IGT
Delivers Its Fourteenth After School Advantage Centre in
Jamaica
JAMAICA (November 22, 2018)
Local media outlets report IGT Jamaica opened its fifth IGT After School
Advantage (ASA) Centre for Mustard Seed Communities in celebration of the 40th
anniversary of an organisation that serves more than 500 individuals living
with special needs and children living with HIV/AIDS.
According to the local media reports
the centre, consisting of six computers, pre-loaded with learning software and
a printer, was opened on November 14 at the Mustard Seed Communities' Matthew
25:40 home for boys living with HIV/AIDS, a recent release said.
This will be very helpful
for our boys, said Donna Reynolds, operations manager at Mustard Seed
Communities, who noted that Matthew 25:40 currently accommodates 21 boys of
high school age.
Advertisement |
 |
The home is located in the
inner city, where access to technology is not always easy. It will also benefit
some of the boys from surrounding communities who will be able to use it
alongside our own students, she added. We are very grateful
to IGT for the assistance they have provided to several Mustard Seed
Communities homes.
The partnership between IGT Jamaica
and the Mustard Seed Communities began in September 2015, the release said,
when IGT Jamaica donated to the Jerusalem home in Spanish Town.
The Mary's Child and St Anthony's
Homes, as well as the Gift of Hope Children's Home in Mandeville and Sophie's
Place in Gordon Town, have already benefited from IGT's educational support
through the ASA Centres.
Most recently, The Little Angels
Learning Centre benefited from a redesigned computer lab at Sophie's Place with
five additional computers and furniture, handed over on September 18, the
release said.
This is our fourteenth
After School Advantage Centre in Jamaica. The donation underlines our continued
commitment to providing digital resources for Jamaica's most vulnerable
children, said IGT Jamaica, General Manager Debbie Green.
Mustard Seed Communities is
a remarkable organisation and we wish to congratulate them on their fortieth
anniversary. The children they serve will benefit from access to the latest
technology, affording them the opportunity to expand their educational
horizons. We are proud to continue our partnership with Mustard Seed, to the
benefit of its wonderful children.
IGT Regional Director Brendan Hames
reiterated the company's delight in partnering with Mustard Seed.
Advertisement |
 |
This outstanding
organisation has risen to the challenge of serving some of the most vulnerable
in the society, and it is our distinct honour to support them in providing a
higher standard of educational delivery through technology.
The release said the After School
Advantage Programme seeks to bridge the Digital Divide for children
(aged five to 18 years) who are normally unable to access computers in their
daily lives.
The ASA Programme provides
non-profit organisations with digital resource centres, each specially designed
to fit the recipient's needs.
Matthew 25:40, established in 2002,
is one of three homes in Kingston serving abandoned and orphaned children
living with HIV/AIDS under the umbrella of its Dare to Care programme.
The homes provide shelter and
support for approximately 80 children.
Dare to Care's unique programme
ensures that the children live their best possible lives, encompassing medical
care, education, and emotional and spiritual support.
The After School Advantage Programme
is the major philanthropic initiative for IGT, formerly GTECH, which has been
the online lottery technology provider to Supreme Ventures Limited since it
began selling online draw games in 2001.
SOURCE: News.
INTRALOT Group Announcement of Financial Results for the
Nine-Month Period Ended September 30th, 2018
INTRALOT Announce Revenue on Par
(+0.5%), Consolidated EBITDA Contraction (-6.6% Y-o-Y) following FX Turmoil in
Key Markets, and Stable Organic EBITDA Y-o-Y for 9M18
ATHENS, Greece (November 26, 2018)
-- INTRALOT SA (RIC: INLr.AT, Bloomberg: INLOT GA), an international gaming
solutions and operations leader, announces its financial results for the
nine-month period ended September 30th, 2018, prepared in accordance with
IFRS.
- Revenue and EBITDA growth of +10.3% and +9.3% year
over year respectively on a constant currency basis.
- Group Revenues at similar levels in 9M18, compared
to 9M17 (+0.5%).
- EBITDA in the nine-month period lower by 6.6% year
over year.
- EBITDA margins on sales and on GGR contracted by
1.1pps (at 14.4%) and 1.5pps (at 28.6%), respectively.
- EBT concluded to 46.3m higher by 85.2% vs.
9M17. EBT margin developed to 5.8% (+2.7pps vs. 9M17).
- NIATMI (Net Income After Tax and Minority Interest)
from continuing operations improved by 11.7m vs. last year, developing to
-11.0m.
- Operating Cash Flow in 9M18 below last year by
-60.2m.
- Net Debt stood at 598.5m, up 87.8m
compared to December 31st 2017.
- On September 5th, 2018, INTRALOT announced the
signing of a 10-year contract with the German State Lottery LOTTO Hamburg
GmbH for the provision of a new Lottery System Platform based on
LotosX.
- On October 10th INTRALOT announced a 10-year
contract with the Croatian State Lottery Hrvatska Lutrija for the
implementation of the new integrated LotosX ecosystem and the provision of
operational support.
