Month: April 2021

He speaks to Marese O’Hagan about his new role, the importance of the digital space, and the effects of the pandemic on retail bingo.  

Like the rest of the UK, Buzz Bingo could not escape the devastating effect the pandemic had on the retail industry.  

“Before  Covid  kicked in, the business was in a really strong position,” says Mansour. “It was growing really well. It’s been difficult to trade in retail obviously for the last 12, 13 months. I think in that time period we’d been open for about six weeks.”  

In July 2020, the company was forced to close a quarter of its UK clubs due to what it described as an “unsustainable working environment”. Despite initial support, owners Caledonia Investments sold Buzz Bingo to Intermediate Capital Group for a “nominal sum” in March. 

Aside from the pandemic, Buzz Bingo faces the everyday gambling issues shared by bingo operators nationwide.  

“The technology headwind, and the Gambling Commission with a number of consultations about affordability and the review of the Gambling Act right now, make for a challenging environment from a regular troops perspective as well,”  poses Mansour.  

It’s clear that recovery, coupled with day-to-day  gambling matters, will not be straightforward. Looking towards  what  omnichanne l could provide – a  route  that has seen success for other operators – could bring a new lease of life to Buzz Bingo. 

“I love what the art of possible is with technology. I got very excited about what we could do with cross-channel in omnichannel, and there’s not many operators that you can do this with now in the UK who haven’t [already] delivered it.”  

Although fairly new in his position, Mansour has big plans for Buzz Bingo.  It’s a unique position for sure, one that  couldn’t  play out in tougher circumstances.  

Persistent  uncertainty  

Hopes of a return to normal for Buzz Bingo lie in the hands of its customers.  

“I think that the demographic of our customers is one that has been vaccinated first, which is great, and secondly are keen to get out of the house and get back to their old habits… Given that we’ve got all the safety in place and we’re very  Covid-secure, they’ll be very keen to get out there again.”  

Most UK retailers, whether in the bingo industry or not, seems to be following the Covid-secure emphasis route.  But with  many people moving online for their day-to-day affairs, it’s possible that online bingo may become a preferred method of play too. 

Mansour  believes  that it will be a gradual return to normality for Buzz Bingo.  “We’ve got some really exciting stuff in the pipeline later this year… So there’s some plans around simple, local entertainment -whether that’s comedy, music, quiz shows and so on – in the clubs.” 

He stresses the potential of connecting clubs online, but remains hopeful for a return to in-person bingo.  

“We’re excited for a strong return from our customer base – we’ve got high hopes.”  

Mansour’s wealth of experience could lend a hand to Buzz Bingo’s revival. Prior to his current role he was the group CEO of Bragg Gaming and managing director at Full Tilt. 

“This is my 21st year in gaming and a large majority of that has been online… there’s a fairly even split between consumer facing and B2B. I think what that does is give you a good advantage in terms of understanding the landscape from both perspectives.” 

Scouring the market  

Mansour’s experience will be critical, as Buzz Bingo may need all the help it can get. 

Online gaming can tend to appeal towards younger audiences, while the  age bracket for  online bingo is considerably wider.  A recent WhichBingo.com report placed 80% of online bingo  players in the 35-64 years old age bracket. This leaves a largely untouched 18-35 year old band – a group with prime marketing potential. 

“The digital space naturally appeals to younger audiences,” Mansour explains. “So if you consider that we’re tying digital with retail then we’ll naturally bring a younger audience together.”  

It helps that in the real world, paper bingo is consistently becoming less popular. “Now people walk in and it’s a touchpad device which naturally appeals to a younger demographic.”  

For Buzz Bingo, these efforts to appeal to younger audiences tie intrinsically with the UK roadmap back to normality. “Later on in the year, around the summertime, there’s some really cool event-based bingo that we’re going to really build off in clubs that will definitively appeal to a younger audience.”  

Although smartphones have placed gambling right in our pockets, the worldwide drought of live experiences may bring young people into bingo clubs once more. 

Ongoing regulation  

Buzz Bingo, like the rest of the market, is operating in an uncertain environment. The review into the 2005 UK Gambling Act and the effect it has had on public perception have already made gambling a tricky landscape. 

