Clarion has announced new dates for the 2021 editions of ICE London and iGB Affiliate London.

According to the company, ICE London will now take place from 29 June to 1 July, at the ExCel London Exhibition Centre, while iGB Affiliate London will be held at the same venue on 1 and 2 July. 

New dates have also been confirmed for iGB Live 2021 in Amsterdam, which is now set to go ahead from 28 September to 1 October. 

ICE London 2021 had already been postponed from February to April, but Clarion has delayed the event again to allow more time for the industry to stabilise and travel restrictions to lift. 

Commenting on the news Clarion Gaming managing director, Kate Chambers, said:

“This extension provides a number of important advantages compared with April, not least enabling the very best possible space configurations and accessibility at ExCeL London.

“As well as the significant logistical benefits, we are also very much aware that it provides additional market recovery time – which we believe will further enhance and support the delivery, outcomes and experiences for all participants.

“The whole team is excited about this new chapter for our events to deliver the experience that you rightly expect from ICE London and iGB Affiliate London – and I very much look forward to any feedback that you may have.”

A series of digital events, called ‘The Road to ICE and iGB 2021’ will be held from February, providing exclusive previews and networking opportunities. 

AYO.NEWS says:

While we admire the optimism of Clarion Gaming, given the current situation in the UK, it’s hard to put much faith in the new dates. 

With no effective vaccine likely to be widely available for many months, if not years, the outbreak showing no signs of slowing down, and the hopes of so-called ‘herd immunity’ vanishing with the discovery that antibodies only last a few months, it seems certain the COVID-19 crisis will still be with us far into 2021. 

Given that, and the fact that as long as the outbreak continues we’re likely to see continued local lockdowns being introduced at a moment’s notice (already around a third of the UK’s population are under lockdown restrictions), continued nationwide curfews on bars and restaurants, and bans on group gatherings (currently limited to just 6 people nationwide), and constantly changing travel and quarantine restrictions, its extremely difficult to see how any large events will be permitted, even next summer.

‘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

NetEnt’s Live Casino games are now available to Svenska Spel Sport & Casino players. 

Following a successful integration, NetEnt’s Blitz Blackjack, Auto Roulette Studio, and Perfect Blackjack games are live with the Swedish state-owned operator, significantly increasing the supplier’s reach in the important market. 

Over the past year, NetEnt has made major improvements to its Live Casino portfolio, launching new games and optimising player experience with better UIs, graphics and usability. The partnership will also give Svenska Spel Sport & Casino access to marketing tools with tailored campaigns to improve acquisition and retention. 

Commenting on the news Director of NetEnt Live, Andres Rengifo, said:

“We are proud that all the hard work we have put into our offering is showing in the products. Launching with Svenska Spel Sport & Casino is a major step in the growth of our live casino business and I’m sure that their players will enjoy our games.”

While VP Casino at Svenska Spel Sport & Casino, Jonas Nygren, added:

“We are very happy to have NetEnt Live on-board and look forward to be offering their games to our players. We believe NetEnt´s existing and upcoming games have value to offer our players.”

Staying with NetEnt, yesterday the company announced a major partnership with Scientific Games in the United States. 

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

Online casino supplier NetEnt has announced a partnership with Scientific Games in the United States. 

The agreement will see NetEnt’s content launched on Scientific Games’ OpenGaming platform in US markets.

Several NetEnt releases have already been integrated and are available to partners in New Jersey, with launches in Michigan and Pennsylvania planned soon. 

Commenting on the news VP commercial, NetEnt Americas LLC, Brain Kraft, said:

“Expanding our presence in the US market is of high importance to NetEnt. Collaborating with Scientific Games leveraging the power of their OpenGaming platform made strategic sense for us, given the company’s strong reputation and partnerships with multiple US operators.

“We’re excited about working with Scientific Games in the US and look forward to launching our popular slots with more operators in the coming months.”

NetEnt saw revenue grow 37% year-on-year, to SEK 573m ($64m USD), in the second quarter of 2020, powered in part by growth in the United States.  

In September, NetEnt expanded its US reach with BetMGM in West Virginia, and was selected by long-term partner Hard Rock International to deliver its  OpenSports™ and OpenGaming solutions across regulated markets in the U.S. 

AYO.NEWS says:

The COVID-19 crisis has clearly catalysed the demand for online casino in the fledgling US markets, and suppliers like NetEnt, which established a foothold in the country early on are now well placed to capitalise on the potentially huge opportunities. 

‘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

Following Caesars Entertainment’s agreement to acquire William Hill, 888 Holdings has expressed its interest in acquiring the British bookies’ European operations.

As reported yesterday, Caesars Entertainment has agreed to acquire William Hill in a £2.9bn ($3.72bn) deal, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval. It also confirmed it only intends to keep William Hill’s US operations, and will seek to sell its UK and European businesses. 

