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In the study, 14,500 qualifying referrals and 95,000 attended appointments were analysed.

Results showed that treatment length translated into improvements in the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). For example, behaviours such as chasing losses diminished severely in the first three appointments before levelling out.

Overall 77% of problem gamblers who completed treatment showed significant clinical improvement in their gambling practices and 56% displayed improvement in their wellbeing when finishing their treatment.

New insights also revealed that people experiencing problem gambling who completed their treatment were “78% more likely” to have a positive clinical change in both gambling behaviours and general wellbeing than those who dropped out from treatment.

The report also revealed a series of other insights. For example, 81% of those who were analysed completed their treatment, which on average is made up of 6.6 sessions spanning an average of 12 weeks. In addition, the analysis showed that significant differences in improvement from clinical treatment were noticed at weeks 14 and 11, for wellbeing and gambling behaviours respectively.

Making a difference against gambling harm

GambleAware has shared in previous communications that awareness for the NGTS continues to grow and has shared its future intentions of offering more and improved treatment services.

“We know the National Gambling Treatment Service makes a real difference to service users and we’ve already seen how its user-led approach can a have a positive impact on the lives of people experiencing gambling harms across Britain,” said Anna Hargrave, chief commissioning officer at Gamble Aware.

“However, it is encouraging to see new findings highlighting how fast improvement can happen. These novel insights into the potential optimum range of appointments, and the importance of supporting users to not miss sessions and completing treatment, will help make the service even more effective. This could mean more people are helped and more quickly.”

NGTS gambling treatment services are available to people experiencing different forms of gambling-related harm. Of the overall group taking part in the treatment service, 84% were male. The data showed that 15% were people who are indirectly affected by another person’s gambling. This group was mainly female.

“These findings add to the growing body of research highlighting the efficacy of the National Gambling Treatment Service,” said Ben Hickman, one of the report’s authors. “The assessment and treatment of problem gambling is a relatively new field, with depressingly expanding demand, and it is important for us to continuously challenge our own assumptions about what works.”

The NGTS wants to improve the data they collect and the way it is collected. “We must be open to challenging the way that we have done things while being realistic that, for those on the frontline, data is secondary to their role of helping people improve their lives. We hope this report goes some way towards moving the conversation forwards,” said Hickman.

This is a 2% increase on the previous record of $14.81bn reached in the preceding quarter. Subsequently, 2022 is set to surpass 2021 as the highest grossing year of gaming revenue, already at 14.7% ahead of the same period the previous year. The total for the first nine months of the year is also ahead of 2019’s full-year revenue.

“While business challenges remain, high consumer demand continues to fuel our industry’s record success,” said AGA president and CEO Bill Miller. “Our sustained momentum in the face of broader economic volatility points to gaming’s overall health today and provides confidence as we look to the future.”

The industry’s year-on-year Q3 growth rate of 8.8% outperformed the broader US economy’s 2.6% growth rate in the same period.

[Read full story on iGaming Business]

Revenue from continuing operations for the three months to 31 March 2022 amounted to $572m (£464m/€543m), up from $453m in the corresponding period last year. These continuing operations do not include the supplier’s lottery or sports betting operations, both of which it agreed to sell, even though these segments were still part of the business when the quarter ended.

Services revenue accounted for $431m of this total, an increase of 18.4% on last year, while product sales revenue increased more rapidly, by 58.4% year-on-year.

Breaking this down by segment performance, gaming generated $355m in revenue, up 45.5%. Light and Wonder said this was primarily driven by continued market recovery after the pandemic, with record premium installed base units in in North America, elevated average daily revenue per unit, and growth in game sales, systems and table games. 

Revenue from the SciPlay social gaming segment was up 4.6% to $158m, the second highest quarter in its history, This was helped by a 7% increase in average monthly paying users due to a higher payer conversion rate during the period.

In addition, igaming revenue during the quarter was 1.7% higher at $59m. This growth was put down to due to continuing momentum in the US market, where revenue was up 63.0% year-on-year, coupled with the strong performance of acquired businesses in the second half of 2021.

Turning to costs, total operating expenses were 18.5% higher at $532m, with spending higher across all areas of the business. However, such was the impact of revenue growth that operating profit increased by 900.0% to $40m.

Light and Wonder noted $104m in other costs, primarily interest expenses, which left a pre-tax loss of $64m, lower than the $85m loss posted at the same point last year.

The group paid $3m in income tax, resulting in a net loss from continuing operations of $67m, an improvement on the loss of $88m in 2021.

However, when accounting for $95m in net profit from discontinued operations – namely the lottery and sports betting businesses – and a $2m net loss from a non-controlling interest, this left a total net profit of $26m, compared to a $15m loss last year.

In addition, Light and Wonder said that adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBTIDA) from continuing operations was 42.3% higher at $202m. 

