Leading gaming technology group NOVOMATIC made a significant impact at the international trade fair FIJMA, held from May 7-9, 2024. The event took place at the IFEMA exhibition center in Madrid, where NOVOMATIC Spain introduced the highly anticipated XTENSION LINK Volume 2, the centerpiece of their impressive display.

Major Innovations Unveiled for the Spanish Market

NOVOMATIC Spain’s latest release, XTENSION LINK Volume 2, was showcased in the high-performing BLACK EDITION II 1.49J cabinet, drawing considerable attention from visitors. This advanced arcade game features the exciting GOLDEN SPINS feature, enhancing players’ chances of winning. With ten thrilling titles, Expanding Reels Feature, and Free Games, XTENSION LINK Volume 2 elevates the player experience to unprecedented levels.

Jordi Pedragosa, Commercial Director of NOVOMATIC Spain, commented on the launch: “This cabinet is the result of hard and innovative work that has addressed the needs of our distributors and operators to offer a versatile and attractive experience for their gaming establishments.”

Diverse Product Range Captivates Attendees

In addition to XTENSION LINK Volume 2, NOVOMATIC showcased several other innovative products. The ROYAL LINK, branded as “The Royal Seal for Arcades,” offers exceptional quality and excellence at an attractive price. The NOVO LINE POWER LINK GOLD was also introduced to the Spanish market with an expanded game collection. Other powerful models on display included IMPERA LINK Series 2, CASH CONNECTION Fusion, River Queen Roulette, and CLOVER LINK Xtreme from APEX.

Fresh Offerings for the Hospitality Sector

NOVOMATIC’s local subsidiary presented a range of new products designed for the hospitality industry. Highlights included the NOVO LINE Supra Cash, featuring a diverse games library with three roulette titles, and IMPERA Cash Fusion, combining Progressive Jackpot titles with classic IMPERA games. The second edition of NOVO LINE Power Cash was also unveiled, boasting a series of new titles. All these models were featured in the advanced Winner HD+ cabinet, equipped with the NV22 bill acceptor.

The nearly 1,400 m² stand was a showcase of innovation, with lighting and decorative elements seamlessly integrated with cutting-edge technology to attract visitors. Among the various activities, the “Beat the Champ” event with world table soccer champion Chris Mark was a standout, offering guests an exciting duel.

Bernhard Teuchmann, Managing Director of the Product and Technology Division, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to attend FIJMA: “Participating once again in FIJMA has been a unique experience that has given us the opportunity to strengthen relationships with our customers and show our commitment to innovation. Our most sincere thanks go to all those who worked on preparing and attending this event with the same passion and responsibility that form the essence of who we are.”

About NOVOMATIC

The NOVOMATIC AG Group is one of the largest international producers and operators of gaming technologies, employing over 25,300 staff worldwide. Founded by industrialist Professor Johann F. Graf in 1980, the Group has locations in around 50 countries and exports gaming equipment, system solutions, lottery system solutions, and services to over 120 countries. NOVOMATIC operates gaming terminals and video lottery terminals (VLTs) in some 2,200 electronic and regular casinos and via rental models.

NOVOMATIC AG Group serves as a full-service provider in all segments of the gaming industry through its numerous international subsidiaries, offering a comprehensive omni-channel product portfolio. This includes terrestrial gaming products and services, management systems, cash management solutions, online, mobile and social gaming solutions, as well as lottery and sports betting solutions and other premium products and services. Novomatic

Source: “Something big is coming to Spain: NOVOMATIC launches XTENSION LINK Volume 2 at FIJMA”. Novomatic. May 17, 2024.

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Hundreds of thousands of drivers in Maryland bear registration plates with a link to what seems to be a site commemorating the War of 1812. However, locals found out that the link is related to an offshore casino.

About 15% of all registered vehicles (around 798,000) in the state bear plates that commemorate the war. In addition to mentioning the occasion and sporting an American flag and some fireworks, these license plates also have a link to a site under the www.starspangled200.org URL.

Star Spangled 200 used to be the site of a non-profit organization founded in 2007. However, instead of opening a website related to the War of 1812, following the link redirects users to www.globeinternational.info, a Philippine online gambling site.

Instead of information about the War of 1812 and commemorative materials, the site offers a variety of casino games and betting market, including virtual cockfighting offerings.

Many people thought that there could have been some typo in the URL. However, it turns out that this is not the case.

According to The Washington Post, it is not clear when this redirect happened. The Philippines-based casino is owned by a private firm that has so far remained silent despite the effort of Maryland officials to contact the owners.

