The UK’s Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has issued an urgent call for government help to mitigate the effects of the escalating COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis.

First and foremost, the BGC is calling for the government to provide emergency assistance to help companies cover employment costs. It is also asking for tax relief and access to emergency finance.

According to the BGC, casinos are facing an immediate crisis, as customer levels drop 90% and tourism completely stops. High street betting shops are also facing a decrease of up to 60% on sports betting alone, as major sporting events around the world are postponed or axed.

The recently confirmed cancellation of the Grand National in the UK will add to the stresses, as some bookies were hoping horse racing would still go ahead, albeit behind closed doors.

BGC members directly employ some 70,000 people across the UK, and contributed £3.2 billion in taxes last year alone.

The council has pointed to measures introduced in other countries, like the temporary support in Spain to cover 70% of payroll costs. France has also announced plans to guarantee €300 billion of business loans, while the Danish government has pledged to cover 75% of the wages of staff who risk redundancy over the next three months.

The BGC is also calling on banks to extend existing SME support, including interest suspension and payment holidays.

Emphasising the seriousness of the situation, BGC Chief Executive Michael Dugher, said:

“We face an unprecedented challenge to keep both customers and staff safe during the COVID-19 health crisis.

“Like all other parts of the hospitality, leisure and entertainment industries, the immediate priority for the future of our members in the casino, bingo and betting industry is the ability to pay staff. We urgently need temporary government support to help cover payroll costs, relief and time to pay duties and taxes, as well as access to finance. Treasury in particular need to step up and understand that insurance simply doesn’t cover the impact of a pandemic.

“We are speaking with the Government to ensure they are fully aware of the crisis facing our members and discussing the steps necessary to help the leisure industry and their staff through this incredibly challenging period.

“This is a national emergency. The Government’s public health response has to be matched in scale by emergency help for businesses and employees. The Treasury cannot let people in the hospitality, leisure and entertainment hang out to dry”.

AYO.NEWS says:

While we totally agree with the sentiments expressed by the BGC, it would be foolish to think the government can provide any realistic support in this situation, given the massive amounts of funding it will need to find for the National Health Service, police, and armed forces as they respond to the situation, not to mention the fact that EVERY other sector of the economy is also demanding help at the same time – all while the government faces a catastrophic collapse in tax revenues, and a worldwide financial crisis.

Just yesterday we reported that several major betting firms, including Flutter Entertainment, William Hill, and GVC Holdings, had issued warnings regarding the COVID-19 crisis.

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

AffiliateCon Sofia is the latest industry event to fall victim to the growing COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis engulfing Europe.

The third edition of the conference, scheduled to take place on 12-13 May in Sofia, Bulgaria, has now been postponed until the same dates in 2021.

The move follows the Bulgarian government’s declaration of a state of emergency, which will last until at least the end of April, and likely be extended.

Even without the state of emergency in Bulgaria, with European borders shutting down, flights being suspended, and many individual companies banning business travel, holding the event would have been pointless.

Commenting on the news Founder of AffiliateCon, Julian Perry, said:

“After two years of building the event, this year – with many brands already committed and hundreds of affiliates already registered – was set to truly establish AffiliateCon on the gaming calendar.

“In light of the coronavirus situation, now declared a global pandemic, we are left with no other choice but to postpone the event.”

In an attempt to salvage something from the planned event, AffiliateCon will hold a virtual conference on 12 May 2020, and will be releasing more details soon.

AYO.NEWS says:

This announcement was no surprise. With the economic fallout from the crisis now snowballing into a global disaster of its own, companies across many industries will be bracing for the worst, but it is obviously going to hit event organisers, venues and suppliers especially hard.

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

B2B gaming supplier Push Gaming is partnering with Hero Gaming’s new flagship casino brand, Boom Casino, for an exclusive promotion.

Hero Gaming says it launched Boom Casino at the start of February 2020 in response to extensive player interviews and feedback, and claims its sets a “new standard for the modern casino experience” and was created with the “next generation of player in mind.”

The Boom Casino site is said to offer a “wealth of cutting-edge features” and be fully customisable, featuring industry leading game data, search technology, and UX technology to help players make game selections, while an experts’ area provides game reviews and trivia.

To help introduce the casino to new players, Push Gaming and Boom Casino will be rewarding every new account registered with a €20 deposit with a bonus round on Push Gaming’s popular Jammin’ Jars slot. Players depositing €50 or more will get two bonus rounds, with potential wins of up to €8K.

