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ICE Connect, which uses algorithms to scientifically match qualified, senior level decision-makers who have both buying power and immediate requirements with industry leading solution providers, is being curated by California-based Quartz Events, which was acquired by Clarion in 2020.

Quartz is the fastest-growing producer of invitation-only executive summits, with 80% of Fortune 100 companies participating in their events last year.

ICE Connect will run 21 June  – 25 June (Europe focus) and 28 June – 2 July  (North America focus), with a repeat of this schedule taking place in the Autumn.

Expanding on an initiative that will help the international gaming community navigate the challenges presented by Covid-19 and beyond, Clarion Gaming’s Managing Director Stuart Hunter (pictured) said: “It’s been a full year since the international industry last came together at ICE London, and as a team we share the frustration at the continued absence of live events. Event organisers such as ourselves serve as facilitators of opportunity, and I believe that ICE Connect represents the most advanced and powerful opportunity for buyers and sellers to meet in the digital space.”

Outlining how ICE Connect works, he explained: “Qualified delegate attendees from operating companies complete a detailed registration questionnaire, which drills into specific industry challenges and upcoming project needs.

“The model, which has been successfully developed by Quartz, uses highly sophisticated matching algorithms, ranking and scheduling software, to match the operators with relevant, industry-leading solution providers who can solve their challenges and help them run their operations more efficiently.

“As a result, both delegates and solution providers spend 100% of their time in meaningful and productive meetings. In addition, we will also be producing a world-class ‘solutions-focused’ educational programme”

He continued: “From a solution provider standpoint every detail is handled by the ICE Connect team, with a scheduled programme issued three weeks ahead of the event, and a PDF meetings’ agenda and contact database provided a fortnight before the event ‘opens’. This represents a highly efficient way for sellers to connect with really senior, serious and relevant buyers. I am certain that the experience and expertise of Quartz aligned to the insight of the Clarion Gaming team will deliver an exciting new approach to conducting business and one that will prove to be invaluable to all sectors of the industry.”

“Our strategy moving forward is to develop the ICE Connect model and align it with our commitment to live events, enabling us to adopt an agile year-round response to the commercial needs of the industry, and to satisfy demand from all regions of the gambling landscape. There’s nothing like this that’s available in the gaming world.”

Registration for ICE Connect is now open. Attendees can find more information and secure their free place here: ICE Connect Europe; 21 – 25 June 2021 – www.ice-connecteurope.com ICE Connect North America; 28 June – 2 July 2021 – www.ice-connectna.com.  Exhibitor/sponsorship: ian.larcombe@clariongaming.com

The agreement covers both the US and Australia and allows PointsBet the right to use NHL marks and logos, as well as a variety of sponsorship and commercial opportunities across its linear, digital and social media assets, the operator said.

The deal also allows PointsBet to integrate content into live NHL game broadcasts across NHL media partners, including NBC Sports, Altitude TV and other potential future alignments.

PointsBet, NBC Sports and the NHL have already begun installing such integrations for the 2020-21 season, including the incorporation of PointsBet odds, data and insight to run alongside pre-game, in-game and post-game broadcasts.

The operator has agreed to issue the NHL 43,106 fully paid ordinary shares, representing $500,000 based on the 20-day trading volume weighted average price of shares immediately prior to February 5, 2021.

The shares will remain in a holding lock and will be released in equal proportions after 12, 24 and 36 months.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Full year revenue grew 23.9% to £1.13bn (€1.29bn/$1.56bn) for the year.

Kindred chief executive Henrik Tjärnström said successful navigation of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic helped guide the business to break records in almost all key metrics.

“It’s the strongest financial results we’ve ever delivered at the Kindred Group, by some margin,” Tjärnström (pictured) said.

Casino, poker and other gaming made up the majority of revenue, as this segment grew 34.6% to £642.1m. Sports betting revenue, despite the suspension of almost all global sports for much of the year, also grew, by 12.1% to £488.1m.