- In late October 2018, INTRALOT signed a 2-year
contract extension with the New Mexico Lottery along with the green light to be
the provider of the New Mexico Sports Lottery Game available through the
Lotterys entire retail network.
- On November 21st, 2018, Inteltek, the business
partnership of Turkcell and Intralot, capitalizing on 15 years of successful
operation of the iddaa game, announced its plans for the creation of a global
research and software development center in the area of mobile games in
Turkey.
INTRALOT Group CEO Antonios
Kerastaris noted:
INTRALOT has successfully
won new projects in the past two months such as Lotto Hamburg and the Croatian
Lottery as well as extended its New Mexico contract in the US; in the latter
case including approval for a new sports prognostics game, available through
the entire retail footprint of the lottery. All these projects will apply new
technological solutions developed by INTRALOT, reflecting the positive
prospects created by our significant investments in the last two years. We are
also looking forward to the commencement of our operations in Illinois, a
project that has heavily impacted our financials in 9M18. Such developments
confirm our positive outlook after the current transition year according to our
business plan.
Advertisement |
 |
Click
here to download Group Announcement of Financial Results for the Nine-Month
Period Ended September 30th, 2018
About INTRALOT
INTRALOT, a public listed company
established in 1992, is a leading gaming solutions supplier and operator active
in 50 regulated jurisdictions around the globe. With 1.1 billion turnover
and a global workforce of approximately 5,100 employees (3,100 of which in
subsidiaries and 2,000 in associates) in 2017, INTRALOT is an innovation
driven corporation focusing its product development on the customer
experience.
The company is uniquely positioned
to offer to lottery and gaming organizations across geographies market-tested
solutions and retail operational expertise. Through the use of a dynamic and
omni-channel approach, INTRALOT offers an integrated portfolio of best-in-class
gaming systems and product solutions & services addressing all gaming
verticals (Lottery, Betting, Interactive, VLT).
Players can enjoy a seamless and
personalized experience through exciting games and premium content across
multiple delivery channels, both retail and interactive.
INTRALOT has been awarded with the
prestigious WLA Responsible Gaming Framework Certification by the World Lottery
Association (WLA) for its global lottery operations.
For more info:
- Mr. Chris Sfatos, Group Director Corporate Affairs,
email: sfatos@intralot.com or
- Investor Relations Dept. email:
ir@intralot.com
- Phone: +30-210 6156000, Fax: +30-210 6106800
Click
here to download Group Announcement of Financial Results for the Nine-Month
Period Ended September 30th, 2018
SOURCE: INTRALOT (www.intralot.com).
Rebecca Paul Hargrove Elected WLA President
BASEL, Switzerland (November 22,
2018) -- At the 13th General Meeting of the World Lottery Association (WLA),
held this past Wednesday November 21 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Rebecca Paul
Hargrove, President and CEO of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation, was
unanimously elected President of the WLA.
She succeeds outgoing WLA President
Jean-Luc Moner-Banet, Director General of Switzerlands
Société de la Loterie de la Suisse Romande.
The election of the first woman to
the position of president of the WLA was a landmark occasion both for the
Association and the global lottery community. Ms. Hargrove is a 33-year lottery
industry veteran and has served as the Chief Executive of four U.S. lotteries:
Illinois Lottery, Florida Lottery, Georgia Lottery and, since September 2003,
the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation.
Her resume includes a long list of
lottery industry, business, and civic accomplishments and honors.
In particular, she has served as
Senior Vice President of the World Lottery Association (September 2012-November
2018), and is a Past President of the North American Association of State and
Provincial Lotteries (NASPL), the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), and
of AILE (International Association of State Lotteries).
She remains one of the most
respected, experienced, and admired leaders in the lottery industry.
At the General Meeting, delegates
also unanimously elected the following people to serve as members on the WLA
Executive Committee:
- Fabio Cairoli, Chairman and CEO of Lottomatica,
Italy
- Gilson César Braga, National Superintendent
of Lotteries at Caixa Econômica Federal, Brazil
- Jannie Haek, CEO, Nationale Loterij, Belgium
- Andreas Kötter, CEO, Westdeutsche Lotterie
GmbH & Co. OHG, Germany
- Stéphane Pallez, President and CEO of La
Française des Jeux, France
- Nigel Railton, CEO, Camelot UK Lotteries, United
Kingdom
- Richard Cheung, Executive Director, Customer and
International Business Development, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Hong Kong.
The following people have been
appointed by the regional associations to serve as representatives on the WLA
Executive Committee:
- Younes El Mechrafi, General Director, La Marocaine
des Jeux et des Sports, Morocco - representing ALA
- Luis Gama, Director, Dirección de
Loterías y Quinielas, Uruguay - representing CIBELAE
- Lynne Roiter, President and CEO of
Loto-Québec, Canada - representing NASPL
- Seah Chin Siong, CEO, Singapore Pools Private
Limited, Singapore - representing APLA.
The appointment of an EL
representative to the WLA Executive Committee is pending.
The newly elected Executive
Committee held its first meeting directly following the WLA General Meeting. At
this meeting:
- Nigel Railton of Camelot UK Lotteries, United
Kingdom, was appointed as Senior Vice President
- Gilson César Braga of Caixa Econômica
Federal, Brazil, and Richard Cheung of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Hong Kong,
were both appointed co-Vice Presidents.
