Infinity Gaming Magazine May 2020 by Clever Duck Media

InfinityGaming www.gaming-awards.com | ISSUE116

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08 ERIC HOLLREISER INTERVIEW

18 LIFE AFTER LOCKDOWN

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.

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38 CLERMONT CLUB 54 GALAXY ENTERTAINMENT

CLERMONT CLUB

+ NEWS & MORE NEWS

from the gaming industry

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A note from the editor read some great articles and interviews in this BUMPER edition of the magazine. Our excellent contributing writers, Christina Thakor-Rankin, Teresa Tunstall, Andrew Cosgrove and Lynn Pearce de Freitas have excelled this month with great articles. Not just that but we have an EXCLUSIVE interview with Former Comms Boss for

Virus you will NOT WIN”

PokerStars Eric Hollreiser. We cover his history from the world’s largest poker

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

site and his new venture, it really is a MUST read.

Lana Thompson - Editor

Then we look at what is truly a legendary name in The Clermont Club in Mayfair and ask who are the new owners and what is their strategy to succeed

Welcome to the latest edition of the

where others have failed.

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Infinity Gaming Magazine and firstly let me wish that each and every one of

The gaming industry is a truly innova-

you is keeping safe and well in this new

tive and inspiring industry and I have no

world we now live in.

doubt that we will come back stronger and better, but for now we at Clever

Many of us have adapted well to work-

Duck Media wish each and every one of

ing at home and indeed socialising us-

you, STAY SAFE AND WELL.

ing the many conferencing and social platforms to communicate. It truly is a

“May the Force be with you” - Star Wars

new world for us all, many of our leaders across the globe are split into, be-

BEFORE I go, I wanted to say to Teresa

ing cautious on opening up society

one of our wonderful writers who is

and business again, some are just plain

stuck in New Zeakand, STAY STRONG &

ignoring the dangers of COVID-19 and

SAFE and we look forward to seeing you

want to open and then there is Swe-

in sunny London soon.

den who at present are fairing well compared to other nations in their approach. Who knows which is best until many years in the future and all is clear.

Regards,

In times of need it is heart-warming to

Lana

hear the stories of what our readers companies are doing to help others. We feature many of them in this edition and we know there are many many more doing similar, you all should be proud of you, your colleagues and companies at this time, well done. Now let me escape from these terrible times for our world and like you let’s

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The Editor

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

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Infinity Gaming Magazine Contributing Writers A magazine is only as good as the content inside and with some of the leading specialists within the gaming industry. With specialised articles covering customer service, the gaming law, new 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

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 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 ERIC HOLLREISER Former Head of Comms for PokerStars & now Founder & CEO at ACE Hollreiser

Eric most of our readers will know you from your work at PokerStars, but for those who are not familiar can you give us a little bit of your background please? EH: Sure. I’m an American, born in New York City and I graduated from New York University with a degree in Journalism and political science. Following several years as a journalist in New York City, Washington DC and Philadelphia, I began a career in public relations and marketing first at a large advertising agency in Philadelphia and then on the corporate side at major global companies including Disney, Microsoft and ActivisionBlizzard before joining PokerStars in 2011. My business career has been focused on reputation management and marketing for consumer entertainment and technology companies. At Disney I was head of media relations for global kids television and worked directly with Michael Eisner and Bob Iger. It was an amazing company and an amazing

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brand to work with. At Microsoft I led consumer PR out of corporate headquarters and was responsible for all of Bill Gates’ press and public appearances related to Microsoft’s consumer business – Xbox, Windows, MSN, etc. At Activision, I lead communications for the Guitar Hero franchise as it became the most popular videogame and the world’s first billion-dollar videogame franchise.

regulated global environment to a highly-regulated, mature multi-billion dollar industry dominated by large public companies. At PokerStars, I got to play a part in shaping the company and the industry as we grew from a family-owned, poker-only business to a global leader in online gambling with a full portfolio of licensed brands across poker, sportsbetting, casino and social gaming.

I’ve lived in New York City, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Seattle, Los Angeles, the Isle of Man and London. I am married and have three children, the youngest of which is completing High School this year.

Amongst the more memorable challenges was dealing with the U.S. shutdown of online poker in April 2011 and PokerStars’ historic settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in August 2012. The settlement paved the way for PokerStars to eventually enter the U.S. market, allowed us to acquire Full Tilt Poker [who had previously been our largest competitor] and most importantly it laid the ground work for the state regulation of online gambling in the American market.

Q: You were head of communications for the world’s largest online poker platform at PokerStars, which saw many challenges during your nine years with the company, what were the most memorable of them? EH: I was fortunate to be an executive with PokerStars during a historic time in the online gaming industry as we moved from a bunch of start-up entrepreneurs operating in an uncertain and largely un-

Obviously, it was a challenge managing the $5 billion Amaya acquisition

9 of PokerStars in 2014, which then led to dealing with what became known as Canada’s largest-ever insider trading investigation. I was responsible for managing our corporate reputation through this tumultuous period. Amongst the initiatives I led was the rebranding of the company from Amaya to The Stars Group. More recently, I ran global poker marketing and drove the PokerStars Players Championship, which was a yearlong program that became the most successful series of tournaments in online poker history.

Q: Coming to PokerStars was your first foray into the world on online gambling, is there a different method of working you have found from say a technology firm like Microsoft or the Walt Disney where you worked previously? EH: While online gambling has its unique challenges, I think the key difference was that it was a new, entrepreneurial industry. So I was able to be part of the maturation of the Company and the industry and brought my experience in big, well-run companies like Microsoft and Disney, as well as my experience at Activision, which as a leader in videogaming has many similarities in being a mix of technology, entertainment and online media businesses. So I brought deep knowledge of best practices and practical experience of having worked with some of the most respected executives in business history like Bill Gates, Michael Eisner and Bob Iger. At the same time, online gambling has unique reputation issues to confront. I’d like to think that amongst the things we achieved during my time at PokerStars was to bring greater transparency to the management practices and enhance the credibility of the company and the industry.

Q: Is it easier or more difficult working for a medium sized firm or large company and what are the main challenges for this? EH: Business challenges are pretty similar regardless of the size of a company. And for modern companies that are largely internet-based businesses, you must deal with the same challenges of serving a global online customer base, divergent regulations and digital marketing opportunities. But you also have the same access to markets and to commercial opportunities as “the big guys.” For instance, start-up and medium sized businesses have access to many of the same tools and technology platforms (Google, Facebook, etc) ability to market through social media channels as the major global companies. This is a tremendous opportunity for

smaller companies to find exponential growth with the right product and smart marketing. Butit’svital for these small and mid-sized firms to have the confidence to act like a global business, while being lean and nimble. But that’s the essence of entrepreneurship. Q: You have a long history Eric of working in communications Eric what attracted you this industry and for those who are interested in working in communications what are the skills and talents you need to be successful? I’ve always been interested in working at the cutting edge of modern business, especially the intersection of media, entertainment and technology. This intersection is really complex and usually requires adoption of new

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Founder & CEO at ACE Hollreiser Interview 10

behaviours and new ways of doing things. This puts consumer communications and marketing at the centre of commercial success, which is one of the reasons I love working in these kinds of business where what I bring is business-critical. As such, online gaming was a natural place for me to work. In particular, as a storyteller and reputation specialist I’ve been able to help inform and educate a variety of audiences – customers, investors, regulators/legislators and employees – about the industry so that they can gain comfort and trust in the companies operating in the space.

