Crucial Compliance

Responsible gaming and AML strategy specialist Crucial Compliance has appointed Nigel Birrell as non-executive chairman, just weeks after Andy Masters joined the board as COO.

Birrell brings a wealth of experience which will support the company’s ongoing strategy for international expansion. It also further bolsters the governance of the business, providing a springboard into new markets.

Paul Foster, managing director at Crucial Compliance, said of the appointment: “We are thrilled to have Nigel join the team. With his unrivalled industry knowledge and experience, we are looking forward to receiving his counsel in helping to shape Crucial’s future for sustainable growth.

“In attracting someone of Nigel’s calibre, we have reiterated our commitment to driving safer gambling and business change through holistic growth strategies.”

OtherLevels

OtherLevels has announced the appointment of Jenny Lu as North American general manager. She joins the firm having built and led teams at the intersection of paid media, acquisition, online casinos, lotteries and sports betting in North America for over a decade.

Prior to joining the company, Lu was director of sales at Optimove where she led the growth of US and Canadian gaming sales. From 2009 to 2018 she was director of account management at Income Access, a Paysafe company, and previously director of client relationships and partnerships at Income Access.

Brendan O’Kane, OtherLevels’ CEO, stated: “We are thrilled to welcome one of the most respected and recognised gaming executives to the OtherLevels team. Jenny brings extensive experience across the online casino, lottery and sports betting sector, and has a tremendous track record in client management, partnering, sales and business development.

“We believe her experience of paid media and acquisition, coupled with her deep knowledge of CRM and related technologies, will accelerate OtherLevels growth across the OtherLevels in-play, open data platform and intelligent messaging solutions.”

Maxima Compliance 

Full-service compliance provider Maxima Compliance has appointed gaming counsel Paola Menachem as its director of regulatory and licensing.

Menachem has more than two decades of legal and regulatory experience within the gaming industry, at the likes of Intralot, the Zeal Group and the solicitors firm Smithfield Partners. At Maxima Compliance, she will lead the regulatory and licensing team.

Antonio Zanghi, Maxima Compliance managing director, said: “Our regulatory and licensing department continues to grow rapidly as more gaming businesses turn to Maxima Compliance to facilitate their entries into new markets, and maintenance in existing ones.

“Welcoming Paola to the team means we are able to continue to scale this part of our operations with one of the industry’s leading experts in the field.”

PlayUp

Online betting entertainment and tech firm PlayUp has appointed Dennis Drazin to its board, where he will work directly with US CEO Dr Laila Mintas. Together they will help drive the USA business and support the company with its global growth strategy.

Drazin is the chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, the operator of Monmouth Park, the largest racetrack in New Jersey. The track made history when it took the first legal sports wager by Governor Phil Murphy on June 14, 2018.

Daniel Simic, global CEO of PlayUp, commented: “Dennis is a well-recognized figure in the USA betting industry and will add enormous experience to our board. I look forward to working with him and Laila as we expand our global footprint.

“Significant progress has been made to introduce fixed-odds horse racing in the USA and what better person to have on our board than the man helping to currently oversee the pilot program.”

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With plenty of movers and shakers around the industry, allow CasinoBeats to give you the rundown on a number of recent manoeuvres.

Kaizen Gaming

The recently re-branded Kaizen Gaming has added to its core management team by welcoming Ioannis Koutrakos as group marketing director, succeeding Chris Tzalavras who is now head of commercial for the Stoiximan brand.

Forming part of the company’s strategic approach to achieving local and international expansion, Koutrakos will be charged with heading-up marketing and communication projects that involve both Stoiximan and Betano brands across all markets.

Panos Constantopoulos, CMO Kaizen Gaming, stated: “We are really excited to welcome Ioannis to Kaizen Gaming family and looking forward to see his wealth of experience incorporated in this key leadership position. I am sure he will thrive in pursuing the company’s great dynamics and values, while developing new, innovative ideas.

“Along with Ioannis, we hope to further enhance our brands’ image across markets. His knowledge and experience in the sector of technology, being in top-tier positions and undertaking big projects, offers great value to our company.”

Paysafe

Payments platform Paysafe has announced the appointment of Jeffry Beene to the position of senior vice president of merchant risk.

Reporting to chief risk officer Richard Swales, and bringing in excess of 25 years leadership experience in risk and payments, primarily in the US market, Beene is to gain overall responsibility for leading Paysafe’s merchant risk function.

In addition to overseeing all merchant risk management globally, Beene will be responsible for monitoring risk across ISO partners, independent software vendor partners, and distributors.

