The rise of the gaming industry in Malta is an indisputable success story, one which continues to go from strength to strength. Without doubt, Malta has become the jurisdiction of primary establishment for most operators within the industry. In Europe, the iGaming sector has been steadily growing and is still developing, even though its growth […]

The rise of the gaming industry in Malta is an indisputable success story, one which continues to go from strength to strength. Without doubt, Malta has become the jurisdiction of primary establishment for most operators within the industry. In Europe, the iGaming sector has been steadily growing and is still developing, even though its growth is made somewhat unpredictable by regulatory pressure exerted in disparate states across Europe. Seconded by UK and Gibraltar, Malta has established itself as the iGaming capital of Europe and, at least for now, the iGaming capital of the world.

The European market is by far the largest market for iGaming. Of the €34.6bn of online GGR created worldwide in 2015, north of 47.6% went to European operators. The European online gambling market is estimated to produce a Gross Gaming Revenue ( GGR = stakes minus winnings) of about €16.5 billion and is expected to grow steadily to a whopping €24.9 billion by 2020 into motion in Europe. Several countries are moving forward with passing legislation on online gambling or issuing licenses.

For example, the Czech Republic mended its gambling laws and is finally on its way to issuing online gambling licenses. 2017, has been an action-packed year, with changes in iGaming regulations implemented or placed Likewise, Italy has put forward a new tender for online gambling licenses, while Sweden and the Netherlands are moving ahead with legislative proposals intended to open their online gambling markets. For the first time, Poland has passed legislation that allows the operation of online casino games via a state monopoly, and online promotional lotteries via private companies, coupled with stronger enforcement measures for unlicensed operators.

Today online gaming comprises 12% of the Maltese economy, generating €700 million and employing 9,000 people. Over 330 gaming companies, including giants Betsson, Tipico ,Betfair, now call Malta home.

Thomas Biro is CEO and co-founder of MultiLotto, Malta’s newest success story. A long time betting leader he was, alongside the companies’ COO Markus Cordes drawn to Malta in late 2016 for its business-friendly tax and gaming regulations. MultiLotto, has established itself as a key player in the Lottery and Gaming market. In the space of twelve months they have more than tripled their workforce, expanded operation into several new markets (UK, Ireland) whilst adding to its strong existing core of players in the Nordics and Eastern Europe. Now offering its clients over 16 different lotteries to choose from, including lottery betting favourites Powerball, Mega Millions, Euro Millions and Euro Jackpot, they are now solid markets leaders.

Considering the fact that there are some gambling markets that feature much tighter regulation of online gambling, it is not surprising that experts projected future growth for Malta’s online gambling industry. Outgoing MGA Executive Chairman, Joseph Cushieri highlighted the necessity of a continuous new generation of legislation which is much more complied with recent innovations in terms of technologies and even new forms of gaming. Customers’ needs are also constantly rising, so legislation needs to be adapted in a way that offers suitable customer protection measures.

The gambling landscape in the country has changed, already quite positive for Malta’s reputation as a reliable destinations for various forms of gambling. According to the MGA’s Chairman, these changes could be even used as a worthy example for other jurisdictions not only in Europe but also around the world.
The vision is for Malta to become the Silicon Valley of the industry, to reach that goal, the country needed the right incentives, the right regulatory framework and above all the continued support of the industry, and it has reached that goal. Malta prides itself on being a microcosm of Europe and now one of the most trusted hubs in Gaming.

Source: MaltaToday.com.mt

Private equity firm CVC Capital Partners has appointed the investment bank Rothschild & Co to examine the possible London stock listing of gambling company Sky Betting & Gaming, Reuters reported on Monday. Rothschild is in the process of organising a “beauty contest” for next week to select which banks will set up the initial public […]

Private equity firm CVC Capital Partners has appointed the investment bank Rothschild & Co to examine the possible London stock listing of gambling company Sky Betting & Gaming, Reuters reported on Monday.

