Monthly Archives: March 2020

GVC Holdings, the global sports betting and gaming group, welcomes todays statement issued by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), setting out the industrys coordinated approach to providing a safer betting and gaming environment during the current Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.

With up to a quarter of the global population in some form of lock-down, there is a clear risk that house-bound individuals may become isolated, depressed or be in financial distress. GVC recognises the additional risk this presents and is deeply aware of its own responsibility to protect vulnerable customers from seeking to solve financial problems through gambling, or from developing other problem gambling behaviours.

To address the additional risk, and building on its Changing for the Bettor safer gambling strategy, GVC is taking a number of decisive actions:

Proactive communication with all customers, across all Group brands and in all territories, to remind players to gamble responsibly and direct them to the Groups suite of safer gambling tools. Through these tools, customers are encouraged to set deposit and time limits as well as enabling them to self-exclude from the Groups sites altogether. In the coming weeks the Group will introduce further tools including curfew setting, stake limit setting on slot games, and reverse withdrawal settings. (See notes to editors for further details).

The addition of two new Markers of Harm (MoH) indicators to the Groups safer gambling algorithm, enabling the identification of potentially problematic gambling behaviour at an earlier stage. The additional MoHs will specifically review player behaviour pre and post home isolation. In the event that increased-risk behaviour is identified, a sliding scale of interventions will be initiated, which ultimately may result in the suspension or closing of accounts.

Increased responsible gambling messaging on the homepage and throughout all sites, with a new page providing dedicated advice on keeping betting sensible and enjoyable during the current crisis.

GVC gaming brands will run responsible gambling-led, multi-channel advertising and marketing campaigns to promote responsible gambling to customers while they enjoy time on our sites.

Specific guidance and restrictions mandated to all affiliates preventing them from referencing the pandemic or encouraging excessive play due to boredom or isolation. This advice will include a specific blacklist of banned terms.

Commenting on the introduction of the new measures, GVC CEO Kenneth Alexander said:

At this time of unprecedented uncertainty, we are more committed than ever to keeping our customers safe while they enjoy our products. We are hugely sensitive to the potential for increased risk for some who are isolated at home or may have financial difficulties with reduced access to work. Our enhanced tools give customers the power to manage their spending and time in an effective way, and we are backing this up by carefully monitoring play through our markers of harm.

As an industry, we have a clear responsibility to protect the vulnerable and we warmly welcome the coordinated approach announced today by the BGC which provides a template for strengthening player protections.

About GVC Holdings

GVC Holdings PLC is one of the worlds largest sports-betting and gaming groups, operating both online and in the retail sector. The Group owns a comprehensive portfolio of established brands; Sports Brands include bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds and Sportingbet; Gaming Brands include CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, partypoker and PartyCasino. The Group owns proprietary technology across all of its core product verticals and in addition to its B2C operations provides services to a number of third-party customers on a B2B basis. The Group has also entered into a joint-venture with MGM Resorts to capitalise on the sports-betting and gaming opportunity in the U.S. The Group, incorporated in the Isle of Man, is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index and has licences in more than 20 countries, across five continents.

For more information see the Groups website: http://www.gvc-plc.com

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GVC introduces additional safer gambling safeguards and welcomes coordinated industry action led by the Betting and Gaming Council - CalvinAyre.com

It has been revealed that over half a million people have blocked themselves from using their online gambling accounts due to concern about overusing their accounts during the COVID-19 quarantine.

According to the Daily Mail, there are over 570,000 people that currently gamble online via their bank account, but have since tried to stop themselves from doing so in the wake of a government statement that will see people spend the vast majority of the next 21 days at home.

The UK Gambling Commission believes there are 340,000 problem gamblers in the United Kingdom and have already taken steps to prevent that number being increased further. Gamblers are currently able to deposit significant funds into their online casino accounts from their bank account, though major banks are now intervening.

They now give their customers the option to block payments to their gambling sites, which has proved to be an extremely popular option amongst those who regularly use online casinos and bookmakers to place bets.

This block can only be taken back once a cooling off period has taken place, which will either be 24 or 48 hours depending on who you are banking with.

