Month: June 2022

Issued by Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection, the licence will enable Gaming Realms to supply its content to licensed operators active in the state.

DraftKings and FanDuel, both of which have multi-state deals and direct integrations with Gaming Realms, are already live in Connecticut and will now be able to roll out content from the developer.

Gaming Realms expects its Slingo content to go live in Connecticut with both DraftKings and FanDuel by the end of 2022, subject to final certifications.

Connecticut becomes the fourth state in the US to issue a licence to Gaming Realms, with the developer also approved in Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

“The company’s strategy to sign multi-state deals and direct integration agreements with some of the largest operators in the US has also put us in a stronger position for our Slingo content to go live in a shorter time frame and to capitalise on market growth as more states look to regulate igaming,” Gaming Realms’ chief executive Michael Buckley said.

“The company’s expansion outside of North America is progressing as expected, and our Slingo games have recently gone live in Italy with Lottomatica, which is that country’s largest operator.”

NSW introduced a 10% POCT rate in January 2019 as a way of closing a loophole in existing laws whereby most online bets were not taxed, meaning the state was missing out on tax revenue.

The POCT applies to the location where the bet was placed, rather than where the operator that accepted the wager is located, meaning that all operators active in NSW are subject to paying tax in the state, regardless of the licence registration location of the operator.

The rise in POCT rate from 10% to 15% was announced as part of the NSW 2022-23 State Budget and will come into effect from 1 July this year. The reform is expected to increase revenue by AU$740.0m (£420.5m/€490.0m/US$515.6m) during the four years to 2025-26.

“Aligning the POC tax and the betting tax, including effective fixed odds betting tax and totalisator betting tax at 15% will provide competitively neutral tax rates between betting products, regardless of the gambling operators or whether the betting activity is online or in person,” the Budget said.

Land-based operator Tabcorp welcomed the higher rate, describing it as a further positive step toward industry reform. The operator said it also greeted news of the government’s intention to review the wagering tax regime, regulation and industry funding in the coming years.

The operator had recently joined a body that lobbied for higher rates for the online sector.

Tabcorp will receive transition payments over an 18-month period from the commencement of the tax changes to ensure it is ‘no-worse off’ relative to its current tax obligations as a result of the higher rate.

“Today is a positive step forward in levelling the playing field in NSW,” Tabcorp managing director and chief executive Adam Rytenskild said. “Online bookies will pay a greater share of wagering tax which can be invested back into the local racing industry and ensures a fairer system,.

“We welcome the NSW government’s announcement. Online betting has changed substantially since the TAB’s licences were issued and this is an opportunity to better align with the modern economy.

“The Queensland government has recently announced reforms to create a level playing field and NSW is now a step closer to a level playing field.”

Earlier this month, Racing Queensland has announced a new 5% levy on online bookmaking, effectively increasing the POCT rate to 20%. The organisation said this would harmonise the tax rates of online operators doing business within the province with Tabcorp.

There are also plans to broaden the betting tax to include free and bonus bets as well as increasing the proportion of betting tax revenue that goes directly to the racing industry from 35% to 80%.

Revenue for the month amounted to $22.6m, a significant increase from $3.3m in April and the second-highest monthly total since Louisiana opened its legal online betting market in January this year.

However, consumer spending fell from $186.0m in April to $142.6m, the lowest full monthly total since the market’s launch. It was also noted that this figure included $365,295 worth of promotional bets, the lowest monthly figure to date.

Baseball betting proved the main single source of revenue for licensees, with wagers on the sport generating $5.7m in revenue, ahead of $4.7m from basketball, $331,777 from football and $126,440 from soccer.

It was also noted that $837,380 in revenue came from betting on other sports, while $10.9m was generated from parlay betting.

Turning to retail betting, which became legal in October last year, revenue for the month was $2.7m, up 17.4% from $2.3m in April. Retial handle also increased by 28.4% to $28.5m.

Basketball was the main revenue source in retail, with revenue reaching $401,675. Baseball followed on $248,587, then soccer with $25,090,  while football betting generated a loss of $9,638.

Revenue from other sports totalled $535,460, while parlay betting revenue was $1.5m.

Under the multi-year deal, Unibet will become an official partner of Ajax and work with the club on a range of joint marketing and promotional initiatives.

