Nordic gaming operator founded on the Åland Islands “with the clear purpose to generate funds to be used for the benefit of society,” Paf, has announced an extension of its lucrative partnership with shipping company Tallink Grupp.

The newly inked multi-year cooperation agreement will allow Paf to keep offering its gaming entertainment options onboard Tallink’s vessels.

Tallink Grupp, “Pleased to Continue” the Long-Standing Agreement

The shipping company’s chief operating officer for Land & Ship, Lasse Danielsson, took the opportunity to express their pleasure for the continuation of their “long-standing history” with Paf.

Danielsson also referred to the freshly updated partnership as “an important step towards further improving the entertainment experience” for their customers. 

The group currently operates a number of passenger ships in the Northern Baltic Sea area under the Tallink and Silja Line brands.

Tallink’s excitement is also motivated by the announced gaming experience renewal plans expressed by the gaming operator that showed impressive performance in 2022.

The Customer Journey Concept

The operator is determined to change the way entertainment is offered onboard Tallink Grupp’s ships. The ships operate under the Silja Line brand between Finland, Sweden, and Åland. 

The upgrades are expected to include several new coinless machines that will be integrated with screens meant to improve player’s gaming experiences.

Paf’s key account manager, Christian Lundell, announced the implementation of the Customer Journey concept, which will be used to improve the interaction with players while strengthening their gaming experience and communications regarding their responsible gaming policies. 

Paf will also consider the possibility of offering even more gaming opportunities through specific amusement games aimed at adults.

Paf has already implemented a number of updates that have helped improve responsible gaming onboard the group’s ships currently operating to and from Estonia. 

Passengers on the respective vessels are asked to identify themselves using boarding cards before they are allowed to play slot machines.

Tallink Grupp’s group entertainment director, Kairi Maidla, spoke about the “higher standard for the gaming activities onboard” obtained via their collaboration with Paf, expressing hope that similar improvements will be brought onboard all their ships alongside Paf in the upcoming years.

In May, Kambi and Paf announced they would strengthen their decade-old partnership in the sportsbook vertical. During the same month, Paf also expanded its collaboration with Finnish shipping company  Eckerö Linjen.

September marked the month when the operator decided to continue its innovative tech education program called grit:lab launched two years ago with the purpose of allowing students to learn from each other, thus eliminating the need for teachers. 

The post Paf and Tallink Grupp Renew Collaboration With Fresh Deal appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Tim Miller, executive director of the United Kingdom’s Gambling Commission (UKGC) addressed the current state of the industry from the perspective of the British regulator. During yesterday’s Global Gaming Expo (G2E), Miller commented on some of the latest developments in global gaming.

Miller started his speech with a brief discussion of the British market, noting that it continues to exhibit the characteristics of a matured licensed market. He noted that the market closed the fiscal year with a gross gambling yield of £14.1 billion, making it one of the largest in the world.

A survey from the end of March, meanwhile, showed that 44% of adults had taken part in gambling at least once in the previous 4 weeks.

Miller admitted that the pandemic presented unique challenges to the industry but believes that the British industry has managed to emerge stronger than ever. At the same time, the UKGC remains bullish on cracking down on any business practices that endanger customers, further highlighting the market’s maturity.

He noted that the year saw the UKGC conclude the largest enforcement cases in its history, breaking its record two times. FY 2022/23 notably saw the commission conclude 24 enforcement cases with operators who had to pay £60+ million because of their failings.

Miller Says Collaboration Between Regulators Is Crucial

Speaking about certain global trends, Miller noted that British and European operators have been becoming more and more interested in exploring opportunities in North American jurisdictions. The globalization of the industry has prompted the need for discussion between gambling regulators who, according to Miller, have been increasingly focused on regulating the same companies.

The more gambling regulators know of each others rules, standards and markets, the more we are sharing information and best practice, the more we support each other then the more effective we will be.

Tim Miller, executive director, UKGC

According to Miller, it is important to hold operators up to standards and “pose difficult questions” to them if they “act poorly in other markets.”