Now, according to the Financial Times, 888 Holdings CEO, Itai Pazner, has suggested his company may be interested in acquiring William Hill assets from Caesars, saying:

“We are going to look at any asset that can be relevant for us, and within that list, if that opportunity (to buy William Hill’s assets) comes our way, that could be relevant for us.”

888 Holdings saw revenue surge 37% year-on-year, to $379.1m, in the first half of 2020 as it benefited from a surprise uptick in online poker. Profit before tax also rocketed 130% to $50.9m. Indeed, 888 Holdings’ stock price has risen a dramatic 260% since the COVID-19 pandemic started.  

AYO.NEWS says:

Like many other online gaming operators, 888 Holdings has benefited from a surge in business during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with furlough and job support schemes winding down in many countries, including the UK and Germany, Europe is facing the real possibility of unprecedented unemployment. 

If this happens, and consumer spending power plummets, it could well be that only the biggest operators have the economy of scale to survive – so it makes sense that 888 is looking to ‘strike while the iron is hot’ and snap up William Hill’s assets… or at least online ones.  

‘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

The UK’s Gambling Commission (UKGC) has introduced new guidance regarding VIP customers. 

Aimed at tackling “irresponsible incentivisation” of high-value customers, and improving customer protection, the new rules have been formulated following a consultation process that ran from June to August. 

UK operators will now be required to conduct extensive checks on customers before enrolling them in VIP programs. In addition to on-going gambling harm checks, operators will need to ascertain the source of funds and occupation, and carry out identity verification. Crucially, operators will be required to establish that customers’ spending is affordable and sustainable.

Each VIP program will also be required to be overseen by an assigned senior executive, who must hold a personal management license (PML). They will be personally responsible for customer safety. 

Commenting on the changes Gambling Commission chief executive, Neil McArthur, said:

“We have introduced these new rules to stamp out malpractice in the management of ‘VIP’ customers and to make gambling safer. Our enforcement work has identified too many cases of misconduct in the management of VIP schemes and this is the last chance for operators to show they can operate such schemes appropriately.

“We understand that the number of customers signed up to ‘VIP’ schemes has already reduced by 70% since we challenged the industry to get its house in order, last year. Whilst that is a sign of the positive impact our innovative approach to collaborative working can have, these new rules are designed to ensure progress continues to be made to protect vulnerable customers.

“Operators can be in no doubt about our expectations. If significant improvements are not made, we will have no choice but to take further action and ban such schemes. These new rules are part of the Commission’s comprehensive programme of tougher enforcement and compliance activity which has also seen the introduction strengthened protections around online age and ID verification, improved customer interaction practices, and the banning of gambling on credit cards.”

The new rules will be enforced from 31 October 2020. 

In the coming weeks, the Commission will be launching a consultation on customer interaction, and will also be responding to a consultation on safe online game design. 

Last week, the UK’s Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) attempted to assuage the UKGC by introducing a new code of conduct covering the design of online games. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Though this is going to add a lot of extra work and responsibilities for gambling operators, everyone knew it was coming, and many would argue the industry brought it on itself. For a long time now, many operators have centred their business models around attracting a relatively small number of ‘VIP’ customers, usually via affiliate marketing networks – leaving themselves horribly vulnerable to changes like those announced by the UKGC today. 

Of course, there is an alternative approach, which involves scaling and relying on large numbers of microtransactions. This tends to be more common in the esports and crypto betting scenes, and requires extensive automation to make it viable, but it arguably results in more sustainable and resilient businesses. 

‘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.

Malta-based Betpoint Group has announced the launch of its latest brand, UltraCasino.com.

Betpoint Group Ltd, the operator behind online casino brands including 21.com and NitroCasino, is expanding its portfolio further with the launch of its most recent site UltraCasino.com.

After successfully launching its first casino, 21.com, in the summer of 2018, the company has since launched another four brands at a rapid pace.

Within the last twelve months, Betpoint Group has experienced a significant growth spurt leading to the release of JustSpin.com in October 2019, NitroCasino.com in early 2020, followed by NeonVegas.com in June, and just after two months, the brand new release of UltraCasino.com.

With its own unique twist, UltraCasino will be the latest addition to Betpoint Group’s portfolio of top quality brands.The casino will feature a new gamification tool called Ultra Charge, adding on a brand new reward system to engage players.

Commenting on the launch CEO of Betpoint Group, Karl Wijkmark, said:

“We are extremely excited to launch UltraCasino. It is marking yet another milestone for us and we could not be happier with the progress that we have made in the past twelve months. Our agile and fast-paced organisation structure, combined with our multi-brand strategy has really paid off and made an impact on the market.”