Pinnacle

Paris Smith has announced that she brought down the curtain on her time as Chief Executive of Pinnacle, which brings an end to a 17-year tenure.

Posting a LinkedIn update, Smith informed that she would be “stepping away from the intense day-to-day requirements of the CEO role to transition into an advisory role with Pinnacle.” 

It was also disclosed that she would now focus on working on new opportunities and strategic projects with Pinnacle’s lead investor and Chair Magnus Hedman.

Reflecting on her leadership term, Smith stated: “Throughout my time at Pinnacle, the company has grown in both scope and size, often seeing opportunities to be a market leader. My passion for the industry and the people in the industry will never leave me.

“I hope I have created a lasting legacy in my time as Pinnacle’s CEO, as I have always said it is an honour to have the privilege to lead such an incredible brand and organization. The confidence that has been given to me is greatly appreciated”.

Playtech

Playtech has appointed Ruby Yam as an Independent Non-Executive Director with effect from June 1, 2023. 

She will bring more than 30 years of corporate and banking experience across industries including infrastructure, utilities, pharmaceuticals and racing to the position.

Furthermore, the company has also informed that John Krumins has stressed a desire to step down from the board, but will remain as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee until after the publication of September’s 2023 interim results.

Brian Mattingley, Non-Executive Chair, said: “I am delighted that Ruby has agreed to join the board. She has extensive experience at leading financial and investment groups, as well as bringing considerable knowledge of Asia built up over many years.” 

“On behalf of the board, I’d like to express our thanks to John for his valuable contribution since being appointed in 2019. He has shown commitment and dedication during a period of significant change for the company, which recently culminated in a record set of results. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours.” 

888

Ben Hurst has been confirmed as Vice President of North American Expansion by 888, where he will oversee strategic growth opportunities as well as the SI Sportsbook and SI Casino brands, as part of a US partnership with Authentic Brands Group.

Has has previously served as the Head of Digital for Madison Square Garden Entertainment Group, where he led transformation projects for the franchises of the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, MSG, Radio City, The Beacon Theatre and other venues. 

Howard Mittman, 888’s North American President, noted: “We are thrilled to welcome Ben to our US team in his new role as VP. Over the past year or so, I had the pleasure of working with him in a consulting capacity, and I am fully convinced that his industry expertise and familiarity with our company make him an ideal leader to further propel our US operations into the future.”

Hard Rock

Ragheb Dajani has been appointed as Senior Vice President of Development at Hard Rock International, where he will report to Chief Design and Development Officer Joe Emanuele.

He assumes the position with more than 30 years of experience, with his most recent role being that of Head of Planning for Galaxy Entertainment Group in Tokyo, Japan where he established a development operation to pursue a licence to develop and operate a multi-billion-dollar integrated resort.

“We’re thrilled to have Raj join our Real Estate Development team as we continue to further cement the Hard Rock brand as a pillar in the global luxury hospitality space,” said Emanuele.

“His extensive experience in bringing top-of-the-line luxury integrated resort concepts to life makes Raj an invaluable addition to the Hard Rock team.”

Kindred

Kindred Group announced that Johan Wilsby will leave his position as Chief Financial Officer later this year. 

An executive search process has been initiated to find the successor of Wilsby who has served as CFO of the Stockholm-listed online gambling group since September 2020.

A statement issued by the company thanked Wilsby for being a “very appreciated colleague” that has “shown leadership and integrity during challenging times”.

Entain

Robert Hoskin will vacate his position as Entain Chief Governance Officer after nearly two decades with the company, the betting and gaming group confirmed.

He will step down from the board on June 30, 2023, but will continue to serve in an unnamed capacity until August 31. His responsibilities will be assumed by Simon Zinger, the group’s General Counsel.

Butler National

Butler National has confirmed that Christopher Reedy has been promoted from his current position of Chief Operating Officer to President and Chief Executive Officer.

The group, which manages Boot Hill Casino & Resort, has charged Reedy, who has a two decade association alongside the group, with continuing to guide the company’s strategic vision and growth.

