Month: November 2021

The appointment took effect on October 1.

McMillan has 20 years of experience in corporate finance and strategy. He initially held roles with Ernst & Young and HSBC Global Banking, before joining William Hill in 2011.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Under the deal, DraftKings will serve as the official odds supplier for iHeartMedia broadcast, digital, podcast and social platforms for its sports radio and podcast networks.

DraftKings will be able to co-create and distribute long-form content with iHeartMedia and receive preferred access to iHeartMedia’s full roster of personalities.

The deal also sets out how DraftKings will have the opportunity to leverage iHeartMedia’s SmartAudio suite of data-driven advertising products, allowing for fact-based audience planning and targeting optimisations across iHeartMedia’s broadcast and digital platform.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

In her new role, Kaltcheva will oversee efforts to extend the Pronet network of developers in markets around the world. She will be based as Pronet’s new office in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Kaltcheva joins Pronet having recently co-founded sports betting insights and tips service Tipstly. Prior to this, she spent just under a year as chief product and technology officer at William Hill International.

From August 2011 to June 2020, Kaltcheva ran her own business in the form of software products and services provider NedaSoft. This came after an 11-month spell at The Stars Group, where she was head of technology for sports development and head of engineering.

Earlier in her career, she also spent time with VerizonWireless, BMW, Turner Broadcasting and ADP, while she co-founded live sports streaming online platform iExpert

“I am passionate about all things technology, gaming, diversity and innovation oriented, so Pronet Gaming was clearly the right choice for me,” Kaltcheva said.

“It’s such an exciting time to be coming on board, with some huge projects just around the corner. I look forward to building dynamic new relationships as these come to fruition and Pronet Gaming continues to grow.”

Pronet chief executive Alex Leese added: “Our plans for next year are ambitious, to say the least, with some big announcements on the immediate horizon. With that in mind, it’s fantastic to have Nedda on board as so much of this depends on our technology capabilities being first-class.

“The IT expertise and industry experience she brings to the table is clear for everybody to see and she is going to be a major asset to Pronet Gaming.”

The appointment comes after Pronet in September supported online gambling operator Truenorth.bet with its launch in Canada. Truenorth.bet now operates on Pronet’s platform, offering players access to a range of sports betting options and online casino games.

This was a decline of 0.5% from Q1, which accumulated £420.7m, and a drop of 7.6% compared to the Q2 2020-21 period.

The funds come from sales of games from the National Lottery, along with supplemented unclaimed prizes and interest on balance funds.

The funds for good causes are held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund.

The Gambling Commission explained the slight dip in funds as being down to two instances, the first being a decrease in instant win products such as scratch cards and interactive win games. The second factor was the existence of two unclaimed prizes, leading to total unclaimed funds holding steady.

The National Lottery has raised over £43bn for good causes since its launch in November 1994.

During the Q2 period, the National Lottery delayed the selection of the winner of its tender process, which was launched in August 2020.

The tender process will decide who receives the fourth National Lottery licence in the UK.

Last month, the regulator then revealed that four companies have applied for the licence- Sazka, Sugal & Damani and Sisal have all expressed their interest in bidding, while current licensee Camelot – which said it had committed early parts of the application but did not reveal whether it had bid – had its licence extended until 2024.

The deal will allow Scientific Games to build live casino products and supply them to players all over the world. It forms part of the company’s growth strategy which includes expansion into the US igaming market and game diversification – exhibited by its acquisition of content studio Lightning Box in August.

Authentic Games has extensive experience in the European igaming market, supplying casino products to the likes of Betway, Entain and Mr Green.

Scientific Games CEO Barry Cottle said: “We are thrilled to have Authentic Gaming join the Scientific Games family and expand our premium product portfolio as we execute on our vision to become the leading, cross-platform global game company.

“The collective power of Authentic, our proven Table Games titles and our OpenGaming platform allow us to capitalize on a growing U.S. market opportunity with our unique omni-channel approach.”

The deal comes shortly after Scientific Games announced the sale of its lottery business to Brookfield Business Partners in a $6.05bn agreement. The business also divested its sports betting business including the OpenBet platform – selling to IMG owner Endeavor – in September.

Authentic Gaming CEO and founder Jonas Delin added: “Scientific Games’ leading position in the U.S., their focus on quality games content and market-leading iGaming platform make them the ideal home for Authentic to expand our footprint in the U.S. and European markets.

“Our proven technology and live dealer platform is ready for scale and now, as part of Scientific Games, we are able to embark on our studio expansion and game diversification strategy in full force.”

With a mesmerising blend of Megaways reels, preserved 10-spin cycle mechanic and Flaming Frames feature that guarantees Wild symbols. All that is topped with winning multipliers and Free Spins with Sticky Wild symbols.

You can play a demo of Solar Queen Megaways here!You can download the affiliate pack from Playson here!

Go Live Date (expected):04/11/2021Game special features:• Megaways feature
• Wild symbol
• Scatter symbol
• Sun symbol
• Flaming Frame Feature
• Free Spins
• Winning Multiplier
• Sticky Wild symbols
• Stacked symbols
• Buy Free Spins featureNumber of paylines:7776 MegawaysNumber of reels:5RTP% (recorded/theoretical):95.84%Variance/volatility:Very-HighNumber of symbols to trigger feature/bonus?:3 Scatter symbols for Free Spins.Can feature be retriggered?:noNumber of free spins awarded?:10 Free SpinsStacked or expanding wilds in normal play?:YesStacked or expanding wilds in feature play?:YesNumber of jackpot tiers?:–Auto-play function?:Yes

Of this total, $289.0m was derived from casino operations, a figure which has increased 20.5% when compared to 2020. Food and drink contributed $64.8m, room revenue was $39.5m, while other sources raised $21.1m.

