Month: May 2024

In its annual report for the year to 31 December 2023, Loterie Romande achieved gross gaming revenue of CHF420.7m ($458.9m /€423.9m /£360.6m). This was down 3.4% on the record CHF435.5m generated in 2022.

Loterie Romande, which is the lottery provider for the six French-speaking Swiss cantons, said geopolitical and economic challenges contributed towards the revenue drop. The absence of long jackpot cycles for Swiss Loto and EuroMillions also reduced demand from casual players at points of sale.

Some 70% of adults in French-speaking Switzerland played a Loterie Romande game in 2023. The most popular game was EuroMillions, played by 67% of French-speaking people. This was followed by Tribolo scratchcards (61%), Swiss Loto (56%) and Rento (41%).

Lottery draws remained the largest vertical, generating CHF152.3m. However, this was down 8.4% year-on-year, in part thanks to the absence of long jackpot cycles. Instant win tickets brought in CHF135.3m.

In 2023, 31 players won at least CHF1m thanks to Swiss Loto and EuroMillions.

Financial investments boost results

While revenue decreased, Loterie Romande increased profits and paid a record profit to the public utility in 2023. The group will pay out CHF243.7m to good causes, which is up on the CHF243.4m distributed in 2022.

Savings on financial expenses and income was the biggest contributor towards the profit growth. Unlike 2022, financial investments achieved positive performances, generating a net profit of CHF5.1m. Loterie Romande was able to slightly reduce marketing and general administrative costs.

“This result can be attributed in particular to the rigorous management of operating costs, the strengthening of our digital offering, and – with the launch of the European draw game EuroDreams in October 2023 – the diversity of our product range,” said Jean-René Fournier, chairman of Loterie Romande.

Almost 5,000 projects in Vaud, Fribourg, Valais, Neuchâtel, Geneva and Jura will receive a total of CHF220.8m. National sport will receive CHF19.5m, while the Swiss Horse Racing Federation will get CHF3.4m.

DraftKings revealed it was to purchase Jackpocket in February 2024. At the time it said the addition of the lottery app would generate up to $340m in additional revenue annually.

DraftKings said it is now focused on integrating Jackpocket into its operations and leveraging synergies to drive sustained growth. The group is looking to tap into the expansive US lottery vertical, while also adding to its existing offering. This, it said, would enhance customer lifetime value and bolster customer acquisition capabilities.

“Today we are announcing the completion of our acquisition of Jackpocket and the commencement of our value creation plan,” said Jason Robins, chief executive and co-founder of DraftKings. “We are well-prepared to quickly launch cross-sell programmes, further improve customer acquisition efficiency and continue to innovate and differentiate with our overall product portfolio for our customers.”

Ed Birkin, senior analyst at H2 Gambling Capital, looked closely at the deal here. “On the face of it, I think it could be viewed as a positive acquisition, providing diversification, scope for significant market growth and another customer acquisition channel,” he said at the time.

Why DraftKings will drive Jackpocket growth

Market leader Jackpocket is designed to offer customers a route to ordering official lottery tickets in multiple states. It is currently available in 18 US jurisdictions, including New York, Texas and Ohio.

The New York-headquartered business claims its app was downloaded nine times more than its closest competitor in fiscal year 2023.

“The completion of the acquisition represents an exciting new chapter,” Peter Sullivan, chief executive of Jackpocket said. “Together, we are confident that we will be even more capable of helping lotteries fulfil their mission of delivering revenue back to the beneficiaries they support.

“DraftKings’ proven reach and cutting-edge mobile platforms will continue to allow us to drive growth and innovation in the digital lottery vertical.”

Strong start to 2024

DraftKings’ February announcement that it was acquiring Jackpocket came just as it raised its 2024 financial forecast. It has since raised that forecast again following an “outstanding” start to 2024. Revenue of $1.18bn for Q1 to 31 March was more than 50% above the $769.7m posted in 2023.

Revenue is now set to amount to between $4.80bn and $5.00bn, up from the initial range of $4.65bn to $4.90bn. This would represent year-on-year growth of between 31.0% and 36.0%.

As for adjusted EBITDA, this is forecast at between $460m and $540, compared to the earlier $410m to $550m.

