Gaming Archives

November 13, 2023

Kenya Gambling Control Bill 2023 proposes new regulator and sweeping reform

Kenya has introduce a Gambling Control Bill in an effort to establish a new Gambling Regulatory Authority.

The Gambling Control Bill 2023, currently before parliament, establishes a new Gambling Regulatory Authority. Once approved, it will replace the current Betting, Control and Licensing Board (BCLB).

KENyA GAMBLING CONTROL BILL 2023 TO INTRODUCE NEW AUTHORITY

Incorporating the board’s present mandate, the new Authority will also be responsible for both licensing and regulation.

“The bill seeks to regulate betting, casinos and other forms of gambling, including the authorisation of prize competitions, public lotteries and media promotions,” the bill states.

The state-backed Gambling Control Bill is sponsored by National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah.

Cracking down on unlicensed and underage gambling

The newly-introduced Gambling Control Bill is designed to greatly enhance the board’s original mandate.

This follows previous statements in 2022 that the majorit..

November 10, 2023

Affordability checks: GC chief dismisses black market fears

GC chief executive Andrew Rhodes again dismissed arguments that “intrusive” affordability checks would drive customers towards the black market.

In a bid to quell the gathering storm around affordability checks, Andrew Rhodes, the Gambling Commission’s (GC) chief executive, addressed the largest-ever gathering of industry leaders on the 10 November.

Amid conflicts with stakeholders across the UK betting landscape, Rhodes looked to outline the challenges the industry faces with the implementation of the government’s Gambling Act Review white paper.

Affordability polarisation

Acknowledging the increasing polarisation within the industry, Rhodes looked to re-iterate the Commission’s impartiality as an independent regulator.

“We have clear statutory objectives and responsibilities. We don’t have a commercial interest in what happens, but that doesn’t mean we ignore commercial realities,” he said.

“The debate on gambling has been exceptionally hard to engage in during the past year. ..

November 10, 2023

Lithuania revenue up to €161m in first nine months after online growth

Gross gambling revenue (GGR) in Lithuania increased by 15.2% year-on-year to €161.0m (£140.8m/$172.1m) during the nine months to 30 September, driven by growth within the remote gambling sector.

Revenue was comfortably higher than the $139.8m reported in the same period last year. The Gaming Control Authority, which regulates gambling in Lithuania, recorded growth across both the online and land-based markets.

Remote gambling led the way with €107.0m in GGR, up 24.4% from €86.0m last year. Land-based gambling GGR also edged up 0.4% to €54.0m for the period.

Lithuania online slots revenue exceeds €72m

Online slot machines generated the most revenue during the nine-month period. GGR from Category A online slots reached $69.5m, up 33.7%, while Category B slots GGR increased 18.2% to €2.6m.

Total GGR from online slot machines for the reporting period amounted to €72.1m.

As for other online revenue, sports betting revenue fell 1.1% to €26.1m but table games GGR climbed 63.0% to €8.8m…

November 9, 2023

Stake acquires Betfair Colombia

Cryptocurrency betting and gaming operator Stake.com has acquired Betfair Colombia, which sees the brand enter the market via the acquisition of Betfair's licence.

The licensing approval, granted by ColJuegos, the Colombia regulator, lasts until 2025.

“Expanding into the Colombia market is a strategic decision that aligns perfectly with our vision for growth and innovation,” said Brais Pena, chief strategy officer at Easygo, the founder of Stake.com.

“Colombia’s position as the first regulated market in Latin America makes it an ideal destination for Stake’s expansion, with the intention of being one of the dominant players in the market in two years.”

Plans beyond Colombia

With Stake acquiring Betfair Colombia, the operator plans for Colombia to serve as its base for growth throughout Latin America, with its current licence approved until 2025. This follows Betfair’s initial launch on the market in Latin America’s second-largest market in 2020.

In total, Coljuegos has i..

November 6, 2023

India government orders blocking of 22 betting websites

Indian authorities have issued blocking orders against 22 betting apps and websites it says have been operating illegally.

Full details of those operators blocked by ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) were not disclosed. However, MeitY confirms that both Mahadev Book and Reddyannaprestopro face blocking orders.

MeitY says it is taking action following investigations by the enforcement directorate (ED) against illegal betting app syndicate. The ED also carried out several raids on Mahadev Book in Chhattisgarh, with these revealing unlawful operations.

The investigations have led to the arrest of several individuals. These include Bhim Singh Yadav, who currently works for the Chhattisgarh police. Yadav was arrested under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state for skill development and entrepreneurship as well as electronics and information technology in India, says the local Chhattisgarh govern..

November 1, 2023

How Adam Greenblatt is sharpening BetMGM’s competitive edge

Adam Greenblatt set BetMGM on a path to profitability and the business will be self-sustaining in the second half of 2023. How will he make sure the operator stays ahead in the US sports betting market as new competitors emerge?

July’s update on BetMGM’s first half performance confirmed the operator was on the path to profitability outlined by CEO Adam Greenblatt in June.

The business will be self-sustaining in the second half of the year. There will be no additional equity investment from joint venture partners MGM Resorts and Entain, beyond the $150m committed for 2023.

BetMGM CEO Greenblatt believes a new phase of competition could be imminent in the US

Greenblatt believes that BetMGM could operate as a separate business and stand on its own two feet if necessary.

“It could be a permanent state, absolutely,” he says of BetMGM as a self-sustaining entity. “[But] I think whether or not that is indeed a permanent state depends on how we want to ramp up and how quickly we want t..