While Red Rock’s Las Vegas operations carried the lion’s share of the revenue total – 99.5%  – revenue from tribal sources fell significantly from $30.7m to $205,000. This is due to the company’s sale of the Palms Casino to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians back in May.

Operating expenses foe the quarter totaled $271.9m, up from $252.3m in 2020. General and administrative costs were the largest expense at $92.6m.

Casino costs were $71.0m, food and drink expenses were $51.9m, depreciation and amortisation came to $34.0m, and room costs were $15.1m. Other expenses amounted to $25.4m.

Net income, after accounting for $354,000 of income tax, came to $117.9m. After losses from non-controlling interests of $46.7m, Red Rock turned a profit of $71.2m for the quarter, up 63.3%.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

The four new trustees, confirmed following an extensive recruitment process, will now join the GambleAware board

Baroness Armstrong is a Labour member of the House of Lords with extensive experience in non-executive leadership roles, including as a board member for Durham and Darlington Hospital Foundation Trust. 

Gibbs currently serves as policy director within Ofcom’s Networks and Communications group, which oversees Ofcom’s work in the postal sector and directs policy projects across Ofcom’s regulatory sectors. She will bring more than 20 years’ experience in operating at board level in both executive and non-executive roles. 

Haq is chief executive of Standard Life Foundation, which funds and commissions research, policy work and advocacy activities focused on improving living standards and addressing financial problems of low-to-middle income earners. 

Dr.Valsraj, is a consultant psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, a senior clinical lecturer at Kings College London and is on the specialist register of the General Medical Council with dual accreditation in Psychiatry of Learning Disability and General Adult Psychiatry with specialty endorsement in Liaison Psychiatry.

“We are very pleased to announce the appointment of four new trustees, each of whom bring with them skills and experience which will help guide and support GambleAware as it works to deliver its new five-year strategy,” GambleAware’s chair of trustees Kate Lampard said.

“Our current board composition is strong on health and public health, but we recognised there was a clear need to increase the diversity of the board and extend the skill base of trustees. 

“With these new appointments, we look forward to building and expanding the board’s expertise that will support the charity in the years ahead.”

Other members of the GambleAware board include Saffron Cordery, director of policy and strategy and deputy chief executive for NHS Providers; Professor Sian Griffiths, past president of the UK Faculty of Public Health and non-executive director for Public Health Wales; Michelle Highman, chief executive of The Money Charity; Rachel Pearce, regional director of commissioning at NHS England South West; and Paul Simpson, chief finance officer and deputy chief executive, Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

Meanwhile, GambleAware has appointed the FutureGov agency to develop a new outcomes framework and service delivery model to inform the future National Gambling Treatment Service.

GambleAware said the new model will help ensure that the service is accessible, effective, desirable and evidence-based. The model will be produced in consultation with existing and potential providers, co-commissioners, and those with lived experience of gambling harms.

The appointment comes after GambleAware this week said awareness for the National Gambling Treatment Service (NGTS) continues to grow, following a series of recent campaigns by the organisation.

GambleAware in spring last year launched the NGTS awareness campaign, with four bursts of media targeting men and one for women. The project ran across newspapers, magazine, out-of-home advertising, radio and online, with the aim of reaching high-risk gamblers experiencing significant harms.

Major figures from the initiative included that by August 2021, 60% of high-risk gamblers reached through the campaign would contact NGTS as a first step if they had concerns about their gambling, up from 47% in May 2020.

Under the agreement, Betway will continue to benefit from a branding presence during all televised games from the round of 32 stage of the contest, as well as additional branding positions for the final.

In addition, Betway will have a series of activation rights on Pro League channels. The Pro League is the top division of club football in Belgium. 

Betway began its support of the Croky Cup in 2016 and is one of the operator’s longest-serving partnerships.

“The Pro League has been a fantastic partner of ours for five years and we’re delighted to extend our partnership of the Croky Cup,” Betway chief executive Anthony Werkman said. “The Cup has had five different winners in the last five years and continues to be an exciting competition in Belgian football.  

“While there have been no crowds for the past two finals, we’re looking forward to hopefully seeing the return of fans for the 2021-22 edition.”

Pro League chief business officer Leander Monbaliu added: “This extension is a confirmation of the success story of the long-standing partnership between Betway and Pro League for the Cup, an exciting competition marked by heroic underdog wins and unexpected defeats leading to the much anticipated cup final.”

Kostopoulos arrives at the company having worked in the industry for almost 20 years, holding senior positions in product, operations and management sectors.

Win Systems sees this appointment as an opportunity to reinforce the growth strategy in its systems division.

Win Systems CEO Eric Benchimol said: “The incorporation of Elias is great news for Win Systems and for the implementation of our Systems strategy.

“His knowledge of the sector will provide an additional boost to our growth plan, especially in the Lottery and Public Gaming System divisions.”

Kostopoulos becomes the second senior appointment made by Win Systems this year, after José Luis González was hired as the business unit director for Spain back in March.