Following the North Carolina launch in March, DraftKings is now live with mobile sports betting in 25 states. Collectively, these markets represent approximately 49.0% of the US population.

The Brazilian player has been charged with four breaches of FA Rule E5.1 in relation to his conduct in four Premier League fixtures between November 2022 and August 2023.

It is alleged that Paqueta directly sought to influence these matches by intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee. This, the FA said, was for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market in order for one or more persons to profit from betting.

The game against Bournemouth on the opening day of the 2023-24 season is one of the four cited. It has been reported that the FA investigation was triggered by suspicious betting patterns surrounding a stoppage-time yellow card received during that game. Paqueta was reportedly interviewed by the FA last September and gave the governing body access to his phone the following month.

Paqueta has until 3 June 2024 to provide a response to these charges subject to any request for an extension to this deadline.

The West Ham player has already denied wrongdoing via his own Instagram page.

“I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me,” he wrote. “For nine months, I have co-operated with every step of their investigation and provided all the information I can.”

“I deny all the charges in their entirety and will fight with every breath to clear my name. Due to the ongoing process, I will not be providing any further comment.”

Tonali’s worldwide ban

Last season, Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali received a 10-month worldwide ban from football for breaching betting rules while an AC Milan player.

Tonali was later handed a two-month suspended ban for 50 breaches of the FA’s betting rules after his arrival at Newcastle. He had been charged with 50 breaches of FA Rule E8 for placing bets on football matches between August and October 2023. His ban from football expires in August 2024.

In January 2024, Brentford striker Ivan Toney completed an eight-month ban for breaching FA betting rules.

Research conducted by Keurmerk Responsible Affiliates (KVA) and shared with NOGA and operator association Licensed Dutch Gaming Providers (VNLOK) identified minors in the Netherlands as being able to gamble with offshore operators. The findings of the research have been passed onto the KSA.

The research found that the lack of necessary age verification required from legal operators allowed minors to create an account with offshore operators, with an email address or telephone number enough to open an account.

Those below the legal gambling age of 18 could then deposit and gamble. Additionally, the research found deposits with cryptocurrency could also be made, often anonymously, following a simple Google search.

The study also identified illegal casinos using logos of banks and legal operators to encourage minors to deposit in the belief that such acts are safe.

The KVA pointed out previous research, conducted in 2023, which showed illegal sites targeting players looking to bypass Cruks, the Netherlands’ self-exclusion scheme.

In response to the new research, De Goeij highlighted the risks for underage gambling, believing minors are more susceptible to addiction and ensuing consequences such as mental health problems and financial consequences.

De Goeij is keen to see a thorough KSA response to properly address the issue and satisfy its mandate of protecting consumers.

“The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch Gambling Authority, is expected to address these issues rigorously,” De Goeij told iGB. “The KSA is likely to enhance monitoring and enforcement actions against unlicensed operators, imposing hefty fines and blocking access to these websites.

“Educating the public, especially minors and their parents, about the risks of unlicensed gambling and how to avoid these sites can be an effective preventive measure.”

How does NOGA want to see the KSA respond?

De Goeij believes the KSA should increase its collaboration with other jurisdictions by sharing intelligence and best practices to help counter illegal operators.

Additionally, De Goeij is looking for the KSA to work alongside financial institutions to block illegal transactions and cut off offshore operators’ revenue streams, as well as enhancing its technological efforts.

“The KSA should employ advanced technologies like geolocation blocking and AI-driven monitoring to detect and shut down access to offshore gambling platforms,” De Goeij added.

“Working with internet service providers (ISPs) to block unlicensed gambling sites could significantly reduce access.”

Wider black market issues in the Netherlands

The KVA’s research comes in the midst of industry concern over increasing regulation in the Netherlands and the potential effect it is having on black market interest.

Last week, a coalition agreement proposed an increase of the gambling tax to 37.8% from the current 30.5%. The change would provide the state treasury with an additional €202m (£173.3m/$219.6m) in tax. NOGA responded with its concerns that such alterations could drive operators towards the black market.

The proposed tax rise follows a vote earlier this year by the house of representatives to ban “high-risk” gambling, including online slots. The Netherlands minister for legal protection Franc Weerwind will now review and make a decision on whether to approve the law change.

The house also voted to ban online gambling advertising, with untargeted advertising already banned following a law change in 2023.