Unibet will also collaborate with Ajax on social projects such as mental health initiatives, promoting responsible gambling and preventing match-fixing. This will include the Unibet Impact scheme, a program based on collaborations with partners from top and amateur sports and social organisations.

“Unibet Impact is committed to education about responsible gaming, prevention of match-fixing and initiatives for supporters,” Unibet Netherlands’ general manager Lennart Kessels said.

“Specifically with Ajax, we want to focus on responsible play in relation to mental health. In the coming period, we will investigate how we are going to shape this exactly and also learn from initiatives that we have already supported elsewhere in the world.”

Ajax commercial director Menno Geelen added: “Unibet is known worldwide as a forerunner in the field of responsible gaming, and this will receive explicit attention in our partnership.” 

The new deal comes after Kindred earlier this month secured an online gambling licence from the Dutch regulator de Kansspelautoriteit (KSA). The licence enables Kindred to offer both commercial online gambling and betting to players in the country’s regulated market.

Kindred said the issuing of the licence follows an extensive application process including the successful completion of relevant audits. 

The flagship Unibet brand has since gone live in the Netherlands.

Kindred was previously active in the Netherlands prior to the country opening its regulated online gambling market on 1 October last year.

Upon this launch, Kindred temporarily halted its operations in the Netherlands while it sought clarification from Dutch authorities about its licence application.

Shortly after, Kindred said it would continue to block Dutch players until it received a licence in the country. 

Esports betting site GGBet.com will also close. This site shares branding with the more popular GG.Bet, though the latter site is not owned by MaxEnt and did not mention plans to close operations.

Prompts on the individual brand websites now direct consumers to withdraw their funds.

The message states: “As of 31/7/2022, [Brand Name] will be closing its doors for casino players. If you have a pending real funds balance in your account, please request a withdrawal at your earliest convenience.”

“Should you have a pending balance and cannot withdraw it, kindly get in touch with the customer services team for assistance.”

A further message on the MaxEnt affiliate programme website says that the sites will no longer accept new deposits as of today (21 June).

While the GB Gambling Commission revoked the operator’s licence in 2019, MaxEnt continues to have a Malta licence.

In its decision to revoke the licence, the Commission cited concerns about the source of funds used for the deal and question marks over its new ownership as the reasons for the revocation.

Representatives from MaxEnt have not responded to an invitation to comment.

The Conference will take place on 6-7 July during iGB Live! at the RAI Amsterdam.

The speakers will provide business insights in the form of panel discussions, key notes and fireside chats.

Naomi Barton, portfolio director responsible for the iGB brand, said that having a tribal presence at the conference – headlines by Stevens – will support the growth of market access across the US.

“The team has done superbly well in bringing together many of the foremost industry influencers and thought leaders to share their insight,” said Barton.

“We are honoured to be hosting Ernie Stevens, chairman of the Indian Gaming Association and Victor Rocha, editor of Pechanga.net and president of Victor Strategies.

“Tribal casinos, which are responsible for more than half of US gaming revenues, hold the keys to market access in many North American states that are either already regulated or on the cusp of being regulated.”

Topics discussed at the Conference will range from the black market, advertising restrictions in the Netherlands and AI to the Metaverse, NFTs and Crypto.

“We have panels dedicated to mobile UX in the US market, an examination of how Ontario’s restrictive model can inspire more creative and loyalty-building marketing for other regulated markets and a debate on the UK’s long-awaited gambling phite paper, featuring Wes Himes, executive director at the Betting and Gaming Council,” continued Barton.

“Our delegates want strong, topical and fresh content delivered by experts and the conference programme certainly ticks those boxes. It is set to be among the two most informative days of the year.”

iGB Live! will take place on 5-8 July at the RAI Amsterdam. Register here.

The agreement states that Bet365 will be the exclusive source for odds on the leaderboard and player pages on pgatour.com as well on TourCast, the organisations online application.

The operator will become the first OBO outside North America; with the territories including the UK, Ireland, Australia and Canada.

Bet365 will also have a brand presence across the PGA Tour’s media properties, including Discovery platforms in the territories Bet365 will be active in.

“We are excited to work with Bet365 to expand the Tour’s sports betting initiatives outside of North America,” said Scott Warfield, Vice President of Gaming at the PGA Tour.

