Wire EMEA
Schaffhausen Switches to Winterthur
France - Casinos de France considers online Having been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, French casinos are now turning to online gaming to boost profits Internet. Since the opening of a regulated and controlled online market in June 2010, limited to sports betting, horse racing and poker, the situation has remained frozen. But the coronavirus pandemic, as in other economic sectors, has reshuffled the cards for players in gambling faced with a drop in gross gaming revenue for fiscal year 2020/2021 of 41 per cent.
The employers’ union Casinos de France, which brings together 80 per cent of gambling establishments, is now considering an online offer called Jade for ‘experimental remote play.’ This would first go through a test period of three to five years, similar to the pilot currently being completed by Parisian gaming clubs. The casino games offered on the Internet would be reserved for physical establishments, such as in Belgium or Switzerland, where operators with a dual activity have weathered the pandemic without too much problem.
Despite being banned in France, online casino sites continue to develop. It is difficult to quantify exactly the impact of this sector on the French market, its illegality making it by definition opaque. The lowest estimates of its gross gaming revenue are €100m to €200m per year. The highest estimate is €1.3bn. The Jade business model offered by Casinos de France would be unprecedented and would make it possible to perpetuate the existence of French establishments, regardless of their size.
UK - 888 sells Dragonfish and B2C bingo The Broadway Gaming Group, operator of one of the largest UK Bingo networks, is to acquire 888’s B2C bingo business, and B2B bingo business (Dragonfish), in a deal worth $50m.
The acquisition will augment Broadway’s expansion strategy and enhance its position within the UK bingo market. Broadway’s purchase of the B2C and Dragonfish B2B offerings includes a potential earnout of up to $4m based on certain performance criteria.
Moving to acquire these businesses will give Broadway a foundation to scale the business thanks to the Dragonfish platform’s capabilities as well as its customer proposition. Another core factor in the deal is welcoming aboard the experienced B2C and Dragonfish B2B bingo teams that will play a key role in accelerating Broadway’s progressive ambitions, that do not solely lie within the UK regulated market. Broadway’s purchase will bring onboard the entire bingo business of the 888 Group, including all its exclusive technology, assets, operations, B2B clientele and consumer-facing brands.
P12 WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS
Swiss Casinos is to build a new casino with 120 workstations in the listed Rapide hall in the Lokstadt district of Winterthur, Switzerland.
On November 24, Ina Invest and Swiss Casinos laid the foundation stone for a casino the likes of which Switzerland has never seen. With its opening, Swiss Casinos will close its Schaffhausen location and redeply is 70 employees to the new Winterthur location. For the Mayor of Winterthur, Michael Künzle, the casino is a postive change: “Te casino will increase the quality and variety of the Lokstadt area. With Swiss Casinos we have found a partner who also focuses on social, economic and ecological sustainability. Values that match ours,” said Mr. Künzle.
Swiss Casinos will open a casino in an area of around 2600sq.m, the architecture of which takes up the historical substance of the former factory hall. Te industrial atmosphere should remain clearly recognisable and accessible to the Winterthur population. Together with Ina Invest and the Radisson RED Hotel, Swiss Casinos will also ensure that the passageway, as a public meeting space with attractive offers
ICE London 2022 is delayed two months due to Covid rise
UK
Clarion Gaming has confirmed that the 2022 edition of ICE London and the co-located iGB Affiliate London will not take place in February following growing uncertainty and concern regarding the spread of the Omicron variant.
The exhibitions, which between them feature a total of 700 exhibitors, are now scheduled to take place in April 2022 with Clarion undertaking due diligence on two datelines in partnership with the senior management team at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre.
Stuart Hunter, Managing Director, Clarion Gaming, stated: “This comes as really disappointing news for everyone connected with ICE London and iGB Affiliate London. However, in what is a rapidly changing situation it became clear that we could not provide the certainty that our customers need in
such as food stands or small bars, additionally enlivens the area. Marc Baumann, CEO of Swiss Casinos, knows Winterthur well from his past as general manager of the Winterthur Teater and started discussions with the city council early on: “Te city council of Winterthur treated our project with openness and benevolence from the start - and has understandably it is also critically examined. We thank the city council for its support and look forward to the new project in the second largest metropolis in the canton of Zurich. "
Te planned casino in Winterthur should open its doors in 2025. A prerequisite is the successful award of the concession by the Federal Council. Te Federal Council's decision is expected in October 2023. Swiss Casinos decided to close the casino in Schaffhausen at the same time. Over the past 18 years, Swiss Casinos in Schaffhausen have repeatedly suffered losses. Te casino posted a cumulative loss of around CHF 11 million.
terms of logistical planning from the construction of stands, transportation of equipment as well as the booking of flights and accommodation.
“The ICE brand has always acted in the best interests of its customers and having consulted with members of the industry we have come to the conclusion that postponing until April represents the best route forward.
“It is a great shame that we will not be able to celebrate our return in February but the brand and its international community of stakeholders will bounce back in Spring.
“Myself and the management team at Clarion Gaming will be working through the Christmas week and hope to be in a position to confirm the new dates for ICE London and iGB Affiliate London 2022.
“I would like to put on the record my huge thanks to the industry for its patience and understanding during these uncertain times,” concluded Mr. Hunter.
Belgium
Following its licence approval in the Netherlands, Having met strict requirements of local gaming legislation, the studio’s modified content is headed to the Belgian market. SYNOT Games has given seven of its hit slots a face-lift and has released its first dice collection, with more games currently in the works.
“Being able to release our games in Belgium is a huge win that opens a lot of doors. Belgian players can finally get a taste of SYNOT Games, which will hopefully get them hungry for more,” said Martina Hrabinská, CCO of SYNOT Games.
With limited local versus abundant offshore (non- compliant) providers, Belgium poses a challenge when it comes to delivering high-quality content. SYNOT Games grasped the challenge to expand into a tight-knit market and find success in Belgium with 81 Dice Awards, Respin Joker Dice and Book of Secrets Dice.
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