The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and the 2030 Agenda has announced the final sanctions for online betting and gambling infringements during the second semester of 2023 in Spain. A total of 17 operators have been penalized for committing serious or very serious violations, with fines surpassing €81 million (81,150,000 euros).

The General Directorate for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) issued these penalties, with 10 of the 17 resolutions pertaining to very serious infractions. These severe sanctions account for the bulk of the fines and have led to the disqualification of 9 operators for two years. The Organización Nacional de Discapacitados Españoles y Europeos (ONDEE) faces a four-year disqualification and the highest fine of €35 million.

Significant Penalties for Unauthorized Operations

ONDEE, along with several online gambling operators operating without a license in Spain, received substantial fines. The Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego identified these companies, including Rabadi, Uno Digital Media, Eight Stars, Mrsloty Games Tech, Entretenimiento Rojo, Onyxion Malta, Trw Corporate, Vdsoft&Script Development, and Uniquegame. Each of these operators was fined €5 million under the Ley de Regulación del Juego (LRJ). In total, the very serious infractions amounted to €80 million in penalties.

Licensed Operators Also Penalized

The DGOJ also detected serious infractions in seven other licensed operators in the online betting and gambling sector. These operators violated certain provisions of Law 13/2011 on gambling regulation. Among the penalized companies are Gamesys, 888, Esgaming, and Codere. These seven operators are subject to economic sanctions totaling €1,150,000.

Once the sanctions are confirmed and notified to the concerned parties, both the serious and very serious infractions will be published on the DGOJ website. Since July 2021, the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and the 2030 Agenda has published 139 final sanctioning resolutions, with total fines exceeding €333 million.

Source: “17 gambling operators sanctioned for serious or very serious infractions”. European Consumer Centre Spain. May 9, 2024.

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Games Global, the famous international supplier of gaming content for online casinos, has announced that its legendary Mega Moolah Mega Jackpot has created another millionaire after a lucky player grabbed 6.6 million euros after having hit the jackpot.

The exact sum that the player won on Mega Moolah was 6,689,308 euros and the bet that triggered the win was worth just 3 euros. This is the first Mega Moolah Mega Jackpot won since the start of the year, the last time it was won was on 24 December 2023 and that hit was worth 13.5 million euros.

Mega Moolah and its progressive jackpot has been on the market for over 17 years as the game was launched all the way back in November 2006. Since then, the legendary online casino game had ten jackpot winners and awarded prizes worth more than 700 million euros.

The game has four reels and 25 paylines and it features wild symbols that can double wins, free spins bonuses that triple wins, plus four different Mega Moolah progressive jackpot tiers.

Games Global has built a reputation for paying out large sums of money on progressive jackpots. Moreover, the gaming content supplier boasts an impressive win ratio in its games with a winning spin coming every 14 seconds on average.

Huge Jackpot Hit Before Christmas

Before the end of 2023 Games Global set a new record that will be extremely hard to beat as a lucky player managed to hit its WowPot! progressive jackpot and take home a whopping 38.4 million euros!

That landmark win set a new record for the industry and crushed the previous record which was recorded on the Mega Moolah jackpot and was worth 19.4 million euros. The lucky hit came on Wheel of Wishes, a game that was launched in 2020.

Games Global has an entire network of progressive jackpots, alongside WowPot and Mega Moolah the company also offers Maple Moolah for the Canadian province of Ontario and King Millions, a brand new product which was launched in July 2023. King Millions has also been made available in Ontario in November 2023.

Source:

“Games Global progressive jackpot Mega Moolah awards €6.6 million“, gamesglobal.com, March 6, 2024.

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The grand prize from Powerball, one of America’s most popular lottery games, continues to grow. The jackpot of the game was able to survive nearly one month without anyone guessing correctly all winning numbers. This allowed the grand prize to grow, getting close to $200 million for the upcoming drawing.

The latest Powerball drawing was on Saturday, January 27. While two lucky lottery players won a second-tier prize from the draw, no one guessed correctly all winning numbers which were 7, 38, 65, 66, 68 and red Powerball 21. As a result, the grand prize from the lottery game grew to an estimated $174 million for the upcoming drawing on Monday, January 29, 2024.

