Tag: Industry News

Kindred Group has reported that the share of revenue from harmful gambling decreased to 3.3% in the third quarter of 2021.

Kindred is committed to transform gambling by being a trusted source of entertainment that contributes positively to society. Therefore, Kindred has set an ambition to reach zero per cent of revenue from harmful gambling by the end of 2023 and to report this on a quarterly basis. The purpose is to be transparent, contribute to a fact-based dialogue about harmful gambling, and raise awareness of the Group’s sustainability work. For the third quarter of 2021, the share of revenue from harmful gambling decreased to 3.3% from 4.3% in Q2 2021.

“We are pleased to see that the percentage of revenue coming from harmful gambling has decreased. Whilst we welcome this decrease, we do understand that we still have to work hard to further decrease this number. In line with our roadmap, our operational teams have worked to implement more proactive customer interactions, and this has resulted in an increase in the use of control tools to help customers stay in control,” Henrik Tjärnström, CEO of Kindred Group, said.

“We have also taken a more cautious approach towards the younger demographic, since this group is at a higher risk financially and is more prone to addiction. Therefore, we have set up tailored approaches to de-risk customers that are between 18-24 and we can already see the benefits from this action,” Tjärnström added.

On October 11, Kindred’s Head of Responsible Gambling and Research, Maris Catania, together with her PhD tutor, Professor Mark Griffiths, published a peer-reviewed research paper that examines the application of DSM-5 criteria for gambling disorder to actual online gambling behaviour. This notion and approach are the basis for the ideology behind Kindred’s behavioural monitoring system.

Kindred announced it will continue to work on publishing more research to increase the transparency of information through empirical studies.

“To limit harmful gambling, the behaviour has to be identified in the first place. Our research provides Kindred with actual examples of the types of behaviour engaged in by problem gamblers, which could be used by the player protection team to identify potential markers of harm,” said Professor Mark D Griffiths, Nottingham Trent University.

Stanleybet Group has chosen Fast Track CRM to power player engagement for their online offering.

Fast Track CRM is built on a rich real-time data feed that enables operators to engage players instantly based on their behaviours. The platform also provides simple, visual workflows for operators to create and orchestrate complex sets of engagements. Stanleybet Group will be able to use the rich data in the platform to create granular segmentation models and get a deeper understanding of their players.

“We have been operating online for just over a decade and feel it’s time to revamp our engagement strategy and really show our players everything we have to offer. Fast Track is the perfect partner for this next phase in our online journey and can provide a solution to all the challenges we are facing in scaling our communications and rewards,” Joris Petllion, Director of Online at Stanleybet Group, said.

“Working with a brand like Stanleybet Group, that is a household name and has a long history in the industry, is a privilege. We hope to take all that history and power in their brand and enable them to work in a smart and scalable way to delight their online player base,” Simon Lidzén, Co-Founder and CEO of Fast Track, said.

Stats Perform, the sports tech leader in data and AI Technology, has announced an extension to its agreement with K-Sport, who will continue to be part of Stats Perform’s SPIN network for another four years. The partnership, which first started in 2015, provides player wearable solutions to more than 200 teams across professional football and rugby.

The extended partnership will see Stats Perform act as the exclusive sales agent in Europe for K-Sport systems, including its next-generation K-AI Wearable Tech, and its supporting athlete monitoring software, Dynamix. The collaboration will also see both parties work together to develop and enhance existing wearable solutions, which will include the integration of optical tracking data, captured from Stats Perform’s SportVU system, into a new Dynamix Live platform.

“I am very pleased to be continuing this collaboration with Stats Perform. Stats Perform combine advanced AI technologies, which are fully compatible with K-Sport systems, with an extensive global sports business network. This makes them the best partner we could ever hope for. There are also a number of exciting future opportunities to further evolve our integrated solutions and I am looking forward to working together with them for the next four years,” Mirko Marcolini, Founder and CEO of K-Sport, said.

“K-Sport have been a valued partner of the Stats Perform SPIN community for a long time and we are looking forward to seeing the benefits of this collaboration continue. In the years ahead, we will be combining our respective knowledge and expertise to develop new solutions, derived from AI, which can help our Pro clients further optimise their daily monitoring of each player’s physical performance, both on the training ground and during matches,” Ben Mackriell, Stats Perform VP for Data, AI & Pro Products, said.

Trans World Hotels and Entertainment (TWHE) has selected Fast Track CRM to provide customer engagement solutions for its first online casino, Palasino.