SOURCE: World Lottery
Association.
Danske
Lotteri, FDJ, Norsk Tipping, Veikkaus Announce the Establishment of a New Joint
Venture Company LEIA
HAMAR, Norway (November 27 2018) --
The participating lotteries have on the 1st October 2018 signed an agreement to
establish a Joint Venture Company (JVC) between Danske Lotteri Spil,
Française des Jeux, Norsk Tipping and Veikkaus named Lotteries
Entertainment Innovation Alliance AS (LEIA).
The four lotteries share the same
values and public interest goals, and they have been granted a mandate by their
respective authorities in the lottery gaming industry.
They have decided to create a joint
company to share resources in order to build a wider and efficient digital
gaming offer, allowing these lotteries to address some of the common main
challenges in the digital space, and foster open innovation. The aim is to
develop liquidity games and to offer an enhanced range of games to the
consumers.
Morten Eriksen, from Norsk Tipping,
has been appointed as the CEO of the new venture. Eriksen has more than 20
years of experience from the Telecom industry and recently 5 years from the
lottery industry.
The consumer behaviour in
the Lottery industry is changing rapidly which requires faster development and
adaption from both the operators and suppliers. We are happy to announce this
new Joint Venture and I believe we will be stronger together in the long term
in delivering strong value propositions to each market says Olli
Sarekoski, Chairman of LEIA and CEO of Veikkaus.
LEIA is a limited liability company
incorporated under the laws of Norway, and has its registered address at
Måsåbekkvegen 20, 2315 Hamar, Norway.
FDJ (Française des
Jeux) is ranked 4th lottery worldwide with 15.1 Bn EUR of sales in 2017.
FDJ offers lottery and sports betting to its 26+ million customers, providing
secure and responsible entertainment.
The group including its B2B
subsidiaries FDJ GAMING SOLUTIONS employs 2,130 people. FDJ distributes lottery
and betting through a retail network of 30.800 points of sale and online to 1.3
M players.
Veikkaus is a Finnish gaming
company with a special mission. We want people to play our games safely and
with moderation. Almost all adult Finns play our games; we have over two
million loyal customers.
Advertisement |
 |
Thanks to the players, over one
billion euros a year are accumulated for the common good. The gaming revenue is
used to offer people chances for better lives.
Danske Spil A/S, the Danish
National Lottery, was founded in 1948 and is currently the market leader on the
Danish gambling market. Danske Spil offers gambling through its subsidiaries,
Danske Lotteri Spil and Danske Licens Spil, both online and through a network
of more than 4,400 retail partners across the country.
Today a substantial variety of good
causes benefit from the more than DKK 1 billion (DKK 1.1 billion in 2017),
which Danske Spil returns annually to society via the lottery funds. In total
Danske Spils societal contribution amounted to DKK 2.674 billion in
2017.
Norsk Tipping AS (Norsk Tipping) is
Norways state-owned gaming company with sole rights as operator of
several gaming activities in the Norwegian domestic market. Norsk Tipping
engages every year approximately 2 million players from the adult population of
4 million every year.
In 2017 the company had a turnover
of approximately 35 billion Norwegian kroner. The company has approximately 400
employees, and a network of nearly 3600 retailers throughout the country where
the players can play.
Approximately 50% of the company's
revenue comes from Internet and other digital channels.
SOURCE: LEIA press release
distributed by Lyceum Media.
Skilrock Unveils INFINITI - ITS NEW 4th Generation Platform at
WLS, Argentina
GURUGRAM, India (November 27, 2018)
-- Team Skilrock is back after a wonderful show at WLS 2018, Buenos Aires. The
star attraction involved unveiling of its all new 4th Generation Platform
called INFINITI that promises to bring a paradigm shift in the way
our technology solutions will address the diverse and ever changing
requirements of our global clientele making them better prepared to take
on the New World. The novel approach to support innovation by design at every
layer coupled with smart solution offerings embedded within
INFINITI was well appreciated by industry veterans, seasoned
business leaders and other delegates.
With an increased focus on Americas,
this was the fourth major event in a series of major events in the lottery and
gaming industry, where Skilrock has exhibited.
Mr. Sujit Lahiry, Executive Director
at Skilrock Technologies Pvt. Ltd, commented
It was worth the effort for
every delegate to come half way across the world to be in Buenos Aires to
attend the WLS 2018 event. Right from the inspiring keynote delivered by Nando
Parrado about his survival in Andes to the opening of gala tradeshow to the
engrossing networking events and various engagements in the backdrop of the
enchanting Puente De La Mujer of Buenos Aires, it couldnt have been
better.
It was a very special
occasion for Skilrock to launch its all new INFINITI platform that truly
resounded the theme of the conference Gaining the edge in the new
world. This was made more special under the perfect setting of the
enchanting venue and blending with every bit of the conference programmes. The
clients and enthusiasts appreciated how we aligned ourselves with the show and
appreciated Infinite Solutions for Limitless Gaming that our new
platform offers to leverage the New World
About Skilrock
Technologies
Skilrock Technologies is a leading
technology solution provider for the lottery, gaming and payment industry with
its R&D centres located at global IT hubs. It is technology arm of $2
billion Sugal & Damani Group, who are leaders of Indian lottery &
gaming operations.