The cash value for the aforementioned prize is $83.9 million, which is undoubtedly a life-changing sum. Still, it’s important to note that the mentioned prizes are before taxes.

Saturday’s Powerball drawing saw nearly 390,000 lottery players win a $4 prize each, the lowest tier prize from the game. On the other hand, nearly 135,000 lottery players secured a $8 Power Play prize each for guessing only the red Powerball or one white ball along with the red Powerball.

Only two lottery players were lucky enough to hit a seven-digit prize from the latest Powerball drawing. Two lucky players were able to guess correctly all white balls from the recent drawing, securing a $1,000,000 prize each. On the other hand, two players who guessed correctly four white balls along with the red Powerball secured a $100,000 Power Play prize each.

Guessing correctly four white balls along with the red Powerball granted 13 players a $50,000 prize each. Some 247 Powerball players who guessed correctly four white balls secured a $100 prize each, while 84 took home a $200 Power Play prize.

Mega Millions Jackpot Grows Too

Besides the grand prize from Powerball, the jackpot from Mega Millions is also on the rise. Surviving the drawing on Friday, the grand prize from Mega Millions is estimated at $311 million or $147.0 million cash option. The next drawing for the popular lottery game is scheduled for Tuesday, January 30, 2024.

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NineCasino, an international online casino brand, has announced that one of its customers was lucky enough to secure a win of almost 4 million euros with a bet that was worth just 20 cents.

The life-changing moment was experienced by a player from Brazil. According to the statement released by the casino, the player logged in just to spend a few entertaining moments and in the early hours of the morning of January 15th he managed to score the big win.

Staggering Multiplier

It all happened after just a few spins on the Wolf Blaze WOWPot! Megaways online slot which was released by Fortune Factory Studios, a well-known and appreciated provider of games for online casinos. The player triggered a staggering multiplier of x20,008,157.44 which led to a win of €3,760,840.37 euros.

Wolf Blaze WOWPot! Megaways is an online video slot which was released in April 2023 and, according to the casino, it represents more than a mega jackpot slot. The game packs the WOWPot feature, which is a four-tiered progressive jackpot originally developed by Microgaming, one of the oldest casino software developers in the iGaming industry.

The jackpots offered by WOWPot games can lead to such epic wins, amounting to millions of euros. Wolf Blaze WOWPot! Megaways features symbols such as cougars, wolves and eagles, and it also offers Wild Tokens on Extra Reels where the progressive bonus games can be found. The game also has Free Spins that can be triggered, along with several multipliers.

More About the Casino

NineCasino is promoted by Chilli Partners, a powerful affiliate agency, and it represents their flagship brand. The online casino has seven Wowpots available at the moment, including Book of Atem WOWPot and the Sherlock & Moriarty WOWPot.

The online casino also offers jackpot games from Pragmatic Play, including The Dog House Megaways, Joker’s Jewels and Gates of Olympus. Moreover, NineCasino has over 6,000 games in its offering, along with regular tournaments and promotions, plus several gamification features. The casino is currently available in 12 languages and it offers customer support around the clock.

Source: “A €3.7 million win from a wager of less than €0.20c at NineCasino!“. European Gaming. January 22, 2024.

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ARC Gaming and Technologies, formerly known as Lucky Bucks, has filed a RICO lawsuit against its former executives, accusing them of orchestrating a massive fraud scheme that allegedly siphoned off around $200 million from the company before its bankruptcy. 

Lawsuit Unveils Alleged Systematic Looting of Lucky Bucks by Former Executives

The lawsuit, which was announced on January 2, alleges that the accused individuals engaged in a systematic looting of Lucky Bucks, diverting funds through various illicit means. Lucky Bucks, a major player in Georgia’s coin-operated amusement machine industry, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2023, citing increased competition and regulatory pressures.

ARC Gaming and Technologies claims that the defendants, including founder Anil Damani, Tony Kassam, and Imran Ali, orchestrated a complex scheme involving fraudulent transactions, misappropriation of trade secrets, and breaching fiduciary duties. 