Fast Track CRM will provide the operator with the capabilities to use real-time, on-site engagements to communicate with their online players, and to use rich data and detailed segmentation to personalise the player experience.

Palasino is set to launch in early 2022 on the Pragmatic Solutions platform. The launch of Palasino will mark TWHE’s entry to the online casino market, having previously operated land-based casinos in Europe targeting Austrian, Czech and German players.

“Fast Track is the perfect partner to work with on our player engagement for Palasino. The platform’s real-time foundation creates exciting opportunities for on-site engagement and the existing integration with the Pragmatic Solutions platform means we are confident that we will have all the data we need to create a very personal experience for our players,” Colin Stewart, CEO of Palasino, said.

“We are excited to be part of Palasino’s launch journey and look forward to seeing how they will use our platform’s capabilities. Their vast experience in the land-based casino industry will be a great foundation to move into the online space and I’m sure they will bring some really interesting ideas from that world to how they will engage online players,” Simon Lidzén, Co-Founder and CEO of Fast Track, said.

Global brand 24kCasino has added 25 new slots from Microgaming to its games list.

24kCasino has been in the industry since 2019, offering their Curacao licenced brand to a global market. Covering 7 languages with 12 currencies, the casino offers the traditional payment methods as well as the expected Crypto options as well.

24kCasino already has well over 3000 casino games available. Now, Microgaming’s popular titles such as Stampede, Temple of Iris 2 and Secret Garden are available at 24kCasino.

24kCasino CEO Mark Taylor said: “We are happy to expand the casino offering to our players. We are constantly developing the casino to enhance the player experience and adding these games is no exception. We have also added new payment methods over the last month which has improved payment processing and the customer experience.”

Aspire Global has signed an agreement to sell its B2C segment to Esports Technologies Inc. The divestment is following Aspire Global’s review of the B2C segment that was announced in March this year. The consideration sums up to about €65 million. The transaction also includes a four-year platform and managed services agreement with an estimated gross value of €70 million.

The consideration consists of €50 million in cash, €10 million in a promissory note and €5 million in common stock in the listed entity of Esports Technologies. The platform and managed services agreement consists of royalties related to the use of Aspire Global’s platform and related services during the coming four years. The estimated value of the royalties is based on the present performance and might change in the coming years. The total value of the transaction is estimated to be €135 million.

Aspire Global’s B2C segment consists of several B2C-brands, including the successful Karamba brand. In Q2 2021, the B2C segment reported rolling twelve months net gaming revenues of €61.8 million and €6.9 million in EBITDA. The B2C segment has shown significant growth across all main B2C brands in the twelve month period, driven by among all continuous optimisations in all marketing channels. The review of the B2C segment was initiated in March 2021 to assist Aspire Global in assessing its options to improve overall margins and EBITDA as well as further accelerating new B2B initiatives and enter fresh markets.

Tsachi Maimon, CEO of Aspire Global, said: “Esports Technologies is a strong company with high growth ambitions and is a perfect match for our B2C-brands. With Aspire Global’s B2C-brands, Esports Technologies gains leading, well established brands, an excellent base for further growth and a very talented team that contributed to the B2C’s growth. We are confident that Esports Technologies will take our B2C-brands to the next level and we welcome Karamba and the other B2C-brands as our new partners.”

Aaron Speach, CEO of Esports Technologies, said: “We have high growth ambitions and aim to be one of the biggest esports operators in the world. Aspire Global’s B2C-brands are excellent complements to our strong-growing Esports Technologies brand and will be key in the continued execution of our growth strategy.”

The closing of the acquisition is subject to Esports Technologies receipt of financing, as well as other closing requirements. The transaction is expected to close by November 30, 2021.

Gaming Laboratories International’s Director of Systems and Audit Joseph Marchetti has been named to the ELG 40 Under 40 Class of 2022 by Emerging Leaders of Gaming (ELG) and Global Gaming Business (GGB) magazine.

“We are thrilled for the industry to recognize Joseph as an Emerging Leader in Gaming. For more than 15 years, Joseph has led teams in creating innovative solutions for GLI’s clients, helping clients discover new paths forward, and providing valuable consultative advice on their integrated compliance journey,” Sangeeta Reddy, Vice President of Engineering at GLI, said.

Since assuming his new role in May 2021, Marchetti has led his team of systems testers, auditors and automation developers as they work closely with regulators, operators and suppliers, paving the way in the ever-evolving world of gaming systems. He has also streamlined processes and created automation tools which expedite the time to market while also reducing clients’ costs.