De Goeij is concerned over the situation in the Netherlands, believing higher taxes and restrictions on advertising will only serve to boost black market popularity.

“The Dutch government and legal operators could see a decline in revenue, undermining the regulatory framework and financial stability of the legal market,” De Geoij continued.

“As players move to unlicensed sites, they lose the consumer protections offered by regulated platforms, increasing the risks of fraud, addiction, and other harms.”

NOGA recommendations

De Geoij made suggestions on how the KSA and the government could form a strategy to combat the potential rise of the black market.

De Goeij would like to see regulation based on evidence and made attractive enough to keep operators and players on the legal side of the market. This, he believes, can be achievable by ensuring restrictions do not “excessively burden” legal operators.

“The KSA and the government should encourage innovation and better customer experiences in the legal market to retain and attract players,” De Geoij said. “They should also be continuously researching market trends and player behaviour to adapt regulations and strategies dynamically.”

“Only by taking a proactive and balanced approach, the Netherlands can protect its citizens while maintaining a robust and attractive legal gambling market.”

iGB reached out to the KSA for comment but is yet to receive a response.

Growth in Q1 was driven by a rise in revenue from the core Publishing business at Better Collective. This is despite tough year-on-year comparisons in the US. Meanwhile, Paid Media revenue remained flat year-on-year, helped by the Skycon acquisition in April last year.

Better Collective also hailed its product diversification efforts within North America. While revenue in the region fell in Q1, it said this strategy is supporting longer-term growth plans in the market.

Add in the acquisition of sports betting media company AceOdds after the end of Q1, and Søgaard said there is plenty to be positive about. Incidentally, the AceOdds deal led Better Collective to increase its guidance for the full-year.

“In Q1, we saw good performance across all markets. Europe and Rest of World (RoW) showed outstanding performance with an impressive 20% growth of which 5.0% was organic,” Søgaard said. “This achievement was fuelled by a widespread impact across markets, facilitated by our owned and operated channels alongside strategic media partnerships.

“Turning attention to the North American market, we are delighted with the progress made in Q1. Our commercial position has never been stronger with active partnerships established across all major players in the region. We achieved notable successes during the North Carolina state launch and the Super Bowl events.”

Publishing growth pushes revenue up in Q1

Breaking down the Q1 performance, growth in the Publishing business was the main reason behind the overall revenue increase.

Publishing revenue, derived from proprietary owned and operated sports media and media partnerships, climbed 12.0% €66.3m. This increase came despite tough comparisons in the US where Q1 2023 included two states launches with upfront revenues through cost per acquisition (CPA)-based contracts. This year the state launch of North Carolina was based on a mix of revenue share and CPA.

Furthermore, Better Collective said segment revenue share income was hit by a lower-than-expected sports win margin. In addition, it noted more than 10.0% fewer football matches in major leagues across Europe and South America compared to 2023.

Turning to the Paid Media business, revenue here remained level at €28.7m. This segment draws revenue from paid advertising on search engines and advertising on third-party sports media.

This, Better Collective said, represents a solid performance by the business, seeing as it had similar high comparisons to the Publishing segment from last year. 

Better Collective hopeful on North America despite revenue dip

Looking now at geographical performance, around 64.0% of all revenue came from Europe and RoW. Revenue here jumped 20.1% to €61.0m, despite fewer football matches and a lower sports win margin.

As for North America, revenue declined 8.4% to €34.0m. This, Better Collective said, was as impacted by an ongoing revenue share transition and the comparison from the two state launches in Q1 2023.

However, despite the decline, Søgaard said remains upbeat on longer-term growth prospects in the region.

“We increased our investment in revenue share, which will set us up well for sustained revenue in years to come,” he said. “The mix of new depositing customers (NDCs) on revenue share versus upfront CPA was similar as in previous quarters.

“Additionally, our expansion into high-level media has proven successful following last year’s acquisition of Playmaker HQ.” This purchase is not to be confused with Playmaker Capital, which the group also acquired in November last year.

On the subject of NDCs, group NDC figures in Q1 surpassed 450,000, with more than three-quarters sent on revenue share contracts.

Better Collective also noted that revenue share accounted for approximately 45.0% of total Q1 revenue. Some 31.0% came from CPA, 4.0% subscription sales and 20.0% other income.