“[Gambling regulation] is something that we must, as an industry, put at the front of everything we do,” says Mansour. And particularly now, with GambleAware’s second annual GB Treatment and Support survey reporting a 10% rise in problem gamblers using some form of treatment over the last 12 months. Juggling the enthusiastic welcoming back of customers with staunch player-protection initiatives is a delicate balance. 

“Bingo is one of the softest forms of gambling, and I think by that definition, players are actually quite protected as it’s difficult to lose large amounts of money,” Mansour  declares.  

“We’ve invested a very significant amount of money into our responsible gambling tools and player protection over the past 12 to 24 months. It’s an investment that we plan to accelerate over the next couple of years.” 

He sees in-person gambling as beneficial not only to the operator, but to players who may be struggling with problem gambling. 

“I think we, as an  omnichannel [business], have a slight advantage as face-to-face interaction with people is often a much easier way of gauging where they are, in terms of whether that person requires some kind of protection themselves. It’s much harder when it’s only digital.” 

Forward thinking

It’s clear how  much  Mansour believes in the potential of Buzz Bingo. In this ambiguous climate,  there are more questions than answers.  But there are moments of hope in Buzz Bingo’s operations. Although the lack of in-person gambling was a deadly blow, Buzz Bingo’s online gambling revenue has the potential to support the operator, for now. 

In one instance, Mansour hopes to take the mandatory opportunities enforced by  the  lockdowns  further and integrate them into Buzz Bingo’s future offerings. “This whole pandemic has accelerated what we’re doing now – live video – and if we translated that into a live bingo game, whether that’s broadcast from a studio or broadcast from a club to online… that’s genuinely something we should aspire towards.”  

The issues faced by Buzz Bingo have had equally devastating effects on the wider market. Financial issues cause by lack of casino use have forced operators to adapt to the climate or continue to suffer.  

With the conclusion of the call for evidence for the 2005 Gambling Act review looming, gambling operators may see even further restrictions on their operations. Mansour believes that Buzz Bingo’s customer loyalty and ability to adapt can see it through to the end. 

By Buck Wargo

Las Vegas takes a step closer to normalcy on Saturday when it expands to 80% of its capacity and prepares for the return of full-scale entertainment this summer — a big milestone since non-gaming amenities set the city apart from other US casinos.

Las Vegas took a step back in that regard when it reopened in June 2020 after a two-and-a-half-month novel coronavirus (Covid-19) shutdown. It went without entertainment, conventions, nightclubs and other amenities when it reopened to a 50% capacity on its gaming floors and restaurants and strict social distancing requirements. 

In an homage to its past, it relied mainly on gaming for its revenues, as it did decades ago. The last time Las Vegas had a 50-50 mix of revenues between gaming and non-gaming was 1998.

But for Vegas to be Vegas again, the capacity had to be increased and restrictions eased beyond the limits of 50 people upon reopening and increased in March to 250 for meetings and entertainment.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board on 23 April gave Clark County, the governmental entity overseeing metropolitan Las Vegas, the go-ahead to expand to 80% on 1 May and reduce social distancing from six to three feet. 

The capacity will be allowed to expand to 100% once 60% of the county’s 1.8 million eligible population is vaccinated, which is expected sometime in May. Mask wearing will still be required for now under a state mandate.

Under the new rules, restaurants can have 12 at a table instead of six. Nightclubs and dance floors can reopen with restrictions. Buffets can also reopen.

“The opening of non-gaming amenities is one of the last puzzle pieces for the comeback story of the Las Vegas Strip because barely a third of revenue comes from gaming anymore,” says Brent Pirosch, a gaming analyst for CBRE. “It will get us back to what we have seen historically.

“People are sitting on record amounts of cash, and there’s a lot of pent-up demand to do things and having more options available will make a difference. It will be the missing piece.”

Las Vegas is letting Americans know that there’s more of a reason to return beyond just gambling. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority launched a national ad campaign this week that portrays the city as a place where people can be free and enjoy experiences unlike those offered elsewhere.