At the same time, authorities found it impossible to reach Star Spangled 200. Sandy Hillman Communications, a former partner of the non-profit organization claims that it had been disbanded. Its spokesperson, Lauren Walbert, said that she doesn’t know who is maintaining the actual site now.

The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) addressed the matter, stating that it has never owned or maintained the URL in question. The association also emphasized that it does not endorse the gambling website in any capacity.

Endorse or not, the MVA now has to decide what to do next. While the agency has refrained from announcing its plans, it said that it is considering its options. Paul J. Wiedefeld, Maryland’s Transportation Secretary is also yet to comment on his plans.

Some have suggested that the MVA might consider changing the plates with new ones or buying the URL. However, both options are likely to be pricy. In any case, the Maryland authorities will likely have to do something, considering the plates’ ties to an unlicensed gambling website.

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On Friday, Bristol Casino in Virginia announced that it had completed an expansion which includes a new party area and extra gaming options.

The casino’s statement revealed that it had added almost 30 new slot machines and eight table games to its gaming floor. In total, the venue will have 890 slots and 29 table games for customers to enjoy.

Virginia’s first casino – a temporary site while Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol is under construction – also launched a new ‘Party Pit’ amenity located by the Bristol Bar, across from the venue’s sportsbook. Four blackjack tables with a minimum wagering condition of $15 will be assigned to this space.

The Party Pit will be accessible to customers from Thursday to Sunday, providing a space to enjoy live music and watch sports games on wide-screened televisions.

Speaking on the new additions, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol’s President, Allie Evangelista, revealed that the company was excited about the new additions.

“We are thrilled to offer new slots and table games for our guests. With these additions, the casino now has 890 slots and 29 tables, along with our sportsbook,” Evangelista said.

“The new Dragon Link and Sega Sammy machines continue our commitment to add those machines that we know are most popular with our players.”

The expansion includes eight new Dragon Link jackpot slots and two new blackjack tables, which were placed in the high-limit area. The non-smoking space also received a Mississippi Stud table and a blackjack table, while 20 new Sega Sammy slot machines were set up on the casino’s gaming floor.

The temporary Bristol Casino site will continue operating until 2024, when the permanent Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol is set to open. After the permanent casino is launched, Bristol Casino will be made into a smoke-free gambling space on the property.

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According to Lure Clark, director of UBC’s Center of Gambling Research, there is some evidence to suggest that loot boxes and problem gambling have a link and are somehow related. Previous research in places such as the United Kingdom and Australia has claimed similar findings, although researchers stopped short of categorizing loot boxes themselves as a form of gambling. It wasn’t for a lack of trying.

What Clark Found Out about Loot Boxes in Video Games

Clark presented his findings at the BC Lottery Corporation’s New Horizons in Responsible Gambling conference held on Tuesday and spoke about what these digital assets were and how they got popular. Clark mostly said that loot boxes originated in games such as Electronic Arts’ FIFA and Valve’s Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive games.  

The digital containers offered a hidden prize that was generated randomly, although each container these days displays the percentage of a given type of item dropping from it – that was also changed from previously not displaying any percentages at all due to regulatory pressure in markets where loot boxes are available.

Speaking to Global News, the outlet that did the original reporting, Clark noted that other jurisdictions around the globe are also tussling with the issue of loot boxes and how to approach them. He said:

Researchers have seen this link in past research, a correlation between higher levels of spending on loot boxes and higher symptoms of problem gambling, but until now we haven’t really understood the cause and effect behind that relationship.

UBC’s Center of Gambling Research director Luke Clark

His research focused on 400 regular gamers aged 18-24. These gamers were not gamblers per se, but Clark wanted to see if their interaction with loot boxes would push them into gambling. According to the researcher, who set up a follow-up period of six months, people who were spending more on loot boxes were also more likely to end up gambling as well, Clark concluded.

Links Established Between Excessive Spending and Gambling

“We can see that clear migration effect, the people who are spending more on loot boxes are more likely to initiate gambling over that follow up period,” the researcher noted in his observation. The video gaming ecosystem has proven a particularly treacherous conduit of gambling as well.

UBC graduate student Raymond Wu who also examines the link between gambling and gaming said that streaming platforms such as Twitch were still dominated by gambling content even though the Amazon-owned platform undertook some measures to curb the proliferation of these measures.

This is dangerous, explained Wu, who said that people could simply end up being “triggered” by watching others gambling. Self-exclusion programs do not include Twitch streams. Meanwhile, an Austrian court has ordered Sony to pay back consumers over FUT transactions.

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