News September 2024
Legislation Brazil delays casino vote
Senate leaders in Brazil have decided to delay the vote on Bill 2234/22, which would legalise casinos and gambling, until after the October municipal elections. Although the bill was approved by a Senate commission in June, there is significant opposition, particularly from the evangelical caucus, which fears increased crime and money laundering. Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco has indicated that other issues, like state debt renegotiations, are more urgent priorities for the second half of the year.
M&A Stakelogic goes for €130m
Dutch gaming developer Stakelogic is set to be acquired by Japanese entertainment conglomerate Sega Sammy Holdings for €130m plus an earnout payment subject to certain performance measures being met. Te transaction will combine Stakelogic’s catalogue of online slot games, live casino studio capabilities, hybrid game offering, and in- house game development factory with Sega Sammy’s global distribution platform. Stakelogic CEO Stephan van den Oetelaar will continue in his role after the acquisition.
NGCB accuses Resorts World Operator News
Te Nevada Gaming Control Board has served Resorts World Las Vegas with a disciplinary complaint claiming illegal bookmakers and individuals with suspected links to illegal gambling have been allowed to gamble on its gaming floor. A 12-count complaint said Resorts World
had a “culture that welcomed” people with links to illegal gambling, including bookmaker Mathew Bowyer. Mr Bowyer is said to have frequented Resorts World on 80 different days between July 2022 and October 2023, losing more than $6.6m, which could equate to money laundering. Another gambler, Edwin
Ting, has links to organised crime, whilst Chad Iwamoto, was found guilty of a gambling- related charge. In a statement, a Resorts World spokesperson said the operator is actively communicating with the NGCB to resolve the issues raised.
Supplier News Aristocrat opens facility
Aristocrat Gaming has opened its largest global manufacturing facility, the Las Vegas Integration Center, located in the West Henderson area of Southern Nevada. Te 265,000-square-foot campus now serves as the manufacturing and distribution hub for much of North America and Latin America. Te new facility is more than double the size of the previous location, increasing from eight to 12 production lines, and brings advanced technology to better meet current demand.
Holland Casino rallies against tax hike Operator News
Holland Casino has suffered a loss of €3.5m in the first half of 2024 compared to a €17.2m profit last year. With sharply rising costs having a significant impact, total revenue decreased by 2.4 per cent to €395.4m. Te operator labelled a further proposed gambling tax increase of 7.3 per cent as “irresponsible” as it would take its tax burden to almost 50 per cent and make profitability nigh on impossible. CEO Petra de Ruiter railed against that the intended
increase of the gambling tax, stating: “Our total tax burden will then be almost 50 per cent. Tis means that black figures are not possible. We are going to make a big loss. Unlike supermarkets, we are not able to pass on price increases properly. Te only alternative is that we take very undesirable measures such as aggressive campaigns to attract new guests, encouraging people to spend much more or by significantly reducing the prize money. Tese measures are unacceptable to Holland Casino and irresponsible from the point of view of government policy on gambling. “In addition, the planned investments in our prevention
policy will also come under pressure. It is crucial for our financial health that there are no further substantial cost increases now. Only then can we avoid ending up in a loss-making situation."
Concern for Portugese punters Operator News
Te Portuguese Online Gambling and Betting Association (APAJO) has warned of an 'imminent danger to user safety' for Portuguese online players due to the prevalence of illegal platforms in the country. APAJO's annual research has shown that 41
per cent of all players are using unlicensed gambling platforms with four illegal operators in the list of top earning 15 online gambling operators. Younger players, between 18 to 34, are more likely to use illegal sites with 52.1 per
26
cent of the survey admitting to using them, citing better bonuses, better odds and a broader range of games. Ricardo Domingues, President of APAJO,
said: “At this moment, illegal operators are mostly shady projects that blatantly try to exploit the ease with which they can reach Portuguese audiences while avoiding all consumer protection rules and paying taxes. Tis type of organisation puts players at all kinds of risk, from their balances to their personal and financial data and they even engage in predatory behaviour towards vulnerable audiences.”
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