Analysts are unanimous in saying Las Vegas needs to bring back those experiences to fully recover – some even suggest the rebound could linger into 2023. Even though gaming revenue in March was 4% higher than March 2019, visitation at 2.5 million was more than 1.8 million below March 2019.

Las Vegas is about to get a big boost this summer not only with the return of non-gaming amenities but also with the opening of its first resort on the Strip since The Cosmopolitan in December 2010.

Resorts World Las Vegas, the $4.3bn Genting Group property that opens 24 June, created a national buzz last week when it released a video that depicted Katy Perry, Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan as headliners at its 5,000-seat venue.

One of the first major shows that will return to Las Vegas is on the Fourth of July weekend with Bruno Mars at Park Theatre at ParkMGM. July also features Usher at Caesars Palace and Garth Brooks at Allegiant Stadium, which sold out its 65,000 capacity. 

There’s also a sold-out UFC fight featuring Conor McGregor at 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena. The Cirque du Soleil shows “Mystere” and “O” return to the Strip stages as well on 28 June, and 1 July, respectively. 

All of that is welcome news to a city hard hit by the gaming shutdown that started to emerge in March because of the NCAA basketball tournament, spring break, and growing number of people in the U.S. getting vaccinated.

Mirage impact

Gaming made up 58% of casino revenue in 1990, the first full year of Steve Wynn’s The Mirage — the mega-resort that reversed a trend of slumping tourism with a focus on amenities. That meant bigger more expensive rooms, the addition of retail, especially European luxury retailers, resort-style pools, nightclubs with prominent DJs, upscale spas, and celebrity concepts and high-end restaurants that deviated from the notion of Las Vegas being a place of inexpensive buffets and coffee shops.

“It was the early 1990s that gaming expanded in the United States beyond Nevada and Atlantic City, and the Las Vegas Strip had to transform,” Pirosch says. “It was more about luxury developments that pushed room rates up and a concentration towards retail. Las Vegas operators have always been good about figuring out what’s next.”

That has included entertainment that has become more sophisticated and pricey over the years. Long before The Mirage, entertainment was treated as a loss leader used to pull in crowds.

“The Siegfried and Roy show (at the Mirage that opened in 1990) was at the beginning of that,” Pirosch said. “That was a game changer to profit off entertainment.”

Some analysts expect Resorts World Las Vegas to have a similar effect out of the gate in drawing visitors with its entertainment offerings. Besides the headline entertainers, there’s a 27,000 square-foot spa, 5.5-acre pool complex with seven pool experiences. There are 100,000 square feet of dayclubs, nightclubs and restaurants, including celebrity chefs. There’s high-end retail from Judith Leiber and Herve Leger.

“They are going to open what is a greatest hits collection of the modern hospitality industry,” says casino consultant Nehme Abouzeid, president and founder of LaunchVegas. “I think it will give people a new reason to want to come to Vegas to see some of the headliners and hotel offerings. 

“They have great pool offerings and offer many brands with three hotel operators. They are curating experiences for everybody. They will have a segment to appeal to everybody whether it’s foodies, pool clubbers, and gamblers.”

Josh Swissman, the founding partner of casino consultancy The Strategy Organisation, believes the loosening of restrictions also means the return of another option that should be viewed as an amenity.

Conventions have become even more important over the last three decades since the opening of the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in 1990. That was followed by other Strip resorts adding convention facilities to their properties ever since, Swissman says. The Las Vegas Convention Center spent $1bn expanding its convention centre for 2021 only to have Covid-19 shut down the trade show industry.

The World of Concrete will be the first large convention to return to Las Vegas in June, an event that has historically drawn about 60,000 people, though fewer are expected for this show moved to the summer. The Consumer Electronics Show that historically brings more than 180,000 people to Las Vegas from around the world, announced this week it will return in January.

“These conventions have been a big contributor to non-gaming revenue, and those contributions come in the form of restaurants and entertainment revenue just like leisure travelers,” Swissman says. “The conventions bring with them room rate revenue, and there’s catering and banquet revenue that comes with it.”

Nightclubbing

Nightclubs and day clubs took one of the biggest hits among amenities, and analysts are expecting that to bounce back strong. Casinos have been announcing DJ headliners at their properties when the clubs reopen this summer.