October 20, 2023

Eight in ten Spaniards gambled in 2022

An annual report compiled by CeJuego, Spain's Gaming Business Council, found that 83.9% of the Spanish population aged 18-75 participated in gambling in 2022.

The percentage represents 29.5 million people.

The report is based on CeJuego’s Game and Society survey, which studies the gambling habits of adults in Spain. The 2023 edition found that although Spanish adults participate in gambling, they tend to take part in low-risk games that don’t promise a high reward.

The survey found that 23.3 million people played national lotteries, ONCE games or La Quinela.

A total of 17.9% of Spaniards play games offered in casinos, gaming halls and bingo halls, and take part in sports betting. This equates to 6.3 million people. The report emphasised that this is far below, for example, the number who said they go to the theatre in their leisure time – 24.5%.

However, this is higher than those who said they take part in painting at 16.1% and almost double the percentage of people who play..

October 19, 2023

Netherlands’ NGR up 85% in 2022

The Netherlands' licensed gaming market generated €3.4bn (£2.95bn/$3.59bn) in net gaming revenue (NGR) in 2022, according to a report from regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).

The report is based on 2022 only, as it was the first full calendar year for the Netherlands’ online gambling market.

The country’s market officially opened in October 2021, following the passage and ratification of the much-delayed Remote Gambling Act (KOA). This month marks two years since the market became live. NGR comprises of deposits minus prizes paid out.

NGR for 2022 was up by 85.0% from €2.0bn in 2021. KSA noted that this was due to an increase in both online gambling and land-based play, particularly as Covid-19 pandemic restrictions lifted. Land-based venues were closed in the Netherlands until 25 January 2022, with restrictions still applying until 25 February 2022.

Spending on gambling and advertising

Online casino was one of the Netherlands’ smaller markets in 2022, behind lotteries and l..

October 19, 2023

Record igaming revenue drives Pennsylvania market growth in September

Gambling revenue in Pennsylvania increased 6.2% year-on-year in September to $476.3m, partly due to record igaming revenue during the month.

Total revenue in September was ahead of $448.5m in the same month last year. The figure was also 4.2% ahead of the $457.2m generated in Pennsylvania in August this year.

Retail slots remain some way out in front in terms of revenue share generating $199.9m, up 0.7% on last year. A further $75.2m came from physical table games, although this was 7.8% lower than September 2022.

The igaming segment reported the most significant growth in September. Revenue jumped 41.5% to $159.5m, an all-time high for the state, surpassing the previous record of $148.2m set in March.

Online slots revenue hiked 47.3% to $114.7m and internet table games revenue increased 31.7% to $42.4m. However, revenue from online poker slipped 10.4% to $2.4m.

Hollywood Casino at Penn National remains the clear market leader with $64.9m in igaming revenue in September. Valley Fo..

October 17, 2023

New Jersey gambling revenue up 7.5% in September despite land-based dip

Gambling revenue in New Jersey increased by 7.5% year-on-year, to $521.5m in September, despite a fall in land-based casino revenue.

Total revenue was comfortably higher than $485.0m in September 2022. However, the figure was slightly lower than the $531.6m generated in New Jersey in August this year.

Land-based casino gambling remains the main source of revenue in New Jersey despite the yearly decline. Revenue for this segment hit $246.5m, down 2.1% from $251.7m last year.

Some $182.7m of all land-based gambling revenue came from slot machine games, a drop of 2.0%. Table games generated 63.8%, down 2.2% from September last year.

Igaming revenue tops $164m in September

Turning to igaming, this area of the market experienced the most growth in September. For the month, revenue amounted to $163.8m, an increase of 21.1% from last year’s $135.2m.

Online slots drew $161.4m in revenue, up 21.4% from the previous year. The other $2.4m was generated from peer-to-peer poker games in New J..

October 13, 2023

Ontario igaming revenue more than doubles in Q2

Online gambling revenue in Ontario more than doubled year-on-year in Q2 to CA$540m (£324m/€375m/US$395m), while player spending in the Canadian province rocketed 132%.

Total igaming revenue in Ontario for the three months to 30 September was up 105% from $267m in Q2 of last year – the second full quarter since the regulated market opened in April 2022.

Of this total, $407m came from online casino activity in Ontario. A further $118m in revenue was generated from internet sports betting and $16m online poker. Revenue covers all cash wagers, rake fees, tournament fees and other fees, minus player winnings.

As for player spending, total igaming wagers in Q2 reached $14.20bn. This was significantly more than the $6.04bn spent during Q2 of last year.

Consumers spent $11.90bn on internet casino games, $1.90bn on sports betting and $397m online poker. Players spending does not include promotional wagers such as bonuses and free bets.

Ontario: an expanding igaming market

The figures, pub..

October 11, 2023

NorthStar Gaming to expand reach across Canada

Ontario-based operator NorthStar Gaming is to expand the reach of its online casino and sportsbook across Canada.

Since launching in May 2022, the NorthStar Gaming offering has only been accessible in Ontario. However, this will now be available across all provinces and territories in Canada with the launch of NorthStarBets.com.

The launch is possible following the acquisition of Slapshot Media earlier this year. Slapshot Media delivers marketing and operational management services to sports betting and igaming operators.

As such, NorthStarBets.com is available through a wholly owned subsidiary of NorthStar acquired through the Slapshot Media deal.

NorthStar customers in Ontario can continue to access the platform through the NorthStarBets.ca website.

“We are thrilled to take this ground-breaking step and become a truly national brand,” NorthStar chair and CEO Michael Moskowitz said. “As a Canadian company, we are confident we understand local consumers better than the large inter..

February 2025
Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
					1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28

Tag: Gaming