SBC CIS Editorial Team is happy to present a quick recap of the gambling industry events, news, regulations and partnerships that happened last week.
In Georgia, the new amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences will come into force on July 1, 2024, tightening the restrictions on gambling. According to the new amendments, persons under 25 years of age (citizens of Georgia) and persons under 18 years of age (foreign citizens), as well as those who are prohibited from gambling, are deprived of the opportunity to play in online casinos and sweepstakes. Violation of these rules, including both online and offline access, will result in fines of GEL 10,000 for the first offence and GEL 20,000 for subsequent violations. In addition, organisations and Internet cafes providing online gambling will be subject to the following fines: GEL 15,000 for the first violation and GEL 30,000 for repeated violations of the law.
Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the gambling authority of the Netherlands, has imposed a €3 million penalty on BetEnt NV, the operating company of BetCity.nl. The penalty relates to BetCity.nl’s failure to comply with the rules of the Netherlands Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Prevention Act (Wwft).
Entain has reached an agreement in principle with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to enter into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) as part of an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) into its previous business in Turkey — Headlong. Entain has received preliminary judicial approval from the President of the Queen’s Bench Division, to complete the payment of £585 million to HMRC.
Svenska Spel is distributing SEK 35 million to youth sports through its Gräsroten initiative, a program that was launched 11 years ago. Shared between 8,654 different associations, the money goes to, among other things, the purchase of new equipment and leadership training.
Abios and BETER have used their learnings to provide insights into how sportsbooks should be positioned to win the attention of the Netflix generation. With the introduction of handheld devices, endless scrolling on social feeds, and on-demand video one click away, sports betting brands don’t only compete with each other for users’ attention but with endless sources of entertainment.
PIN-UP Global has unveiled PIN-UP.INVESTMENTS, a new line of their business that aims to expand the scope of the group’s investments in the gaming sector. PIN-UP.INVESTMENTS will manage its assets between projects and products related to gambling, increasing traffic, software development, customer service, payment systems, advertising platforms and products based on artificial intelligence.
Intralot maintains a stable outlook for year-trading, despite the Athens-listed technology group reporting continued revenue declines impacting its commercial performance. In its latest year-to-date (YTD) report, Intralot indicated corporate revenues standing at €280m, down 7% on 2022 comparatives of €301m.
Oddin.gg is actively seeking licences in an additional eight US states. The esports betting operator has reported significant progress in its expansion plan in North America, with existing licences in New Jersey, Colorado and Ontario in Canada. Ohio, Maryland and Kansas have been identified by the operator as key states to expand its presence in the rapidly growing US market.
MGM Resorts will not be making a bid for the whole of Entain as the pressure from activist investors on the UK group’s CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen shows few signs of easing following last week’s Financial Times reports of shareholders moving against her. According to sources close to the group, the US casino giant is “not interested” in bidding for the whole of the UK group and instead will swoop for the outstanding 50% of the BetMGM joint venture that Entain holds when the UK group is eventually sold.
BetGames’ Vice President in the CIS region, Yuri Mikhailov, in a recent interview with SBC CIS, spoke about their new game — Skyward — and the impact BetGames is expecting this new title to have on the gaming experience for everyone who prefers new ways of entertainment in an industry that’s growing ever more saturated.
Betano has entered into a global sponsorship agreement for EURO2024 in Germany, becoming the first sports betting operator to partner with UEFA. This is a continuation of Betano’s success at last year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where they were also the first official partner of the competition.
Stakelogic Live will begin operations in the Greek market following approval from the Hellenic Gambling Commission enabling Stakelogic Live to provide exciting live casino content to any licensed online casino in Greece.
Digitain has signed an agreement with gaming brand LeBull.pt to launch its bookmaking activities in the Portuguese market.
Pragmatic Play will supply its slots to igaming operator Niké. The collaboration with Niké, one of the leaders in the Slovak market, will be a catalyst for Pragmatic Play’s continued growth in the country, allowing more players the access to their content for the first time.
CT Interactive has deepened its ties in Bulgaria through the partnership with Everbet, a newly-licensed operator. Following recent Bulgarian deals with Slotino and Magicbet, CT Interactive has tapped into another corner of the nation’s igaming sector offering its full roster of slot content to Everbet’s growing player base.
Swintt has strengthened its position in Malta by entering into a partnership with Betsson’s Guts Casino. Under this agreement, Guts Casino will have access to Swintt’s diverse slot portfolio, including games from SwinttGames and SwinttPremium.
7777 Gaming has partnered with betBonanza to include Nigeria in its priority markets, seeing great potential in this partnership. To attract Nigeria’s active gaming community, 7777 Gaming has given the operator access to a full range of its slots, including over 100 unique games.
Hacksaw Gaming has successfully launched its unique range of games on the Betsafe platform in Lithuania. Betsafe Lithuania proudly maintains its position at the top of the rankings, earning a place among the best every quarter. Known for its commitment to creating high-quality gaming platforms, Betsson becomes the ideal partner for Hacksaw Gaming’s innovative and quality gaming content.
RubyPlay has announced its plans to directly access the Italian market through an in-depth collaboration with PokerStars. The move is a natural progression from the company’s successful start to the year with games such as Shake Shake Money Tree and Diamond Explosion 7s. Under this agreement, RubyPlay will create custom games for PokerStars, marking a new stage following the recent launch of the Immortal Ways franchise.
RAW iGaming has joined forces with Digitain, significantly expanding the reach of its games. Operators using Digitain’s cutting-edge platform can now provide their players with some of the most sought-after content on the market, as every game from RAW designed to provide players with excitement with every spin.
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