GVC Holdings

The gaming and sports betting organisation has strengthened its operational management team, with Gabriele Griesbacher joining as group as director of payments and Colin Cole-Johnson taking up the role of gaming product director.

With both set to join next month, Cole-Johnson is to be responsible for GVC’s casino, live and bingo products, as Griesbacher gets set to lead all aspects of payments across the group, covering commercial, product and compliance.

Shay Segev, chief operating officer of GVC, commented: “We are delighted to have Gabriele and Colin joining us. Both have huge expertise in their respective areas and will further strengthen the Group’s leadership team.

“Gabriele will spearhead our ever-increasing focus on compliance, ensuring we maintain a player-safety-first approach in everything we do, while Colin will drive our gaming product forward, bringing his unparalleled industry experience and gaming expertise.”

Canterbury Park

Striving to evolve into a diverse gaming, entertainment, and real estate development company, Canterbury Park has unveiled a plethora of leadership changes.

Alongside Maureen Bausch and John Himle being added to the firm’s board of directors, Randy Sampson, Canterbury Park’s president and CEO, has also been appointed executive chairman of the board.

Furthermore Carin Offerman, current chair of the compensation and nominating committees, has been appointed the company’s lead director.

In connection with the latter two positional changes, Curtis Sampson and Dale Schenian have retired as chair and vice chair, assuming the new titles of chairman emeritus and vice chairman emeritus respectively.

Randy Sampson commented: “As Canterbury Park continues to evolve from a racetrack into a diverse gaming, entertainment, and real estate development company, the board recognised that it was important to add members that would bring additional skill sets and business backgrounds to the company.”

Push Gaming

The games development studio has recruited former LeoVegas had of finance Roderick Falzon, who joins Push Gaming as finance director.

In the role Falzon will be responsible for managing the Malta-based developer’s finances, including building the finance team, financial reporting and working with the management team to drive growth.

James Marshall, CEO of Push Gaming, commented: “We’re very pleased to bring Roderick and his experience into our team. We’re investing further into our Malta operations and expanding our teams in London and the Ukraine, Roderick will be pivotal in continuing to structure and support our growth.”

Raketech

Andreas Kovacs has been appointed as director of business development at Raketech, clearing the way for Måns Svalborn to join the online affiliate and content marketing company as chief financial officer.

Initially working alongside his predecessor to ensure a smooth transition, Svalborn is to focus on the execution of a growth strategy that recently saw the acquisition of Casumba Media, marking the company’s establishment of operations in the Japanese market

”I am very happy to welcome Måns Svalborn as our new CFO. Måns is a highly skilled finance professional with relevant experience across reporting, accounting and audit which will be valuable in the continued development of our finance department,” Michael Holmberg, CEO at Raketech, said of the appointment. 

“All in all, with Måns as new CFO and Andreas as director of business development, I am confident that we are in a great position to continue building long-term shareholder value.”

The post Part 5 | On the move: Recruitment round-up appeared first on CasinoBeats.

37 million

GVC Holdings says the UK government’s imminent four-week national lockdown will cost the FTSE100 company an estimated £37m. 

England’s retail closure will cost the FTSE betting group a reported £27m, while the closure of its Eurobet Italia and Ladbrokes BE subsidiaries will cost £10m.

However, should the governments of Wales and Scotland replicate lockdown enforcements, a full UK retail closure would cost the company £34m – leading to combined UK and European retail losses of £43m.

66 

MGM Resorts International recorded net revenues of $1.1bn in the three months to September 30, a 66 per cent drop against the same period in 2019. The hardest hit properties were in Las Vegas and Macau, where flagship resorts were only partially open during the period and, even then, with footfall significantly down due to social distancing measures.

Net revenues for MGM China were down a whopping 94 per cent year on year, to $47m while Vegas revenues dropped 68 per cent against Q3 2019, to $481m. However, CEO Bill Hornbuckle founds grounds for optimism in both MGM’s resilience during the pandemic and also the ongoing success of the BetMGM joint venture with GVC Holdings.

1.25 million

Las Vegas’ Circa Resort and Casino, the first Vegas resort-casino built from the ground up in four decades, has officially opened.

The 1.25 million square-foot, adults-only property is lauded as paying homage to Vegas’ ‘Golden Era’ through vintage design, ‘old-school hospitality’ and nods to the city’s history while also laying claim to ‘high-tech advancements and cutting-edge amenities’.

