Brazil’s journey towards a regulated sports betting landscape finally passed one of its final milestones as President Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva signed off Bill PL3626/23, setting the groundwork for its federal sports wagering and iGaming market. Only a few final regulations stand before the industry’s official launch, which should hopefully happen sometime in 2024.

The New Legislation Had a Difficult Journey

Published in a special edition of the government’s ‘Diário Oficial da União,’ President Lula signed Bill PL3626/23 into law, heralding a new era with a regulatory regime for sports betting, popularly known as ‘Bets.’ The President’s stamp of approval on 30 December marked the culmination of a grueling legislative process marked by disagreement and controversy.

The Workers’ Party (PT) government meticulously revised the new bill, which underwent extensive evaluation in Brazil’s Senate Committees since September. The proposed legislation underwent over 100 amendments before gaining federal approval, highlighting the government’s commitment to delivering a comprehensive and efficient regulatory system that is up-to-date with current industry trends.

This critical bill encountered a stalemate over the authorization of online casino operations. However, a final session on 22 December saw the Chamber of Deputies vote overwhelmingly in favor of the legislation (261 in favor and 120 against), greenlighting the legislative framework for iGaming in the country.

A Few Final Hurdles Remain

Despite President Lula’s general endorsement of the new bill, he introduced vetoes on several aspects of the legislation, notably regarding tax exemptions for betting prizes up to BRL 2,112 ($432). The National Congress will examine these objections and decide whether to validate or overrule the vetoes.

Taxation was another contentious topic. The bill’s final draft envisions a 12% tax on licensed operators while taxing player prizes at 15%. Businesses eyeing a five-year federal license, allowing operation under three brands, must pay BRL 30 million ($6.13 million) and meet stringent eligibility criteria. The extra funds will bolster the government’s sports, education, and community-focused initiatives.

Brazil’s Ministry of Finance has reported an overwhelming response from 134 businesses expressing interest in joining Brazil’s burgeoning online gambling market, indicating substantial anticipation and momentum in the sector. While the new legislation is a significant milestone for the country, the local regulator must remain proactive to ensure a fair and sustainable business environment prioritizing customer safety.

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Hacksaw Gaming, a leading provider of iGaming content, has bolstered its position in the Greek gambling market thanks to a new content distribution deal with N1 Casino. Following the agreement, the supplier’s content has been rolled out on the Greek casino operator’s online platform.

Thanks to the arrangement, players in Greece will be able to play many of Hacksaw Gaming’s hits, including evergreens such as Wanted Dead or a Wild and Hand of Anubis. New releases such as Drop’em will also be available for local slots enthusiasts to try out.

Hacksaw Gaming is an up-and-coming studio that was founded in 2019. Originally a supplier dedicated to developing scratch cards, the company eventually started to produce cutting-edge slot games. The quality of its titles quickly became universally recognized, allowing it to earn CasinoBeats’ Outperforming Game Studio of the Year – Medium award.

N1 Casino, on the other hand, is a member of the N1 partners program that is focused on the iGaming industry. Encompassing N1 Casino, N1 Bet, Joo Casino and Slot Hunter, the program continues to target multiple jurisdictions all over the world.

The N1 Partners companies boast a collective portfolio of more than 10,000 games from 100+ providers.

Hacksaw Continues Its International Growth

An N1 representative commented on the new deal, saying that it “marks an exciting milestone” for both parties involved. They said that the partnership will surely “flourish and bring mutual success” to both N1 and Hacksaw.

The synergy between our brands is evident, and we are excited to embark on this journey together.

N1 representative

Meanwhile, Hacksaw Gaming’s chief executive officer, Marcus Cordes, said that the new deal “marks another signal” of his team’s intentions to grow its presence in regulated markets and present its games to new audiences.

Cordes underscored the importance of Greece to his team, as well as his company’s delight to join forces with N1 Casino.

Greece is an important market for us, so we’re delighted to team up with a leading name in N1 Casino to help broaden our European reach further.

Marcus Cordes, CEO, Hacksaw Gaming

In the meantime, Hacksaw Gaming continues its journey to conquer new markets. A week ago, the provider injected games into GBO, expanding its presence in Italy. Earlier this month, the company entered the lucrative US market, supplying content to Rush Street Interactive in West Virginia.

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BetConnections will now work with mobadoo, which specializes in the distribution of leading esports betting content and helps operators strengthen their operational standing in the vertical, or altogether set a firm foothold in the vertical.