“I believe that Chris Reedy is the right person to lead the company through a period of change.  His proven, complementary experience and skills in both aviation and gaming establish him as the perfect fit for the role of Butler National President and CEO,” commented R. Warren Wagoner, Chair of the Butler National Board of Directors. 

“I am confident that Mr Reedy will leverage his twenty-plus years of Butler National experience to lead the company in the best interest of shareholders and as a valuable resource for the corporation.”

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This is specifically the case for the betting and gaming sectors, which has already shown an eagerness to embrace digital currency due to the speed and transparency it brings.

Rebecca Liggero, lead reporter of Ayre Media, posed the question of what operators can do in terms of communication when it comes to crypto, and how they can maximise its use as a method of currency for its players.

Speaking on the ‘Blockchain Payments as a Driver in Crisis’ panel during day four of the SBC Digital Summit, Lloyd Purser, COO of Funfair Technologies, emphasised his belief that although education is a major part of bringing new players to crypto, there are also many other factors involved.

He said: “Education is a major part of what we are trying to do but on top of that we also have to do significant improvements in our product, adding new features, adding new suppliers, there’s a marketing effort as well that has to go into it.

“It really is a bit of everything, there’s no magic silver bullet to move people onto the blockchain, we have to improve our product and on-boarding journey, we have built our own wallet, something we never would have done if we didn’t have to, but frankly we had to, in order to make the user experience good enough.”

“We have tried to make a simplified process out of what seems very complex and the wallet is a key part of that.”

Max Krupyshev, CEO of CryptoProcessing.com by CoinsPaid, argued against Purser’s case and revealed that he witnesses a lot of mistakes when new operators begin to integrate crypto payment methods.

“You try to keep the disruption low, which is against what Lloyd is saying. Creating blockchains in casinos is an amazing idea, it is disrupting the whole industry but the element of dedication is huge but you need to get the first step right,” he explained.

“You have a big brand, you have a user base so just help them to use this as an option and then see if you want to get more users.

“Education, in general, is very important. I want this panel to explain to our listeners what to get right if they want to enable cryptocurrency.

“I see a lot of mistakes when the operators start working with cryptocurrency, they misunderstand the flows. The key point which created a bad impression from the start was accepting cryptocurrency. You have to make sure your players don’t wait, they have to make sure that when the money is sent the player gets the money within seconds.

“Then you have to make sure that the exchange rate is fair, when a player deposits €100 into his account he needs to receive said €100. It should then fit into the existing flow, you don’t have to change your cashier completely for the crypto. Finally follow the big players who have been using crypto for years, these are the people who have got it right.”

Tom Bloor, sales manager at Cryptopay, echoed Krupyshev’s point and was keen to highlight the importance of keeping it simple: “The more you know about your customers and what they like, the better. This is the main job of an operator, if you don’t know your customer well you can’t retain them and then you can’t grow.

“If you know what your customer behaviour is and you know if they prefer convenience or transparency this should inform how you plug in and accept how you are going to work with cryptocurrency.”

Isabelle Delisle, head of payments at Pinnacle, expressed her belief that the biggest challenge surrounding cryptocurrency is its perception: “To get something to go mainstream you have to get the buy-in of the big players and the perception has to be there but if you talk to a bank about crypto, the first thing they think of it you’re doing something dodgy.

“One of the things that we have to do is to start talking about this as a legitimate product and really educate the people who are responsible for making the regulations and financial decisions and speak to banks to make them understand the product better.”

SBC’s Digital Summit has attracted an estimated 10,000 delegates from around the world to discuss some of the industry’s biggest topics, such as how the esports betting sector or has reacted to COVID-19.  If you wish to join the event then register here. 

The event will run from 27 April to 1 May 2020 featuring a variety of industry expert panels, virtual networking lounges and a virtual exhibition. Whilst also offering an on-demand feature if you miss or want to rewatch the panel sessions.