Conceived by developer and CEO Derek Stevens, Circa’s opening marks a series of firsts and achievements for Las Vegas:

48

NatWest has introduced a gambling block on debit cards, giving customers the option to trigger a 48-hour cooling off period via their mobile banking app. Any transactions attempted during that time will be declined, with the block remaining in place indefinitely unless a customer chooses to remove it, in which case it can only be disabled after the
48-hour period.

Anna Hemmings, CEO of GamCare, praised the move. “The ability to block gambling transactions through your bank card or app is an important tool for those struggling with their gambling, and is ideally used together with other practical tools such as self-exclusion, blocking software, and specialist support around the issue,” she said.

“GamCare is pleased to see NatWest take this positive step to support their customers and we hope more of the financial sector follows suit.”

52

Zamba.co, the Colombian online gaming brand from Gaming1 is offering players in the country a wide range of games from Evolution Gaming, the first time live casino has been available in Colombia.

Zamba is now able to offer Colombian players 52 games from the Evolution catalogue, including roulette, blackjack, baccarat, poker, and the studio’s signature gameshows.

“I am incredibly proud of the outstanding agility demonstrated by our world-class teams and am of course delighted that we are the first operator to offer the market live casino,” noted Sylvain Boniver, COO & co-founder of Gaming1.

The post MGM Resorts, GVC, NatWest and Circa: <br> The week in numbers appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The allegations of the former CEO and Chairman GVC Holdings (formerly Entain Plc) centre on the ‘misuse of private information’, according to the information currently available in the court filing referencing ‘Part-53 of the Media and Communications Claims’.  

Representing Alexander and Feldman, the legal challenge has been filed by London law firm Slateford. Whilst it is unclear exactly what the allegations relate to, volatility between the two parties isn’t unfamiliar. 

FS Gaming, the investment vehicle spearheaded by Alexander, was in pursuit of 888 Holdings (now Evoke Plc) leadership last year,  as it took a 6.5 per cent stake in the operator. However, the ambitious acquisition attempts triggered an investigation from the UKGC, which raised concerns over an investigation that was ongoing at the time into a historic bribery case involving Entain and its former Headlong subsidiary in Turkey. 

It led to 888 raising fears over the efforts of Alexander as he sought to increase his shares in 888 and become the firm’s CEO, alongside Feldman who was touted as potential chairman had their acquisition plans come to fruition. 

Following the request for clarification from FS Gaming, which 888 said yielded “the most basic assurances,” the UKGC subsequently decided that it needs to commence a review of the group’s operating licences.

This was deemed appropriate given the aforementioned investment and proposal, with a range of outcomes possible in a licence review that 888 assured it would “cooperate fully with”.

Subsequently, 888’s board unanimously opted to terminate discussions in light of this review, the publicly-available information and that prospective appointments “have no reasonable prospect of being approved”. 

A few months following Alexander’s bid for 888 disintegrating, Entain agreed a £585m settlement with the Crown Prosecution Service after being subject to a bribery investigation, leading to the FTSE100 gambling group booking corporate losses of £900m on 2023 accounts. 

The case stemmed from its previous Turkish business, which it sold in 2017. The owner of Ladbrokes and Coral will pay the settlement to HMRC. 

Chairman Barry Gibson commented at the time of the settlement: “This legacy issue pertains to a business divested by a past management team six years prior. The company has undergone significant changes since then, and the DPA process has underscored the profound evolution from the GVC of the past to today’s Entain. 

“We remain focused on advancing our operations exclusively within regulated markets and are acknowledged as a leading, responsible entity with unparalleled corporate governance across our business.”

Since then however, it was reported only last month by the Financial Times that the Crown Prosecution Service is edging towards a decision on charging individuals, even reportedly inviting those allegedly involved to enter plea deals over the case. At this stage, exactly which individuals are under investigation is not known. 

SBC has reached out to Slateford Law to provide further information on the Feldman and Alexander dispute against the Gambling Commission.

The post Former GVC chiefs begin legal action against UKGC  appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Terms of the settlement were signed off by Dame Victoria Sharp, President of the King’s Bench Division at the Royal Courts of Justice at the Crown Court of Southwark.

HMRC had investigated GVC Holdings, the former entity of Entain PLC, for breaching the Bribery Act 2010. The DPA addresses allegations of failing to have adequate procedures to prevent bribery, particularly in its Turkish-facing business, which was sold in 2017.

As stated by the firm, a £585m settlement with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has been agreed. The owner of Ladbrokes and Coral will pay the settlement to HMRC. 