He has been with GLI for more than 15 years, previously serving as Technical Group Manager. Over that time, he has developed an enviable and proven record of success as an engineer, as a manager and in developing engineers for multiple aspects of testing.

Over the past 15 years, Marchetti has grown from an entry-level Test Engineer to his current role. Along the way, he has reached a high level of expertise in the regulatory compliance testing of multiple game types, platforms, progressive controllers, shufflers/shoes as well as casino management systems.

Holland Casino is preparing for recovery after a rough first half of the year, having been forced to close for more than 5 months due to measures taken against the COVID-19 pandemic.

As anticipated by the Dutch state-owned company, the extended closure had a negative impact on its financial results for the first half of the year. But as its 14 branches have been operating again since June 5, the operator now expects to post positive results for the second half of 2021.

Turnover achieved in June shows that Holland Casino will soon be able “to operate in a healthy manner” again. Moreover, after having completed “necessary restructuring,” the company expects to become a more efficient and agile organisation, according to a press statement released on Wednesday.

Turnover for H1 2021 posted a low €28.8 million. Net results for tax purposes amounted to a loss of €64.8 million, compared to a loss of €37.8 million over the same period in 2020, in which the company remained open for several months.

“Although Coronavirus also hit our company head-on in the first half of 2021, notably our anniversary year in which we celebrate 45 years in business, we still look ahead with confidence. All in all, Netherlands was deprived of legal casino offer for almost a year, but now that the measures are disappearing little by little, recovery is in sight,” Erwin van Lambaart, CEO of Holland Casino, said.

“We see bright spots in the potential offer of online games of chance as of October 1, for which we have applied for a license, and the opening of our new world-class casino branches in Venlo and Utrecht,” van Lambaart added.

CFO Ruud Bergervoet considers that having sufficient liquid assets in the past six months was key to the company getting through the difficult period of closure. That, along with the NOW scheme, the deferral of tax payments, strict cost control measures and tight operation management, led to the company being able “to safeguard the continuity” of its operations over the past year and a half.

“The significant tax debt of €190.5 million is offset by a strong liquidity position without bank debt. We are therefore considering paying off this tax debt more quickly if no new Coronavirus measures are introduced and the recovery actually continues. The results after June are promising in that regard,” Bergervoet said.

Despite all branches now being open, certain pandemic measures are still being enforced, and Holland Casino is receiving guests at limited capacity in its gambling venues. The company expects that these measures will be phased out, with the hope to open at full capacity and without restrictions “towards autumn.”

“We are also looking forward to the reintroduction of poker, live bingo and our NXT zones so that gaming can really be experienced together again. We also hope to be able to offer our bars and restaurants after midnight, which currently all close at midnight,” van Lambaart said.

Patrick Svensk, Chairman of the Board of Betsson AB (publ), has informed the Nomination Committee that he is resigning from Betsson’s Board of Directors and the assignment as Chairman with immediate effect. The Board has appointed Johan Lundberg, currently a member of Betsson’s Board, as the new Chairman.

Patrick Svensk has been a member of Betsson’s Board of Directors since 2005, and Chairman of the Board since 2017. The decision to resign from Betsson’s Board of Directors is based on the fact that the company’s major shareholders have stated that they no longer have full confidence in Patrick Svensk as Chairman of the Board. The lack of full trust is due to how the dismissal of the CEO was handled, which the company communicated in a press release on September 17, 2021.

“It is very sad, and I am sorry that I have disappointed our major owners, but I have done what I thought was best for the company. I am proud of what we have achieved during these years and wish everyone at Betsson great luck in the future,” Patrick Svensk said.

Johan Lundberg, who has been appointed as new Chairman by the Board, has been a member of Betsson’s Board since 2018. Johan Lundberg is the founder of NFT Ventures and a Board Member of Loomis, Svolder and Ölands Bank.

“I would like to extend a warm thank you to Patrick Svensk for his valuable contributions to the Board for almost 17 years. I look forward to continuing the work with the rest of the board to recruit the next generation of international leader to Betsson and at the same time complete the strategic work that is going on with renewal and growth,” Johan Lundberg said.

The Chairman of the Nomination Committee Michael Knutsson has expressed full confidence and support for the remaining Board members and its election of a new Chairman and supports the decision to seek the next generation of international leader for Betsson.