SBC CIS Editorial Team is happy to present a quick recap of the gambling industry events, news, regulations and partnerships that happened last week.
This year’s SBC Summit in Barcelona will bring together 15,000 delegates. Industry experts will discuss the latest sponsorship trends and marketing tactics in a special ‘Sponsorship, Marketing & Data’ conference track.
The exhibition space at the Summit will provide a unique opportunity to experience and interact with next generation transformational technologies, brands and services from major global companies and innovative start-ups. Confirmed zone participants include GumBallPay, Global Transaction Charge, CoinsPaid, Incode, Betting Software, PayGames, RiskScreen and Damex, as well as many others whose names have not yet been disclosed.
The SBC Summit Tbilisi, scheduled for October 23-24 at Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace, will feature a series of conference tracks that will explore in detail the wide range of opportunities in Georgia and the neighbouring regions, including the Black Sea region, Central Asia and the Balkans.
SBC Summit Tbilisi, the largest iGaming and sports betting conference in Georgia and adjacent regions, is jointly organised by SBC and SMH, the Georgian iGaming and sports management organisation. The purpose of this significant regional event is to bring together industry leaders, eminent experts to explore the significant expansion of the sector in the region and its potential impact on the global stage.
The two tracks of the conference are Market Review and Innovations. The former will focus on specific markets such as Georgia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, while the latter will be dedicated to innovative advances that build customer loyalty, improve marketing results, harness the power of artificial intelligence, and explore the revolutionary promise of Web3. Click here to read more about the conference at SBC SUmmit Tbilisi.
Lithuania has recently changed its attitude towards gambling. Currently, various forms of gambling entertainment are available to local residents, subject to compliance with the law. Click here to read an overview of the situation of gambling in the Lithuanian market.
Kazakhstan is preparing to introduce a new law that will prohibit civil servants, as well as military personnel and members of military formations, from visiting gambling establishments. We’ve reached out to a representative of the international gambling business consulting firm — 4H Agency — for comments on the recent legislative changes that might affect gambling in Kazakhstan. Click here to read 4H expert’s comments.
The Ukrainian gambling regulator successfully blocked 75% of unlicensed gambling websites. According to the Ukrainian Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lottery (KRAIL), after the intervention of the regulator in Ukraine, 72.3% of unlicensed websites stopped working from January 25, 2022 to August 8 of the current year. Regulatory measures were applied to websites without an appropriate licence and that are targeting the citizens of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Bureau of Economic Security (ESBU) announced the termination of the activities of four illegal gambling establishments located in the Shevchenkivskyi, Solomyanskyi and Svyatoshynskyi districts of Kyiv. During a series of searches in illegal gambling establishments, the local ESBU task force seized 120 pieces of computer equipment worth about of UAH1.5m ($40,000). The investigation also revealed that the leaders of the syndicate ran the organisation without creating a legal entity, which is a violation of the law.
FAVBET Group remains the only land-based casino operator in the capital that has an active licence to organise and conduct gambling in its gambling establishments. The casino operates strictly in accordance with the licence granted to Favorit Casino Company LLC in 2021. Its premises are equipped with 5 roulette tables, 12 card game tables and 76 slot machines, creating a varied gaming space. During the two years of the Russian war in Ukraine, the FAVBET group of companies contributed to the state budget a total amount exceeding 280 million UAH (7.5M USD). At the August meeting of the Ukrainian gambling regulator, several additional licences were issued to companies from the FAVBET Group. It has successfully obtained a licence to create the first legal betting shop in Ukraine. Like the FAVBET Casino, the betting shop will operate within the Mercure Kyiv Congress hotel.
TotoGaming confirmed that it will start operating on the Romanian gambling market in the near future. The company has received an official licence from Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc (Romanian National Gambling Authority). This permit became effective on August 1, 2023. TotoGaming plans to expand its innovative platform to the European market enabling customers to enjoy a high quality gaming experience on an exciting journey with them.
