SiGMA Group has announced the postponement of its flagship gaming summit in Malta, due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. 

Organisers had scheduled SiGMA 2020 for 17-19 November 2020, but the worsening COVID-19 infection rates in Malta, and continued international travel disruption, has forced the event to be postponed until 16-18 February 2021. 

Explaining the decision SiGMA Group Founder, Eman Pulis, said:

“SiGMA 2020 was due to take place this Nov, the show was sold out and we were extremely excited for this edition to take place. However COVID-19 had other plans and therefore we have decided to postpone the show for another 3 months. 

“I must send my gratitude to all the exhibitors who agreed to move their participation at SiGMA with us. I look forward to the new dates and I look forward to welcoming you all with arms wide open.”

Like other event organisers, SiGMA’s planned schedule for 2020 has been badly disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the group has pivoted towards digital events, and its digital LatAm event is still scheduled for 22-24 September, followed by additional digital summits later in October covering the Med Tech and Med Cann sectors. 

SiGMA’s line-up of in-person events for 2021 now includes the rescheduled SiGMA Europe (Feb.), SiGMA Asia (May), and SiGMA Americas (Sept.)

AYO.NEWS says:

Given the fact Malta now has the second highest COVID-19 infection rate in the EU (after Spain), and around half of all European countries have either restricted or banned travel to the country, this was inevitable. 

Though we sincerely hope SiGMA can go-ahead in February 2021, the question has to be asked; with even the World Health Organisation now warning people to expect years of disruption, and the chances of an effective vaccine being confirmed, tested, and rolled out, before February 2021, effectively zero, what is likely to change between now and February?

‘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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Industry conferences and exhibitions will return to Malta with a bang in March, with the launch of Spring iGaming Week. 

Delivered jointly by SBC Events, KPMG Malta and GamingMalta, SIW2021 offers senior executives an irresistible series of high-profile industry business and networking events that will once again draw gaming professionals from all over the world to the island. 

Kicking the week off is the KPMG Malta Gaming eSummit. In its third year, the eSummit will host 400 senior and C-level gaming industry executives at the Westin Dragonara in St Julian’s on Monday 22nd March. 

The centrepiece of Spring iGaming Week is CasinoBeats Summit 2021, which will take place at the InterContinental in St Julian’s on Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th March. CBS2021 will welcome up to 2,000 delegates to two full days of conference content, exhibition and networking. 

The two events will combine to offer visitors three days of outstanding opportunity and three consecutive nights of high-quality networking, culminating in the CBS2021 closing poker party, Molly’s Malta Game, which will be hosted by Casino Malta and US poker legend, author and entrepreneur Molly Bloom. 

SBC CEO & Founder, Rasmus Sojmark, said:

“After a challenging 2020, we’re really excited to launch Spring iGaming Week with our partners at KPMG Malta and GamingMalta.

“Spring is a time for new beginnings and we cannot wait for physical events to return to the betting and gaming sector after more than a year without any – and what better place to do it than Malta,” he continued.

“Alongside our partners, we look forward to welcoming the world’s igaming professionals to the island for a week that we expect to be a fixture in the industry calendar for years to come. We’re especially excited to hear from the countless games geniuses based in Malta, as part of the Developer Showcase at the CasinoBeats Summit.”

After a year off the events circuit, the Game Developer Showcase offers games providers the chance to present recent launches and to unveil exciting new titles for 2021. There will also be a clutch of Game Developer Awards, voted for by a panel of judges and by the audience on the day.

Ivan Filletti, Chief Operating Officer of GamingMalta, added:

“We are looking forward to seeing the CasinoBeats Summit return to Malta in March and are excited to be working with our partners on the first ever Spring iGaming Week.

“We believe that Malta is gaming’s heartland and it is fitting that the return of physical conferences and exhibitions to the sector will be on the island.”

Commenting on the collaboration, Russell Mifsud, Director and Gaming Lead for KPMG Malta, said:

“We are delighted to be kicking off Malta’s inaugural Spring iGaming Week with our KPMG Malta Gaming eSummit. 