“Younger people are seeking out the best-in-class night club experience and dayclub and pool experience,” Swissman explains. “Along with has come significant revenues as well with these clubs charging up to $300, $400 to $500 for a bottle of vodka that you can buy at the grocery store for a fraction of that. It’s a great experience that comes along with that. 

“With the proliferation of gaming across the county and online gaming, it will be the non-gaming experiences like that off the gaming floor that will continue to differentiate Las Vegas and drive people to it.”

Brendan Bussmann, a consultant with Global Market Advisors, is confident the gaming venues will be able to reintroduce their amenities and do it so in a way that people feel safe from Covid-19. Companies such as Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts already offer testing to guests.

Wynn has previously announced its testing lab on site where attendees of conventions and shows can be confident that those entering the venues are Covid-19 free.

Casinos have been aggressive in getting their workers vaccinated and some have even offered financial incentives for employees to do so.

“I will say the health and safety protocols in venues on the Strip continue to exceed every expectation around the United States where I traveled,” Bussmann says. “That speaks volume for the industry. The first phase opening taught us a lot, and Wynn set the standards for the industry.”

Bussmann doesn’t expect, however, any other properties will require a Covid-free test before people can enter a venue. He also doesn’t expect properties to have a requirement that people be vaccinated in what some call a vaccine passport. That would be considered political and alienate guests, he says.

While there’s a lot of excitement about the return of Las Vegas to what it was, there needs to be a balancing act in its messaging, according to Corey Padveen, a partner with t2 Marketing International. Casinos need to let people know there are safety measures in place to keep guests safe because there continues to be a large group of people who fear getting sick and spreading infection rate, in his view.

“While there are a lot of people that want to get back to normal and put last year behind us, there’s just as many people worried about it spiralling out of control and getting sick,” Padveen says. “The messaging needs to be a balancing act – we are getting back to normal but not ignore what’s out there and say they’re taking steps to ensure safety of the guests.”

For now, Bussmann says it will be exciting just to see the return of non-gaming amenities and large crowds at sporting events. It’s setting the stage for a “bump out of the gate” and a chance for Las Vegas to thrive again.

“One of the challenges Vegas had when people first came back was that it’s great to gamble and dine, but ‘I really miss a show,’” Bussmann explains. “It’s part of the Vegas fabric. They can come here and go to a show and see Celine Dion or Carrie Underwood, go have dinner, gamble and by the way they’re here for a meeting. 

“There’s no other place in the world you can do that in one stop. The summer is the beginning of a renewed Vegas.”

Buck Wargo is a Las Vegas-based business and gaming journalist. He’s a former reporter for the Los Angeles Times. He has a degree in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Texas and worked as a foreign correspondent in the Middle East.

Group revenue for the three months to 31 March amounted to $64.9m, up from $18.7m in the same period last year, while the amount wagered by customers was also up 236.4% to $905.2m.

Breaking down this performance, operations in its native Australia accounted for $38.2m in revenue for the quarter, an increase of 146.5% on $15.5m last year.

Player spending in Australia climbed 137.2% year-on-year to $423.2m, with PointsBet having experienced a 90.0% increase in the amount of active players in the country to 158,041. The operator in Q3 also signed up basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal as a brand ambassador in Australia.

Turning to the US, revenue here rocketed 709.1% year-on-year from AU$3.3m in Q3 of last year to $26.7m in the most recent reporting period.

Consumers in the US wagered $482.0m during Q3, which was 431.4% up on last year and more than the total amount spent by players in Australia during the period. 

PointsBet said this was boosted by a 461.7% jump in the number of US active players in Q3 to 127,500, as well as the number of major sports events that took place in the quarter, which in turn attracted more bets. This included the conclusion of both the National Football League season.

The operator was active across New Jersey, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Colorado and Michigan in Q3. New Jersey remained its core market, accounting for $18.5m in quarterly revenue and $199.6m in player bets.

Revenue in Illinois was $6.1m, then $400,000 in Indiana, $1.5m in Colorado and $300,000 in Iowa, with the operator reporting a $1.2m loss in Michigan for the period.