Rothschild is in the process of organising a “beauty contest” for next week to select which banks will set up the initial public offering, which is expected to value the company in the range of GBP2.50 billion and GBP3.00 billion, the news agency reported citing people familiar with the matter.

Sky Betting & Gaming is currently 80% owned by CVC Capital Partners, with the remaining stake held by Sky PLC. CVC first acquired the interest in Sky Bet in 2014, valued at GBP800.0 million at the times.

According to Sky Bet’s annual report for the year ended June 30, 2017, the company made a pretax loss of GBP3.0 million, narrowed from GBP37.8 million the year before, on revenue of GBP515.8 million, up from GBP373.6 million.

UK gambling operators could face stiff financial penalties for breaching advertising rules, according to proposed changes to their licensing conditions. On Thursday, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) unveiled its proposed changes to license condition and codes of practice (LCCP) for UK gambling operators. Stakeholders and members of the public have until April 22 to submit […]

UK gambling operators could face stiff financial penalties for breaching advertising rules, according to proposed changes to their licensing conditions.

On Thursday, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) unveiled its proposed changes to license condition and codes of practice (LCCP) for UK gambling operators. Stakeholders and members of the public have until April 22 to submit their opinions on the proposed new rules of the road.

The changes come as the UKGC is imposing its new vision of a ‘fairer’ gambling market, with an emphasis on a consumer-friendly approach and a zero-tolerance policy toward social responsibility shortcomings.

Among the highlights are a change in licensees’ adherence to socially responsible (SR) marketing activity. Whereas the previous LCCP said that licensees “should” comply with UK Advertising Codes, licensees are now told they “must” comply with codes issued by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP).

The net result of this shift from an Ordinary code provision to the new SR code provision means violators could face “the full range of [the UKGC’s] regulatory powers,” including stiff financial penalties, if their ads are deemed out of bounds.

With regards to marketing pitches containing misleading bonus or ‘free bet’ offers, the old LCCP’s wording that “licensees must satisfy themselves” that their marketing isn’t misleading has been changed to read “licensees must ensure” that it’s not misleading.

Furthermore, all “significant conditions” related to these offers must be “provided transparently and prominently to consumers.” If space prevents listing all the conditions, operators must “clearly indicate” that conditions apply and online operators must ensure that these conditions are displayed in full “no further than one click away.”

Operators will be forbidden to contact consumers via direct electronic marketing without their informed and specific consent, and operators will have to provide “evidence which establishes that consent.” Opportunities to withdraw consent must be provided and woe to any operator who contacts a consumer after consent is withdrawn.

Last year’s affiliate shenanigans resulted in a change in third-party responsibility. The old LCCP’s “licensees must take responsibility for the actions of third parties” has been changed to “licensees are responsible” for activity by their affiliate partners.

Operators will also face an eight-week window in which to resolve customer complaints before the matter is referred to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider. Records of customer complaints and disputes must be kept in case the UKGC or (perish the thought) the courts want to see them.

It’s been two years since the most recent LCCP update and in that time UK regulators of all stripes have been taking a closer look at the gaming industry, clearly signaling that the era of taking consumers for granted is over.

As the UK government tries to reduce the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) to £2, bookmakers are preparing different strategies to prevent the new regulation from taking effect. However, representatives of operators have decided that the judicial review strategy would only be used as a “last resort.” “It would always be a last […]

As the UK government tries to reduce the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) to £2, bookmakers are preparing different strategies to prevent the new regulation from taking effect. However, representatives of operators have decided that the judicial review strategy would only be used as a “last resort.”

“It would always be a last resort and only if it was clear the decision was not being taken on the evidence,” commented an anonymous source of UK bookmakers. “A judicial review is a type of court proceeding in which a judge reviews the lawfulness of a decision or action made by a public body and are a challenge to the way a decision has been made, rather than the rights and wrongs of the conclusion reached,” explained the Racing Post.

