendees are booking their tables and preparing for what will be an amazing evening in celebration of the gambling industry. On another note we have also just announced that the 12th Women in Gaming (WIG) Diversity & Inclusion Awards have now launched and nominations are now open. The event will take place on the 10th May 2022. We also have some exciting news coming regarding this event and hopefully will be making an announcement on this in February. I know you join me in looking forward

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Regards,

Sponsorship Opportunities Colin@cleverduckmedia.com

Editorial Content & PR media@cleverduckmedia.com

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

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

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

Teresa Tunstall – Independent Gaming Consultant After many years of working in casinos in the UK and on USA ships as a croupier and inspector, Teresa turned from ‘poacher to gamekeeper,’ spending 16 years with GamCare, who offer help and support to those who develop problems with their gambling. Working closely with the betting and gaming industry, She developed strong links delivering Social Respon-

sibility and Problem Gambling training around the world, Teresa now works independently consulting on all issues relating to Social Responsibility and Problem Gambling. To contact Teresa regarding consulting please email:

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

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

Lynn Pearce Lynn has extensive senior management experience in the gaming industry, with over 18 years of proven success, having launched more than 30 casino, live casino, poker, sports betting, lottery and esports brands globally. She is currently CEO of PLaza Holdings (Ontario) Inc.

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

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

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Crucial Cultural Crossroads IN MACAU’S GAMING HISTORY By Ryan Murray

acau’s gambling industry has had to endure a considerable level of volatility in recent years. A mixture of internal and societal factors has conspired to undermine its growth trajectory, and re-define its position in the region’s wider economy. For years, the gambling sector was the central, sturdy pillar in Macau’s financial landscape, raking in fortunes at its tables whilst creating footfall for alternate local industries. However, whilst those days are not totally out of view, its once unshakeable foundations look like they’re producing some visible cracks. The corona virus impact has undoubtedly knocked the wind out of its sails, with issues accentuated by particularly potent curbs on normal life. And, just as a glimmer of hope was on the horizon, the Omicron variant came to sucker punch an already ailing economy. Tightened travel restrictions have cut its lifeblood, with the authorities forbidding any inbound travel from overseas, and, perhaps more decisively, from certain Southern Chinese provinces. Macau’s reliance on external communities to

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dispense their cash in its casino’s has been badly exposed during this pandemic, a distant truth coming glaringly into focus. The sheer magnitude of the industry’s role in the region’s fortunes has never been contested, but perhaps it was never thought such extreme marketplace conditions would never materialise. However, the virus hasn’t just attacked the pockets of punters and the tills of operators, it’s also catalysed the presence of a shady underworld. Cross-border money smuggling, opportunistic money laundering, and suspect junket operations have been an unwanted feature for some time, but the impact of COVID-19 has served to propel these illicit activities to the surface. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and one or two individuals have certainly taken this mantra quite literally. Unfortunately, this increasing level of criminal enterprise is happening under the nose of a considerable global giant. The landmark arrest of Suncity’s Chief Executive Alvin Chau illustrates China’s intensity in their quest to shut

down illegal gambling syndicates, and serves to underline their intervening intentions. The dynamic of China’s relationship with the smaller of its two, autonomous regions has shifted tangibly in recent times, and Macau can only expect continued interference from Beijing moving forward. The Communist Party does not take lightly to matters that it believes compromises, in the words of one its many media outlets, its own ‘public order’. In fairness, Chau’s apparent misdemeanours were relatively sizeable in scope. Heading up an organization which included 199 shareholders, 12,000 agents and 80,000 gambling members, is hardly a good look for one of the region’s highest profile commercial leaders. Furthermore, Chau’s endeavours perhaps only represent the tip of the peak. There has been a whole raft of allegations levied at Macau’s gaming personnel, from corrupt junket middle-men to extensive money laundering practices. Between January and September 2021, arrests linked to irregular gambling activity rose 14% versus

the same period the previous year. China’s intrusion, albeit slightly heavy handed, is perhaps entirely necessarily. However, this unique little territory is no stranger to drama. Formerly a Portuguese strategic outpost during the days of rampant colonialism, before being handed to a Communist superpower hellbent on economic supremacy, Macau hasn’t exactly had an uneventful history. It’s latest testing chapter will most hopefully be navigated with the same gusto as its previous ones. Although the obstacles continue to mount up, there’s a long road ahead before anyone could feel legitimately concerned about the future strength of its gaming empire. And, moreover, its powerhouse neighbour may have helped to facilitate a movement towards tangible, positive change. Indeed, something which could serve to arrest the evident decline in its financial and moral performance.

However, a hopeful turning of the tide is perhaps helped more by timing than Chinese intervention. True, the elapsing of its current licensing template may just be the key recovery driver for Macau’s most important sector. In January, the authorities announced that its new gaming legislation would be materially different to the current one in-play. Under close watch from their Chinese superiors, Macau’s executive council have produced a bill that promises to systemically change the way gaming operators’ function, and establish a culture of social responsibility and respect for legal compliance. Governmental officials hope it will pre-empt another chapter of economic prosperity, a throwback perhaps to the heydays of the early 2000’s. Stuck in a never-ending cycle of monopoly and monotony, the authorities lifted Hong Kong billionaire Stanley Cho’s hegemony over Macau’s casinos in 2002. By liberalising the marketplace, and inviting three (closely followed by six) ambitious new operators, the

local government had pre-empted a revolution in its homeland’s gaming space. Revenue rocketed, share prices escalated, and a rich reputation began to cultivate. Its bourgeoning status as one of the planet’s elite gambling locations attracted the world’s wealthiest to its condensed playground of casinos. Come 2007, the coastal territory had superseded Las Vegas as the biggest gaming handler on earth. This time, they look to address a different menace to internal prosperity. Ironically, the causation of this new threat is rooted in the very approach that led to Macau’s millions. An open, relaxed, and less monitored environment can facilitate businesses to expand at a rapid rate of knots, capitalizing on new revenue streams and dynamic opportunities. But it also can hasten undesirable behaviours and conduct. Macau’s gaming landscape has suffered acutely from this lack of regulation and constraint, creating vulnerability in its defence against financial profiteering, and compromising its chances of continuing market growth. Ultimately, it’s a system which

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11 which is too open for corruption, and too tempting to exploit. Crucially however, the new bill may well serve to eradicate its unwanted criminal element, and once again return the industry to more bountiful economic conditions. By promoting tighter regulation, routine state inspections, and a reigning in of operators’ power and influence, analysts are more confident than ever about the likelihood of full recovery. A sentiment seemingly shared by investors. In the wake of publishing a draft of the bill, outlining the key parameters of its functionality and scope of authority, share prices amongst Macau’s six operators received a meteoric bump. On the Monday following the authority’s release of its provisional plan, shares in these businesses rose a colossal $8billion, a 15% hike in fortunes. This has admittedly drifted slightly in recent weeks, but the general message is clear. Genuine hope exists that the potential legislation will significantly improve the look and feel of a marketplace badly in need of some TLC.