Entain emphasised that it has since transformed as a company and it is a legacy issue as the illegal activity occurred prior to its 2020 rebrand when it traded as GVC Holdings. 

Chairman Barry Gibson commented: “This legacy issue pertains to a business divested by a past management team six years prior. The company has undergone significant changes since then, and the DPA process has underscored the profound evolution from the GVC of the past to today’s Entain. 

“We remain focused on advancing our operations exclusively within regulated markets and are acknowledged as a leading, responsible entity with unparalleled corporate governance across our business.”

The post Entain final HMRC settlement confirmed  appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Delivering a fresh corporate identity is designed to reflect the group’s ambition to be the world-leader in sports betting and gaming entertainment, and is subject to shareholder approval. The new identity intends to represent a new chapter for the organisation under a re-energised management team.

Shay Segev, GVC’s CEO, explained: “Today marks an exciting new chapter for the group, and an important step forward in achieving our ambition of being the world leader in sports betting and gaming.

“Under our new corporate identity, we will continue to use our unique technology platform to build on the exceptionally strong momentum that we have in our existing markets, grow into new markets, reach new audiences, enhance the customer experience, and provide industry-leading levels of player protection.

“We are absolutely committed to pursuing the highest standards of corporate governance, to providing outstanding career development opportunities for our colleagues, and to supporting the communities in which we operate. Our clear strategy of prioritising sustainability and growth will allow us to achieve these goals, thereby providing long-term value for all of our stakeholders.”

Furthermore, the firm has also unveiled a renewed commitment to sustainability and growth, as it strives to abide by the mantra that “the most sustainable business in our industry will be the most successful”.

Outlining a strategic focus upon its new Sustainability Charter, the group is focused upon five cornerstones of delivering an exclusive focus on regulated markets, continuing to take the lead on responsible gambling, embedding responsible gambling into remuneration, pursuing the highest standards of corporate governance, and investing in people and local communities.

Aiming to reduce EBITDA in 2021 by approximately $40m, the Entain Foundation is to also launch with a commitment of donating £100m over the next five years, including a new Pitching In programme that supports grassroots sports.

Moreover, the company has also outlined four strategic imperatives of leadership in the US, growth across core markets, enter new markets and expand to new audiences and to increase scale over the next three to five years.

The post GVC documents unregulated market withdrawal amid Entain rebrand appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Heading up the development of the new studio is experienced industry professional Joey Hurtado, who joined the Pariplay team in September 2021.

Before that, he spent two years as Head of Product Operations at Gamesys, while his decade of industry service also includes time at 888 Holdings, Unibet Group, GVC and Betsson, where he was managing director of operator brands including Casino Euro, Norges Automaten and Suomiarvat.

CasinoBeats spoke to Hurtado about how sitting on the operator side of the table will help him to hone Wizard Games’ value propositions and its vision for the future. 

CasinoBeats: During your time working in the industry, what are the major changes you have seen in the igaming industry? 

Joey Hurtado: The industry is constantly changing which is a big part of what makes it such a fun and interesting place to work. Over the last few years, the one major change has been regulation. 

This is a challenge for operators and studios alike with requirements on features and functionality as well as the introduction of gaming taxes forcing us to take a new approach to both game design and commercial strategies. 

All these changes present several challenges, but also a lot of opportunity for those willing and able to adapt to them and evolve, something I believe we are well positioned to do at Wizard Games.

CB: What challenges do you think gaming studios have to overcome today to be successful in the years to come?

JH: As regulation evolves and increases, we see a lot of different requirements and restrictions on certain game elements. The flexibility and agility to be able to develop in a way that can accommodate multiple regulatory models without having to create bespoke versions for every market is critical. 

In addition, taxation has squeezed margins for operators which have had a knock-on effect on pricing. To maintain profitability, we have to be more innovative and creative in the way we build games as well as invest in value-adding features such as our engagement features and more recently our ‘buy bet’ solution.

CB: You have, up until recently, worked on the operator side. What are the most valuable lessons that you will now apply as the managing director of Wizard Games?

JH: Having been on the other side of the table, I understand first-hand the competitiveness of the slots market and the sheer amount of content available to operators. This puts pressure on studios to create better games but also to push the boundaries in terms of innovation, the commercial side of things, and service. 

The operators own their players, and it is critical we understand this and cater to their needs and requirements in our roadmaps whilst leaving space and freedom to try new things and be creative.