Reflecting on this Q1 performance, Light and Wonder chief executive Barry Cottle also noted a series of major events, including the $5.8bn sale of its lottery business to private equity company Brookfield Business Partners shortly after the end of the quarter.

Also in the weeks following Q1, the group completed its name change to Light and Wonder, announced a long-term extension of an agreement with Entain and secured a licence to launch in Ontario.

“We kicked off 2022 with a number of significant achievements and strong momentum across our businesses with strong revenue growth of 26% in the quarter,” Cottle said. “We are delivering on our promises to create great content cross-platform while expanding in high-growth digital markets and enabling a seamless player experience. 

“With a reconstituted balance sheet, sustainable double-digit growth and strong cash generation, we now have the ability to significantly enhance shareholder value through a disciplined approach to capital allocation.”

Meanwhile, Light and Wonder announced the acquisition of Playzido, a content creation platform provider and game supplier.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Light and Wonder said the acquisition will accelerate the pace at which it can partner with game studios and operators across the world to co-create new and exclusive content for players.

Light and Wonder also said the deal will provide a faster route to market for creative studios that do not own their own development platform, with the ability to use Playzido’s technology to develop new content and take advantage of its OpenGaming aggregation platform to distribute games.

Playzido launched in 2018 under the leadership of Paddy Power Betfair alumni Stuart Banks.

“The Playzido deal is a perfect example of an acquisition that dovetails with our global strategy, demonstrating yet again our commitment to make targeted value-enhancing investments designed to advance our cross-platform content capabilities,” Light & Wonder’s chief executive for igaming Dylan Slaney said.

“Playzido’s platform is one of the best in the industry and we are delighted to be able to harness that technology to help studios and operators globally to develop and distribute game content that will continue to resonate with players.”

Playzido’s Banks added “This deal is testament to the drive and dedication of our team, who have been committed to building a fantastic games platform that allows independent studios and operators to bring their creativity and innovation to the global gaming market.

“It is the perfect moment to become part of the Light & Wonder family, with the distribution power of OpenGaming, and their regulatory expertise, we can look to accelerate quickly by bringing on board more studios than ever before. 

“The synergies behind the acquisition are clear and we will now turn our attention to extending our reach across markets across the world.”

The overall figure for February was up from $302.0m in the same month last year but was 4.4% lower than $393.1m posted in January of this year.

Figures published by the Pennsylvania Gambling Control Board (PGCB) showed year-on-year growth in almost all areas of the market, with the exception of sports betting where revenue plummeted from $16.4m in February 2021 to a loss of $442,847.

This was the first month in the history of the regulated Pennsylvania market in which operators made a loss.

Retail revenue reached $1.0m but online revenue came in at a loss of $1.5m. Players staked a total of $597.1m on sports during the month, an increase of 17.2% on last year.

Valley Forge, with its partner FanDuel, was the most successful sports betting operation in February, posting $1.6m in revenue.  Hollywood Casino at Penn National’s Caesars Sportsbook was the only other operation with revenue in excess of $1m, reporting $1.1m for the month.

However, a total of six operators reported a sports betting loss, with Hollywood Casino at the Meadows’ Barstool Sportsbook suffering the highest lost ($3.3m) of the month.

Turning to online casino, revenue in February reached $102.4m – an increase of 31.7% on last year. Online slots accounted for 68.1% of all igaming revenue in the month while $31.4m came from online table games and the remaining $2.9m came from online poker.

Hollywood Casino at Penn National retained top spot in the igaming market with $42.7m in revenue, ahead of Rivers Casino Philadelphia on $24.5m and then the Valley Forge Casino Resort with $18.5m.

In terms of land-based casino, retail slots comfortably remained the main source of revenue in the state’s regulated market, with revenue here rising 33.5% year-on-year to $194.7m.

Retail table games revenue climbed 29.6% to $74.4m, while the PGCB also noted that video gaming terminal revenue increased by 20.5% to $3.0m.

Fantasy sports contests was the only other market segment to suffer a decline in revenue, with this falling 21.5% to $1.6m. DraftKings led the way with $822,488 in revenue, ahead of long-time rival FanDuel on $575,735.

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Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) gave the green light to the brand’s poker site, which is operated by Caesars Interactive Entertainment and powered by 888 and its Poker 8 client, following a field trial.

Pennsylvania becomes the fourth state in which WSOP is operational, following Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey. It becomes the fourth operator to roll out online poker in the state, after Mount Airy (in partnership with PokerStars), Penn National’s Hollywood Casino, and Rush Street’s Rivers Casino Philadelphia.

To read the full article visit iGB North America.

Codere has become the club’s official betting partner for the next four seasons until 2024/25, in a deal which will see the operator’s logo appear on the front of the team’s shirt alongside other marketing activities which Codere said will contribute to strengthen its presence in Mexico as a leading betting partner.