The numbers are significant, with Natwest saying that 1 in 10 of their customers gamble using their bank account, while some spend more than a quarter of their total monthly income on gambling.

200,000 customers use the blocking service at Starling Bank, while Monzos gambling block is currently being used by 220,000 of their customers. Elsewhere, Lloyds stats stand at 120,000 and HSBC have a further 30,000 people not allowing payments to be made to betting companies.

The lack of sporting action does not mean that there isnt anything for punters to bet on. The omission of the Premier League, Champions League and all UK horse racing hasnt stopped bookmakers from offering markets to their customers to bet on. It has seen them push mire obscure sports such as table tennis to the fore, letting players place wagers on events they will likely not know too much about at all.

Labour MP Carolyn Harris said: It is great that so many people are taking steps to protect themselves from this awful addiction.

Now banks must do more to prevent players betting money from overdrafts and payday loans.

There are very safe and secure ways to play safely online with no deposits.

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Over Half A Million Punters Block Themselves From Online Gambling - Love Andover

For an industry that has only been in existence for a little over two decades, online gambling has been one of the big success stories of our time. From a standing start, it is now worth around $50 billion a year with a predicted CAGR of 11.5% between now and 2025, There are a number of drivers behind this predicted growth, not to mention a few factors that also have the potential to limit it such as increasing legislation, but overall its a very positive picture both for the players on the many sites available and their operators.

There have been a number of significant milestones in the history to date of online gambling with many being driven by technology. One of the first of these has been the introduction of the live casino which has been made possible by faster internet download speeds and the increasing sophistication of devices on which games can be played. In this form of gambling, which generally includes games like roulette, blackjack and baccarat, action is streamed to players as real-life dealers play in actual time. In capturing some of the atmosphere and excitement of the real casino it has proved to be an irresistible draw to many.

The mobile revolution

But the real breakthrough has been the development of mobile sites enabling players to enjoy an online casino session wherever and whenever the mood takes them. This has been in line with the gradual dominance of the mobile device as a preferred method of going online, a tipping point that originally occurred back in 2016.

This not only has had an effect on the numbers of people playing online, it has also seen a change in the demographics of players. For example, theres evidence that more millennials have been attracted to online sites now that they are fully optimised for mobile play. There has also been a big increase in women players. This group has been especially targeted by slots and bingo sites where they tend to play for longer, but for lower stakes, than their male counterparts who seem to prefer short, sharp bursts of play on more casino-style games.

The adoption of AI and languages

Online gambling around the world

Looking around the world, its undoubtedly the UK that leads the way in online gambling. According to official Gambling Commission figures, between April 2018 and March 2019 the gross revenue for the remote sector was 5.3 billion, well over a third of the total for the whole industry. A combination of excellent internet accessibility and relatively liberal legislation are two factors that have played a part in this success, along with the large sums that the key operators spend on marketing.

However, theres a great variation globally on the law regarding online gambling which has limited its expansion in many territories. One example is in the US where it is only permitted in a handful of states including Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania while in the biggest potential market of all, China, it is banned outright.

Others, like Australia and Canada, have a fairly liberal approach to online gambling and, as a result, the industry is seeing around a 30% annual growth in both of these countries. In terms of where shows the greatest future potential, the continent of Africa still has huge untapped potential in a number of its countries including Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana.

Mastering the multicloud maze: how to choose the right solution for your business

Big businesses, getting bigger

Obviously, an industry that has been so successful is also one in which competition has been fierce. The strategy of many of the big operators, therefore, has been to merge to create multi-billion-dollar organisations and there was a particular surge in these in 2017 and 2018.

However, some online poker rooms like 888poker have remained fiercely independent and continue to thrive. As part of the larger group called 888 Holdings, this has been a consistently well-performing business as well as a popular one with investors. While it may be nowhere near its market peak that it achieved in May 2018 with a share price of 318p, it continues to show consistent performance today. Just as it has remained financially independent, one of the companys great strengths is that it has also concentrated on developing its own gaming software rather than relying on third party providers. Its poker division also maintains a very high profile by sponsoring tournaments as well as having a number of brand ambassadors including some of the worlds most famous and successful players.