The Omni-Channel Gaming Platform
Infiniti of Skilrock serves RETAIL, iGAMING & SELF SERVICE
channels with equal ease and at the same time supporting a wide variety of
games like Lotto, Keno, Bingo, Instant, Sports, Poker, Rummy, Casino and
Slots.
More than 120,000 retail touch
points and over 5 million iGaming players across 22 jurisdictions have been
serviced by Skilrock.
CONTACT: Sourabh Goyal, Manager
Marketing & Sales, Office: +91 124 4193500, Mobile: +91 88 2631
5550, Email: sourabh.goyal@skilrock.com.
SOURCE: Skilrock Technologies
(www.skilrock.com).
Future
of Lotteries to be Discussed at Winter Meeting of Legislators from Gaming
States, January 4-6 in New Orleans
News Provided By: National Council
of Legislators from Gaming States
NEW ORLEANS (November 28, 2018) --
Lotteries across the United States are confronting multiple, unprecedented
challenges and opportunities such as ilotteries, sports betting and the
convergence of lottery and casino games in the online space. Lottery directors,
legislators and other experts will examine these issues when the Committee on
Lotteries meets at the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States
(NCLGS) Winter Meeting, January 4-6 in New Orleans.
Advertisement |
 |
Registration and host-hotel
reservations for the three-day conference are now open at
http://www.nclgs.org/meetings.html. A limited number of rooms at host Harrah's
New Orleans are still available at special attendee rates.
Rhode Island this week became the
first lottery to operate sports betting and several others may follow suit.
This is just one example of how lotteries are moving beyond their traditional
games to sustain and grow their revenue.
"The business model that state
lotteries have relied on for many years is changing rapidly, due to forces
ranging from technology and demographics to sports betting, igaming and
political considerations," said Committee Chair Joe Verrengia, a
Representative from Connecticut. "This panel of experts will help
legislators ensure that emerging business models continue to serve the public
interest."
The Committee will hear from
the following presenters:
- Gerald Aubin, Director, Rhode Island Lottery
- Rose Hudson, President and CEO, Louisiana Lottery
Corporation
- Gordon Medenica, Director, Maryland Lottery and
Gaming Control Agency
- Bill Pascrell III, Lobbyist, Princeton Public
Affairs Group
- Peggy Daniel, US General Manager, The Lotter
Group
More than 200 attendees, including
dozens of state legislators, are expected to attend the three-day NCLGS Winter
Meeting. The conference agenda includes:
Advertisement |
 |
- Keynote Luncheon Address from former New Jersey
Governor Chris Christie, whose arguments before the Supreme Court resulted in
overturning the federal prohibition on sports betting
- Six legislative committee sessions: Casinos,
Emerging Forms of Gaming, Lotteries, Pari-Mutuels, Sports Betting/iGaming, and
State-Federal Relations
- The Big Picture: Focus on Freshman Class of
Legislators an introduction to gaming
- Two Masterclasses presented by the International
Masters of Gaming Law
- Friday evening welcome reception
- Saturday afternoon offsite event
- Sunday general session focusing on the relationship
between gaming and tourism
The Winter Meeting has been approved
for 10.25 and 10.0 Continuing Legal Eduction credits by the Louisiana and
Nevada bars, respectively, underscoring its importance as a premier gaming
policy forum.
To view the NCLGS Winter Meeting
agenda, register, and book hotel rooms at the host hotel at special attendee
rates, visit http://www.nclgs.org/meetings.html.
For sponsorship information, contact
Dawn Wagner at dawn@nclgs.org. Legislators
and others seeking NCLGS membership information should contact Wayne Marlin at
wayne.marlin@nclgs.org.
NCLGS is the only organization of
state lawmakers that meets on a regular basis to discuss issues relating to
gaming. Members of NCLGS serve as chairpersons or members of state legislative
committees responsible for the regulation of gaming in their state legislative
houses. NCLGS does not promote or oppose gaming but is primarily concerned with
the regulation and economic and social impacts of the industry. The NCLGS
Foundation is the educational and research arm of NCLGS. The 501(c)(3)
non-profit is a source of non-partisan data on issues of gaming legislation and
regulation.
Spectrum Gaming Group, which has
performed advisory and consulting work for gaming operators, regulators and
legislatures in 36 US states and territories and in 47 countries on six
continents, serves as the Executive Director of NCLGS.
SOURCE:
National Council of Legislators
from Gaming States
Hoosier Lottery Extends Holiday Fun to Instagram, Holiday
Mystery Website
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (Nov. 23,
2018) -- This holiday season, the fun, prizes and giving back with the Hoosier
Lottery go beyond playing Holiday Scratch-offs.
The Hoosier Lottery is giving
players a chance to win a Scratch-off wreath made of $100 in Scratch-offs while
giving back to local fire departments, and players have another chance at
winning $200 in Holiday Scratch-offs by solving a mystery.