Licensed bookmakers in the UK are bracing for impact as the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is preparing three options for the maximum stake limit to be set on FOBTs. The current limit is £100 every 20 seconds and could be dropped to £2 (as proposed by the Labour party), £50 (which is the most appealing to bookies) and one between £10 and £30.

Mexican leading Gaming and Entertainment operator, Logrand Entertainment Group, currently operating 14 casinos in Mexico, focused on customer orientation, state-of-the-art technology, a strict adherence to laws and a world-class executive team, considers the online market a key in its vertical integration strategy and has chosen BtoBet as technological partner to launch its new interactive division […]

Mexican leading Gaming and Entertainment operator, Logrand Entertainment Group, currently operating 14 casinos in Mexico, focused on customer orientation, state-of-the-art technology, a strict adherence to laws and a world-class executive team, considers the online market a key in its vertical integration strategy and has chosen BtoBet as technological partner to launch its new interactive division “Strendus”, which is an essential complement to its growth.

Commenting on the partnership with BtoBet, Logrand Entertainment Group’s Chief Operating Online Officer Lenin Castillo stated:

“Logrand Entertainment Group, as a reputable Mexican company, has high expectations in terms of service providers and has always required the highest standards to be able to compete with international operations in the region and create long-term partnerships with all its business associates. Our group and BtoBet share the same vision to anticipate future needs of global audiences listening to their customers instead of seeing what competitors are doing. For these reasons, to launch our new interactive division, we opted for a very complete and detailed RFP process that scrutinizes all bidders profoundly.”

Castillo added: “BtoBet is a technology leader in the online gambling industry, with multiple nominations and awards and counting on a very professional and skilled team. All these factors allow companies, like ours, to develop a trustworthy relationship with them, in a very short time. If you add all this with their top of the line products and services, the decision to choose them, becomes easy. Our high expectation will continue in the years to come and we are sure with our new partner we will continue being the successful company we have shown to be for all this years.”

Alessandro Fried, BtoBet’s Chairman, highlighted:

“We are very proud to support Logrand Entertainment Group as a partner in Mexico. We share the same vision of business and the interactions between our teams is very cooperative. The growing number of online and mobile gamblers in Mexico and LATAM, is indicating the need to adopt a suitable platform and fitting software to have the greatest insight into players’ data and behaviour in order to drive and manage the gaming business in the most efficient way. In this perspective, we firmly believe our technology and solutions will effectively allow Strendus to reach great achievements.”

In the coming weeks Malta is launching the world’s first legal framework for the creation of a body to regulate Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, and IOT devices. Parliamentary Secretary Silvio Schembri announced at the Unlock Blockchain conference in Dubai that the government had worked closely with the industry to come up with a legal framework that […]

In the coming weeks Malta is launching the world’s first legal framework for the creation of a body to regulate Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, and IOT devices.

Parliamentary Secretary Silvio Schembri announced at the Unlock Blockchain conference in Dubai that the government had worked closely with the industry to come up with a legal framework that satisfies the AML and KYC regulations, without stifling technology innovation.

BitMalta is the responsible alliance for this radical legal framework that is planned to be introduced in Malta.

“This new regulator will help those who wish to invest in this sector to operate within a legal structure and gain the trust of millions of potential customers all over the world who want to make use of new services related to blockchain technology,” he said.

Malta is also planning to cooperate with Dubai, working hand in hand on several projects for the use of blockchain technology in several sectors.

NetShop ISP, your leading data center provider will attend ICE Totally Gaming 2018 which will be held in ExCel London from 6th-8th February 2018. Being active in the iGaming industry for the past 7 years, NetShop ISP is, today, among the top choices for hosting by leading Platform Suppliers, Software Developers and iGaming Startups. ICE […]

NetShop ISP, your leading data center provider will attend ICE Totally Gaming 2018 which will be held in ExCel London from 6th-8th February 2018.

Being active in the iGaming industry for the past 7 years, NetShop ISP is, today, among the top choices for hosting by leading Platform Suppliers, Software Developers and iGaming Startups.