Q: Indeed you started out like many communications people as a journalist working for publications such as Rolling Stone and Spy, what did you enjoy more the investigation

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journalism or the writing of it or actually both parts? Also is that area still where your heart lies? EH: I’ve always enjoyed great storytelling. As a child I loved to read and watch television shows and go to movies, listen to great songwriters. Coming from a working-class family without a lot of means or access to many experiences, storytelling was a way to fulfil my natural curiosity and wanderlust; taking me to places that I would otherwise never have been able to go – at least through imagination. As I grew up, I sought journalism as a profession that would allow me to tell stories and give me access to places and people I never would have otherwise. In many ways, being a reporter was like having a VIP ticket to witness history. I was able to meet and interview celebrities, politicians,

academics and business leaders. I attended events at the White House, fancy restaurants, the hottest nightclubs and at the headquarters of the biggest companies in the world. And I got to ask the questions that my audience would want asked and then write about the topics my audience was interested in. In that way, it never mattered to me if it was investigative journalism like the stories I broke about the U.S. government investigating lead content in imported wine or the more satiric kind of journalism we did at Spy magazine, which in the 1980s often target Donald Trump and nicknamed him the “short-fingered vulgarian”. I was honoured to have the “VIP ticket” and took the responsibility very seriously that I was there to serve my audience that couldn’t be there.

After almost 9 years with PokerStars you decided to go on your own, was it a difficult decision leaving a company that you and your team worked so hard over that time in fighting so many challenges? EH: Well the company I left in November was not the company I joined in 2011. That’s not a reason to leave, but it made my departure a lot easier. Still, it was very emotional. Not because of the company, but because of the people who are the company. I’ve always believed that you don’t work for companies, you work for people. I was fortunate to serve five different CEOs at PokerStars and each gave me different opportunities, taught me different things and presented me with unique challenges. At the end of the day, though, by late 2020 I had accomplished just about everything I had ever wanted to do at PokerStars. Q: What will you miss the most on departing PokerStars? EH: The great people at Stars and the positive poker community – live and online. Poker players are amongst the smartest and most savvy people I’ve ever met. I learned so much not just about the game of poker but about how to approach life. I’ve made some lifelong friends amongst my colleagues and players I’ve met along the way. So I’ll miss the environment but plan to continue to be with the people as much as possible. Q: Now you have launched ACE Hollreiser, which is described as “a full-service consultancy focusing on entrepreneurial companies that are disrupting or being disrupted in regulated industries.” Can you explain to our readership a little bit more about what your new company offers? EH: I provide a range of marketing services: strategy and execution in PR, advertising, performance marketing, corporate social responsi-

bility/responsible gambling, crisis communications, content creation. I have associates who specialise in legal and regulatory affairs, finance and treasury. Q: Industries ACE Hollreiser are offering services to include: gaming, fintech, cannabis, eSports, Gig economy, AI and blockchain, are those the ones your company feel better equipped to provide to Eric? EH: I’m fortunate (and old enough) to have had deep experience as a senior executive in some of the best-known companies in the world. So that gives me very marketable skills through my discipline expertise in marketing and communications and my broader business acumen in managing global businesses. So that kind of experience is valuable to most businesses and I don’t restrict the kind of companies I work with. But I wanted to find a more differentiating area of specialization, which is how I came to focus on regulatory entrepreneurship. It’s an area that speaks directly to the kinds of businesses that I am passionate about and the unique experience I’ve had in helping PokerStars thrive as it grew from aprivate unregulated entity into the most licensed online operator and the global leader amongst public online gambling companies. Most important, I get to work with exciting people and companies. I find that I’m working with companies that get excited by the same things I do: the intersection of technology, culture and commerce. These are largely intellectually curious, entrepreneurial people. The kind of people who accelerate into the curve in the road. The people who see opportunity inside uncertainty. And people who take calculated risks in order to leapfrog today’s businesses. Not reckless people, but those who want to seize the opportunity and are not afraid to disrupt the status quo because they believe they’ve got a better solution.

Q: How has the business started since you launched and guess that the terrible pandemic the world is suffering has not helped with that? EH: Certainly, all of my business planning and much of my new business pipeline went out the window when the pandemic took hold in late-February. That said, I’ve been very fortunate in that I was able to pivot and work with new and existing clients who had immediate crisis communications needs to address the pandemic. I provided lots of advice on communicating to customers, employees, shareholders, governments. Now, I see many of my prospective clients beginning to poke their heads out of their shells and we’re re-starting some of the conversations that began in January/February. I see the complexity of the post-pandemic world as a huge opportunity for regulatory entrepreneurs. So I’m really optimistic about business prospects for ACE Hollreiser. Q: Finally as we are all in Lockdown around the world, how are you keeping busy and what is a normal day like for you at the moment? EH: , I’m really feeling blessed to be able to be with my wife and kids 24/7 over the past couple of months. It doesn’t make up for the time I’ve missed working and travelling over the past 20 years, but I’m relishing the personal time because who knows if we’ll be able to have this kind of time together again. starting ACE Hollreiser I’ve done the downtime things I really enjoy like meditation, cooking, reading, writing and listening to indie rock music. And I’ve pursued some new Lockdown interests:a new Peloton bike, a 1000-piece puzzle and I’m learning important new skills like dog grooming, household cleaning and the fine art of barbecue grill maintenance.

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From Amazon to Zoom some brands are winning during this crisis, some are not

By Lynn Pearce de Freitas

hese past few months have been a difficult experience for most people, adapting to the new norm, working remotely and trying to do so in an online situation, without the usual interactivity of their teams, where one could easily throw out an idea or suggestion – or even get quick answers to questions. Yes, I know – there is always Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, Slack and many more, but it is not quite the same, although it will be soon enough! Having worked remotely (virtually) for many years – that part was relatively easy for me. However, what I am really struggling with is the constant bombardment of marketing messaging – on Facebook, Twitter, email – you cannot even read a

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message from a friend on Whatsapp without an advert of a new product being shoved in your face – where did they all come from Is everyone a marketer nowadays? And if they are not, they can certainly get training from hundreds of new “experts”who have suddenly popped up left, right and centre! It seems that everyone is a marketer, a genius, a billionaire! Even my friends and family on social media have turned into experts on Covid-19, everyone seems to have a medical opinion, suddenly they know more than doctors on what is happening with the coronavirus and how to treat it, which doctors are quacks and which ones to follow for the best advice!

formation and instead look at the brands I feel are succeeding during this crisis, over the past month.

I have had my fill of it all these past few weeks, so have decided todisengage from this overload of misin-

Also in the States – a 93-year-old beer-loving woman, Olive Veronesi

In the USA – AT&T struck it lucky for their brand with some great publicity in John Krasinski’s hugely popular online show “Some Good News”! AT&T heard that Krasinski was planning an episode thanking healthcare workers and suggested that AT&T gave all nurses and doctors a month’s free cellphone service, so AT&T contacted John and offered 3 months free instead – a very clever move, considering the fact that their rival, Verizon, has made healthcare workers a central focus of its marketing.

from Seminole, PA, went viral when she stood in front of her window holding up a can of Coors Light beer and a placard saying she needed more beer – a message to her neighbors and her daughter. Coors Light quickly jumped on the bandwagon and responded by delivering her 150 cans of beer and promising her more when she ran out – such an easy win for their brand! Snapchat has also pulled it out of the park – and impressed me immensely with their brand message “Here For You” campaign – one of the very few brands mentioning mental health issues during this incredibly stressful time for people with depression, anxiety, stress, suicidal thoughts, loneliness and grief.Snapchat provides users resources from health partners including: Active Minds, Because of You, Crisis Text Line and Seize the Awkward in the US and Young Minds, The Samaritans and Diana Award in the UK.Snapchat has also launched a nationwide filter with advice on how to stay safe during the pandemic.

Facebook is upping its ante by offering $100 million to small businesses to weather the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The program is called “Boost with Facebook” and is available to small businesses in 30 countries. They have also promised advertising assistance for business marketing on the social network. Zoom’s brand awareness and growth over this short period has been huge, mostly due to the CEO, Eric Yuan, removing the 40-minute time limit on free accounts for schools in the USA and other countries during this period. Zoom is also helped by the fact that it is available on iOS, Android – and laptop It seems video game categories are also winning and have seen doubledigit sales increases in the past month, as many people have turned to video games as a means of finding connections online and playing against friends. Gaming has generated increased engagement, which has

resulted in corresponding increases in customer spend. Online gambling, especially sportsbooks, suffered initially due to most of the sporting activities being cancelled globally (because of the pandemic), however, playing online casino has risen in popularity again and esports has finally come into its own, with most of the sportsbetting companies rushing to fill the void with esports online tournaments and events. Webinars are flourishing right now, but the one that really impressed me was the 5-hour marathon SEMRush webinar, with great speakers, full of useful information on SEO for marketplaces and e-commerce. And all for free! They certainly have my vote and I believe that the brands who find their voice and purpose during this global crisis will be the ones leading the way for the foreseeable future, building brand loyalty along the way.

