Something for the Weekend - 28th April 2023

UK politicians first pledged to reform Great Britain’s gambling regulations back in 2019, when almost every party included some commitment to replace “analogue legislation for the digital age”.?

We’ve had a global pandemic, the outbreak of war in Europe, three prime ministers, five culture secretaries, six gambling ministers, Liverpool winning the Premier League, Messi winning the World Cup, the UK getting a king, Scotland qualifying for an international football tournament, three Taylor Swift albums (plus two re-releases), and the white paper setting out what comes next is finally here.?

And we’ve gone from reform campaigners pushing for quick and decisive action on changes and a ban on advertising to… reform campaigners issuing more calls for quick and decisive action and a ban on advertising. Yes, while we know what will change, we don’t know exactly when this will happen. A series of consultations will run to determine the depth and breadth of the changes, something that suggests the Betting and Gaming Council’s calls for an end to the “polarising” debate around gambling is hopeful at best.

DCMS insists these will all be done before the UK’s next general election in 2024 (according to the Fixed-term Parliaments Act), but after this epic process, let’s face it, who’s expecting things to run on schedule??

From the industry side, Flutter expects revenue for its UK business to fall by up to ￡100m as a result, but it remains positive about the review, having previously suggested the scale of the business means it can absorb any impact. Though with US listing plans, it has bigger fish to fry.?

Another early reaction from Entain suggests any impact will be negligible. Everyone has had time to assess what was coming and act accordingly.?

As you can see from the links above, we’ve got a wave of content for you to read through, and more to come. We’re also keen to find out what you think, so please do get in touch if you’d like to discuss the review further as it unfolds.?

Almost time for the week’s main stories, but not before we subject you to something slightly less serious.

iGB Diary: Life is a Fly-way, festive draw and Waugh of words

Happy Friday igamers! This week the Diary watches a flock of Angry Birds roar off in a Merc, gets to grip with the real industry-shaking transformation, and rates GB News’ white paper coverage.

Life is a Fly-way

The Diary loves when a mainstream brand somehow burrows its way into the gambling industry.?

Sometimes this is by accident, like when a dodgy slots provider accidentally commits copyright infringement, or on purpose, such as when mobile gaming brand Angry Birds was acquired by Sega Sammy earlier this month.

But this week, the Diary was driven (ahem) crazy by the news that Angry Birds will be featured on new, tech-heavy entertainment systems in the Mercedes-Benz E-Class car, alongside TikTok, Zoom and – get this – a selfie camera.

While the news of entertainment systems in vehicles is still a little alarming to say the least, the Diary is pleased it can now fire little birds out of slingshots while sitting in traffic, instead of joining the 10am standup, watching random beard-shaving videos or pouting heavily into the dashboard.

Weirdly, this isn’t the Diary’s first brush with vehicles as of late – remember the combine harvester PRs we received a few weeks ago?

Time will only tell what will come next. Maybe Sonic the Hedgehog will partner up with one of those super-dangerous e-scooter companies, or Mario and Luigi will commandeer a John Deere tractor to save Princess Peach.

Festive draw

From the repeal of PASPA to the Gambling Act review, iGB readers have taken a front as the first draft of gaming industry history is written.

Another epoch-making event in the world of gaming is currently taking place as Channel Islanders contemplate what the design of its festive lottery ticket should be. A survey has been launched in Jersey and Guernsey ahead of a final decision later in the year.

The survey will be “part of a broad review” which will include feedback from the charitable sector and a number of other stakeholders. (The Diary is sure DCMS are groaning at the thought of another one).

Seemingly blind to the wider geopolitical ramifications of the process, senior lottery officer in Guernsey Jon Taylor said the real winners of the lottery were the “local charities and good causes” that benefit from ticket sales.

As the only bits of British soil that were subjected to German occupation during WWII, the Islanders have become a generous people – always willing to give to a good Claus.??

