The UK’s largest trade union, UNISON, has announced a partnership with the Young Gamers & Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM). 

As part of a £10 million National Gambling Education Programme supported by members of the Betting & Gaming Council, the charity is providing free accredited workshops and resources to anyone who works with or cares for young people. 

Designed to build digital resilience, the workshops cover key information on gaming and gambling in the UK. The resources will provide UNISON members with the tools needed to safeguard young people from the potential risks of gambling and gaming-related harm, including lesson plans, activities, signs to look out for and information on where to go for advice and support. 

Research from the Children’s Commissioner shows 93% of children play video games and Gambling Commission research shows there 55,000 11-16 years olds classified as problem gamblers in England, Scotland and Wales.

Due to the COVID19 pandemic, YGAM has accelerated the digital transformation of their training so it can be delivered online. UNISON members can book onto the free session by visiting the YGAM website – https://www.ygam.org/book-a-workshop/.

Commenting on the partnership Head of Learning and Organising at UNISON, Teresa Donegan, said: 

“We are really pleased to have developed this relationship with YGAM, their training and resources are really excellent and will be an invaluable resource to our members to support them in their work with young people across public services whether it be in youth, community or social services or in the further or higher education sector.”

UNISON has over 1.3 million members and have initially organised for YGAM to run several national sessions and hope to follow this up with a host of regional training through the UNISON regional education teams across the country.

Operations Director at YGAM, Kev Clelland, added: 

“We are delighted to be working with UNISON. We are constantly listening to the needs of practitioners and young people and it is very clear from these conversations that the workers that UNISON represents need and appreciate our resources more than ever.  

“YGAM’s vision is for all young and vulnerable people to be safe from gaming and gambling related harms and this collaboration will help us reach thousands of young people to raise awareness of the potential risks of gambling and gaming related harm.”

YGAM recently launched a new leading-edge ‘Parent Hub’ website to provide resources and expert advice around gaming and gambling to support families to build up their children’s resilience and establish a healthy online/offline balance. 

The new website has received endorsements from parents, teachers, safeguarding officers and the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) who labelled the resources ‘vitally important’ for parents. www.parents.ygam.org 

AYO.NEWS says:

Here at AYO.NEWS we’ve always been very enthusiastic about education when it comes to addressing problem gambling. However, given the extremely political nature of UNISON, and it’s very particular ideological stance, there is the very real danger that this program will be hijacked to further the cause of the UK’s anti-gambling crusaders.

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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Malta-based online casino game provider Swintt has announced a partnership with White Hat Gaming. 

The deal will see Swintt’s growing product suite distributed to the casino brands running on the White Hat Gaming platform. 

The line-up includes an exclusive selection of land-based games, already popular in various European markets, plus Swintt’s portfolio of 33 proprietary games, including the recently released Sea Raiders.  

Commenting on the news CEO of Swintt, David Flynn, said:

“White Hat Gaming are known for having an industry leading platform, supporting many popular casino brands. We are ecstatic to be partnering with White Hat Gaming to see our suite of products made available to their clients.”

While CEO of White Hat Gaming, Andreas Söneby, added:

“Swintt is a provider that’s made huge strides in a very short space of time, and we are not surprised at their success given their extensive product suite. We believe their content will be welcomed by our clients and players and we look forward to seeing their games live on our platform.” 

White Hat Gaming, which is also based in Malta,is a market-leading full-service platform, regulated in multiple jurisdictions including the UK, Sweden, and Malta, offering a turnkey solution for online casino operators. 

Last month Swintt announced the launch of its games with fellow Malta-based Rootz – operator of the Wildz and Caxino online casino brands. 

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G2E Asia and G2E Asia @ the Philippines have been cancelled for 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

The American Gaming Association (AGA) and Reed Exhibitions have said that ongoing travel restrictions have made holding the events this year unfeasible.

G2E had already been postponed until this December, but is now planned to be held at The Venetian Macao from 25-27 May 2021. While G2E Asia @ the Philippines has been postponed for a year, and is now slated for 10-11 November 2021, at the Manila Marriott Hotel. 

In a statement, G2E Asia said:

“We made this difficult decision to postpone our 2020 events as continued travel and commercial restrictions present too much uncertainty.

“By shifting our focus to 2021, we can ensure that we meet the high expectations for these events that we share with our valued attendees and exhibitors.

“G2E Asia, and its organisers the American Gaming Association and Reed Exhibitions, are grateful for your continued support and apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Given the chaos in the global travel industry, with air corridors being opened up, only to be shut again with no notice, many airlines on the brink of collapse, and individual governments adding new quarantine and travel restrictions at will, this was no surprise. 

