October 18 Infinity Gaming Magazine

InfinityGaming www.gaming-awards.com | ISSUE99

IGA12 JUDGES ANNOUNCED

UK GAMBLING TAX REDUCTION COMING GAMING + ARTICLES + BUSINESS+ GLOBAL + ONLINE + NEWS+ AWARDS + etc

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16 THE DEVIL YOU KNOW Teresa Tunstall

34 COULD PLAYTECH BE SOLD?

30 4 WEEKS TO FREEDOM Liz Karter

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.

10 IGA12 JUDGES ANNOUNCED 16 THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

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Teresa Tunstall

22 UK TAX CUTS POST BREXIT

IN ALL SHAPES & SIZES

30 4 WEEKS TO FREEDOM Liz Karter

UK GAMBLING TAX CUT?

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34 PLAYTECH FUTURE 39 LOOT BOXES Continue To Headline

41 CASINO STOCKS RISE

+ NEWS & MORE NEWS from the gaming industry

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

Business Time Is Here PUBLISHING Infinity Gaming Magazine is operated by © Clever Duck Media Ltd ®

Lana Thompson - Editor

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

gambling problems related to women.

finity Gaming Magazine and as we are

We will be covering more on the book

now in the business end of the year,

in the coming months.

with exhibitions, annual results and budgets drawn up for next year.

Apart from those wonderful articles we have a glimpse of the future from cur-

It is always an exciting time of the year

rent UK Prime Minister Teresa May who

and not least as it also means the chari-

is promising to make the UK a tax heav-

ty focused International Gaming Awards

en for businesses once Brexit is over.

are close, nominations are now in full

Good news for Gaming companies, but

swing and closing date is the 18th Oc-

lets hope it is not false promises.

tober so if you have not already done so get those nominations in for what is

Finally we are really excited to an-

regarded as the only transparent awards

nounce an exclusive interview with

ceremony that truly does celebrate the

Lawrence Ho Chairman & CEO of Melco

global gaming industry.

Resorts on Japan, Macau and Cyprus.

Great stuff we promise.

I have been told that already we have more attendees coming from more

Enjoy the magazine.

countries than ever before so when we say “International” we really are.

“To Infinity and Beyond!”

Back to the magazine and some superb

Regards,

articles from Teresa Tunstall and we are

Lana

excited to offer excerpts from that latest book from Liz Karter, an expert in

The Editor

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

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

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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 – 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.

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

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

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

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

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www.affiliateinsider.com|www.bestoddsmarketing.com

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EXCITING ROLE FOR FRENCH SPEAKING CASINO MANAGER EXCELLENT SALARY AND BENEFITS

GAMING NEWS

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Golf Will Be The Next Big Gambling Sport: Here’s Why

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n an attempt to fight the declining TV ratings for sports, including championship sporting events, executives in the sports industry are putting forward a new strategy, which is to get more fans into sports betting.

At Fortune’s Brainstorm Reinvent conference held in Chicago, George Pyne, CEO of Bruin Sports Capital, an investment firm, said that fans are nineteen times more likely to tune into a sports event if they are betting on it. This is because they will be more interested in knowing what the score is because they will have their money on the line. The increased engagement from fans who are betting will furthermore lead to an increase in avidity, Pyne said.

Changing landscape in the world of sports betting After the U.S Supreme Court made it legal for all fifty states to allow

sports betting should they choose to, the gambling industry has changed rapidly. States such as New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Mississippi have allowed sports betting ever since, while gambling operators have signed deals with major sports leagues.

This legalization of sports betting is seen by sports executives as a way to increase the number of people watching games, and the one sports that experts believe have a great potential in bringing in more viewers as well as gamblers is golf.

Speaking on why he believes golf is the next big thing in sports gambling, Pyne said that the trends in the industry have changed a lot in recent years. Soccer remains the most bet upon sport across the globe, while n the U.S alone, American football is the top bet-upon

sport. However, tennis has now come second in attracting sports gamblers worldwide, which Pyne said is “unbelievable.”

Golf, even though it hasn’t attracted as many bettors, has huge potential because the sport has a huge number of contestants. At any given time, there are 78 players playing on a course, which makes golf a highly engaging sport. According to Pyne, this makes the betting opportunities highly attractive to gamblers as there are varying possible outcomes.

Executive VP of content at ESPN, Connor Schell, who was also present at the conference, added that sports media companies are producing more shows which are related to betting so as to attract more fans into gambling. This is a way of exploring the different ways you can connect with sports fans, he said.

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THE IGA12 JUDGES 01

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Anna Hemmings GamCare CEO

Christina Thakor-Rankin Gaming Consultant

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Kirsty 06 Thompson CEO 138.com

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David Mills Managing Director of CasinoBrokers and CasinoCompliance

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Desmond Lam Ph.D Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Macau

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Ebba Arnred CMO Play’n GO

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Gavin Isaacs Vice Chairman of the Board at Scientific Games Corporation

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Jennifer Bowman Senior Director Global Field Marketing at IGT

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John Coleman CEO Microgaming

Kirsty Thompson CEO 138.com

Marek Milewski Operations Manager Casinos Poland

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Liz Karter Specialist in Gambling Addiction in Women

Mike Rothwell Managing Director of Caesars Entertainment EMEA

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THE IGA12 JUDGES 13

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Mor Weizer CEO Playtecht

Kostandina Zafirovska CEO at BtoBet

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Paul Fitchford Managing Director & Casino Consultant at iGamingUK

Peter John Caveny Assistant Senior Vice President, Investor Relations Galaxy Entertainment Group

Peter Hoetzinger Co-CEO & President, Vice Chairman Century Casinos

Richard Noble Chief Operating Officer of the Aspers Group

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Rob Cairns Executive Director of Finance Les Ambasadeurs Club

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Roger Marris CEO at The Ritz Club

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22 Stephanie Cheung

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Shelly Suter-Hadad COO at Mansion Group Limited

Chief Legal Officer at Melco Crown Entertainment

Vigen Badalyan CEO BetConstruct

Irina Cornides CEO, Group Marketing @ Jackpotjoy Group

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THE IGA12 C Nominations Close

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Better the Devil you know…

By Teresa Tunstall

T

he Church of England invested money into Amazon and then in the next breath condemned the internet giant for ‘tax evasion!’ It’s a difficult tightrope for the Church to walk on in an attempt to keep finances up to scratch in order to “to feed the poor from the rich.” The Church is reliant on the money men to achieve the best for them only it doesn’t always work.