A landmark, 30% limit on shares publicly listed by those in possession of operator licenses will mitigate against the risk of corruption. Furthermore, business transactions of high-value will be appropriately scrutinized by the authorities. But the tighter controls don’t stop there. Macau’s gambling firms will now also be subjected to intense, periodical reviews. Every three years, casinos will be compelled to provide evidence of commercial activity, and thus undergo a thorough financial inspection. Conducted by the city’s gaming regulator, the companies’ ‘contractual compliance in general’ will be rigorously explored. For those in contravention, lethal punishment lies in wait. The bill’s provisional content declares that the local government has the right to terminate the casino’s license on discov-

ering illicit conduct, a move which perhaps best illustrates their new, ruthless intent. However, the acquisition of a license in the first place is not cut and dried for the autonomous region’s biggest players. As part of the legislation, a full, allinclusive re-tendering process will be put in place, therefore permitting both current and new organizations the opportunity to bid. And, although license quantity will remain static at six, the contract-term has been diminished from twenty to ten years. Authorities hope that this will maintain freshness in the industry, and perhaps mitigate against the chances of an emergent force ruling the roost for a prolonged period of time. Gaming tables and slot machine numbers in the facilities of the successful applicants will also tumble.

If successfully pushed through, the laws will directly tackle a range of lingering headaches. Macau’s junket ‘middle-men’, endorsed by their parent casino’s and seemingly untethered to control or regulation, will be significantly reigned in. Dedicated VIP rooms for such operations will disappear, and questionable ‘revenue-sharing’ deals between punter and promoter are set to be eradicated. Furthermore, even though junket licenses will remain in operation, a significant curtailment on their volume and proliferation will be introduced. Junkets will no longer be able to facilitate multiple clients across a number of casino establishments, now restricted to conduct their operations in one concessionaire. This is a blatant attempt to saturate their influence, and a clear suggestion of where officials feel a sizeable proportion of the problems may lie.

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THE INTERNATIONAL GAMING AWARDS 2022

11th APRIL 2022

Savoy Hotel London

13 ingly tackled within the bill’s narrative. This serves to power up original legislation launched in March 2021, which has ultimately failed in its efforts to adequately dilute unwanted crossborder money transference. So, does this new gaming regulation stand up to scrutiny? Time will tell. Comprising a bill, registering support, and unaccountably expressing sentiment is one thing, consolidating it into practice is an entirely different concept. Moreover, the authorities are not simply targeting the introduction of more robust stipulation and control, they’re focused on triggering a colossal cultural shift. This is never easy, and is decisively harder in an environment which offers such lucrative low-hanging fruit for those who are bold, or stupid enough, to go against the grain.

The government also seeks to enthuse a greater focus on social responsibility. Indeed, all prospective licensees will be expected to draw up a detailed plan, outlining their future commitments to local communities, and how they can help address the steep incline in problem gambling and addiction. Furthermore, gaming firms will be obligated to propel local small and medium-sized enterprises forward through investment and stewardship. There is also a requirement to back projects of ‘public interest,’ and financially support study efforts in positive areas, such as science exploration or environmental research. The immediate reaction signposts a changing mood amongst Macau’s most powerful businesses. Many of the city’s gaming operators have already started to venture further down the avenue of corporate responsibility, and some have even indulged in

non-gaming pursuits. They’ve been eager to go on record to support the prospective bill, and have encouraged its swift installation into law. It almost feels like some of the perpetrators are calling out to be controlled, not able to trust their own activity in an industry laden with temptation. Time will tell whether these rallying calls are sincere, but it certainly seems, for the short-term at least, that these suitors are on board. As are, in fairness, all key stakeholders. The menacing glare of its Chinese enforcer is never far from view, but its intervening input into these harsher controls at least draws the inference that they’re also fully bought into the proposals. Moreover, the central issue which has plagued the CCP in in its southern provinces is also set to be addressed. The concerning flow of funds (both legitimate and otherwise) from Macau into the mainland, is accord-

However, as referenced, there are a number of green shoots. Operator reaction, share price performance and the commentary of analysts, all conspire to suggest a favourable outcome may well be in reach. The backing of the central Beijing legislature should also not be under-estimated. Declining global corona virus rates only enhance the likelihood of this theory coming to fruition yet further. There is considerable work to be done to get Macau close to the pre-2014 economic heights it enjoyed in the industry’s finest hour. Indeed, uncontrollable marketplace forces may also serve to considerably de-rail this cause. However, restoration to calmer waters is certainly an attainable target, and these measures feel the right way to go about realising this aim. A return to complete financial stability is perhaps not currently an odds-on favourite, but its odds in the market are shortening all the time…….

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GAMING NEWS

NHS To Stop Funding From Gambling Sector

Macau Casino Boss Arrested

According to a report in the Sunday Times

The CEO of Macau casino operator Macau Legend Development has been arrested over alleged money laundering and illegal gambling according to local reports.

Newspaper the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK is to cut funding from gambling companies for its addiction clinics in a push to be independent in what Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones, director of the National Problem Gambling Clinic says “from the polluter, from industry.” It is understood the NHS will stop receiving funding from Gamble Aware which last year raised £1.2 million from the organisation which is funded in large by the gambling industry at the start of this financial year. However the newspaper said that the money raised by Gamble Aware is less than half the funds needed to run the addiction clinics in Manchester, Leeds and London. The move could possibly indicate that the current UK government gambling review may well force a statutory levy on gambling firms to pay for treatment and addiction issues of 1% of profits. Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones, director of the National Problem Gambling Clinic said: “We as NHS clinicians have been asking for a very long time for independence of funding from industry. And we are very hopeful that this is an imminent announcement to come.” Zoë Osmond, chief executive of GambleAware, said the group had long called for a mandatory levy to ensure “consistency and transparency”.