What is perhaps surprising is that some event organisers are still planning to hold in-person events this year – including SiGMA in Malta, despite Malta now suffering one of the worst COVID-19 infection rates in Europe, and many countries and regions, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, and parts of Italy, having already put the country on their quarantine lists. 

Let’s be totally honest here, with the virus rapidly mutating into different strains and spreading out of control, the chances of things getting “back to normal” in 2021 even are looking remote. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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

Online slots and table games developer Spearhead Studios has secured Romanian certification.

The EveryMatrix-owned studio, which released five new titles in July, will now be offering games like Lara Jones is Cleopatra, Popstar and Wilds of Wall Street in the rapidly growing market. 

Since launching in November 2019, Spearhead has released 20 slots and table games, all certified in Malta, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Colombia, and now Romania too. 

Commenting on the news Managing Director of Spearhead Studios, Mathias Larsson, said:

“We are a young company with big ambitions. Getting our games certified in multiple jurisdictions, including Romania, is what will help us push through and bring excitement to players around Europe and beyond.

“We also got our Colombia certification in June and our Group company, EveryMatrix, is now gearing up to enter the US, which is exciting news. I am looking forward to seeing Spearhead Studios thrive around the globe in many regulated markets.”

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FansUnite has completed its acquisition of iGaming software development firm Askott Entertainment. 

The deal has seen FansUnite absorb all outstanding securities of Askott Entertainment, through a three-cornered amalgamation pursuant, and aims to create a leading online gaming company offering sports and esports wagering. 

Vancouver-based Askott Entertainment was founded in 2013, and has since been creating B2B and B2C betting products, including the esports-focused Chameleon Gaming Platform.

Former Askott CEO, Scott Burton, has been appointed CEO of FansUnite, with Darius Eghdami taking up position of President.

Discussing developments President of FansUnite, Darius Eghdami, said:

“With the Askott acquisition now complete, FansUnite is well positioned to become a leader in the global I-gaming market. The combined forces of both companies will bring together a portfolio of B2B and B2C assets that are unique, industry leading, and support our goal of growing our global footprint in the fast growing gaming industry.”

While FansUnite CEO, Scott Burton, added:

“We are pleased to announce the closing of this transaction as it represents one of our biggest milestones to date and allows us to turn our attention to the future. Our intention as a company has always been to scale and capture market share quickly. 

“With that in mind we have brought together a world class team of executives and board members that have led some of the largest gaming companies in the world. With their help, we will look to execute on our vision of becoming a leader in the global gaming market.”

In February, Askott Entertainment announced a partnership with Curacao-licensed online bookmaker Pinnacle, to provide new esports betting markets with its Chameleon Gaming Platform. A few months later, in April, AYO.NEWS’ very own Simona Pinterova caught up with Pinnacle CEO, Paris Smith, to talk about how the operator was embracing esports betting.

AYO.NEWS says:

After years of traditional online bookies keeping esports betting at arms length, and dedicated esports wagering sites focusing only on their passion, we’re now seeing several businesses move into the space with a truly sophisticated and wholistic approach, aimed at providing the kind of integrated entertainment product millennials expect.

Just hours ago we reported that Malta-headquartered Esports Entertainment Group, operator of esports betting platform vie.gg, had announced another acquisition in the form of mobile sports games studio FLIP sports. 

And, last week, Las Vegas-based gabling company GameCo announced the launch of esports and skill-based iGaming betting brand iGameCo. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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

Greentube, the NOVOMATIC Interactive division, has extended its partnership with 888casino to the Italian market. 

The agreement will see Greentube’s online adaptations of popular titles from the Italian land-based casino market go live with 888casino in the Italian online market. Players will be able to enjoy fan-favourites like Book of Ra™ deluxe as well as Lucky Lady’s Charm™ deluxe and Dolphin’s Pearl™ deluxe.

Greentube titles have been available in Italy since 2018, and the company anticipates a warm reception for its online versions. 

Commenting on the news CFO/CGO of Greentube, Michael Bauer, said:

“888 is one of the biggest brands in the industry and our successful partnership has enabled us to reach a wide player base in the regions we have entered together. We expect Italy will deliver equal success, and through this cooperation we will significantly strengthen our position in the country.”

While SVP of B2C at 888, Guy Cohen, added:

“At 888, we are focused on offering our customers a wide portfolio of engaging and entertaining content. With the addition of Greentube’s premium games portfolio to our Italian platform, customers can enjoy a variety of titles. We are excited by this partnership and look forward to building on it.”

Staying with Greentube, last month the company expanded its UK presence by partnering with Poland-based sportsbook and casino operator STS. 

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