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GAMING NEWS

Las Vegas Resorts Cancel Bookings till 1st June Amid Demonstrations

he hope from Wynn Resorts boss that Las Vegas get back to business mid to late in May seems to be over, just this weekend gone most of the major casino resorts were cancelling bookings till the 31st May. The Venetian, The Palazzo, and Venezia towers have all offered to refunded bookings to their hotels and although no official word has come from other resort operators it is expected they will follow suit

shortly. COVID-19 pandemic is hitting the gambling city hard and there was some hope that May would bring the opening of some sort but even thou Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak said that mid-May businesses would be re-opening the resorts feel otherwise. Also over the weekend there were two demonstrations against the Governors lockdown of businesses

in the state to protest citizens. The “Fight for Nevada” protest had some 400 demonstrators demanding the re-opening of businesses and earlier there were some 900 vehicles showing support for the lockdown to cease. Many in the “Fight for Nevada” demonstration said that the COVID-19 virus was not as bad as many say it is and the huge effect the closure of businesses is having to people outweigh closures.

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Life After Lockdown why things may never be the same again. By Christina Thakor-Rankin

uman beings are, generally speaking, creatures of habit who find comfort and security in structure, rules and routines. A departure from this causes uncertainty and anxiety. This helps explains why big changes in the way that we think, behave and act have usually been as a result of external influences such as war, economic necessity (crisis or boom), natural disasters (including pandemics) forcing us to change in order to survive. In more modern times this list has extended to include technology and people. Once the preserve of professionals or the wealthy, the internet and it’s influence on traditional telecommunications has revolutionised our relationship with technology transforming us from technophobes

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to technophilesforcing humans and organizations to change with the times. And before the current pandemic crisis the focus of the world was on a different crisis, the environment. An issue brought to the fore by people. In particular the younger generation (Millennials and Generation Z) who now form the largest generational group in the history of the planet and have the volume of numbers to make themselves heard. Some of these changes coming from the above may be temporary with things going back to how they were in time; some may be permanent resulting in a ‘new normal’ or things ‘never being the same again’; and some are a catalyst or lay down the seeds for longer term change over time.

For example, historically, war and economic crisis have seen women entering the workplace out of necessity. Where women took over traditional male roles the change was temporary with women taking a step back once the men where back. The lack of men (husbands) after the war resulting in single women having to work to survive, coupled with a breakdown of traditional social structures as those at the bottom realised ‘service’ was no longer the only employment option led to a more permanent change for those in some parts of society; and between the two planted the first seeds of change for longer-term change and women playing a more active role in the workplace.

Human beings are also surprisingly re-

and career breaks all last longer) not

the rule. For those in travel, hospitality,

sistant to change, unless that change

years so not long enough for any new

sport and leisure, including the betting

is personally beneficial to them or the

habits to start forming and there is al-

and gambling sector, life after lockdown

people and principles thatthey hold

ready talk of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;easingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and getting things

may never be the same again

dear. At times of crisis they will accept

moving again.

or endure changebut take comfort in

Firstly, any business sector or industry

the knowledge that it is short term and

This set against a background of the

unable to trade during the pandemic,

that at some point things will go back to

need to get the economy moving again,

and that does not have emergency re-

normal. No surprise then that with the

fears of job losses, the discovery that for

serves or government bailouts to fall

exception of those changes that abso-

many the grass of working from home

back on is at risk. Those who will con-

lutely cannot be reversed, have been

isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite as green as it looks, and the

tinue to be subject to social distancing

set down in regulation, generally ac-

challenges of juggling work and home-

or similar measures after lockdown such

cepted as more beneficial, or the crisis

schooling suggest that with the excep-

as travel, hospitality, sport and leisure

has been going on for so long that the

tion of some minor shifts, there is every

will be at greater risk. This is challeng-

new wayis no longer new.

chance that the new normal is likely to

ing enough but throw in a couple more

look remarkably like the old normal.

curve balls and life on the other side for

So, how does this all help predict the

the betting andgambling industry starts

post lock-down landscape. The cur-

This means that for many industries

rent crisis has been ongoing for a few

life will over time get back to normal.

months (maternity leave, sabbaticals

But there will be a few exceptions to

to look even trickier. (PTO)

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Christina Thakor-Rankin Article

Firstly, betting and gambling is a leisure activity linked to disposable income. It is something people chose to do for different reasons, but mainly entertainment and with money they can afford to spare. Uncertainty about jobs and job security has reduced the amount of money flowing into non-essential expenditure and this includes betting and gambling. Secondly, the lockdown has meant that many have had to find new ways of filling their leisure time. Some may find that they prefer these new activities to the old. People also get into the ‘habit’ of doing things - going to the casino, the bookies, the bingo. Those who previously placed bets or gambled out of habit - every weekend watching football in the pub/bar with friends, bingo with the gang on a Wednesday or a trip to the casino on a Friday have been forced to break that habit. Some will pick up where they left off, but a significant number will not.

Thirdly, of those who do go back the experience is likely to be very different to how they remember it. How will social distancing effect the fun of watching football with your mates when you can’t go to the pub/bar or have to sit metres apart. How will it feel to sit at a halfempty roulette or blackjack table, or not being able to sit in a huddle over a game of bingo? And how will social distancing impact e-sports if teams can’t sit together or organisers can’t pack out a stadium? Fourthly, regulation. Most regulators have already cautioned operators to enhance existing social responsibility and player protection measures during lockdown. In the case of Belgium and Sweden this has taken the form of regulatory restrictions on deposit limits. Whilst not a bad thing, it will mean all customers getting into the habit of depositing and spending less, or in a few cases, pushing them towards illegal or unregulated sites. Furthermore,temporary changes

made during times of crisis for beneficial reasons and proven to have no negative impact usually end up staying. Finally, post-crisis most customer facing businesses will kick-off the recovery process with marketing spend and a raft of customer incentives, bonuses and promotions. For betting and gambling this traditional route to acquisition and retention is becoming increasingly narrow, with more and more regulators and authorities working together to introduce rules around advertising, marketing and customer incentives. Just one of these factors by itself would be enough to cause a ripple. A combination of one or more would raise a few shockwaves. All of them together would cause a tsunami big enough to change the industry forever.

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GAMING NEWS

Aristocrat Cuts Jobs As COVID-19 US death toll Passes Vietnam War loss

aming Machine manufacturer Aristocrat has announced it will have to cut some staff levels, declare no dividend and declare pay cuts as the supplier grapples with the impact of COVID-19. Originally the manufacturer said that it expected little disruption to its business but as the state of the US pandemic worsens and now hits the same loss of life there than that of the Vietnam War the company has amended its forecast on operations. Aristocrat that has most of its operations in the US has said that it is standing down 1,000 of its staff from the beginning of May until at least June. It also said that 200 jobs will be lost during this period and will turn another 200 jobs into part-time workers until September.

The company said that the majority of the workforce standing down would be in the US where the main business for Aristocrat is. Also part of the companies strategy to stay afloat in these extraordinary times is to impose pay cuts on workers, it said that some 1,500 out of 4,000 of their staff will have cuts to their salaries until it expects till end of September. Trevor Croker the companies Chief Executive has already offered a 30% reduction on his pay, it is reported that last year Mr Croker made $1.6 million in salary and another $4 million in bonuses and share payments. Aristocrat that now relies on 40% of its business from the online gambling sector has reported it has seen strong growth during the pandemic from its operator clients for games such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shadow Legendsâ&#x20AC;?.

