Following an enquiry into the use of loot boxes in video games (see previous report) a panel of Belgian Gaming Commission officials has concluded that in certain circumstances the practice constitutes gambling. The panel specifically named Overwatch, FIFA 18 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive but dropped Star Wars Battlefront II from its allegation of gambling law …
Vegas Crest Casino has announced that it has taken 50 new slots from Xplosive Games on board, bringing its total games inventory to almost 830 games. The operator offers both mobile and desktop action.
The Chinese news agency Xinhua reports that China’s lottery sales rose 9.4 percent year on year to 104.18 billion yuan (around US$ 16.5 billion) in the first quarter of 2018, quoting official numbers from the Ministry of Finance. March alone saw lottery tickets worth over 40 billion yuan sold, a year-on-year increase of 5.9 percent, …
Inspired Entertainment has netted a content supply deal with Novomatic’s Italian gaming platform until 2022. Two Inspired games will initially rollout across Novomatic’s Italian retail estate totalling over 30,000 terminals, with the potential for further titles and exclusives in the future. “Inspired is delighted to be partnering with Novomatic in this exciting and strategic deal,” Luke Alvarez, President and …
Greek gaming firm Intralot has named Michael Kogeler as group chief operating officer responsible for coordination of the Group’s worldwide business operations, relationships with partners and customers and trading operations. Kogeler joins the company having held several senior positions at Microsoft over the past fourteen years including general manager of Central and Eastern Europe, chief operating officer and chief …
Sportsbetting provider Kambi Group plc reported a robust performance in its first quarter 2018 financial report. Key performance indicators for the 12 week period ending March 31, 2018 include: Revenue amounting to Euro 16.4 million (Q1/2017: Euro 14.2 million), 15 percent. 42 percent increase in operating profit (EBIT) amounting to Euro 2.0 million (Q1/2017: Euro 1.4 million) …
Slots developer Wazdan has clinched a content supply deal with ALEA and their flagship brands SlotsMillion and LadyLucks. Wazdan’s full portfolio over 100 plus HTML5 titles will be offered to SlotsMillion and LadyLucks’ customers including popular slots Great Book of Magic Deluxe, Valhalla and Wild Guns. “We are fully dedicated to making sure our players have an amazing experience when they play …
Sweden’s Gambling Authority, Lotteriinspektionen, published its 2017 gambling statistics report Wednesday revealing a relatively flat market in terms of licensed operators with marginal growth driven by online gambling. Key figures from licensed operators include: Total stakes of SEK 48 billion (2016: 47 billion). Gross gaming revenue (GGR) of SEK 17.2 billion (2016: SEK 17.1 billion). The authority splits …
Yggdrasil Gaming has launched its first co-produced White Label Studios game, ‘Royal Family’ exclusively with LeoVegas. The five-reel, four-row, 25-payline Royal Family includes collectable Feature Prizes, a Royal Chest and a Free Spin mode with sticky wilds, with a choice of 12 bonus features. The game will be marketed as part of the LeoVegas Originals …
Slots developer Play’n GO released a new Ancient Egyptian-themed slot title, ‘Legacy of Egypt’ this week. This five-reel, 30-line slot explores the land of the Pharaohs where powerful gods and wealthy leaders compete on the reels. Features include wild Scarab and free-spin Pyramid scatter symbols to assist winning combinations in unlocking the prize puzzle. When …
Betsson AB (publ) has reported first quarter results with a decline in EBIT attributed to negative currency fluctuations, increased marketing spend and a disappointing return from recent acquisitions. Key metrics for the 12-week period ending March 31, 2018 include: Group revenue of SEK 1,210 million (Q1/2017: SEK 1,102 million), up 10 percent with an organic …
Cherry AB subsidiary ComeOn Malta Ltd has appointed Lahcene Merzoug as managing director succeeding Tomas Johansson who has been overseeing the position in an acting role. Merzoug joins the company from Mr Green where he served as chief marketing officer. He previously held senior roles at Evoke Gaming and is described as having a solid …
