Month: July 2022

The MGA said it has notified Galea that it has cancelled any approvals that allow him to act as director for MGA licensees. The regulator said Galea held a single directorship role with one of its licensees at the time it notified him of the decision.

Galea was detained on a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) at the start of June while on holiday in Italy with a group that included Malta’s former Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat.

Galea had been wanted by the German authorities since last year over alleged crimes including tax evasion. The Times of Malta reported that he was already on police bail in Malta over an alleged leak of information from the MGA when he departed for his holiday in Italy. 

An independent investigation into the Malta Police Force has since commenced with the body having been criticised for sitting on the EAW and allowing Galea to travel.

Galea has been an igaming regulatory compliance consultant in Malta for more than six years, having previously been employed by what was then the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) for six years until 2013. According to his LinkedIn profile, his duties at the LGA included licensing and post-licensing as well as investigations on gaming systems and licensed operators.

In a statement issued at the time of his arrest, the MGA said: “The MGA would like to clarify that Mr Galea has not been employed with the Authority since March 2013. Mr Galea held the role of compliance officer between December 2007 and March 2013.”

Highhill will lead the league’s efforts to reduce the effects of gambling-related harm, advance the value of the NFL’s brand and reputation, support fan engagement, as well as improve the value of the NFL’s data and intellectual property.

He has been with the NFL for 10 years, and will move from the corporate strategy group, where he previously led the league’s analytics department.

The NFL already has a number of sports betting partnership agreements, most recently with 888sport, which will be the league’s official sports betting partner in both the UK and Ireland until 2025.

In the US, FOX Bet, BetMGM, PointsBet, and WynnBET were announced as official partners last year, alongside Caesars, FanDuel and DraftKings.

The Aftercare Funding Programme and the Community Resilience Fund are designed to help further the charity’s work across Great Britain in supporting those at risk of gambling harms and reducing health inequalities in the most disadvantaged communities.

GambleAware, the body responsible for delivering the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms, is seeking applications for projects which will provide support services so that more people in recovery from gambling harm can rebuild their lives via its £2m Aftercare Funding Programme (AFP). Current partners as well as new charities and organisations will be able to apply for the fund, with smaller organisations or pilot projects being awarded up to £150,000 and larger organisations or projects can apply for up to £350,000.

The £1m Community Resilience Fund (CRF) aims to provide short term funding to enable organisations to respond quickly to the cost-of-living crisis, and the impact this has had in exacerbating gambling harms and increased exposure to them. New partners and charities will be able to apply for up to £100,000 for 12 months.

Anna Hargrave, chief commissioning officer at GambleAware said: “We are delighted to launch these two funding programmes which will build capacity among charities and organisations to better respond to gambling harms in their communities and support people in long-term recovery.

“Whilst there are many people who receive successful treatment and support for gambling harms, there is less known about how to ensure recovery is sustained. The Aftercare Funding Programme will help people in this phase of longer-term recovery and responds to the need for a long-term structured aftercare programme.

“The Community Resilience Fund will help organisations to address specific needs within the community and the inequalities they experience.”

Kalamba and Bragg’s ORYX Gaming originally partnered in 2017 through an agreement which resulted in Kalamba launching its content on the ORYX RGS in multiple global markets. Kalamba has become one of the few content development studios with which Toronto-headquartered Bragg has extended its strategic content licensing deal for distribution in North America, including Ontario, covering a selection of games already distributed exclusively via its ORYX Hub delivery platform in Europe.

The partners said the extension of their collaboration will further boost their growth opportunities across key jurisdictions.

Kent Young, president Americas at Bragg, said: “We’ve enjoyed a successful partnership with Kalamba over the last five years as their igaming content has proven to be in demand with players.

“We are pleased to now be able to leverage our data-driven insights into player preferences to strategically introduce Kalamba titles to expand the scope of content we offer across North America. These key insights provide us with the confidence that this expanded agreement will be a key driver of our growth strategy to expand our presence with players across the region.”

Kalamba’s content is now live with over 400 operators via its own Bullseye RGS platform as well as via third parties.

Andrew Crosby, chief commercial officer at Kalamba, said: “We are focused on continuing the incredible growth that we have seen this year and our entry into the regulated markets in the US is a landmark in our expansion.