Net profit slips as spending increases in Q1

Turning to spending, expenses were higher across the board during Q1. The main outgoing for Better Collective was staff costs at €28.7m, up 35.4% year-on-year. Other major areas of costs include revenue expenses (€27.9m) and external costs (€9.4m).

After also accounting for depreciation, amortisation and impairment, special items and net finance costs, this left a pre-tax profit of €10.3m, down 62.3%.

Better Collective paid €2.7m in tax, meaning it ended Q1 with a net profit of €7.6m, a drop of 62.0%. In addition, EBITDA declined 10.2% to €29.0m.

Reasons for optimism 

As noted, last week’s €42.0m acquisition of AceOdds saw Better Collective raise guidance for its full-year. AceOdds was founded in 2008 and, based in the UK, offers betting tools, reviews, odds and streaming programmes.

FY24 revenue is now expected to fall between €395.0m and €425.0m. This is higher than the initial guidance of €390.0m to €420.0m. In addition, EBITDA before special items is set to be between €130.0m and €140.0m, compared to €125.0m to €135.0m.

“I would like to round off by thanking all my colleagues at Better Collective, now also including the full Playmaker Capital group,” Søgaard said.

“As a co-founder it is a true pleasure being surrounded by so many ambitious colleagues that have taken ownership of our strategy and vision and continue to deliver strong results.”

Published today (22 May), the update covers Playtech’s performance in the four months to 30 April. Playtech does not release quarterly financial results, instead opting to release updates periodically.

During the four months, Playtech says it delivered a “solid” trading performance with strong underlying. This, it adds, is despite the impact of customer-friendly sporting results.

Playtech hails B2B regulated market growth 

Looking first at its B2B division, Playtech says this part of the business performed well in the period. It references revenue growth in regulated markets and benefits from tighter cost control as primary drivers of B2B revenue growth. 

“Growth in regulated markets was led by the Americas with the US and Canada increasing their contribution, albeit from a small base, while Mexico and Colombia continue to perform well,” Playtech said.

Playtech said it continued to enjoy the benefits of the “rapid expansion” of the live market, while its B2B casino offering showed strength during the period. 

In addition, Playtech said its higher margin, less capital-intensive SaaS business showed continued momentum. Within this area, the group posted strong revenue growth, further launches and new customer signings.

B2C growth prospects remain in Italy 

Turning to B2C, Playtech mainly focused on the Italy-facing Snaitech brand. According to Playtech, Snaitech performed well on an underlying basis, with wagers showing strength across both the online and retail betting segments. 

“This was achieved despite tough comparatives in 2023, which benefitted from pent-up demand post the football World Cup,” Playtech said.

Also on this, the group notes how strong volumes have been partly offset by player-friendly sporting results in Italy. However, Playtech says it remains “well-positioned” to continue to benefit from the structural shift to the higher-margin online business in the country.

“Given the strategic progress being made across the business, the board remains confident in Playtech’s ability to execute on the exciting growth opportunities across both B2B and B2C divisions over the medium term,” Playtech said.

Playtech issues update on Caliplay

Playtech used the trading update to also address the ongoing dispute with Caliplay, a joint venture with Mexico-facing operator Caliente. However, Caliplay is now seeking to end the legal relationship with Playtech.

The dispute has been rumbling on for some time, with Caliplay launching legal proceedings to annul its partnership with Playtech in October. Caliplay says it chose to make the process public as it says it impacts the running of its regulated business in Mexico.

Playtech hit back at the annulment request, announcing steps to resolve the dispute. It also said actions by Caliplay in Mexican court proceedings contravene contractual agreements under an agreement established in 2014.

When announcing its full-year results in March, Playtech has made further claims against Caliplay in terms of unpaid fees. 

In its latest update, Playtech reiterates that Caliplay remains a highly important customer and it continues to maintain an open dialogue to discuss a path forward. This is despite the alleged fees owed to Playtech remaining uncollected. 

Playtech adds that while it believes it has visibility over substantially all revenue generated by Caliplay, and can confirm Caliplay continues to perform strongly, it has been unable to obtain full financial information from Caliplay during the period. 

As such, the revenue generated from the additional B2B services element of the agreement is partly based on an estimation. This, it adds, takes account of prior trends and information provided.