The lawsuit also alleges that the former executives utilized shell companies and competing businesses under their control to divert contracts and assets away from Lucky Bucks.

The company accuses Damani and his associates of borrowing hundreds of millions of dollars from lenders, only to distribute the majority of the funds among themselves. The complaint further details instances of selling customer contracts back to Lucky Bucks at inflated rates and the removal of serial numbers from machines before selling them in various states.

ARC Gaming Seeks Redemption After Restructuring Triumph

The lawsuit was initiated after a comprehensive investigation by industry professionals hired by new shareholders in September 2023 to review Lucky Bucks’ operations. Forensic investigators and litigation case analysis, combined with employee interviews, contributed to the formal complaint being filed.

Despite Lucky Bucks successfully emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2023, ARC Gaming and Technologies is determined to hold the former executives accountable for their alleged criminal activities. The company aims to recover the stolen funds and assets, including $200 million in what they describe as “fraudulent and illegal dividends.”

Anil Damani, the founder and former owner, denies all allegations, stating that the claims are baseless and frivolous. Damani’s attorneys assert that he is a successful businessman and a pillar of the community, expressing confidence in defeating the claims in court.

As legal proceedings unfold, ARC Gaming and Technologies remains focused on its future, having completed a successful restructuring process and positioned itself as a strong contender in the Georgia coin-operated amusement machine industry. The company is set to announce new appointments for key executive positions, ensuring a dedicated management team committed to responsible governance and growth.

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The social media giant Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, was fined by the Italian Communications Regulatory Authority (AGCOM). The company has to pay a fine of €5.85 million for violating the country’s laws about gambling advertising.

Fine for betting and gaming ads

The country decided to issue a fine to the industry giant, which is clearly a huge escalation when it comes to conducting the laws and regulatory actions issued by the state recently.

The AGCOM found various betting and gaming promotional content advertised on 13 Facebook profiles and five Instagram ones, 18 in total. Since both Facebook and Instagram are owned by the same company, Meta, the company got fined.

But that’s not all – further investigation revealed 32 visual posts, both video and images, that advertised betting and gaming activities. Since Meta provides various advertising services and it isn’t just the platform to display your own content, it is responsible for the violation.

AGCOM stated that the company is aware of the fact that betting and gambling ads are illegal, but despite that it approved the problematic ads.

In total, 18 accounts are flagged, but according to AGCOM, Meta is responsible for only five of them. After the AGCOM flagged the problematic ads, the company took measures to stop advertising and correct the issue. Also, after the regulator flagged the account, Meta blocked 11 of them.

But all those steps weren’t enough – the company had to pay a fine anyway. Apart from the penalty, Meta received an official notice and a take-down order for all ads in question.

Strict rules

Italy has strict rules when it comes to the regulation of problem gambling and gambling addiction. Back in July 2018, the state issued a Dignity Decree, a decree that helped prevent and resolve the issues related to the matter, and Meta violated that decree.

According to the document, all forms of betting and gambling ads are prohibited on both social media and other mediums, such as sports team jerseys, stadiums, and other media platforms.

Meta isn’t the only company that recently got fined because of betting and gaming ads. Both YouTube and Twitch got fined this month. AGCOM issued a fine of €2.5 million to YouTube, and Twitch had to pay €900.000 for similar violations.

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) disagrees with Italy’s strict rules since it can drive the companies into the rapidly growing offshore market.

Source: Hogg, Lea, “Meta fined by Italian Regulatory Authority for gambling ad violation”. SiGMA. January 2, 2024.

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SOFTSWISS, the well-known global provider of software and content for online casinos and sports betting operations, announced that a lucky player managed to hit a jackpot worth nearly 3 million euros at N1 Casino.

The online casino is powered by the SOFTSWISS Casino Platform and the lucky hit was accomplished by a player from Finland with a bet of just 0.8 euros. The win occurred while the lucky player was enjoying Templar Tumble 2 Dream Drop, a game developed by Relax Gaming, one of the world’s top suppliers of games for online casinos. The exact amount of the win was 2,997,688.8 euros.