For Hoosiers, giving back is as
easy as posting a selfie
Through the Give the Play holiday
promotion, five Hoosier Lottery players will be selected to win a wreath made
of $100 in Scratch-offs by posting a selfie with their Holiday Scratch-offs to
Instagram using #GiveThePlay. But it doesnt end there. For every
Scratch-off wreath won by a Hoosier Lottery player, the Hoosier Lottery will
also give one to a local fire department in Indiana.
Advertisement |
 |
Entries for the #GiveThePlay
promotion are being accepted now. The deadline to enter with your selfie is
Sunday, Dec. 9.
Click here for complete rules.
Can you solve the Hoosier Holiday
Mystery?
Twas the night of the holiday
party and one sneaky guest brought a little more mischief than the rest.
Who hid the Scratch-offs? is what everyone is asking.
This limited-time-only online
experience from Hoosier Lottery immerses players into a quirky mystery with
subtle clues and a lot of laughs. Help them solve the mystery and you could be
one of five Hoosiers to win $200 in Holiday Scratch-offs. Check out
hoosierlotterymystery.com to meet the characters and take
your best guess.
The Hoosier Lottery wants players to
bring the play with Holiday Scratch-offs this season. The Scratch-offs include
$1 Festive $50s, $2 Holiday $100s, $3 Candy Cane Crossword Tripler, and $5
Silver & Gold.
Odds of winning the #GiveThePlay and
Hoosier Holiday Mystery promotions are dependent upon the number of entries
received. Estimated Overall Odds: $1 Festive 50s 1 in 4.66, $2 Holiday 100s 1
in 4.42, $3 Candy Cane Crossword Tripler 1 in 3.98, $5 Silver & Gold 1 in
3.91.
ABOUT THE HOOSIER
LOTTERY:
Hoosier Lottery distributions
benefit every county throughout Indiana. The Hoosier Lottery contributes $30
million to local police and firefighters' pensions and $30 million to the
Teachers' Retirement Fund. In fiscal year 2017, the Hoosier Lottery contributed
$228 million to the Build Indiana Fund. To learn more about the Hoosier
Lottery, visit
www.hoosierlottery.com/givingback and follow on Facebook and
Twitter.
CONTACT: Jerry Grider, Hoosier
Lottery, Sr. Manager of Public Relations, T: 317-264-4676 office, E:
jgrider@hoosierlottery.com.
SOURCE: Hoosier Lottery press
release.
BCLC
CFO Named One of Canadas Most Powerful Women
VANCOUVER, BC, Canada
(November 22, 2018) -- BCLC is proud to announce that its Chief Financial
Officer and VP of Finance and Corporate Services, Amanda Hobson, is one of the
Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada. The Womens Executive Network (WXN)
recognition, announced today, pays tribute to those who have advocated for
diversity in the workforce and who serve as an inspiration for the next
generation of leaders.
Hobson joined BCLC in 2013 as a
Finance Director and quickly earned herself a seat at the Executive table,
where she oversees the organizations finance operations, external
reporting, financial planning, procurement and corporate services.
Through her leadership style of
empowerment and engagement, Hobson has helped drive BCLCs continued
financial success.
Hobsons collaborative approach
to engaging with internal and external stakeholders has supported numerous
successes for BCLC. Through her work with BCLCs Casino business unit,
Hobson helped to secure one of the largest contracts in the Corporations
history: new 20-year Operational Services Agreements with casino service
providers. The Agreements set the course for greater accountability, long-term
private-sector investment and sustained revenue to the Province and
communities.
Hobson is also a founding member and
supporter of AIM, a grassroots group to connect, inspire and motivate women at
BCLC, with a focus on networking, professional and personal development and
giving back.
In addition to her numerous
career successes, Amandas contributions span well beyond the
workplace, said BCLC President and CEO Jim Lightbody.
She is a driving force in
the community of Kamloops and takes an active role with many groups including
as a Board Director with the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation and an avid
supporter of the Kamloops Food Bank. She embodies BCLCs ideals of giving
back and helping communities grow.
Anyone recognized by WXN is in good
company. Past Award Winners include Canadian icons such as author Margaret
Atwood, astronaut Dr. Roberta Bondar, CEO of Venture Communications and
Dragons Den personality Arlene Dickinson, and many more.
SOURCE: BCLC press release.
Gambling Commission Publishes New Report on Children and
Gambling Trends
Young
People and Gambling Report 2018
BIRMINGHAM, U.K. (November 23, 2018)
The Gambling Commission has said stronger partnerships are needed to
protect children following a
new
report published today. The gambling regulator has called for regulators
and businesses across industries to work together, but the research also shows
the important influence parents can have on childrens gambling
behaviour.
This years Young People and
Gambling report reveals that gambling participation by 11 to 16 year olds has
increased in the last 12 months but remains lower compared to all previous
years. However, the research indicated that more children are at risk of being
harmed by gambling.
The report identifies the most
common gambling activities that children are engaging in are often outside of
the Gambling Commission's direct regulatory control - such as bets between
friends, lottery scratch cards purchased by parents and playing of fruit
machines in pubs.