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Realistic Games

Realistic Games has named Alice Timson as Head of Client Services as the igaming content developer looks to support its expansion efforts and support future growth strategies.

Timson joins from Gaming Realms where she spent two years as a Commercial Account Manager and brings a history of managing operations, integrations and commercial relationships in the software platform sector.

Robert Lee, Commercial Director at Realistic Games, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Alice to the team, where I’m sure she will settle into her new position very quickly.  

“These are busy times for us at Realistic Games and as we head toward H2 and more significant developments, we need talent like Alice’s to support us as we look to move the business to the next stage.”

Galaxy Gaming

Bill Zender has announced his intention to resign as a member of the Galaxy Gaming board, effective from July 1, 2022. He has been a member of the developer and distributor’s board since 2015.

Furthermore, the company has also detailed that it has entered into a cooperation agreement with Tice Brown, a stockholder of the firm, pursuant to which it has agreed to form a hiring committee for the purpose of identifying and unanimously recommending to the board a qualified candidate to fill the vacancy that will be created upon the resignation.

“Bill Zender is a legend in the casino table games business,” stated Mark Lipparelli, Chairman of Galaxy’s Board of Directors. 

“He has provided invaluable advice to us and the company over his more than seven years as a member of the Board. We have made great progress over that time in positioning the company to pursue exciting new opportunities, and Bill has been a stalwart contributor to that progress. 

“We thank him for his tremendous insights and expertise, and we wish him the best in his future endeavours.”

Flutter Entertainment

Flutter Entertainment has made three changes to its boardroom, with Holly Keller Koeppel, Carolan Lennon and David Lazzarato all taking on roles at the firm.

Following the company’s AGM, the group confirmed that Michael Cawley had stepped down as Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee, with Zillah Byng-Thorne has vacated the role as Chair of the Risk and Sustainability Committee, but will continue as a Non-Executive Director. 

To fill the vacant positions, Flutter has appointed Keller Koeppel as Chair of the Audit Committee and Lazzarato as Chair of the Risk and Sustainability Committee, as of April 28. 

In addition, Lennon, Non-Executive Director and Senior Independent Director of AIB Group, will join Flutter as Country Leader of Salesforce Ireland and Non-Executive Director from July 1.

Gary McGann, Flutter Group Chair, commented: “Following an extensive search as part of our on-going Board renewal process, I am delighted to welcome Carolan as a Non-Executive Director. 

“Carolan has significant experience of regulated consumer facing digital businesses. Carolan’s appointment is in line with our board renewal programme having regard to the scale, geographic breadth and growth of the business. We look forward to Carolan joining the Flutter board and contributing to the company’s future.”

DAZN BET

A week after an announcement that it will launch its sportsbook venture by the start of the 2022/23 football season, DAZN Group has confirmed that Mark Kemp will lead its new sportsbook unit as Chief Executive of DAZN BET.

As CEO  he will work towards the venture’s goal to revitalise and disrupt the casual betting market by developing a service that will be converged with its OTT platform. 

Kemp remarked: “I am delighted to be joining DAZN BET to launch such a new and exciting international brand. With the strength and expertise of DAZN in sports media, we will deliver something recreational and relevant to today’s audience. 

“I am looking forward to working with the new team and DAZN to build an engaging and responsible new entertainment proposition for sports fans across the world.”

Pinnacle

Rohini Sardana has become the latest addition to Pinnacle’s management teams, joining the sportsbook solutions provider’s B2B arm as Business Development Director.

In her new position, Sardana will be responsible for upscaling existing partnerships and delivering the firm’s iFrame Solution and Risk management API to its global partners.

Additionally, the new hire will also have oversight over Pinnacle’s esports offering, Esports Evolved, which will also be provided to its international clients along with other Malta Gaming Authority approved products. 

Paris Smith, Pinnacle CEO, commented: “Rohini’s combination of expertise across product development and partnership building is one-of-a-kind. We’re excited to leverage her knowledge as we look to scale up operations to new markets, on the back of our recent MGA approval.