Swales said: “We’re delighted to further strengthen our team with a leader of Jeffry’s caliber and experience. We’re confident that Jeffry, a pioneer in the U.S. payments risk management space, will ensure risk and compliance play an instrumental part in helping Paysafe fulfill its vision of becoming the global leader in specialized payments.”

Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment

Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment has appointed Kevin Lowry as assistant general manager of the operator’s flagship Mohegan Sun Connecticut property.

Working alongside Jeffrey Hamilton, president and general manager of Mohegan Sun, and the leadership team on all major initiatives, Lowry will be responsible for finance, gaming, cashiering, tenant and retail operations at the facility.

“We are pleased to introduce Kevin Lowry as the new Assistant General Manager of our flagship property,” said Mario Kontomerkos, CEO of MGE. “Kevin has been a member of the Mohegan family for more than 20 years and served Mohegan Sun Connecticut faithfully since we opened our doors in 1996.

“We are confident Kevin will guide Mohegan Sun, one of the largest integrated entertainment resorts in North America, on a path of continued growth and success.”

Maxima Compliance

Full-service compliance provider Maxima Compliance has lauded “another major hire,” with María Romero de Alba joining the company as senior business development manager.

Romero de Alba joins Maxima Compliance’s commercial team from BMM Testlabs, and will work across the firm’s client base and Complitech product.

Antonio Zanghi, founder and managing director of Maxima Compliance, commented: “Maxima Compliance continues to expand its team aggressively to consolidate our position as the industry’s leading compliance specialists.

“María perfectly fits the bill and we are confident that her commercial expertise will help take us to the next level.”

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Bianchi will oversee all of Maxima Compliance’s technical compliance offerings, including technical compliance consulting services, as well as the firm’s recently-launched Complitech product. Moreover he will support Maxima Compliance’s existing management team in strategy and delivery.

The new director of compliance operations at Maxima Compliance, stated: “Maxima Compliance has quickly established itself as the most innovative and essential provider of compliance services in our industry.

“Joining this team at a time when compliance has never been more important was an opportunity too good to turn down. I look forward to getting to work and providing the very best technical compliance support on the market.”

Bianchi will report directly to managing director Antonio Zanghi.

Intralot Inc

Intralot Inc, the US subsidiary of gaming solutions supplier Intralot S.A has announced Byron Boothe as its CEO.

Boothe has served as interim CEO of the firm since last year and had previously held the role of president government relations. The lottery veteran joined Intralot in 2007.

Tom Miller, Intralot’s chairman stated: “We have made much progress in the past year, notably in the last couple of months launching our sports betting solution in Montana and Washington DC. We are confident that Byron is the right person to build on this momentum.”

Pragmatic Play

Victor Arias has been appointed as Pragmatic Play’s new Vice President of Latin America as the company looks to establish itself in the region.

During his 20 year career Arias has worked for both B2C and B2B businesses in the igaming industry. His core responsibilities will include the continued growth of Pragmatic Play within the regulated territories in Latin America through a clear business development strategy. 

In addition, he will head Pragmatic Play’s new Latin American hub based in Argentina with a team of three executives working to achieve the supplier’s goals in the region.

Arias commented: “I’m delighted to join Pragmatic Play which has a strong reputation as one of the leading multi-product providers in the industry.

“The team has a hugely exciting ambition for growth in LatAm, and I look forward to heading the hub as we look to embark on this next step for the company.”

Pragmatic Play currently delivers up to four new slot titles a month, as well as an extensive range of live casino and bingo products through its multi-vertical offering. The company’s entire portfolio is available through a single API integration.

1account

1account, the ID and age validation platform provider, has strengthened its senior team with the appointment of Marc Wood as Sales and Marketing Director.

The former Pay360 employee is tasked with establishing a global sales and business development network, In which 1account will introduce its solution to both B2B and B2C partners.

Marc Wood, the new Sales and Marketing Director at 1account, said: “1account has developed an innovative solution that is better, faster and cheaper than anything else in the market.

“We plan to disrupt the status quo with a solution that has a materially higher performance, wider data sources and a unique commercial model that makes us stand out against our rivals.

“The vision and long-term potential of the business is enormous, and I am extremely proud to be joining the organisation as it moves into the next chapter of its success story.”

Wazdan

Slots manufacturer Wazdan has strengthened its international team with four new additions to the firm.

lbert Bellavista has been hired as the firm’s new Head of Business Development in Spain & Latin America, meanwhile Sandrine Chen is the company’s Sales and Business Development Manager for Asia. The move looks to boost Wazdan’s profile in the two regions as the firm continues to develop its brand.

