In a conversation that shifted from the industry’s position some 40 years ago to tackle consistent headaches with regulators and the black market conundrum, Peter Wilson, CEO of PWL Legal, set the scene by touching upon these aforementioned issues, and the increasing frequency of which they are seemingly hitting the headlines.

In an opening monologue, he began by touching upon the less than perfect relationship that the industry has with various stakeholders, be it regulators, politicians, the general public and/or the press.

This, he continued, is evidenced by a continued spate of financial fall-out that recently saw a record £19.2m penalty issued to William Hill for a lengthy list of social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures.

“They’re not a bad guy,” Wilson commented. “They are one of a whole number of leading gambling operators, we’re not talking about fly by night operators, we’re talking about people with very comprehensive management, very comprehensive departments dealing with every aspect of their centre. 

“And yet still, they’re falling foul of the regulator. Why is this? Something’s going wrong.”

“…the biggest issue that we find is the companies who keep to the regulations are the ones who get controlled”

Colin Stewart, CEO of Palasino Malta

This is far from simply being an isolated case, with the 888 owned entity representing one of a number of punishments handed out by the UK Gambling Commission this year alone.

Earlier this week SkillOnNet made a £305,150 payment in lieu of a financial penalty, with other action taken against 10bet (£620,000), Intouch Games (£6.1m, a third action taken in four years) TonyBet (£442,75) and Vivaro (£337,631) and Kindred Group’s Unibet and 32Red brands (a combined £7.1m).

This isn’t solely a UK-based issue though, with the Dutch gaming authority, Kansspelautoriteit being on something of a regulatory rampage itself after issuing a slew of sanctions.

And so the scene was set, and Wilson, alongside a panel of industry experts, were tasked with looking at what’s going wrong, as well as what needs to be tried to help put it right and improve in the future.

Reflecting on a four decades long relationship with the industry, Colin Stewart, CEO of Palasino Malta, referenced a theoretical pedestal adorned by the UK in the eyes of Eastern Europe, which had viewed the region as a benchmark regarding regulation and business development.

However, following admiring glances being cast backwards to an industry that was once viewed as high class, as well as the role of technology as a primary driver in progression, all roads inevitably led towards the black market.

“the black market has not really been tackled, and that’s a perceived unfairness with the way regulators operate”

Peter Wilson, CEO of PWL Legal

After being quizzed on if regulation interferes with businesses in such a way that it could be viewed as a potential hurdle. Stewart continued.

“Not quite sure,” he began. “But obviously, regulation is required. Again, the biggest issue that we find is the companies who keep to the regulations are the ones who get controlled. 

“When you’ve got the black market and the other operators, they’re not interested in that, they don’t want to go and check out that everything they’re doing is okay etcetera, they forget about.”

Maintaining this trend, Wilson noted complications and significant costs required to enforce against the black market, with it “much easier” to penalise those licensed entities regarding which regulators already possess all required data.

“We’ve identified one of the first issues here, which is, yes, we have more increased regulation and that makes it more expensive to run a business now,” he elaborated.

“However, the black market has not really been tackled, and that’s a perceived unfairness with the way regulators operate. And I think that goes across the board in every jurisdiction.”

To this point, Alexander Martin, CEO of SKS365, pointed to potential customer confusion regarding the legality, or vice versa, of specific operators upon being faced with consistent regulatory changes.

“You’ve got limitations when you are operating under the licence you’re going for … but there are limitations that you need to adhere to”

Sarah Stellini, CEO of Hero Gaming

This, in turn, led to thoughts of how best to encourage a player base to solely utilise licensed entities, with a teaser posed regarding a quality mark and other ways to give credit for being well regulated.

For Sarah Stellini, CEO of Hero Gaming, this is a resounding yes, with it also raised that online could learn a thing or two from its land-based counterparts in showing customers the key differences between white and black operations. 

“Because, of course, it’s not easy,” she said. “You’ve got limitations when you are operating under the licence you’re going for, of course, but there are limitations that you need to adhere to.” 

Should it be deemed that regulators do not possess the necessary resources to attempt to lesson, or stamp out, those bad actors, Stellini noted that tools and solutions are required to ensure legalised entities can thrive.

“And it could be as simple as having a Trustpilot winner or you know, any other thing that can give us the safety to play into the casino,” she added.