CB: What is your vision for the future of Wizard Games?

JH: I want to see Wizard Games take a seat at the top table with other tier one studios. We have already done a lot of groundwork with our platform, features and distribution so now it’s time to elevate our content and portfolio to not just keep up with industry trends but to be the one setting them.

CB: Okay, so what is the major value proposition Wizard Games has for its partners?

JH: We are a service focused business. We rely on our partners to push out and promote our content to their players and we aim to ensure there is no better provider to work with than Wizard Games. We work closely with all our partners and find solutions to their problems and try to create a service style bespoke to them and their players rather than a one size fits all approach.

CB: Why rebrand? What is it about the new brand that reflects where the studio is going towards?

JH: Despite already having a portfolio of over 100 games and an existing presence in the industry, we felt that it was time to give our studios their own identity, independent of the Pariplay brand. We really wanted to create a tier one business outside of Pariplay’s already established and successful aggregation and distribution platform.

CB: And what is Wizard Games keeping from its former experience as Pariplay games and what is being changed/improved?

JH: As much as we value our new independence, we would be mad to ignore the highly talented teams and amazing platform that Pariplay has. Whilst the games studio has rebranded and we are investing in new talent and leadership, we will still be working closely with teams at Pariplay and using their state-of-the-art of aggregation, engagement and service elements to support Wizard Games.

CB: From the operator perspective, what will the period of change look like?

JH: The transition will be seamless. We were conscious that our operator partners should not be affected by the changes we’re making. In the mid to long term, they can look forward to a host of new content, development of features and a renewed focus on our commercial partnerships, supporting them in helping their players experience the magic. 

CB: Are there any new products ahead to surprise the industry? 

JH: Most definitely, but if I told you, they wouldn’t be a surprise.

CB: And finally, what can you share about your plans for the studio in 2022?
JH: In simple terms, our 2022 plan is to continually improve. We would like each game to be better than the last, and we also want to introduce new and exciting firsts for us which we hope to share further down the line.

The post You’re a Wizard, Joey: Meet the man leading Pariplay’s rebranded games studio appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The mostly asynchronous classes, which will launch during the first and second quarters of 2021, will be created and taught by instructors with decades of professional gaming and teaching experience.

“UNLV Boyd is located in the international capital of gaming and we are delighted to create this program open to all,” said Daniel Hamilton, dean of the UNLV William S Boyd School of Law.

“Thanks to a gift from the GVC Foundation, gaming professionals around the globe can learn from those who are engaged in cutting-edge research on gaming and regulation.”

The online courses will consist of eight classes designed to prepare professionals to meet the regulatory and operational challenges facing the gaming industry. The program intends to complement UNLV Boyd’s existing gaming curriculum.

The initial courses to be offered include Introduction to Gaming Law and Regulation, Introduction to Gaming Operations, The Legal and Operational Environment for Sports Betting, Player Accountability and CorporateSocial Responsibility in Gaming Law, and Public Policy and Comparative Study of Gaming Laws and Regulations.

“The online courses announced by the UNLV William S Boyd School of law represent another significant step in the law school’s and industry leaders’ ongoing campaign to prepare professionals to navigate the evolving complexities of the US gaming markets,” explained Martin Lycka, trustee of the GVC foundation US. 

“The GVC Foundation US is proud to sponsor this innovative, online program that closely aligns with our Foundation’s focus on responsible gambling, sports integrity and compliance.”

The post UNLV to launch gaming and regulatory courses after $256,000 GVC donation appeared first on CasinoBeats.

On Wednesday night, the FTSE100 firm won the Social Responsibility Sportsbook of the Year award at the SBC Awards, where it announced the launch of its ARC programme. 

Segev disclosed that the ARC programme utilises proprietary-built safer gambling technologies to enhance player protection through additional checks along with improving monitoring and interventions.

Speaking to SBC’s managing director Andrew McCarron, the Entain CEO explained that as part of the company’s ARC sustainability pillars, responsibility was a core focus.

He noted: “We are in a unique position that we’re one of the only operators who control the full technology, we provide the full technology and all the touch points that we have between ourselves and our customers.

“Clearly we can take this thing into a better customer experience in terms of providing better content to our customers. But we also have the opportunity to use this data to make a more safer journey as well, and this is exactly what ARC is all about; advance responsibility and care. 

“What we’re trying to do is to develop algorithms that will tell us the probability of players who have harmful behaviour on our products. If we have that, we can intervene and engage with that player to make sure they’re setting the right controls – and in extreme cases, we set the controls for them as well.

