SBC Eurasia Editorial Team is happy to present a quick recap of the gambling industry events, news, regulations and partnerships that happened last week.
From 24–26 September, the SBC Summit will welcome 25,000 attendees to the Feira Internacional de Lisboa in Lisbon, marking a 66.7% increase in attendance compared to the previous edition in Barcelona and solidifying its status as the fastest-growing event in the sports betting and iGaming industry. Additionally, Soft2Bet, the iGaming industry’s leading provider of turnkey solutions, will once again be driving thought leadership at the SBC Summit with the company hosting a must-attend workshop on Motivational Engineering Gaming Application (MEGA), the leading gamification solution in iGaming.
Georgia adopted new regulations for the gambling industry in 2022. In 2023, the government decided to increase the tax rate on the sector. George Mamulaishvili, the head of the Georgian Gambling Association (GGA), discussed the country’s situation at the moment and shared the latest data showing the growth of the gambling market.
Push Gaming has strengthened its presence in Europe with a new partnership with Georgian operator Ambassadoribet. While Thumba is preparing for its launch on Telegram, aiming to offer a simplified approach to creating fantasy sports teams.
In recent months, global operators have steadily increased their focus on the development of emerging markets in Southeast Asia. Recent developments have further solidified this interest, as both Thailand and Japan have made notable progress in advancing their gaming legislation.
Finland’s government has been advised to take an open stance on marketing and customer incentives as it works towards launching a new gambling framework by 2027. While the Government of New Zealand has launched a public consultation into a legislative amendment to exempt lotteries from a remote gambling prohibition clause.
Australian non-profit gambling harm prevention campaign, Alliance for Gambling Reform, has maintained its demands for a total gambling ad ban amid an increase in player losses. While lenders of The Star Entertainment Group have extended an additional AU$150 million ($100 million) lifeline to help the casino operator navigate a cash crisis driven by cost overruns at its new Brisbane casino and a drop in patronage.
Las Vegas Sands plans to significantly increase its investment in Macau, increasing its stake in Sands China to 72%. While lifetime bans have been enforced by the Chinese Football Association (CFA) on 43 individuals for match-fixing and betting-related corruption.
Brazil’s Finance Ministry has announced that starting October 1, all companies that haven’t applied for a license to join the forthcoming betting market will be suspended. While Flutter Entertainment’s CEO, Peter Jackson, stated that the company is ready to “capitalize on growth opportunities in Brazil” following the announcement of its acquisition of 56% of NSX Group, is a Brazilian operator whose brands include Betnacional.
Kindred Group is extending its position as Middlesbrough FC’s principal front-of-shirt partner for a further two years. Additionally, the acquisition of Kindred Group by La Française des Jeux (FDJ) has received formal approval from France’s competition authority, the Autorité de la concurrence.
Fox Corporation is seeking to acquire a stake in FanDuel at a reduced price. The media giant plans to exercise an option to purchase a minority stake in FanDuel, which is valued at approximately $6.5 billion on the open market. While Playtech has amended its strategic agreement with Tecnologia en Entretenimiento Caliplay SAPI de CV, a Corporación Caliente SA de CV subsidiary, resulting in the company receiving over €150m in unpaid software and service fees.
Superbet founder Sacha Dragic named as co-CEO of the firm after five years away from the role.
Betway leaves Sweden as Super Group targets new market opportunities. While gaming platform provider 4Play Gaming has announced the upcoming launch of Lora, the first AI-driven expert for casinos, set to debut in September. Lora is designed to assist casino operators in making smarter, data-driven decisions by utilizing advanced AI to analyze player behavior, game performance, and operational data.
Affiliate Gentoo Media has renewed its partnership with Betsson Group for another year. This extension allows Betsson to continue utilizing GiG Comply’s automated compliance and brand protection tools. While EveryMatrix has made a public offer to purchase all shares of the Swedish online casino game developer Fantasma Games AB, proposing SEK 59 ($5.79) per share in cash.
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