Another development in the US in Q3 was the acquisition of sportsbook solutions provider Banach Technology for US$43.0m. PointsBet said the deal strengthened its position in the in-play sports betting market in the US and accelerated its technology roadmap.

Looking at costs for Q3 and PointsBet saw large year-on-year increases in spend across several key areas. The main outgoing was advertising and marketing, with some $45.1m spent, up 544.3% on last year.

Product manufacturing and cost of sales expenses hiked 231.6% to $25.2m; administration, corporate costs and goods and services tax 200.0% to $11.7m; and staffing costs 15.5% to $9.7m.

PointsBet received $177,000 in interest income, but also accounted for $155,000 in interest and other finance costs. The operator also recorded a further $637,000 net decrease related to player cash accounts. 

This resulted in a $24.7m net loss for the period, compared to $10.5m in the same period last year.

This approval is critical to the GlüNeuRStV’s rollout as the treaty will now take effect in all 16 federal states from July 1 2021.

Sachsen-Anhalt was the fifteenth state to approve the treaty, meaning the new regulatory body would be located in its city of Halle by 2022. This body will be able to monitor users’ activity to ensure all play is legal by offering test purchases and blocking IP addresses.

The GlüNeuRStV was first authorised by German states’ heads of state in March 2020. The treaty will expand Germany’s nationwide igaming offerings beyond online betting to online casino games.

However, certain parts of the treaty have been controversial.

Slots will be restricted to a €1 stake limit per spin, with a spin speed average of 5 seconds.

Online slots and poker will also be subject to a 5.3% turnover tax. A report today commissioned by Entain, Flutter and Greentube warned that this tax rate could lead to a channelsiation rate of just 51%.

Live sports betting will be restricted to bets on the final result or next scorer. German operator association the Deutscher Sportwettenverband has spoken out against these provisions.

To ensure responsible gambling provisions, the treaty also mandates monthly financial limits for all users, set by the players themselves.

A transition period is already in place, whereby operators can offer online casino before the treaty comes into effect, but only under the treaty’s terms.

“This state treaty was a Herculean task and, as a result, is a strong sign of how federalism lives and functions in Germany and how it comes to the right results through sometimes arduous negotiations.” said prime minister Armin Laschet.

“A joint effort was made to solve a problem that had seemed unsolvable for years. The conflicting interests, needs and concerns for the benefit of all 16 states were considered.”

What should betting operators take away from your company’s findings?

Betting operators should recognise that they have a genuine opportunity to expand their business beyond traditional sports. Esports fans are every bit as passionate as their regular sports counterparts and represent a highly appealing demographic for influential brands. This is why we’re now seeing betting firms getting into the content creation side of the business as well. Betway created its content creation team in Brazil. 

In Canada, Luckbox has hired a head of content to capitalise on the streaming opportunities in the space. Pinnacle is running its own CS:GO tournament, which is effectively more content creation. The pandemic has bled revenues from both the gambling and esports industries over the last year. Still, by banding together, they’re creating a synergistic relationship that should elevate both businesses over the long term.

Do you think esports betting will be more relevant in the US due to more state legislation or due to a greater number of people becoming fans of the esports?

I think you partially answered your own question. Thus far, we’ve seen esports betting legalised in Nevada, Colorado, New Jersey, Tennessee, Washington, Virginia and West Virginia. As more lawmakers in various states introduce legislation to allow for esports betting, we’re likely to see further betting services pop up to capitalise on this opportunity. It’s somewhat analogous to states where marijuana has been legalised – Colorado and states that permit those sales have seen a rise in cannabis-based businesses. 

At the same time, the esports audience is absolutely growing. Interpret data shows that in 2020, the esports viewing audience in the US grew from 12% of the population at the start of the year to 19% by the end – meaning nearly one in five Americans now watches esports. As this audience grows, gambling increases are likely to follow.

Is it the right time for betting operators to engage in US esports betting if they haven’t already?

The short answer? Yes. The intersection of gambling and esports is still quite nascent. We only just saw the first-ever dedicated sportsbook for esports launch, initiated by Las Vegas gambling firm GameCo in partnership with US Bookmaking and Sky Ute Casino Resort. There’s still time for betting operators to get involved and plant their flag, so to speak. Getting into esports now will allow operators to benefit as the viewership numbers continue to rise, leading to more awareness for betting companies. 

