Each week, CasinoBeats breaks down the numbers behind some of the industry’s most interesting stories. This week we take a look at safer gambling measures, an acquisition completion and next year’s CasinoBeats Malta.
24
The National Gambling Helpline is to see its hours extended from next month, with the service set to become operational 24 hours a day from today.
This comes as the GamCare operated and GambleAware funded entity received in excess of 30,000 calls during 2018/9, a figure which is rising year on year.
Consisting of both a live chat and freephone channel, the National Gambling Helpline provides advice, information and support to those suffering from gambling related harm, whether their own or someone else’s.
58,000
Inspired Entertainment has completed the acquisition of Novomatic’s Gaming Technology Group (NTG), after the Competition and Markets Authority cleared the purchase last month.
As a result of the closure, Inspired states that it plans to draw on each organisation’s core strengths to broaden offerings, bring differentiated products to new sectors and geographies, accelerate key growth initiatives and offer enhanced capabilities, systems, field service and content.
NTG comprises Gamestec Leisure, Playnation, Astra Games, Bell-Fruit Group, Harlequin Gaming and Innov8 Gaming, with Inspired stressing that it expects to achieve between $12.3m to $13.3m of synergies through shared costs and increased scale.
Inspired will now supply gaming systems with associated terminals and content for more than 58,000 machines located in betting shops, pubs, gaming halls and other route operations, virtual sports products through more than 44,000 retail channels, digital games for more than 100 websites and a variety of amusement entertainment solutions with a total installed base of more than 19,000 devices.
25,000
Paf has proclaimed that “voluntary gaming limits have no effect,” as the gaming operator makes the decision to reduce its maximum yearly loss limit to €25,000.
Last year the Åland Islands-based firm introduced a maximum limit of €30,000 for the amount players can lose per annum, as it’s also reported that the new decision means Paf will lose approximately two per cent of revenue, which corresponds to in the region of €2m.
The new lower loss limit of €25,000 will take effect on January 1, 2020, and will apply immediately to all online players at Paf.
800
MGM Resorts International has reached a settlement agreement in the region of $735m – $800m with all plaintiffs involved in the October 1, 2017, Las Vegas shooting.
On that day 58 people were tragically killed and hundreds more injured when a gunman opened fire on a crowd of 22,000 at the Route 91 Harvest music festival from the Mandalay Bay, with the site remaining closed since the next morning.
The agreement represents the resolution of the company’s and the plaintiffs’ counsel’s previously disclosed mediation efforts, with the entire process expected to be complete by late 2020.
2020
Following a highly successful first staging in 2019, the second edition of CasinoBeats Malta will expand to a full two-day event in March, packed with high-quality content and networking opportunities.
CasinoBeats Malta will once again bring valuable industry insight, knowledge sharing and networking opportunities to the heart of one of online gaming’s spiritual homelands.
The four-track conference and two-day exhibition takes place at the Intercontinental Malta in St Julian’s on March 25/26, 2020.
The event will bring together 1,500 senior-level attendees from operators, suppliers and regulators, joined by a carefully curated host of sector visionaries to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the online casino industry.
