Tag: Gaming

EGBA lauds EU’s proposed introduction of digital identification

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has welcomed the European parliament’s approval of introducing a standardised electronic identification method called a “European Digital Identity” (e-ID).

The EGBA-endorsed move would oblige states in the European Union (EU) to issue an e-ID to citizens. This would allow them to authenticate their identity for online services. These e-IDs will be optional for citizens and businesses.

EGBA labelled the European parliament’s approval on Monday a “significant milestone” in providing a safer and more inclusive online environment for citizens in the EU. There were 335 votes in favour, 190 opposing the new regulations and 31 abstentions.

The proposed e-IDs will mean citizens would no longer have to resort to commercial providers to verify their online identification, something that has caused privacy and security concerns in the past.

The hope is that e-IDs will reduce the risk of fraud and identity theft, enhancing security for the EU’..

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GC’s Gambling Survey for Great Britain: Lottery reigns supreme

The first data from the Gambling Commission’s (GC) Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) has highlighted the prevalence of lottery among gamblers in Great Britain.

48% of respondents had gambled in the past four weeks, although that figure dropped to 27% when excluding lottery-only players. Over a fifth of all respondents had only taken part in lottery draws.

The 48% figure of respondents having gambled in the past four weeks is a slight reduction on the 49.5% number stated in the final experimental stage of the survey, released back in November.

Participation drop-off without lottery the same for land-based and online

The pattern was the same for online and land-based gambling. 38% of all participants had used the internet to gamble in the previous four weeks, the same as in the November data, although the removal of those who only play lottery saw that number fall to 16%. In-person gambling participation also fell from 29% to 18% when lottery-only players were excluded.

The ..

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Analysing the data: Breaking down Spain’s 2023 in numbers

Spain is rapidly emerging as one of Europe’s most exciting markets for growth. We take a look inside the numbers – with a positive 2023 for the country’s online gambling market.

The headline number from Spain’s Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) is the €1.24bn (£1.06bn/$1.35bn) in gross gambling revenue (GGR) for 2023, up year-on-year by well over a quarter at 28.4%.

Spain’s GGR has now increased every year since 2013 bar 2021. The 28.4% hike is the largest year-on-year rise since 2017.

Deposits and withdrawals rose by 15.5% and 10.1% respectively. The number of active gamblers also edged up by 2.7% to over 1.6 million.

Casino and betting on the rise in Spain

Of that €1.24bn in GGR, casino led the way with 50.5% of the total, accumulating €624.8m in revenue for 2023. Meanwhile, betting wasn’t far behind, accounting for 39.8% with €491.8m of GGR. Poker, bingo and contests then lagged behind with €115.3m, €14.4m and €480,000 respectively.

Looking at those num..

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Betsson CEO Lindwall celebrates “record year for the group” and outlines 2024 plans

A record 2023 saw Betsson post higher revenues and EBITDA than ever before. With further global expansion on the cards, Betsson chief executive Pontus Lindwall believes it’s the company’s localised approach that will help them achieve further growth.

Revenues shot up by 22% to a record €948.2m (£811.3m/$1bn) for Betsson’s 2023 financial year. EBITDA also skyrocketed 52% to €262.7m from €172.4m in 2022. The year-end results were aided by a surge in Q4, one that saw group revenue hike by 14%.

Quite the set of results then for Betsson. According to Lindwall, the positive outlook for the company looks set to continue, both short- and long-term. The CEO is delighted with the group’s performance, comparing the operator to a well-oiled machine.

“Of course, we’re very happy with the outcome of 2023,” Lindwall told iGB. “It’s a record year by far for the group. It’s nice to finish off so strongly with the record quarter as well.

“I think we have a strategy that has played us well as we are ..

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Spain: online gambling revenue edges up to €315.3m in Q4

Online gambling revenue in Spain increased marginally year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter to €315.3m (£269.8m/$342.0m) in Q4, while total deposits were also higher.

Gross gaming revenue in Q4 was 0.6% higher than in the same period in 2022. The total was also up 3.6% from the amount generated in Spain during the third quarter of the year.

Breaking this down, casino was the primary source of revenue by some distance during Q4.

Total revenue from this segment was €171.3m, representing 54.3% of all market revenue in Spain. Growth in the casino market was helped by a 25.9% rise in slots revenue and 15.3% increase in live roulette revenue.

Elsewhere, sports betting revenue hit €114.7m, accounting for 36.4% of total revenue and poker €25.4m, or 8.1% of overall revenue. For poker, tournaments had a negative variation rate of 0.5% and poker cash 7.0%.

A further €3.8m in revenue came from bingo activity, some 1.2% of all revenue, and contests €50,000.

Total deposits up 9.4% in Q4

In te..

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Affordability checks: Everything you need to know

With parliament to debate the introduction of affordability checks today (26 February), here’s everything you need to know about the proposals so far.

The long-awaited release of the Gambling Act white paper in April was the most transformative review of UK gambling in 18 years. It marked a key landmark in how the market will be regulated in the future – with affordability checks a key part of that discussion.

The government has already introduced some measures, such as the establishment of stake limits for online slots. However, other resolutions are also being worked upon as the UK government and the Gambling Commission (GC) looks to ease concerns over gambling harms in the country.

The strongest industry response to these proposals has been towards the potential implementation of affordability checks. They have met fierce opposition from operators and trade bodies.

With parliament set to debate financial checks this week, let’s take a look at how we got here.

White paper’s rele..

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Fanatics launches online sports betting and casino in Michigan

Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG) has announced the launch of its online sportsbook and casino in the state of Michigan.

