Month: May 2022

While Mr Green is licensed under its own name, Evoke is responsible for all other William Hill brands in Sweden, including William Hill itself as well as Bertil, Mama Mia Bingo and Vinnarum.

All licensees in Sweden must report certain information such as their earnings from the market twice per year to Spelinspektionen.

These reports – one for the first six months of the calendar year and one for the last six – must be submitted no later than the 20th day of the month after the period ends.

However, the regulator said that Mr Green and Evoke had both failed to report certain required information.

The businesses said that it had “not been technically possible” to submit certain information, while adding that documentation had been submitted but that the regulator had not received this.

As a result, Spelinspektionen began supervision of Mr Green and Evoke in September 2021.

The businesses then submitted some of the required information on 22 December, 2021, and – following a request from Spelinspektionen – provided supplementary information on 14 March, 2022.

However, the regulator said that upon review, it determined that this information “on several points differed from the information that the company had previously reported”.

This, the licensees said, was due to “technical errors” and differing interpretations of some of the terminology in the requirements. For example, it said that it was unclear whether to count a customer that reached their deposit limit on three seperate occasions as one instance worth reporting or three.

In addition, the licensees said that for certain two-part questions, they reported combined totals rather than listing two totals seperately.

However, the regulator noted that Mr Green and Evoke had still failed to provide the necessary information. While it acknowledged that this was partly due to the fact that reporting certain material had been “technically impossible” for them, it said that it “does not consider it to be excusable” that they did not have the technical ability to do so.

“Spelinspektionen considers that the lack of reporting obligation has been going on for a long time and on a total of five different occasions, and the information that has nevertheless been

provided despite technical difficulties has subsequently proved to be incorrect,” the regulator said.

It also noted, though, that the businesses had taken steps to resolve these problems.

“There is thus no indication that the infringement will be repeated,” it said.

Ultimately, it determined that the infringements were worthy of a penalty fee, which is based on the amount of turnover a licensee brings in. It noted that in considering the size of the penalty, it weighed the fact that the infringements themselves were not too serious against the fact that they had gone on for a significant amount of time.

For Mr Green, it set this penalty fee at SEK1m, while for Evoke, it came to SEK450,000.

Both Mr Green and Evoke are set to be acquired by online gambling giant 888 in a £1.95bn deal for William Hills non-US assets, after the UK-based bookmaker was itself acquired by Caesars last year. Last week, 888 shareholders gave their approval to the deal.

Under the 10-year deal, BetMakers’ Global Tote subsidiary will provide its Global Tote Quantum engine as part of a solution to replace Norsk Rikstoto’s current pari-mutuel betting system

The agreement will cover Norsk Rikstoto’s existing web, mobile and terminal platforms, with the system to be hosted from Global Tote’s AWS computing environment with operations services from Global Tote’s purpose-built centres in Europe and the US.

Founded in 1982 and based in Oslo, Norsk Rikstoto is Norway’s sole purveyor of betting on horse racing. 

The deal will seek to build on Norsk Rikstoto’s position and better place the operator, as well as develop Norway racing as a global wagering product

This is expected to include expanding international commingling opportunities, increasing turnover and revenue by importing international content for wagering customers in Norway, as well as exporting Norwegian racing and betting products to global markets. 

“The betting system is Norsk Rikstoto’s most central and critical component, so its replacement had to offer a sophisticated technological and service solution with a powerful core platform from which to deliver an engaging responsible gaming experience to our customers,” Norsk Rikstoto director of gaming services and chief information officer Christofer Moestue Huseby said.

“Global Tote’s stature in the racing and betting industries is well established, its technologies and services are advanced, and we believe its integration capabilities will allow Norsk Rikstoto to integrate the new betting system with our existing web, mobile and terminal platforms.”

BetMakers chief executive Todd Buckingham added: “Further to this new Norway deal expanding Global Tote’s footprint in Europe, we are particularly proud of the fact that, as a company, BetMakers now provides key tote betting services to three of the four Nordic countries that offer betting on racing. Global Tote is the chosen national tote services provider of the Nordics in Denmark, Finland and Norway. 

“Global Tote is also the national tote technology service provider in Turkey, and supports key racetracks across Spain, Cyprus, Ireland and the UK. 

“Global Tote is committed to innovating with technologically-advanced systems supported by top-tier services and investing in pool betting, while providing our partners with increased commingling opportunities and access to new racing content.”