“Otherwise, it’s not a level playing field and we’re not enticing. So I think yes, to answer your question. Definitely.”

“The issue we’ve got at the moment is [that] it’s their way or highway”

Colin Stewart, CEO of Palasino Malta

After a light was temporarily shone on the role of industry bodies, regarding which Carlo di Maio highlighted that there’s too many and conflicts of interest occur concerning the sponsors they posses and agenda subsequently pushed, attention turned to the difficulty of communicating on a regulatory level.

“I think, from my experience, and the experience that we’re going through at the moment … it’s actually getting a regulator to sit down at the table and listen to you. The issue we’ve got at the moment is [that] it’s their way or highway,” Stewart continued.

To complement this, a potential lack of industry experience and knowledge was touched upon, with Stewart suggesting that some with regulatory responsibilities “have no idea what a casinos about, they’ve never been in one that never worked in one, so how can they sit down and make rules.” 

He ended: “If the regulator is not willing to sit down and discuss and work with you, you know, it’s like Canute sitting there in front of the waves and asking them to stop coming through.”

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This reorganisation of the company’s management is said to have followed an internal examination of how to best heighten focus on core markets and the consumer experience, which itself followed the divestment of Swedish B2C assets. 

In working through the firm’s strategic and structure, Hero Gaming noted that this led to the company’s management team making this decision in a bid to achieve a more streamlined group as well as raging focus on current activities.

Georg Westin, Founder, and Chair of the Board, said: “I have just as much faith in Hero Gaming as ever and with the great people, technology and brands, we have a thriving future. Sarah has the energy to form the new organisation and she will be a great CEO.”

Stellini, who joined the company as Commercial Director of All Markets in April 2022, bring more than 13 years of experience in digital entertainment industry and will be charged with leading Hero Gaming into its next phase.

“We regret to see some of our heroes moving on and we’re thankful for their work and contributions to the company’s journey so far,” she commented. 

“However, the re-organisation in itself was a much needed process for the company to ensure its long term future and thanks to the hard work of the previous management team, led by Patrick Jonker, the company is now in a better position to react with agility with respect to the core markets which it operates in. 

“The future of Hero Gaming now lies in its core markets with the aim of continuing to deliver the best customer experience and innovative products to its customer base.”

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Kicking off proceedings is an interview with Shelley White who shares her journey into the betting industry and how the Canada-based Responsible Gambling Council is taking the lead in establishing a collaborative approach to safer gambling standards.

The issue’s front cover, meanwhile, goes to Glitnor Group CEO David Flynn who looks back on his time in the online gaming sector, offering up some predictions on where the industry will be in 10 years’ time.

On the North American front, SBC Leaders talks to Yahoo Sports’ Joanna Lambert who unpacks the potential of the New York market. IGT’s President of Sports Betting, Joe Asher, asks if sports betting is the next big opportunity for tribal operators.

Heading to Latin America, Hero Gaming’s Thomas Carvalhaes assesses the as yet unlocked potential of the Brazilian market in advance of hotly anticipated moves to formalise a regulated gambling framework.

The Netherlands has been chosen as the new kid on the block for Leaders’ sports betting segment. As the last few years have shown, it has been a bumpy ride for the Dutch gambling industry. Peter-Paul de Goeij, MD of the Netherlands Online Gambling Association, explains more about the inherent potential in the market but warns it’s not for the faint of heart.

Physical copies of SBC Leaders will hit the newsstands at next week’s SBC CasinoBeats Summit in Malta and the magazine can be viewed online HERE.

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Under the terms of the agreement, the online casino operator will gain the Endorphina igaming suite, which includes titles such as Hell Hot 100, Golden Ox, 2021 Hit Slot, Chance Machine 40, and Cash Tank.

Sven de Waard, Casino Manager at Hero Gaming, commented: “We are excited to launch Endorphina games to our Hero Gaming brands.

“Hero Gaming was founded with the drive to deliver experiences that are innovative and not traditionally seen in the gambling industry, and we believe that Endorphina shares these values and will offer unique gaming experiences to our players. 

“Both organisations have been growing strong these past years, and we look forward to growing together in the years to come.”