Within weeks the Church of England looked in anger at payday loan companies particularly ‘Wonga’, the money lending company who were charging 1495% interest; an extortionist rate in any one’s eyes. However an overview of this company would see 300 employees out of a job, and to compound this horrible realism it transpires that indirectly the Church has a financial interest in Wonga!

My memory flies back in time to a

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male nurse problem gambler who when asked how much in debt he was, calmly replied, “It’s not too bad, my wife’s grandmother paid off my payday loan of £20,000.” Later he went on to mention that his debt still stood at a further £25,000!

There must be a way for the Government, Gambling Commission, Financial Conduct Authority and all other money people from The Stock Market to Mark Carney - our British Canadian, Governor of the Bank of England - to organize loans with acceptable interest rates, and look into where this money goes.

Step Change, a charity for those in severe financial problems, recently said, “We are contacted by someone in debt every 51 seconds”, and warned about the profound consequences if interest rates rise.

The Labour Party is taking the initia-

tive to investigate the use of Credit Cards and problem gambling. Addressing this issue is nothing new. In fact this was first bought to the fore many years ago when Lady Shirley Littler of the Gaming Board of Great Britain back in 1980’s, was reluctant to allow Credit Card gambling.

Sports people, be they players, followers or companies, have always been resistant to having ‘problem gambling,’ connected to their players or supporters, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Starling Bank has a scheme that enables customers to limit their gambling; it’s a starting point that gives them an opportunity to control their gambling should they choose to. Anything that offers gamblers the chance to reconsider their actions can only be for the best.

The Philippines gaming regulator created a scheme whereby all licensed casino employees on

Better the Devil you know…

the country’s national register of ‘restricted gamblers’ were prevented from gambling. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) made an excellent announcement aimed at all casino operators that their employees are totally prohibited from gambling in any gaming establishment in the country.

I was once approached by a female member of gaming staff who was concerned about dealing cards to a customer who she knew worked in another London casino. She was particularly upset because he had admitted to her in a moment of stress that he’d

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lost £40,000.

Within a month the word went around the London casino sector resulting in the majority of the casinos who now knew of his problem refusing him entrance. Gaming staff who think they know more about the game than their customers can be an unwanted liability who obviously need support and help from whatever casino they work in.

In the early days of gaming in Macau, it appears some staff were employed from the age of 16 years and furthermore were allowed to gamble in any

casino there. The result was obvious with some losing all their wages and getting into debt. Sadly the consequence of being deeply in debt with no way out, resulted in many suicides.

Not surprisingly the age to work in Macau casinos was changed to a minimum of 18 years old.

I would like to question why Casino, Bingo and Betting Operators are all required to have Licenses and all staff must also be Licensed However, Affiliates who have now been working in the industry for a while, mostly with the Online side of gambling, no requirement to create a

INFINITY GAMING

Better the Devil you know…

Licence which of course means they have ‘freedom’. This is unknown in any other part of gaming as there is no watchdog looking over their shoulder.

Basically Affiliates earn their money promoting Online gambling to potential players, some of whom are pretty big players. They could be seen as the middlemen between players and gaming industry.

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the American Regulators to be very cau-

Apparently at the end of the First World

tious by introducing Affiliate’s Licenses:

War in 1918 when troops and soldiers

this could tip the scales of Justice in the

returned home, they were told not to

eyes of the Regulators.

talk about or mention the awful terrible experiences they went through during

Finally ‘Fake news’ is bandied about as

those years of war.

though it’s the real thing. Eventually we start to believe it so it becomes true and

It is staggering to imagine what on earth

confusion steps in which in turn results

they were expected to say to their rela-

in the whole meaning becoming deval-

tives and friends waiting for them at

ued.

home…”your lips must be sealed” was

This beggar’s the question, ‘Shouldn’t

the order of the day!. Surely, this was

Affiliates be Licensed?’ Those who you

It is expected that as time goes by we’re

‘Fake’ news at its worst, unreliable and

never see yet speak with the voice of

more likely to make split second deci-

suspicious, but the troops continued to

authority, directing a player to their best

sions on whether something we’re told/

keep going with a stiff upper lip, took it

tip of the day with the biggest return.

read or whatever communication used,

on the nose and ‘carried on ’.

This is particularly enticing for those

we’ll weigh up the information given

with their sights set on America which

and decide if it is either ‘Fake,’ or the

is the best and largest up and coming

Truth.

market for gamblers. However expect

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Florida: Amendment 3 Could Scupper Any Hope Of Gambling Expansion

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on Santis the Republican candidate for Florida is hinting he is opposed to any gambling expansion in the state but with major backing from gambling heavyweights he is very vague on exactly where he stands.

The only thing he said that would support he possible stance is by saying recently that “Florida must remain a family-friendly state.”

Las Vegas Sands boss Sheldon Adelson has donated some $250,000 to Santis campaign so far among other out of state gambling operators.

It all comes down to a new bill called Amendment 3 which if passed would give voters in the state a right to veto any gambling expansion. This would severely impact lawmakers bargaining with the Seminole tribe who have the only casino’s within Florida to bargain when it comes to revenue sharing.

Should Amendment 3 pass it would almost certainly stop any hopes of casinos being developed outside of tribal lands and end the hope which Sheldon Adelson has had for many years of developing a casino resort.

give them effectively a monopoly on casinos and is also supported by the Disney Corporation who have always been opposed to gambling expansion in the state as well as them wanting to be the biggest entertainment venue in the state without casino resorts competing with them.

