Month: July 2021

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it was confirmed that Union’s employees and CBRE’s existing Las Vegas-based gaming investment sales team led by Michael Parks will join together to form a combined global gaming team

Union co-founder Bill Lerner will also now serve as CBRE’s global head of gaming investment as part of the acquisition agreement.

Based in Las Vegas, Union offers a range of investment banking services, including public debt and equity underwriting, M&A and strategic advisory, and gaming sector thought-leadership.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

The developer has received the go-ahead to offer its casino games and live dealer content in the market, and is already fully certified to offer its full suite of games in its base country, Malta.

Swintt said it has aims to expand this offering globally across regulated markets.

LuckyCasino, Videoslots and Avento will be among Swintt’s first operator-partners to offer the games to players in Sweden, with others expected to follow in the coming months.

One of the developer’s first offerings to be launched in the market will be its latest title Lone Rider XtraWays, which will see Swintt debut its XtraWays mechanic, where reels expand and contract depending on the symbols the player lands on.

David Mann, chief commercial officer at Swintt, said: “We are delighted to have received certification for the Swedish market and make our games available to operators targeting the market for the very first time.

“Our games are localised for high growth markets, ensuring they meet the specific player requirements in each country. Sweden is no different, and our suite of slots will deliver the fun and entertainment that players are seeking.

“We are launching with some incredible operators and look forward to going live with more and bringing additional titles to the Swedish market over the coming months.”

The Norwegian Lotteries Authority (Lottstift) has notified the operator, which owns sites such as Betsson and Betsafe, that it must stop offering gambling in Norway without a Norwegian permit. Other brands which must stop conducting business with Norwegian residents include the group’s Nordicbet, Norgesautomaten and CasinoEuro.

In a letter termed a prior notice pursuant to the Public Administration Act, the regulator said BML Group is offering Norwegians the opportunity to participate in lotteries and gambling, via sites with a Norwegian name and using Norwegian symbols. The sites are also marketed on Norwegian TV channels.

Lottstift assesses that these websites “are clearly aimed at Norway”, and they are thus in violation of the Lottery Act and the Gambling Act.

The authority added that it responded similarly to Trannel International, a subsidiary of Kindred Group, and its decision with a subsequent order was backed by both appellate bodies. It said it has notified the Malta-licensed BML Group Limited, as well as the company’s three directors at addresses provided by the information available on the Malta Business Registry.

“Although BML Group’s gambling licence is provided by the Maltese authorities, the illegal gaming offer takes effect in Norway by the company offering the games on the internet, inviting players in the Norwegian market to participate, and allowing Norwegians to register as players,” Lottstift said in the letter.

“The Lottery Act and the Gambling Act also apply to gambling from abroad when the offer is directed at Norway.

“The Norwegian Lotteries Authority’s work with the payment service ban has also revealed that BML Group Limited is actively seeking to circumvent the Norwegian ban on arranging payment to and from foreign gambling companies.”

In Norway, Norsk Tipping has the exclusive right to offer online casino games, bingo games, scratch games and odds games according to the Gambling Act.

The Norwegian Lotteries Authority may impose a coercive fine in order to implement the Lotteries Act and Gambling Act.

It added: “If the illegal relationship does not cease after the decision has been made, the Norwegian Lotteries Authority will consider notifying coercive fines that run until the illegal gambling offer has been rectified or terminated.

“A coercive fine is not a punishment, and the obligation to pay a coercive fine is not depending on guilt, but is triggered when an illegal relationship occurs, and should be set so high that it does not pay financially for the person responsible not to comply with the decision.”

The deal, which spans the 2021 and 2022 editions of the Detroit event, follows a deal between Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG) and Rocket Mortgage Classic rights-holders.

Under the terms of the partnership, Golden Nugget will have on-site branding at the event, which takes place this week and will feature Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson among others. The casino will be giving away prizes and offering exclusive promotional casino and sportsbook bonuses for tournament attendees.

Read the full article on iGamingBusiness North America.

Under the deal, GiG will continue to provide its igaming platform technologies to the casino, powering the brand’s expansion into its second state after New Jersey.