It is understood that jobs that are to be stood down in Australia the company will apply for the JobKeeper employment subsidy, however with the majority of the workforce in the US the company said it is looking at options there for workers. The US President Trump continues to rely on COVID-19 just to go away even thou the death toll in the US passed an historic land mark this week with the death toll surpassing the number of soldiers that died in the Vietnam War which lasted in total some 20 years. The death toll from COVID-19 in the US has so far lasted just a few weeks. However the US administration says that business will re-open very some causing companies like Aristocrat to believe the impact would not be so bad.

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Slots value analysis in a time of reflection Reflections on how to use slots analysis to provide value to your slots floor, your slots customers and your slots team

By Andy Cosgrove

ith Casinos all over the world in lock down, now is a good time to reflect on what might add real value to your operations moving forward, and the age of big data the seemingly endless bytes, rivers and oceans of data can make it easy to lose track of our values and become overwhelmed by so much raw information and the challenge of turning it into something actionable that will maximize productivity and ultimately increase the bottom line. The definition of analysis is simple enough to understand and might read something like, “a detailed examination of anything in order to understand its nature or to determine its essential features.” The word “essential” is key as too much data is not necessarily a good thing,yetoperators continue to fail to act effectively as they get swept away by the demons of

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procrastination and their pursuit of unattainable perfection. The results of slot analysis should always be aimed toward attracting, retaining and maximizing the value that your slot operation generates for your customer. The following is an “essential” and simple guide for successfully turning data into value that will meet and exceed both customer and financial expectations. Slots staff performance – Without buy-in from you staff you will have a lot of headaches while trying to add a value to your customer experience. A motivated, appreciated and engaged staff that take a real sense of pride in what they do and will always echo the message of your brand in their performance and interactions with your customers. To create consistent value for your customers your staff need to see the value in what you

do. Induction training and a once a year evaluation is simply not enough to succeed in today’s competitive landscape. Casino management systems offer a great deal of data that’s relative to staff performance such as service call response times and using this data effectively will help strengthen your team. Other sources of useful data can come from Mystery shoppers, customer surveys and from social media sites. This kind of data is used as in a proactive way of improving performance and making it an integral part of your business improvement strategy. Regular staff evaluations and ongoing training and testing are other effective ways of measuring your team’s performance and consistency and will help to ensure they deliver the service that your customers expect.

Slots staff performance – Without buy-in from you staff you will have a lot of headaches while trying to add a value to your customer experience. A motivated, appreciated and engaged staff that take a real sense of pride in what they do and will always echo the message of your brand in their performance and interactions with your customers. To create consistent value for your customers your staff need to see the value in what you do. Induction training and a once a year evaluation is simply not enough to succeed in today’s competitive landscape. Casino management systems offer a great deal of data that’s relative to staff performance such as service call response times and using this data effectively will help strengthen your team. Other sources of useful data can come from Mystery shoppers, customer surveys

and from social media sites. This kind of data is used as in a proactive way of improving performance and making it an integral part of your business improvement strategy. Regular staff evaluations and ongoing training and testing are other effective ways of measuring your team’s performance and consistency and will help to ensure they deliver the service that your customers expect. Slots floor Operational analysis – Any slot manager worth their title will tell you how much they hate machine downtown and how they don’t look forward tohearing the wrath of discontent customers and Casino GM’s that downtime causes. Slots managers will do whatever it takes to banish downtime from the casino floor and purge it from the building because a broken-down slot machine gives zero

value to the customer. I’ll repeat it again, a broken-down slot machines gives zero value to the customer! Just as important as a well-trained staff is having the necessary controls, preventive maintenance programs and procedures in place to minimize the effects of downtime on a consistent basis. The best casino management systems will capture the relative data and send custom alerts to your workstation, directly to your handheld device via wi-fi or straight to your emailinbox. CMS systems also provide additional data such as slot attendant response times and user statistics. An affective slots floor analysis can and will provide you with a more productive slots staff, less machine downtime, happy customers and, last but not least, a happy boss.

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Slots value analysis in a time of reflection (continued)

Slots revenue analysis – This area has to be one of my favorite areasof slot management and from someone who started out by taking handwritten meter readings, and manually entering them into a spreadsheet, there are no words to express my appreciation for the advancement of Casino management system and other analytical tools such as Qlik,Python, RStudio and Tableau. The first step towards successful revenue analytics is to determine what you want to achieve from your data analysis and if it will add value to my customer experience. The second step is to identify the essential KPI’s that will help you achieve your analytical goals andfinally, you will need the necessary tools and skillset to achieve your goals in as short a time as possible. Most systems produce standard slots revenue reports that, unfortunately,will seldom meet all your requirements. Some systems have a “build your own report” module included with their basic package but some of these tools lack the flexibility to justify their use. Systems providers will also offer a BI package which can prove to be an expensive option, but there are otherless expensive alternatives available.

Basic slots systems data such as total wagered and total won are broken down by usingspecific KPI’s such as daily coin in per unit, daily actual win per unit and daily theoretical win per unit. These KPI ‘s can then be used to further breakdown the data by filtering it into groups based on a set criterion such as game type, denomination, and average bet. The filtering possibilities are huge, and they got a whole lot better with the introduction of AI which will tell the operator what their next value proposition should be before they even think of asking. Slots player analysis – without your customers, you would have nothing, no income, no product, and no future so it’s safe to say that analyzing customer details is an essential part of capturing, retaining and optimizing you slots play.Expecting to succeed in a competitive market without understanding your players would be like entering a bicycle into a formula one car race and expecting the bicycle to win. You just wouldn’t do it! As with slots data, CMS technology has enabled operators to take player data to a whole new level of personalization. It’s no longer about

simply capturing play, visitation frequency and a street address, it’s about linking the player’s accountto capture entire new sets of data for everything from hotel reservation information totaste in dining,shopping habits, golf tee-off times, favorite casino promotions, favorite slot gamesand much, much more. Analysts use this data to help create target specificmarketing campaigns while slots managers use it to add an extra dimension to their slot analysis and extra value to their slots floor by giving players what they want, when they want it and before they even walk through the door. Competitor analysis–Your competition is watching you! They are watching you and doing a microscopic SWOT analysis of your operation with a gigantic analytical emphasis on your weaknesses. They monitor your social media posts and customer comments, they send in spies to evaluate your customer service standards and eagerly report your latest slot floor changesand the effectiveness of your promotions. Their goal is simple and that is to turn even the most relevant (continued on next page)

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Slots value analysis in a time of reflection (continued)

detail into quantifiable warfare. But what they don’t know is that you’re one step ahead and already have a plan in place to outsell and outsmart them on every level from free play to free stays and from lightning fast customer service to life changing jackpots, because you know the value that your customers demand. You have the best of everything, and you walk with a sense of being invincible, but then you suddenly realize that you can’t recall the last time you analyzed the market including your competitors who just walked passed you.Successful change isabout being able to adapt quickly and in order to achieve this the best operators make analyzing the competition a part of their modus operandi.

operators have to grow with it. Alloperators have the same amount of time to compete with each other on any given day and those who choose to use their time procrastinating and asking the wrong kind of questions will be the ones that get eaten up by the faster, and not necessarily the bigger fish. Asking the right kind of specific questions and using all areas of your slots operation to harness the power of analytics in a structured and easily understandable format will ultimately help you understand your customers, and when your customers feel understood and feel an emotional connection to your property then you’ll have achieved the value that will lead to slots of success.

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

Conclusion – The power of analytics and A.I. continues to grow and to survive and remain relevant, casino

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Rank Group Finance Update & Support Frontline Workers

he Rank Group who operate Grosvenor Casinos, Mecca Bingos and also has a online gaming presence announced that it had furloughed 80% of its workforce. In total 7,000 of the 7,600 employees are now furloughed and will receive the UK Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme payments of 80% of their salary. In addition Rank said that all executive and non-executive directors have volunteered a 20% reduction in salaries that would last until all furloughed were back on the company payroll. In the three months of 2020 the company said that Mecca Bingos had suffered a 17% decline in revenues along with their casino division falling 5%. However Rank said that their online gaming division had offset some of the decline by reporting a 21% increase in business.