The Most Memorable Christmas

Simon Hammon, Chief Executive Officer at Relax Gaming, reminded that Dream Drop Jackpots have produced twelve big winners since the product was launched in 2022 and described this achievement as “an incredible feat.” Moreover, the Relax Gaming CEO said that such a string of big wins represents “a differentiating quality” for the supplier.

“What’s more, the engagement and retention rates continue to soar, which is fantastic to see over the festive period,” Simon Hammon added. The Relax Gaming boss also congratulated the lucky winner and expressed his hope that the event might have created “the most memorable Christmas” for that customer of N1 Casino.

Truly Mind-Blowing

Yaroslav Laptev, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at N1 Partners Group, the company that operates N1 Casino, declared himself delighted with the win and also expressed his congratulations towards the player.

“This is truly mind-blowing, and we are sincerely happy for our player,” Yaroslav Laptev added. “This is what N1 Casino is all about, making such a one-in-a-lifetime event possible for any player out there.”

Vitali Matsukevich, Chief Operating Officer at SOFTSWISS, declared that the big jackpot win “ further highlights the fairness of the entire industry”, underlining that the event demonstrates that not only high rollers can have the opportunity to land a life-changing win.

The SOFTSWISS executive also added that the jackpot win “serves as a testament to the company’s ongoing dedication to delivering a secure and transparent gaming platform for the industry.”

According to SOFTSWISS, jackpots are becoming more and more popular in the iGaming industry because they allow online casino and sports betting brands to improve their key metrics. The supplier elaborated a Jackpot Aggregator case study which revealed that parameters such as average deposit, average bet, average bet count and average turnover all register growth soon after jackpot implementation.

Source: “EUR 3M Jackpot Hit With EUR 0.8 Bet On Casino Platform“. SOFTSWISS. December 21, 2023.

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Games Global, the well-known international supplier of gaming content for online casinos, has announced that its trademark WowPot progressive jackpot has just surpassed a historic figure: 40 million euros.

This means that the company will eventually create another multi-millionaire, a lucky player that will hit that jackpot sooner or later. Moreover, that jackpot will be the highest ever hit on an online slot game, twice the size of the previous record-holding jackpot.

The previous record was held by another progressive jackpot from Games Global, Mega Moolah, which paid out a massive 19.4 million euros to one lucky player back in April 2021. The latest win of a major size came from the very same jackpot and it amounted to 5.7 million euros in June 2023.

WowPot is a fresh new idea from Games Global, a company that presents itself as a pioneer when it comes to creating new and exciting gaming mechanics for online casino players. The WowPot progressive jackpot has four tiers, the largest of them seeding to 2 million euros. That adds great potential for very big wins in a range of slot games that grows larger and larger.

Games Global has a whole network of progressive jackpots, alongside WowPot the company also presents Mega Moolah, Maple Moolah for the Canadian province of Ontario and King Millions, a brand new one which hit the markets in July 2023. Moreover, King Millions has also been made available in Ontario earlier this week.

The Most Frequent Wins in The Industry

Games Global announces that the company has paid out the most frequent wins in the industry, along with having some of the largest jackpot prizes in history. For example, this year there have been more than 73.8 million euros in jackpot prizes paid out across the company’s network. That would translate into a win every 10.4 seconds on average.

The company also announced that on December 18 players will be able to enjoy Mega Moolah Megaways from Gameburger Studios, combining the legendary Megaways mechanic with the Mega Moolah progressive jackpot for the very first time in online casino history.

Andrew Booth, Chief Product Officer at Games Global, said that the WowPot jackpot has grown by 10 million euros since June and “there is no telling how far it can go.” The Games Global executive said that the jackpot going over 40 million euros represents “another significant milestone” in the history of the company’s jackpot network. “We wait with bated breath to see when it will be won,” Andrew Booth concluded.

Source: “Games Global’s WowPot! surpasses historic figure of €40 million“. European Gaming. November 21, 2023.