The NSW TAB (Totalisator Agency Board) was formed in 1964 after the Victorian TAB in 1961, which legalised off-course totalisator betting in Australia.

Tabcorp was listed on the ASX by the government of Victoria in 1994. In 1999, Tabcorp acquired Star City Holdings (subsequently demerged in 2011 to form The Star Entertainment Group). In 2000, Tabcorp purchased Structured Data Systems, which developed wagering, Keno systems and animated games.

Today, Tabcorp has 805,000 active digital customers and over 4,000 TAB venues. The company has an overall Australian wagering market share of 34.6% and digital market share of 24.5%. In FY2023, TAB reported revenue of AU$2.43bn and net profit after tax of AU$84.3m.

Over the past 12 months, Tabcorp’s valuation has fallen 40% to AU$1.52bn, with revenue down 5.1% in the first half of the financial year due to increased competition and tighter win margins. Flutter’s Sportsbet continues to dominate the Australian online wagering industry, with 45% digital market share and 1.1 million active customers (Australian Financial Review).

In March, Tabcorp announced that Adam Rytenskild had resigned as CEO and managing director. Following the resignation, Tabcorp chairman Bruce Akhurst has assumed additional responsibilities while the search for a permanent successor is underway. A well-experienced industry leader with a history of product innovation, effective marketing and cost management could stimulate Tabcorp’s growth.

Tabcorp’s executive search made us reflect on some of the great leaders in the industry – Cormac Barry, Sam Swanell and Breon Corcoran.

Cormac Barry

Barry has over 25 years of experience in online B2C, online B2B and retail across various sectors. In the wagering industry, Barry began his career at Paddy Power as head of online in 2000.

During his nine years there, he played a key role in developing and expanding PaddyPower.com. This became the model for Flutter’s global growth. Paddy Power Betfair rebranded as Flutter Entertainment in March 2019.

Paddy Power acquired a 51% stake in Sportsbet in May 2009 and gained full ownership in March 2011. Barry transitioned to Sportsbet in 2009 and was appointed CEO in 2011. At that time, Sportsbet had revenue of AU$204m and EBITDA of AU$43m (21% EBITDA margin).

Over the next seven years, he transformed Sportsbet from a startup into Australia’s leading online wagering brand. He pioneered highly effective digital marketing strategies, increasing Sportsbet’s overall advertising spend from AU$40m in 2013 to AU$156m in 2018. Sportsbet’s advertising spend with Google and Facebook increased 8x over the five-year period from 2013 to 2018.

Under Barry’s leadership, Sportsbet also innovated on product, becoming the first Australian operator to introduce Same Game Multis in 2016 – known as parlays in the US or accumulators in the UK. This innovation gave Sportsbet an almost two-year lead over its competitors.

Today, Flutter’s expertise in risk management and trading continues to provide a competitive edge in multis. Multis are a higher margin product, contributing to Sportsbet’s margin expansion throughout Barry’s tenure.

By the time Barry left in 2018, Sportsbet’s revenue had grown nearly four-fold to AU$766m, and EBITDA six-fold to AU$262m with a 34% EBITDA margin.

Sam Swanell

Swanell founded PointsBet in 2015. He built the business into a major operator in Australia and took on the largest global operators in the US when the market opened up in 2018. He ultimately sold the US business to Fanatics in 2023 for US$225m (around AU$336m). Today, the Australian business has around 5% market share (Australian Financial Review) and is valued at AU$150m.

Swanell started his wagering career at Tote Tasmania, directing all revenue channels. I met him nearly 20 years ago and was immediately impressed, hiring him as the COO of the TomWaterhouse brand in 2009. At TomWaterhouse, Swanell was instrumental in rapidly growing the business.

Drawing on his experience at Tote Tasmania and TomWaterhouse, Swanell launched PointsBet and immediately differentiated the brand on product, with a novel spread betting model (points betting) that gives customers a greater reward if the margin of victory in a game is larger and vice versa.

Swanell’s ability to quickly gain market share in Australia’s highly competitive environment is an incredible feat. Someone with an entrepreneurial approach like him could reinvigorate Tabcorp through technological and product improvements.