Additionally, Wazdan has continued to enhance its team with Bekki D’Agata as Sales and Development Manager and Katarzyna Pysz as Senior Campaign Manager. 

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MGM Resorts International

Former Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval has confirmed his departure from the MGM Resorts International, almost 15 months after initially joining the company.

Tasked with driving MGM Resorts’ global expansion efforts, most importantly in Japan, as well as focusing on state public policy efforts around sports gaming, Sandoval departs to pursue the position of President of the University of Nevada, Reno.

Bill Hornbuckle, acting CEO and President, said of the departure of the president of global gaming development: “We are grateful to Governor Sandoval for all that he has accomplished in his time at MGM Resorts. 

“He helped to advance our efforts in Japan, in jurisdictions where we were seeking expanded access, and areas where we pursued sports betting opportunities. We wish him the very best in pursuit of this next opportunity and thank him for his commitment to MGM Resorts.” 

European Casino Association

Hermann Pamminger has been confirmed as the security general of the European Casino Association with immediate effect, following a board meeting undertaken this week.

This comes after the ECA confirmed a previous shake-up following the resignations of Tracy Damestani and Dietmar Hoscher, with Bettina Glatz-Kremsner from Casinos Austria and Jari Heino from Veikkaus new board members representing Austria and Finland, with Pascal Camia from Société des Bains de Mer Monte Carlo approved as new vice chairman.

“We are confident that Hermann’s many years of experience in the international gambling industry will be an asset for the ECA, especially in these difficult times,” stated Per Jaldung, ECA chairman. 

“Hermann is well known in the industry, has been PR Coordinator and a Senior Advisor to the ECA for many years and knows the legal and regulatory opportunities as well as challenges of our business inside out.”

GVC Holdings 

GVC has announced the promotion of Grainne Hurst to the position of group corporate affairs director and will be joining the Group’s ExCo team.

In the newly created role, Hurst will build on the group’s ambition to lead the industry on responsible gambling and develop relationships with the media and external partners.

Grainne was previously director of responsible gambling at GVC, a position she held since the group’s acquisition of the Ladbrokes Coral Group in March 2017, where she led the company’s parliamentary liaison. 

Kenneth Alexander, GVC CEO, stated: “Grainne brings a wealth of experience to this new position, both within GVC where she has spear-headed our Changing for the Bettor Safer Gambling campaign, and from previous communications roles.

“I am delighted to be promoting from within GVC, after an extensive external search, which proves we have the existing talent and expertise to develop our leadership team. I look forward to welcoming Grainne back from maternity leave next month”.

Maxima Compliance

Dafydd Williams has been appointed as head of business development by Maxima Compliance, proceeding with a particular focus on its recently-launched Complitech product.

Williams, boasting more than five years’ experience in gaming compliance, most recently as a business development manager for GLI, will oversee the growth of Complitech, a technical compliance database that provides the latest requirements from more than 20 online gaming jurisdictions.

Antonio Zanghi, founder and managing director of Maxima Compliance, explained: “It is fantastic to welcome Dafydd to the fast-growing Maxima Compliance team, where he will lead business development with a focus on Complitech.

“Since we launched Complitech, we’ve received huge interest in the product, and have already onboarded the first users. 

“Complitech will quickly become a standard across the industry, and Dafydd is perfectly positioned to drive this growth.”

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Under his new role, Bianchi will oversee all of Maxima Compliance’s technical compliance offering, including technical compliance consulting services as well as its recently-launched Complitech product. In addition, he will support the management team in both strategy and delivery.

Antonio Zanghi, Founder and Managing Director of Maxima Compliance, said: “Maxima Compliance has grown rapidly over the past year, but this is really a landmark appointment for us.

“Francesco is globally recognised as a leading expert across the entire spectrum of technical compliance. His knowledge from more than a decade in the industry is unparalleled, and will be an invaluable resource for Maxima Compliance clients looking to gain an edge.

“He is one of the few people who could make the strongest technical compliance team in gaming even stronger.”

Having amassed over a decade of experience in igaming compliance, Bianchi will join Maxima Compliance after working as the director of igaming operations at BMM Testlabs. He previously held senior compliance roles at GLI, NMi and Betfair.

Commenting on his new role, Bianchi said: “Maxima Compliance has quickly established itself as the most innovative and essential provider of compliance services in our industry.

“Joining this team at a time when compliance has never been more important was an opportunity too good to turn down. I look forward to getting to work and providing the very best technical compliance support on the market.”