We’ve already seen numerous firms sponsoring esports teams and tournaments to bolster their esports credentials. Keep in mind that key stakeholders in the esports industry will be watching closely, as any match-fixing scandals tied to betting could torpedo the industry, but initiatives to ensure integrity are helping (the Esports Integrity Commission will oversee the aforementioned sportsbook, for example).

The study – conducted on behalf of Entain, Flutter Entertainment and Novomatic subsidiary Greentube – suggests that if payout ratios of online slot machines was reduced due to the turnover tax, the use of fully regulated sites and offers could reduce to 51%.

This would leave players representing the remaining 49% of revenue seeking out offers and bonuses on unregulated black market sites.

The study said this would be mostly due to the fact that unregulated sites could offer better payout rates, of around 98%, whereas it anticipated that payout for regulated offerings would be closer to 90%.

The survey of 619 slots players found that the majority of players, at 54% valued payout percentages more than any other factor, while 31% sited the fact an operator was licensed and 6% each for the range of products and player protection measures.

According to Goldmedia’s study, 31% of players surveyed admitted to using black market sites every month, and 27% use offers which don’t conform to current guidelines.

SEO analysis also showed that unregulated offers got ‘significantly more hits’ than compliant ones.

“The study published today shows that currently 73 to 75 percent of the regular use of online gaming is based on offers that are fundamentally different to the new regulatory requirements,” a statement from Goldmedia read

“In the study, the selection preferences of the players for online gaming offers with a focus on online slots were determined. The result is that for players in Germany, payout rates are more important than a German license and the associated security aspects.”

The 5.3% turnover tax is expected to come into effect alongside the German State Treaty on Gambling (Der Glücksspielneuregulierungstaatsverag/GlüNeuRStV). Currently, it has been approved by the Federal Council (Bundesrat) but requires final approval from the legislature.

Yesterday, Nordrhein-Westfalen became the final state to approve the treaty. Other features of the treaty include a €1 stake limit on online slots.

By Kenneth Williams

The Esports Integrity Commission is the most prominent fair-play organisation in esports. We caught up with its integrity commissioner, Ian Smith, who has overseen several cheating scandals in esports, including the 2020 coach bug and screen-sniping fiasco, both in Counter-Strike.

Betting markets and data

Betting operators can help mitigate cheating in sports competitions, in particular match-fixing, in a few principal ways.

The first is to be a lot more careful about what markets they put up because one of the big problems is the prevalence of markets, both in number and value. There’s tremendous temptation these days for players at the bottom end of Tier 2 and Tier 3 to look at a betting situation and discern very, very easily that they can earn more money betting against themselves, manipulating the market, than they can by winning the competition.

Take that, alongside the fact that many of these low-level competitions are very poorly organised and the data being derived from them is not particularly reliable on many occasions, and you can see there is an issue. So the betting operators need to take responsibility for the fact that, at that level, they are, to some extent, facilitating or at least asking for betting fraud, especially if they’re not using official data. They should avoid using unofficial sources of data such as a data scrape or a Twitch feed for something like that.

I would ask the industry to be a lot more careful about what markets they put out. I know I’m speaking into a strong wind here because operators need to put markets up to retain their clients, and the more they put up, the more lines they get and retain. I know I’m being unrealistic in asking for that, but I don’t think it’s unrealistic to make attempts at betting operator levels of data to do official data deals. At least make sure you’re getting reliable data and that those markets are properly monitored for unusual and suspicious betting and that is then reported to us or, at the very least, to the tournament organiser. 

Communication and engagement with ESIC

At the moment, with the best will in the world, the Esports Integrity Commission is the only show in town when it comes to betting integrity. There is nowhere else to go unless, as a betting operator, when you detect something, you go directly to the tournament organiser. In my experience, betting operators don’t tend to do that. We have a central function around a suspicious and unusual bet alert network which currently has about 23 or 24 betting operators globally. It also has betting regulators, like the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, the Maltese Gaming Authority, the Nevada Gaming Control Board, New Jersey DGE, Isle of Man and Australian regulators. And we work with many of the data companies that provide official and unofficial data to the betting operators as well as the monitoring services like the International Betting Integrity Association and Global Lottery Monitoring Service.

