Month: April 2022

Gaming Partners International USA and GPI Mexicana were both fined $85,500 for failing to file their audited financial statements on time.

Holders of Table Game Manufacturer Licences in Pennsylvania are required to submit an audited annual financial statement to the PGCB no later than 90 days after the end of their 2019 and 2020 fiscal years.

However, the PGCB found the required reports for both entities were received late, with the 2019 reports filed 610 days late and 2020 report 245 days late. As such, a fine of $100 per day was assessed from the due date to when the reports were received, resulting in fines of $85,500 for each of the licence-holders.

Meanwhile, the Washington Trotting Association, operator of the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows in Washington County, was fined $40,000 for two incidents related to the overservice of alcohol.

In one case, the customer was served 17 draft beers during a period of 12 hours 44 minutes, which led to the individual falling and being injured. In the second incident, a customer was served five mixed drinks, three shots and a beer in three hours of 29 minutes, after which he physically assaulted two other patrons and two security guards at the casino

The PCGB-approved Compulsive and Problem Gambling Plan, states the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows must prevent visibly intoxicated patrons from entering and remaining on the gambling floor.

Downs Racing, operator of the Mohegan Sun Pocono Casino in Luzerne County, was fined $10,000 for a self-exclusion violation, whereby the casino failed to stop an individual who had signed up to the PGCB Self-Exclusion list from gambling at slot machines and cashing a cheque.

The 20-year-old player gained entrance to the gaming floor at Rivers Casino Philadelphia and participated in table games gambling. PGCB regulations state a casino must identify self-excluded patrons and refuse gaming privileges and other gaming-related activities.

Finally, Holdings Acquisition Co., operator of Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, was handed a fine of $7,500 for using revoked software for certain slot machines. The PGCB said personnel at the venue failed to install replacement software on a dozen slot machines, as instructed by the PGCB Bureau of Gaming Laboratory Operations.

The PGCB did note the failure did not result in any additional regulatory violations involving the legal play of the slot machines in question.

Meanwhile, the PGCB approved the placement of another adult on its Involuntary Exclusion List for choosing to gamble in a casino while leaving a young child in a car.

In this case, a seven-year-old was left unattended in a vehicle in the parking lot of Presque Isle Casino in Erie County, while the adult placed bets at the casino’s sportsbook facility.

As a result, the adult has been placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List and will no longer be able to enter or gamble at any casino in Pennsylvania. 

“The board reminds the public to not leave children unattended in the parking lot or garage, a hotel, or other venue in order to gamble at a casino, not only because of the possible exclusion from all Pennsylvania casinos and prosecution, but more importantly due to the safety hazard to the child,” the PGCB said.

While OneComply did not disclose the amount it raised during the round, it did reveal that it secured investment from industry figures Katie Lever, Benjie Cherniak and Quintin Singleton.

OneComply said it would use the funds to support further development of its purpose-built licensing automation and compliance management solutions for the gambling and sports betting market, covering both the online and land-based sectors.

Speaking about the investments, OneComply co-founder and chief executive Cameron Conn said the funds would help drive the provider’s growth plans in the US in particular.

“The expansion of gaming in the US has created a highly interrelated industry, where your licence can be impacted by your partner’s or vendor’s non-compliance,” Conn said. 

“Whether it’s key persons, licensed employees, the entity itself or the critical systems and platforms a company utilises, they all have an ongoing compliance component that needs to be effectively managed and monitored with well defined responsibilities and accountability.

“OneComply has created a centralized portal to tie all these pieces together, giving our customers an easy way to manage all their licensing and compliance, plus providing a complete view of the health of their most important asset – their gaming licence.”

Bill Warner of Warner Investments added: “With the growth of gaming and sports betting in the US attracting new participants as well as driving new partnerships and alliances, licensing and compliance takes on a whole new level of complexity and importance,” Warner said. 