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For the best part of two decades, the online gaming sector has treated compliance as something of an afterthought.

It has been seen as an inconvenience, and the majority of approaches to the challenges it presents have reflected this way of thinking. All too often, compliance is the last point on the checklist when it comes to entering a new market or rolling out a new product.

But changes to the regulatory reality facing both operators and suppliers – particularly in Europe but also further afield in the US and Latin America – means this is no longer good enough.

For those who want to capitalise on opportunities in the increasingly fragmented and regulated global online gaming market, compliance must be placed at the centre of just about everything you do.

“The regulatory and compliance burden is growing by the day“

A growing burden

The regulatory and compliance burden is growing by the day. New markets have introduced frameworks which require igaming companies to completely rethink the way they do business.

Sweden is the most notable recent jurisdiction to re-regulate, but the likes of the Netherlands, Peru and the state of New York could well follow.

Whereas operators and suppliers traditionally relied upon a single licence – more often than not from Malta – to operate across a wide range of markets, we are moving towards a regulatory model where a local licence is required in the majority of jurisdictions.

This is a sea-change in expectations for most igaming compliance functions, and the old ways of doing business no longer apply.

The question is: how to adapt?

Efficiently shouldering the compliance burden of modern igaming requires a complete rethink of the way you run your business.

Compliance can no longer be an afterthought; instead it needs to be embedded at every level of your business. This means educating staff throughout the organisation – from development to marketing – on key compliance concerns.

A new way of thinking

Take a couple of typical examples.

You are a slots developer looking to roll out an innovative new game in multiple markets. The game has been in development for months, but no-one thought to check whether that new, industry-first feature will be permitted under regulations in Sweden and Spain. You face a choice – delay the launch for another few months to adapt the feature, or proceed with a limited roll-out in a handful of other markets.

In today’s ultra-competitive environment, those suppliers who are fastest to market are those who embed compliance into the development process from stage one. Is your development team building products that will meet the requirements of your key markets without major adaptation? And is it future-proofing your products by building out easy ways to adapt to new, yet unforeseen requirements?

Operators will face countless similar examples. Perhaps your marketing team has been focused on building and localising a campaign that relies heavily on incentivising players with a series of bonuses.

“Placing compliance at the heart of operations is the only way to meet increasing expectations“

With your brand now licensed in Sweden, it has spent months localising the campaign to the Swedish market, only to discover ahead of roll-out that only a single, first-time deposit bonus is permitted under the new regulatory framework. As your team frantically looks for an alternative, your better prepared competitors are already grabbing market share.

Instead, ensure your compliance team is never siloed away. Open up channels of communication between it and your other teams, or bring in third-party assistance to ensure your marketing and development functions are up to speed on the latest requirements, and are making important decisions informed by new developments.

Placing compliance at the very heart of your operation is the only way to meet these increasing expectations.

Compliance need not be a thorn in the side of igaming firms. But as the burden increases, only those who embrace this new reality will be able to thrive in it.

Antonio Zanghi is the founder and managing director at Maxima Compliance, where he leads a growing team working across a wide portfolio of gaming clients

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Enhancing a partnership with Gaming1, which has seen the ComplianceOne subsidiary provide compliance services for a range of the supplier’s products since 2021, the new deal will see this continue into the North American space, making Maxima its global compliance partner. 

Sergio Suárez García, VP, Technical Compliance Services at Maxima Compliance, said: “Gaming1 has been a long-time partner of Maxima Compliance, and our two companies have grown alongside each other while navigating the ever-changing regulatory landscape. 

“We’re looking forward to furthering this relationship as we take on new opportunities together in the fast-moving US market and help provide a strategic edge to operators using Gaming1 technology.”

This expansion into the US means operators working with Gaming1 across the pond will receive tech and expertise to aid entering regulated states. 

Thibaut Collard, Chief Compliance Officer at Gaming1, added: “We’ve worked closely with Maxima Compliance for several years now across multiple regulated jurisdictions, so we knew we wanted them by our side as we expand in the US. 

“We want to offer our operator partners the best compliance support in the US, so they can move faster than their competitors into newly-regulating states. Alongside Maxima Compliance, we’re confident we can deliver.”

Gaming1 renewed its collaboration with Maxima Compliance in May of last year to continue the delivery of its bespoke compliance support across its range of products. 

The new deal witnessed a 12-month extension to the original agreement, which relates to the provision of a full suite of compliance services by Maxima.

