Each week, CasinoBeats breaks down the numbers behind some of the industry’s most interesting stories. In the latest edition we look at MGM Resorts’ milestone donations, Global Gaming’s advertising case lose and the partnership between Fox Bet and the Philadelphia 76ers.
1,000,000
MGM Resorts International has surpassed a milestone of donating more than one million meals towards hunger relief in the Las Vegas community.
This figure was reached via the organisations Feeding Forward program, which safely recovers unserved food from conventions, mini bars and warehouses to help feed those in Southern Nevada suffering from food insecurity.
Furthermore, MGM has also donated over 500,000 meals through Restaurant Week and Backpacks for Kids, which are also part of Feeding Forward. The food donation portion of the program started in 2016 and works as a partnership with Three Square food bank.
According to Hunger in Nevada, Feeding America, one in eight Nevadans is affected by hunger. In 2007 MGM was lauded as playing a key part in founding Three Square food bank, since which employees have volunteered over 54,000 hours to help build programs.
76
The Stars Group’s Fox Bet brand, launched alongside Fox Sports, has announced that it has joined forces with National Basketball Association franchise the Philadelphia 76ers.
Initially launching in the state of Pennsylvania in September, the sports betting brands official partnership builds on authorised gaming operator agreements already in place alongside the NBA and MLB.
Robin Chhabra, chief executive officer of Fox Bet, commented:“This agreement connects us with an extremely passionate local fanbase in a unique way. We are proud to be associated with the 76ers franchise as they kick off what I’m sure will be a successful 2019-20 season.”
The new agreement will build awareness of its brand and app via the 76ers traditional, digital and social media assets, custom home game promotions, exposure on court side and LED signage.
2,300
Florida-based Casino Miami has secured a new partnership with William Hill US which will see the operator open a William Hill Race Book at the casino, scheduled to open next month.
The agreement, which is yet to gain the green light from state legislators, will deliver a new viewing facility. The renovation will modernize the 2,300 square feet space next to the casino’s poker room and will include 10 50-inch TV screens in addition to a 30 ft video wall for racing fans to be able to watch a variety of tracks simultaneously.
Phillip Ruffin, Owner of Casino Miami, lauded the new partnership: “William Hill has unparalleled expertise and a rich history in racing. The company has led the industry for decades and together we will bring state-of-the-art technology and innovation to Casino Miami.”
The William Hill Race Book will give punters the chance to access pari-mutuel simulcast wagering, with the option for bettors to watch and wager on major Thoroughbred, Harness, and Greyhound tracks as well as Jai Alai from around the country.
2018
Global Gaming has lost its advertising case against the Swedish consumer ombudsman, Konsumentombudsmannen (KO), relating to what it calls “take-over ads” for the Ninja Casino entity.
Directly related to Global Gaming’s Maltese subsidiary Elec Games, which operated the brand, it was deemed by the Patent and Market Court that marketing undertaken contravened a requirement for moderation in gambling advertising.
First filed in December 2018 the KO highlighted the usage of pop-up ads that cover all or part of the screen when promoting games on the internet. The case concerned the usage of statements such as ‘Can fill the account in five minutes’, ‘lightning fast payments’, ‘Profit on the bank within five minutes’ and ‘PLAY NOW!’
Gunnar Wikström, process council at KO, stated: “KO thinks today’s judgement is good. It sends a clear signal to the gaming industry. The law is generally held in terms of the requirement of moderation in the marketing of games. Therefore, it has been necessary for us to turn to the court to have the concept of moderation tested; what not to do. There we have now received clear messages.”