“Managing this critical aspect of the business requires advanced, purpose-built solutions that are able to tie together all these disparate parts and break down the silos that can put a licence in jeopardy.”

Earl, who will serve as an independent director, brings over two decades of gaming industry leadership experience to SciPlay.

He was most recently CEO and director of Glu Mobile, the mobile games developer behind titles such as ‘Design Home’ and ‘Kim Kardashian: Hollywood’.

Prior to this, he was president of worldwide studios at Kabam for just over one year, while he also spent more than 13 years as senior vice president and general manager for EA Mobile at Electronic Arts, where he oversaw the launch of games such as ‘The Simpsons: Tapped Out’.

Earlier in his career, Earl had a spell as vice president of product development at Eidos and also six years as executive producer and general manager for the 3DO Company. 

“Nick is a gaming industry veteran, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the SciPlay board,” SciPlay executive chairman Barry Cottle said. “Nick’s appointment reflects our commitment to refreshing the SciPlay Board with new, independent members that add skills and experience relevant to SciPlay’s strategy to build and operate the top mobile games in the world.”

SciPlay chief executive Josh Wilson added: “Nick has spent decades building global gaming organisations and leading the development of high-growth mobile and social games.

“We look forward to benefitting from his insights and expertise as SciPlay advances its strategy to expand into the casual market and become a leading diversified global game developer to enhance value for all shareholders.”

The new appointment comes after Light & Wonder, which rebranded from Scientific Games earlier this year, this month also completed the sale of its lottery business to private equity company Brookfield Business Partners.

The deal, which was agreed in October last year, was worth $5.8bn (£4.4bn/€5.3bn) in gross cash proceeds and approximately $5.0bn in net after-tax cash proceeds.

Earlier this year, Scientific Games Corporation also withdrew an all-stock offer to acquire the remaining 19% equity interest in its SciPlay social gaming division.

Vardey joined Sportech in November 2017 as a non-executive director before progressing to non-executive chairman in July 2019. He oversaw a series of changes including the disposals of a number of divisions and a reduction in the overall size of the business.

However, Sportech said that given this transformational work and the recent downsizing of the business, Vardey felt it was time to move on. 

“I am extremely proud to have served Sportech for the last five years,” Vardey said. “Collectively, we transformed the business, building a more robust platform and strong balance sheet for the future execution of the board’s strategic aims.”

Sportech chief executive Andrew Lindley added: “I would like to thank Giles for the energy and passion he has brought to the role as chairman. He has steered the group admirably during its recent and significant transformation as well as through the unprecedented trading challenges brought about by the pandemic.”

Richard McGuire, currently a non-executive director at Sportech, will step up to the chairman role. Clive Whiley, a non-executive director, will also become senior independent director.

“Giles brought more than 35 years of business and boardroom experience to the role and served the company professionally at every stage,” McGuire said. “I very much look forward to working with the Sportech Board and wider team and continuing the core strategic initiative to generate attractive shareholder returns.”

Sportech sold a host of assets in 2021 as part of its wider plan to downsize. These included the Global Tote business, which was acquired by Betmakers in June 2021, and Bump 50:50, which Sportech agreed to sell to Canadian Banknote in February 2021.

This downsizing led to Sportech removing its shares from the London Stock Exchange and moving to the Alternative Investment Market, after which CEO Richard McGuire and chief financial officer Tom Hearne stepped down from their roles.

Last month, Sportech reported revenue of £22.9m (€27.8m/$30.1m) in 2021, with the sales of certain divisions powering the business to a £34.5m profit.

Pagcor’s latest remittance represents its declared dividends for 2021, which amounted to PHP1.04bn, and its additional and advance cash dividends worth PHP4.95bn. 

With this contribution, Pagcor said that its total remittances to the National Treasury for the dividend years 2016 to 2021 amounted to P48.94bn.

The agency made its latest remittance in response to a request from Department of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez to support the government’s funding of the increase in social expenditures to mitigate the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on vulnerable sectors.

