The anticipation for the iGB Affiliate 2024 Awards is reaching its peak as the shortlist of contenders is revealed. This prestigious event, hosted by Naomi Barton, Portfolio Director for iGB Affiliate, promises an evening of recognition for outstanding talent in the industry.

Set against the backdrop of the Grade II-listed Art Deco Troxy music venue in East London, this black-tie affair will not only feature a three-course sit-down dinner but also a night filled with joy.

A Star-Studded Shortlist

The shortlisted entries represent a roll call of exceptional individuals and companies in the iGaming affiliate space. The selection process was meticulous, ensuring that only the most deserving nominees made it to the final list. The diverse categories span various aspects of the industry, recognizing achievements across affiliate marketing, innovation, and customer experience.

As iGB Affiliate prepares to bid farewell to London and move its operations to Barcelona, the 2024 Awards mark a poignant moment in the organization’s history. The relocation adds an extra layer of significance to the event, making it a must-attend for those wanting to celebrate the achievements of the international iGaming affiliate community.

The response to the upcoming ceremony has been overwhelming, with a surge in early demand for table bookings. Industry leaders, affiliates, and enthusiasts are eager to be part of this grand finale in London, making it clear that this event will be a memorable farewell to the city.

Save the Date: 8 February 2024

Mark your calendars for the 8th of February 2024, as the iGB Affiliate 2024 Awards promise an unforgettable evening filled with glamour, recognition, and celebration. It’s not just an awards night; it’s a grand send-off to London and a warm welcome to the vibrant city of Barcelona, where iGB Affiliate’s journey continues!

Looking ahead to the prestigious evening Naomi Barton said: “It’s totally fitting that the last iGB Affiliate Awards to be held in London has attracted a record 338 submissions from across the international community. The Awards are an integral part of the iGB Affiliate experience and celebrate everything that’s so unique and compelling about the igaming affiliate sector, recognizing the industry’s outstanding individuals, brands, games, networks, tech vendors and marketing campaigns. It promises to be another inspirational Awards evening and a perfect way to complement the exhibition which will feature approximately 155 exhibitors occupying 11,757 square meters of space and a raft of show initiatives created to highlight new strategies, new partnerships, new sectors and new jurisdictions all culminating in the delivery of new business opportunities for the thousands of customers who will be part of what will be an historic edition of iGB Affiliate.”

Source: ”Outstanding talent’ underpins iGB Affiliate Award shortlist”. European Gaming. December 1, 2023.

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The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has released its 2022 Annual Report and Financial Statements. The move and similar moves by government entities are widely seen as efforts to provide clarity of mission and transparency of operations.

In that light, Malta has been mostly successful throughout the years, at least in as far as the information provided is somewhat useful to potential license holders and consumers. However, the type of information and the depth to which activities are reported can leave a lot to be desired.

5,280 players requested assistance

While the number of player complaints is reported, the type and severity of potential violations are not reported in context nor are the results of any decisions related to specific disputes. Further, alternate dispute resolution is mandatory so it is assumed that only complaints that fail arbitration and that ADR service providers consider worthy to escalate are ever considered by the gaming authority.

As well, plans to change the law or even bills introduced to mdo so are rarely ever reported either on the website news section or in the periodic or annual reports until policy or law has changed such as when operators may have been aware of a comment period but players had no clue that the minimum theoretical return to player percentage (RTP) for MGA-regulated online slots would drop from 92% to 85%, ostensibly to bring it “into line” with the land-based sector.

More recently we had to learn from news outlets that follow such disputes that a bill had been introduced to the legislature which would modify the gambling act yet apply to all other European Union trade disputes absolving any Malta-registered company from responsibility to conform to EU trade law by escaping enforcement of judgments when a Maltese licensed online casino is sanctioned or fined by another EU member state.

While the previously mentioned and other information may be available in official government gazettes or press releases, in the spirit of transparency and consumer confidence it should at a minimum be linked to from the MGA website if not included in periodic and annual reports.

The topline numbers and a link to the financials and report can be found here (here).

A brief summary follows:

• 5,280 players requested assistance
• 28 compliance audits were conducted and 228 desktop reviews
• 25 licensees were subject to remediation and/or administrative measures
• 6 individuals and companies were deemed by the Fit & Proper Committee to not be up to the Authority’s probity standards due to various factors
• 41 gaming license applications were received during 2022. Thirty-one (31) licenses were issued
• 1,500+ criminal probity screening checks were undertaken
• 48 interviews with prospective Money Laundering Reporting Officers (MLRO) and key persons carrying out the AML/CFT function
• 9 Letters of Breach were issued following breaches of the Commercial Communications Regulations
• 85 responsible gaming-themed website checks were performed with 38 URLs found to have misleading information

In publishing the report, MGA CEO, Dr Carl Brincat said: “This report is testament to our collective efforts in promoting a fair and sustainable gaming ecosystem. Through proactive measures and leaner regulation processes, we strive to ensure a level playing field that nurtures innovation while safeguarding against any potential risks.