However it seems at present that Amendment 3 is popular with residents as a latest poll show a 54% in favor of Amendment 3.

The Seminole tribe of course support the bill as it would

Philippines Continues Illegal Online Gambling Crackdown PAGCOR the Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corporation regulator has said that they are continuing with their crackdown on illegal online gambling within the country, with a statement saying that anyone violating their regulations with face “dire consequences”.

According to PAGCOR they have raided some 170 illegally run online gambling dens since the turn of the year, those operations says PAGCOR were run without POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) licenses.

The regulator also said that most of the raids found that those apprehended were focusing on the Chinese or Philippine gambler with many illegal sites having Mandarin speaking employees.

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Theresa May Could Cut Gambling Taxes to Help Post BrexiT

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n a speech she gave to world business leaders at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum in New York, UK prime minister Theresa May said that the United Kingdom would have the lowest business tax rate among all G20 nations after it leaves the European Union. This means that taxes levied on corporate in various industries, including gambling, will lower significantly.

According to May, the UK will be “unequivocally pro-business” post-Brexit. This comes after the US business leaders pointed out to the UK PM how bad things can get since the nation only has a month left to make significant progress regarding its Brexit plan, and both parties cannot seem to come to an agreement.

Just last week, leaders of the European Union outrightly re-

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jected May’s Chequers plan, under which the UK will be bound by the goods trade rules of the EU. French President Emmanuel Macron, along with other European leaders said that the Chequers plan would not work since it will destabilize and weaken the single market.

CEO of Blackstone investment fund, Stephen Schwarzman, said that for the businesses outside, the looming departure of the UK is “daunting,” to which May replied that even though there is uncertainty regarding Brexit, she is confident in her endeavor towards increasing investment and jobs.

She said that even after Brexit, Britain would remain one of the best countries for businesses to operate in.

Post-Brexit Britain will be strongly pro-business, May assured The UK prime minister assured

business owners that she strongly believes the UK can and will get a good deal because Brexit involves not just the UK but the EU too, and a continued trading relationship is highly beneficial for both parties. She added that with her plan to deliver an economy that is “knowledge-rich, highly innovative, highly skilled, and of high quality,” but at the same time has smart regulation and low taxes, all businesses, regardless of which industry they belong to, can get the lowest corporation tax rate among all G20 countries by investing in Britain post-Brexit.

May maintained that London would be “the envy of the world” with its “best universities, strong institutions, a sound approach to public finance” as well as a steady, reliable approach to smart regulation.

Post Brexit

Even though she admitted there is uncertainty, she is self-assured that in the coming weeks, when negotiations conclude, it will be easy for businesses to operate confidently in a post-Brexit Britain since she is sure that Britain will be able to continue frictionless trade with the EU. Speaking to business leaders at the forum in New York, she pledged to make Britain into an economy that is not only dynamic but is also one of the most business-friendly economies in the world. Businesses, including gambling companies, will be presented with great investment opportunities, while every part of Britain can benefit from new technologies and business sectors. She also added that Britain would work tirelessly toward making her vision for the global economy

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come true in the near future – a global vision based on innovation, openness, healthy competition, high quality, and of course, intelligent regulation.

May also assured businesses that Britain would be a leading figure in the global effort to address the increasing challenges that international trade is facing, and will work to build a “dynamic and competitive global economy” that everyone can benefit from.

What is the gambling tax law in the UK like and how will May’s plan affect bookmakers?

Theresa May’s pledge to slash corporate taxes will have a serious impact on the gambling industry not just in

the UK but worldwide and how much tax operators have to pay from their profits.

As of now, bookmakers have to pay a 15 percent tax on all their gross profits at the point of consumption. This means that even gambling companies who are operating offshore are required to pay this much tax to the British government on the profits they earn from customers based in the UK. If they fail to pay their taxes, it will lead to them not being able to reissue or obtain a gambling license in the UK. And since gambling companies in the UK are legally required to have a gambling license in order to operate, it means that paying taxes is mandatory for them too and they have no choice if they wish to continue their operations.

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Post Brexit

Initially, in 2001, the government levied a 15 percent point of supply tax on bookmakers. This was great for gamblers as it meant they could bet free of taxes whether they win or lose. However, this legislation did not help in solving a prevalent problem, which was that an increasing number of bookmakers avoided taxes by shifting most of their online operations offshore to tax havens.

With this 2001 legislation, nothing was done to solve this issue because the tax was charged at the point of supply, which means that the operators that were based off-shore were charged taxes based on where they operated from, which were places where taxes were incredibly low. For instance, in Gibraltar, the tax was capped at just one percent, requiring bookmakers to pay only this much from their gross profit and not the full UK tax rate.

With Theresa May’s pledge to cut down corporate taxes and make postBrexit Britain more businessfriendly, it is highly likely that gambling opera-

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tors will be able to enjoy a lower tax rate. In other words, once Britain leaves the European Union, gambling operators will experience increased profit as they will have to pay much lower taxes to the UK treasury. Canada-style trade deal not an option for Britain Despite her colleagues including David Davis and Boris Johnson encouraging her to take up a Canadastyle trade deal which the EU proposed, the Prime Minister said that she would not sign up for it. She firmly believes that no deal would be better than such a deal as this type of trade deal could undermine the constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom.

A Canada-style trade deal would only result in looser ties to the European Union than her Chequers plan, she insisted, which is why the rejected plan was the most viable plan. The EU-proposed deal would only apply to England, Wales, and Scotland, leaving out Northern Ireland to be the only constituent unit in the customs union and single market.

May said that since this deal would create a border in the Irish Sea, it automatically qualifies as a bad deal.

Her most important goal is to keep the United Kingdom unified and not break it apart. Her Chequers plan, she said, protected the unity and constitutional integrity of the UK, while protecting jobs and ensuring that there is no border in Northern Ireland, making it a “good deal.”