The Pitching In Volunteer Hub will run as an online portal and seek to attract volunteers to help fill vacancies at all 248 clubs playing in the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues, which together make up the Trident Leagues.

Clubs can post volunteering vacancies on the hub, while supporters can search for available opportunities either at a specific club or location, as well as register their skills for clubs to view.

These volunteer positions may include matchday activities such as manning the turnstiles, stewarding and catering, while other roles include pitch maintenance, ground upkeep and providing administrative and professional support.

In addition to providing the platform, Entain will promote volunteering through its network of community-based Ladbrokes and Coral betting shops across the UK.

“This is a fantastic initiative that will be a real gamechanger for promoting volunteering at the community level,” said Stuart Pearce, former England national team footballer and Pitching In ambassador.

“Pitching In has been unbelievable for non-league football, providing finance at every level for the Trident Leagues. So many people have benefited from this great investment from Entain.”

Aside from backing the investment fund to support the Trident Leagues, Entain is also the founding partner of the Trident Community Fund, which enables clubs to apply for funding for a range of community engagement projects.

The Pitching In programme launched in September 2020 prior to Entain’s rebrand from GVC Holdings. In line with the operator’s decision in 2019 to stop sponsoring British football teams, the partnership does not promote any of the group’s betting or gaming brands.

Entain’s director of corporate affairs Grainne Hurst said: “As the name suggests, our ambition for Pitching In when we partnered with the Trident Leagues was not just to provide financial backing but to bring communities together and encourage everyone to play a part. 

“The Volunteer Hub makes it easier than ever for fans to pitch in and help out their local club.”

In a joint statement, Pitching In Southern League vice-chairman Anthony Hughes, Pitching In Isthmian League chairman Nick Robinson and Pitching In Northern Premier League chairman Mark Harris added: “We are really excited about the development of the Pitching In Volunteer Hub as part of the tremendous support received from Entain. 

“Volunteers are vital to the running of our clubs we want to welcome as many as possible to play an active part in their clubs and their communities.”

O’Neill had been serving as operator’s chairman and was also appointed executive chair on an interim basis on 1 April after Matt Bekier resigned as managing director and CEO.

However, O’Neill last week announced that he would step down from both his executive and boardroom roles ahead of giving evidence in a review by the New South Wales Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority into Star’s licence.

O’Neill will transition his chair and executive responsibilities and formally stand down on 31 May, with Heap and Hogg taking on their temporary roles with effect from 1 June.

Remuneration arrangements for Hogg, who is currently interim chief casino officer for NSW and Queensland, will be announced prior to him starting as acting CEO.

The NSW regulator launched a review into Star amid accusations that Star knowingly worked with junkets that had ties to criminal groups and that its anti-money laundering measures were insufficient.

The review of The Star Sydney began in June 2021, and centred on assessing whether The Star was eligible for an operating licence in New South Wales. 

Revenue came to €14.0m (£11.9m/$15.0m), which the operator noted was within expectations for the quarter.

However, this total was down 54.1% from Q1 of 2021, due to regulator challenges in many of Bet-at-Home’s core markets.

Bet-at-Home withdrew from Austria last year, in a move that led to 65 layoffs, after determining that continuing to do business in the country “would lead to a steadily increasing risk potential that appears indefensible overall”. 

This followed a legal case in Austria in which a number of players have sought reimbursement for losses made with unlicensed operators. The only licensed operator in the country is Casinos Austria.

Meanwhile in the Netherlands, Bet-at-Home was one of a number of operators that stopped accepting Dutch players before the market opened on 1 October of last year, following a change in enforcement policies. The operator noted that it submitted a licence application at the end of Q1, paving the way for a return.

Meanwhile in Germany, the business has been affected by the terms of a transitional regime where operators must follow the rules imposed by the country’s Fourth State Treaty on Gambling, including a €1 stake limit for slots. The effects of this, it said, were exacerbated by the fact that operators that do not comply have not yet faced regulatory action, but the business said it expects that fact to change soon.

“We expect the relevant authorities to take rigorous action against unlicensed providers in the foreseeable future,” Bet-at-Home’s board said.

The business paid €4.4m in personnel expenses, down from €5.0m the year before because of the layoffs announced last year. Marketing expenses also declined, to €3.5m, as the business intends to focus more of its 2022 marketing spend on the end of the year, during the Fifa World Cup.

Other operating expenses came to €5.1m.