Pagcor chairman and chief executive Andrea Domingo said the funds would also help the country with its ongoing economic recovery from the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

“We are now gaining momentum towards economic recovery as all businesses, including the gaming industry, are now on full operational level and revenues start pouring in once again,” Domingo said. “This enables us to fulfil our financial obligations with the government and to remain committed as one of its major partners in nation-building.”

Deputy Treasurer Ed Mariño added “This latest dividend contribution from Pagcor will greatly help in our government’s effort to cushion the economic effects of the Russia-Ukraine war and continue our recovery from the pandemic.”

Last month, Pagcor revealed that gross gaming revenue in the country in 2021 amounted to PHP113.92bn, a 14.5% increase on 2020, which was blighted by casino closures owed to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Miener, a former Royal Netherlands Navy officer and general counsel at TNO, joined the Dutch gaming operator last year as director of compliance. She has since been responsible for areas such as prevention policy and compliance with the law to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing.

Holland Casino said Miener’s appointment, which also sees her join the company’s board, is in line with its mission to offer safe and responsible gaming to the Dutch public.

Miener said: “Responsible and safe gambling is more urgent and topical than ever. Now that numerous new and foreign players are entering the Dutch market, it is up to Holland Casino to keep raising the bar. Taking that social responsibility is part of Holland Casino. Reliability, involvement and integrity are of paramount importance to us.

“The aim is to offer our guests a fun and safe experience in our casinos. The experience I gained at the Ministry of Defence comes in handy: taking responsibility together and being decisive in implementation are my core values. I consider it an honour and I think it is important that I can now monitor and promote responsible gambling at the highest level at Holland Casino.”

Holland Casino added that Miener’s appointment is subject to review and a positive decision by the financial regulator, DNB.

Willem Bröcker, chairman of Holland Casino’s supervisory board, said: “Holland Casino has an exemplary role when it comes to caring for its guests. We are embedding this in the organisation with the appointment of Malinda Miener as chief compliance officer. She has a proven track record when it comes to integrity and corporate responsibility, also within Holland Casino.”

OKTO, a fintech provider in the gaming, leisure and entertainment industries, delivers payment solutions in countries such as Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and the UK.

Under the agreement, OKTO will provide advice and thought leadership to 900 casinos represented by the ECA about how to optimise digital payments for their customers.

OKTO said that the deal demonstrated its ongoing commitment to driving innovative payment solutions in the European casino community as it seeks to expand its services into new markets.

“We are committed to working with like-minded, influential bodies such as the European Casino Association,” OKTO chief commercial officer Simon Dorsen said.

“Digital payments are one of the fastest developing sectors within the gambling eco-system, as such, there is a constant requirement and demand for innovative companies to deliver solutions that meet the needs of regulators, merchants, and consumers.

“This partnership demonstrates OKTO’s desire to collaborate with industry experts to drive innovation and bring the best payment experiences to users.

“We look forward to sharing and exchanging knowledge with other industry leaders to ensure that collectively, we succeed in driving the industry forward and benefit all stakeholders – consumers, casinos, payment providers and regulators.”

The 900 casinos that are represented by the ECA employ more than 70,000 employees across 28 European countries.

ECA secretary general Hermann Pamminger added: “An essential part of the ECA’s role is to address key innovations as they relate to casino operations. The ECA serves as an information network for our members as we work closely with EU institutions upon initiatives that could potentially impact the European land-based casino sector.

“The announced partnership with OKTO provides our members with the very latest insights and developments regarding digital payments and digitalisation. It will help operators to understand and respond to requirements set out by industry regulators and, most importantly, how they relate to the genuine and effective responsible gambling frameworks implemented by duly licensed operators.”

The renewal, which will run until 2030, prolongs a deal that was initially signed in 2018. When it was struck, the agreement was the largest to date for the company’s UK gaming business.

Under the extension, Light & Wonder will continue to supply over 10,000 terminals to Entain’s licensed betting offices through their Coral and Ladbrokes retail shops.