Rank Group Chief executive John O’Reilly said that the company is not recommending a dividend payment in October to shareholders. While the shutdown continues Rank Group have been supporting frontline NHS staff with free meals in its casino restaurants, the company also said it was working with local MPs and councils to help with food for vulnerable people, including the homeless and elderly, with hot meals served at Rank Group venues. The company said that should the closure of its brick and mortar venues continue in June their profits for the full financial year which for Rank ends at the end of June, should be in the region of £48 million to top end £58 million.

and HMRC, together with our own mitigations, we have established a robust financial position to address and withstand an extended period of economic turmoil. Given the uncertainty we face and continued social distancing measures likely to be in place for some time to come, we continue to work to protect cash and to prepare for the re-opening of our venues in as safe a way as possible. “I am enormously proud of our colleagues and how they have responded to the decisions we have had to take as well as their selfless response and contribution to the national effort. We know how important our venues are in many local communities and we’ve answered the call to contribute by stepping up to help those who need it most right now.”

Chief executive John O’Reilly said: “With the tremendous support we have received from HM Treasury

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On-line Gambling By Teresa Tunstall

was once asked to advise an Online gaming company on their customer’sreaction whilst playing; it was an interesting session. One female we listened to Online apparentlywas a regular player and she joked continually with the member of staff who was on duty that night.Unfortunately as the evening wore on she eventually lost all her money. At that point the tone of her voice changed and she began begging for more credit so that she could continue playing. “I’m sure I can start winning back and then I’ll have money for food,” she stated. Consequently I asked the staff member who was dealing with her where the company stood with hisrequest? He replied that it wasn’t Company

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policy to comply,whereupon I suggested that the powers-that-be should take seriously her need for food money and that she should no longer be allowed to continue gambling. Thereafter I later spoke to one of the Company Directors who thankfully agreed with me and moreover I also suggested Customer Support Advice training for both the staff and gamblers. I believe there are many countries that allow gambling who still ignore support for those who get into trouble with their gambling. Land-based lottery operations are definitely seeing a significant drop in customer sales as the global spread of coronavirus continues to impact face to face players.

This is especially true of Online-gambling which is diagnosed according to the same criteria as “traditional in-person gambling” whenever they feel like it. ‘Lockdown’ is now part of everyone’s life…self-isolation means no-one is allowed to go out,but gamblers can stay home and gamble whenever they want,wherever they are. All physical locations are now closed, leaving 24/7 On-line gambling availability; this could still make it potentially more addictiveand even harder to recover from. Some Online casinos have already adopted crypto-currency and accept payments in Bitcoin as well.

Teresa Tunstall Article

In contrast with Online-gambling you can deposit via every payment method imaginableatOn-line casinos. What is more, some deposit methods can earn players additional casino credits as many operators offer the so-called Reload bonuses which range between 5% and 15% of the deposited amount. World gambling statistics show that around 26% of the population gamble. That means around 1.6 billion people worldwide and 4.2 billion who gamble on special occasions such as the Royal Ascot Races which is an annual event. When it comes to On-line gambling and demographic statistics, a UK study concludes that 17% of the population gamble On-line, resulting

in £5.3 billion revenue for the On-line market alone. In the US the numbers are quite different.In 2016 only 3% out of the 4.2 billion who said they gamble regularly said they played On-line. This number must have increased in the followingyears however, as the revenue in 2018 was $306.5 billion! When it comes to gambling on an individual scale, Aussies’ currently lead the way. In 2014, Australians gambled over $916 per person, with Singaporeans coming a close second on $891.16. Singapore with only two casinos recently legalized gambling, so the perhead spend isn’t a surprise.

To Americans Las Vegas is the epicenter of their gambling culture but they are a distant third on $505.44 per capita, with Ireland and its liberal approach to gambling next on $490.39. The UK, with legal land-based and online gambling, and boasting one of the world’s premier licensing jurisdictions, sits way back on $377.83. Emerging markets are taking the biggest hit, with operators in South America, India and China all heavily feeling the effect of curfews and Lockdowns. The latter saw sales fall 43.3 per cent year-on-year in January, with other national markets expected to follow suit as the impact of Covid-19 worsens.

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Teresa Tunstall Article

owever , Canadian-based operators Loto-Quebec and OLG have already completely suspended their land-based operations. The fall in revenue for operators will also mean less money raised for good causes and the knock-on effect will be that organisations in the public sector that depend on this type of charity funding will suffer. However, while land-based operators lag behind, On-line operators are acquiring new players and seeing a spike in revenue. “In these circumstances, third party online operators become a real threat to the industry as players are turning to them in order to play the lottery games they normally get from the corner stores,” said Ade Repcenko, CEO of lottery solutions provider Spinola Gaming. “This threat, if prolonged, could make players change their habits and stick to On-line once the virus goes away, which will have long standing ramifications for the

industry at large.” To help counter the threat, Spinola Gaming is offering a series of On-line webinars to show how its products and services. The company wants to demonstrate the ease at which the transition can be made and that it will not disturb theirexisting landbased operations once the market recovers. However this could be seen as an encouragement to gamble. Gambling can be seen as an escape route from our ownordinary lives, trying to win, to get rich quick. Anaesthetising feelings of unhappiness, be it life or work - perhaps escaping from an unhappy marriage - could result in a sense of helplessnessand loneliness. The reasons are endless and often never even discussed! It is important to never ignore these feelings, listen to your heart as well as your head. Many people are faced with tough and sometimes traumatic situations but it is best to be honest with yourself and confront such

problems. In this day and agethere are many available people and organizations out there to help. You just need to ask. Finally, I am not able to leave New Zealand as we’re all on Lockdown however I discovered that US billionaires have been doing doomsday preparation here for years. Paypal co-founder and Facebook billionaire Peter Thiel also has a $4.7 million home in picturesque Queenstown, complete with its own panic-room, Apparently others have built Bunkers hidden in the beautiful mountains surrounding Queenstown, the New Zealand Government knows which side the bread is buttered!

READ MORE from Teresa Tunstall only in the next edition of the Infinity Gaming Magazine.

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GAMING NEWS

Flutter Revenues Rise & Continues To Pay Its Staff

Flutter Entertainment has shown it is weathering the COVID-19 storm by releasing its current Q1 update for 2020. The firm that owns Betfair and Paddy Power showed that revenues actually rose by 16% over the period to 31st March compared to the same period last year. This is despite the damage the COVID-19 pandemic had on its sports segment with horse racing being suspended in the UK and Ireland. Peter Jackson the Chief Executive of Flutter said: “Following the widespread cancellation of sporting events, group revenues have been more resilient than we initially expected, helped by the continuation of horse racing in Australia and the US gaming continues to perform well across the group.”

indeed until the lockdown on sports which started on the 15th March, revenues for sports betting grew by 30%, but including the lockdown that shrank to 13% increase, however that is still better than the company could have hoped for. In total revenues rose by 16% to £547 million in the first quarter, expectations were targeting a 29% increase before Covid-19 hit. Mr Jackson continued to say: “The group performed very well in the period prior to the disruption to sporting events in mid-March. We delivered strong customer growth across each of our brands and benefited from favourable sports results across our sports books.”

Group valuing it at £10 billion that it still “remains compelling”. The deal is expected to be completed by the end of the second quarter following the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority giving it the green light. Mr Jackson added: “While the current disruption is truly exceptional, it underlines the importance of product and geographic diversification.” At present Flutter said it plans to keep paying all its staff and not rely on government support, but this may change if the lockdown continues for months.