Breon Corcoran

Corcoran drove huge success at Paddy Power, Betfair, and then the combined Paddy Power Betfair. He left before the company’s rebrand to Flutter Entertainment.

Corcoran spent 11 years at Paddy Power and was COO for the last year and a half. He was then CEO of Betfair for nearly four years. In February 2016, Corcoran was instrumental in the £7bn merger between Betfair and Paddy Power. He was then appointed as CEO of Paddy Power Betfair in 2016, a position that he held for two years.

After leaving the company, Corcoran was the CEO of WorldRemit for four years until January this year, when he was appointed as CEO of £3bn trading platform, IG Group.

Mike McTighe, IG Group Chair, said Corcoran had sufficiently proved himself for the role.

“He is a proven leader of high performing teams within multinational organisations, with an ability to deliver results for all stakeholders.”

While the specific leaders discussed above are not available for the role, finding the right leader for an organisation is the chairman’s most crucial responsibility.

If Tabcorp can appoint the right CEO, it has a huge opportunity to leverage its over 800,000 customers and one of the strongest brands in Australia.

This contribution, both the BGC and HBLB say, will be £5m more than the previous financial year. It will also be the third consecutive year levy contributions have increased. This total is set to surpass the £100m paid in 2022-23 and £97m in 2021-22.

The additional funding means the HBLB has been able to increase prize money contributions by £3.2m to £70.5m.

“The trend that was seen towards the end of 2022-23 has continued,,” HBLB chairman Paul Darling said. “Betting turnover is lower and bookmakers’ profits higher than recent norms. In the light of reports and analysis from the HBLB executive during the year, the board had been anticipating income of around the total that is expected.

“The effect of this financial outturn gives the board additional comfort in its expenditure commitments already made for 2024 and further flexibility when it comes to considering options for 2025.”

BGC CEO hails “extremely welcome” news

BGC CEO and acting chair Michael Dugher praised members for their commitment in 2023-24. He said the record contribution is “extremely welcome news” and demonstrates how regulated betting supports British horseracing.

“Despite a double-digit decline in horserace betting turnover over the past five years – and a double-digit decline in racecourse attendances – this shows that levy contributions and prize money are both up and it once again provides a timely reminder that racing could not survive without the record financial support that is flowing from betting,” Dugher said.

“Our members remain committed to the long-term success of horseracing and the huge economic contribution it makes across the country, especially in rural communities.

“Attention must now turn to how we challenge vested interests, introduce real change and reform the sport, ensuring we reverse the current decline and provide racing with a genuinely long-term sustainable future.”

Industry commitment to horseracing

On this, the BGC is working with the British Horseracing Authority and the government to resolve a settlement on a new voluntary levy to support horseracing.

In addition, the BGC last month raised £15,000 for good causes as part of its Grand National charity betting effort. 

Each year, the BGC invites members of parliament (MPs) to place charity bets on the Grand National showpiece horseracing event. Operators hand over all winnings from these wagers to each MP’s charity of choice.

Other news from the BGC includes a new measure for operators taking part in its voluntary code. This relates to a risk assessment on customers wanting to make a net deposit of over £5,000 per month.

The new Code on Customer Checks will sit alongside the Gambling Commission’s frictionless affordability checks. The official pilot scheme for such checks was announced on 1 May. This is alongside a timeline of implementation for the other proposals included in the first round of Gambling Act review white paper consultations.

“Developed with the Commission and backed by government, this code will operate as a voluntary interim scheme,” the BGC said. 

“It brings consistency across the regulated sector for operators who adopt it. This is until the frictionless financial risk assessments set out in the white paper can be developed, tested and implemented.”

Evans replaces Tony Khatskevich, who is moving to an advisory role, working with the Allwyn board and CEO Robert Chvátal.

An experienced executive, Evans joins Allwyn after five years as group CTO at Bally’s. Prior to this, he worked in the same position at Gamesys, which was acquired by Bally’s in October 2021.

Earlier in his career, Evans worked in similar roles at Alibaba/Lazada Group and PropertyGuru Singapore. He also spent time as head of development for platform at Betfair.

“I’m delighted to have been appointed as group CTO of Allwyn,” Evans said. “The company’s commitment to social impact is evident across its global footprint. 

“I look forward to helping the team to develop even better lotteries and new game formats through the power of cutting-edge technology and future thinking.”

