SBC Eurasia Editorial Team is happy to present a quick recap of the gambling industry events, news, regulations and partnerships that happened last week.
In Tbilisi, the cultural dynamics of an evolving global gambling marketplace collide, as leadership contends with the generational ripples of an industry at a point of inflection. At the opening of the SBC Summit Tbilisi, participants discussed the complex structure and uniqueness of the successful gambling business in Eastern Europe.
Additionally, in its two-day course, the SBC Summit Tbilisi tackled the most pressing and important issues in the region: how brands can integrate cutting-edge technology into their daily operations, improve user experience and identify the latest market trends to drive growth in their target markets. Moreover, the discussions covered important topics such as the socio-economic impact of the iGaming industry on local communities, tackling complex regulatory and compliance issues, and effective strategies for operators operating in multiple regions.
The summit focused on key markets in Eastern Europe and Central Asia such as Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia, Bulgaria and Romania, as well as emerging markets including Uzbekistan.
Moreover, Michał Głowacki, COO of SB Software, shared insights about the sports betting market in Georgia.
Altenar, a leading provider of sports betting and iGaming software, has signed its first customer in Georgia, providing its cutting-edge sportsbook to online operator Ambassadoribet. While Atlaslive announced the appointment of a new Chief Product Officer (CPO), Lasha Kupatadze.
The Ministry of National Economy of Kazakhstan reported on the innovations that will be introduced following the approval of the new Tax Code in the country.
Amusnet, a leading international iGaming provider, is expanding its presence in Italy through a strategic alliance with another Italian brand within the Betsson Group: Betsson.it. While Pragmatic Play is set to enter the German market through a partnership with DAZN Bet, facilitated by a license obtained from GGL in August.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has issued a stern warning to players regarding involvement in sports betting, promising “tough sanctions” as football approaches a busy summer. Addressing the issue of match-fixing, Infantino emphasized that players must refrain from gambling on any sport, including football and rugby.
Ligue 1 continues to negotiate the sale of its broadcasting rights, with Amazon, DAZN, and BeIN Sports all showing interest. However, the French Professional Football League (LFP) is also considering launching its own streaming platform.
With the excitement building for Copa America and Euro 2024, Kaizen Gaming, in collaboration with Booming Games, has launched a new game, Ronaldinho Spin, featuring the Brazilian football legend.
MGM Resorts has completed an agreement to acquire technology platform Tipico US, a deal managed by LeoVegas AB. While Belatra Games has expanded its partnership with iGaming solutions provider Slotegrator.
Tabcorp, Arena Racing Company (ARC), Racecourse Media Group (RMG) and 1/ST CONTENT are creating a network of rights holders that will distribute content across multiple international markets.
Under the new agreement, the Greek company OPAP will become the sole legal operator in Cyprus, with all other operators banned. Additionally, Catena Media has informed investors that changes to Google’s algorithm have negatively impacted its second-quarter earnings.
Regulators from Austria, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, and the UK convened in Vienna on June 11-12 to address player protection measures. While the European Gambling and Betting Association (EGBA) has acknowledged identity verification and anti-fraud platform Sumsub as an Associate Member.
Provider Soft2Bet announced the launch of the Soft2Bet Invest fund, aimed at supporting entrepreneurs in the gaming industry at the initial stages of developing their business.
The 53rd meeting of India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has brought relief to the country’s gambling sector. No changes were proposed to the current 28% GST, which is levied on the full value of bets placed on online games. While OKTO is extending its real-time cash payment conversion service into closed-loop digital payments by launching OKTO.CASH in the Indian market.
In Indonesia, a newly created task force dedicated to gambling has already begun active efforts to block access to gaming platforms. While the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has ordered the blocking of three offshore gambling sites.
Google has decided to halt its planned expansion of the Real Money Games (RMG) framework on the Play Store, which was initially announced in early 2024.
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