It highlights the need for a more
collaborative proactive approach to protect young people.
Despite the increase in problem
gambling rates the report found that only 19% of children said their parents
had set strict rules about gambling.
Tim Miller, Executive Director at
the Gambling Commission, said: Protecting children from the harms that
can come from gambling remains one of our highest priorities. In the areas we
have regulatory control, we continue to strengthen the protections in place to
prevent underage gambling, such as our recent proposals for enhanced age
verifications checks for online gambling.
But regulation alone cannot
address all of the risks that young people may face from gambling. Our latest
research shows that the most common forms of gambling by children do not happen
in gambling premises. Some of these are legal, such as bets between friends;
some of these are unlawful, such as gambling on machines in pubs. But all of
them present risks to young people as there is no form of gambling that is
risk-free. It is therefore vital that all those with a part to play in
protecting children and young people - parents, businesses and regulators -
work together.
Last week, the Commission called on
the pubs industry to take urgent action following serious failures to stop
children playing on 18+ gaming machines. In addition, in September 17 global
gambling regulators teamed up with the Commission to work together to address
the risks created by the blurring of lines between video games, social gaming
and gambling. The Commission is also currently consulting on strengthening age
verification processes.
Key findings:
- 14% of 11-16 year olds had spent their own money on
gambling in the past week, this is up from 12% in 2017 but still lower than
rates seen prior to 2017
- This compared to 13% who had drunk alcohol in the
past week, 4% who had smoked cigarettes and 2% who had taken illegal drugs
- The principal forms of gambling in the past week
are placing a private bet for money with friends (6%), National Lottery
scratchcards (4%), fruit/slot machines (3%) and playing cards for money with
friends (3%)
- Young people who have gambled in the past week
spent an average of £16 on gambling during this period
- Over the past 12 months, 39% of 11-16 year olds
have spent their own money on gambling
- 6% have gambled online using a parent or
guardians account
- 31% have ever opened loot boxes in a computer game
or app, to try to acquire in-game items, while 3% claim to have ever bet with
in-game items (so called skins gambling)
- 59% agree that gambling is dangerous and only 14%
agree that it is OK for someone their age to gamble
- Around half (49%) of respondents said that someone
had spoken to them about the problems that gambling can lead to, with the
conversation typically taking place with a parent (40%) or teacher (21%).
- 60% of young people think their parents would
prefer them not to gamble at all, however only 19% stated that their parents
set strict rules about gambling with no negotiation
- 1.7% of 11-16 year olds are classified as
problem gamblers, 2.2% as at risk
SOURCE: Gambling Commission.
Belgium to Lead Project to Unify European Online Gambling
Regulations
Written by: Joe Ewens
BRUSSELS, Belgium (November 20,
2018) -- Belgian Gaming Commission director Peter Naessens has been chosen to
spearhead a new pan-European project to standardise online gambling
regulation.
Advertisement |
 |
Under the banner of the European
Committee for Standardization (CEN), a group of international regulators and
industry bodies will produce compliance reporting rules designed to be adopted
across the continent.
The projects ultimate aim is
to create guidelines on what data online gambling operators should send to
their regulators and how they should do it.
The overall group responsible for
producing the standards, Technical Committee 456, is chaired by ARJEL
international affairs officer Claire Pinson.
She hosted a meeting of the
committee in Paris on Thursday, where Belgian regulatory chief Peter Naessens
was elected as project leader, handing him ultimate responsibility for drafting
the guidelines.
He defeated Mark Pace, managing
director of industry group the Gaming Standards Association, who will be
considered for the role of co-leader through an online vote before the end of
the year.
The group hopes the completed
standards will ideally be adopted across most EU countries, but will in
practice be completely voluntary.
Lending the venture additional
weight, however, are its origins in Brussels. The project began as the result
of a direct request to CEN from the European Commission, an institution that
officially washed its hands of all gambling issues in
December 2017.
Advertisement |
|
That has contributed in part to
substantial interest in the project from a number of industry trade groups.
Some of whom see it as preparing the ground for a new commissions
approach to online gambling.
The current commission, under the
premiership of Jean-Claude Juncker, ends its term next year.
Representatives from the European
Gambling and Betting Association, European Lotteries and the European Casino
Association were among those attending the Thursday meeting.
Naessens is an interesting choice to
lead the project, having been critical of previous attempts to harmonise
gambling regulation at EU level.
Naessens told GamblingCompliance
that he and his colleagues believed that previous harmonisation efforts "were
trying to implement a unilateral liberal policy on the member states, defending
the interests of online operators who wanted to offer their services in the
most possible countries".
Now, with the voluntary nature of
the CEN standards in mind and a gambling regulator at the helm, Naessens sees
value in harmony.
"For me this is not contradictory,"
he said. "All member states that want to be involved [in the CEN project] are
involved. And I think if there is no direct involvement from public authorities
or regulators you will arrive at solutions that will never be used."
Advertisement |
 |
Pinson also insisted that "the
requested standards do not attempt to harmonise national online gambling
regulation".