BetConnections Set to Expand in Esports Betting

Mobadoo prides itself as an “esports trailblazer,” which puts it in a very strong position when it comes to sportsbooks and dedicated esports betting sites with the products they need to attract and retain esports bettors. BetConnections’ offers mobadoo with the opportunity to seamlessly integrate its product offering and reach an expansive selection of partners.

Presently, mobadoo offers both fantasy esports and esports betting, along with virtual esports betting, making it one of the most comprehensive suppliers on the market. Through its tie-up with BetConnections, mobadoo will also be able to access important and fast-expanding markets such as Peru, Colombia, and Brazil, allowing both companies to significantly strengthen their presence in these important markets.

BetConnections CEO Jesus Rafael Campos welcomed the opportunity to see his platform strengthen its product offer and variety once again. Campos said:

Adding mobadoo’s esports titles onto our platform will bring many benefits to our partners across LatAm.

BetConnections CEO Jesus Rafael Campos

Mobadoo has also responded to the news and said that BetConnections is indeed a particularly important partner which has a very strong position in the Latin American market, allowing the two companies to now push forward and strengthen their presence in the region, and naturally – in esports betting.

Entering New Markets and Esports Mainstream Shift

Companies have been hurrying to strengthen their presence in the esports betting vertical. STS recently announced that it is joining Twain Sport, a BetGames product, to improve its standing in the virtual esports betting space.

Meanwhile, jurisdictions that have previously not welcomed esports betting are now opening up. GG.Bet has entered the regulated market in the United Kingdom, which is a milestone event for the entire industry. GG.Bet is one of the best-established esports betting companies in the world and its entry into one of the heaviest regulated markets indicates that the operator has every intention to be successful.

In the meantime, companies such as Rivalry have already established themselves as powerhouses in esports, proving that the vertical can have a very strong net benefit for businesses.

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The 2005-launched Scandinavian gaming entertainment supplier of online slots, Play’n GO, has released Merlin: Journey of Flame. The game is the studio’s freshest addition to the popular series that focuses on the mesmerizing wise old wizard who is always accompanied by his makeshift Book of Spells. 

At the start of the month, the provider announced its plans to make its way into the world of retail gaming by making its most popular game, Book of Dead, available at brick-and-mortar casinos in the UK via William Hill. 

Merlin: Journey of Flame Metrics Overview

• Reels: 5 
• Rows: 3
• RTP: 96.28%
• Hit frequency: –
• Max multiplier: x7,500 
• Max win: x,7500 
• Bet: min: €0.10, max: €100
• Volatility: High
• Release date: July 13, 2023

Building on the Merlin IP’s Rich Mythology

As explained by the company’s head of game retention, George Olekszy, the fresh game is a “truly magical title” thanks to the Expanding Symbol Mechanics, scatter symbols, added gamble feature, and dragon-based storyline. 

Built on the Merlin IP’s rich mythology and incorporating different components that belong to Play’n GO’s impressive portfolio of slots, the fifth installment in the wizard series still manages to breathe fresh air into the studio’s roster of games. 

The game, which is a prequel to Merlin and the Ice Queen Morgana launched two years ago and Rise of Merlin launched in 2019, tells the tale of young Merlin who comes across a very rare Dragon’s Egg hiding in a swampy lake. Once he proceeds to cast a shell-busting spell that would help him crack open the hatchling, the wise wizard automatically sends himself to a trial by fire. 

Free Spins, Special Expanding Symbols and Hatched Dragon Egg Scatters

Players who land at least three Coloured Runes symbols score a win on the grid. Merlin, the Spell Book, his Potion, and his Staff represent the high-paying symbols in the game while the Dragon Egg is the wild. The cracked Dragon Egg alternative represents the scatter symbol.  

Players can trigger up to eight free spins with the help of an additional sixth reel provided Merlin collects at least three scatter symbols, leading to more rewards.

Before the free spin round starts, a Special Expanding Symbol is selected randomly that further expands once a winning combo is generated. High-paying symbols require at least two reels. For low-paying symbols, players need at least three reels to engage the Expanding Symbol mechanic. 

The Gamble Spell can also be cast by the same dragon-hunting thrill seeker once players score a win of less than 2500 coins. With the help of this feature, the size of Merlin’s prize is doubled provided players manage to correctly guess the color during a fun mini-game. The Gamble spell is limited to five successive casting sessions. The alternative would be for players to win a maximum of 2500 coins. 

Last week, the studio launched Fox Mayhem, a fresh slot with free spins and interesting prize collection features after the launch of the superhero-themed, progressive game Ternion in June.

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