However, despite these hiccups, the British Prime Minister assured business leaders that she is truly confident she can secure a good deal that everybody can benefit from. As soon as Britain leaves the European Union, businesses from all industry can flourish in Britain as the country will be “unequivocally pro-business” with “intelligent regulations” and an economy that is “knowledge-rich and highly innovative.”

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GAMING NEWS

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UK Online Gaming Industry Set For Greater Boom

T

he UK has always been a tad conservative when it comes to online gaming. Unlike its counterparts in the US and Australia, the UK gaming market has always shown its preference for physical, land-based casinos over online ones.

But this may soon change, given the phenomenal rate at which online gaming sites are mushrooming in the UK internet space.

The online gaming industry in the UK has picked up speed for two reasons. First, online casinos allow amateur players and first-timers to try their luck at games like poker and roulette, all in the comfort of their homes and away from the judgemental eyes of experienced players. Second, these websites offer players a plethora of games, many of which may be unavailable in landbased casinos.

But, the biggest reason for the exponential growth in the UK online gaming market is the type of wins offered to players. From cash to discount vouchers to freebies to

cryptocurrency, the type and quantity of wins in the online market far exceeds the wins players can expect from its land-based counterpart.

Data and financial security is another thing that is better on online casinos. What with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in force, gaming websites and online casinos have started implementing more transparent and comprehensive data management regulations, which work in the interests of players. Legitimate data processing prevents money laundering and problem gambling and allows websites to assist players with selfexclusion when the need arises.

In fact, it is features like these that have significantly improved the performance of the online gaming industry in the UK. The country saw a 3.7% increase in its gross gambling yield (GGY) from 2017, with the industry reaching ÂŁ4.9 billion in early 2018. This includes revenues generated from a variety of games such as pool betting, bingo, slots and poker.

In addition to the revenues, the UK online gaming industry also tops the social responsibility category by funneling a large part of their earnings towards charitable ventures. The industry has collectively provided a whopping ÂŁ251 million for charitable causes in the 20172018 period.

Now, the online casino market in the UK is only set to grow further.

Companies are experimenting with gamification to improve the user experience. New games are constantly being added, with older games being redesigned to provide a more immersive and well-rounded gaming experience to players. Virtual reality is another area that the UK online gaming market is stepping into.

With companies churning out new games and websites every month, players will have an extensive selection on offer by the end of 2018.

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Spain To See $1 Billion In Online Gambling Revenues by 2023

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ccording to observers and investment firms online gambling in Spain has the potential to hit revenues of at least $1.2 billion by 2023. Last year revenues hit $678 million and analysts expect that figure to rise by 9% by the end of this year.

With changes in tax for online gambling operators and the government making the entry for potential operators easier to enter than the UK or French gambling markets means that Spain is still nowhere near saturation, just yet.

Those estimates are backed up by

the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ), which reported that in 2016 revenues hit $514 million then last year rose to $678 million marking a rise of 31.9%.

Interestingly according to official figures online roulette is the dominant game with online slots coming second with surprisingly online poker bottom with revenue growth of just 5%.

The rise in revenues in the country is said to be helped by the government preparing to cut taxes to online operators from 25% to 20%, it shows a willingness by Spain to

welcome the increase in online gambling which of course will help the country drag in much needed tax revenues.

Not only that but the hope by government sources is that it will create more jobs, back in 2013 the unemployment rate hit almost 30% now in the first quarter of 2018 that rate stood at 16.5%, some of that fall is put down to online operators employing locally a trend the government hopes will continue with the next tax rate cut.

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Gambling Addiction in Women: Four Weeks to Freedom A Practical Guide to Recovery

By Liz Karter Liz Karter is considered a leading UK expert in gambling addiction in women. With over eighteen years experience of practice she has worked within all leading UK treatment agencies. Throughout that time, Liz has worked closely with the gambling industry on safer gambling projects and has had the honour of judging the social responsibility category of the IGA for several consecutive years.

You might have come across Liz on national and international TV or radio where she regularly appears as consultant therapist in gambling addiction, or perhaps you have read one od her previous books on gambling addiction. Very much still a practicing therapist Liz continues to see clients at her Harley Street and City of London practice Level Ground Therapy and by video link worldwide.

You Want to Stop Gambling

Y

ou want to stop gambling.

Whatever it might have meant to you in the first place, gambling has now wasted devastating amounts of your hard-earned money, stolen your precious time, damaged your relationships, made you miserable and stripped your life bare of all the things you used to enjoy.

The things that gave you a strong sense of yourself and enabled you to hold your head high when you looked in the mirror each morning have been buried underneath gambling addiction and the guilt and shame you feel for behaviour you never imagined yourself capable of. You hardly recognise yourself.

You can, and you will feel better than this. The woman that you were is still there under the addiction. We are going to go back and get that lost part of you and you

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will not believe how much wiser and stronger you are going to be for the experience.

Many women when they first come to see me for treatment are sceptical as to what talking about their problem can do, and I agree that talk is not enough – we need to act. I assure them that I have a highly interactive and proactive style of therapy: engaging with my clients and working hard to understand them so that I can help them understand themselves. I encourage and enable my clients to then get into action with their personal understanding to make meaningful, productive and positive changes. I never give up on anyone because I truly believe that it is always possible to stop addictive gambling and to achieve long term rewarding recovery;

the evidence is in hundreds of women who I have seen go before them. To work out how to help any woman become free from the trap of addiction I need to help her see what got her caught in the trap in the first place. I listen to each individual story and then together she and I work out what is going to work best for her to free herself.

The individual life stories which lead up to the addiction are always different, but when it comes to the addiction itself- how to feels to be in it, the types of thoughts, feelings and be behaviours it creates and the strategies that work to get free from the trap- there are strong, consistent themes for everyone. Within this book are the keys to greater self-understanding and practical strategies that I have seen really work during the first four weeks of recovery for women.