“The US igaming market as a whole has been on our radar for some time, as it offers great potential for both ourselves and the industry as a whole. Thanks to our long-standing and successful partnership with Bragg’s ORYX Gaming, we can now bring our premium entertainment and engaging titles to these new audiences for the very first time.”

Betfred’s Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort sportsbook facility is now powered by OpenBet’s retail solutions including betting counters and self-service kiosks. Betfred will also utilise OpenBet’s digital technology and sports betting engine for mobile and online betting.

The two groups have already partnered for Betfred’s entry into the Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana and Pennsylvania regulated markets.

Bryan Bennett, chief operating officer at Betfred, said: “OpenBet’s products and technology perform consistently across our existing locations, so naturally we entrusted the company to power our offering in Iowa. We first launched in Iowa in 2020, and we look forward to working with OpenBet to continue building on that success.”

Betfred had launched in Iowa with an Optima-powered product, though it used the technology of Openbet owner Scientific Games elsewhere. Its launch in the state was facilitated by an agreement with Elite Casino Resorts, struck in July 2019.

Cathryn Lai, chief commercial officer at OpenBet, said: “This deal is once again testament to our outstanding modular portfolio which is able to consistently meet the demands of the market, earning an accomplished reputation throughout the industry. Betfred Sports remains a valued partner of ours and we look forward to providing yet more exciting and responsible experiences for its players.”

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission reported a year-on-year increase in sports betting revenue and handle for the month of June. Revenue reached $12.6m (£10.3m/€12.0m), more than double $6.1m in the previous month. Diamond Jo in Dubuque and its FanDuel sportsbook retained top spot in the market with ease, posting $3.8m in revenue off a $31.6m handle.

Scientific Games has agreed to sell OpenBet to global talent and media agency holding company Endeavor Group for $1.20bn, a deal that is expected to close soon.

The Netherlands igaming market is approaching its one-year anniversary but there is scope for significant change over the coming months.

Not only are a wave of new licensees set to take their first legal bets, but the advertising and promotion of gambling is set to be curtailed significantly, changing the marketing playbook for new launches.

As the first phase of the Dutch market’s evolution begins, iGB looks back on the launch with a webinar that brings together the operators and affiliates that have lead the way in the early days.

In this webinar, which takes place a week before iGB Live!, you will learn:

Who have been the early winners in the Netherlands’ online marketWhat products resonate with playersHow the public has reacted to igaming advertising, and how the industry is respondingHow the incumbents are preparing to deal with new competition

Speakers:

Chantal Lanooij, chief operating officer, Call to Action LtdSam Depoortere, business director Toto sportsbook and casino, Nederlandse LoterijKester Mekenkamp, attorney, Kalff Katz & FranssenFrank Op de Woerd, co-founder and head of content, CasinoNieuws.nl

In total, operators submitted 71 applications for licences since the verticals were legalised with the implementation of a new state treaty on 1 July 2021. Of these, eight applications were withdrawn, three under discussion by the Glücksspielkollegium and only one has been outright rejected – with many still to be reviewed.

Three online business have already received permits to operate online slots in the country: Tipwin, Mybet and Mernov. No operators have been licensed to offer poker yet.

The office also revealed that since the Treaty came into effect, it referred 25 online operators to the public prosecutor’s office for breaking German law.

The department undertook the action as part of a wider campaign against illegal online gambling operators.

In total, 148 cases of illegal gambling were investigated, and 871 websites were checked. The department also reviewed 90 cases of illegal gambling advertising.

President of the Sachsen-Anhalt State Administration Office Thomas Pleye said: “The main focus remains on issuing licenses for online poker and virtual slot machines. We have issued the first permits here.”

Another outcome in the state gambling treaty was the creation of the Glücksspielbehörde (GGL), a new German regulator, which will be responsible for enforcement action such tasks as preventing online payments and blocking the IP addresses of illegal sites from 1 July.

It will then take full control of gambling in the country on 1 January, 2023.

Pleye continued: “Each new task presents everyone involved with major and minor challenges – especially when it comes to two different authorities that start at the same time with different requirements and tasks, but the same goal.”

“We can be very satisfied with the results so far and are now handing over both partial tasks and personnel and thus the symbolic baton to the GGL. I wish everyone involved continued success.”

The State Treaty also includes strict rules for the industry, such as a €1 stake limit for slots, and is also accompanied by a 5.3% take on stakes.