The company will also provide titles from its global game portfolio and its Manchester studio, which recently launched titles like Lord of The Rings and 777 High & Mighty.

Light & Wonder’s content aggregation platform also gives Entain access to an extensive library of over 3,000 titles from the world’s leading studios, complemented by a range of player features and responsible gaming tools.

“Our stores provide an engaging and differentiated experience for our customers,” said Andy Hicks, Entain’s retail managing director for the UK and Ireland.

“Light & Wonder enhances that with the industry’s best gaming machines backed up by a great range of leading games, service infrastructure and support.”

Entain will also benefit from Light & Wonder’s operational and field service support, content and platform functionalities, including new features such as intelligent menu enhancements.

Simon Johnson, Light & Wonder’s senior vice-president and managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Asia, added: “Our teams have more than 20 years of history together and we’re excited about supporting Entain through their next phase of growth and innovation.”

Entain’s portfolio of brands includes Ladbrokes, Coral, bwin, PartyCasino, Gala, Eurobet, Neds, and Sportingbet.

Last month, Scientific Games confirmed a net profit of $371m (£279m/€334m) for its 2021 financial year after revenue increased 26.7% year-on-year, and also announced that it would rebrand as Light & Wonder this spring.

The letter from AGA chief executive Bill Miller outlines the threat that he believes unregulated operators pose to consumers, state economies and the legal gaming industry.

The AGA calls for a crack down on illegal, online sportsbooks and casinos and unregulated “skill game” machines. It urges the DOJ to address illegal gambling by investigating and indicting the largest offshore operations — such as Bovada, MyBookie and BetOnline — that it claims openly violate federal and state laws.

The AGA urges the Department of Justice to address illegal gambling by clarifying that skill-based machine manufacturers must comply with Johnson Act registration requirements and anti-money laundering standards and pursuing aggressive enforcement actions against those entities that do not fully comply.

“While the challenge of illegal gambling is not new, the brazen and coordinated manner in which it occurs — both online and in communities — has elevated this problem to a level that requires significant federal attention,” Miller wrote.

“We urge the Department to make it a priority to act…to protect American consumers, crack down on illegal operators, and enforce federal regulations.

“Illegal operators have been put on notice: their days as a scourge on our nation are numbered.

“These bad actors prey on vulnerable customers, offer no consumer protections, do not ensure integrity or fair play, and generate no economic benefit for states or tribal nations.”

The Toronto-headquartered digital sports media company, whose brands include Yardbarker, has appointed Slane as well as Mark Harrison, founder of the T1 Agency and SponsorshipX.

Playmaker said the appointments will strengthen and complement the board’s areas of expertise, most notably in building commercial partnerships.

Slane, the founder of the Slane Advisory consultancy, is one of the most influential figures in North American gaming, having played a key role in overturning the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which has resulted in widespread and continued adoption of sports betting across the US.

Harrison founded the sponsorship-focused T1 Agency in the 1990s. In 2005, he founded SponsorshipX, a global community of sponsorship and marketing-dedicated practitioners.

“Being able to add two people of the calibre of Sara and Mark is a big step forward for Playmaker,” said Jordan Gnat, Playmaker’s chief executive.

“I have known Sara for many years and have witnessed how effective she has been in providing guidance and leadership to the gaming and sports industries. Mark’s reputation is second to none. We have been looking to add a senior executive in the marketing and partnership industry to our board, and Mark fits that perfectly.

“Sara and Mark have distinct experiences that are relevant to our core business model, and they will both serve as incredibly important and complementary additions to the current composition of our board.”

Playmaker is building a collection of sports media brands, curated to deliver audiences of sports fans to sports betting companies, leagues, teams and advertisers. The group last year acquired Yardbarker, a digital media property focused on publishing sports and entertainment news and information, in a deal worth up to $24.0m.

Its other brands include FutbolSites and The Nation Network.