Chan Weng Lin is the majority shareholder and CEO of the operator that runs the Landmark Macau, Babylon Casino and Legend Palace Casino in Macau. The arrest came on Sunday and it is believed there is a possible connection to Alvin Chau the Suncity boss who was arrested on the same charges in November. The Macau Legend company also runs junkets from Hong Kong and China into Macau. Macau Legend Development said in statement shortly after the arrest: “The Board is of the view that as the Group is operated by a team of management personnel and the above incident relates to the personal affairs of Mr Chan and not related to the Group,” the statement went on to say, “The Board does not expect the above incident to have a material adverse impact on the daily operations of the Group.” However shares in the company dropped by 30% in early trading on Monday following the arrest of its CEO. According to latest reports Chan Weng Lin has now stepped down from his role with the company folowing his arrest.

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player affordability beyond reasonable doubt By Christina Thakor-Rankin

he discussion around player affordability is a complex and multi-layered one raising questions, not just around how to measure and assess something as sensitive and intrusive as an individual’s income and personal circumstances, but also questions about ‘nanny states’ (or in this case regulators) versus a customer’s individual freedom of choice and right to spend their money how and as they chose to. Player affordability is not a new idea, the concept of the regulator taking a firm hand in ensuring customer spend remains manageable being one of the primary principles behind the Norwegian model of a national betting card. And irrespective of regulatory requirements, the link between problem gambling and unchecked spending has been in the industry’s collective consciousness for decades, with almost every regulated jurisdiction in the world requiring customers to be able to set some kind of financial limit. So why

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more reliant you become on something, the more of it you have to do to get the same hit. And gambling is not free. Like it or not, escalating spend is a key indicator or problematic play.

the sudden step change? Firstly, as an industry, we are far better informed about problem gambling and the path from player to problem gambler than ever before. We know that whilst not every player’s journey starts with money - some start playing for entertainment, escapism, social interaction or as a result even of medication and that most know that they are more likely to lose than win - at some point along the journey for a small minority something shifts and when this happens money or spend almost always becomes a consideration. Why? Because like any other addiction the

Secondly, as a society, we are far more aware of the problem gambling. Through the courage of those who have been impacted publicly speaking out and sharing their experiences, including the way in which they were encouraged and exploited by gambling firms, we have been given an insight into the darker side of the industry. This has resulted in a shift in public opinion and increase in the number of voices demanding action from politicians and regulators. Thirdly, the pandemic; Coinciding as it did with the growing awareness around problem gambling, concerns around people turning to online gambling either as a source of entertainment or means of boosting failing finances during lockdown,

forced regulators around the world to step in and be seen to be doing something. Belgium, Sweden and South Africa were the first out of the blocks with compulsory deposit limits, and a complete ban on some forms of gambling, whilst other regulators such as the Gambling Commission of Great Britain took a less strident approach issuing guidelines requiring operators to take a more proactive approach in ensuring their customers were spending within their limits. As we start to come out the other side, operator hopes of regulators easing off on some of the COVID restrictions appear to have been dashed. In fact, it has gone the other way. Last year Belgium regulators

decided not only to keep the player deposit limit in play but to reduce it even further from €500 to €200 per week. Sweden looks set to follow suit with recent proposals to reduce weekly player deposit limits from SEK 5,000 to SEK 4,000 (just under €400), this on the back of a newly regulated German market which launched from the get-go with a mandatory global monthly deposit limit of €1000.00. Thus far the Gambling Commission in the UK has refrained from a prescriptive limit, instead opting to issue guidance to operators that requires them to base their own internal limits in consideration of government data around average national disposable and discretionary income which

currently suggests monthly limits ranging anywhere between £200 to £750, however the actions of regulators in Europe have raised speculation around whether the UK’s new Gambling Act should or would also include mandatory player deposit limits. Probably it should not. Irrespective of whether the limit is set by the regulator or the operator, all of them are based upon national averages. And therein lies the problem. An ‘average’ mixes up those who earn a lot with those who earn less and spits out a number that artificially boosts the income of lower earners and dilutes the number associated with

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Article by Christina Thakor-Rankin

tion of additional operating costs and pushing players to the black market, it could if managed sensibly, do exactly the opposite. In theory, not only should a single customer view system reduce operating costs by reducing the number of checks each operator has to do, it should also, (in theory at least) allow for more accurate means testing of each individual player. This means more appropriate and therefore more effective limits for each individual player.

those at the upper end. As a result, whilst the deposit limit set based on nation averages is probably appropriate for those in the middle, it arguably fails to protect the two most vulnerable groups it is designed to protect - those earning the least and those earning the most. For those earning the least - a deposit limit based upon national averages will already be too high and therefore offer no protection at all. For those earning the most a deposit limit based upon a national average will be too low - pushing them to the black market and a potential gambling problem whose impact is not financial but something else. The only way to avoid either of the scenarios above and ensure that each customer is properly protected either from operator exploitation or themselves, is to means test every customer individually, and set limits that are appropriate to them. This is the approach currently advocated by the UK regulator, whereby operators are required to conduct due diligence checks to verify income and afford-

ability early on in the relationship. Where the current approach falls down is that this is on a per operator basis, which means that a customer who can only afford to deposit (and lose) say £100 per week, can do this repeatedly across an unlimited number of operators at any given time. Add to this the fact that different operators have different thresholds as to how much a customer can deposit (and lose) before an ‘affordability’ check kicks in - it is probably fair to say that we have already failed the most vulnerable before we even start. Consequently, the safest approach from a player protection perspective would be the UK’s means testing approach combined with Germany’s global ‘across all operators’ principles, which seems to be the direction in which the UK may be travelling with the Gambling Commission’s comments around a single customer view. Whilst some in the industry have expressed concern at such an approach being anail in the metaphorical industry coffin through a combina-

Where it could result in additional costs is if the development of the system is poorly managed and operators end up having to pay the price for poorly architected technology and inefficient data processes. In the age of technology however this should be relatively easy to contain. If it is, then the Gambling Commission’s approach to a Single Customer View could set the standard for regulators the world over as the first system designed to find a balance between customer protection and freedom of choice- keeping those at the lower end from overspending (something no one wants) and those at the upper end away from the black market (something everyone wants). A by-product of removing ‘money’ would be to allow the industry to shed its pariah image and repackage itself for a new generation of players looking to engage with organizations that support their values of social responsibility and for whom the word ‘win’ means experience and engagement - not money. Done properly Single Customer View could end up being a win-win for everyone.