The business reported a loss before interest, profit, depreciation and amortisation of €1.4m, after a €6.9m profit before interest, profit, depreciation and amortisation the year before.

The business reiterated its revenue guidance of between €50m and €60m for the full year, as well as its earnings before interest, profit, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) guidance of between a €2m loss and a €2m profit.

Bet-at-Home is owned by Betclic Everest, which earlier this month announced plans to go public on Euronext Amsterdam through a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger, alongside television production business Banijay. 

Betclic Everest will first join with Banijay to create FL Entertainment, a business with an enterprise value of €7.2bn, most of which would be related to Banijay. This business would then itself merge with Pegasus Entrepreneurial Acquisition Company Europe, which is already listed on Euronext Amsterdam.

In his new role, Cooke will lead FunFair’s new business efforts as well as oversee its sales and account management, supporting the studio’s ongoing expansion efforts.

Cooke joins FunFair having previously worked for William Hill, Red Tiger and Spearhead Studios, while he was most recently commercial director at Estonian games developer All41 Studios.

“I’m delighted to have been appointed the commercial director of such a thrilling company as FunFair Games; it’s an exciting time for the business and the industry as a whole and I can’t wait to get started,” Cooke said.

“I feel that the multiplayer games vertical is a revolutionary space within the igaming space, with plenty of room for growth. I’m looking forward to seeing how we can further establish ourselves as a leading brand focused on delivering premium non-traditional casino content.”

The appointment comes after FunFair last week announced former Entain director Mark McGinley as its new chief executive.

Speaking about Cooke’s appointment, McGinley said: “We’re thrilled to have Carlo join us as our new Commercial Director, as he brings with him a substantial amount of industry experience and know-how.

“His background will be vital in supporting the company as we set out to further propel our growth and reach and deliver even more innovative products to a new generation of players around the globe.”

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Take-Two – which owns Grand Theft Auto publisher Rockstar and NBA 2K developer 2K Games – agreed in January to pay $3.50 in cash and 0.0406 shares of its own common stock in exchange for each Zynga share.

With the deal having received regulatory and shareholder approval, it has now come into effect.

“We are excited for Zynga’s next-generation mobile platform, free-to-play expertise, diverse offering of games and incredible team to join the Take-Two family,” Frank Gibeau, chief executive of Zynga, said. “We are eager to continue building an unparalleled portfolio of games that will reach broader markets and lead to continued growth for this next chapter of Zynga’s history.”

Strauss Zelnick, chairman and CEO of Take-Two, said the deal would help Take-Two increase its focus on mobile gaming, where it intends to expand.

“We are thrilled to complete our combination with Zynga, which is a pivotal step to increase exponentially our net bookings from mobile, the fastest-growing segment in interactive entertainment, while also providing us with substantial cost synergies and revenue opportunities,” Strauss Zelnick, chairman and CEO of Take-Two, said. “As we bring together our exceptional talent, exciting pipelines of games, and industry-leading technologies and capabilities, we believe that we can take our portfolio to another level of creativity, innovation, and quality. 

“Each of our teams has a strong history of operational execution, and together, we expect that we will enhance our financial profile through greater scale and profitability, paving the way for us to deliver strong shareholder value.”

The review, led by a “reputable accountancy firm”, was announced on 31 March in response to the arrest of then-co-chairman and chief executive Chan by the Macau Judicial Police.

Chan – who also leads junket operator the Tak Chun Group – was arrested and accused of running an illegal gambling operation, as well as of commanding a Triad organisation, in January. His arrest was part of the same investigation that also led to Suncity owner Alvin Chau being arrested.

The intent of the review was “to internally assess the impact that the incident may have on the company”. The review covered the period from 1 September 2021 to 31 January 2022.

Macau Legend said that this review ultimately did not find any signs of irregular activity concerning the business itself.

“Based on the findings of the independent consultant on the review, while there were recurring and non-recurring business dealings between the company and Mr. Chan Weng Lin, a controlling shareholder of the company and his related companies, the independent consultant did not note any irregularity in these dealings between the company and Mr. Chan or his related entities,” the business said.

As a result, it determined that “that the incident has no significant impact and does not affect the business operations of the company”.

Chan resigned from his roles at Macau Legend after the arrest. He was replaced as CEO by Melinda Chan, who previously held the role from March to December 2020.

Macau Legend’s shares have been suspended from trading since 1 April as it has not been able to consolidate its financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2021.

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