“As the global gaming landscape evolves, our role becomes even more critical. We embrace this responsibility with utmost determination, working tirelessly to stay ahead of emerging trends, technologies, and challenges. We remain steadfast in our pursuit of robust frameworks that inspire confidence, protect vulnerable individuals and render Malta the home for gaming operators of goodwill.”

Source: The MGA publishes its 2022 Annual Report and Financial Statements, Malta Gaming Authority News, June 2, 2023

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Betsoft Gaming’s legendary grandiose open-shirt Las Vegas plunger is back with a beautiful woman on each arm in Mr. Vegas 2: Big Money Tower. The new game is live now and was released nearly 11 years after the enduring inaugural release of Mr. Vegas on May 17, 2012.

One big difference between this game and the earliest version is that the progressive jackpot has been removed. In exchange, the default return to player percentage (RTP) has been increased from 93.60% to a much better 96.06%. The volatility has also been ratcheted up significantly from medium to very high.

Keep reading to learn more about other improvements and changes as well as a way to determine the highest-paying awards when you trigger the bonus round and pick a card for one of three possible free spins enhancements.

Multiple Licenses, Games Available in USA

Betsoft is one of the most prolific suppliers of online casino games out there but the company is not without some controversy in its past. The official company website currently claims RNG (random number generator) certification by leading testing houses and audit labs QUINEL and GLI as well as license seals from the Malta Gaming Authority, Romania’s ONJN, and Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM).

Controversies include the developer claiming an unwritten term when a progressive jackpot was won (GlamLife 2016), a sudden abandonment of its previous license in another jurisdiction with no transparency as to the reason why (Alderney 2014), a lack of easily found public records of anyone actually collecting one of its progressive jackpots, and finally, a glitchy keno game giving non-random results (2010).

The company’s QUINEL certificate is only for the RNG as tested without any games plugged in. The company displays the GLI seal with a link to a generic page rather than to the actual certification document as required by Gambling Labs International.

Sixty Paylines, 5×4 Reels, Buy Bonus, Free Spins, Big Money Tower, More

Whereas the original Mr. Vegas was a 5-reel game with 3 positions each the new game adds one more visible reel position and doubles the paylines to 60. The bet levels are still “Betsoft strange” ranging from $0.30 to $150 per spin at intervals of $1.50, $3, $9, $18, $24, $39, $54, $75, and $105.

The max win is 2601X your bet with every spin and the Big Money Tower can award 1,000x your total stake if you make it to the top of the right one.

High Hit Frequency

Another big difference players will find with this game is a much higher “hit frequency”. The first version may have “felt” more like a highly volatile game than it really was because it produced a win only 8.25 times in every 100 spins on average for a hit rate of 8.25%. Roughly one in every 12 spins produced a win of some sort, whether it returned the value of your bet, less or more, is not accounted for in that aspect of the maths.

The hit rate for Mr. Vegas 2: Big Money Tower is 18.22% so nearly one in every five spins (5.48) will return something. Since this game is more volatile by amplitude (Very high vs medium) and the hit frequency is more than doubled, we can jump to a weak assumption that the base game returns are each smaller on average and the greater volatility resides in the bonus mechanics.

It’s really a quite brilliant re-engineering of a time-honored favorite. The game should feel brand new while still warming the cockles of Mr. Vegas fans.

Look for Stacked Mystery Symbols on all five reels – they can turn into anything but scatters or bonus symbols, even wild symbols before the spin.

Three scatters appear on reels two, three, and four will bring up two face-down playing cards. Choose one to get one of three bonus mechanics.

• Sticky Wilds offer 10 Free Spins and the wild symbols stay in place throughout the round when they are part of a win.
• Expanding Wilds and 12 Free Spins cover the reel and stay in place for a re-spin. Landing another wild adds another respin.
• Random Wilds come with 15 Free Spins and two to six Wilds will appear in each free game.

Buy Bonus

While you can’t choose which bonus you will get when you trigger the bonus with random scatter symbols, you can buy the bonus you want to play!

When betting $0.30 per spin you can the following bonuses:

• 10 free spins with sticky wilds will cost $23.40
• 15 free spins with random wilds will cost $31.20
• 12 free spins with expanding wilds can be bought for 36.90

Big Money Tower

There are three Big Money Towers and landing the proper symbols on reels one, three, and five will take you to one at random. The towers are Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Flip a coin to move one rung up the ladder or collect your winnings up to that point. You will always win something and you won’t need to risk what you’ve already won in order to progress. Just flip a coin and build your fortune until you collect your winnings.

If you reach the top rung of the Golden Tower you will win 1,000x your stake for the triggering spin.

You can learn more about Betsoft Gaming software and games here.

Source: Betsoft Gaming Delivers The Ultimate V.I.P. Gaming Experience in Mr. Vegas 2: Big Money Tower, Betsoft Gaming, March 30, 2023

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