Leading UK bookmaker Coral has unveiled its new brand campaign, “We’re Here For It,” featuring a series of TV ads focusing on horse racing and gaming. This campaign, the first by Wonderhood Studios since they became Coral’s lead creative agency, unites various types of racing, sports, and gaming fans through their shared passion.

The inaugural TV ad, “We’re Here For It – Racing Fan Derby,” is a 30-second spot filmed at Newbury racecourse. The promotional video showcases a unique race where jockeys include various horse racing enthusiasts, including dapper gentlemen, glamorous ladies, a stag do, and even a senior citizen, all set on victory.

The second ad is set in a Chinese takeaway, portraying a gamer playing on his phone with friends while enjoying Coral’s free-to-play games. It introduces the company’s in-play proposition, Rewards Grabber, and its industry-first product, Coral Coins. The ads will feature on TV, video-on-demand, and radio, with additional promotional efforts during the Cheltenham Festival.

During the festival, Coral will also have a branded takeover of Cheltenham Spa station, bolstering other marketing efforts like out-of-home advertising, print materials, and broadcast sponsorships with Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing. Jeremy Hemmings, interim chief marketing officer at Entain, Coral’s parent company, lauded the brand’s heritage and committed to upholding its customer-focused values.

Our new campaign platform is in recognition of this strong customer relationship and serves as a reiteration of our rock-solid market position.

Jeremy Hemmings, Entertain interim chief marketing officer

Coral has substantial experience with attention-grabbing campaigns. 2022’s Cheltenham Festival promotions saw the company pioneer using 3D technology in a horseracing display at the Piccadilly Circus. The eye-catching 783.5m² (0.19 acres) screen gave horse racing never before seen hype and attention, setting the stage for Coral’s future campaigns.

Coral Remains a Staunch Supporter of UK Horse Racing

High-profile marketing efforts have paid off for Coral, cementing its position as one of the UK’s leading operators. Coral Racing Club, the operator’s free-to-join racecourse ownership club for horse racing enthusiasts, recently announced that it had surpassed 50,000 in just three months after its creation. This achievement highlights Coral’s impressive insight into customer preferences.

2024’s campaign aims to showcase a richer, more entertaining personality for Coral, establishing its distinctive market position. Creative director at Wonderhood Studios, Guy Hobbs, noted that the ads aimed to celebrate the UK’s real racing and gaming lovers, regardless of their betting preferences. He hoped the videos would resonate with bettors and bolster Coral’s public-facing image.

We’re super excited to be delivering this fresh brand platform to inject some energy into an iconic British brand.

Guy Hobbs, Wonderhood Studios creative director

The team behind the visionary ads has worked for other leading brands like Aviva, Boots, BT, Google, and Subaru, demonstrating impressive passion, creativity, and ambition. This campaign is another tribute to UK horse racing, encouraging fans to engage with the sport during the Cheltenham Festival celebrations however they see fit. 

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Wazdan, an award-winning slots developer and aggregator based in Valletta, Malta, has decided to reveal many of the latest tools, games and features at SBC Summit Barcelona, a conference and exhibition that will take place this year from September 19th to September 21st in the congress center of Barcelona called Fira Montjuic.

Newest promotional tool

Located on stand CG90, the supplier will hold a full tournament to advertize its newest “promotional tool,” called Jackpot Rain. The latest, one-of-a-kind mechanic rewards players with progressive jackpots, meaning it increases enthusiasm and anticipation. Additionally, in addition to players, operators will also get an opportunity to try this incredible tool for themselves and earn amazing rewards at Wazdan’s stand.

However, besides this extraordinary tool, the developer will display a host of approaching slots that it plans to release, involving Book of Faith, which will involve a number of amazing field-tested features boosted with the Collect to Infinity mechanic and a one-of-a-kind twist to the legendary, widely-loved Book bonus.