The specific elements touched by the
project include standards for how operators should report on player accounts,
payment methods, spending limits and self-exclusions.
Overall transactions recorded by an
operator for a specific product, activity in each market, gross gambling
revenue and marketing activities will also be covered.
"While ensuring integrity and
security of the data as well as personal data protection, the requested
standard will provide a voluntary tool to gambling regulatory authorities,"
said Pinson.
She added that the guidelines would
be produced "without prejudice to the scope of competence of member states
in the regulation of online gambling and without imposing any obligation on
them to introduce reporting requirements or to authorise or deny authorisation
to any operators or suppliers".
The next stage of the project will
begin in Stockholm on January 17 and 18, when a group of national experts will
meet to formally begin work on the project, the full title of which is CEN/TC
456 "Reporting in support of online gambling supervision".
SOURCE: The European Gaming and
Betting Association (EGBA).
The
Malta Gaming Authority Publishes a Survey to Better Understand Existing Skills
Gap in the Gaming Industry
MALTA (November 22, 2018) -- The
Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), through its Information Unit, has conducted a
survey among its licensed remote gaming operators in order to obtain a better
understanding of the existing skills gap in the gaming industry. The survey was
conducted during the first quarter of 2018, and its analysis was carried out
for each job category, level and firm size.
The following are the key highlights
from this survey:
Advertisement |
 |
- A total of 781 unfilled positions have been
reported by the remote gaming companies in Malta as at the end of 2017;
- Unfilled job vacancies are primarily in the game
operation and development category at the operational level, presenting
significant potential for the local educational system to contribute in
addressing the issues of job vacancies in skills that are specific to the
gaming industry in Malta;
- According to the survey results, 57% of respondents
consider the lack of appropriate skills, in terms of either work experience or
qualifications, as the main cause of unfilled vacancies;
- The sourcing of experienced talent from other firms
in Malta is practised by over 60% of surveyed firms; the majority of operators
recruited workers already employed by other firms in the online sector (37%) or
in other industries (24%);
- The recruitment of workers immediately after the
completion of their formal education was reported by 15% of firms, confirming
the potentially stronger role which could be played by educational
institutions; and;
- Various initiatives are undertaken by the gaming
companies to address the skill shortage in the industry with majority of firms
(55%) organising in-house training for their employees or investing in overseas
training (21%).
Over the past months, several policy
efforts have been made to address this skills gap. In fact, in November 2017,
the European Gaming Institute of Malta (EGIM) was launched following an
agreement signed between the MGA and MCAST.
This strategic initiative aims to
increase the talent pool in the gaming industry and create more long term
careers for both local and foreign students. Educational programmes through
EGIM started being offered as from October 2018.
A full copy of the survey can be downloaded from here.
SOURCE: Malta Gaming Authority.
Gambling Companies Spend £1.2 Billion Marketing Online,
Five Times More Than on Television Ads
LONDON, U.K. (November 24, 2018) --
New financial analysis from respected gambling industry specialists Regulus
Partners has estimated that the total spend by gambling companies on marketing
has gone up by 56% since 2014, and has now hit £1.5bn. Most marketing
activity is now on the internet, with companies spending five times more online
than on television.
The new figures, derived from
audited accounts of the top publicly listed operators and other available
financial data for private and offshore companies, indicate the areas where
gambling companies spent the most money on marketing in 2017:
- Direct online internet marketing costs -
£747m, almost half (48%) of total gambling marketing spend
- Advertising through marketing
affiliates websites, tipsters and publications who earn
commission for generating new business for the gambling companies- £301m,
nearly one fifth (19%) of total expenditure
- TV gambling advertising - £234m, just 15% of
total gambling marketing spend
- Social media - £149m, more than tripling over
three years, and 10% of total gambling marketing spend
- Sponsorship - £60m, double the amount spent
in 2014 (£30m).
80% of all gambling marketing spend
is now online. There has been significant debate about the amount of
advertising by bookmakers, bingo websites and virtual casinos on television,
but these figures shine a light onto the huge amount of money being spent
promoting gambling on the internet.
Classified
Advertisement |
 |
Detailed marketing expenditure is
considered commercially confidential, so obtaining definitive figures is not
possible. But Regulus Partners have applied similar techniques used by city
analysts to generate estimates which will have strong credibility within the
gambling industry, and clearly indicate the relative extent of online marketing
activity.
Marc Etches, CEO of GambleAware
said:
Children are growing up in
a very different world than their parents. The Gambling Commission reports that
59% of 11-16 year olds have seen gambling advertisements on social media,
compared to 66% on television. One in eight 11 to 16 year olds follow gambling
companies on social media, and they are three times more likely to spend money
on gambling. Of those who have ever played online gambling-style games, 24%
follow gambling companies online.
Compared to other
potentially harmful activities, the rate of gambling in the past week among
young people is higher than the rates of drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes
and taking illegal drugs. This underlines the need to treat gambling as a
public health issue.
The Regulus analysis shows that
much more attention needs to be payed to the extent of gambling-related
marketing online, and that internet companies and social media platforms must
share in the responsibility to protect children, and to generally raise
awareness of the nature of gambling, associated risks of harm, and where to go
for help and advice if it is needed.