This sports betting revenue came on stakes worth a total of £5.17bn, which was down very slightly from 2020, as the revenue growth came from increased margins in both live and pre-game bets. Live betting revenue was up slightly at £253.0m and pre-game betting revenue was up 16.4% to £307.4m, with £72.3m in free bets then eliminated from the overall revenue total.

Breaking the combined £642.1m in casino and gaming down further, casino revenue was up 35.0% to £579.0m, while poker revenue grew 54.5% to £32.9m and other gaming revenue increased 13.1% to £30.2m.

Kindred’s overall margin between sports betting and casino was 4.9%. As these verticals combined for revenue to £1.07bn, this meant players staked a total of £21.78bn, 28.4% more than in 2019.

Breaking down revenue by region, Western Europe made up the majority of Kindred’s revenue at £705.4m, a 27% increase, with betting revenue up 10% to £330.1m and casino and gaming revenue growing 47% to £375.3m. Within this region, Kindred said the UK saw particularly strong growth thanks to strong cross-sell, as did Belgium through good acquisition.

The Nordics followed in both segments with a combined £262.2m following 4.0% growth, but while betting revenue grew 10.1% to £95.8m, gaming revenue remained level at £172.4m. This lack of growth may have been in part due to restrictions on online casino in Sweden, including a SEK5000 (£435/€497/$602) mandatory deposit cap for the vertical.

Central, Eastern and Southern European revenue grew to £62.7m in gaming and £39.1m in sports betting for a combined £101.8m, up 28.9%. The rest of the world, with markets including the US, saw betting revenue almost double to £23.1m while gaming revenue grew more than 300% to £31.7m, meaning the region combined for £54.8m, a 177.8% increase.

“The sector also firmly established itself in the US market during 2020, and our Unibet brand continues to deliver here according to plan with a gross winnings revenue contribution of £23.8 million for the full year,” Tjärnström said. “Being one of the largest operators in the world, I look forward to our continued journey in the US as Unibet projects to launch in both Illinois and Iowa during 2021.”

Kindred paid £231.0m in betting duties and £53.6m in revenue sharing payments to affiliates. Direct cost of sales came to £465.0m, and £180.4m in other costs of sales for a gross profit of £665.2m, up 30.8%.

Kindred paid an additional £203.6m in other marketing costs, down 3.5%. Tjärnström said that this was largely because some other sectors had withdrawn from marketing activity due to the effects of the pandemic, driving down demand and therefore prices, but he noted that this effect was short-lived and marketing costs were up again in Q4.

Administrative costs were up 2.3% to £224.1m, with just under half of this total being salaries and the remainder mostly depreciation and amortisation, resulting in an underlying profit before one-off items of £237.5m.

Other costs included £17.7m in amortisation of intangible assets, as well as an £8m (SEK100m) penalty fee from Swedish regulator Spelinspektionen for offering unauthorised bonuses and lotteries without a licence to players, which Kindred said it disputed, and £4.2m in restructuring costs.

This led to an operating profit of £205.8m, up 190.3%. After £5.8m in net financial costs, £8.7m in foreign exchange losses and £1.8m in the share of profits of associates in which Kindred holds a stake, the operator’s pre-tax profit totalled £193.1m, up 187.8%.

Kindred paid £27.1m in tax, for a final profit of £165.2m, 191.8% more than in 2019.

Looking just at the fourth quarter, Kindred revenue was up 54.4% to £364.7m. High margins meant sports betting made up almost half of this at £177.2m.

Its gross profit came to £221.6m, up 70.5%, while its operating profit grew more than seven times over to £99.7m.

After tax, Kindred’s profit for the quarter was up 678% to £84.9m.

Earlier this week, Kindred published its first report on its share of revenue that came from high-risk customers as part of its efforts to reduce this figure to zero by 2023. For the fourth quarter of 2020 this was 4.3%.

The business also announced a partnership with the Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation to secure market access to California and Arizona this week.

Total revenue for the 12 months through to 31 December amounted to €117.7m (£103.2m/$142.9m), up from €92.3m in the previous year.

Kambi said the majority of 2020 was extremely positive for the business, with a strong start to the year interrupted only by the effects of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, which hindered performance through the cancellation and postponement of sports events in late Q1 and most of Q2.

