Something for the weekend - 08 September 2023

The announcement that the United Arab Emirates had established its gambling regulator was one that reverberated outside the industry, leaving people wondering what could be coming next. The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) will manage regulatory activities in the Emirates, the full extent of which are still unclear.

The UAE wasn’t the only market to tick off a regulatory milestone this week. Kentucky launched retail sports betting yesterday (7 September), partially implementing the contents of House Bill 55. Under the bill, nine Kentucky racetracks can offer on-site retail betting. Legal online betting in Kentucky is not far behind, with it set to launch on 28 September.

iGB also took its own deep-dive into some of the world’s most foremost gambling markets this week. Jon Bruford held a magnifying glass up to South Africa’s casino sector to see how its biggest operators withstood the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. With such a developed casino market, the hallmarks of the Covid-19 lockdowns brought untold disruption to operations in the country.

Speeding over to Europe, I spoke to Eric Sj?den, senior advisor for international affairs at France’s gambling regulator l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), about how France’s market and ANJ place communication at the forefront of their relationship – and how that benefits the market as a whole.

And not one to be forgotten, Muhammad Cohen analysed the rumoured legalisation of online casino in Thailand which, sources tell iGB, could take place within three years. Industry giants such as Hard Rock International and Las Vegas Sands have shown interest. But even if this materialises, how it could look is still up in the air.

We’ll get to more of the week’s news a little later, but first let’s tackle something a bit less serious.

iGB Diary: Perks of being a wallflower, Pillow talk and Finger lickin’ good

Happy Friday igamers! This week, the Diary eases a wallflower off the wall, enters a heavy combat of pillowy proportions and scrapes the last feeble remnants out of its lousy pun drawer.

Perks of being a wallflower

Kaiyun Sports is one of those bashful sportsbooks.

Seemingly too shy to raise its voice above a squeak, the Asian-facing sportsbook operator didn’t even get out from under the covers in its recent announcement of a shirt sponsorship deal with EPL team Nottingham Forest, describing itself as a “leading digital sports platform”.

Kaiyun’s senior management – who haven’t quite managed to get a working UK site up and running yet – also appear to be shrinking violets.

The statement from Forest included a quote from Kaiyun chief marketing officer Byrne Howard: “The collaboration with Nottingham Forest Football Club will be a milestone for us to step onto the global stage.”

However, as first reported by the Mail, there appears to be no record of such a person ever existing, certainly not as a CMO of a gambling operator.

Further digging only deepened the mystery as Kaiyun appears to be a brand created by Yabo Sports in advance of the 2022 Fifa World Cup. Yabo has previous when it comes to seemingly iffy practices, of course. Who could forget the male model – sorry, “CEO” – sent to pose for pictures with associates from the likes of Manchester United and Leicester City after sponsorship deals were struck with the pair?

No need to be a wallflower, Kaiyun! The Diary is sure Forest fans will be very interested to hear what you have to say.

Pillow talk

There’s been a lot of noise in the press recently about the sinister connection between gambling and sport.

Another dark example of this practice dropped this week with gaming consultants SCCG Management announcing a new brand partnership with the Pillow Fight Championship (PFC).

This, as the Diary has previously made clear, is just the latest in a long line of cynical gambling businesses exploiting the nation’s love of pillow fighting to push their products.

As any fan will tell you, the PFC team you follow is often held closer to the heart than a close family member.

Moreover, PFC international games are one of the last remaining outlets for an authentic English identity, the quadrennial world tournament being a moment of genuine grassroots fervour.??

The PFC, being the plaything of oligarchs and sheiks it is, will probably not get pillow-ried for this latest descent into sin – and it no doubt knows how to cushion the fall.

Finger lickin' good

The industry is chick-ful of the most random partnerships a person can imagine.

From Snoop Dogg’s involvement with Roobet (where, naturally, he is chief ganjaroo officer) to Hard Rock’s deal with Lionel Messi (Messi burger, anyone?), you will be sure to find a totally random entity affiliated in some way with a gambling outfit.

Which is why the Diary raised only a wry eyebrow when it received an email announcing a partnership between the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) and [squints at screen] Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).

The tie-up itself is actually quite wholesome. Gamers will be offered a stint in the SEF’s esports development programmes, while a dedicated platform for female gamers is also on the cards.?

Along that vein, we simply could not bring ourselves to crack any jokes at the expense of this partnership. It might sound like it was agreed on a wing and a prayer but there is not one nugget of humour to be found here. It would set too low an eggs-ample for the rest of the industry. From all of us here at the Diary, we wish SEF and KFC the best of cluck. Mecca that what you will.

That’s your lot! Same time, same place, next week!

The week on iGB

For the GB Gambling Commission, the most popular phrase of the week was ‘financial risk checks’ – or, as they’re also called, affordability checks. In giving evidence to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s select committee hearing on gambling regulation, Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes said that affordability checks had “dominated” responses to the Gambling Act review white paper consultations so far. The volume of chatter around affordability checks has seemingly been so vast that Rhodes, in a blog post on the Commission’s website, clarified “misunderstandings” that had been swirling on the matter.

Meanwhile, if you thought the industry had finally cleared up all its financial results for the time being, you would be wrong. Playtech had a lot to celebrate this week, as growth in its Americas segment drove record half-year results. Revenue in the segment grew by 43.0% year-on-year to €99.7m.

Over at Allwyn, the incoming National Lottery operator’s acquisitions of Camelot UK Lotteries and Camelot Lottery Solutions boosted its Q2 revenue, which rocketed 114.7% year-on-year.?

Faring badly this week was SkyCity, which faces a 10-day licence suspension following a complaint from a former customer. New Zealand’s secretary of the department of internal affairs applied for the suspension after allegations that SkyCity Auckland did not “comply with requirements” that were enforced in its SkyCity Auckland Host Responsibility Programme.

But at Veikkaus circumstances were even worse as the Finnish state-owned operator confirmed an estimated 240 jobs could be at risk due to a restructuring. This comes as Veikkaus’ monopoly status in the country moves towards its end and a new licensing system takes hold.

In crypto news, Stake.com reported a hack after a number of unauthorised transfers took place. It affected Ethereum, Polygon and the Binance Smart Chain on Stake.com. While the operator did not confirm the amount stolen, media reports suggested it was $41.3m.

As always, there were a number of notable M&A deals this week. Marketplace technology company WagerWire and Betr, the microbetting operator co-founded by social media influencer Jake Paul, struck a tech integration and media partnership. This was one of two Betr developments this week, with the operator also launching in Virginia.

Over at LeoVegas, the Sweden-based developer tied up its acquisition of Push Gaming. First announced in May, the deal links in with LeoVegas’ strategy to expand its range of content distribution.?

And finally, Vici Properties quadrupled its luck this week with the completion of its deal to acquire four casinos in Alberta from Century Casinos. Totalling at CA$221.7m, the deal means that Vici now owns Century Casino & Hotel Edmonton, Century Casino St Albert, Century Mile Racetrack and Casino, and Century Downs.

That’s all for now! Join us again on Monday for the industry’s best news, data and analysis.

Marese O’Hagan

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