He said on the merger with the Stars

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CLERMONT CLUB One of the most famous gambling dens in the World has new owners, but what is the strategy and who are they?

hile the UK suffers along with most of the world the effects of COVID-19 and the prospect of an uncertain future on when or if normality will resume, an interesting item resurfaced that the iGaming Post wanted to cover and so her sister publication decided to publish this fascinating article. Prior to the lockdown in the UK it was announced that the renowned Clermont Club in Mayfair was to open under new ownership. The Clermont Club has a rich and diverse history, it was first built in 1740 by the then famed architect William Kent, it is best known for its theatrical staircase and large Grand Saloon, “one of the finest rooms of its scale and period in London architects say.

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However the Clermont Club has a long history involved in gambling, it started back in 1962 when legendary zoo owner and contact to the rich and famous John Aspinall opened the venue to casino gambling. Aspinall fought hard in the late 1950’s following charges set against him for running illegal gambling. Aspinall eventually won the case and started the ball rolling for him to legally open The Clermont Club as a gambling venue. Indeed The Clermont Club was one of the very first locations to offer casino gambling and wasn’t long before its heritage attracted famous actors like Peter Seller, writers such as James Bond founder Ian Fleming, the infamous Lord Lucan, nobility such as Lord Derby, Lord Boothby, and

the Duke of Devonshire, along with businessmen James Goldsmith and Kerry Packer. During the sixties times were good for The Clermont and became the in-place for the rich and famous. However then the scandal came with Lord Lucan, in 1976 satirical magazine Private Eye alleged that members of the Clermont, including Goldsmith, had conspired to shelter Lord Lucan after Lucan was suspected of murdering his family nanny, Sandra Rivett. Goldsmith won a partial victory and eventually reached a settlement with the magazine but by then the club had already been sold by Aspinall to Playboy Enterprises.

However the new owners only lasted

double or triple that price once again

they bought another London venue Na-

ten years when in 1982 Playboy lost all

gets passed on for in London prices is

poleons Casino, which is located in the

its licenses in the UK to operate casinos.

peanuts.

heart of London’s Leicester Square from

Since then many investors have tried

A&S Leisure Group which is operated by

and ultimately failed in resurrecting the

Early in 2020 the new owners an-

Clermont club. Those include the Rank

nounced that they were to re-open

Group who operates Grosvenor Casi-

the Clermont Club again as a casino

Napoleons has some big competitors

nos; they then sold it on to Malaysian

and succeed where all but Aspinall has

around it also, most notably The Hippo-

businessman Quek Leng Chan for £31

failed. It is already known that many

drome Casino and the Empire in Leices-

million in 2006.

high end VIP casinos in the capital are

ter Square. At the time of the purchase

struggling, competition from not just an

George Polhill, Managing Director of

The new owner invested millions over

overcrowded market in London but at-

Mayfair Casino Limited said of the ac-

the years but in 2018 after continued

tractions for VIPs to Las Vegas, Macau

quisition, “It is an exciting time in our

losses Quek Leng Chan had enough

and closer to home Monaco adding that

business and we are thrilled to join the

and closed the Clermont down. Then

to a shrinking VIP market already begs

dynamic London casino market.” It is

enter Mayfair Casinos Ltd who bought

the question why?

believed that Polhill came from Gent-

the property for £23 million. This amaz-

Dave Allen.

ing Casinos UK and was there Director

ing location in the heart of Mayfair that

Not a great deal is known about the

many residential properties sell for

owners of Mayfair Casinos Ltd, in 2018

of Marketing.

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IGT Announce Changes

GT has announced that Dorothy Costa, who previously served as IGT Vice President of People and Transformation for North America, has been appointed as Global Head of People and Transformation, reporting to Marco Sala effective April 6, 2020. In her new role, Ms. Costa will have strategic oversight for the IGT People and Transformation function, including all business unit senior people partners and the total rewards, diversity & inclusion, organization transformation and global services and talent management centers of excellence. Mario Di Loreto is transitioning from his position as IGT Executive Vice President of People and Transformation, effective April 6, 2020. Mr. Di Loreto will serve as Executive Vice President, Senior Advisor to IGT CEO

Marco Sala through the end of 2020. “I wish to congratulate Dorothy Costa, whom I will be working with closely as she takes on the role of Global Head of People and Transformation and we continue to advance IGT’s leadership by attracting and cultivating our industry’s foremost talent,” said Marco Sala, IGT CEO. “I would like to thank Mario Di Loreto for his successful transformation of IGT Human Resources into the People and Transformation organization, and for implementing a strategic operating model that has greatly benefitted our Company and global workforce.” Ms. Costa has more than 26 years of human resources experience, including 22 years in the lottery and gaming industry. Prior to her current role

at IGT (formerly GTECH), she served as Senior Director of Human Resources for the Products and Services organization and in a series of roles of increasing responsibility in the Company. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Costa served in various human resources roles for the Citizens Financial Group in Providence, Rhode Island. Ms. Costa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Rhode Island College, and an MBA in Organizational Leadership from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. She also completed the Advanced Human Resource Executive Program at the University of Michigan, Michigan Ross School of Business Executive Education.

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GAMING NEWS

UltraPlay reports a record-breaking increase in eSports

ltraPlay has reported a record-breaking increase in the eSports betting volume and turnover after COVID-19 hit the sports sector. The company has seen a 500% turnover growth since mid-March 2020 compared to an average yearly increase of 30% by the end of 2019. Bets’ growth, including the number of bets, reached 450% growth for the same period. There is a 22% increase in the number of bets per player daily, according to UltraPlay. The reported data is accumulated by the coverage of 34 eSports, 16 of them offered with live odds on the leading eSportsbooks powered by UltraPlay. With traditional sports events canceled or postponed, eSports stepped up and offered many new opportunities for its fans and bettors. UltraPlay increased its CS:GO events by 15%, all offered with pre-match and live odds, while Dota 2 events’ coverage was increased by 20%. League of Legends continues to be offered with its previous number of events. By the end of 2019, LoL recorded a turnover

increase of over 65%. The three main eSports titles continue to be responsible for 60% of the betting volume, but this percentage is gradually going down due to a recent spike in interest in sports simulators. UltraPlay also reports another promising trend related to the games that simulate sports such as football, basketball, and hockey – FIFA, NBA2K, and NHL. Due to the gap in the sports bettors’ previous choices, there is an increase in FIFA’s and NBA2K’s percentage in the overall eSports betting turnover. These titles are offered with an enormous amount of events by UltraPlay’s eSports trading department on a weekly basis. According to UltraPlay, FIFA breaks records compared with the period before COVID-19 with 1500 events weekly, 90% of which are offered in-play on the provider’s clients, where NBA2K comes with over 500 events, all of them offered with live odds. UltraPlay also offers more than 250 NHL events weekly, 70% of those going live. Overall, UltraPlay covers over 3500 events

weekly, 90% of them with live odds. Peter Ivanov, Head of Trading at UlraPlay commented: “We believe eSports could be the profitable alternative to many sportsbooks looking for a solution at the moment. And it won’t be a short-term solution; rather it will gain more power in the next following months and years. From the data we collected since mid-March, we are certain that the eSports potential will be further released. He added: “Esports is the next generation of bettors’ way of entertainment and operators need to make this leap forward as soon as possible.” UltraPlay has also announced an increased interest in their eSports betting solution ODDS.GG from many leading online operators now looking to expand into eSports. The multi-awarded product ODDS.GG has an easy-to-use infrastructure and integration process through its API key.

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GAMING NEWS

Revenues Up & Profits Down For 888 Holdings

88 Holdings the online gaming firm has released its full year results along with announcing it is still pushing ahead with its growth strategy even in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. The gaming company showed a rise of 4% in revenues to $560.3 million, however profits fell from the previous year’s $108.7 million to just $45.3 million prior to tax deductions. Profits fall said the company were due to increased gaming duties in the UK market, its expansion into other regulated markets and also more tax payable in those areas. It also pointed out that the acquisition of BetBright impacted on the full year earnings for the company. A company spokesperson said that 888 is “committed to expanding in the US” where it plans to strengthen its team, marketing and product during the year. “We will continue to appraise poten-

tial partnerships that will support 888’s continued expansion and longterm prospects in the regulated US market,” the company said.

and economic uncertainty, 888’s unwavering commitment to preventing gambling related harm is even more important than ever.