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Spain’s national gambling regulator, The General Directorate of Gambling Regulation (DGOJ), announces a comprehensive governmental action aimed at prevention and mitigation of problem gambling in the country. The regulator also announces that the government has allocated a total of EUR 1.3 million to fund 26 projects to research into gambling harm in Spain.

Research Into Gambling Harm

The announcement follows the initiative of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs that launched the nation-wide application process in April 2023. The call for applications for 37 gambling-related research projects was distributed to universities, R&D centers, health care institutions, and non-profit organizations.

EUR 1.3 Million Available for 26 Projects

The authorities reportedly requested that submission be focused on gambling harm, as well as other adverse conditions related to gambling activities. The government reportedly allocated a total of EUR 1.3 million for 37 research projects but the Evaluation Commission reduced the number to 26 following the evaluation report of State Research Agency.

Spanish gambling regulator has also confirmed that the implementation of the approved projects will be extended until 30 June 2024.

DGOJ reportedly said:“These grants are aimed at carrying out research studies on disorders derived from gambling activity, with the prevention of the effects derived from said disorders or the risks associated with gambling.”

55.1% Increased Gaming Revenue in Q2 2023

The regulator’s confirmation of the number of research projects approved for funding by the government comes after this entity reported in September that the Spanish gambling market had generated EUR 312.6 million in gross gaming revenues in the second quarter of 2023. As reported by DGOJ on the occasion, the Q2 2023 revenue level represented a 55.1 percent higher figure than in 2022.

The increase was strongly supported by the casino segment that generated EUR 149.9 million, or around 48% of the total gambling market’s Q2 2023 revenues. The figure simultaneously represented a 27.9% increase when compared to the same period last year and a 4.5% growth over the Q1 2023.

Slot and roulette segments also recorded the increased revenue levels in comparison to the Q2 2022 to see 29.9% and, respectively, 8.9% higher levels in the given quarter of 2023.

However, the growth of the sports betting segment during the Q2 2023 saw the largest percentage. Spain’s sports wagering industry generated EUR €133.3 million in gross gaming revenues to stand for the 118.9% increase when compared to the same period of 2022.

The regulator also reported in September 2023 that the total handle was19.6% higher on the year-on-year basis but still 2.0% lower than in the Q1 2023. The increased handle resulted in 3.0% higher withdrawals than in the same period of 2022 and 2.3% lower than in the first quarter of 2023 that saw a respectively reduced handle.

Raising Awareness

The growth of the Spanish gambling industry raises the country’s economic benefits. In return, the government raises awareness of the gambling-related adverse consequences and allocates significant funds to alleviate their impact.

Source:

‘’Spain finalizes projects for €1.3m gambling harm research grant’’, igamingbusiness.com, November 3, 2023.

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LeoVegas has made a move by acquiring Push Gaming in a deal valued at €350 million (USD $405 million).

The acquisition, set to be finalized in the fourth quarter of 2022, entails the Malta-based online casino LeoVegas brand gaining ownership of Push Gaming’s shares.

Push Gaming is recognized as a provider of online slot games, boasting an impressive collection of over 50 titles.

Showing growth, the company’s revenue surged by 50% in 2021.

LeoVegas, a leading operator in the casino domain with a presence across more than 100 countries, has been experiencing rapid expansion.

In fact, their revenue soared by 40% year over year.

This acquisition marks a triumph for LeoVegas as it propels them forward in the online slots market.

With Push Gaming’s popular online slot games highly sought after by players LeoVegas expects to attract customers and retain their existing player base successfully.

“With an impressive catalogue of games that include fan favourites such as Razor Shark, Wild Swarm and Big Bamboo, Push Gaming will boost the group’s exposure into the booming slots content category and add key proprietary technologies essential for continued international growth,” LeoVegas said.

The consolidation trend within the gambling industry is further emphasized through this deal.

Companies are actively seeking scale and market share through acquisitions that have taken place over the years.

LeoVegas acquisition of Push Gaming represents a milestone that is anticipated to have far-reaching implications for the online gambling industry.

More online casino news

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