The deal is built on a revenue share agreement, and will last for a minimum duration of four years.

Per Hellberg, CEO of PlayStar Casino said: “We are delighted to be partnering with GiG to power PlayStar’s expansion into Pennsylvania.

“With our preparations firmly underway for our New Jersey launch with GiG, it was a natural progression to leverage that work and replicate our casino offering over the border in Pennsylvania. This will mark the second market entrance for PlayStar in the USA with GiG and we’re looking forward to launching a casino experience like no other.”

Read the full story on IGB North America.

First announced in May this year after a vote in the country’s parliament, the ban covers “promotion of gambling in any form and by any means, dissemination of information or persuasion”.

Whilst gambling advertising is still permitted, promotional methods such as special events, test games, discounts, gifts, bonuses or anything that incentivises gambling in any way are prohibited.

Any information related to gaming on websites targeting those under the age of 18 won’t be allowed to be published.

Now that the ban is in force, gambling companies will be denied the right to send any information about themselves directly to customers, be it opening hours or gaming venue addresses.

According to the government, the ban is designed to address problem gambling within the country as well as lowering the amount of money that customers spend.

The implementation of the ban coincides with the 20-year anniversary of the formation of Lithuania’s Gambling Supervisory Commission.

The Commission’s innaugural chairman Česlovas Kazimieras Blažis said: “Exactly 20 years ago, in June 2001, I received an offer from the Presidency to serve on the newly established State Gambling Supervisory Commission.

“In order to ensure the protection of the interests and rights of gamblers and gambling operators, the main functions of the Commission have been established.

“Congratulations on this anniversary. I would like to wish the staff every success in continuing and improving the work started by the Commission.”

Operators in the jurisdiction will now be able to offer poker and slot games online. Previously, sports betting was the only form of online gambling permitted in the country.

While table games can be offered, this will either be granted to the state lotteries as a monopoly. In states where the lotteries do not take up the option to offer table games, a number of licences, based on the number of casino licensees, will be issued.

The launch follows the Bundestag voting to approve a bill which set a controversial 5.3% tax on online slot and poker stakes.

Operators have criticised the tax rate, along with other elements of the nation’s online gambling regulation. Germany’s sports betting association, the Deutsche Sportwettenverband (DSWV), argued that the tax rate would “jeopardise the success of the new gambling regulation in Germany.”

Yesterday, the association put out a further statement, calling on the country’s authorities to clamp down on unlicensed brands as the regulations are introduced.

DSWV said the regulation, including policies such as the tax rate on turnover, a €1,000 per month spending cap and a €1 per spin stake cap on slot games, would create unattractive framework conditions for licensed operators.

It therefore called upon the German authorities to clamp down on offshore competitors with rigorous sanctions, in order to deter them from continuing to target customers.

The association said it was concerned that the legislation’s promotion of safe and responsible gambling, which its members also support, could be beneficial to those companies seeking to operate outside the new rules and avoid heavy compliance costs.

Today, compliance and anti-money laundering (AML) service provider Kerberos said the regulation creates legal certainty in the German market, but that the fight against money laundering will need to become more digital and data-based.

The company’s director, Christian Tsambikakis, said that now the GlüNeuRStV has come into effect, “legal and illegal offers can now be clearly separated, and the fight against illegal providers can be carried out much more effectively.”

“This is also urgently necessary,” he continued, “because money laundering prevention [in the unlicensed gaming market] is practically non-existent, especially with illegal gaming providers based in so-called ‘tax havens’.”

Yesterday, prior to the market’s opening, secondary lottery operator Lottoland applied for permission to operate across Germany, where it currently offers its products under a Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) licence.

“We would like to expand our offer in Germany and enable players of legal age to participate responsibly in legal gaming offers under the new framework conditions with German player protection standards,” said Magnus von Zitzewitz, managing director of Lottoland Germany.

However, lottery betting operators have previously come under fire from Germany’s lottery operators, represented by the Deutscher Lotto- und Totoblock (DLTB), which criticised Lottoland when it sought to gain a lottery licence in Germany in 2017.

Leading fast sports and esports content provider Beter has strengthened its team with a new chief executive officer — Gal Ehrlich.