The gambling giant said that it has noted that the cancellation of sporting events will impact on their coming year’s results but it also said that its increase from customers into online casino and poker was strong and may offset some of the sporting business.

“We are proactively communicating with our customers to provide information on safer gambling and, where necessary, offer support. In addition, in recent weeks we have introduced several new alerts to our proprietary safe gambling software, the Observer, which constantly scans all customer activity and flags any potential areas of concern to our highly trained customer care team to act upon in order to prevent harm.

“Whilst the COVID-19 outbreak is setting back the global economy, 888 remains confident that it will be able to deliver on its plans for 2020 set out in this annual report,” the spokesperson said. Chief executive Itai Pazner said: “The Board is closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on 888 and its customers. “We continue to recognise that with people spending more time at home and with increased levels of stress

“Underpinned by the strength of 888’s technology, our growing customer base and our talented and committed team, the Board continues to see a number of significant and exciting growth opportunities for 888 which we are confident of progressing during 2020 and beyond.”

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The Industry Influential Women of 2020

s we enter 2020 and look at who will show the leadership and innovation within our industry both online and land based, The Women in Gaming Diversity has revealed the most influential, innovative and inspiring ladies within our business. As we all know the gender gap is still there with the most recent survey by “Gender Imbalance in Business” shows that: 35% of women hold junior level roles within the

Media and Online sector, 25% represent mid-level management, which is the same proportion in Senior level roles also, BUT the big disparency is at the most senior level where CEO’s live, there is only 13% of women in those positions.

good.

However below we celebrate the women that not just have made the highest peak in business but those leading the charge to show that women in all levels have made a huge impact on their business for

See the next page to see the full list of influential ladies that made the 2020 Influencers of the year.

The list below is in alphabetical order only and does not represent any other order of importance, but shows the most influential women within the entire gambling industry.

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Influential Women of 2020 - The List

The List

he list was compiled through a range of metrics, their time at the companies, their rise within the companies, their activity within business, any activity supporting women within their business, of course their influence in their region (geographically) and this is only the first “LIST” and an annual list will be updated and improved on in future

lists.

Here are the ladies that made the 2020 Influencers list in alphabetical order: Chryssa Amanatidou – Group Corporate Affairs Director at Intralot Ebba Arnred – CMO at Play’n GO Rachel Barber – CTO at IGT Britt Boeskov, Chief Experience Officer at Kindred Jennifer Bowman – Senior Director Marketing at IGT Hiu-Yu Vanessa Chan – Vice President, Business Development, Greater China & Asia Pacific IGT Stephanie Cheung – EVP and Chief Legal Officer at Melco Resorts & Entertainment Denise Coates – CEO at Bet365 Tracey Cohen – Director of Marketing at TCSJohnHuxley Irina Cornides – Chief Commercial Officer at Gamesys Group Melanie Hainzer – Chief Marketing Officer at Rootz Helen Hedgeland – Managing Director at Evolution UK Therese Hillman – CEO at NetEnt Pansy Ho – Co-Chair at MGM Macau Deb Krupinski – Vice President – Insights and Analytics at Scientific Games Siobhan Lane – Chief Commercial Officer Gaming Division at Scientific Games Ciara Nic Liam – Director of Product Gaming at Betsson Group Lucy Owen – Commercial Director & Head of Account Management at Playtech Alexe Reichert – Head of Marketing Operations at Mr Green Limited Brigid Simmonds – Chairperson at Betting & Gaming Council Paris Smith – CEO Pinnacle Sports Melissa Summerfield – Chief Commercial Officer at Pragmatic Play Shelly Suter-Hadad – CEO at Casumo Akiko Takahashi – Executive Vice President & Chief of Staff to Chairman and CEO – Melco Resorts & Entertainment Paddy Tang Lui Wai Yu – Executive Director/Board Member Galaxy Entertainment Kostandina Zafirovska – CEO at BtoBet

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GAMING NEWS

Betsson helping out Department of Health in Malta

OVID-19 has brought with it a new set of challenges for every country. Healthcare workers became frontline heroes in the fights against the virus as they tended to patients and their health. Rightly so, healthcare workers who had been exposed to COVID-19 patients, started asking whether they should be returning to their homes after their work shifts end. By going home, they were putting at risk the health of their families, some of whom might be vulnerable due

to other medical conditions or due to age. Seeing this reality, Betsson Group has offered its block of company apartments to the Department of Health, so that following an evaluation from their side, they can allocate them amongst frontline healthcare workers who need assistance. Before being offered, all seven apartments underwent a maintenance check to ensure that everything was working well and ensured that they are cleaned accordingly. The block of apartments is located

in Gzira which is relative close to Maltaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s general hospital, Mater Dei Hospital. All apartments are one bedroom and equipped with AC, washing machine, dishwasher, oven, etc. They also have internet and WiFi and Betsson has also agreed to pay the utilities bills. This initiative in Malta is just one of the local community initiatives that Betsson Group has embarked on in the countries in which it operates. More information about these initiatives will shortly be available on www.OneBetsson.com

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Mayfair Casino Limited changed the

have for years to come especially on

name of Napoleons casino to Horizon

the bricks and mortar casino operations

Casino and may be looking to hold this

it seems that Mayfair Casino Limited

name as their operating image, however

have bought at the exact WRONG time

below all this the ownership and strat-

or have they?

egy of the company is hard to find and understand.

world. ------------The i Gaming Post and the Infinity Gaming Magazine are operated by Clever

The iGaming Post has been in recent

Duck Media Ltd. Publications of articles

contact with Mayfair Casino Limited and

and news is shared between both me-

How is a company going to be success-

its management and we hope to bring

dias and can appear on both platforms.

ful with the two purchases they have

you an exclusive interview with the new

made, have they got a secret that expe-

boss of the Clermont Club and the own-

The owners of both publications and its

rienced operators such as their former

ers of Mayfair Casino Limited in the near

Editorial Team are not influenced by any

owners Rank Group and A&S Leisure did

future to answer some of the questions

outside influences in their reporting of

not?

here in this article.

newsworthy items for their readers. Our promise to you is that â&#x20AC;&#x153;what we write is

London has got too many casinos for

Until then please stay safe and well and

the demand available both in mid-level

the iGaming Post and Infinity Gaming

gamblers and certainly the high-end,

Magazine will keep you updated on any

now with the impact that COVID-19 will

news and developments in the gaming

non-iased.â&#x20AC;?

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Galaxy Entertainment Group Supporting the fight against COVID-19 In Macau Galaxy Entertainment Group tells us how they are helping the fight to beat COVID-19 and what they are also doing to protect customers.

pholding the philosophy of “what is taken from the community is to be used for the good of the community,” Galaxy Entertainment Group (“GEG”) has been proactively supporting Macau & Mainland China on epidemic prevention and other efforts. To advocate its care for the community, GEG has been working with society on battling the outbreak through an array of practical initiatives, including: offering cash donation,donating hygiene &essential supplies,supporting local SMEs and providingtimely assistance to different non-profit welfare and social service organizations and schools.In addition, GEG alsoadopted and supported all protective measures laid out by theHealth Bureau of the Macau SAR Government and strengthened the epidemic prevention measures inside our properties. Cash Donations • Under the coordination of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macau SAR, on 2 February 2020, GEGannounced a

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donation of MOP20 millionthrough the Galaxy Entertainment Group Foundation (“GEGF”) to Hubei province to help the region fight against the pneumonia outbreak caused by novel coronavirus and assist its relief efforts. The donation will be used to purchase medical supplies and equipment that are in urgent demand in the region. • GEGF also made a donation of MOP5 million to support the prevention efforts in the Macau community. One of the schemes targets young children and offers assistance to local schools and nursery service users by providing a one-off subsidy of MOP30,000 to over 30 local schools in carry out the necessary infection prevention measures, and a one-off subsidy of MOP2,000 to children registered at Macau’s 20 non-government subsidized nurseries. GEGF aims to help relieve the financial pressure of parents whose child is registered at non-government-subsidized nurseries, and expects to benefit over 900 families with babies or young children. • Answering the Government’s call

for residents to “stay in and avoid crowded gatherings” during the Covid-19 outbreak, children with special education needswere forced to suspend their outdoor sports practices. To encourage them to continue exercising and to stay healthy while indoors, on 10 March 2020, GEG announced a donation of MOP100,000 to Sheng Kung Hui Macau Social Services Coordination Officefor the purchase of indoor fitness equipment for families in need. In addition, GEG also invited a professional fitness trainer and GEG volunteers to produce an online video for the exercise demonstration. • In April, GEG announced an additional donation of MOP75 million through the GEGF with the aim to provide care for healthcare workers, help with public health promotion and support the medical and scientific research related to the epidemic. • As of mid-April, total donations by GEG now total MOP200 million.