“The eSummit is an invitation-only conference, reserved for executives and thought leaders. We bring together some of the brightest minds in the industry to discuss, deliberate and anticipate the industry’s challenges, while also exploring the sustainable opportunities, in the comfort of one’s peers. 

“It is a privilege to be working alongside SBC and GamingMalta, both of whom have greatly supported the evolution of Malta’s igaming sphere over recent years.

“CasinoBeats itself is recognised as a sought-after conference, and we believe that SIW will prove to be a week held in high regard on a global scale”

The CasinoBeats Summit 2021 takes place at the InterContinental in St Julian’s, Malta, on March 22-24, as part of the inaugural Spring iGaming Week. Learn more about the event here

Gaming Realms is entering the US state of Pennsylvania, after extending its partnership with Rush Street Interactive. 

The London Stock Exchange-listed iGaming developer and licensor, which already had a deal with Rush Street covering the distribution of its Slingo Originals in New Jersey, says the extended agreement will see its games integrated directly into Rush Street’s platform.

This will allow Gaming Realm’s products to go live in Pennsylvania, and any future markets Rush Street enters. 

Discussing the extended deal executive chairman of Gaming Realms, Michael Buckley, said:

“We are thrilled to be expanding our existing licensing agreement with Rush Street Interactive, a major player in the US gaming industry which has recently announced its intention to list on the New York Stock Exchange. 

“The agreement underscores the quality and popularity of the Group’s Slingo games portfolio, and we are delighted to be able to bring our content to a new audience in the US as we increase our market share.

“We look forward to continue working closely with RSI, focusing on our shared commitment to create and offer exciting and innovative content for players across all markets.”

AYO.NEWS says:

After a challenging 2019, Gaming Realms has found itself well positioned to capitalise on the boom in non-sports betting gaming products in the first half of 2020. This, coupled with an expansion of its deal with Rush Street, giving it access to the very promising US iGaming markets, seems to bode well for the company.

Staying with Rush Street, earlier this month, the company announced a partnership with slot developer Habanero covering Latin America and the United States. 

‘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

Indian multi-game platform Gamezop has raised $4.3 million in a Series A funding round led by BITKRAFT Ventures. 

Gamezop licenses HTML5 games from top developers and seamlessly embeds them inside some of the world’s most popular apps, and has established itself in India with 34 million active monthly users. 

The funding round also attracted participation from Velo Partners, and Survam Partners. Gamezop says it plans to use the new capital to expand into Southeast Asia and Latin America, introduce more skill-based, real money (as opposed to virtual currency) gaming formats.

Founded in 2016 by siblings Yashash and Gaurav Agarwal, Gamezop achieved profitability in 2017, and now embeds games inside 1,600 popular apps including Samsung My Galaxy, India Today, Firefox, Xiaomi Play, and MX Player. 

Discussing the funding round, Gamezop CEO and Co-Founder, Yashash Agarwal, said:

“Hyper-casual games are quickly becoming mobile gaming’s most popular genre and with Gamezop, non-gaming apps and websites can seamlessly integrate games within 30 minutes, resulting in increased engagement and revenue almost instantly.

“BITKRAFT Ventures is the clear thought leader when it comes to esports, gaming, and immersive entertainment. They were at the top of our list when we began to look for investment partners to help us grow the business.”

While BITKRAFT Founding General Partner, Malta Barth, added:

“We are excited to partner with a team that has successfully solved the distribution problem when it comes to HTML5-based gaming. The fact that an astounding 97% of smartphone users in India have at least two Gamezop integrated apps on their phone is a testament to this.

“With Gamezop, you can play hundreds of games, competitively or casually, without installing a single app, creating a seamless gaming experience. Real-money gaming in India is expected to reach a valuation of $1.7 billion by 2022 and Gamezop is poised to become a major player in the space.”