Looking ahead

Some Notable Tech Improvements to Online Casinos in Recent Years

As already mentioned, the industry as a whole is projected to grow at a very impressive rate over the next few years and beyond and there are a number of factors that support this prediction. More and more countries are now looking at revising legislation which, at present, may not even acknowledge or take into account online gambling. In light of the potential for huge tax revenues it could raise, many are set to look favourably on it.

There are also some exciting technological advancements on the way that are set to boost the whole industry, and these range from Virtual Reality to Artificial Intelligence. Together, they promise to make the player experience even more immersive and personalised.

The third factor is that people are always looking for more or different ways to use their leisure time and there is a definite drive within the industry to align online gambling with activities like watching TV or going to the movies. So, the outlook is undoubtedly bright for online gambling and its sure to continue to be so for many years to come.

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The state of the online gambling industry - UKTN

Liverpool is famous for many things, from The Beatles to their football teams, the River Mersey and the part its portplayed in the Industrial Revolution. The people of Liverpool are also known to have a good idea of how to enjoy themselves and, as well as having a lively nightlife scene,there is also a long history of gambling in Liverpool.

The earliest types of gambling in the UK started towards the end of the 15th century, and there was a big difference between how the rich andthe poor gambled. The rich would bet on horses, chess, and card games, whilst the poor would play dice-based wager games.

Liverpools famous Aintree Racecourse hosts the Grand National and has been opensince 1839. In these days, horses would jump over a stone wallbefore safer modern-day hedged fenceswere introduced. The Grand National has firmly become the worlds most famous horse racing event and over 300 million was staked in 2019.The oldest racecourse in England is just down the road from Liverpool;Chester Racecourse, at which races started in 1539.

The history of the Football Pools surprisingly links the city of Liverpool with bitter football rivals Manchester United. John Moores (who has a university named after him) was founder of Littlewoods and was instrumental in the emergence of the Football Pools. The first office for the Football Pools was set up in Liverpool, but the coupons were first distributed outside Old Trafford in 1923. It was many years before it really took off but before the National Lottery started up, many households would spend Saturdays afternoons watching theTVat full-time to check the Pools results to see if they had won big.

Whilst casinos were not officially legal in the UK until the 1960s, there were several private members-only gaming clubs across the UKprior to this. The oldest casinos in Liverpool include Mint Casino on Renshaw Street and Liverpool Counting House. Its venues like this that have inspired the UKs love of gambling, so much so, that people can nowplay roulette online with Paddy Power, for example, and also access thousands of online slots. Roulette is one of the easier games to start playing as a beginner, either off or online, along with classic cardgames like blackjack.

The city of Liverpool is home to both Liverpool FC and Everton FC, two major sports clubs.Liverpool FC has a huge global following, which has a big impact on the amount of money that is bet on the games they play. Liverpool won the Champions League in 2019 and,according to Forbes, Liverpool are now the 8th most valuable soccer teamin the world, valuedat $2.183 billion in 2019. Football is the most followed sport in Liverpool, whilst the Royal Liverpool Golf Course regularly hosts the Open, and, as previously mentioned, the Grand National takes place each year attracting huge TV audiences and live spectators.

Liverpool has been integral in the development of the gambling industry throughout history, and is sure to be just as important in the future.

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History of Gambling in Liverpool - Click Liverpool

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GAN plc (GAN or the Company), an award-winning developer and supplier of enterprise-level B2B Internet gambling software, services and online gaming content in the United States, today provides more information on the previously confirmed closure of certain market access arrangements with the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians (Tribe) in the State of Michigan, following the December 23, 2019, passage into Michigan law HB 4311, a bill that includes provisions for the legalization of full real money Internet casino gaming in the State of Michigan as well as Internet sports betting.

In Michigan, GAN will be providing its technology Platform together with certain operational services to both the Tribes five land-based Kewadin casino properties and an existing major U.S. casino operator client of GAN (Client) that has requested anonymity pending certain regulatory approvals.