ICE 2017 delivered a record audited total attendance of 30,213, up 6% year-on-year, further increasing the reputation of ICE as the most international business event anywhere in gaming.

Following this link http://srv.to/Gk or call us at +357 2425 0808 to meet with our CTO, George Sarris, and learn how we can help you maximize your IT efficiency while lowering your costs.

R. Franco Digital has agreed a content partnership with Jokerbet.es, the latest online gaming portal of Veramatic Group. Under the deal, Jokerbet.es users will gain access to over 15 games developed by the R. Franco Group’s online gaming division including ‘Treasures of the Seven Seas’, ‘Game of Chronos’ and ‘Big Catch’. R. Franco Digital is […]

R. Franco Digital has agreed a content partnership with Jokerbet.es, the latest online gaming portal of Veramatic Group.

Under the deal, Jokerbet.es users will gain access to over 15 games developed by the R. Franco Group’s online gaming division including ‘Treasures of the Seven Seas’, ‘Game of Chronos’ and ‘Big Catch’.

R. Franco Digital is set to expand its portfolio of content this year and will add more games to Jokerbet.es when they are released.

“At Jokerbet.es we firmly believe that customers look for products similar to the ones they are familiar with, and want to enjoy them at home or elsewhere,” Veramatic online gaming manager Jorge Justicia said.

“The decision to choose R. Franco Digital was very simple, taking into account their origin, and their expertise on the online channel as another important piece in the puzzle.”

Alejandro Casanova, managing director of R. Franco Digital, added: “We have more than 50 years’ experience developing games and, therefore, are well acquainted with land-based and online players, and with their preferences and evolution.

“This positions us as a reference point for the industry in Spain and beyond.”

New lottery game based in on the Bitcoin cryptocurrency launched by Multilotto. Draws will take place every day of the week, apart from Sundays, will give the chance to players to win a jackpot worth 1,000 Bitcoins. The launch comes after Multilotto also recently expanded its offering to include a number of new jackpots, such […]

New lottery game based in on the Bitcoin cryptocurrency launched by Multilotto.

Draws will take place every day of the week, apart from Sundays, will give the chance to players to win a jackpot worth 1,000 Bitcoins.

The launch comes after Multilotto also recently expanded its offering to include a number of new jackpots, such as Irish Lotto and Cash4Life.

Thomas Biro, chief executive of Multilotto, said: “Bitcoin has been one of the buzzwords of the last 12 months and we felt it only right that with so much interest in it that we offer our players the chance to get a piece of the action.

“Bitcoin’s popularity has soared to the point that in some places you can even buy items as common as pizza with it.

“With six draws taking place every week our customers now have plenty of chances to hit the jackpot and become major players in the cryptocurrency revolution.”

The new Casino Resort in Cyprus operated and majority owned by Melco is to be called “City of Dreams – Mediterranean” following Chairman Lawrence Ho’s announcement on Tuesday. “Cyprus’ first integrated resort which will place Cyprus on the world tourism map and attract visitors not just from the surrounding region but also from the whole […]

The new Casino Resort in Cyprus operated and majority owned by Melco is to be called “City of Dreams – Mediterranean” following Chairman Lawrence Ho’s announcement on Tuesday.

“Cyprus’ first integrated resort which will place Cyprus on the world tourism map and attract visitors not just from the surrounding region but also from the whole of Europe and around the world,” Ho said.

It is expected to be operational by 2021 and estimates are that it will attract some 300,000 tourists per year.

Melco has a majority 70.74% stake in the resort with local partners GNS holding the remaining 29.26% stake.

Once completed the “City of Dreams – Mediterranean” will boast 136 gaming tables, 1,200 slot machines, 500 hotel rooms, 11 restaurants along with retail outlets, a wellness centre and sports facilities.

Predictions on income once fully operational vary but the latest study by PWC says that Cyprus could see an increase of 700 million euros a year to the economy, at the same time creating 2,100 jobs on a permanent basis and 11,000 jobs while in the construction phase.