Through the US venture, Gaming1 has already been making waves throughout North America. In September last year, the supplier launched Betly.com in Arkansas, which saw the debut of its virtual sportsbook on Southland Casino Racing’s online platform. 

The regional launch, an extension of a previous collaboration between Gaming1 and Delaware North, allowed bettors from anywhere across the state to participate in sports betting, as the brand was made available on Southland Casino Racing’s online website and through iOS and Android apps.

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Formerly named Maxima DataVault, thesolution, according to The Mill Adventure, will allow the firm to “confidently expand” its operations and reduce the time it takes to comply with data vault requirements. It is hope that this, in turn, will allow the company to enter newly regulated markets quicker. 

Robert Bowell, COO of The Mill Adventure, noted: “We know just how complex the demands of newly regulated markets can be, and managing vault systems can make it even more challenging. 

“With a partner like Maxima Compliance and their DataVault ONE solution, we are able to confidently expand our operations and focus on delivering our igaming solutions to new markets, confident in the knowledge that our data requirements are in remarkably safe hands.”

The DataVault ONE platform is capable of receiving XML and JSON data from operators and game providers, converting and saving these data in the correct format required by local regulators across multiple jurisdictions.

Earlier this year, The Mill Adventure’s igaming platform was certified in the Netherlands. In the Dutch market, the Control Database or Controle Data Bank is mandatory for the platform of any B2C company aiming to obtain a licence for igaming and sports betting operations.

Antonio Zanghi, CEO of ComplianceOne Group, commented: “The Mill Adventure’s goal is to bring their igaming innovations to newly regulated markets as efficiently and quickly as possible. 

“Our DataVault ONE solution, which integrated easily into their cutting-edge platform, was able to support them in that goal, being among the first companies to enter the Dutch market. We are thrilled to further support our partner in Germany.”

DataVault ONE is currently certified in multiple jurisdictions, including Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Germany, where The Mill Adventure has acquired the licence to operate online slots.

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Having launched its Complitech technical compliance database, Maxima Compliance will host the next SBC Webinar on Thursday 18 June (16:00 BST).

Against a rapidly changing regulatory backdrop, a mastery of technical compliance is essential for any supplier with ambitions across multiple regulated markets.

Furthermore, how can product, regulatory and leadership teams optimise processes when meeting a diverse range of compliance requirements as regulators place a deeper focus on ‘looking under the bonnet’?

Maxima Compliance managing director Antonio Zanghi and head of business development Dafydd Williams will addresses the identification of new market opportunities, creating gap analysis to streamline entry, and ultimately attracting operator partners.

Joining Maxima will be igaming figurehead Jesper Kärrbrink, chairman of Green Jade Games and former CEO of Mr Green, to provide vital knowledge and first-hand experience in leading effective multi-market operations.

“Technical compliance is now central to the success of any supplier active in regulated markets, but I see many struggling to meet a high bar of ever-changing requirements,” said Zanghi.

“We look forward to a lively discussion providing some first-hand tips on how to optimise and streamline these processes, including a demonstration of our technical compliance database, Complitech.”

Overview

• Maxima Compliance – ‘Mastering technical compliance to grow your global footprint’
• Date – Thursday 18 June at 16:00 BST

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The hires, the company says, underlines its “global approach to securing local talent,” as it looks to better serve partners internationally with “on-the-ground knowledge and expertise,” regardless of the jurisdictions they are prioritising.

“I’m delighted to welcome both Andrew and Mike to the team,” explained Antonio Zanghi, CEO of Maxima Compliance.

“We are focused on both expanding our global team of regulatory and technical compliance experts, while also adding regional managers who can deliver local knowledge and support directly to clients. Our partners in jurisdictions around the world continue to enjoy the benefits of this approach.”

Burgoyne joins following more than three years as Compliance Manager at Flutter, after having previously worked for Sky and the Advertising Standards Authority.

“It is a pleasure to join a team with unparalleled expertise across compliance,” he stated. “Maxima is already assisting some of the biggest names in gaming with their regulatory compliance needs, and I look forward to further raising the bar for our partners when it comes to this critical business function.”

Elsewhere, de Graaff will oversee the regulatory and technical compliance needs of partners in the Netherlands, helping them optimise their compliance functions. He has previously held risk and compliance roles at gaming operators including ComeOn! and Betclic Group

“I’m thrilled to join the Maxima Compliance team, and I’m particularly excited to help build our presence in the Netherlands from this new office,” de Graaff noted. 

“This is a challenging but high-reward market, where those who draw upon local expertise are already outpacing the competition.”

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