Kindred Group plc’s first quarter financials reveal a strong performance highlighted by a 34 percent increase in gross winnings revenue on the mobile channel year-on-year which now accounts for 72 percent of the group’s total gross winnings revenue. Key performance indicators for the 12-week period ending March 31, 2018 include: Gross winnings revenue of GBP …
The Norwegian Gaming Authority has begun a consultative period on its proposed regulations to further restrict competition to the state-owned gambling monopoly Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto. The consultation period will end August 15. The proposals include a tightening of regulations on financial transactions with unauthorised operators, a measure already in force that requires banks …
Inspired Entertainment, Inc. has launched a range of new and upgraded content in retail venues and online with Italian operator, SNAITECH. SNAITECH’s Italian retail estate has launched Inspired’s Mike Tyson Boxing on a mixed Virtual Sports channel while a bespoke lane-based version of Inspired’s Rush Sprints 2 product will be added to SNAITECH’s dedicated racing channel. In addition, an additional ‘QUAD’ …
Jackpotjoy has taken a range of Gamesys content live on its Vera&John brand delivered via its in-house proprietary platform. The deal marks Vera&John as Gamesys Games’ first B2B content partner offering titles that include Tiki Island, Secrets of the Phoenix and Double Buble to selected markets outside the UK. “We have a great relationship with Gamesys, following the acquisition of …
Yggdrasil Gaming launched its much anticipated Mexican professional wrestling-themed slot ‘Lucha Maniacs’ Tuesday. The game’s main attraction is a retriggering Free Spins round, where features ranging from multipliers and added wilds to stacked reels and merging symbols can mix and match to create feature combos. Players can pay a bit extra with the Golden Bet, to …
Reports from New Jersey are that Borgata-networked online sites Borgata Casino, playMGM and PartyCasino NJ have quietly soft launched live dealer action following a collaborative deal that enables them to offer games from the Atlantic City live dealer studio of rival Golden Nugget. Confirming the arrangement, a spokesman for Borgata revealed that a full roll-out of the product will be …
Betting tech firm Sportech PLC has reported full year results for the 2017 financial year detailing a corporate restructuring and the completion of a cost reduction programme following a comprehensive financial review. The company revealed plans to focus and leverage opportunities going forward aimed at the possibility of a liberalised US sports betting market. Key performance indicators …
Online gaming operator Betsson launched its first television campaign across Spanish TV channels late last week carrying the tagline “Suecos, pero emocionantes” (Swedish, but exciting). Betsson.es entered the market in February having acquired Premier Casino’s license. The ad shows a naked person plunging into a frozen lake accompanied by a voice over that says: “bad ideas arise when …
Kindred Group has announced the launch of its proprietary racing platform for the UK and Irish markets which will complement existing sportsbook products. The platform launch coincides with the Grand National Meeting at Aintree and forms part of an overall focus on racing and further expansion in the UK market. Group Head of Global Racing, Ben Colley, …
Betsson AB’s full 2017 report describes a turbulent year which has shaped the company’s focus in 2018 and beyond with “getting back to our roots and our passion for gaming”. CEO Pontus Lindwall acknowledged a loss of traction in some of the company’s core markets during the year saying its operational subsidiaries have “some work to do” in …
The Stars Group has confirmed the completion of an additional 18 percent equity interest in CrownBet Holdings Pty Limited following CrownBet’s successful completion of its acquisition of William Hill Australia Holdings Pty Ltd (see previous report). The Stars Group now owns 80 percent of the combined businesses which it says creates an operator of scale and a clear rival to …
Gambling company shares took a beating Tuesday morning following media reports that the UK government, and specifically the Chancellor Phillip Hammond, is prepared to accept a drastic cut to GBP 2 on Fixed Odds Betting Terminal maximum stakes. Over the weekend media reports indicated that the government would delay the FOBT decision until after next …