Commenting on the upcoming conference and a range of tools that Wazdan will be displaying, Chief Executive Officer at Wazdan, Michael Imiolek, commented: “The SBC Summit Barcelona has quickly established itself as a must-attend event in the industry calendar, and we’re delighted that we’ll be showcasing such a vibrant array of products. With a strong team attending and some fantastic launches such as Jackpot Rain, it is set to be a fantastic show and we can’t wait to meet old friends and new acquaintances in Barcelona!”

The IT team also will be present

The provider will go one step further with its appearance at the Summit, because it wants to cover everything and provide itself with the best possible experience. Therefore, its IT team will also be present to ensure everything runs smoothly, meaning it will “offer instant integration, a process of integrating its offering into an operator’s platform within an hour.”

But, that’s not all; as the supplier has taken on the role of sponsor at the upcoming SBC Awards Show, which is the final ceremony of the Summit and will be held at Caves Codorniu venue. In addition, the firm was “nominated in two categories, Casino / Slots Developer of the Year, and Industry Innovation of the Year.”

About

Wazdan is an international slot game provider that combines innovative technology with an impressive gaming experience to meet the needs of the modern player. Furthermore, it is constantly updating its gaming portfolio with the newest titles.

Source: “Wazdan forecasting Jackpot Rain for the SBC Summit Barcelona”. European Gaming. September 4, 2023

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As change is the only constant in the gambling world, so do things seem to remain the same within certain parameters according to specific goals and ambitions. When a regulator decides to protect its citizens from harm by outside forces, especially when that regulator happens to be a member of the European Union – but generally as well – quite often what is really going on is an attempt to capture the flight of capital and feed the state coffers with money flowing offshore.

It doesn’t take a “jaundiced eye” or even a cynical outlook to see through the fog most times. It’s unclear precisely what is really going on here.

Moving Toward Privatization Hefty Fines Await Violators

Last week, the Dutch Minister of Finance revisited an idea we have been following off and on for about a decade – privatizing the state-controlled monopoly on some forms of gambling. The Netherlands lottery Nederlandse Loterij (NLO), is a state-owned enterprise as is Casino Holland with more than a dozen state-owned casinos spread throughout the country. See Lexology’s 2015 report titled Reform of the Dutch casino market and privatisation of Holland Casino: Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice announces public consultation (here).

This week we find that Holland’s gambling regulator, KSA (de Kansspelautoriteit), continues to take its duty to protect Nederlanders seriously (the sole reason many EU member states are allowed to violate free trade agreements and the right to open markets with gambling monopolies) with an m announcement that two licensed lottery operators there are allegedly breaking the law and subject to penalties up to €1m for serving denizens “games of chance” rather than approved games.

Postcode Loterij and VriendenLoterij have been served with notice of periodic penalties if they continue to offer unauthorized games specifically, Deal or no Deal and FriendsLottery Millionaires.

While lottery games like numbers drawings offer notoriously terrible odds and “theoretical” return to player percentages, – the regulator has determined that casino games of chance are more “risky” and breach the lottery providers’ agreements with the state. However, a little further into KSA’s statement, we find that it “simply” wants the two types of games to remain separate and distinct. Online lottery games are not permitted in the Netherlands, further complicating the thinking behind the potential adverse action.

“Legislation and regulations make a clear distinction between lotteries and more risky games of chance, including online games of chance,” said the KSA on the matter statement. “A different license is required for both games of chance.

“Lotteries may not be offered online; it is only permitted to sell participation tickets via the internet. The online offering of games that are linked to a lottery is prohibited. The law does not allow this. The KSA remains keen to ensure that lottery and online games of chance remain separate.”
According to the official Dutch Lottery website, “The chance of winning a prize higher than your own investment varies per draw and is 13.7% in 2023. This is an average across all 16 draws”.