Apps that partner with Gamezop have reported time spent by users increases an average of 40%, and they also benefit from a 50% revenue split with the company. 

In addition to the free-to-play casual gaming format, the platform has also introduced a popular esports format, allowing users to compete on skill-based games to win cash prizes directly from their mobile devices, without the need to install individual games.

AYO.NEWS says:

The Indian gaming market is one of the most exciting spaces in the world right now, with huge potential for rapid growth – something BITKRAFT Ventures clearly recognises. 

Also interesting is the way hyper casual games, like those offered by Gamezop, are now blurring the lines with traditional iGaming, as hyper-casual games move into the real-money vertical, and online casino game developers start to integrate social and skill-based aspects into their offerings. 

Staying with India, just last week Gaming Innovation Group’s (GiG) online gambling guide Super Lenny launched a localised version in the country. 

‘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

White label iGaming services provider Soft2Bet has launched online casino and sportsbook brand Irokobet, targeting New Zealand and Africa. 

The new offering is Soft2Bet’s 20th white label partner launch, following on from brands like CampoBet, Wazamba, and Frumzi, and is targeted at New Zealand and several African markets.

Soft2Bet is providing a fully tailored B2B solution with a full suite of casino games and sportsbook wagering, virtual content, and live casino games. 

Additionally, Soft2Bet has said it intends to expand its software licensing agreements, with the company currently having accreditation from Sweden’s Spelinspektionen, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), and Curacao’s Gaming Control Board. 

Commenting on the news CEO at Soft2Bet, Boris Chaikin, said:

“With a world class selection of casino, live casino and sportsbook offerings, Irokobet is a highly advanced B2B solution, tailor-made for operators looking to expand their player base.

“Soft2Bet has gone from strength to strength in recent weeks with an impressive succession of unique launches. Armed with a cutting-edge product suite utilising state-of-the-art technology, we’re here to deliver for partners across the globe.”

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The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has warned gambling operators to comply with age restrictions or face consequences.

In a new report, the ASA says it identified four unnamed gambling operators running a total of 70 betting adverts on eight websites that are accessible by minors. 

According to the ASA, it employed “CCTC-style” monitoring tools to look for online advertising related to gambling, along with alcohol, tobacco, weight control, and other “adult” products and services. 

In total, 159 adverts, placed by 35 advertisers, across 34 websites and five YouTube channels, were deemed to have broken the ASA’s rules. Gambling ads were the second worst offenders, after high fat, sugar and salt edibles (HFSS). 

Discussing the findings ASA chief executive, Guy Parker, said:

“The ASA is using technology to proactively monitor online ads to help build a culture of zero tolerance for age-restricted ads appearing on websites aimed at children.

“We expect advertisers and the parties they contract with to use the sophisticated tools available to them to target their ads responsibly. This is just one part of a wider set of initiatives we’re undertaking to ensure children are protected online and we’ll report on our further work in this area in the coming months.”

The ASA did not state if the offending gambling operators were licensed with the UK Gambling Commission or not, but said it will be contacting each of the companies in question and warning them that it will not tolerate any future infractions. 

A further three such monitoring exercises are scheduled to take place over the next year. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Out of all the ‘Nanny State’ agencies in the UK, the ASA has most frequently demonstrated a flagrant disregard for logic, fairness, and consistency in its comments and rulings, so it’s incredibly hard to take anything it says seriously anymore.  

One of the major issues here is how the ASA defines “accessible by minors” – because pretty much EVERY single website is accessible by minors. And, we have to remember, this is an agency that thinks under 25’s should be virtually classified as ‘minors’ when it comes to gambling! 

Furthermore, given the complete lack of understanding of all things internet and website-related the ASA has demonstrated in the past, we can’t even be certain if the operators in question were targeting minors at all, or if the ads were simply mistargeted due to technical issues. 

In reality, if the offending parties aren’t even UK-licensed, there’s probably not going to be much the ASA can do about it, except roll around on the floor, throwing a tantrum like the snowflakes they are. 

‘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