SBC CIS Editorial Team is happy to present a quick recap of the gambling industry events, news, regulations and partnerships that happened last week.
SBC CIS published an overview and analysis of the Kazakhstani market based on the expert opinion of George Mamulaishvili, a recognized expert in the field of economics and investment.
National Bank of Georgia expanded access to open banking for non-banking organisations. With the introduction of the Regulation on Inclusion in Open Banking, nationally regulated non-banking institutions will be able to carry out payment transactions using Open Banking. In its statement, the NBG described the regulation and registration procedure as a mechanism to ensure the correctness, reliability and security of the services provided by registered entities.
Maxim Slobodyanyuk was named the new CEO of Atlas-IAC, replacing Sergei Efimenko, who previously held this senior position at the European gaming software developer. Mr. Slobodyanyuk, assuming the position of CEO, will focus on coordinating and driving the strategic focus of Kyiv-based Atlas-IAC, which specialises in providing betting and gambling solutions for EU market operators.
FIFA Women’s World Cup returns next month. It is traditionally held one year after the men’s FIFA World Cup, and it seems to attract as much attention. While women have been absent from the focus of the sports and iGaming industries in recent years, at least the need to increase their visibility seems to have become more prevalent. According to recent research, failing to include women when creating sports advertising and marketing initiatives might result in significant traffic losses. In the 1946 movie Gilda we can hear the narration that “Gambling and women don’t mix” since they distract gamblers and dealers. However, the world of iGaming is continuously developing, and many aspects of the sector must be regularly monitored. One of the most crucial things to evaluate at this point is whether your brand voice is appropriate for a female audience. Read more about the changes in the perception and expanding of inclusivity of women in sports and gambling in this SBC CIS article.
Dan Clancy, CEO of Twitch, revealed his platform’s approach to gambling content and emphasised that they are actively working to prevent the promotion of unlicensed operators. In September 2022, Twitch made important changes to its Community Guidelines regarding gambling-related content. From October 18, 2022, streamers on the platform are prohibited from showing materials or advertising illegal casinos and companies without a proper licence. In an interview, Clancy explained the reason for Twitch’s decision, stressing that the new measures only affect unlicensed and unregulated operators, not affecting content associated with licensed brands. This means that streamers can still show content associated with licensed companies on the Twitch platform.
Mateusz Juroszek, CEO of STS Group, the largest sportsbook operator in Poland, in a recent interview with SBC expressed his confidence in the company’s ability to achieve goals for 2023 and candidly shared his strategic long-term goal that goes beyond Poland.
«We are very pleased with the results for Q1 2023. They confirm both that STS is performing very well in the current situation. We have costs under control, we are improving the indicators that are important for investors – turnover, EBITDA and net profit […]. For us, Poland is a very attractive market. We see a possibility for market growth of up to 15% year-on-year in the coming years. STS is the largest bookmaker in Poland», — shared Mr. Juroszek.
Swintt, the award-winning software provider of the popular The Crown and Aloha Spirit XtraLock slots, announced plans to expand its footprint in the Baltics. This was made possible by signing an exclusive partnership with the leading Lithuanian online casino 7Bet. The new deal marks Swintt’s first foray into the country’s market. As part of this partnership, 7Bet will receive exclusive rights for a two-month period during which they will be the only operator in the country hosting games from Swintt. This will allow players on the 7Bet platform to have privileged access to the best of SwintGames, including the previously mentioned The Crown and Aloha Spirit XtraLock slots, as well as several other popular hits. Cooperation with 7Bet is a significant step for Swintt in strengthening its position as one of the leading software providers in the Baltic region. The brand first appeared in the region through a successful partnership with Optibet in Latvia and Estonia and has already gained a loyal following. The new partnership with 7Bet will certainly strengthen this position and further expand the Swintt culture among players.
Wazdan, a leading provider of gaming innovations, emerged triumphant after successfully attending this year’s CasinoBeats Summit, marking a year full of success and significant growth. At the prestigious CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards, Wazdan was nominated in four categories: Game Mechanic of the Year 2023, Game Feature of the Year 2023, Slot of the Year 2023, and Game Innovation Spotlight. By wrapping up the event, Wazdan received well-deserved recognition by winning the award in the Game Feature of the Year 2023 category.
In more news about Wazdan we saw the provider teaming up with Winbet to further expand their presence in Bulgaria. According to the agreement, Wazdan will continue to expand its presence in the Bulgarian market and develop games for players of all age groups. In addition, Wazdan plans to launch 30 of its games on the Winbet platform, including popular titles such as Larry the Leprechaun, Magic Spins and 9 Coins. Having concluded agreements with Inbet, 8888.bg, Sesame, Alphawin and Palms Bet, Wazdan has already established the sixth partnership in the Bulgarian market.
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