GEG Fight Against COVID-19

Donation of Necessary Supplies • On 17 February 2020, GEG donated 500,000 facemasks to Zhuhai and Hengqin New Area in support of the prevention efforts in the two cities. • On 18 February 2020, GEG donated 500,000 facemasks to the Macau SAR Government. The donation underlines GEG’s commitment to provide support to the prevention efforts in the local community and to work together with the community on fighting against the epidemic. Support Local SMEs and Business Partners • To ease the operating pressures and provide assistance to local SMEs that have been affected by the epidemic, on 5 March 2020, GEG announced the subscription of HKD100 million of the SMEs themed COVID-19 Impact Alleviation Social Bonds that were recently issued by Bank of China(Macau Branch).The Social Bonds were issued to support the affected SMEs

to overcome their challenges during the COVID-19 epidemic. The proceeds raised will be used to provide special loans and reduce the financing costs of Macau SMEs that provides health care and medical supplies or manufactures medical devices, etc., so as to support the recovery of the local production and supply of epidemic prevention and control products. This is the first certified Social Bond issued by a Chinese issuer. Provide Appropriate Support to Nonprofit Social Welfare Organizations, Social Enterprises and Schools, etc. • GEG volunteers visited 40 elderly users of Peng On Tung Tele-Assistance Service on 14 Jan 2020, delivered festive gift packs and talked about preventive measures against infectious disease and the importance of personal hygiene, as well as the correct usage of the surgical mask, thermometer and hand sanitizer. • GEG donated hygiene products to theFuhong Society of Macau on 31

Jan2020. • GEG donated disinfection and hygiene products to the Women’s General Association of Macau on 1 Feb 2020, including: disinfectant cleaner, antibacteria hand gel, shower cap, plastic gloves and plastic table cloths. • GEG donated hygiene products to the subsidiary of The General Union of Neighborhood Associations of Macau, Macau East and North Region Neighborhood Association on 3 Feb 2020. • GEG donated 200 facemasks to Fuhong Society of Macau on 29 Feb 2020. • Providing professional sanitization and cleaning services for social service associations, including: o The Macau Association for The Mentally Handicapped o The Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind of Macau Holy House of Mercy

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o The Association of Parents of the Peo-

moting epidemic prevention,displaying

Bureau & Health Bureau on enhancing

ple with Intellectual Disabilities of Ma-

epidemic prevention videos on LED

our epidemic prevention measures.

cau

Screens at Galaxy Macau™, Broadway Macau™ and StarWorld Hotel.

• Team members are GEG’s most valu-

o Fuhong Society of Macau o Escola Caritas de Macau o The Association of Rehabilitation of

able asset and we care for their well-be• Sponsored Macao Daily News on pro-

ing. Despite the fact that the outbreak

ducing an online program “Healthy Ma-

of Coronavirus has brought challenges

cau” to promote health information and

to Macau’s economy and the gaming

positive energy.

industry, GEG maintains full salary for

Drug Abusers of Macao

all our employees. With the upcoming • The GEG Youth Achievement Program,

opening of Phases 3 and 4, GEG will

o The Sheng Kung Hui Macau Social Ser-

co-organized by GEG and the Macau

continue to invest in talent develop-

vices Coordination Office

Management

launched

ment initiatives to enhance team mem-

a contest of creative arts to the fight

bers’ skill sets and enable horizontal

against COVID-19 as to show support

and vertical mobility. We also support

and appreciation to frontline workers.

internal transfers for team members so

o Richmond Fellowship of Macau

Association,

Other Initiatives

that they can learn from different pro• Strictly abide by the requests of the

• Support Macau SAR Government onpro-

fessional experiences.

Gaming Inspection and Coordination

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ULTRAPLAY WAY Lyubomira Petrova, CMO at UltraPlay tells us how the company are working through during the pandemic

Our work from home policy was active before COVID-19 and each and every one of us was well aware and experienced with it. Being digital and working with all kinds of technologies, messaging apps on various devices is what we at UltraPlay do on a daily basis. For example, now our Development team is performing online daily stand-ups, code reviews, and scrum rituals in order to deliver our cutting-edge products to our clients. Our trading team, on the other hand, is using Discord all-day long in order to stay connected and perform at its maximum while analyzing and compiling data on the eSports and sports events. For our eSports trading team, this is especially important at the moment, where there is a tremendous increase in the interest of

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eSports betting. Let’s just say that before COVID-19 betting volume has been increasing by 30% on a yearly basis. Now, we experience a 500% increase in eSports betting volume and turnover since mid-March and COVID-19 shut down most of the sports events worldwide. Sales, as well as Customer and Technical Support teams, put a full focus on the needs of our clients and partners with active online communication. HR has switched the in-person interviews to video via Skype. That’s how we also value the safety and well-being of all potential UltraPlayers. We constantly share news and discuss topics of interest in our company skype group. My team makes sure our news is wellcommunicated, where we are also focused on finding new and creative ways to reach, engage, and retain

new audiences that are interested in our advanced betting solutions. We also need to stay connected during the online work we do. That’s why we started organizing more activities that will make us feel closer than before. Push up challenge and Easter Contest was among the activities we did since we spend more time at home and we work remotely. In the latest initiative we asked our colleagues to show the view from their window. Even though we stay at home, we can see so many beautiful places in Sofia, feel connected and brighten up our day. Those are the small but significant work-activities that show us the importance of staying together.

It’s what we do on a daily basis to keep

ing months and years. We see the entire

ambition to offer an innovative ap-

our motivation and creativity so that

eSports ecosystem evolving and that’s

proach to the online gaming industry by

we share with our clients, partners and

a positive sign to all who are seriously

providing advanced betting solutions,

prospects.

involved in the sector.

focused on sports and eSports betting, live betting, white-label, online casino

Now, we are mainly focused on spread-

Another product that we expanded re-

ing our eSports betting solution ODDS.

cently is our casino solution by adding

GG to as many as possible online op-

three new providers – Red Tiger, EGT

Assembled by a team of iGaming pro-

erators, so that they have the support in

Interactive and CT Gaming Interactive.

fessionals with vast experience in bet-

times when sports events are canceled

Our casino portfolio now offers around

ting product development, operations,

or postponed. We believe it’s the most

4000 slot games from 40 leading casino

eSports and marketing, UltraPlay is a

advanced product on the market, with

providers, including also BetSoft, Micro-

trusted partner for delivering superior

the widest coverage of eSports titles,

gaming, NetEnt, iSoftbet, and many oth-

sports software and odds products to its

pre-match and live odds, as well as mar-

ers.

customers. Learn more about the com-

kets players can bet on. It’s a product we have constantly been developing for

and blockchain technology.

pany here: www.ultraplay.co About UltraPlay:

the last 6 years, and still upgrading with new events. That’s something we are

UltraPlay is a modern technology com-

going to expand further in the follow-

pany, founded in 2010, with the core

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