“Bet365 was the first operator to integrate the Tour’s official in-play betting product and they are poised for tremendous growth being on the forefront of in-play sports betting in golf. The Tour continues to look for opportunities to innovate in new areas with a goal of engaging with fans.”

A spokesperson for Bet365 said, “The Bet365 group are delighted to be working with one of the most iconic brands in global sport. Throughout this partnership with PGA Tour, Bet365 will strive to continue delivering a market leading in-play experience to our golf customers, both across our global sites and the PGA Tour platforms.”

Under the deal, OLG may use official MLB logos, and will have access to cross-promotion opportunities across MLB digital and social channels.

“Teaming up with a world-class organization like the MLB enables OLG to create exciting, one-of-a-kind interactive experiences for baseball fans at the game and on Proline,” says Dave Pridmore, OLG’s chief digital and strategy officer. “The true value of this partnership for OLG is the way it will bring Proline customers even closer to the game they love in ways they’ve never experienced before.”

Proline launched last year – initially as the only sportsbook in the market after single-event betting was legalised in Canada. However, from April 4 it faced a wave of competition as Ontario opened up to private operators.

“As we continue exploring additional avenues to engage our fans around the world through sports betting, we need to find creative, knowledgeable partners in their respective regions,” said Kenny Gersh, MLB executive vice president for business development. “With OLG, we have a trusted partner in Ontario with a vision to help us grow.”

In February, Proline was announced as the first Canadian sportsbook partner of the National Football League (NFL), while in March it secured a similar deal with the National Hockey League (NHL).

The government announced programme of mass-testing in the city on Sunday, with the results expected by Tuesday. Most services; including banks, schools and most business are closed – although the casinos themselves remain open.

Macau maintains a “covid-zero” approach to the virus, with the latest outbreak the first in months.

While individual policies differ depending on the concessionary: in general, all amenities and restaurants are closed across each of Macau’s six concessionaires, with some exceptions for takeaway and in-room dining.

The news is a blow to the sector which is heavily dependent on in-person tourism, with gross gambling revenue almost certain to take a hit. Shares for each of the six concessionaries have tumbled following the news; facing blows from between 4-8%.

Macau has struggled to recover to economic levels before the pandemic- with the GDP of the gambling-centric city less than half that of 2019. The government is set to pass a new set of gambling reforms, in part to help boost the sector.

Italy’s igaming market revenue declined slightly month-on-month, at €292.2m in April compared to March’s €302.4m. This meant that revenue was up year-on-year for the first time in six months, after revenue came to €288.1m in April 2021.

This decline has been mostly driven by a 6.7% fall in online sports betting, with revenue now sitting at €118.9m: its lowest level since October 2021. This was still above the €103.6m recorded in April 2021, however.

Though online casino revenue remained stable, there were some interesting movements between operators within the market.

The biggest four online casino operators by GGR all lost ground to their competitors, Sisal and Snai being the worst affected as they drop to 8.5% and 8.3% market shares respectively, while Pokerstars’ share declined to 8.8% and Lottomatica 7.3%.

In contrast, on the online sports betting side, both Sisal and Snai increased their market shares relative to the rest of the pack. This growth in online betting has also translated to an increase in both companies’ share of the overall sports betting market, made up of both online and retail.

By boosting its market share to 15.6%, Snai regained the top spot on these charts after having lost it to Goldbet in February 2022. In April, Goldbet trailed just behind Snai on 15.5%.

The market shares for poker tournament play and cash games remain relatively stable. Pokerstars continues to sit at the top with a 48.75% market share in tournament play. This has fallen from 51.28% in April 2021, continuing the trend of year-on-year drops that we have seen in Pokerstars’ market share every month in 2022.

In poker cash games, Pokerstars has been steadily climbing back up towards its peak market share of 46.0% that was achieved in September 2021. E-Play 24 has been the big winner this month for cash games, climbing impressively from a 7.6% market share to 9.6% in just one month.

Ficom Leisure is a leading European corporate advisory firm specialising in all segments of the betting and gaming sector.

Ficom Leisure also provides exclusive monthly estimates on the Spanish online market in the Spain iGaming Dashboard, including operator market shares across casino, sports betting and poker. It also provides monthly estimates on several US states, including New Jersey in the New Jersey iGaming Dashboard, Pennsylvania in the Pennsylvania iGaming Dashboard and Iowa in the Iowa iGaming Dashboard.