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GAMING NEWS

VR Investment Soars But Is It For Online Gambling?

t’s been around for decades but could 2022 be the year that sees Virtual Reality take centre stage in the Worlds of gaming, online gambling and personal entertainment? According to latest investment figures, 2021 saw the biggest investment in virtual reality technology up by more than 72% compared to the year before and seems to be growing again this year already. Some of that is down to the two years of the COVID pandemic encouraging companies to look at new ways to entertain those locked inside due to government lockdowns, however

more recently Facebook has hired thousands of staff to push forward with their own metaverse and with technology improving headsets and safety could 2022 be the year that VR really comes into itself in the online gambling world? It has been there already with one or two companies working in VR but never has it reached anywhere near mass market, the issue with VR and online gambling is clear the regular gambler is not interested in VR they want the best offers and the fastest results without too many gimmicks.

launched trying to attract gamers to the gambling world with avatars and social style poker, that eventually did not work, it attracted causal gamblers but ultimately they do not spend money and so the business folded. Virtual Reality does have a space in society, gaming and the wider business environment but with gambling and remote gambling taking place on the smart phone will VR make a splash into that world, it is doubtful but VR is going to be a major leisure and business activity just not likely to be part of the gambling industry.

Indeed that was shown when PKR was

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BRAND LOYALTY in 2022 By Lynn Pearce

was keen to find out what was new and exciting in the field of loyalty marketing in 2022, but what I found was that most of the loyalty programs and rewards systems were still following the point-based loyalty programs based on tiers, as it is the easiest way for customers to calculate and encourages them to pursue next levels of loyalty and drives more purchases i.e. spend more to get more. For companies that already have a loyalty program, increasing engagement is their number one priority in 2022, followed by sales and the average purchase order. For companies planning on starting a loyalty program in 2022, the main reason they are doing this is to build a better relationship with their customer base, increasing engagement and building a like-minded community. In fact, these companies listed customer satisfaction and the need for personalization higher than gener-

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ating increased revenue, which is a radical change for the better. In the USA, transactional loyalty programs are still the norm, with most brand loyalty “bought” rather than “earned”. This is a model that is used in igaming quite often and works very well in Europe as well as Latin America. However, there is a shift away from transactional and into emotional loyalty currently, driven primarily from the pandemic, when the world went into lockdown, it seems most people’s priorities changed, strangely, for the better. The move towards emotional loyalty programs seems to be the correct way forward for many brands, now and into the future. The more inclusive, caring and interactive two-way relationship building speaks well to the Gen Zers and Millennials. This makes it even more important for brands and marketers to have a good understanding of what really motivates their existing customer base. For example, both Gen Z and Millen-

nials appreciate ethically sourced products, however, Gen Z will be even more impressed with sustainability initiatives and specific causes that they feel passionate about. This new mindset needs to be reflected throughout every interaction that the customer has with the brand, particularly keeping in mind the emotional aspect driving loyalty throughout these customer segments, asbrand loyalty begins with the customer journey.

As marketers, we need to be more flexible in our overall approach to these user journeys, allowing users to enter at any point of the journey that we are mapping out for our customers, and we need to ensure that a user has flexible options available, which needs to be highly mobile optimised. Relevance and real-time interaction are hugely important. All messaging must be consistent across multiple channels and the customer service team needs to be properly informed about all relevant information on the customer, experiential experiences that they can share with the customer first hand, be it birthdays, special happy hours, or being able to give information on upcoming sales, in order for them to give the customer a personalized experience, regardless of the method of communication, which could be email, SMS, WhatsApp or other social media apps. Starbucks is a great example, they have taken personalization to a new level and turned it into the standard the rest of

us marketers aspire to. A great and consistent user experience empowers emotional brand loyalty and reduces churn. From a loyalty perspective, nothing beats open, two-way communication, in my opinion. But then again, it also depends on the customer. You get three types of customers - one is only interested in pricing and getting cash back, and therefore transactional loyalty programs will always work for them. Then you get the educated customer who buys based on value. They shop around until they find exactly what appeals to them and if your loyalty program works according to their needs, you will be able to maintain the relationship, often up to a year before they leave. These customers are a marketer’s dilemma, unless you can build on the personalized relationship over the year, by getting as much information out of them as possible tofocus on what these customers value and you can then

build on the foundation of trust with quality and consistency. Even existing loyalty programs can get more value by collecting data on these customers and then use those insights for driving more loyalty through personalization. The third type of customer is the driven type, who generally purchase emotionally and support the causes your brand promotes. These are the customers who will be loyal to your brand, even when they move to different locations, they will still seek out and purchase your brand before others. These customers that have true affinity for your brand often result in higher customer retention and will go on to become brand ambassadors if treated correctly. A great way to drive continual emotional loyalty to your brand with this segment would be to run a loyalty program, similar to the points system, based on their purchases. Every time they make a purchase over a certain amount, you donate a certain percentage of the purchase price to their specific cause they support. McDonalds are trialling this method in the UK right now. App users can save up points to unlock bigger prizes. For 2,500 points, customers can claim items like a Double Cheeseburger, while 4,000 points could earn them an even larger reward. Customers can also donate their points to BBC’s Children in Need. Points will be converted to a cash donation, with 1,500 points valued at £1.50, 2,500 points becoming £2.50 and 4,000 points converted to £4. I also believe that with the metaverse on the near horizon, it is a really exciting time for marketers of brandsto include gamification within their loyalty programs for an even stronger emotional connection, for community-building, real-time interactivity and true relevance for the Gen Zers and Millenials, which will drive even more ROI.