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The practical strategies, advice and guidance in this book have been developed through my extensive experience of treating gambling addiction since 2001 and my unique experience as a pioneer identifying the differences in the way men and women experience addictive gambling and developing treatment methods especially for women. This led to my establishing the first UK women’s groups for gambling addiction recovery.

Throughout this time, I have been in the privileged position of being able to listen, learn and gain wisdom through the rich experience of my rewarding work with hundreds of women. It is also wisdom gained from being a woman myself who has lived a full and varied life. No, I have not had a gambling addiction - I imagine you might like to know that as many of my clients do – but I do know what it is to be human and experience pain and fear so great that you would do anything to make it stop and in that panicked attempt can end up making an even bigger mess of things. For me, my trigger

for an experience of intolerable mental and emotional pain was the shock at 28 years old of suddenly being left alone with three young children and one of them a twoday old baby. Married at eighteen then left literally holding the baby I had no job, I could not even drive a car and overriding all the practical difficulties I felt terror of being alone, plus the excruciating pain of abandonment and rejection. I made an even bigger mess of my life for a year or so as I did my best to distract myself from my own pain and fear, so that I might do a half decent job of doing what needed to be done for my family. I now see that by distracting myself I was delaying doing what needed to be done to create a more stable and secure life that would have eased my anxieties about being alone and so lessened the need for unhealthy distractions. I forgive myself for that as we do the best we can to survive until we see other options. I now know that the only way to turn things around is to face the truth and the mess, as painful and ugly as it is,

because it is only when we do so that we can work out what we need to do to tidy it up and rebuild. Once we rebuild and create a life where we are more content, we no longer need distractions and emotional medication, because we want to be fully present in our lives. For me, two years after the event I have shared with you I learnt to drive a car. I then started down the educational path to the work which I love.

The process of going from pain, fear and wanting to run away from my own thoughts and feelings, to creating a productive, healthy happier life gave me wisdom from my experience and empathy with the women with whom I work. I believe that a combination of my own life experience and being privileged to share that of so very many women over the years has enabled me to understand what really works to stop the need for escapism into addictive gambling and I believe that this book will help you.

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GAMING NEWS

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Pharmaceutical Company Wants To Buy Greece’s Club Hotel Casino Loutraki

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ome rather strange news coming out of Canada is that a pharmaceutical company called Easton Pharmaceuticals Inc has announced it has been shortlisted to acquire an interest or the whole acquisition of Greece’s Club Hotel Casino Loutraki resort.

Easton are listed on their website as a diversified specialty pharmaceutical company involved in various pharmaceutical sectors, it has also listed that it has 5 employees.

The companies CEO is Evan Karras who Easton says is well versed in the Greek gaming industry having been involved in the privatization of casino in the 1990’s.

According to the company they are looking to expand their footprint across Europe in diversifying their operations into casinos.

The casino resort in Loutraki has had an up and down history being hugely popular when it opened but labour strikes and political involvement almost led to the resort closing over recent years. However with Loutraki being only

some 80 kilometers from the capital Athens and a popular destination for holidaymakers Easton believes it to be a good target to be involved in.

With 255 hotel rooms and 20 luxury suites along with 87 gaming tables and over 1,000 slot machines the price for the resort has not been announced but Eston says that with their CEO being involved in the previous business it will come with a large discount for the company to acquire.

Easton only said that it would partner with an American casino company which has involvement in Canada to manage the project.

Also the Pharmaceutical pointed out that it was also involved in tendering for a new undisclosed casino resort in Europe that will consist of 50 gaming tables and 1,000 slot machines along with a hotel with over 500 rooms and retail and leisure facilities. Easton said it anticipates the new resort once operational will generate revenues of over €77 million per year.

Vietnam Get Google To Shut Down 56 Gambling Themed Apps The Vietnamese government have got an agreement with Google to remove some 56 apps from the Google Play Store that had cards games or acted like casino games. The technology giant approved the application from the Vietnamese government that those games violated either customers privacy by mining their personal data or were offering card and casino games similar to gambling.

based operations which are not licensed.

It has been over a year now that Vietnam banned any license applications for Apps wanting to offer games with cards or casino type games.

All those apps have now been removed from Googles Play Store and are not available in Vietnam to download.

Currently Vietnam in are trials to allow land based casino gambling and the government are trying to stamp out any other forms of gambling whether online or land

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34

Uncertain Future for Gambling Tech Giant Playtech

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ambling tech giant Playtech has had a rough year, and the company finds itself in a tricky position. The gambling software development company, which was founded in 1999

by Israeli businessman Teddy Sagi, saw a staggering 34 percent drop in its adjusted profit in the first half of this year. In addition, within the past twelve months, the company’s share price decreased by almost 50 percent.

Tension within the company is also aggravated by the arrival of a new investor- Jason Ader from SpringOwl Asset Management- who invested over $100 million into Playtech, thereby acquiring a five percent stake in the tech company. News has emerged that Ader thinks Playtech founder Sagi’s involvement in the company is negative for business and wants a corporate governance overhaul. Sagi still has a 6.3 percent stake in the company.

Ader believes that the company should focus only on its gambling operations and let go of its financial businesses since they only seem to be a distraction from their core business.

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Earlier this year, Playtech also bought Snaitech, an Italian gambling company for €846 million, which helped the tech giant achieve regulated revenue growth in its half-year results.

However, this purchase may bear undesirable results in the long run, as Italy is on the brink of introducing highly controlled restrictions on the distribution of gambling machines, from which Snaitech gathers half of its total revenue from.

Recently, Playtech sold its entire stake in the online CFD trading platform, Plus500, for a total amount of £176 million. In a statement issued by the company, we have learned that the money gathered from this sale would be used for paying off some of their debts as well as for other corporate purposes.

Based on these developments, there is no doubt that Playtech has an uncertain future. With rising market competition and increasing regulatory pressure, the company has no choice but to make a decision soon regarding its next path. While a corporate governance overhaul is being pushed by Ader to remove founder Sagi from the company, it is highly likely that the company is also

headed toward a possible sale.