With a population of 10.0 million (3.1% of the U.S. population), the Michigan Internet gambling market is forecast to generate $377 million in Gross Operator Revenue in the first 12 months of operations, increasing to $836 million in the fourth operating year (source: Regulus Partners, an International gambling consultancy).

Due to the extent of the Clients substantial assets, this Clients Internet gambling business is currently anticipated to be a significant contributor to GANs full year revenues in 2021.

Management Commentary

Jeff Berman, Chief Commercial Officer of GAN, commented:

Michigan has long represented an attractive market with both Internet sports and Internet casino gaming now regulated. Our technical expertise and day one experience in multiple U.S. Internet gambling markets will enable the Sault Tribe to capture their share of the online opportunity and we thank them for their trust in forming this relationship with GAN and our major U.S. casino operator client whose identity will be confirmed in due course. We are incredibly excited to bring real money Internet gambling to Michigan, which remains at the core of our mission, strategy and purpose in the United States.

Allen Kerridge, CEO of Kewadin Gaming Authority, commented:

The Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians is excited to take this important step with GAN and our mutual partner to bring both retail sports to our consumers at our five casino locations in short course, in addition to Internet gaming casino on day-one when first allowed by the State of Michigan. We chose GAN and our mutual partner based on their market-leading technology and combined substantial experience serving gaming clients both online and offline.

About GAN Plc

GAN is a leading business-to-business (B2B) supplier of internet gambling software-as-a-service solutions (SaaS) to the US land-based casino industry. The Company has developed a proprietary internet gambling enterprise software system, GameSTACK, which it licenses principally to land-based US casino operators as a turnkey technology solution for regulated real-money internet gambling, encompassing internet gaming, internet sports gaming and virtual Simulated Gaming.

GAN is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: GAN).

For more information please visit http://www.GAN.com.

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GAN Confirms Internet Gambling in the State of Michigan - Business Wire

Among the backdrop of a global pandemic and the uncertainty currently plaguing the casino industry, there are a few bright spots to be had. Yes, a majority of casino properties across the US have shut down for a minimum of two weeks, all professional and collegiate sports are on hiatus, and social distancing is being fed to the masses.

But you have read enough of that. To break up the bad headlines, here are some slivers of good news to enjoy:

Over the years, there have been some truly dark moments in the casino business. With most casinos closed nationwide, we are perhaps currently witnessing the darkest. But there are also moments where the industry puts its best foot forward.

Just look at the two historical cities known for gambling: Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Some of the big-name casino operators have decided to continue to pay employees and help ease the financial burden associated with properties shutting down.

Wynn Resorts started first, and it seems it is going above and beyond most other casino companies. Wynn is paying both full- and part-time employees plus paying estimated tips for 30days.

Caesars Entertainment is offering two weeks pay to all employees across its vast network of properties around the US. Eldorado Resorts (which Caesars is currently merging with) also announced it would compensate all employees with its standard rate of pay for two weeks.

MGM Resorts International is paying furloughed employees (part-time and full-time) for two weeks, with benefits through June 30.

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spaand Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City are more properties that are extending pay and benefits for a few weeks to aid their employees.

This is just a small glimpse of how casinos in various states are helping their workers in an industry that employs thousands of people.

Research by the American Gaming Association (AGA), says property closures will directly impact 644,000 casino and resort employees or 98% of the total US casino workforce.

Casinos have no playbook to reference, and no industry standards to fall back on. One day they are operating and the next, ordered to close. Its good to know some companies are taking the necessary steps to ensure their employees are taken care of in a time of crisis.

Despite the complete shutdown of the Las Vegas Strip, casual and expert bettors can continue to use Nevada online and mobile sports betting apps. (There was confusion for a while regarding whether they would remain if the physical casino component closed.)

Although the betting menu may be limited, some people may find it comforting to know a finite amount of odd, and diverse sports are still chugging away.

Unfortunately, there is a caveat to this. In Nevada, you must register for an online account in person. With properties closed, this means no new customers can sign up. NV sportsbooks also require that you fund your account in person. So, if you find yourself on a string of bad bets, and hit that zero balance mark, youre out of luck.