EGT Digital continues to increase its presence in Europe and now provides its gaming content to the Serbian online betting website merkurxtip.rs. Its audience will be able to enjoy games from a variety of series, including Bell Link, High Cash and Single Progressive Jackpot, presented by the Bulgarian provider for the first time in Serbia.
eSports have become a phenomenon with a huge following around the world. The history of eSports began in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when early video game enthusiasts competed on home consoles and arcades. Later, this led to small competitions within the same computer club, where players played over a local network. Currently, eSports has really become a significant industry with professional leagues, tournaments and large prize pools. Read more about the best leagues, best teams and the perspectives of the sports on the SBC CIS website.
Softswiss published their platform stats that are able to tell how popular certain kinds of sports are among the audience of the platform’s partner operators. The following sports are the most popular in betting through the Softswiss platform: football, basketball and tennis. According to statistics, 78% of all bets were made on mobile devices.
Sportingwin aims to succeed in the Romanian betting market, intending to “take market share” from established brands. In the first quarter of next year, the Maltese betting company will launch its platform under the domain name Sportingwin.ro in Romania, operating under licence from the National Gambling Office.
GR8 Tech has had a tough time this year. According to CEO Evgen Belousov and CTO Artur Ashyrov, this is just the tip of the iceberg as the company has just announced the launch of its GR8 Sportsbook as a standalone product. Both executives are confident that the GR8 Sportsbook will strengthen the GR8 Tech portfolio and provide operators with the tools they need to succeed in the constant iGaming race. Evgen Belousov and Artur Ashyrov shared their experience of overcoming technical challenges in implementing a specialised sports betting platform. They highlight the main benefits and features of the new product, and discuss the essential role of machine learning in providing personalised betting recommendations.
REEVO, a B2B content aggregation platform, announced its strategic partnership with BETER Live, an innovative live casino brand known for its high-tech and addictive games. Through this partnership, REEVO operators will have access to extensive BETER Live content, including live dealer solutions. Through this integration, operators will be able to offer players a range of the latest live dealer games, including roulette, blackjack, top card and baccarat, as well as the new Gravity multiplier series.
SYNOT Games entered into a partnership with REEVO. The collaboration will see the full integration of exclusive casino games from SYNOT Games into the industry-leading REEVO aggregation platform. Thanks to this, both operator partners and players will be able to enjoy a new area of entertainment. The list includes popular games such as Respin Joker Dice, Firebird Double 27 Dice and Book of Secrets 6 Dice.
OlyBet Group, which owns Olympic Entertainment Group, announced its status as the official betting operator for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Europe. This expansion of the partnership with DP World Tour has been described as a “natural move” following a successful collaboration between the companies.
DAZN, a streaming company, announced a deal to acquire Ata Football, a platform that specialises in women’s football content. The acquisition will further consolidate DAZN’s portfolio in women’s football, adding to its extensive rights portfolio, which already includes global rights to the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) and both domestic and international rights to the German football Bundesliga. Backed by Miami-based sports investment firm 777 Partners, Ata Football streams live women’s football matches from Europe’s top leagues through its own OTT streaming platform.
Podcast Review: Gender Diversity and Allyship in the Gaming Industry
In the new episode of iGaming Daily podcast, Sue Schneider, VP of Growth and Strategy for Americas at SBC, joined Jessica Welman to discuss a topic of equal importance – how to get more women involved in the gaming industry, particularly at the conference level. The duo delved into the representation of women in senior positions throughout the gaming sector, calling for allies throughout the sector and the importance of education.
SmartSoft and Betsson Group reached a new level of collaboration. The innovative JetX product will now be available to Betsson Group customers. This game is just the beginning of an epoch-making collaboration between SmartSoft and Betsson Group. Both companies aim to change the landscape of gambling entertainment by introducing new ideas and technologies. JetX has already become the embodiment of their joint efforts in this direction.
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