However, Kambi pushed ahead with expansion in the US, adding market-first launches in Michigan, Illinois and Colorado during the first half.

Kambi followed up on this in Q3, signing partnerships with tribal operator Four Winds Casinos and Churchill Downs Incorporated, as well as launching Penn National Gaming’s Barstool-branded online sportsbook in Pennsylvania.

In Q4, Kambi also went live in Tennessee’s online market and carried out three on-property launches in Michigan and Mississippi, and, outside of the US, struck up a partnership with the Belgian National Lottery. Shortly after the end of Q4, the provider also linked up with JVH Gaming and Entertainment, the largest private casino company in the Netherlands.

“Our strong growth means Kambi is now operating at a scale like never before, which in turn allows the Kambi sportsbook and service to continuously evolve,” Kambi chief executive Kristian Nylén said.

“The powerful partner network we have created, with fantastic partners from around the globe, produces ever increasing amounts of unique data, from which we can draw valuable insights to help us improve and continue to offer a high-performance sportsbook.”

Looking at costs for the year, operating expenses amounted to €85.5m, up 10.1% on the previous year, as Kambi pushed ahead with expansion efforts in the US and elsewhere.

After taking into account finance costs and items affecting comparability, Kambi posted €31.0m in profit before tax, an increase of 127.9% on 2019. Kambi paid €7.0m in tax, and after accounting for losses caused by currency exchange, the provider ended the year with €23.0m in comprehensive profit, up 134.5% year-on-year.

Kambi’s full-year results were helped by a record performance during the fourth quarter, when revenue jumped 75.7% to €46.9m. For the first time, Q4 saw Kambi’s operations in the Americas become its main source of income, with activities here accounting for 58% of gross gaming revenue in Q4.

Operating expenses in Q4 were up 20.5% to €24.7m, and after taking off finance costs, this left a profit before tax of €22.1m, up a massive 268.3% year-on-year.

Kambi paid €4.8m in tax during the quarter and after accounting for positive currency exchange, the provider ended the quarter with a comprehensive net profit of €17.5m, an increase of 272.9% in 2019.

“It’s been a year that’s shown that when working together, we can find the right responses to the toughest of challenges,” said Nylén, who last month reduced his stake in Kambi by 6%.

“The Kambi model is based on partnership, on sharing, on working together with our partners to ensure they have the best chance of success.

“The model was undoubtedly stress-tested in 2020 but it passed with flying colours, leaving me more excited than ever about Kambi’s future.”

As the pandemic wiped most sports betting markets off the schedule in the early part of 2020, there was a widely-reported shift of gambling spend into other verticals.

Across many regions of the world, much of the cash bettors would usually pour into sports was funnelled into online casino and in particular, there was a widespread resurgence in the popularity of poker.

But in Portugal it wasn’t so much poker that grabbed players’ attention during the second and third quarters of last year, but a new game – to online at least – called Banca Francesa.

The Gaming1-designed version of the popular Portuguese table game launched in April last year and quickly gained traction, despite being offered by just one operator, Estoril Sol Digital.

Figures released last month by Portuguese regulator Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ) showed that in the third quarter of last year, Banca Francesa accounted for 3.1% of casino turnover, up from 2.8% in the second quarter. 

Though the numbers might seem small, they are not insignificant when one considers that tournament poker accounted for just 1.9% of the Portuguese casino market in the third quarter, and cash poker 4.8%.

And poker, of course, is offered by multiple operators whereas Banca Francesa is available with just one. 

One question might be whether or not its success was a happy accident thanks to its launch during the peak of the pandemic. The answer to that is likely to be no, given its market share increased between the second and third quarters and also the fact it has since become the top performing game for Estoril Sol.

Gaining an edge?

A bigger question with more widespread implications might be whether or not this type of extremely localised game offering could help operators get an edge in other developing gaming markets. Despite its French name, the game originated in Portugal and has thus far been little played in other markets.

While declining to give specific numbers, Estoril Sol Digital CEO Rui Magalhães says the game is definitely attracting new players to the site. “We have newcomers that join specifically to play and have fun with our Banca Francesa.