“Having seen the products she’s launched across multinational brands and listened to her speak at various events in recent years, I was immediately sold on her eye for a gap in the market, and in particular her esports knowledge. 

“To be able to bring this knowledge in-house is a major coup for Pinnacle Solution, as well as our current and future partners who will benefit from her work.”

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As part of its ongoing commitment to player welfare, the partnership will allow Pinnacle to provide free-of-charge protection to customers looking to self-exclude from gambling at its own site, with Gamban also blocking access to thousands of other gambling sites and apps through its regularly updating database.

“Responsible gambling and player welfare are industry-wide issues, so we’re pleased to work with Gamban to offer our customers a blanket self-exclusion tool which covers all gambling sites, not just our own,” explained Veronique Dos Reis, head of legal and compliance at Pinnacle.

“It’s important that those at risk have access to the simplest tools in order to protect themselves effectively. Gamban delivers exactly that, and we’re very confident this free facility will be a significant addition to our responsible gaming arsenal.” 

Once the player signs up to the Gamban service, the software is designed to be as difficult to remove as the various devices allow, which it hopes provides the right balance between protection and intrusion.

“Pinnacle’s displaying great commitment to its customers by offering this valuable support. This further highlights how layering self-exclusion with blocking software is becoming ever more important,” commented Jack Symons, co-founder of Gamban.

“In a world where the lure of immediate gratification through digital activity is increasingly tempting, we want to help people regain control and balance – and by using Gamban, they can do that.” 

James Forman, business intelligence officer at Gamban, added: “We’re excited to be working with Pinnacle to assist people who may be looking to take a break from gambling altogether.

“Our goal is to make self-exclusion as simple, straightforward and effective for the player as possible, and this partnership drives us closer to achieving that goal.”

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Under the terms of the partnership, games from Relax’s in-house library, such as Money Train 2, Snake Arena and La Fiesta, have already been made available to Pinnacle’s players, as well as a selection of aggregated games from its hand-picked studio network.

Relax’s platform offers a variety of third-party content from its selected Silver Bullet and Powered By Relax partners, including suppliers such as ReelPlay, Kalamba Games and Fantasma Games.

Steve Wells, head of casino and games at Pinnacle, commented: “We have a very ambitious growth plan for our casino vertical, and it is vital to be able to count on high-performance and creative content such as that offered by Relax Gaming. 

“Relax creates some of igaming’s most exciting and engaging products and it’s great to be able to share them with our players. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership together.” 

The partnership with Pinnacle is praised as adding “another reputable online casino brand” to the firm’s distribution network, and builds on a period of strong growth during which the supplier has secured a number of deals.

This partnership continues a busy period for Relax Gaming, after the company inked a distribution deal with 1win, gained a 12-month exclusivity to Big Time Gaming’s Megaclsuters mechanic, received SOTW accreditation from SlotBeats for Iron Bank and outlined plans to open seven new offices over the next 12 months  

Daniel Eskola, Relax Gaming CCO, added: “Pinnacle is a fast-growing industry name and we are excited to be providing the operator with a wide variety of content that has proven to boost customer engagement and retention.

“We are committed to delivering the best casino games to the market with speed and efficiency. This partnership is a result of the quality service we offer on a day-to-day basis.”

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Speaking on the second day of CasinoBeats Malta Digital as part of the Leaders Panel, Smith went on to praise her ‘loyal’ and ‘dedicated’ staff and how there have been lessons learned from the situation. 

She added: “We focused a lot on the esports side and took the opportunity, every crisis is an opportunity and made our esports side stronger. We did start the focus on the casino and did some last minute stuff for the virtual side.

“We’ve been able to maintain our own and I think for me the most interesting part of the COVID process is seeing our loyal and dedicated staff. We have over 500 employees worldwide and everything happened overnight.

“The mental health of the employees for me I worked around the clock, not just how they were dealing with work but how they were dealing with themselves. People didn’t really think how children were responding.”