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GAMING NEWS

888 Reports Impressive Numbers

Global Online Gambling Nears $1 Trillion

888’s sterling performance continues as it an-

Data from Juniper Research has found that the value of online gambling wagers soared from just over $550 billion to nearly $950+ billion in 2021. Wager levels were expected to exceed $1 trillion total spend on all digital goods and services for the first time in 2021. Juniper’s latest research, Mobile & Online Gambling: Casinos, Lotteries, Betting & VR 2016-2021, found that gambling activities were increasingly migrating to the online environment, with the majority of net growth attributable to users of mobile channels.

nounces another record trading year. Gross gaming revenue saw a staggering 14% uplift, fuelled by its expansion in the regulated market space. Indeed, 74% of the company’s turnover was generated through taxable markets, substantially contributing to their impressive return. The gaming giant, who operates in various territories throughout Europe, overlooked particularly favourable performance in the UK, Italy, Romania and Portugal. Although its numbers in Germany were slightly disappointing, this shortfall was more than made up by those making up the rest of its European sphere of influence. The firm also experienced exponential growth in its BTC endeavours, with results up 15 points and revenue sitting at a colossal $934m. Within this, casino performance registered at a 24% uplift on last year, with sports growth slightly behind the curve at +4%. 888.com closed out the year with a -16% Q4 return on 2020’s revenue, but, given current market conditions, this sat broadly in line with the firm’s projections. Chief Executive Itai Pazner heralded ‘a year of outstanding strategic progress,’ a notion evidenced by the group’s tactical sale of its BTC and BTB bingo platform for upwards of $50m. This is further underlined by the firm’s pursuit of William Hill’s non-US assets, which, despite its protracted progress, looks set to complete in the next financial quarter.

It also argued that new technologies such as VR would provide a further stimulus to the online casino sector, which was expected to account for just under half of wagers by value in 2021. The report said that there will be a drive for consolidation which will be focused on ensuring customer loyalty. The research argued that within an increasingly consolidated and maturing sector, providers had intensified their focus on securing customer loyalty. According to research author Lauren Foye, “User engagement goes a long way towards drawing in return business. Providing features such as news and media on favorite teams, as well as personalized offerings based on past betting activity, enables greater engagement and is likely to reduce churn.’

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Slot Management 101: Slots of problems! It’s Friday night and the slots floor is busy. Your customers are happy, your staff are redefining excellence…and then it happens, your system goes down, you don’t know why, but could this potentially catastrophic event have been avoided?

By Andy Cosgrove

o matter how good an operator you are, sooner or later you’re going to experience a potentially catastrophic event. At home and in the workplace, we face numerous challenges every day without even realizing it.Whether it be dealing with an unhappy employee, checking a drop variance, or planning the annual Christmas party, it doesn’t matter,as it seems so natural that wedon’t give it a second thought. Solving problems takes practice but in reality, we start solving problems the day we are born, but what distinguishes the truly great problem solvers from the rest of humanity is not only their ability to solve problems, but also

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their almost innate ability to prevent those problems from happening in the first place. Just like great problem solvers, great operators know the importance of risk prevention and are constantly analysing data, reviewing processes, updating equipment and working together to ensure that your customer experience is both memorable and above their expectations on a consistent basis. So how do these great operators make it seem so easy? Anybody who has heard of the Lean Six Sigma methodology might already be working for your competitor and stealing your customers! So,what is Lean Six Sigma?–The origins of Six Sigma date back to

1984 where it was developed with the goal of improving existing processes. A common mistake made by many executives is to presume that Lean Six Sigma is a new process improvement tool where in reality, it is a combination of existing tools that are interwoven into a business problem-solving methodology that enables both employees and companies to take a process orientated view of their business. Lean Six Sigma is frequently used for the following: • For scoping and choosing new projects while minimizing risks

• To design new products and processes • For Improving existing processes • To minimize downtime • Improving response times Six Sigma as a symbol – Sigma is a Greek letter that is used by mathematicians to signify standard deviation, which is an important measure of variation and one of the key Six Sigma metrics. No matter what kind of business you’re in, variation is your enemy so it’s important to create awareness and use it to improve your company’s performance. Imagine slot attendant customer service scores that are one day above average, the next dayless than the average, and the following day after that, the graph looks like a

seismograph during an earthquake. If you want to be taken seriously, you will need to take urgent actiontostop that earthquake andkeep scores at a consistent high level. Basically speaking, variation is your enemy because variation will result in poor customer service scores, lost customers, lost revenuesand potentiallylost jobs. Six Sigma as a value – Sigma is a measure of deviation and standard deviation is the average distance of data points away from the mean. In casino language, the mean represents your average customer service scores, and the data points represent the performance of each of your staff members. So, if your CS score curve looks like the earthquake I mentioned earlier, you need Six Sigma.When measuring the value of you customer service process, the main goal is to

keep the data points as close to the mean as possible within a set of predetermined specification limits. Six Sigma as a measure – Is a statistic used to describe the performance of a process with regards to the specification limit. It also indicates the how close the data points are to the mean, and the closer to the mean the better. So, if you average slot attendant customer service scores are within six standard deviations from the mean, you will be satisfying your customers nearly all of the time. In theory, this calculates to only 3.4 out of one million customers not enjoying their experience at your casino. As difficult as a near perfect score may seem, the Lean Six Sigma methodology can enable you to define, measure, analyze, improve and control your processes

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Andy Cosgrove Article continued

and turn almost all your customers into raving fans. Six Sigma as a metric – Each of the Six Sigma metrics listed below, serves a different purpose and is frequently used at different levels of the organisation to measure performance and a processes ability to meet expectations. In terms of customer service, it could be used to determine, service response times, how frequently your slot machines reject bills, the bottlenecks in your payout process on a Friday night, and your casinos overall ratings. In other words, if it can be measured, it can be improved.Some of the key metrics are: • Defects • Defects per unit (DPU) • Parts per million (PPM) • First time yield (FTY) Six Sigma as a benchmark–Surveys have shown that only 10% of companies are at a 6 Sigma level so there is definitely a lot of room for improvement. The average Sigma score for industry isa 4 which represents a 15 to 20 percent loss in productivity due to the cost of poor quality goods and services. In other words, if your slots customer service scores are only meeting industry averages, your operation is losing between 15 and 20 percent of it’s profits. By using the Six Sigma methodology to improve your processes your operation could become the benchmark that others come to admire. Six Sigma as a method – The Six Sigma methodology is split up into 5 well defined stages. Each stage ensures the high level of discipline necessary to successfully seek out the solution necessary to minimize the effect of variation and errors within a process.