“The game is a major attraction in the physical casinos and we wanted to bring that to our online, with an interesting idea that the concept could be a success – and it is.” 

Gaming1 chief operating officer and co-founder Sylvain Boniver says the idea for the online game came about as part of the company’s usual process of researching ways to help its land-based partners successfully move into online. It was then in development for more than a year.

It has been partnered with Estoril Sol since 2016, when it helped the digital branch of land-based operator Estoril Sol Group launch the country’s first licensed online casino site.

“We were visiting the land-based casinos for our partner in Portugal and that showed us that Banca Francesa was the most popular table game in Portugal, so we decided to adapt it for online and this is how the idea was born,” he says.

Because it is the first online version of the game, he says there were challenges in terms of regulation. “The regulation is very strict in Portugal and you have to reproduce exactly the same behaviour online that is in land-based for a new type of game.”

Given the game’s popularity, it is perhaps unsurprising Gaming1 has received interest from other operators in the country. 

For now, however, Banca Francesa remains exclusive to Estoril Sol, which Magalhães says, “is surely an advantage, as are all the exclusive games in our offer”.

The land-based transition

Part of this advantage comes from the opportunity to pull in new players and then cross-sell other products and Magalhães says the majority of Banca Francesa players are also playing other games on the site. 

Boniver says the strategy of helping land-based casinos transition into the online space with local game offerings is one it has also used in other countries.

“We are the leader in Belgium based on the fact that we developed some Belgian games from land-based and put them online.”

However, Boniver’s colleague Jean-Christophe Choffray, Gaming1’s deputy CEO and head of gaming, says in the past Gaming1’s efforts in this regard have been mostly related to slot games rather than table games.

“If you look at the land-based gaming market in countries such as Belgium, you have got three different types of licence in land-based: you have class A, where all the slot machines are the same and if you look at a slot machine in a casino in Germany it is exactly the same as a slot machine in Las Vegas; but you have also class B and class C and class B is generally always specific to a market.

“It is a very different experience for the players and at Gaming1 we try to recreate this experience online in selected markets where we operate, such as Belgium, where we have designed [these type of class B] games, the Netherlands, which also has a big gambling hall industry, and Spain, which has a big street industry.”  

Choffray says he now sees further potential for localised table games. “The market where we plan to expand is the US and in the US, in the land-based casinos there are several different types of poker and blackjack with a lot of specifications. Sometimes they are just in one state so of course we will explore the specific possibility to develop these table games for online.”

He points out, however, that there are many other factors involved in land-based operators making the transition online seamless to players.

“All land-based players, when they become online players, like to recognise the environment and the environment is the brand, the atmosphere, the camaraderie with customer support – the fact that the player can address some question to the employee of the land-based casino – as well as the type of game he or she chooses to play.”

Magalhães echoes this sentiment and says it’s not enough to simply have a particular game. “There’s a lot of complexity in all the other variables we manage to ensure our online casino leadership in a fast-growing market [given] the number and quality of new incoming operators.”

While a localised game undoubtedly needs support to succeed, the example from Portugal seems to suggest a game peculiar to one market could help operators that have previously focused on land-based operations attract more players online. Given the integral role land-based operators are playing in the expansion of both the US and Latin American markets, it’s an example others may do well to follow.

Of its $1.06bn revenue, gaming revenue from Genting’s Singapore integrated resort declined 56.9% to $700.8m, after its properties were closed from 6 April tl 30 June.

Non-gaming revenue, from attractions such as Universal Studios Singapore theme part and S.E.A. Aquarium – both part of Resorts World Sentosa – was down 64.8% to $299.4m.

However, Genting partially made up for this decline with a more than 20-fold increase in non-IR revenue to $63.5m. This came from its investment business, along with other hospitality and support services.

While almost all of the operator’s revenue came from Singapore, $288,000 was generated from other Asia-Pacific investments.

Genting’s costs of sales also declined, by 43.2% to $831.9m. However, this decline was much slower than the drop in revenue, meaning gross profit fell 76.8% to $231.9m.