Joining Smith on the panel was Petra Zackrisson, CCDO, Betano Stoiximan, Americo Loireiro, director at Solverde, Marten Forste, COO of LeoVegas and William Scott, director of Warrenside who was moderating the session.

The conversation shifted towards casinos, both online and land-based, to see how companies have been affected by the crisis, with Loireiro noting his company saw an increase in registrations during March.

He said: “What we saw during the March period was a real increase in registrations, we saw a large number of customers looking for different alternatives. Customers that have never played online before. 

“We also saw that land-based customers were looking for the same products online.”

Asked by Scott if companies will be able to maintain the recently acquired players or if they will migrate back to physical casinos, Loireiro added: “Before COVID, 14 per cent of the customers from land-based, bet online. After, what we saw was an increase from the land-based database and around 35 per cent of those customers played online for the first time.

“Right now those 35 per cent of online players represent only five per cent of active players online.

“What happened with land-based (in Portugal) is that we opened the doors three weeks ago with a lot of restraints so that killed the local aspect of the business.

“Land-based, we are seeing a 65 per cent increase in revenues, it’s quite a lot. 

Echoing Loireri’s findings on social interaction, Zackrission added: “We have just recently ran a small survey to see what it would look like because we could clearly see the trend. 70 per cent of them had never been online before and this, of course, had a massive impact on us just in terms of educating those customers.

“We also asked the ones who did not come back, because there was a substantial amount of them that just dropped, which was 50 per cent. They claimed that they would come back but claimed they were missing certain things, they were missing the social interaction.”

With eyes firmly fixed on the near future, Forste expressed that he’s looking for regulators to implement ‘predictability and measures’ taken on facts instead of the ones that are currently in place. 

He said: “We, as a company, like the fact the market is regulated but in order for it to work there needs to be a certain amount of predictability and the UK reg has shown that with the measures that have been imposed on that market have been for a secure purpose and we can all understand that.

“In Sweden unfortunately it’s a bit of a disappointment so far from what we’ve seen. The changes, as of tomorrow, are not based on fact or does not serve a correct purpose. It’s actually allowing non licensed operators to take a bit of the market.

“I’m a bit surprised to see that it’s also only impacting casinos which is a bit disturbing when we don’t see that activity has increased in that market.

“What I am looking for is predictability and measures taken based on facts instead of the ones that we see right now.”

The panel continued to discuss the challenges that currently face the online gaming sector and future opportunities of companies adapting to the COVID-19 crisis and how technology may play an important role in the future.

CasinoBeats Malta Digital, delivered in association with Gaming Malta, takes place from 30 June to 2 July 2020 and features 40 virtual exhibitors, numerous networking opportunities, 130 leading speakers, and countless business opportunities for 3,000 senior decision-makers from operators, suppliers, affiliates and other industry stakeholders.

Alongside the exhibition, networking and conference, all delegates also gain access to the full range of entertainment on offer, including free-play slots, daily competitions and a selection of prizes.

Find full details of the event, including information about how to register and the discounts available on company group passes, at the event’s official website: https://sbcevents.com/casinobeats-malta-digital/

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Speaking as part of the ‘Workplace culture & wellbeing’ panel, Macintos was joined by
Christopher Dalli, CEO, L&L Europe; Richard Gordon, Employer Brand, Recruitment Marketing & Social Media Manager at GVC and the panel’s moderator Christina Thakor Rankin, co-founder of All-in Diversity.

Macintos explained that while workplace culture continues to be an ‘evolving topic’, companies must try to weave individual team dynamics into an overarching workplace environment.

She explained: “Workplace culture is an evolving topic, so you need to make sure that you cherish the parts that you think are important for your organisation, but I think you also need to listen to employees and see what can be brought to the table.

“We have an overall workplace culture, but we also have different dynamics within each team. Which is why I think you need to streamline the workplace culture. Our esports traders, for example, have a very specific bond, and very specific interests – but because we have so many different departments, you still have to weave these individual dynamics into one overarching culture.

“Shifting towards esports has had an impact on the overall work culture, but I think that it’s a good thing as long as you can get together at the end of the day and feel as though you are one organisation.”