The partnership was first formed in February this year, and it was stated at that time that Codere would become the club’s main sponsor this month.

The operator will also occupy space in the team’s stadium, with features such as the Codere Suite, and branding in other highly visible areas of the venue.

It has also launched a new advertising campaign on television, radio and online, from both the operator and the club which Codere said was designed to connect with the followers of the team and its sports betting customers.

Over the coming months, the organisations will collaborate on other joint marketing efforts, including offering access to the stadium, invitations to matches and VIP plans to the club’s fans.

“We are convinced that this long-term alliance between both companies will allow us to grow together and achieve important goals,” said Alberto Telias, chief marketing officer of Codere Online.

“We could not have found a better travel companion in our expansion journey in Mexico than the Rayados de Monterrey Football Club.”

Pedro Esquivel, executive vice president of Rayados, added that the expanded partnership is: “a new stage that will undoubtedly boost the team, its supporters and football and sports fans.”

In June, Codere announced plans to spin off its Codere Online business, and make it the first publicly listed online gaming operator in Latin America by listing on the US Nasdaq.

Codere said the Online business, valued at approximately $350m (£251.8m/€294.2m), would continue to be led by its existing management team and Codere Group would maintain majority ownership.

Of that total, JPY61.79bn came from pachinko machine sales, up 19.7%.

Meanwhile JPY27.70bn came from the Okada Manila integrated resort, down 37.0%. A further JPY1.20bn was generated from other sources, including social and video gaming.

All of the Pachinko and other revenue came from Japan, where 139,152 machines were sold.

The drop in integrated resort revenue came as Okada Manila was closed from 15 March following an order from regulator Pagcor because of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Operations resumed on 9 September, though the property remained subject to a 30% capacity limit.

After costs of sales of JPY40.78bn, Universal’s gross profit came to JPY50.01bn, down 22.7%.

However, Universal’s selling, general and administrative expenses declined to JPY47.54bn, leaving an operating profit of JPY2.56bn.
After non-operating income of JPY1.85bn, Universal made an loss of JPY9.35bn, 16.5% higher than in 2019.

This was made up mostly of profits from businesses in which Universal has a non-controlling share, and non-operating expenses of JPY13.66bn, including JPY10.17bn in interest.

Universal then incurred a further JPY10.50bn in extraordinary expenses, of which JPY9.17bn was related to the closure of the Okada Manila resort due to the pandemic.

This meant Universal’s pre-tax loss came to 19.74bn, up 113.1% year-on-year.

After a net of JPY517m income taxes, Universal’s net loss totalled CPY19.22bn, 270.0% more than it lost in 2019.

Looking forward, Universal said the future of both segments of its business was uncertain due to the effects of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The business announced it is planning to spin off and list its integrated resorts business in the US, though a combination with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
Image: Tomas Cermak via Freeimages.com

Adjusted gross revenue for January totalled $29.3m (£21.2m/€24.2m), up 127.1% from the same month last year, while the amount was also 15.8% higher than the previous record of $25.3m set in November 2020.

Players wagered $348.2m on sports in January, more than double the $170.8m bet in the corresponding month in 2020, and also 11.2% more than December 2020’s previous record of $313.1m.

Operators paid a total of $2.8m in sports wagering tax during the month, up from $1.2m in January of last year.

Basketball was the sport of choice for many players in Indiana. Some $133.2m was wagered on basketball during the month, ahead of football on $77.6m and baseball with just $56,796. Parlay betting amounted to $86.1m, while other betting reached $50.3m in January.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

The operator said that in order to obtain the licence, it still needs to carry out a number of procedures required by the current legislation, including the payment of its licence fee to be completed within ten working days.

“Parimatch welcomes the decision of the commission to issue a licence,” said the operator’s chief communications officer, Daria Isakova.

Gambling was legalised in the jurisdiction in August 2020, after president Volodymyr Zelensky signed the Gambling Act into law.

Parimatch, which was founded in Ukraine, immediately announced its intention to pursue a licence in the jurisdiction.

Under the bill, online gambling, bookmaking, slot halls and land-based casinos would all be legalised, but casinos may only be located in hotels.

The country’s gambling laws include a clause to block any Russian-owned gaming businesses, or those with Russian directors, from participating in the market. However, Parimatch had previously confirmed to iGB that it was confident it met this requirement.

Figures published in the last version of the bill before it was passed suggested that a licence fee for online gaming would cost UAH39m (£1.0m/€1.2m/$1.4m), to be paid when a licence is renewed every five years.

The legislation stated however that all of these fees would be tripled until Ukraine’s Online Monitoring System comes into effect. This was expected within 30 months of the launch of the gambling market.

Ukraine’s first licence was awarded earlier this month, to online casino operator Spaceiks.

According to reports in Ukraine, Spaceiks LLC operates the Cosmolot brand, which was previously owned by the country’s National Lottery but was discontinued in 2019.