Miller added that the UKGC is currently establishing strong ties with US regulators and is preparing to sign a number of MOUs with some of them. He is happy that the North American Gaming Regulators Association (NAGRA) and the Gambling Regulators European Forum (GREF) are forming a robust relationship that will benefit the international gaming industry in the long term.

Together, the Industry Can Create a Safe Market

Miller also commented on the importance of cracking down on unlicensed websites. He explained that his team has been using a mix of measures to prevent unlicensed companies from targeting British consumers. The joint work with payment providers, product and games developers and internet search providers, has helped the operator deliver “some dramatic results” and has proven that collaboration is vital.

Only through working together can we ensure we all have safe, fair and crime-free gambling. If as regulators we are able to speak, more often, with one voice then it will enhance our ability to influence those outside the industry – who need to play a more positive and direct role in tackling issues like illegal gambling.

Tim Miller, executive director, UKGC

Miller added that the UK is now consulting white paper proposals that would change the face of the industry in Britain. The consultations saw Britain discuss matters such as age verification, remote games design, direct marketing and cross-selling and affordability checks for online gaming.

Miller also commented on the GamProtect project that would deliver what is known as single customer view. The project will eventually be expanded to cover many operators and consumers.

In the meantime, the UKGC remains bullish on continuing to explore the effect of the industry on public health through regular surveys. The regulator will be busy in the next few years as the local industry continues to evolve.

At the conclusion of his speech, Miller said that gambling is a global industry, which is why operators should work together to truly make a change.

The post Tim Miller Highlights the Importance of Collaboration in Gambling Regulation appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Hard Rock International will continue the years-long tradition to mark the annual Earth Hour movement in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) by having its properties “going dark” for one hour on March 25, 2023.

Going Dark to Raise Climate Change Awareness

As part of the renewed commitment, all Hard Rock Hotels, Cafes and Casinos around the world will go dark for one hour starting at 8:30 pm local property time to bring the brand’s “Save the Planet” motto to life.

Paul Pellizzari, vice president of global social responsibility for Hard Rock International, commented on the continued support for WWF’s Earth Hour movement as part of the company’s “mission to protect the future of nature and create impact together.”

As one of our four founding mottos, Hard Rock is committed to “Save the Planet” and we’re thrilled to unite team members from all over the world for this worthy cause while inspiring others for the good of the planet.

Paul Pellizzari, VP of global social responsibility, Hard Rock International

Guests at the restaurants, bars, Rock Shops, hotel rooms, lobbies and outdoor spaces will be able to partake in the movement by engaging in entertaining activities that require no electricity such as candle-lit dinners, acoustic musical performances, flame shows, cocktail promotions, and ROXITY Kids Club events.

Seeking to build awareness for climate change action worldwide, WWF’s annual Earth Hour movement encourages countries, businesses, popular destinations and iconic landmarks to switch off lights and host events with no electricity.

Its partnership with Hard Rock International through the Earth Hour movement over the years has resulted in more than 603,000 kilowatts of conserved electricity. In 2022 alone, the 114 hotels, casinos and cafes under the brand, located across more than 20 countries globally, saved nearly 391,000 kilowatts of electricity – more than enough to power over 1,500 outdoor concerts.

Sustainable Approach to Energy, Waste, Water

Hard Rock’s continued Earth Hour participation is part of the company’s efforts to address waste, energy and water in a sustainable way by utilizing operational improvements and pursuing best practices in collaboration with commercial vendors and non-profit partners.

The collaboration with one of these partners, global health leader, Clean The World (CTW), will see the gaming and entertainment operator’s hotels donate soap and bottled in-room bathroom amenities such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion, to help the creation of sanitized hygiene kits with recycled materials.

To date, the partnership has delivered 13,660 pounds of plastic waste and distributed through hygiene kits to shelters, food pantries and disaster recovery centers in the US more than 66,000 bars of soap and over 10,000 pounds of leftover soap.

The post Hard Rock International and WWF Renew Earth Hour Collaboration appeared first on Keno Wizard.