Acknowledging the different dynamics that are often present across larger companies, Gordon highlighted that the current pandemic has ‘proven to be a real challenge’ when it comes to preserving a workplace culture.

Gordon explained that companies must listen to their employees through regular pulse surveys and polls to find out how people feel about working for a particular company, and use that information as a catalyst for change.

He added: “At the minute, it’s tricky. Many of us are working from home at the moment, and to try and keep that momentum going is a challenge, not to mention also bringing on new people when they’re not in the office but trying to embed them into that workplace culture is something that we’re having to really think about at the moment. It’s proven to be a real challenge.

“A company can carry out these big culture projects, and then think they’re done for a few years. But that isn’t the case. Workplace culture is constantly evolving, and things such as the coronavirus pandemic will only accelerate these changes. I think it’s really important that a company then keeps on top of monitoring how people feel about working for that organisation, and feeds that into how the company evolves, how it goes to market and how it adapts its working processes. It affects every touch-point of a company.”

The key to establishing a welcoming workplace culture lies in the recruitment processes, Dalli explained: “It very much depends on how you’re recruiting new employees. If you’re trying to recruit en masse, especially as some other companies have previously done by hiring 200 or 300 people at once, it’s impossible to make sure that your recruitment processes are on point.

“You can lay out the perfect policies and procedures, you can tell your team to stick to the letter, but in truth it’s impossible to actively ensure that you’re hiring the right people in such a short span of time. That’s one example where the bigger companies might be suffering from increased turnover simply because of the desperation to attract a proper workforce.

“Companies are saying it’s better to hire someone than have no one, and so they bring someone in, give them a chance and go from there.”

CasinoBeats Malta Digital, delivered in association with Gaming Malta, takes place from 30 June to 2 July 2020 and features 40 virtual exhibitors, numerous networking opportunities, 130 leading speakers, and countless business opportunities for 3,000 senior decision-makers from operators, suppliers, affiliates and other industry stakeholders.

Alongside the exhibition, networking and conference, all delegates also gain access to the full range of entertainment on offer, including free-play slots, daily competitions and a selection of prizes such as iPads and cash.

Find full details of CasinoBeats Malta Digital, including information about how to register and the discounts available on company group passes, at the event’s official website: https://sbcevents.com/casinobeats-malta-digital/

The post The workplace environment should be a blend of dynamics and cultures appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The Arizona-based firm, which has also become the latest to align itself with the upcoming CasinoBeats Summit as a premium sponsor, is very much going against the grain by seeking to expand beyond its US base, as numerous entities chase the American gold rush.

Troy Zurawski, DWG’s founder and CEO, who will be flying in from its Scottsdale headquarters to participate as a speaker, commented on the firm’s current approach: “We are new to the online real money gaming market and are currently waiting for our GBGC licence to launch our slots into this space for the first time.

“DWG has a long and successful background in land-based and social gaming, and we’re now looking to use that expertise to help RMG operators in the UK and elsewhere in the world.

Adding on it’s ongoing aspirations: “We’ve produced successful land-based titles for the likes of IGT, Novomatic, Aristocrat and Konami since we started in 2005. But we also operate four social casinos that are highly popular. 

“Our content has already been validated by millions of users as a result. As we produce a lot of content – over 100 titles last year – we are in a position to offer exclusive content to operators of all sizes, including many that might not get that opportunity from other suppliers because of their size. 

“As we produce a lot of content … we are in a position to offer exclusive content”

“We’re also looking forward to introducing our marketing tools to RMG, such as our wheel spin bonus, piggy bank and prize drop mini games. These tools deliver customisable and flexible promotions and incentives that reward play across all games on the casino – not just ours. They’re not limited to the one vertical either, being available across casino, bingo, sportsbook, etc. 

“There is always an element of uncertainty when entering a new business vertical, but we are eager to see how DWG’s slots and promotional tools are received in the RMG market.”

