PM CALLS FOR RULES TIGHTENING
Despite far-reaching reforms with an industry-leading code of conduct, the UK FOBT sector remains under the cosh UK - FOBT sector
The British FOBT sector is facing further controls with media rumours that the prime minister has personally instructed civil servants and the gam- bling regulator to make its industry code of con- duct more restrictive.
Reports have stated that a letter from UK Prime Minister David Cameron described the Licensed Betting Offices’ recently introduced code of con- duct for their 33,000 FOBTs as needing to be ‘strengthened to minimise harm.’
Campaigners have argued that the five per cent tax increase on FOBTs is not far-reaching enough. The prime minister has reportedly suggested that measures should be strengthened as part of the operating licence, enforcing the new code as mandatory rather than voluntary, so that betting shops could be closed down if they breach the code of conduct.
Minister, Helen Grant MP, has previously stated in the House of Commons that if the betting industry fails to deliver on its commitment to implement enhanced player protection measures by March 2014 and fails to share data for independent research, the Government will not hesitate to act.
Research carried out in the UK by betting firm, Ladbrokes, states that in April 2013 its FOBTs were
Finland The Finnish Slot Machine Association RAY has announced positive revenue developments in 2013. The revenue of the state-owned association increased by 2.1 per cent from the previous year, amounting to €791.4m. The association notes that growth was particularly strong in digital gaming, the revenue from slot machines located on the premises of RAY's business partners' increased by 1 per cent. The machines accounted for three-quarters of the total gaming revenue, i.e. €593.3m. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has made its decision on the 2014 funding of non-profit organisations in the first part of the year, with a total of €308m to be distributed to 797 non-profit organisations.
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played 4.8m times with customers spending £1bn in that month alone. It found that 92 per cent of playing sessions on FOBTs would not generate any warnings under the new code because the playing time would not go over the 30 minutes of uninterrupted betting.
The pop-up warning generated by a £250 limit on losses would not be triggered often as the average loss per hour for roulette was £93. A spokesman from Ladbrokes said: “Given that the vast majority of machine play is not problematic and is under 20 minutes and at low stakes, we would not expect most sessions to be impacted by mandato- ry limits. We look forward to an evidence-based dialogue with Government and the Commission to ensure the correct balance between ensuring uninterrupted play for the majority and targeted intervention for those displaying problematic behaviour.”
The Government is also believed to be looking at a perceived over saturation of some areas when it comes to numbers of LBOs. Chinatown in London is the most densely situated part of the country followed by Newcastle, Rotherham and Bradford.
Comtrade pushes the envelope for online player engagement
SLOVENIA Comtrade Gaming, a supplier of enterprise-level gaming platforms, has introduced a new leading- edge product, iCore Engage. It is designed primarily for large gam- ing operators who already have their own online platforms, but want to expand their existing solu- tions with features that would offer additional benefits to play- ers, and thus increase their engagement and elevate the oper- ator’s business value.
iCore Engage introduces several key functions, the first being the immediate response to a player’s gaming activity by delivering pro- motions while they are still engaged in game play. This ensures increased average spend- ing and steers the player’s lifecycle in real time.
Secondly, iCore Engage effectively
cross-sells between multiple products and channels regardless of the content supplier. This allows for better marketing optimisation and product cross-selling by attracting and rewarding player's migration.
Finally, iCore offers high personal- isation and optimisation of web and mobile portals with central product configuration and content management. This enables an enriched customer experience.
“We have a highly advanced tech- nology in the area of bonusing and loyalty programs. That being so, we decided to design a product, namely iCore Engage, which allows a non-intrusive integration of key iCore benefits on the opera- tor’s existing platform and player data without changing the overall system,” explained Ales Gornjec, General Manager at Comtrade.
Johannes Weissengruber of APEX gaming at ENADA Rimini
ITALY – APEX SET FOR GREAT SUCCESS IN ITALY The waiting process is almost over and APEX gaming is under starter’s orders in the Italian VLT market and ready to provide gaming entertainment with international hits such as ‘Ocean Tale’ and ‘Leonardo’s Code’.
After a lengthy gestation period, agreements are now in place to ensure that Italian players will soon experience the latest gaming products from APEX. From the stylish Pinnacle cabinets, both as upright and as slant-top Pinnacle SL (APEX cabinets are built to last and enjoy an excellent reputation of 24/7 up-time), the full range of APEX games will be made available to Italian players in the very near future.
Johannes Weissengruber, founder and CEO of APEX gaming, commented at the ENADA Rimini exhibition: “The time has now come to rejuvenate the market with the fresh gaming entertainment that we offer. We are very excited about the opportunities and now that we are very close to having our games certified, these discussions are entering the next level. Indeed, that plays on the fact that we brand our games as ‘the next level.’”
SPAIN - AECJ APPOINTMENT The Spanish Association of Casinos (AECJ) has appointed Miguel Mateu Suqué as its new President, replacing Ángel María Escolano Belló, President of Casino Play Gran Madrid, who has held the position since December 2000. Mr Mateu Suqué is Executive Vice President of Peralada Group who operates three casinos in Spain and five casinos and resorts in Latin America. Cañavate Miguel Ortiz, President of Nervión Group, owner of casinos in Bilbao, Kursaal , Mallorca and Ceuta will serve as Vice President of the association, who acknowledged the great work done by Angel Maria Escolano Belló
MALTA - LGA APPOINTMENT Joseph Cuschieri has been appointed Executive Chairman of the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA). Mr. Cuschieri has vast experience in eco- nomic regulation, particularly in the electronic communications sector where he spent five years as Chief Operating Officer at the Malta Communications Authority. In his new role at the LGA, Mr Cuschieri will be focusing on reforming the Authority to make it more efficient and agile, strengthening the relationships with all stakeholders, strate- gically growing the online gaming sector and promoting Malta as a globally respected gaming jurisdiction.
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