A simple example might be where you place your most frequently used tools in order to minimize response time to field service requests on the gaming floor. Your customers don’t want to wait for a machine to be fixed, but if you can’t find a screwdriver, you risk losing your customer.The 5 stages of Six Sigma are as follows:

reduce the chances of your system going down on a busy Friday night. Six Sigma done correctly, will increase your profits, your customer base and gain you the respect of you competitors, so what are you waiting for?

• Define – where is the business improvement opportunity • Measure – how the process is currently being executed • Analyze –where you define the root cause of your poor product or service • Improve – you eliminate waste and variation from the process • Control – is about sustaining the results of your process improvements Conclusion – A 15 to 20 percent improvement in profits for an average company would make any CEO happy beyond expectations in the same way that improving your systems maintenance processes would significantly

MY MINI-BLOG - Andrew Cosgrove is a seasoned slot operations veteran and certified project manager with over 24 years of hands on experience in Latin America and the Caribbean. Andrew has worked on both the operator and supplier side of casino slots and continues to help clients succeed and exceed customer expectations. Andrew can be reached at andy.cosgrove@henimgwaycasinoconsulting. com or seehttps://hemingwaycasinoconsulting.com/

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GAMING NEWS

Britt Boeskovs Goodbye To Kindred & Joins Better Collective

s quickly as Britt Boeskov said goodbye to Kindred than news was announced that the industry veteran has joined Better Collective the sports betting media group as their new Senior Vice President of Strategy. In a LinkedIn post on her days at Kindred she said; On a cold January day in 2005 I joined Unibet Group as a management trainee. The Scandinavian challenger bookmaker was my employer of choice for two reasons: The most driven, invested people – and a rapidly changing, challenging path ahead. I’ll be forever grateful for the tsunami of growth and learning that followed – and for the experience of belonging in a place where people believed in me and included me. During the 17 years I have climbed and moved mountains together with a 15x’ed workforce of ever-awesome people. I can’t help but be immensely proud of the challenges we wrestled, the growth we created, and the culture we nurtured.

Now my journey at Kindred is complete, and it’s with a pinch of nostalgia that I say a fond farewell and THANK YOU to my dear colleagues, many of whom are now friends. You know what to do to make Kindred even stronger. I’ll watch and cheer for you as a proud alumni. Boeskov received the Outstanding Contribution Award at the 2019 Women in Gaming Diversity Awards. The shortyl after announcing her departure from Kindred than a news release from Better Collective stated: Better Collective, has hired Britt Boeskov as Senior Vice President of Strategy. With this hire, Better Collective strengthens its ambition to further scale the business within the sports betting media industry. Britt Boeskov brings with her many years of C-level experience from Kindred Group, a leading operator within the gambling industry. And especially her digital skills and expertise from the intersection between

customer, product and technology will be relevant in her new position. Jesper Søgaard, CEO and co-founder of Better Collective, says: “I am very pleased that Britt has decided to join Better Collective and look forward to welcoming her as a member of the management team. She knows the industry and she has vast experience at management level driving digital projects towards end-users. We are a growing company with very big ambitions and many ideas. Britt will become an important asset as we continue our future growth journey”. Britt Boeskov says: “I am excited to join Better Collective’s growing leadership team at this crucial stage of the company’s remarkable growth journey. Scaling globally while transforming the business to secure a long term sustainable performance are exactly the type of challenges I enjoy. I’ve followed the team from the sidelines for some years, and I’m deeply impressed with the culture and ambition of the organisation”.

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GAMING NEWS

ECA Shows Impact On Casinos From COVID Pandemic

he European Casino Association has released details of its latest member survey, which tracks the impact of Covid-19 measures recently introduced by European governments. Following the devastating consequences of the pandemic on the land-based casino industry in Europe over the last two years, ECA members continue to operate under strict governmental controls and mandates at the start of 2022.

country, starting from one metre in Sweden, rising to 15 square metres in Poland. Safety requirements mandate that every adjacent slot machine is made unavailable for play, effectively halving the slots offer of most properties. Guests are required to wear masks throughout their stay in 95 per cent of casinos in Europe, while over half of all European casino staff are required to wear masks during the entirety of their working hours.

On average, European casinos faced 150 days of closure in 2021 and while most countries currently allow casinos to open, with the exception of Holland and Denmark, curfews are widespread curtailing the operating hours of casinos and restricting the F&B offer to partial guest services. The ECA survey reveals that Hungary experienced the lowest number of enforced days of closure in 2021 at 54, while France experienced the highest number, with metropolitan areas closed for 199 days.

“Closures, curbs and curfews continue to disrupt the normal flow of operations for ECA members into 2022,” stated Per Jaldung, Chairman of the ECA. “While the majority of casinos in Europe are open for business, the restrictions on opening times, the reduction of the gaming and F&B offer, plus further guest and staff requirements continue to put enormous pressures on the business. Government help and support needs to continue into 2022 as ECA members battle to keep their locations open to provide entertainment, employment and tax revenues, as they play an essential role within the international tourism and leisure industry.”

Proof of vaccination is required at over 95 per cent of European casinos, with a negative lateral-flow test insufficient for admission, causing distinct problems for casinos reliant on cross-border custom. Social distancing requirements for guests vary from country to

*Sweden: Guests must be seated at all times during play. *Hungary: PCR tests must be shown, even for the fully vaccinated. * France: Food and drink prohibited in games areas. * Austria: FFP2 mask must be worn at all times by staff and guests. * Luxembourg: Events limited to 200 people. * Poland: One guest per 15 square metres. * Estonia: Casinos must close at 11 pm. * Montenegro: No music or shows of any kind. * Slovenia: F&B offer must cease at 10 pm. Employee testing and strict hygiene protocols continue to be observed by all casinos with the consumption of drinks and food prohibited from gaming areas across many locations. Curfews for the closure of restaurants are in place in several jurisdictions, while casinos have a variety of closing times mandated upon them by authorities ranging from 10 pm-11 pm in most countries, severely restricting normal business operations.