Gal Ehrlich is an operations and technology executive with over 20 years of experience. For the last twelve years, Gal has been developing betting and gaming companies. 

Before joining Beter, Gal Ehrlich worked as a Chief Technology & Product Officer at Fortuna Entertainment Group (FEG) and as a VP of Shared Services at Playtech. At the FEG, he got to know BETER and its products being its client. Gal said that this experience was a great motivation to join the team.

“I am excited to become a part of Beter company. The company has come a long way in the last few years. It is a privilege for me to be able to take Beter to its next step, to support its growth by providing our customers with extraordinary value, and to get an opportunity to fulfill the great potential of the team,” commented Gal Ehrlich.

On July 1, Gal Ehrlich became the new CEO of Beter succeeding Alex Barkar, who has successfully led the company since its inception in 2018. Alex will continue his partnership with Beter as a Board Member and Co-Founder.

“I decided to focus on global challenges as a Board Member and leave the CEO post a few months ago. And I am happy that together with JKR Investment Group we managed to find such an experienced manager as Gal in such a short period. I strongly believe that Gal will strengthen Beter.

We built everything from scratch, and we did it very well. I am proud of all our achievements and look forward to even greater opportunities,” said Alex Barkar.

Under the partnership, BettorView will deliver Nascar content at venues located in states where online sports betting is legal and regulated.

This will include showcasing customised Nascar stats, analytics and odds alongside sports betting promotions in restaurants, bars, stadiums and Nascar tracks.

BettorView currently provides on-screen touch technology, brand ambassador activations and digital content marketing to more than 1,000 in-venue screens across the US, though the deal with Nascar marks its first partnership with a professional sports league.

“This collaboration will allow us to deliver Nascar-specific content to a massive number of people actively engaged with sports betting,” Nascar’s managing director for sports betting, Joe Solosky, said.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

The double addition, and the reappointment of long-term member Celia Djivanovic, forms part of the ROA’s transition to a skills-based board, one of several recommendations put to and approved by the board as part of the wider ROA Corporate Governance Review.

The review is part of a wider effort to support the broader modernisation of horse racing and ensure its practices meet modern standards of corporate governance.

“Both our new board members and Celia’s re-election are indicative of the impetus behind our corporate governance agenda at the ROA,” ROA president Charlie Parker said. “We are determined to, in line with our Review, drive a more diverse set of people and skills on our board. 

“With so many challenges to ownership, racing’s participants and racing in its totality, I look forward to working closely with the Board to help the ROA continue to be the voice for all owners, domestic or international based, our members and together deliver for racing’s future.”

New board member Davies has been the MP for Shipley in West Yorkshire since 2005 and an officer of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Racing and Bloodstock for over a decade. 

He also spent more than 10 years on the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) Select Committee and as the chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Betting and Gaming.

“As a lifelong racing fan, this is a sport I know and love. To be involved at this level is a great privilege,” Davies said. “I am looking forward to getting stuck in and helping racing and owners both navigate the challenging period ahead but also thrive in the future.”

Hamilton-Fairley was formerly an event rider, point-to-point jockey, permit holder and dual licence holder, and is now an owner, breeder and syndicate member.

She also works closely with the Hampshire Youth Offending team on referral order panels, prison projects and as a victim volunteer in restorative justice.

“I will do my very best to represent those smaller racehorse owners, owner-breeders and syndicate members to make sure their voices are heard and listened to better in the future, across all aspects of this sport we love, whether it’s in decision making at the highest level or improving the raceday experience,” Hamilton-Fairley said.

Meanwhile, Djivanovic was reappointed to the board, having served as a member since 2008. Currently sitting as a trustee to the Retraining of Racehorses and ROA representative on the Whip Review Steering Group, she is a lifelong horse owner and rider.

Djivanovic also previously held a number of non-executive roles at organisations including The Horse Trust, the UK’s oldest horse charity.

“It has been fantastic to co-lead the ROA’s work on corporate governance and the review,” Djivanovic said. “Corporate governance is incredibly important to securing the future of our sport and we still have a lot more to do, not just here but across the sport.”