Players in Michigan can now access both the Fanatics Sportsbook and Fanatics Casino. The online casino offering has been embedded in the sportsbook app.

Fanatics Sportsbook replaces the PointsBet brand in Michigan. Existing PointsBet customers’ username, password, account balance, rewards points and responsible gaming settings will automatically be migrated to the Fanatics platform.

FBG has been phasing out the PointsBet brand across the US following its acquisition of PointsBet US in August 2023.

Fanatics fended off DraftKings with improved PointsBet US bid

Michigan marks the 13th state in which FBG has launched its Fanatics Sportsbook. It is also live in Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. In addition, retail betting venues operate in both Pennsylvania and West Vi..

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Michigan igaming revenue reaches record $181.9m in January

Gross igaming revenue in Michigan hit a new monthly high of $181.9m (£143.7m/€167.7m) in January, while the state’s entire online gambling market grew year-on-year.

Total gross online gambling revenue, comprising igaming and sports betting, amounted to $229.6m. This was 22.6% ahead of $187.3m in Michigan last January but 5.3% less than December’s $242.5m record for total gambling revenue.

Figures include licensed commercial and tribal igaming operators in Michigan.

Gross igaming revenue was 18.4% higher year-on-year, surpassing the $153.7m reported in January 2023. The total also narrowly beat the existing monthly record of $181.4m set in December.

Turning to sports betting, gross receipts here reached $47.7m. This was 40.7% higher than $33.9m in the same month last year but 21.9% less than December’s $61.1m. As for handle, the $577.4m wagered in January was 21.4% higher than in the previous year.

In terms of adjusted gross receipts (AGR), which account for promotional deductions..

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Pennsylvania gambling revenue edges up year-on-year in January

Overall gambling revenue in the state of Pennsylvania increased by 2.7% year-on-year to $477.2m (£378.1m/€441.9m) in January.

Revenue was up from $464.4m in January 2023 but 10.7% behind the $534.2m generated in Pennsylvania in December. This revenue comprises land-based slot and table games, online gambling sports betting, video lottery terminals (VLTs) and fantasy sports.

Physical slots remain the primary source of gambling revenue in Pennsylvania at $179.5m, down 11.2% year-on-year. Land-based table games revenue also slipped 13.4% to $72.7m.

Revenue was 10.7% lower than December 2023

Slots drive online gambling growth in Pennsylvania

In contrast, the Pennsylvania online gambling sector reported more growth. During January, revenue from igaming amounted to $149.6m, up 12.4% from last year.

Online slots revenue reached $110.0m, a rise of 22.0%. However, online table game revenue fell 7.8% to €36.9m, while internet poker revenue was almost level at $2.7m.

Hollywood Casino at P..

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US gaming revenue tops $66.5bn for third consecutive record year

The American Gaming Association (AGA) has revealed US gross gaming revenue (GGR) reached an all-time high of $66.5bn (£52.7bn/€61.6bn) in 2023, the market’s third straight record year.

2023’s total was a 10% hike on 2022’s figure of $60.4bn, which in turn was a significant increase on the $53bn accumulated in 2021.

The strong numbers were aided by a record Q4. This included an all-time high quarterly revenue of $17.4bn, while a record $6.2bn in revenue was generated.

Land-based casinos continue to perform well with a record GGR of $49.4bn in 2023. This was up 3.3% year-on-year, with 19 of the 27 traditional gaming markets recording all-time highs in annual revenue.

Sports betting also demonstrated impressive growth, with $119.8bn in handle and $10.9bn in revenue – both records. These figures were up 27.8% and 44.5% respectively year-on-year.

With the National Indian Gaming Commission’s addition of tribal gaming revenue coming later this year, the US’ total GGR for 2023 is expected..

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New Jersey smashes gambling revenue records in January

New Jersey has reported a strong start to 2024, with igaming revenue hitting an all-time high and sports betting revenue and handle reaching new monthly records in January.

Total gambling revenue in New Jersey for January reached $559.1m (£442.9m/€518.4m). This was 28.0% ahead of $436.9m in January 2023 and 7.1% higher than $522.2m in December last year.

Land-based casinos remain the primary source of gambling revenue in New Jersey. During January, revenue here stood at $205.0m, down 3.1% year-on-year.

Physical slots, traditionally one of the main money-makers in New Jersey, saw revenue slip by 5.8% to $143.0m. However, land-based table games revenue edged up 3.7% to $62.1m.

total gambling revenue was 7.1% higher than the $522.2m recorded in december last year

Igaming closes the land-based gap with record January

While the land-based market faltered in January, the situation in igaming could not be more different. Revenue from igaming in New Jersey reached $183.3m, up 19.9% year..

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Connecticut report says 1.8% of state residents suffer from problem gambling

A study has found 67.8% of Connecticut residents consider the current availability of gambling in the state to be “fine”.

The study, carried out by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, revealed a general ambivalence towards gambling in the state, with 93.5% rating the recreational activity as “not at all” or “not very” important.

Over two-thirds (67.2%) of the over 5,000 residents surveyed believe the risk of gambling harm outweighs the benefits. Meanwhile, 69.2% pointed to addiction as the biggest risk of legalised gambling in Connecticut.

However, 70.8% believe the responsibility for minimising gambling harms falls between gamblers and providers, while 68.7% have no opinion over the integrity and fairness of how gambling is offered in Connecticut. Just 17.3% are dissatisfied with the Connecticut government’s ability to minimise gambling harms.

Of the positives of legalised gambling, employment and increased government revenue led the way with 21.6% ..

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