About GambleAware
GambleAware is an independent
charity tasked to fund research, education and treatment services to help to
reduce gambling-related harms in Great Britain.
GambleAware is a commissioning and
grant-making body, not a provider of services.
CONTACT: Sarah Evans, T: +44
7523609413, E: gambleaware@atlas-partners.co.uk.
SOURCE: GambleAware.
Careers in the Games Industry Have Moved Beyond
Entertainment
Article by: John Montesi (Azusa
Pacific University)
AZUSA, CA (November 27, 2018) -- It
is no secret that careers in the technology sector have grown faster than any
other field over the past couple of decades. Tech is a wide-ranging industry
and many different areas have created new career paths. One of the most
explosive growth areas in the technology and software realm is careers in the
video game industry. As an emerging -- and rapidly-growing -- sector, the
trajectory for a career in games is varied.
The video game industry currently
generates more than $100 billion in revenue each year, with the United States
making up more than $36 billion of that total. Video Game
Designer was listed as one of CNN Moneys Best Jobs in America,
reporting a median salary of $81,600 and a 10-year job growth of 13
percent.
Accordingly, schools like Azusa
Pacific University have come to recognize the segmentation and specialization
within software and technology, and now offer multiple degrees to help
graduates hone their skills and stand out in the growing pool of qualified
applicants. Heres what you need to know if youre looking to pursue
a career in the game industry.
The Beginning of Video
Games
Video games have come a long way
from when the industry began, back in the early 80s when home PCs became
widely available. Games were far less complex than they are today; some of the
best-selling games were text-based, with no graphics at all! Because of this,
game development companies could be fairly small and operate on very little
money. Those businesses typically published and marketed their own games,
giving early video games a unique underground feel.
Game companies in the
80s were a lot like those that are a part of the indie game scene of
today, said Tim Samoff, program director of the games and interactive
media program at APU. As games grew more and more complex, game
development companies had to grow as well. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see
a hundred or more people work on a major $200 million release.
The Evolution of the Game
Industry
Since the industrys inception,
it has proven remarkably resilient to periods of economic distress and
continues to enjoy upward growth. Like any industry, it has been through trends
of major growth and seen corrections, but the overarching theme is one of
consistent demand for constantly-improving games as a source of entertainment
and even professional development.
Its actually a great
time to get into the industry right now, Samoff noted.
Companies are looking for individuals who have unique skill sets,
people who can fulfil multiple functions on a team, and who are trained to
start working right away.
Classified
Advertisement |
 |
New market sectors like eSports,
theme parks, health care, military, and other applications for realistic
simulations have dramatically widened the reach of the video game industry.
This means that video game development is more resistant to changes in trends
or discretionary spending habits than ever before.
Careers in the Game
Industry
Video game development can be both a
dream job for avid video game fans and a practical career path that provides
ample opportunity for the dynamic future of technology. Roles range from video
game designers and programmers to digital artists and creative directors.
Because the industry is relatively new, each graduating class brings new skills
based on the rapidly evolving curriculum and unique life experiences. The
industry favors creative and flexible applicants -- as well as people who are
passionate about games!
Samoff has some decidedly
entertaining advice for individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in
game development. Those who want to work in the industry should start
playing any game they can get their hands on, regardless of whether its
the type of game they like or the game genre they prefer, he said.
Mobile devices and app stores make this easy now because so many games
are free to play or provided as free demos. People need to understand the
trends and know what others in the industry are doing.
Much like other software-based
industries, many of the skills and tools related to developing video games are
available online. Most of the industry standard game engines (like Unity and
Unreal Engine) are free to use. There are also thousands of tutorials on the
game engine sites as well as other outlets like YouTube. Samoff noted that if a
person wants to work in the industry, they should start learning how
to make games on their own now.
Getting a Games Education at
APU
Advertisement |
 |
While the software revolution allows
anyone with internet access to learn aboutand participate inthe
digital economy, the focused rigors and portfolio requirements of an academic
setting can help graduates stand out amid the competitive tech landscape.
Earning a degree can better prepare individuals for success and career
advancement in their chosen fields.
Azusa Pacific
Universitys program is geared towards getting students to be highly
productive, learn the value of iteration and failure, and ultimately produce
polished, industry-level games, Samoff said. Similarly, the
games and interactive media program was created with an openness that will
allow students to focus in a minor such as computer science, art, music,
business, or whatever it is that they want to do within (or outside of) the
industry.
The game industry offers many
opportunities for career advancement, stability, and continued growth. From
surgical simulations to entertaining role-playing games to educational
platforms, the video game industry today covers ground in a wide variety of
sectors. Students who graduate from the games and interactive media program at
APU will have a deep understanding of how to make engaging, playable games from
scratch, how the industry works, and how to apply it all to their current and
future career goals.
Are you interested in learning more
about the video game industry and how you can pursue an innovative degree in a
promising and dynamic career path? Take some time to check out the games and
interactive media program at Azusa Pacific University.
SOURCE: Azusa Pacific
University.
 |