To ensure every player can take advantage of the promotion, Jammin’ Jars will completely take over Boom Casino’s landing page.

Discussing the collaboration Chief Commercial Officer at Boom Casino, Sam Brown, said:

“Our latest flagship casino is designed for the next generation player; defining the future casino experience as it should be. It made perfect sense for us to collaborate with one of the industry’s most forward-thinking gaming developers.

“A firm chart staple since its launch in 2018, we’re sure that Push Gaming’s Jammin’ Jars will be the ideal promotional addition to introduce players to a whole new world of gaming.”

While Senior Account Manager at Push Gaming, Jack Riley, added:

“We’re delighted to announce our partnership with Boom Casino. The quality of the product that they have managed to achieve speaks for itself, and we’re thrilled to be collaborating together.

“For us, the similarities between the two products on offer are clear to see, both heavily focused on user experience and a ‘players first’ mentality. We’re sure that Boom Casino is set to be on to a winner with one of the most exciting and valuable bonus rounds in the industry.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Every time a new online casino launches it claims to be different and cutting-edge, but are any of them really offering anything new? Will they really appeal to younger generations, or is the iGaming sector well and truly stuck in a rut?

Watch out for our upcoming interview with the founder of Native Gaming, for a totally different take on the online casino and slot games…

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

In an unprecedented move, casino operators have begun shuttering their properties along the Las Vegas Strip, as the COVID-19 pandemic worsens.

Wynn Resorts & MGM Resorts close Strip properties

First to move was Wynn Resorts, which announced it will be closing its two luxury properties in on the Strip from Tuesday. MGM Resorts soon followed suit, confirming it will be ceasing casino operations today (Monday 16^th March), and closing all 13 Strip properties on Tuesday.

In a statement Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts said:

“Despite our commitment to dedicating additional resources for cleaning and promoting good health, while making difficult decisions to close certain aspects of our operations, it is now apparent that this is a public health crisis that requires major collective action if we are to slow its progression.

“This is a time of uncertainty across our country and the globe and we must all do our part to curtail the spread of this virus. We will plan to reopen our resorts as soon as it safe to do so and we will continue to support our employees, guests, and communities in every way that we can during this period of closure.”

Boyd Gaming closes properties in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio

The news from Vegas was swiftly followed by Boyd Gaming announcing the closure of its Belterra Casino Resort and Blue Chip Casino Hotel and Spa in Indiana; Belterra Park in Ohio; and Par-A-Dice Casino Hotel in Illinois.

The company closed Belterra Park on Friday at midnight, in response to an order from the Ohio Department of Public Health prohibiting mass gatherings of 100 or more people.

Par-A-Dice closed Sunday at midnights, in compliance with a notice from the Illinois Gaming Board, which has ordered all casinos in the state to close until Monday, 30^th March.

Belterra Resort and Blue Chip will close today (16^th March) at 6am local time, in compliance with order from the Indiana Gaming Commission. Again, this order will last until at least Monday, 30^th March.

Valley Forge Casino Resort, Pennsylvania, will also remain closed, following an order from the Governor of Pennsylvania to close all entertainment venues in Montgomery County.

Maryland orders all casinos, racetracks and betting facilities closed

On Sunday, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan issued an emergency order, effective from midnight on 16^th March, to close all casinos, racetracks and betting facilities in the state, indefinitely.

The order affects, MGM National Harbor, Live! Casino & Hotel, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, Hollywood Casino Perryville, Ocean Downs Casino, Rocky Gap Casino Resort, Pimlico Race Course, Timonium Race Course, Fair Hill Races, Rosecroft Raceway, Ocean Downs, and all simulcast betting facilities.

AYO.NEWS says:

Given global developments with the COVID-19 pandemic, we very much doubt any of these casinos or betting facilities will be reopening any time soon, and expect all to remain closed indefinitely.

Though the closure of casinos and retail betting facilities would, at first glance, seem likely to boost online and mobile sports betting, the fact that virtually all major sports in the US has also shutdown means this is unlikely. Though maybe virtual sports betting and esports betting could see a slight benefit in the short terms as bettors look for alternatives.

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

German lawmakers have approved new regulations to legalise online poker and casino in the country from 1^st July 2021.

