Month: June 2021

Fresh fruits are just the ticket in a sultry tropical paradise! Crazy Mix is a juicy 3×5 slot with epic animations and a bonus fruits reel for the most invigorating cocktails. The maximum win is x25,000.

You can play a demo of Crazy Mix here!

Game type:	3×5 video slot
Go-live date (expected):	10/06/2021
Game special features:	Boomerang respins Chuck wilds strike fruits with a boomerang, triggering a respin that will repeat if subsequent chuck wilds appear and increase the win multiplier. Cocktail free spins Collecting 4 or more fruits grants a cocktail spin, where ingredients define the bonus features and jackfruits bring extra free spins.
Number of paylines:	15
Number of reels:	5
RTP% (recorded/theoretical):	96.35%
Variance/volatility:	High

Fill the board with wilds for a massive 1,000x all-wilds win. Or launch into wild expansion and respin features to increase your win potential on every spin!

Play the demo of Suncatcher Gigablox here!

Game type:	Video slot
Go-live date (expected):	24/06/2021
Game special features:	– Gigablox – Wild respins – Both-ways wins – Golden bet
Number of paylines:	10
Number of reels:	3×3
RTP% (recorded/theoretical):	96.00%
Variance/volatility:	Low-medium

QuickChek will serve as the exclusive retail partner of Lotto.com in New Jersey and allow the platform to promote its services to consumers via the chain’s 138 stores across the state.

Headquartered in New Jersey, Lotto.com is a registered courier of the New Jersey Lottery and only the second licensed lottery courier in the US.

“At Lotto.com we are on a mission to increase contributions to good causes, tying them to every ticket sold,” Lotto.com chief executive Thomas Metzger said. “To help us achieve this, we’ve partnered with QuickChek, a leader in convenience and service.

“Coupling this offering with our best-in-class lottery distribution platform, we are able to deliver a seamless online experience for players in the most secure way possible.”

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Gross gaming revenue (GGR) from the DraftKings-powered Scoreboard sportsbook was significantly higher than the $598,061 generated in May 2020, though last year’s figures were impacted by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, with players’ betting options limited due to the cancellation of many sports events.

However, revenue in May was down 11.1% from the $2.7m posted in April this year.

In terms of consumer spending, the state’s handle grew significantly year-on-year, with the $27.7m wagered by players in May also 9.5% higher than the $25.3m bet in April.

Basketball remained by far the most popular sport to bet on in May, with players spending $16.2m during the month, resulting in $1.5m in GGR.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Shortly after Football Index’s operator BetIndex went into administration, an independent government inquiry into the the collapse was announced in order to determine how the collapse occurred and whether more could have been done to prevent it. The review will also examine the role, decisions and actions taken by the Gambling Commission in relation to Football Index.

The review will cover the time from September 2015 – when BetIndex obtained its licence from the Gambling Commission) – through to March 2021 – when the Commission officially suspended BetIndex’s licence as the operator entered administration.

Sheehan will review the Commission’s actions towards Football Index, including initial licensing, and general monitoring and assessing. The review will also cover the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) so as to ascertain whether Football Index should have been regulated by that body under the Financial Services and Markets Act.  

Sheehan is a barrister for Henderson Chambers, specialising in product liability and group actions, commercial and insurance disputes, commercial property, personal injury, health & safety, public and regulatory law.

The findings from the review will be published in the summer, and will feed into the government’s Gambling Act Review. The Gambling Commission, which initially defended its decision to wait before suspending BetIndex’s licence, is carrying out its own independent review which will run alongside the government inquiry.

Football Index bettors still await a court ruling on the status of the funds they had in their accounts or in active bets. The case to determine the distribution of funds in a player protection account was raised to the High Court, where it is still ongoing. This account is intended only for account funds, but the court must rule on a cut-off date which winnings should be paid up to.

Documents released ahead of this hearing revealed that BetIndex had planned to go into administration days before making a change to its dividend system.

BetIndex has also announced plans to re-launch the platform, allowing customers who are owed money to have an ownership stake as part of a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).

According to the rules, masks will remain mandatory and customers can visit facilities in groups of up to four people.

In addition, every betting facility must ensure 1.5 meters of social distancing, provide hand sanitisation services for staff and customers and regularly disinfect their establishment and any equipment used.

The new rules were announced on June 7.

Meanwhile, a new protocol between the Belgian Gaming Commission and the federal police was also announced.

It includes a request from the Gaming Commission to access federal personal data in order to identify a visitor to a class I or II gaming establishment as a member of the Integrated Police, and subsequently ban them from gambling.

The protocol also outlines that new data should be transferred daily in order to keep up with additions and losses of staff to the Integrated Police force.

Last week, the Gaming Commission revealed that it had issued 55 sanctions for 23 cases in 2020.

Ahead of this summer’s European football championship, Florian Geheeb, global director of advertising sales at Sportradar, explains how bookmakers can utilise programmatic video advertising to efficiently target new bettors, reduce ad waste and drive revenue.

While the month-long competition of 52 matches presents a vast number of betting opportunities, operators are under more pressure than ever to acquire new customers and retain existing ones. Traditional advertising methods will provide broad visibility, but at a time when marketing budgets are under increased levels of scrutiny, operators will want to engage with punters in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Sportradar ad:s, a full service, data-driven marketing solution, has recently brought to market Programmatic Video Advertising, which enables sportsbooks to reach their target audience through dynamic messaging and visual content.

As operators compete for eyeballs ahead of this summer’s first high profile sports competition, the programmatic video advertising service provides access to 60 billion video ad requests each day and more than 600 private deals specially curated for the igaming industry.