Genting earned a further $12.4m in other operating income and $45.5m in interest income. Its operating expenses came to $183.m, 29.4% less than in 2019.

Administrative expenses made up the large majority of these costs, but fell 32% to $131.5m. Selling and distribution expenses dropped 72% to $17.2m and other operating costs grew more than 400% to $25.6m.

This resulted in an operating profit of $115.8m, down 87.1%.

After financial costs, which were down 80% to $4.0m, and revenue from joint ventures, down 69% to $1.2m, Genting Singapore made a pre-tax profit of $113.0m, down 87.2%. 

Its tax bill totalled $43.7m, 72% less than in 2019. This meant Genting Singapore’s net profit came to $69.2m, a 90.0% decline.

The operator said that two third of this profit could be attributable to the period before the 2020 Lunar New Year weekend in late January. After this point, the “steep onset” of Covid-19 in Asia and resulting travel and casino restrictions hit profits.

Though the business posted a loss for the first half of the year, there were signs of recovery in the latter half of the year, as Resorts World Sentosa reopened  and Singaporeans were offered vouchers to boost the country’s tourism industry. However second half net revenue was still down 49% at $615.5m. H2 net profit, meanwhile, fell 41% to $185.9m.

“We are most grateful to the Singapore Government for providing various support measures in

assisting our resort to weather through this crisis,” Genting Singapore said. “Notwithstanding the Government helping us and the Group’s implementation of cost containment measures, the effects of the Covid-19 global pandemic to our businesses was still devastating.

“This led the Group to record the worst financial performance since the opening of our Singapore Integrated Resort in 2010.”

The operator said that, looking ahead, it was clear that international travel would be unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels soon. However, it said it would still press on with the $4.5bn “mega expansion” of Resorts World Sentosa, and that it remained committed to building an integrated resort in Yokohama in Japan, where it said it was “encouraged by the steps taken by the government” in launching a bidding process.

Jones is set to take up his role on Entain’s advisory board, along with other former regulators from several US states, after asking for legal clarification from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board (LGCB), of which he was chair for seven years from 2013 to June 2000.

The role will see Jones and others advise the company on best practices relating to gaming regulatory policies in the US as well as regulatory and gaming issues.

Jones contacted Louisiana Ethics Administration Program (LEAP) for clarification and guidance in the autumn as to post-employment prohibitions just months after the state senate refused to confirm his reappointment for a new six-year term.

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Under the terms of the agreement, AYX branding will feature across Asian channels during the club’s home games, courtesy of LED pitch-side displays.

In addition, the agreement will also provide AYX with strategic tools such as use of the Roma brand for use in promotions on digital platforms and social media as it seeks greater exposure across Asia.

Giorgio Brambilla, Roma’s commercial director, said: “This partnership is in line with the club’s ambitions and I firmly believe it will also allow both brands to further develop their commercial strategy on an international level.

“Asia has always been of particular interest to Roma and AYX is the ideal partner to help us grow.”

While Roma is unable to sign domestic gambling partners in Italy due to the Dignity Decree laws introduced in 2019, the club – currently lying fourth in the Serie A table – is able to partner with overseas operators.

The domestic ban applies to all gambling-related products and services across all media platforms – including television, websites and radio – and sports clubs are prohibited from carrying sponsors from the industry. However, it does not apply to partnerships abroad.

Steven Chang, AYX’s chief marketing officer, said: “This partnership is of great significance for both brands, bringing together passionate Roma fans and millions of users of AYX.

“It is hugely positive for our brand to be associated with the AS Roma name, with all its history and significance, and I strongly believe this partnership marks an important step in our growth strategy.

“With AYX’s footprint in Asia growing all the time, this new partnership will open up new opportunities for strategic development and a mutual win-win, ushering in a new era for sports gaming and entertainment.”

The German operator body’s president Mathias Dahms also warned that the strict controls for online casino had already prompted a mass migration of players to unlicensed sites, and urged a rethink on how the vertical is regulated.