This latest collaboration sees Endorphina maintain its 2020 momentum, with commercial alliances already having been detailed alongside FavBet, Sportingtech, and Uniclub thus far during the year.

Furthermore, an array of new market entries have also been disclosed, with Lithuania entry secured via its aforementioned Uniclub collaboration, which was sandwiched between the receipt of certification for Denmark and the Netherlands.

Valeriya Nasypova, Senior Sales Manager at Endorphina, added: “I’m very happy we’re growing and extending our partner’s portfolio with a reputable operator as Hero Gaming.

“Special thanks to Sven de Waard for his professionalism and efficient communication! I believe we will get great results from our new partnership.”

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As part of the deal, Hero Gaming brands Simple Casino and Boom Casino will take on Betby’s products across a range of key emerging markets. 

Sam Brown, Hero Gaming’s chief commercial officer, noted: “Continuing our impressive growth trajectory is a crucial goal for us in the year ahead, and expanding into sportsbook is one way that we can achieve this.

“The inclusion of Betby’s esports and virtual titles adds an entirely new dynamic to our portfolio, and we can’t wait to see how our customers react to these products.”

Moreover, the operator will have access to the sportsbook supplier’s end-to-end, AI-driven solution, with markets on over 900,000 live events a year, along with its Betby.Games range of esports titles. 

Chris Nikolopoulos, chief commercial officer at Betby, added: “We’re delighted to enter this agreement with Hero Gaming, one of the industry’s most exciting operators whose passion for creating great betting experiences is clear to see, and we look forward to rolling out our full solution with them.”

The agreement follows on from several major deals signed by Betby in 2021, as the company looks to further strengthen its strategy and international scope for the next 12 months. 

Notably, the firm entered into an agreement with Groove Gaming towards the end of last year, to leverage the aggregator and platform’s services across igaming verticals in line with its own 2022 strategic goals.

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Under the terms of the enhanced collaboration, the online casino operator will gain access the supplier’s growing portfolio of slot titles via Push Gaming’s Malta Gaming Authority and UK Gambling Commission licensed platform.

This includes titles such as Jammin’ Jars 2, Booty Bay and latest release Fat Drac, which are set to be among the first games available to players on Hero’s roster of online casinos.

The brands that will soon carry Push’s games include Casino Heroes, Boom Casino and Simple Casino.

“We take great pride in having created an environment where innovation and creativity are fostered and our partnership with Push Gaming is an extension on that,” stated Sven de Waard, casino manager at Hero Gaming.

“The titles it supplies us with exemplify the culture we work hard to nurture and having that provision come directly from Push’s platform will hone that further.”

Push Gaming continues to build on the growth momentum gained from 2020’s acquisition of an MGA and UKGC-licensed platform, and is furthering its expansion ambitions across Europe with several new market entries prepared for the coming months

Fiona Hickey, head of sales at Push Gaming, added: “Hero Gaming has provided a leading shop window for our games for some time, but this move is going to be a boost to the streamlined delivery of our content to its players. 

“The team at Hero have been a pleasure to work with over the years and all at Push are delighted to see this continue via our own platform.”

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With both companies running the gaming sites Speedy Casino, Speedybet and Speedyspel, the purchase will see Paf become one of the six largest gaming firms in Sweden. 

“We want to grow in Sweden and we have a determined ambition to be a leading player in the Swedish licensed market,” stated Paf’s CEO, Christer Fahlstedt.

“This acquisition shows that we have faith in the future of the Swedish market and we also have the capacity to acquire the companies that strengthen us.”

Echoing Fahlstedt, Hero Gaming’s CEO, Tomas Bäckman, noted that he sees the deal as a “good win-win strategy”.

He added: “We see the deal as a good win-win strategy, in that now Hero Gaming can focus more on the global market. It feels good that it is Paf who is buying our Swedish business, they have a long-term strategy and they are well-known for their responsible gaming work.”

As part of the deal, the three Speedy gaming sites will implement Paf’s guidelines for responsible gaming. Among other things, Paf’s annual mandatory loss limit of €20,000/SEK 200,000 will be introduced.

“We do not have an interest in taking over the gaming sites unless their customers are largely at a gaming level that we accept,” Fahlstedt added. “But of course, customers will notice that we value responsible gaming very strongly, to the same level of responsible gaming that we have on Paf’s other gaming sites.”