William Hill, however, announced updates to its app, allowing for electronic deposits. Whether other sports betting operators follow this path is yet to be known.

It may be the last good month for sports betting for a while, but damn was it a great high point. Pennsylvania operators reeled in a whopping $10.8 million in revenue off of $329.8 million in bets.

Neighboring New Jersey saw similar results with sportsbooks generating $17 million in revenue off of $494.8 million in bets. The percentage of bets placed online (88.2%) was also up from January and accounted for $436.5 million in bets.

These numbers will before forever linked to pre-quarantined times, and while the numbers may not directly affect you, the consumer, they are a bright spot as the sports betting industry goes more and more mainstream.

In the fall, Maryland residents will have the chance to vote on if sports betting should be legalized. The issue will be placed on the Novemberballot and, if approved, will give the legislature the go-ahead to craft suitable legislation.

One of the key issues holding back a full-blown sports betting bill was the lack of representation of women and minority-owned businesses. The issue directly mirrors what happened in neighboring Washington, DC. Instead of sports betting licenses only being held by major companies, bars and restaurants (some of which are owned by women and minorities) can apply for a Class B license to operate sportsbooks.

Regardless of when sports betting comes to Maryland, the issue is being discussed and moving in the right direction.

Lastly, Virginia sports betting is a governors signature away from becoming a reality. While the bill is limited and includes no betting on colleges in Virginia and no prop bets on any college sports at all, it does represent bipartisanship and brings sports betting to the Commonwealth.

Not all sports betting bills are perfect. Some bills restrict who can and cant operate a sportsbook. Others limit the types of wagers you can place, provide no responsible gaming protection or limit betting to retail only.

The common thread, however, is providing customers a legal and safe way to bet on sports. And in doing so, slowly chipping away at the illegal market.

The gaming industry may be in crisis mode right now. But in time, slot machines will be plugged back in. People will hover around a craps table once more. Sportsbooks will switch on TV screens. Casino resorts will welcome back employees and guests.

We will usher in the post-COVID-19 gaming world, but we must remain optimistic that that day will come sooner rather than later.

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5 Pieces Of Good Gambling News To Read Right Now - PlayUSA

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IDnow, a leading provider of Identity Verification-as-a-Service solutions with over 250 customers in Europe, has received official certification from TV IT for the operation of identification solutions via teleworking. This marks an important milestone for the industry to be able to operate and expand the necessary customer identification for banking and business processes even under exceptional circumstances.

The independent testing institute TV IT has certified the IDnow security concept for the operation of video identification and Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) via remote working. The certification proves that the security measures carried out by IDnow in remote working achieve an equivalent security level as in the certified high-security IDnow Ident Centers. In consideration of the Corona (COVID-19) pandemic, this certification is now of particular importance, as it allows IDnows identification solutions for high-security processes to be used unchanged and further expanded even under the current circumstances.

It is very important to us to be able to provide our customers with a reliable service at all times especially in the current situation. With our certified concept, we are equipped to continue to offer our employees a safe working environment and to provide our service in a fail-safe manner. We can activate these measures at any time, says Andreas Bodczek, CEO of IDnow. Right now, we see an increased demand for remote identification as well as an increase in online credit transactions. We are proud that with our products we can make a contribution to ensuring smooth business and banking processes even in times of social distancing and that we can meet this demand of society, he adds.

In addition to this remote working concept, IDnow is particularly fail-safe in comparison to the rest of the industry, with a diversification to eleven geographically distributed ID centre locations. The sites are located in various cities across Germany and Europe. A software specially developed for this purpose distributes incoming identification requests simultaneously to all ID centres. In this way, a disruption of one identification centre location can be compensated by other locations without delay.

Over the past few years, we have invested heavily in the resilience and security of our technology and infrastructure. This is now paying off especially well for our customers. In the last few days we have received a significantly increased number of enquiries from major customers interested in our service as a highly secure identification solution, says Armin Bauer, co-founder and CTO of IDnow.

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Belgium National Lottery Introduces Changes to its Lottery and Gambling Rules - European Gaming Industry News