An example of the wide variety of restrictions presently facing casino operators in Europe:

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Finally an end to 2021! By Teresa Tunstall

n December the last month of the year when we listened to Chief executive Andrew Rhodes addressed the 2021 GambleAware conference, it was an interesting listen he continued; “There are products out there now which look an awful lot like gambling but do not meet the current legislative framework in order to attract customers, which also means they don’t have the safeguards in place that we would require from the licensed gambling product. Some of the things that we have seen from the Football Index collapse, which is something that if you make the mistake of following me on social media,

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I get gifted quite a lot of feedback about.” He continued explaining, “It is an incredibly difficult topic. People have had horrendous experiences in losing money as the company collapsed. But what we found here is we’ve got a company encouraging consumers to believe they were investing and not gambling when there were no assets to support an investment. Many did and still do refer to themselves as traders, seeing themselves as engaged in a different kind of activity where they’ve made a mental leap from gambling into something else.” Gambling Minister Chris Philp MP

has all but crushed the idea of £100 monthly affordability checks as the review into the Gambling Act 2005 rolls on. Whilst speaking at the GambleAware annual conference, Philp’s wide-ranging speech touched on several key pillars of the upcoming White Paper, including the debate around single customer view. Last February apparently, Pfizer CFO Frank D’Amelio, said in a call with Wall Street analysts that after the pandemic, Pfizer is “going to get more on price” and hinted there would be a substantial price increase for its COVID-19 vaccine.

The company currently charges US$19.50 per dose for its vaccine, but the typical price is $150 to $175 per dose for other vaccines it sells. If implemented, this aggressive pricing policy would undoubtedly result in public criticism, especially from developing countries that have already been neglected during the first round of global vaccine allocation. The latest restrictions to combat the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in the UK are widely seen as divisive for the amusement industry. English rules demand a requirement to wear masks in most walks of public life, including going into FECs, arcades, pubs and adult gaming

centres. The industry fears that some customers will stay away from their favourite locations which could have a real impact on machine incomes. Another lockdown is seen as likely in England, but the separate governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland may go in different directions. Currently, it appears that Wales and Scotland wish to impose more restrictions than in England. Members of the London Parliament from all four nations appear to endorse even stronger restrictions,

Vaccine specialists GSK has suffered another setback as scientists struggle to recruit enough un-jabbed or uninfected patients to test it on. Now we wait to see the outcome particularly awaiting the sad end of 2021, however I believe we should all be looking forward to 2022 being a new positive year for us all but until then stay at home with your family and we’ll all be happy! Vaccine specialists GSK effort to produce a Covid-19 shot has suffered another setback as scientists struggle to recruit enough un-jabbed or uninfected patients to test it on!

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Teresa Tunstall Article continued

The Anglo-French partners said their experimental vaccine antibody levels by between nine 43 times when taken as a booster in those who have already received doses from rivals including AstraZeneca and Pfizer. But now pushed back publication of results of late-stage clinical trials for its use as a first line of immunisation defence until next year. The companies said, “Regulatory authorities require phase 111 efficacy to be demonstrated in naïve populations who have never been infected by the Covid-19 virus.” The trial recruited most participants in the third quarter of 2021, amid a global surge in Delta variant cases. They continued “To provide the necessary data to regulatory authorities for the booster vaccine submission, the trial will continue to accrue the number of events needed for analysis, with

results expected in the first quarter of 2022. The delay prevents the companies from seeking regulatory approval for the booster, and sent shares in both firms down by around 1% in London and Paris. Neither trial involved the Omicron variant and it is unclear how its rampant global spread with affect further trials. London venture capital firm Balderton has made its biggest ever crypto currency investment has led to £40million funding round into start-up Ramp, who was founded in Warsaw, is now based in London. Its payments infrastructure allows companies to accept crypto payments directly in their apps, meaning customers do not need to set up a crypto wallet. Ramp is “making buying digital assets as straightforward as buying US dollars

when making a purchase from your favourite American brand in euros.” Ramp co-founder said “this will be essential for helping us achieve international growth.” Investment giant Fortress, the owner of Majestic Wine, has agreed to buy Punch Pubs & Co, which has an estate of 1300 sites. The business, which has around 60 pubs in London, was purchased from Patron Capital Partners. No figure was disclosed but a report last month suggested a price of around £1 billion. Onward and up-ward I am preparing myself for a viscous winter especially if Covit-9 continues to hang around it’s a case of watch yourself, don’t get to close and finally when this finally ends you’ll find me home.

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GAMING NEWS

Las Vegas Sands Optimistic About Asia

as Vegas Sands, has doubleddown on its commitment to persevere with Asian markets, amidst its colossal investment in both its Macau and Singapore activity. Furthermore, the group are set to focus operations away from Nevada, as it looks to hunt down lucrative opportunities in Florida, Texas, and New York. The group recently sunk an eye-watering $1b into its Singapore-based Marina Bay development, despite continued COVID curbs to arrest the incline in Omicron infections. However, CEO Rob Goldstein remains confident that global travel and tourism industries will recover in 2022, paving the way for lucrative South Asian performance. The company also assert their opti-

mism around their Macau enterprises, despite considerable volatility in the autonomous region’s current marketplace. However, LV Sands bosses are buoyed by the apparently inevitable re-issuing of their licence when Macau’s new gaming bill is eventually introduced into law. The legislation’s provisional reading also articulated that there will be no immediate rise to gaming taxation; a move welcomed by the Las Vegas Sands group.

announcement. The company are also set to sell-off three of its Las Vegas venues.

Endeavours to find new ventures closer to home continue, with insider specialists currently conducting a wealth of research into potential locations and markets for their operations. New York is perhaps their number one focus, with the operator rallied by Gov. Hochul’s landmark investment

Whatever happens, the operator’s property landscape is set to materially change in 2022. We await to see whether their patience in the Far East will pay off.

LV Sands will also review opportunities in the potentially emerging UAE market, after Wynn Resorts stated their intention to build a new resort in the Ras Al Khaimah emirate. A move which could signal the Middle-Eastern territory’s first tentative steps into the gaming industry.