At the Summit, which is to bring together 1,000 delegates, 75 speakers and 30 exhibitors at Olympia London between September 17-20, Zurawski’s participation is to be on a panel entitled: ‘Player focused game design – Leading slots developers share insights into the ways studios use data to inform product design’. 

Emphasising the relevance due to DWG’s new approach Zurawski stated: “As a result of our operations in land-based and social gaming, we have an abundance of data and insight that we constantly analyse and refine so that it can be utilised to inform the development of our future products. 

“We also use our data to ensure that we turn only our most successful titles into RMG games. And we can share with our partners what games perform best in each of a number of key territories around the world, meaning our offering is tailored and focused for each operator’s requirements. This bespoke validation of the games in strongly related channels is a massive benefit that operators don’t get from most other suppliers.”

“We have an abundance of data and insight that we constantly analyse and refine”

Summit delegates will gain access to Betting on Sports, which takes place at Olympia at the same time, alongside the PaymentExpert Forum and the Digital Marketing Forum, delivered in conjunction with AffiliateINSIDER.

Representatives from some of the industry’s largest operators will also be present, including Betsson, Hard Rock, Caesars, Videoslots, Jackpotjoy, Ladbrokes Coral, LeoVegas, Lottoland, Mansion, Olympic, Paf, Pinnacle, Rank, and William Hill, with leading suppliers represented too. 

Detailing the decision to align with September’s event it was stated: “The CasinoBeats Summit brings together key industry stakeholders and will be host to a series of informative panels focused on all the hottest industry topics, so it makes sense for us to be involved. As a sponsor, we’re hoping we can introduce ourselves to a whole new audience and bring a little bit of Las Vegas to operators’ casinos.”

Before Zurawski closed by addressing what DWG will bring to the show, and what the company is most looking forward to: “We are looking forward to meeting up with as many delegates as possible, to introduce DWG to them, and explain how our products can help operators stand out in a crowded marketplace. 

“We are also excited about attending and participating in the panels to find out more about what challenges the industry is currently facing – as well as what opportunities there are for a fresh take on areas that are currently pertinent to the industry such as regulation, innovation, responsible gambling and player marketing.”

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The second staging of the CasinoBeats Summit – the premier online casino conference and exhibition – taking place on 17-20 September, will also attract around 30 exhibitors to Olympia London, at the heart of the world’s largest regulated online gaming market.

Visitors will enjoy four tracks of content featuring some of the industry’s biggest names, alongside unbeatable networking opportunities and excellent hospitality, all combining to offer industry leaders and senior executives an unmissable few days.

Speakers and delegates from some of the industry’s largest operators will be present, including Betsson, EnergyCasino, Hard Rock, Jackpotjoy, Ladbrokes Coral, LeoVegas, Lottoland, Mansion, Olympic, Paf, Pinnacle, Rank, Royal Panda, William Hill and Wishmaker, while leading suppliers are also well represented – as speakers, sponsors and exhibitors.

The CasinoBeats Summit takes place alongside the fourth edition of SBC’s flagship event, Betting on Sports, which has seen significant growth in both the conference and exhibition elements. Together the two events will feature more than 300 expert industry speakers across 13 specialist tracks, welcoming an expected 3,500 delegates from around the world – a 30 per cent increase from 2018.

Summit delegates gain access to Betting on Sports, as well as the PaymentExpert Forum and the Digital Marketing Forum, delivered in conjunction with AffiliateINSIDER.

The CasinoBeats Summit agenda is comprised of four main tracks, entitled: The Future of Gaming; Market Forces; Responsibility & Sustainability; and Customer Journey & Marketing. Each will explore the threats and opportunities facing the online casino sector, and will hear from some of the industry’s most influential speakers.

David Flynn, who attended the 2018 Summit as CEO of operations at Jackpotjoy, said: “Having so many industry leaders and decision makers at the CasinoBeats Summit helped make it a great event.

“The content of the panel sessions was informative and inspirational for many of the attendees,” said Flynn, now CEO at Swintt.