The Glücksspielneuregulierungstaatsvertrag (GlüNeuRStv) will now need to be ratified by each state parliament, and then submitted to the European Commission for approval, before the regulations can be introduced.

In a move that has taken some in the industry by surprise, it has been decided to establish a new regulatory authority, based in Sacshen-Anhalt. Most had expected any new authority to be based in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Schleswig-Holstein, Baden-Württemberg or Hesse (the state handling the sports betting licensing process).

Draconian restrictions on live betting and slots

Reports suggest the GlüNeuRStv was approved without any major changes, meaning sports betting, online poker and online casino games, including slots, will be permitted subject to significant restrictions.

Live sports betting will be limited to final result and next scorer markets only, while slots will be subject to a €1 per spin staking limit, autoplay functions banned and jackpots prohibited. Individual states will be able to decide whether or not to allow table games, and could make them the exclusive preserve of their lotteries.

All providers will be subject to a mandatory deposit limit of €1,000, and operators will not be allowed to advertise gambling between 6am and 9pm.

Enforcement action against unlicensed operators

Until the GlüNeuRStv comes into force, the third State Treaty, limiting the market to online sports betting, will remain in force until 30^th June 2021. Despite the third State Treaty coming into force in

January 2020, as of February, the processing body (Regional Council of Darmstadt, Hesse state) had not yet approved any of the 30 license applications it has received. Another 20 operators are thought to be interested in applying for a German license under the third State Treaty.

Authorities have vowed to take enforcement action against any operators who have not applied for a license but continue to offer services to Germans.

AYO.NEWS says:

While the introduction of clear, coherent national regulatory framework is to be welcomed in Germany, the draconian restrictions placed on slots and live betting, along with harsh advertising rules, will make Germany a very tough market to succeed in.

For some, especially gambling affiliates that are heavily exposed to Germany, the news could be particularly painful. Catena Media’s share price tumbled on the news, sinking as low as 11.17 SEK at the time of writing. As recently as 21 February, Catena’s shares had been trading at 33.68 SEK.  

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

US President Donald Trump has banned all travel from mainland Europe to the US for at least 30 days, and Denmark has followed Italy into lockdown, in response to the global COVID-19 virus crisis.

Europe-US travel shutdown

In an address to the nation from the Oval Office, Trump blamed European countries for not acting quickly enough to stop the COVID-19 (coronavirus) spread, and ordered a suspension of all flights from mainland Europe, effective from midnight on Friday, Eastern Standard Time.

Flights to and from the UK and Ireland are not affected at the moment. Although British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to make an important announcement later this morning, which could well include travel bans from the UK to Europe – cutting off European’s only realistic route into the US.

Denmark follows Italy into lockdown

Meanwhile, overnight Denmark became the second European country to go into nationwide lockdown, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announcing the closure of all schools, universities and kindergartens, the banning of indoor events, sending non-critical public sector workers home, and asking private sector workers to work from home.

Borders start shutting within Europe

Elsewhere in Europe, on Wednesday Malta took the unprecedented step of suspending flights to and from Germany, France, Spain and Switzerland (travel to and from Italy was banned on Monday). Austria and Slovenia have all but closed their borders with Italy, only allowing travel to those with a medical certificate. Switzerland has also closed many border crossings with Italy.

Poland has closed all schools, museum and cinemas, and Ukraine has ordered all educational establishments to shut in the capital Kiev.

Meanwhile, Belgium, Bulgaria and Albania have reported their first COVID-19 deaths.

We will keep you up to date with developments…

AYO.NEWS says:

While these lockdowns are catching most people off guard, the writing was on the wall for Europe back in January, when the Chinese authorities took such extreme measures to stop the spread of the virus, despite it crippling their economy. In fact, here at AYO.NEWS, we speculated that a global travel shutdown was likely as long ago as 29^th January (see GLOBAL TRAVEL LOCKDOWN IMMINENT?).

While, over the last few weeks, we’ve been covering individual gaming, esports, sporting and blockchain industry events that have been postponed or cancelled, we must now surely assume EVERY event, at least in Europe, North America and Asia, is going to be affected.

Considering the virus is now spreading everywhere from Iceland to Qatar and everywhere in-between, we must now also accept that the onset of warm temperatures in summer is unlikely to stop it. Hence, those organisers who’ve merely postponed their events for a month or so, should very seriously consider indefinite postponement.

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.