Now, if Playtech is to be sold, the answer to the question that everyone wants to know is- “Who will be the buyer? Which company could or would be able to acquire Playtech and what impact will this purchase have on both parties involved?”

Below, we take a look at the top three companies who are most likely to acquire Playtech. These potential buyers are all well-known names in the gambling industry, and based on their recent decisions in the past few years, it would make sense for them to be interested in acquiring Playtech.

The Stars Group The Stars Group Inc is a leading figure in the gaming industry globally.

From its recently published ‘business acquisition report’ of its recently acquired Sky Betting & Gaming (Sky Bet) asset, it has proven that it has grown significantly during the 2018 fiscal year with “continued product leadership and innovation.”

The gaming giant also invested widely and heavily in “brand, technology, and people” while continu-

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-ing delivery of innovative products and services which meet the needs of every one of their customers.

is intent on maintaining its status as the major player in the gaming industry with fast-growing market shares.

As per its revised 2018 corporate expectations, The Star Group aims for an adjusted FY2018 EBITDA of $755 to $810 million. The group also has pre-booked capital expenditures of $110 to $150 million for the full year of 2018.

William Hill Back in 2013, London-based bookmaker William Hill bought out Playtech’s 29 percent stake in the two company’s joint venture, William Hill Online for a reported £424 million. At the time, CEO of William Hill, Ralph Topping said that this was a “major milestone” for his company and the deal received strong support from shareholders.

CEO of The Stars Group, Rafi Ashkenazi, said that 2018 had been a transformative year for them because of the three acquisitions it made. Now, considering the acquiring behavior of TSG in the recent year, it will be no surprise if they also purchase Playtech in the near future, should the company be up for sale. After all, TSG is

This purchase was made shortly after the gambling operator acquired Sportingbet for £460 million, which marked the company’s first step into the US gambling market.

With William Hill and Playtech’s history of working together, there is a high chance that William Hill will buy back its former partner should the company be up for purchase. Now, it should be noted that the relationship was not without friction. The distrust between Topping and his Playtech counterpart, CEO Mor Weizer even led to the need to involve a third-party arbitrator who helped value the 29 percent stake.

Although the relationship between the two companies was at the time “fractious,” it was, nevertheless, mutually beneficial and was always highly professional. Even after the buyout, Playtech continued providing services for William Hill. So, it wouldn’t be a surprise if William Hill decides to

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Uncertain Future for Gambling Tech Giant Playtech

Scientific Games Another potential buyer for Playtech is Las Vegas-based Scientific Games. Earlier this year, the company completed its purchase of Canada’s NYX Gaming Group Ltd. The acquisition was completed at a reported CAD$775 million or CAD$2.40 per share, which is about USD 630.

Scientific Games first reported back in September that it had agreed on terms to merge with NYX in an attempt to form a “global digital gaming and lottery powerhouse.”

After a unanimous vote from the shareholders of Scientific Games in December, the deal was approved.

The tally of votes was then presented to the Royal Court of Guernsey, which gave its approval.

CEO of Scientific Games, Kevin Sheehan, said that the deal enabled his company to move forward as a major player in the gambling industry, a leading provider in digital sports betting, gaming, and lottery technologies.

This acquisition came a few months after Scientific Games announced its plans to purchase UK-based Red7Mobile, a company which develops casino games for mobile phones and desktops. The amount for the purchase was not made public.

Based on its purchasing behavior, Scientific Games is also likely to acquire Playtech if the company is in the market. Sheehan’s company is determined on increasing its market share and widening its reach in

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terms of the products and services it offers, and acquiring Playtech would give it the perfect opportunity to do exactly this.

Hence, it would be safe to say, in conclusion, that, as uncertain as Playtech’s future is as of now, it won’t have trouble finding buyers if the board decides that the best way to improve its profitability is by putting it up for sale. Major players in the gaming industry would be competing with each other to acquire the tech giant as competition in the industry also increases.

However, if investor Jason Ader does manage to successfully push for a corporate governance

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GAMING NEWS

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Researchers in Australia Link Video Game Loot Boxes to Problem Gambling

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ccording to a study commissioned by the federal government of Australia, the incorporation of loot boxes in casual gaming might lead to higher risks of problem gambling. Loot boxes may be described as virtual containers that are offered in regular video games and are used to award cheat codes, weapons, skills and so on to the players.

A survey conducted by the Australian Environment and Communications Reference Committee (ECRC) included responses from about 7000 video gamers. According to the results that were revealed this week by the authorities, it was concluded that the casual video gamers who make regular loot box purchases are at a higher risk of developing dangerous real money gambling habits.

While loot boxes are generally allotted as a part of the gameplay

in video gaming, the players can also go on to purchase the treasure chests separately as well. According to the researchers at the University of York and York St. John University, the loot boxes may be regarded as psychologically similar to gambling.

As per the report, the research results also suggested that there was a serious risk of these loot boxes inflicting gambling-related harm on the players.

In its recommendation to the ECRC, the report suggested that the ECRC must introduce regulations that prohibit all games with permissible ratings for players under the legal age of gambling from offering any loot boxes to their players. In addition to this, the researchers also suggested that proper warnings associated with the dangers of loot boxes in terms of problem gambling must be flashed during the operation of the video game.

One of the world’s most popular video gaming giants, Activision Blizzard of the World of Warcraft and Call of Duty fame, revealed in its fiscal filing report for 2017 that nearly $4 billion out of its $7.16 billion in revenue was generated through ingame purchases.

According to the Entertainment Software Rating Board, the games that offer loot boxes cannot be classified as ‘adults only’ as ingame rewards are not equivalent to gambling. However, the researchers argue that since these loot boxes share a lot of similarities with different forms of gambling, they must be considered as a form of gambling themselves. The report further suggested that the purchasing of loot boxes can lead to the concern of problem gambling among the players.