In other words, we take as best we can all the interested parties and create a network for exchange of suspicious and unusual betting information so people can protect their own company position, and then we can protect the esports industry and tournament operators by doing something about it at the other end with our tournament organiser members. That way, at least we’re all working together for the same purpose.

It’s definitely a truism that betting operators have a direct interest in competitive integrity. They just come at it from a different direction. From their point of view, it’s the betting operator’s money that is getting stolen by the betting fraudsters, the guys who are match-fixing or facilitating the match-fixing. So they have a direct commercial interest in esports having competitive integrity.

Then the esports industry, the tournament operators and publishers, obviously have a direct interest in competitive integrity because, without it, the product is tainted, and they will haemorrhage fans. If people don’t believe what they’re watching is real, a genuine competition between two players or two teams trying to win, then what are they watching? They’re watching something made-up, like Pro Wrestling or something like that where it’s just a show, its just entertainment. They have a lot of choices as consumers, and if they abandon your platform, your game, your match, what happens is your sponsors leave, your broadcasters leave, your prize money drops, you can hold fewer competitions with lower prize money and the whole scene dies. It’s the players who suffer most in that situation. We all have an interest in competitive integrity; we just come at it from different directions. I’ve always taken the view, right from the beginning, that we have to work in close cooperation with betting operators.

Those are the two things they can do. First, be a lot more careful about what they put up on the boards in terms of markets, make sure to use reliable data and not inadvertently put temptation in the player and team’s way. Second, join with us in terms of the suspicious betting alert network and participate actively in that, both to protect their own business and also to protect the esports industry itself.

Trading commenced after Gaming Realms upgraded from the Pink market, with its shares now set to run under the ticker ‘PSDMF’ on the OTCQX.

To qualify for the OTCQX, companies must meet certain financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

Gaming Realms noted that its ordinary shares will continue to trade on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market under the symbol ‘GMR’.

“We are delighted to be admitted to the OTCQX, a development which reflects the increased demand and interest we have been experiencing from US investors as a result of our growth in New Jersey and successful partnerships with US gaming companies,” Gaming Realms’ executive chairman Michael Buckley said.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

BetMGM Poker and Borgata Poker will both be powered by PartyPoker US network, offering players access to a range of poker variants, signature poker tournaments and cash games of all buy-in levels.

Both apps will also integrate with MGM Resorts’ M life Rewards program, giving players in Pennsylvania the opportunity to redeem their gameplay for experiences at MGM Resorts properties across the US.

BetMGM Poker features single-wallet integration with the BetMGM sports wagering and casino offerings in Pennsylvania, while Borgata Poker offers single-wallet integration with Borgata Casino in Pennsylvania.

“Pennsylvania customers will find that BetMGM Poker and Borgata Poker provide engaging experiences for both new and seasoned players,” BetMGM’s director of poker Ray Stefanelli said.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

The partnership is effective from the next rugby season and will last until the end of the 2023-2024 season.

“We are very proud to become a partner of the LNR and the Top 14.” said Nicolas Béraud, founder and chief executive of Betclic.

“This is a major league in French sport and the number one rugby competition in the world. The unique offer that we are going to deploy as part of this partnership will allow all rugby fans in France to experience the Top 14 like nowhere else and to exalt their passion for sport.”

As part of the sponsorship, Betclic imagery will continue to be featured on all Top 14 matches, with plans to expand digitally.

Betclic will also feature in the Top 14 official statistics during match broadcasts, in stadiums and on LNR digital platforms.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has severely affected professional sport as a whole.” said Emmanuel Eschalier, general manager of the National Rugby League. “In this context, we are delighted to note that the Top 14 is considered a true symbol of attractiveness by embodying the excellence of rugby and its values.”

“Betclic is the fourth new partner to join the league since the start of the 2020-2021 season. Professional rugby is proud to be supported by a leading partner in its sector.”