Tax figures from the Federal Ministry of Finance reveal that industry turnover declined from 2019’s record €9.3bn to €7.8bn (£6.9bn/$9.4bn). Tax revenue for the year fell 16.2% year-on-year to €389m. 

The industry association noted that if January and February’s figures were taken out, to cover the impact of Covid-19 from March onwards, turnover would have been down more than 20% compared to the prior year. 

In April and May, DSWV president Dahms noted, the market “collapsed completely”. With betting shops closed and sporting events suspended, turnover plummeted 90% year-on-year for April, then fell 75% in May. 

Amid accusations that the gambling industry was profiting from the crisis, Dahms said “the exact opposite is true”. 

It was only in late summer, when the sporting calendar was packed as postponed events took place, that staking stabilised, the DSWV explained. The economic situation, however, remained “extremely tense”, it added. 

“During the current lockdown, all 5,000 to 6,000 betting shops nationwide are closed or have been [offering a reduced service],” Dahms explained. “Approximately 25,000 employees are mostly on short-time work and in fear for their jobs, while the operators fear for their businesses’ futures.”

He said that with betting shops denied state aid, the government must set out a roadmap towards reopening, including the social distancing and sanitisation measures required of operators. 

This financial crisis, the DSWV continued, had been exacerbated by the transitional regulations for online casino that came into force as of 15 October. This has been followed by “massive” migration of consumers to black market operators, mostly based in Asia and the Caribbean. 

A survey of DSWV members claims each operator has seen igaming turnover fall by an average of 54% in the wake of the transitional regime beginning. This requires operators to cap online slot stakes at €1 per spin, with spin speeds to average 5 seconds. 

“It is clear that the strict regulations for virtual slot machines have channeled the market away almost overnight – unfortunately in the wrong direction,” Dahms said. “It is unrealistic to believe that German customers will get used to the excessive restrictions of the State Treaty and come back to licensed providers as long as they can play with competitors who offer them much better conditions. 

“We urgently need improvements to the regulations and a functioning enforcement against illegal offers. Otherwise, established providers willing to regulate will withdraw from the German gaming market.”

The association said 2020 should have been a landmark year for the German gambling industry, thanks to the final agreement for a new State Treaty, and the issuance of sports betting licences after almost a decade of setbacks. 

Instead, thanks to Covid-19 and yet more regulatory intrigue, it the situation now looked far less positive, the DSWV said. 

While 21 sportsbook licences were awarded by the Regional Council of Darmstadt in the fourth quarter of 2020, the licensing process had since ground to a halt. The DSWV estimated that as many as 40 applications had been completed, but were yet to secure final approval.

Dahms blamed the Glücksspielkollegium, a state body that has proved controversial in the past, and has been declared unconstitutional by the German courts, for the current standstill. 

“Instead of a properly regulated market, we currently have competitive distortions of unexpected proportions,” e said. “While the 21 licensees meet strict licence conditions, many other providers operate completely unmolested in the market. 

“We are seeing a massive consumer exodus into the unregulated market. But the completely divided Glücksspielkollegium, as a body of 16 responsible officials from the state interior ministries, has kept the application process pending for months and has not made any further decisions. 

“We therefore urgently appeal to the state governments to put an end to this untenable situation: All open concession applications must be decided immediately in order to create fair market conditions for all providers. It cannot be that the licensed providers are the ones who suffer.”

The Malta-licensed operator will offer up to €1m in equity for investors, with the funds to be used to ensure it has enough capital and is able to build the required infrastructure for operation in Bulgaria.

Sportingwin last month revealed plans to launch in Bulgaria and now in the final stages of securing its licence from the National Revenue Agency.

Should the licence application go through as expected, Sportingwin will become only the fifth licensee in the market.

SportingWin, which is part of the Sporting Group, would also be the first to roll an exchange betting product in the country through the Betfair Exchange.

“We are seeking investment as we want to make sure that we are well capitalised and can deploy our expansion plans efficiently and effectively,” SportingWin’s head of investment and board director, Mark Chakravarti, said.

“We have already had considerable interest in our funding round, and I look forward to speaking with potential investors keen to share in what will be a hugely successful journey for SportingWin.”