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Casino Stocks Climb With Interest From Activist Hedge

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ultiple Casino stocks climbed higher on Wednesday given all the media speculation of the rising interest from activist hedge funds in the sector. The report speculated that investors in the sector had been influenced by the New York Post news reportd recently.

What the report revealed The New York Post report revealed that the famous hedge fund Starboard Value had been trying to introduce major changes in the consumer goods company called Newell Brands and the cyber security firm Symantec by acquiring a whopping $500 million in MGM Resorts International.

However, another famous news outlet Bloomberg cited inputs from authorities familiar with the situation, stating that Starboard Value has not acquiring any shares at MGM Resorts International. In addition to this, the news agency further reiterated that

Starboard Value had not had any said exposure to the casino stock.

However, Bloomberg remarked that the hedge fund representative had refused to offer any official comment on the matter.

HG Vora’s plans In its regulatory filing that was published on Tuesday, another hedge fund called HG Vora had also revealed its plans of acquiring a sizable stake in Creasers Entertainment. Going with the aforementioned information, the New York Post had published a report stating that sources directly associated with the matter had confirmed HG Vora’s intentions of introducing major changes in the casino giant that operates two of the most famous brands in the market namely the Harrah’s and Horseshoe.

Like several other famous hedge funds such as the Eminence Capital, Soroban Capital Partners and Canyon Capital, HG Vora too holds

significant stake in MGM Resorts International. According to the news report, the shares for MGM Resorts International had registered a 3.1 % rise during the afternoon trade and the Caesars Entertainment climbed up 0.7%. In addition to this, both Wynn Resorts as well as Las Vegas Sands had also recorded an increase of 2.6% and 0.8% respectively in the afternoon trade.

Given the concerns of investors over the apparent weakness in Las Vegas casino revenues, the shares of all the four aforementioned casino companies registered a double digit plummet this year. Commenting on the revenue plummet, Caesars Entertainment remarked that they had already expected the low figures given the lack of any major events during the summer such as the Conor McGregor/Floyd Mayweather boxing event that took place in the season last year.

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Gambling with Credit Cards to be Banned in the UK (If Labour gain power)

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he Labour Party in the UK will be banning the use of credit cards to place bets, which will affect annual transactions worth billions of pounds. The move comes as a result of efforts to crack down on the gambling industry and to prevent the spread of a gambling “epidemic.”

Tom Watson, the Deputy Leader of the Labour, will be publishing the conclusions to the review of the gambling regulations later this week. The regulations had been liberalized by the Tony Blair administration in 2007.

The complete list of proposals includes a ban on the use of credit cards to place bets. The practice has been blamed for putting gamblers in much greater debt than usual.

According to a report from the Gambling Commission, around £8.6 billion of the online gambling sector’s revenue comes from credit card bets, which accounts for roughly 20% of the

overall revenue, which is £43 billion.

The new proposals also suggest a mandatory levy on gambling operators, more funds for treating gambling addiction, and rules that will allow banks to prevent gambling transactions for problem gamblers.

addicts themselves, gambling organizations, and several charities to gain a fairly accurate understanding of the situation. The new regulations also come at a time when in-play betting is gaining ground as a major offering within the gambling sector.

A major concern According to Watson, gambling had become a major concern. In a recent statement, he referred to it as an “epidemic” and “public health emergency.”

The leader believes that existing gambling regulations aren’t tough enough and need to be revised.

Several TV ads have popped up promoting the idea of placing wagers on the next goal-scorer or the results of the game. According to Dr. Henrietta Bowden-Jones of the National Problem Gambling Clinic, gambling advertisements played a major role in causing a relapse among gambling addicts.

He also spoke of how patients are misdiagnosed, and that addiction treatment in the country wasn’t up to standards. Currently, there are very few specialists in the UK who can accurately diagnose gambling addiction.

A thorough review The review was done in consultation with specialists in gambling addiction,

The wide availability of online betting options on smartphones is also said to have had an influence on the efforts to bring about change. There is concern that people with mental health issues and youngsters would easily fall prey to this.

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GAMING NEWS

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Washington DC Legislation Introduces New Bill to Legalize Sports Betting

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he Supreme Court of the United States decided to remove the 1992 law, which banned sports betting in the country.

The change in the federal law was due to the challenge from New Jersey. As a result of this monumental decision, Delaware, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia were the first five states to make this practice legal.

which will instill confidence among the consumers.

It looks like Washington DC will be next one to make sports betting legal as Jack Evans, the council member from D-Ward 2 introduced a new bill.

Robert White, Anita Bonds, Brandon Todd, Vincent Gray, and Mary Cheh were the other council members who introduced it along with Evans.

According to the bill, visitors and residents in the capital will have the right to place bets on sports games.

Known as the Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018, the bill aims to create regulatory frameworks,

If the bill gets passed, the residents no longer have to visit Hollywood Casino, located in West Virginia, to place bets on sports games. Evans stated that by being one of the first, they have a lot to gain from sports betting. However, if they fail to implement the bill, they could lose out on large amounts of revenue, which will go into the pockets of other cities.

According to the press release from the council member, the District Lottery will be the ones in charge of providing licenses to the operators.

According to Evans, it is important for Washington DC to make the most of the Supreme Court’s decision, as it has the potential to increase revenue for the District. Under the new bill, residents can place wagers in offline and online facilities.

Also, they will report and prohibit fraudulent behavior, to preserve the system’s integrity.

Evans believes if the city acts before Virginia or Maryland, they will create a market for sports betting, allowing this practice to thrive in the district.

The bill doesn’t only focus on legalizing sports betting; it aims to fund other programs as well.

Under the bill, gambling operators have to pay a fee of $5,000, $10,000 or $50,000 to get a five-year license.

A portion of the revenue generated will fund “Birth-to-Three for All DC Act,” a program for promoting childhood wellness. The remaining revenue will go to the Commission of the Arts and Humanities. If there is excess, the amount will go to Washington DC’s general fund.

