SBC CIS Editorial Team is happy to present a quick recap of the gambling industry events, news, regulations and partnerships that happened last week.
Setanta Sports has teamed up with Netflix, the global leader in streaming content, in an exclusive partnership in 13 countries. This exciting news pleases both sports fans and entertainment lovers. A new combined package, the Fan Pack, provides an option to subscribe to both Setanta Sports and Netflix for a single fee, offering access to unique content from both services.
In Georgia, the Prime Minister proposed an initiative to raise the tax on winnings from 2% to 5%. We’ve reached out to experts at 4H Agency, a boutique gambling consulting firm, for their insights, analysis of the proposed change, as well as their take on the situation as a whole.
Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has announced a landmark initiative, becoming the first regulatory authority to introduce an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Code of Good Practice specifically designed for the online gambling sector.
Lithuania’s Gross Gambling Revenue (GGR) rose 15.2% Y-o-Y, reaching €161.0m (£140.8m/$172.1m) in the nine months to 30 September. This growth is due to increasing interest in online gambling. Revenue was significantly higher than the $139.8 million reported in the same period last year. The Lithuanian Gambling Control Authority reported growth in both the online and offline segments. Remote gambling particularly stands out, with gross revenue of €107.0 million, up 24.4% from last year’s €86.0 million. Revenue from land-based gambling also increased by 0.4% to €54.0 million.
Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, has announced its ambition to become the regional gaming licensing center in Southeast Asia. They created the industry-specific Virtual Gaming Association (VGA) of Timor-Leste, covering an area spanning the eastern half of the island and the western half of Indonesia. VGA’s goal is to become a “friendly global licensing jurisdiction”, promote excellence in gaming licensing and regulation, and actively engage with industry partners and members through consultation.
OpenBet and Veikkaus have announced a long-term partnership where the Veikkaus sports betting operations will be based on OpenBet technology. The move is significant amid the growing influence of the betting operator’s operations both online and offline. OpenBet will also provide managed trading services to Veikkaus, which is strategically important for both companies.
Drogenbeauftragter, the Federal Drug Commissioner of the Bundestag, has published the ‘Gambling Atlas of Germany’, providing comprehensive statistics and data on the harms and addiction associated with problem gambling. The Atlas is the first ‘scientifically grounded report’ to measure problem gambling in Germany following the launch of the Fourth Interstate Treaty on Gambling (GlüNeuRStv), which came into effect on 1 July 2021.
Deutsche Sportwettenverband (DSWV) has confirmed the appointment of Luise Evers as the new Spokesperson and Press Officer for the German Sports Betting Trade Association. The appointment will see Evers assume full responsibilities for DSWV’s press relations as well as both internal and external communication channels.
Superbet Group has announced the appointment of Jimmy Maymann as its new CEO, effective from 15 January 2024. Current CEO, Johnny Hartnett, will be stepping down from his position and moving to its Board as Non-executive Director. Maymann brings extensive senior and board-level leadership experience, with a ‘proven track-record as an innovator and entrepreneur’.
PressEnter Group has expanded its team by inviting Phillip Bell to assume the position of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). Bell will lead the development of the brand portfolio, which includes UltraCasino, NitroCasino, 21.com, XLBet and JustSpin, which form the core of the company.
Anton Kuchukhidze, Head of Ukrainian Gambling Council, highlighted some of the issues with lotteries that are being exploited currently in Ukraine.
OKTO has started to provide real-time cash to digital payments services in Spain, Germany, Greece and Croatia, confirming the expansion of its service to these countries. The expansion will target merchants and consumers as it aims to support instant payments worldwide.
Sky and Amazon are considering expanding their portfolio of Premier League broadcast rights from their current allocations and may compete for certain packages.
Bulgaria’s National Revenue Agency (NRA) has confirmed that the country’s self-exclusion scheme has seen more than 24,000 newly registered people since December 2022.
Kambi Group has appointed Anders Ström as the group’s new Chair of the Board, as Lars Stugemo makes the decision to step down. Stugemo notified the Nomination Committee that he does not intend to seek re-election at the Kambi Annual General Meeting 2024. The committee then decided to propose Kambi Co-Founder Anders Ström be appointed as Chair at next year’s General Meeting.
REEVO has entered into a strategic partnership with 1Spin4Win, a leading gaming provider known for its classic online slots. This significant event marks a new era in gaming experience as games from 1Spin4Win are seamlessly integrated into the cutting-edge REEVO platform, bringing new features and a world of excitement to players.
Rizk Casino has expanded its gaming collection with the integration of all Swintt slot games. This includes both new releases from the studio, as well as already beloved games from the SwinttGames and SwinttPremium series.
Spinomenal has agreed to integrate its games into the ELITBET online casino. ELITBET.bg players who now have access to content from Spinomenal can enjoy such slots as Wolf Fang, 1 Reel Demi Gods II and Majestic Winter.
Spinthon has announced its collaboration with SoftGamings, a renowned iGaming solutions developer. This partnership will bring their platforms together, giving players access to a wide selection of premium games. Games from Spinthon will be easily accessible through the SoftGamings platform, enriching customers’ gaming experience with quality content.
Delasport has partnered with Bejoynd, a Swedish B2B provider, to expand sports betting in the Nordic market with Delasport’s Plug & Play Sportsbook technology. They integrate the iFrame solution into the Bejoynd platform, providing customers with a turnkey, easy-to-use sports betting solution. The companies’ plans include expanding beyond Nordics and entering other regulated markets.
REEVO and IMG ARENA’s virtual gaming provider, Leap Gaming, have entered into a new partnership agreement. This alliance between REEVO and Leap Gaming will give REEVO’s operator partners the opportunity to take advantage of games from Leap Gaming, including Euroleague Instant Legends, NASCAR Racing and Virtual Races, through an easy-to-use API for accessing games.
Winner.ro has entered into a partnership with Digitain. This partnership aims to integrate an API solution to enhance Winner.ro’s online gaming offering in the Romanian market.
Pragmatic Play has expanded its presence in Europe, allowing the company to expand into two new markets in partnership with operator bet365. Under the agreement, games from Pragmatic Play will be available across bet365’s portfolio in Spain and Sweden. Games provided for the operator’s Spanish business will include Gates of Olympus, Sugar Rush, Big Bass Bonanza and Sweet Bonanza.
Casino777 has integrated a range of games developed by CT Interactive to delight their players in Spain.
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