Waugh of words

Sometimes it’s easy to forget how small the world of gambling is. Despite the industry’s increasing reputation as a globe-trotting, technically literate enterprise, the actual community often resembles a hobbyist gardening forum.?

It’s a friendly kind of place, one that makes you think of people earnestly showing each other photos of their prize-winning marrows for a smattering of enthusiastic replies.

Yesterday’s release of the long-awaited Gambling Act review white paper threw the harsh light of day on this community of well-meaning shut-ins. The Diary found something faintly ludicrous about the bevy of gambling experts suddenly thrust in front of a camera, expecting to explain weird new concepts like “single customer view” to an indifferent public.

The apotheosis of this came late in the day yesterday when industry expert Dan Waugh of Regulus Partners found himself sat opposite Nigel Farage on GB News.?

While Nige sat tutting and harrumphing at the apparent nanny stateism of it all, Waugh was measured and somewhat deflated his interviewer when he scored the government a hefty eight out of ten for its conclusions.?

Farage responded by just murmuring and wrapping the interview. It was all very civilised, though the Diary was crossing its fingers it would devolve into a Waugh of words.??

The week on iGB

Now you’ve worked your way through that Gambling Act white paper coverage, we’ll dive into the week’s other news, starting with a criminal conviction for bonus abuse. An Essex man was jailed for five years for conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation against online gambling operator Bet365. Jonathan Howard used over?a thousand people’s details to create accounts with their identity, collecting more than ￡236,000 in bonuses through the scheme. He was also convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud against the bank Santander but found not guilty on money laundering charges.

Last year, iGB revealed Kindred Group had approached a number of rival operators over a potential sale of the business. This week, the Unibet operator announced a strategic review which could see all or part of the business sold off. PJT Partners, Morgan Stanley & Co International plc and Canaccord Genuity will advise on the review.?

Over in Ontario, three operators were fined CA$70,000 (￡41,709/€47,286/US$51,815) for offering games that were not certified by an independent testing lab. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario fined Mobile Incorporated $30,000 for its breaches while LeoVegas was fined $25,000 and Bunchberry $15,000.

Internet pioneer Yahoo is ramping up its presence in US sports betting, acquiring peer-to-peer betting app Wagr for an undisclosed sum. Wagr, the first social sports betting operator to be licensed in the US, will now be integrated into its Yahoo Sports offering, which already offers fantasy sports product. “The acquisition of Wagr is an exciting step in the development of the next generation of Yahoo Sports’ gaming portfolio,” Yahoo CEO Jim Lanzone said.?

Brazil is gradually working its way towards legal sports betting – more on that in the next episode of the World Series of Politics – and affiliate North Star Network is positioning itself to profit with its latest acquisition. It has acquired LakersBrasil.com, a site focused on the NBA’s LA Lakers, adding to its other Brazilian brands PremierLeagueBrasil and Esportelandia. With basketball growing in popularity in the country, North Star CEO Julien Josset described LakersBrasil.com as “a perfect fit for our portfolio”.

We turn to long-form with Tom Waterhouse’s latest column, which looks at syndicates and the application of artificial intelligence in sports betting. He explains that AI can improve the speed and efficiency of syndicates’ automated betting processes, giving them an edge on the competition.?

Finally, New York is gearing up for a competitive process to allocate three downstate casino licences. Only Muhammad Cohen, a native New Yorker and former city planner, isn’t sure whether it’s going to bring much to the Big Apple. Considering the wealth of attractions and lack of space, he wonders whether there’s really room for a resort to succeed. “Home to Broadway, the Empire State Building, Katz’s Deli, the Met, the Mets, the Yankees and Lady Liberty, New York City needs casino gambling like a fish needs a bicycle,” he writes.?

That’s all from us this week. We’ll be back from Tuesday, after the Bank Holiday, with the industry’s best news, views, data and analysis.?

Have a great (long) weekend!