Speaking on the possibilities enabled by the new feature, Geheeb said: “Using complex algorithms, clients can target the most suitable customers with relevant ads during their online experience. For sportsbooks, this enables them to reach key audiences across multiple channels and touch points, optimising the second screen experience by placing ads within video content, media or mobile phone games.”

Creating genuine value – the impact of online video advertising

Online video advertising will be a key component of the marketing mix for operators ahead of the 11 June kick-off. The medium continues to grow, with brands increasing spend by 35% over the last two years. And, research shows the impact of online video advertising delivers a 97% increase in purchase intent after a positive experience with a video ad, while 95% of prospects are more likely to remember a video ad compared to a display one.

“Where programmatic video advertising differs is through its highly targeted and data-driven approach, which enables operators to spend their budgets more efficiently and reduce ad waste,” said Geheeb.

The ads are delivered transparently providing operators with greater oversight of cost and display.  

Programmatic video advertising can help operators drive engagement with customers, increase traffic to their website and generate leads. Its impact can be measured at every step of the conversion funnel.

“The automated process increases the likelihood of converting punters into depositing customers with research showing that revenue can grow up to 49% faster compared to competitors who do not use video advertising,” continued Geheeb.

Optimise for success – the necessary tools to achieve a range of goals

For operators looking to optimise their marketing strategies ahead of the tournament, programmatic video advertising is most efficient when embedded within an existing digital strategy, rather than a standalone activity.

With a range of ad types available including non-skippable in-stream ads, six second bumper ads and in-read ads, Sportradar’s unique DSP service can help operators achieve a range of commercial objectives.  Brands wanting to deliver a video campaign on premium content with a specific focus on sports fans can tap into more than 600 deals the company has had specially curated for the igaming industry to deliver an efficient CPM and CPcV as well as significant reach.

Additionally, the service helps operators optimise their video campaigns for reach and connect with a large and highly targeted set of users to achieve an efficient CPM. It can also help deliver improved completion rates when optimised for performance, delivering an efficient CPC and CPvC for operators. 

Each strategy is capable of creating additional revenue opportunities for operators and those who adopt highly impactful video content directed at relevant users are sure to have a competitive edge this summer.

Highlighting the value of programmatic advertising for operators, Geheeb said: “Given the efficiencies it can deliver, programmatic video advertising must be a key consideration for marketers in the industry who want to maximise budgets and reduce waste.”

The platform and managed services agreement will see Funfair Casino use Aspire Global’s gateway AspireCore Platform (PAM) to take its land-based gambling offering online.

Funfair Casino, which operates more than land-based 25 casinos across Ireland, will also benefit from Aspire Global’s fully Managed Services, comprised of customer support, CRM, VIP, fraud and risk management.

Aspire Global said integration with its PAM and Managed Services will ensure a “seamless omni-channel” experience for Funfair’s customers.

“Our search for a platform solution for Funfair was predicated on finding a partner that had the technology, expertise and product set to create a rich and seamless casino experience for our players,” Funfair Casino director Philip O’Leary said.

“Joining forces with a provider as renowned for these qualities as Aspire Global enables us to make progress in delivering a premium omni-channel operation.”

Aspire Global chief executive Tsachi Maimon added: “Funfair has an established presence in the Irish casino market and we are looking forward to developing an online solution that presents its players with a great omnichannel experience, while helping to support its entry into the digital world for the first time. 

“This deal constitutes an excellent example of our PAM and fully Managed Services being utilised to take a land-based operator online. It is a union that will provide great opportunities for both parties.”

The project will address gaps in existing treatments and research the extension of services to unrepresented groups.

GambleAware are seeking applications from organisations to fund residential rehabilitation for people with gambling issues, including compounding factors such as alcohol or substance use issues, over a period of three years.

The charity claims that there are issues in existing treatment programmes, particularly the lack of attention to mental health problems. It said that its annual statistics, along with its gap analysis both showed evidence of this room for improvement.

Potential tenders must demonstrate experience in the treatment of gambling harm and its co-occurring health needs.

GambleAware will hold an engagement events on 18 June for prospective bidders. The closing date for tender submissions is 16 July.

Last month, GambleAware launched a line of interactive maps to identify areas of Great Britain that have high numbers of those seeking gambling treatments and may have insufficient treatment services, in a bid to track rates of demand.

Also last month, a study backed by GambleAware revealed that online gambling harm surveys were at a risk of selection bias, which could wrongfully increase the numbers of those experiencing gambling harm.

The two-year campaign, which targeted a young male demographic (aged 16-44), raised significant awareness of issues related to problem gambling.

53% of the audience with higher risk profiles showed some intention to cut down their betting, while 17% of those surveyed were actively ‘tapping out’ of their betting apps before placing a wager they believed they might regret.

A statement from the Bet Regret report said: “In the absence of an ‘Are You Sure’ button on betting apps, there is a continued need to promote behavioural nudges of this kind.

“We encourage gambling operators and regulators to make their own interventions to help reduce the risks that can come from impulsive betting behaviours.”

Further statistics showed 76% of the audience believe they are aware of the risks of gambling more than they can afford, 70% said they are confident that they would know the early warning signs that someone might be betting too much, and 76% also attested that they know how to cut down if they want to.

The suspension of live sport caused by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic caused the campaign, intended to last two years, to be paused, before it was extended to April 2021.

The campaign has received some criticism, however, from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling-Related Harm (APPG). APPG chair Carolyn Harris said in a letter to GambleAware that customers who experience regret about their bets should be encouraged to stop betting completely rather than simply ‘tap out’. However, GambleAware said Harris had misconstrued the target audience of the campaign, which was frequent bettors rather than those facing gambling harm.