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GAMING NEWS

Bet365 Family UK’s Largest Tax Payer

JKO leave Playtech Deal To Aristocrat

Bet365 owners the Coates family and the boss

JKO Play the Eddie Jordan company that was interested in making a bid for industry software provider Playtech has announced they no longer will continue with making any offer for the company.

of the online gambling firm Denise Coates, paid £481.7 million in taxes last year to the UK exchequer according from the latest Sunday Times Tax List. That makes the Coates family the highest tax payer in the country for the third year in a row. However it is not the largest tax bill they have paid, back in 2020 the family had a tax bill of £573 million which so far is the largest ever tax payment to the UK as an individual or family business. The tax payment by the owners of Bet365 dwarfs the second place payer Chris Rokos a hedge fund manager who wrote a cheque covering his tax bill of £300 million, in total the top 50 tax payers in the UK pay £3.7 billion which is up from the previous year at £3.2 billion.

Playtech had delayed the general meeting to vote on the Australian machine manufacturers Aristocrat offer of £2.7 billion when JKO wanted to consider an improved offer. The delay was pushed back from January 12 to February 2 as JKO did due diligence, however with a deadline of January 26th looming for JKO to confirm an offer would be forthcoming it has now been announced that JKO will not be doing so. Playtech senior management had already agreed the offer from Aristocrat and passed it to shareholder vote but then JKO appeared as a potential higher offer, the reason why JKO did not go through is not clear, rumours that the company could not generate the required funds to make an offer are abound. However now with Aristocrat being alone now for Playtech the vote will take place by shareholders on the offer, however it is still not clear if shareholders will vote in favour.

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GAMING NEWS

Super Group & SEAC Announce Merger

lank-check firm, SEAC, have finally delivered on a protracted deal for sports wagering firm, Super Group. The merger was confirmed after shareholders voted in favour of the acquisition, which pre-empted a tangible bump in share price. Super Group, whose Betway brand is well-known in several global regions but relatively anonymous in the U.S, will look to expand its North American market share. Negotiations commenced last April, with SEAC expected to acquire the operator before the end of Q4 in a transaction reportedly worth $4.75b. Although Super Group have high hopes moving forward, SPAC activity has been subject to recent investor

reluctance. Across the full gaming landscape, sports betting firms who entered markets via SPAC mergers were some of the worst performing enterprises of 2021. With concerns over profitability and total reachable audience cited as key reasons for their challenging results. Marketplace trends suggest blank-check acquisitions are on the decline. Fertitta Entertainment recently cut ties on a huge investment collaboration with SPAC group Fast Acquisition, and Wynn Resorts decided against the opportunity to move their Wynn Interactive Unit into the public domain.

believe that the deal may flourish. As referenced, Betway have a strong presence in numerous markets, and also have decent brand exposure through their sponsoring of Premiership side, West Ham United. Super Group’s own acquisition of Digital Gaming Corporation also offers significant advantages, with the operator now able to target punters in ten U.S states. Super Group believe they’re ‘scale and leading technology permits them ‘fast and effective entry into new markets’ The jury’s still out, but Betway could potentially make substantial headway in the U.S market.

However, there is still reason to

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GAMING NEWS

Playtech Considers Selling Off Assets If Aristocrat Deal Fails

laytech has signalled its intention to take drastic action if a proposed takeover bid is internally blocked by a small group of shareholders. A $2.7B acquisition move by Aussie betting machine giant Aristocrat is currently under review. However, the merger is under threat from a rogue cartel of Asian-based shareholders, who threaten to offset an upcoming shareholder vote. Ifa 75% majority required to push through the deal is not attained, Playtech’s directors could well execute a considerable dismantling of

its component parts. Led by current Chairman Brian Mattingley, and supported by the company’s banking advisors, Playtech’s senior leadership team have earmarked several of its assets for sale.

recommendations that shareholders vote in favour of the offer from Aristocrat’ and that the deal presents ‘an attractive opportunity for shareholders to accelerate the delivery of Playtech’s longer-term value’

Their Italian online venture with Snaitech would be disposed of to the highest bidder, and the software operator may sell its high-performing B2B division also.

This latest controversy transpires amidst the recent withdrawn takeover bid from former F1 mogul, Eddie Jordan. This too was seemingly dropped due to concerns about the long-term plans of the aforementioned shareholder group.

Playtech have not been shy in recent weeks in giving their corporate stance on the potential Aristocrat takeover. A spokeswoman for the firm stated, ‘the board reiterates its

The all-important vote takes place early in February.

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GAMING NEWS

YouGov Survey Shows Opposition To “Affordability Checks”

he YouGov survey for the Betting and Gaming Council revealed that just 16 per cent of those who enjoy a bet would submit themselves to so-called “affordability checks”, which are under consideration as part of the Government’s Gambling Review. By contrast, some 58 per cent said they would not be willing to allow regulated betting and gaming firms to carry out the arbitrary blanket checks, which have been called for by anti-gambling campaigners. The same poll also found that 59 per cent of punters believe that Government-imposed checks on whether customers can afford to place a bet would lead to a large or substantial risk of customers using unlicensed sites in the unsafe black market online instead. These are thousands of illegal gambling websites that don’t adhere to the strict standards in the licensed and regulated sector.

This includes targeting problem gamblers, not carrying out strict ID and age verification checks or offering the range of safer gambling tools provided by BGC members, like deposit limits and cooling off periods. In addition, the poll found that more than half – 51 per cent – of all adults believe that increased black market use will lead to a rise in problem gambling, compared to just 4 per cent who think it would bring down the problem gambling rate. The findings were revealed as ministers continue the ongoing Gambling Review, with a white paper due in the spring. Regulated operators already intervene where customers are displaying signs of problem gambling or that they may be at risk. The BGC is in favour of further enhanced spending checks, but believes the focus should be on problem gamblers or those at risk

rather than everyone who bets. According to a report last year by PwC, the number of people using black market sites – which have none of the safer gambling measures found in the regulated sector – has doubled to around 460,000, with billions of pounds being staked. Michael Dugher, chief executive of the BGC, said that the YouGov polling was a “wake up call” for ministers as they prepare to publish the gambling white paper. He urged the Government to ensure they strike the right balance between protecting the vulnerable while not driving the overwhelming majority who bet safely and responsibly towards the unsafe black market online. Mr Dugher said: “We strongly support the Gambling Review as a once in a generation opportunity to raise standards and promote safer gambling.

INFINITY GAMING

Infinity Gaming Magazine January 2022

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