Lottery Providers in Holland

The Dutch Lottery is a private limited company. It was created in 2016 by the merger of the State Lottery and Lotto. The official site currently lists 9 trusted brands including State Lottery, Lotto, Eurojackpot, Millionaire’s Play, Lucky Day, Scratch Cards, TOTO Shop, TOTO Casino, and TOTO Sport.

Postcode Loterij and VriendenLoterij intend to push back against the threat of €250,000 per week penalties, up to a maximum of €1m, through the appeals process but will stop offering the games by June 8, 2023, latest while the groups put up a legal defense.

Postcode Loterij and VriendenLoterij issued a joint statement declaring: “The KSA is of the opinion that these free lottery games do not fit within the lottery license. However, the games are a form of entertainment and fit within the safe nature of a non-profit lottery with only one goal: to raise funds for good causes.

“For the past 30 years, participants have always been able to participate in additional games in this way, whether or not via the mail, the internet, in special apps or live.

“Nothing is won by playing one of the games itself. In the games, like a traditional lottery, participants only receive a prize after a draw has taken place. With this, the games meet the requirements of the lottery license.”

Nearly €30M in fines levied in 2022

According to iGaming Business, KSA issued €29m in fines in 2022 and issued €9m in fines for “illegal gambling behavior”, based on the regulator’s Annual Report for 2022. Most of the findings are confirmed by CMS Law Now, a “Future Facing firm… with 79 offices in more than 40 countries and 5,000+ lawyers worldwide,” in an April report on gambling growth in the Netherlands.

According to these and other reports (official and summary), even larger fines have been levied against operators that do not possess a Dutch gambling license. “In late December 2022, the KSA imposed fines on Videoslots Limited (EUR 9,874,000), N1 Interactive Limited (EUR 12,640,000), Betpoint Group Limited (EUR 1,787,000), and Probe Investments Limited (EUR 1,128,000).

The KSA based the level of fines on its newly adopted fines policy from September 2021, which takes into account a company’s turnover in the Netherlands.”

While not directly relevant to any known case in the Netherlands, courts in Sweden recently ruled that basing fines on “turnover” (total betting volume) rather than gross gaming revenue (GGR) – the money a company actually takes in during a determinative base period, is an unfair and indefensible accounting practice by regulators there, according to March 2023 report by EGR Global.

 Source: Lottery groups face €1m penalty in the Netherlands over licence breaches, iGaming Business, May 30, 2023

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The decision was confirmed on Tuesday and it will see the state’s regulator tax licensed entities for their extended promotional play. Some states have decided to make this metric deductible from the tax owed to the state, but the Bay State is making sure it is not.

There are different reasons why this is the case – for one Massachusetts wants to make sure that sportsbooks do not inundate the market with too many sports betting offers that are constantly pushed in the face of consumers.

Secondly, the regulator is convinced that such gains ought to be taxed properly as they are de facto a real business activity that should be treated as such. The decision by the MGC is not taken in a vacuum either. The regulator convened to assess data from other states and examined specific costs and benefits of promotional play and deductions.

Ultimately, the regulator voted with a full majority on the matter 5-0 and decided that such deductions were not necessary in Massachusetts. Another reason stated by the regulator is that the original intent of legislators was to have promotional play included as a taxable part of an operator’s revenue.

Making sure that promotional play is taxed, though, is not a bad thing. If anything, by settling the speculation around it, operators now have a clear idea of what to expect and how to treat their promotional play. Evidently, it’s not ideal not to have the ability to promote more aggressively, but at least operators will now know how much they can allocate to bonus inducements and free play.

Fines, Safer Gambling, and More

Another thing to consider is that the MGC did not really receive negative feedback about its plan to ensure that bonus play is now treated as a taxable item on the operators’ list.

At the same time, the regulator used the Tuesday meeting to go over some other issues, including several fines. MGM Springfield and DraftKings were both on the receiving end of regulatory ire.

Meanwhile, the regulator also agreed to extend the additional time to companies in the state which are trying to catch up and implement advanced software that will allow them to better protect consumers. These new tech solutions are designed to help consumers control their gambling habits, better alert operators to potential problem gambling cases, and more.

