SBC CIS Editorial Team is happy to present a quick recap of the gambling industry events, news, regulations and partnerships that happened last week.
Parimatch Group seeks a new CEO following the resignation of Maksym Liashko as Managing Partner and Chief Executive of the Eastern European gambling group. The group informed that “the decision was taken during a shareholder meeting of the international holding Parimatch and its management company Energame”. A partner of Energame, Liashko was appointed CEO of Parimatch Group in April 2022.
Entain has announced that it has reached a definitive settlement on its Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), concerning the bribery investigation by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) of its Turkish-facing business. Terms of the settlement were approved by Dame Victoria Sharp, President of the King’s Bench Division at the Royal Courts of Justice at the Crown Court of Southwark.
Playtech is reported to have tabled a £700m offer to acquire 888 Holdings. As reported by The Sunday Times last weekend, FTSE 250-listed Playtech’s “£700m swoop for 888 Holdings” was rejected by the board as “undervaluing the company”, according to City sources.
In Kyrgyzstan, over the ten months period of the current year, the country’s budget was replenished by 71 million 730 thousand soms ($808 000) from gambling activities.
In Kazakhstan, the Government appealed to residents with a request to take an active civic position and help in the fight against illegal gambling by providing URLs and related materials (photos, screenshots) of online casino sites, “black” bookmakers and other organisations involved in illegal gambling activities through the established communication channels.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law that was adopted a month ago and provides for the lifting of the moratorium on tax audits of Ukrainian businesses. Scheduled inspections for 2023 and 2024 may include: manufacturers and sellers of excisable products; gambling business; companies providing financial and payment services; non-residents working through separate divisions.
In Uzbekistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev issued a decree nominating the National Agency for Prospective Projects (NAPP) to control the activities of bookmakers and lottery operators in the country. By the spring of 2024, a working group will be formed from the staff of the NAPP, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Security Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its task is to study the international experience of countries where sports betting is legal, including Georgia, Singapore, South Korea, Hungary and Estonia. The draft regulation is expected to be completed by June 2024.
Digitain is expanding its sports betting solution with the introduction of SportChat, a tool that facilitates interaction between players. It aims to improve user retention, increase user activity and provide new income opportunities. The new feature allows players to communicate in real time during live sporting events.
PopOK Gaming has received the certification of 18 of its games in Lithuania. Receiving this certificate was a significant achievement for PopOK Gaming, allowing it to expand the availability of its games in Lithuania and strengthen its position in the regulated market.
ELA Games has been authorised by the Malta Gaming Authority marking the beginning of their expansion into select global markets. The company continues its strategic expansion in Europe and it is another major step in its ability to access distribution and commercial partnerships with companies based in the iGaming hub of Malta.
BetConstruct received a virtual slot games licence from the German regulator GGL, allowing them to offer compliant online slots in accordance with German gambling laws and regulations. This opens up new opportunities for all stakeholders in the German market – from slot games suppliers to BetConstruct’s operator-partners and players.
Asian games distributor, QTech Games, and casino games provider, Onlyplay, have announced their strategic partnership. This collaboration allows QTech Games to embed Onlyplay’s catalogue of slot games into its platform, enhancing the gaming experience for users. Onlyplay offers a variety of games, including options for both fiat and crypto payments. Their portfolio includes instant wins, slot games and lottery games such as Crystal Cascade, Jack Potter Deluxe and Hot & Spicy.
Hacksaw Gaming, which debuted in the market at the end of 2021, has its sights set on becoming a leading gaming content provider. The partnership with Betsson Group, recognized as one of the largest casino companies in Spain, significantly contributes to the achievement of Hacksaw Gaming’s ambitious goals and brings them closer to this status.
ESA Gaming, a leading developer of gaming products, has joined forces with Novibet to provide the operator with world-class access to the EasySwipe™ portfolio. Mobile games from ESA Gaming are now available to Novibet customers in several key markets including Greece, Ireland, Finland, Mexico and Colombia.
CT Interactive games are now available on the Fortuna website in Slovakia. Fortuna customers can now enjoy high-quality games from CT Interactive. In recent years, the company has continued to expand across Europe, obtaining licences for Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Italy, Spain, Belarus and Colombia.
Bulgarian igaming operator Everbet.bg is expanding the range of games in its portfolio by adding content from EGT Digital. Players can now enjoy a selection of 57 exciting Clover Chance jackpot games.
7777 Gaming joined forces with Superbet to attract Romanian audiences. Under this agreement, Superbet will receive a strategically selected offering of 7777 Gaming slots, starting with 25 unique games. In addition, this contract includes the start of a regular weekly release of two new games in partnership with Superbet.
Slotegrator has partnered up with Reevo. The agreement aims to expand the functionality of the Slotegrator APIgrator, providing operators with even more capabilities. Reevo offers a variety of exclusive slots and table games and also operates an aggregation platform giving operators access to 8000+ games from 80+ providers.
Orbital Gaming has taken on the role of innovator by teaming up with EveryMatrix. Together, the companies are poised to offer something amazing — combining EveryMatrix’s extensive experience with Orbital Gaming’s innovative approach.
NetBet has entered into a partnership with Apollo Games, a gaming content provider with licences in over 20 countries worldwide. NetBet’s expansion plans are focused on countries outside the UK, with a particular focus on Greece.
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