SBC CIS Editorial Team is happy to present a quick recap of the gambling industry events, news, regulations and partnerships that happened last week.
SBC Summit North America 2023 will take place on May 10 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center and will focus on the future of iGaming and prepare the audience for its potential expansion beyond the current six states. The industry experts will discuss the ideal launch models for iGaming in comparison to sports betting, the implementation and integration of new technologies, how tribal brands can leverage technology to compete with mass-media-driven brands, the growth phase in Ontario, the current status of legislation between different states, and the potential legalization of iGaming in New York. Among the experts will be representatives from Caesars Entertainment, Betsson Group, FanDuel, Trilogy Group, BettHouse, and others.
Hungarian gaming regulator SZTFH issued a decree implementing new technical measures in response to the amendments of the Gambling Act. In February 2022, Hungary introduced legislation to repeal its state-dominated sports betting market and replace it with a competitive licensing process similar to that of many of its neighboring countries. The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled in 2017 that the previous system was unlawful. The new regime was introduced on January 1, 2023. It provides that the operators who wish to receive an authorization from the SZTFH must have at least five years of experience offering licensed online gaming in a state that is part of the European Economic Zone. The law also expressly prohibits companies from obtaining a license if they have engaged in unlicensed gambling within the last five years.
Lithuanian Gaming Control Authority (LGCA) joined United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports (ULIS), previously known as Global Lottery Monitoring System (GLMS). ULIS and LGCA have worked together since May 2018 via a cooperation agreement, and LGCA is now a new associate member, a move that will strengthen the collaboration between the two organizations.
Giorgi Mamulaishvili, Head of the Georgian Gambling Association (GGA), offered his view on the new gambling regulations in Georgia that came into force on March 1, 2022 prohibiting citizens under the age of 25, socially vulnerable individuals, public employees, and individuals blacklisted by courts from gambling.
“In social terms, we have received a partially unstable and illegal market. There was a loss of about one billion GEL to illegal gambling sites last year. A lot of money went towards illegal sites due to their high margins – 40-45%,” said Mr. Mamulaishvili.
Such restrictions are very attractive to illegal companies. According to the Head of the GGA, approximately 720 illegal sites are trying to enter the Georgian market right now.
BetConstruct, a leading online gaming and betting solutions provider, received a new license from the Danish Gambling Authority. This will enable the company to expand its European footprint and offer a broader range of products. The Danish Gaming Authority is considered one of the most reputable and strict gambling commissions in the world. The license, therefore, opens up new opportunities in Denmark’s iGaming industry. BetConstruct’s offerings for the Danish market now include online casino games, sports betting and live casino, as well as retail solutions for betting shops.
GR8 Tech, a European sports betting technology company, highlighted Brazil as a particular focus for their plans in Latin America and presented its advantages and challenges. With the population of 215 million people and a high number of smartphone users, the Brazilian market has emerged as a key opportunity for sportsbook operators and platform providers. Once all of the appropriate regulations are in place, Brazil is expected to become the largest market in the region.
Betegy, an ads automation platform, launched a new smart banners service that personalizes advertisements for players. This tool allows Betegy to create personalized banner ads based on the information gathered about players’ betting habits using the profiling information from the operator’s CRM system. Betegy’s platform can identify a player’s interest and produce a personalized banner catered to their preferences, which is designed to offer a seamless experience for the user and boost engagement for operators.
Premier League clubs are set to agree upon a ruling that would ban gambling companies from front-of-shirt sponsorships on team shirts in the near future. The sleeve sponsorship ban is less likely to be included in the plans of Premier League clubs. It is expected that the clubs will support the move to avoid government legislation banning gambling advertising completely. A final vote on the ban may be put off until the Premier League’s summer meeting in June but it is thought that enough clubs will back the plan if a three-year transition period is included, something that is likely to be accepted by the government.
Adding to the topic of football, Chelsea FC suffered a loss of £121.3 millions in the 2021-22 financial year as a result of the sanctions imposed on former club owner Roman Abramovich. During Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, the UK government sanctioned seven Russian oligarchs, including Mr. Abramovich. By implementing these measures, the British government was looking to isolate the Russian leader and those around him, cripple the country’s economy, and hamper the country’s military capabilities. Sanctioning of Roman Abramovich significantly affected Chelsea, the club was placed under a special license and therefore unable to use broadcast fees and merit payments, sell merchandise or tickets to matches in the final months of the previous season, agree commercial partnerships, accept event bookings, or process transfers and new contracts.
Lambda Gaming, a provider of innovative online casino games, had a very successful week in terms of new partnerships. First, the company joined forces with BetConstruct, one of the leading game aggregation platforms in the iGaming industry. Then, Lambda Gaming announced their partnership with iGaming solutions provider Upgaming. By partnering with BetConstruct and Upgaming, Lambda Gaming will gain access to next-generation gaming technology and platform integration solutions, allowing the company to deliver a superior gaming experience to players worldwide.
Altenar, one of the leading sportsbook and iGaming software providers, expanded its presence in Bulgaria with renowned operator BetMarket. BetMarket already has an existing relationship with Altenar, which has serviced the Bulgarian operator’s prop markets and virtual sports offering. The operator was initially launched in 1997 and started out as purely a bingo and slot games operator but has since grown into the world of sport, offering a wide range of games and products to its customers.
Anaxi, an online gaming division of Aristocrat, will supply titles to FanDuel‘s online casino, as part of a strategic partnership. The deal will make Aristocrat games such as Dolphin Treasure and Wild Americoins available on FanDuel’s US online casino platform.
Evoplay partnered with 7bet to strengthen its positions in Lithuania. The new partnership will see the award-winning game development studio further expand its presence in the Baltics. 7bet, Lithuania’s tier-one operator, will integrate 50 titles from the provider into its offering as part of the agreement.
FAVBET introduced a ‘Lite Mode’ setting into its iOS and Android application. This will allow players to have a high-quality gaming experience even when their Internet connection is weak, during massive blackouts or power outages with minimal internet connectivity. Users may activate the ‘Lite Mode’ in the app’s settings. Activating it will prevent the app from automatically downloading advertising images and game thumbnails. It will also limit the rate of background updates to reduce the consumption of traffic.
Stay tuned for more news this week and subscribe to our Telegram channel!