Commenting on the 2018 Summit, Tobias Svensen, managing director of leading slots streaming network CasinoGrounds, said: “Hats off for CasinoBeats for gathering a crowd of highly relevant, interesting and knowledgeable speakers for their first event.” Helen Walton, CCO of Gamevy/Gluck, said the event had “thoroughly earned its place in the i-gaming calendar”.

Gavin Walters, director at Gambling.com, added: “CasinoBeats gives the chance to talk openly on topics happening right now in the casino space. The Gambling.com group were happy to feature on a panel to share some of our experiences in a fast-paced market.”

Stewart Darkin, managing director of CasinoBeats, commented: “With the 2019 CasinoBeats Summit now just three months away, the excitement and momentum is really starting to build. Once again we are looking to raise the bar in terms of both content and networking, with operators and leading suppliers at the heart of the event.”

Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and founder of SBC, added: “The CasinoBeats Summit has quickly become a key part of the SBC Events portfolio and we’re excited to once again welcome senior executives from leading companies in the online casino sector to London, to what is a significantly bigger Summit than in 2018.

“Our events have become the place to network and meet the key decision makers, thinkers and influencers from the gambling sector. The CasinoBeats Summit will be no different.”

The CasinoBeats Summit takes place at Olympia London on September 17-20, alongside Betting on Sports Week – learn more and buy tickets for the Summit here

To find out more about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities at the Summit, please contact sales@sbcgaming.com

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Recording a 57.1 per cent revenue increase to $1.28bn (2018: $816.1m), operating income reached $182.4m, a 5.9 per cent jump from $172.1m, but net income tumbled 9.6 per cent as it finished at $41m, down from 2018’s $45.4m.

Adjusted EBITDAR for the period rose 61.3 per cent to $391.4m (2018: $242.6m), with that figure reducing to $183.5m when accounting for lease payments, representing a 44.8 per cent boost from the previous year’s $126.7m.

Timothy Wilmott, CEO of Penn National, said of the firm’s quarterly performance: “Despite weather-related impacts to several properties during the first quarter, we’re pleased to have met our adjusted EBITDAR guidance after a one-time adjustment of $3.1m for expenses related to a customer loyalty point liability true-up related to prior periods.

“This accomplishment highlights our property-level management team’s consistent ability to maintain or increase margins, even in a challenging revenue environment.

“In addition, we closed our accretive acquisition of Margaritaville in Bossier City, Louisiana in early January, and we now expect to close our accretive acquisition of Greektown Casino-Hotel in Detroit, Michigan, by the end of May.”

Before providing a further update regarding ongoing development and merger and acquisition activity: “Our $300m acquisition of the operations of Greektown provides us entry into an industry-leading 19th jurisdiction, and adds another stable regional gaming market to Penn National’s already diverse property portfolio. Notably, Greektown will have the largest single property database in our loyalty program.

“The transaction will be funded with a combination of cash on hand and debt and we expect to close the transaction before the end of this month.

“Our development projects in Pennsylvania, including the $120m Hollywood Casino York and the $111m Hollywood Casino Morgantown, remain on track.

“The construction timetable for both facilities is anticipated to be 12-18 months following all requisite approvals, including final licensing by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.”

Concluding, Wilmott looked into the ongoing synergies of Penn’s $2.8bn Pinnacle Entertainment purchase: “We continue to make great strides with the integration of the Pinnacle properties, having achieved $40m of run rate cost synergies as of March 31, 2019, which contributed to our ability to meet adjusted EBITDAR guidance.

“As we continue to apply best practices across the enterprise we now anticipate at least $115m of cost synergies, with a run rate of $55m in 2019 and an additional $60m expected by the end of 2020.

“In addition, we remain highly focused on driving revenue synergies, which will start with our combined player loyalty program, mychoice. We expect to have all of our properties on the single platform by the end of July, and are well-positioned to achieve incremental adjusted EBITDAR associated with revenue synergies related to Pinnacle in the range of $15-$20m. The majority of these revenue synergies should be realised in 2020 and 2021.”

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