“We got two professors onboard to help us on this. People who have quite a lot of experience… This is a clear priority for us. The reason for that is because we believe that we need to build this industry to become a long term, sustainable industry.”

Earlier this week, Entain announced its rebrand after being backed by 99.9 per cent of company shareholders who signed off on the ‘new corporate charter’ which proposes a series of new, long-term, sustainability objectives.

When asked how Entain’s ARC programme can balance its social responsibility with its global growth strategy, Segev noted that it’s very simple: “I don’t see these things as a conflict at all. For us, building value for our shareholders and building this industry for the long-term doesn’t mean we have to maximise every penny in the short-term, it means we need to maximise our potential in the long term. 

“For us, it is a priority to be able to identify problem gamblers and protect them from harm. One thing we have been very clear on is introducing a bold strategy for all of our employees and stakeholders.

“We don’t want to take one penny from people who cannot afford to spend it, because this is not the right thing to do and it’s definitely something that, as an industry, we should not do.

“We should do everything we can to prevent that and I believe this harmful stance is also harmful to our business as well. This is why these two are quite aligned.

“For us, by providing a more fun and safer product and environment, it can enable us to continue to grow our business even further.”

Earlier today, Martin Lycka – Entertain’s senior vice president of US regulatory affairs and responsible gambling – spoke to SBC Noticias about the fast-moving developments for the betting group within the Colombian market. 

Lycka announced that the company expects to launch its Bwin sportsbook property for the Colombian regulated market next month after securing its online gambling licence from the federal regulator Coljuegos.

The post Shay Segev elaborates on Entain’s long-term sustainability ambitions appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Hoskin is a chartered company secretary and has a law degree from the University College London. Prior to joining a group company in 2005, he headed up the Investment Company Secretariat at Aberdeen Asset Management.

Furthermore, Hoskin has been lauded as ‘instrumental to the group’s growth and development’ in that time, overseeing its corporate governance, legal and regulatory requirements across more than 20 countries in five continents.

Barry Gibson, chairman of Entain, said: “As previously stated, Robert has made an outstanding contribution to Entain in his 15 years at the Group. He is responsible for regulation, legal and governance, all of which are central to our long-term growth plans to build a responsible and sustainable business of global scale and world class standards.”

In addition to Hoskin’s appointment, Entain announced the departure of Jane Anscombe as non-executive director, with effect from December 31, 2020.

Anscombe joined the board in June 2017 and has chaired the Remuneration Committee and served on the Nomination, CSR and Audit Committees. Anscombe’s successor as Remuneration Committee chair will be announced in due course.

Speaking on Anscombe’s departure, Gibson commented: “On behalf of the board I would like to thank Jane for her significant contribution and commitment to Entain over the past three years.

“In particular I would like to recognise her hard work and engagement on the company’s remuneration and strategic transition. Entain has become a stronger company and Jane has our thanks for her efforts.”

The post Entain appoints Robert Hoskin to company’s board of directors appeared first on CasinoBeats.

As October rolled around, SBC’s catalogue of virtual event offerings entered full steam ahead, with Betting on Sports Europe Digital and SBC Digital Summit Africa taking centre stage.

The lifting of a licence suspension in the UK, casino grand opening in the US, and European expansion for the soon to be rebranded GVC Holdings all scored well in the CasinoBeats charts.

Feature of the month

At the turn of the month we joined a smattering of global media outlets as Scientific Games’ SG Digital subsidiary hosted MediaFest 2020, which you could be forgiven for thinking was a launch show for SG TV.

The goal was a simple one, to lift the lid on its OpenSports, OpenGaming and OpeniLottery platforms, introduce a handful of new collaborations and offer a variety of key insights in the future trajectory of the betting and gaming ecosystems.

Resembling an in-house news channel, we heard projections of the US’ igaming and sports betting ecosystems, as well as three key collaborations detailed in the former of those, alongside Big Time Gaming, NetEnt, and Hard Rock International.

In the news

Following a licence suspension earlier in the year, Genesis Global was awarded the green-light to resume the operations of its roster of online casino brands within the United Kingdom, after the UK Gambling Commission lifted the suspension of its remote operating licence.

Labelled a “swift licence suspension lift,” the decision enabled Genesis to resume trading with immediate effect, after being hit with the interim suspension in July.