Allwyn CEO welcomes Evans’ “excellent track record”

Chvátal also welcomed the appointment. He said Evans has an excellent track record of delivering technology solutions across the gaming and IT sector.

“He has exceptional strategic capabilities, proven operational effectiveness and strong experience in our markets.”

In addition, Chvátal took time to thank Khatskevich, who joined the business from Playtech in September 2018.

“He played a pivotal role in establishing a strong technology function for Allwyn,” Chvátal said. “He conceived and led technology initiatives that have helped to drive innovation across the group. 

“I’m very pleased that we will continue to benefit from Tony’s wisdom, knowledge, ideas and warm personality in his new role. He will continue to help us to fulfil our business growth and ambitions.”

Allwyn set for €2.00bn revenue in Q1

The appointment comes after Allwyn this week revealed it expects to post Q1 revenue of more than €2.00bn (£1.70bn/$2.17bn) when it publishes its first quarterly results since becoming the UK’s National Lottery licensee.

Allwyn said gross gaming revenue for the period to 31 March 2024 could reach €2.05bn. The lower range of €2bn is still almost $500m more than the Q1 figure during 2023.

The group acquired UK National Lottery operator Camelot in March 2023 and became the UK National Lottery licensee on 1 February 2024. The acquisition helped Allwyn to achieve a 97.5% surge in revenue in 2023, totalling €7.87bn.

The amendments were published today (22 May) and reiterated by Belgium’s regulator, the Commission des Jeux de Hasard (CJH). The new measures will come into force on 1 June 2024.

Under the new measures, the CJH must meet with licence holder representatives once per year and discuss player protection measures. The regulator must provide a yearly update on these meetings in its annual report.

On the subject of player protection, another amendment will see the phrases ’18 years’ and ‘minors’ replaced with ’21 years’. This amends Article 15/2 of the Gambling Act, which states that the CJH will issue warnings to those who infringe the Act in a way that affects a person under the age of 21. The municipality must also inform the CJH when an F2 licensee is the subject of a police report due to a breach of the law committed against a person under 21 years old.

In March, the CJH announced a different set of amendments to the Gambling Act that will come into force on 1 September 2024. These amendments will raise the minimum gambling age to 21 and ban all gambling advertising.

At the beginning of the year, the Belgian expertise centre for alcohol, illegal drugs, psychoactive medication, gambling and gaming called for the minimum gambling age to be raised to 21.

Register of professionals

Included in the amendments announced today is an order for operators of Class I and Class II establishments, or fixed Class IV establishments, to keep a register of professionals. This register will catalogue those that access games rooms in these establishments for professional reasons. This circumvents checks for these individuals on the Excluded Persons Information System (EPIS) register – Belgium’s self-exclusion roster.

The register itself, as well as images from CCTV, are also added to the list of documents that police officers and CJH officers can request. The CJH must also make leaflets on gambling addiction available to bookstores.

In addition, the CJH will be given more power to establish certain binding protocols, which will be published in the Moniteur Belge. The CJH will also have a legal obligation to provide updates of its list of illegal websites. Updates will be published in the Official Gazette.

Turning back to licence holders, those who want to remain a Class C licence holder must continue to meet the conditions of Articles 41 and 42 of the Gambling Act. Article 41 orders Class C applicants to be in full possession of their civil and political rights, and not hold a criminal record for the five years before application. Article 42 mandates applicants to be entered into the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises as a commercial undertaking.

Physical licences for Class D licence holders will be abolished and replaced with an electronic licence.

CJH dealing with complaints

Under the current law, a mediation service receives and processes requests for extrajudicial settlements for gambling disputes. The new amendments will see these requests become the remit of the CJH.

The CJH must also deal with complaints relating to licence applications and compliance with the Gambling Act, as well as subsequent decrees.

Summarising the amendments, the CJH noted that some of the amendments will come into force at a later date. An amendment that will allow sanctioning for identity theft and the establishment that permits it will take effect on the first day of the 12th month after it is published in the Official Gazette. This will relate only to holders of A, A+, B, B+, F1+ and F2 licences in a fixed class IV gaming establishment.

The EPIS check will also be extended to bookstores. This will be enacted on the 24th month after it is published in the Official Gazette.