SpeedySpel, SpeedyBet and SpeedyCasino will continue to operate under their current brands in the Swedish market.

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This partnership follows a number of recent collaborations for Lady Luck Games, which now sees its content go live on the Malta Gaming Authority licensed site, along with Boom Casino and SimpleCasino.

“Lady Luck Games is an up-and-coming studio with huge potential. Our mission at Hero Gaming is to be the players Hero wherever we operate,” Sam Brown, Hero Gaming CCO, stated. 

“Hence, adding Luck Lady Games will further extend our diverse, engaging and ever-evolving games offering. 

“We’re excited to see how our players respond to the Lady Luck games, and look forward to a successful partnership over the coming years.”

The agreement will also see the developer make its debut with the brands Casitabi, Casino.me, Purewin and AmuletoBet, as well as NoLimitCasino, which Hero Gaming operates on behalf of Sweetspot NV.

That means players of eight brands will have access to titles including Cuddles Royal, Valhôll – Hall of The Slain, Quartz, Orango Tango and SpinJoy Society.

Mads Jorgensen, Lady Luck Games co-founder and CEO, said he was excited by the opportunities presented by the tie-up: “Hero Gaming has been at the forefront of the new wave of online casino for over a decade now and it is a coup for us to have landed a deal to supply them with our content. 

“Their scale and reach will allow us to showcase our products to an even larger player base across Scandinavia and beyond.”

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Spanning both Black History Month and International Women’s Day, the campaign is designed to raise awareness of how others affect our professional development, and recognise the fact that people do not progress in their careers without the help of someone along the way.

“The idea behind #OpenDoors is simple,” commented Kelly Kehn, co-founder of All-in Diversity Project. “If we really want to progress and be a more diverse and inclusive industry, we need to recognise that we did not get to where we are in our career without the help of someone along the way. 

“By celebrating someone who supported your career, you are also pledging that you are willing to hold the door open for someone else who might need it. Donations to the scholarship fund are a true action where we can hold the door open for the future leaders of our industry.”

Furthermore, the #OpenDoors social media effort will also coincide with the launch of scholarship fund supporting UNLV’s International Gaming Institute’s executive development programme.

With a goal set to be to fund at least two scholarships, thus far the campaign has commitments from corporate sponsors including Penn National Gaming, Hero Gaming, Interactive Gaming Group, Insight Global, Playtech, Pronet Gaming, and Facebook Gaming.

Individuals as well as businesses are invited to contribute to the fund, and any committing over $1000 will be listed as a corporate sponsor.

“The executive development programme is such a wonderful fit and beneficiary for the #OpenDoors campaign,” added Holly Gagnon, distinguished fellow, executive development at UNLV International Gaming Institute and co-moderator of the 2020 EDP Programme. “This is about creating opportunities and better leadership through industry collaboration.”

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The collaboration initially saw Hero Gaming roll out FT CRM across its portfolio of brands, starting with Boom Casino, to streamline its player engagement plan.

Striving to achieve efficient multi-brand management, the alliance came as Hero Gaming sought to automate a larger proportion of their activities to free up the team from manual processes so they could focus more on testing, improvement, and innovation.

Furthermore, the group was also looking to centrally orchestrate all of their engagement channels in a bid to increase operational efficiency.

“We looked at a few different CRM solutions, all very different to each other. Mainly we were looking for a tool which worked as a one-stop shop for everything CRM. In the end we felt Fast Track had done this best,” stated Adam Kamiar, Hero Gaming’s head of retention.

One year on, Hero Gaming asserts that Fast Track is “the foundation” for all the group’s CRM output, with the firm utilised to power player engagement across eight brands.

The operator has more than 1600 automated activities, including lifecycle automations, being run across those entities, and have witnessed a 40 per cent increase in total CRM initiatives, all without additional headcount.

Hero Gaming’s decision to work with Fast Track was largely based on the ability to automate their activities, something it is praised as being “very successful” in doing over the last year. 

Simon Lidzén, CEO and co-founder of Fast Track, added: “I’m very impressed with Hero Gaming’s speed of delivery and their focus as an organisation.

“Their clear understanding of what they want to achieve, alongside their knowledgeable approach, makes them a fantastic partner to work with and it is very rewarding to deliver value for them.”

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