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GAMING NEWS

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New Taxes for Online Operators Fail to Deter This Greek Casino

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he 8-billion pound casino project slated for development in Hellinikon plans to become Europe’s first integrated casino resort.

It has caught the fancy of several big players in the gaming sector worldwide. New statutes that came into existence last week state that online operators will now have to shell out five million pounds in order to acquire a gambling license. The move is supposed to help in the growth of the gambling sector.

There is still time for the international tender to be opened, for a casino license, which should be in October.

It hasn’t stopped companies from expressing their interest in investing in the project before time. The companies that have already bid include the French origin company Lucien Barre, Caesars Entertainment from the US, and renowned Native American enterprises – Hard Rock and Mohegan Sun. According to Ekathimerini, a locally published Greek newspaper, bidding is yet to be complete as two other companies have also expressed

interest.

Citing an unnamed source, the news provider speculated that the other two companies likely to bid are Las Vegas-based Miura Holdings and a management firm that deals with private equity from Toronto, Canada – Clairevest Group. Clairevest Group manages equity capital that amounts roughly to $1.7 billion of companies also related to the entertainment and gambling sector.

It is likely that two or more of these companies may jointly apply together or decide to collaborate on the casino project. Mohegan Sun is rumored to be in close contact with Miura Holdings. While an announcement for the tender is not expected before October, potential stakeholders are reviewing the local rules and taxes for themselves.

Respective authorities are also mulling over the introduction of new regulations for online presence.

Stringent rules for Online Gambling

Operators September 11 saw the Greek Ministry of Finance ordain that, online operators of platforms that enable sports betting will have to purchase a sports betting license for four million pounds in order to operate legally.

An additional license for one million pounds will allow them to operate casino games and other such gambling services online. The license will be valid for some five years and will need to be renewed a year before it is due to expire. Operators must also possess a license from another European country. A company will be ineligible to obtain a new license if their license has been suspended in Greece within twelve months prior to the application. The companies will also be required to make a deposit of 500,000 pounds with their application. It is still uncertain if the original 35% tax levied on operator revenue will be revised. It has decided to tax winnings between 100-500 pounds, and 15% and 20% for any amount exceeding that.

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GAMING NEWS

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Sports Betting a Long Way from being Legalized in Texas

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arlier this year the supreme court overturned a Federal ban that made sportsbetting illegal outside the state of Nevada. With the new amendments in place, several state governments went into action to regulate legal betting in their own states. Betting taxes have been levied and betting operations are being set up in an attempt at generating income from the latest gambling avenue.

within the state.

But, while most of the other states have embraced the legalization of sports betting Texas holds firm in its opposition to the new law.

Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton are united in their stand against legal gambling in the state.

However, even though the most powerful men in the state oppose gambling and betting, the residents still actively bet on sports. With online betting, it has become easier for individuals to bet anonymously

Sports betting in Texas does not just face opposition for the people sitting at the State Capitol. The General Baptist Convention of Texas, a three million individuals strong organization in Texas, is also opposed to legalizing sports betting. A representative for the organization said that he didn’t think that legal betting was required as another stream of revenue for the state.

It is estimated by the American Gaming Association that both legal and illegal sports betting combined is a $150 billion industry. Other sources believe that the figure is closer to $60 billion which is about the same as what Americans spend on lottery tickets annually. In Texas, the lottery contributed $1.3 billion to schools in the state last year.

aid and charging them a tax on betting is just giving back to the government what the government gave to them. This argument might have some merit as studies have shown that lower income individuals are more prone to gambling.

It is however not all bleak for sports betting in Texas. Attitudes towards betting are changing as the rest of the country moves towards removing bans. Texas too has its gambling supporters lobbying for a change in the laws. What could have been a baby step in the directing of legal gambling was a bill introduced

by Rep. Richard Pena Raymond, D-Laredo to legalize fantasy sports games like DraftKings in Texas.

For now, it looks like Texas still has a long way to go before any amendments are made that will legalize sports betting in the state.

The organization claims that many betters are already on government

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Ohio Legalize Sports Betting By The End Of This Year?

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fter the U.S Supreme Court, in May 2018, struck down a law that prohibited sports betting across the country, several states have already legalized the gambling activity and are in the process of developing major sports betting platforms. It seems the state of Ohio will soon be joining the list, hopefully by the end of this year, as state senator John Ecklund is pushing for the ill to be passed.

Even Ohio’s neighboring state, Pennsylvania has legalized sports betting, and Ohio wants to catch up. In the Ohio House and Senate, Senate Bill 316 proposes that the legalization of sports betting is something the General Assembly is intent on discussing and enacting.

A long road ahead for lawmakers As of now, the bill is just two paragraphs long and there is a lot of

work ahead if it is to be passed by the end of this year, which is Senator Ecklund’s goal. First, the body of this bill needs thorough research so that an amendment can be drafted.

Ecklund says the most important question right now is not if they are going to legalize sports betting in Ohio, but rather, how they can do so in such a way that everybody in the state maximizes from it one way or another. In order to discuss this very concern, Ecklund has held meetings with different groups involved with sportsbooks.

There are several other pressing matters which must be finalized too before the bill can be presented. For instance, will there be regulating the body, and if so, who will it be? Who will be responsible for sports betting in Ohio and what kind of games will people be allowed to bet on?

Then, there is also the question of finances. How much will the rates be and how will taxing be carried out? Will the sports book company or the winning be taxed? Moreover, Ecklund still has to decide how the taxes collected will be distributed by the state.

Concerns regarding high fees Ecklund has also taken into consideration the cost of high fees, which often discourages potential sports book companies from wanting to operate. This has often been the case with not just sports betting, but other forms of gambling as well.

If the fees are too high, operators don’t make enough profits and it doesn’t make sense for them to operate in such states.

Despite these challenges ahead, Ecklund is still confident that he can get the bill passed by the end of 2018.

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