Betsson Group cited relatively small market share and unsustainable changes to regulatory frameworks as prime reasons in announcing a UK business consolidation.

This saw three of the group’s four licences, one of which was under review, handed back to the UKGC, as the firm focused its attention on the Rizk online casino and sports betting brand.

Slightly further afield, GVC Holdings, which was soon to become Entain, purchased Portuguese igaming operator Bet.pt, and also welcomed the introduction of the transitional period tolerance policy in Germany following the agreement from the German federal states on September 10.

In the US, California’s Cache Creek Casino Resort confirmed that a temporary closure that initially commenced on September 20 was the result of an external attack on the property’s computer network.

Called “a major computer systems disruption” in an update, the facility first noted that “due to an unforeseen systems failure” the resort was “unable to operate fully at this time”. It was initially noted that the closure was non-COVID related.

Las Vegas and Phoenix were named as the first locations for the development of the pop culture and video game inspired Atari Hotels; Universal Music Group announced the launch of its UMUSIC Hotels chain, one of the first locations of which will be a $1.2bn casino resort in Biloxi, Mississippi; and the Quapaw Nation’s $350m Saracen Casino Resort hosted its grand opening.

Recommended reading

How important are seasonal titles to igaming portfolios?

Every year we see Halloween slots take centre stage around this time, with provider’s all over the world creating spooky content. But how important are these to portfolios and do players still crave seasonal titles?

CasinoBeats spoke to Andrew Crosby, Relax Gaming director of account management, Markus Antl, Greentube head of sales, Carl Ejlertsson, director of business development at Red Tiger, and Andy Sekula, head of games at Kalamba Games, to get their views.

Melanie Hainzer: This is the beginning of a major movement

Earlier this year Kalamba Games and Wildz collaborated to challenge eight Twitch streamers to win the chance to give input into the design of a new slot title, with the link-up marking the first time that a games supplier had teamed up with a casino to leverage the streaming platform in such a way.

With the slots streaming ecosystem frequented by CasinoBeats on many occasions during the year, we caught up with the operator and eventual winner, CasinoTest24, to delve into future possibilities and the avenues opened up by the competition, which ran between April 27 – May 10.

“We anticipated a successful streaming collaboration with supplier Kalamba Games for this novel competition,” Melanie Hainzer, CMO at Wildz, began by touching upon the initial hopes for the streaming contest.

Video of the month

After a long standing successful football career, Yakubu Ayegbeni discusses the highlights of his time in the sport and his new role as an ambassador for Nigeria with gambling brand Interwetten.

SBC Digital Summit Africa highlights

Blockchain in Africa: Next few years critical in regulatory adoption

“In the next few years you will see regulators in Africa adopt this type of technology.” stated John Kamara, director at Naija Lottery, on the debate of the use of blockchain technology.

During a 40 minute discussion on day two of SBC Digital Summit Africa in a session titled ‘Everything you wanted to know about blockchain gaming but were afraid to ask,’ the panel discussed the uncertainty surrounding what blockchain has to offer and how it actually works in a gaming environment.

Problem gambling: The South Africa approach

The onus on operators regarding a plethora of issues, such as compliance, responsibility and safer gambling, has arguably never been as prevalent, with global lockdowns heightening that attention further still as online sectors boomed throughout 2020.

It could be said that responsible gaming and compliance are at the forefront of the industry in Europe, but how does that translate into the African jurisdictions?

Taking a central focus on South Africa, a four person panel at this week’s SBC Digital Summit Africa, moderated by Andrew Morgan, director of commercial growth and product strategy at Dam Mad Media Limited, delved into what methods are being used to monitor responsible gambling within the country, and looked at how the COVID shutdown impacted the country.

National and state regulators need to harmonise

Ibukun Okeowo, CEO of Gibet, has implored the national and state regulatory committees to seek synergy in an attempt to achieve synchronicity in regulated markets across West Africa.

Speaking on the first day of SBC Digital Summit Africa, Okeowo, participating on the panel ‘The Challenges of West Africa’ highlighted issues within Nigeria and called on both committees to explore a way to harmonise both state and national regulations.

“The bodies in Nigeria are not in sync,” claimed Okeowo. “We have a national lottery commission, we also have the state lottery commission … and they are not in sync. You have to pay for a national lottery licence yet the state is still going to ask you to pay so it’s a bit costly for a new start up to break into the retail market.”

The post October revisited, featuring UKGC, MediaFest, Africa, and igaming seasons appeared first on CasinoBeats.