As part of winning the license which lasts for 30 years and 15 years exclusively Melco while developing the resort can open 4 satellite casinos, one in each of the four major cities on the island but with only slot machines. The only casino with live gaming tables will be Nicosia with a limited number of tables.

The new regulatory framework for gambling resubmitted by Cypriot National Betting Authority for gambling after the European Commission and Malta opposed its original draft. The EU member state’s Betting Law of 2017 was submitted to the EC in June, and contained two amended pieces of legislation aimed at remedying several earlier infringements with the 2012 […]

The new regulatory framework for gambling resubmitted by Cypriot National Betting Authority for gambling after the European Commission and Malta opposed its original draft.

The EU member state’s Betting Law of 2017 was submitted to the EC in June, and contained two amended pieces of legislation aimed at remedying several earlier infringements with the 2012 law identified by the EC, in particular the perceived unequal treatment of OPAP and other gambling operators.

However, Malta and the EC lodged opinions against the 2017 draft in September, with Cyprus given three months to respond.

The new draft law grants to a gambling services provider the exclusive right to provide gambling services, with tax to be collected as a percentage of gross profits.
The state control on the provider and on the services provided will be exercised on an ex-post basis by the National Betting Authority (NBA) and on an ex-ante basis by a three-member control committee.

According to the Cypriot authorities this will be done in “a consistent and systematic way”.

In a statement, Cypriot authorities added: “The draft law also provides for the strict regulation, control and supervision of the operation of betting shops used for the provision of gambling services, as well as for the strict regulation of the organisation, operation and provision of gambling services.

“In addition, the draft law authorises the ΝBA to open disciplinary procedures against the provider in case of non-compliance with the requirements of the draft law and to impose administrative fines; it also includes a number of criminal law provisions regarding offences as defined in the draft law.

“Finally, the draft law includes a number of general provisions relating to the protection of the public.”

Last year the Cypriot regulator the NBA opened a window for betting operators to apply for licences from 3 October to 3 November 2017.

Bet365 is among the eight companies that have since received a full Class B online betting licence.

BtoBet Group, the igaming and sports betting technology provider, has launched two new dedicated divisions for gaming and sports betting following an internal restructure. The Malta-based company has unveiled its new BtoBet Sports and BtoBet Games units after bringing iTrading Solution (ITS) and iGaming Solution (IGS) into the organisational fold. ITS specialises in risk management […]

BtoBet Group, the igaming and sports betting technology provider, has launched two new dedicated divisions for gaming and sports betting following an internal restructure.

The Malta-based company has unveiled its new BtoBet Sports and BtoBet Games units after bringing iTrading Solution (ITS) and iGaming Solution (IGS) into the organisational fold.

ITS specialises in risk management and trading while IGS is an experienced games aggregator.

Both companies will sit alongside the BtoBet service, under the BtoBet Group umbrella, and provide services for BtoBet Sports and BtoBet Games.

ITS’s co-founder and chief executive, Davide Ruggeri, already serves as BtoBet’s head of sportsbook.

According to the group, the divisions will operate “under the same roof” and adopt “the same foremost technology”.

“BtoBet Sports is focused on bookmakers’ needs and sportsbook players’ preferences,” BtoBet chairman Alessandro Fried said.

“A dedicated team ensures the sports-betting brand provides the ultimate betting experience to the bettors.

“Based on BtoBet’s sports platform, Neuron Sport, BtoBet Sports provides a highly customisable frontend for each operator, giving all the tools needed for risk management across all pre-match, live betting and virtual jackpot betting products.”

Regarding the new BtoBet Games division, Fried added: “This new department is aimed at providing the perfect set of products and services needed for today’s igaming business.

“A pull of skilled and dedicated experts assists and satisfies any of operator’s iGaming needs and requirements.”

“The Neuron Casino omnichannel platform, based on artificial intelligence technology, ensures tailored offers to maximise the effort of delivering the perfect games offer.”