Operators requested additional time to be able to fully implement the tech and make sure that it works as intended. The MGC has granted this request on the basis that it was a reasonable and meaningful thing to ask.

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The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has launched a new toolkit that will make the promotion of the National Problem Gambling Helpline easier. In addition, the body released an analytics dashboard that provides information on incoming traffic to the helpline.

The National Problem Gambling Helpline, 1-800-GAMBLER, is a universal resource for Americans seeking help with their gambling behavior. The 1-800-GAMBLER number used today was first the number of New Jersey’s Council on Compulsive Gambling, which was later adopted by the NCPG because of how easy it is to remember.

The new 1-800-GAMBLER Promotional Toolkit, according to the NCPG, is designed to help align messaging about the helpline across gambling companies, media, state agencies, healthcare services and other organizations that promote it to the public.

According to the NPGH, aligned and consistent messaging that promotes a universal point of contact is very important as it will make things clearer to the public. The toolkit will raise awareness of the helpline, teaching people that they can always use it to seek help. It encompasses a rich variety of resources such as brand guidelines, logos and social media content.

Companies that wish to promote 1-800-GAMBLER can find the toolkit for free on the NCPG website.

The Dashboard Will Help the NCPG Maintain Transparency

The council also unveiled the launch of a National Problem Gambling Helpline Analytics Dashboard. Just like the Promotional Toolkit, the dashboard is available for free.

The dashboard’s purpose is to “provide transparency and insight into the trends and patterns” of 1-800-GAMBLER traffic. It includes interactive charts and graphs, making it easy to find data for specific dates, states or contact methods.

The dashboard can be accessed on NCPG’s website for free.

The NCPG Is Excited about the Launch

Keith Whyte, NCPG’s executive director, said that his team is glad to be launching these resources. He noted that NCPG research shows only 45% of Americans know where to look for help with problem gambling.

We hope this toolkit will make it easier for organizations to raise awareness of the Helpline and connect people with the resources they need.

Keith Whyte, exec director, NCPG

Both of the newly-released solutions are part of the ongoing Helpline Modernization Project. Thanks to a grant from the NFL Foundation, the NCPG will be able to modernize the helpline and promote it to players across the US.

The modernization efforts will see the NCPG make improvements to the network services, training, operations and public awareness. The council hopes that more people will learn of the helpline and will use it when dealing with gambling problems.

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The tool is seen as a major opportunity to significantly boost collaboration with operators and brands, and it has already debuted successfully with LatSoft. Operators will be able to create their own in-game tournaments and feature them across a number of sites all at once, increasing player engagement as they do.

Vivo Gaming also has the hard numbers to back its claims, arguing that the tool leads to a 65% increase in daily active players and an 82% overall increase in the daily number of rounds that have been played. The Promotional Tool comes with boosters and it offers a detailed breakdown of everything that players would need to know, including where they rank in the overall leaderboard and more.

The solution is built to first help with Vivo Gaming’s premium roulette title, but it will be extended to the company’s baccarat and blackjack products. Vivo Gaming CCO Neil Howells was very optimistic about the arrival of this new product and said:

We are thrilled with how our Promotional Tournament Tool has performed so far and the feedback from our operator partners has been phenomenal. What’s more, we are absolutely delighted to have diversified our award-winning offering with such an innovative and engaging product as this.

Vivo Gaming CCO Neil Howells

The opportunity was similarly welcomed by LatSoft director of marketing Damian Ramirez who hailed the arrival of Vivo Gaming’s Promotional Tournament Tool as a great way to increase retention for the company’s brands. Ramirez argued that any operator that is looking to increase their performance may want to take a closer look at Vivo Gaming’s solution.

Vivo Gaming is looking to spearhead strong expansion in 2023, following a very strong 2022 for the company. The Promotional Tournament Tool is a step in the right direction.

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