Play’n GO, the world’s leading casino entertainment provider, has announced the release of its 2023 Sustainability Report. This inaugural report outlines the company’s Sustainability Strategy, progress, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitments and goals for the year.

Building a Sustainable Industry and Planet

The report details Play’n GO’s efforts over recent months and years to contribute to a more sustainable industry and planet. Key areas covered include Responsible Gambling, Climate Commitments, and Inclusion and Diversity. The company has also embraced a pioneering Digital First culture, giving its employees the freedom to choose where and how they work.

Vanessa Arenram, Director of CSR at Play’n GO, expressed her excitement about the release: “Play’n GO has long made its commitment to sustainability and ESG very clear, and the release of our first-ever Sustainability Report is evidence of those words being put into action. We’re thrilled to finally share this report today, and it serves as a celebration of the dedication and progress made by our global team. From our commitment to player safety and collaborating with regulators to influence the development of sustainable regulation, to our Climate Pledge and how we are investing in our people and partnerships, we mean it when we say that the only viable future is a sustainable one. While much of the Report has already been actioned, we still have work to do, and this Report holds us to account as we continue leading the industry to a sustainable future of iGaming.”

Key Initiatives and Achievements

Responsible Gambling: Play’n GO’s groundbreaking Bonus Buy study is a highlight, showcasing the company’s dedication to player safety and responsible gaming practices. Collaborations with regulators have been pivotal in influencing the development of sustainable regulations.

Climate Commitments: The report outlines the company’s Climate Pledge, focusing on reducing its carbon footprint and implementing environmentally friendly practices across its operations.

Inclusion and Diversity: Play’n GO emphasizes its commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. The company’s Digital First culture supports this by providing employees with the flexibility to work in ways that best suit their needs.

The Sustainability Report also underscores the importance of regulatory clarity and the need for self-regulatory bodies designated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). This framework can incorporate lessons from existing IT rules to create a comprehensive regulatory environment for online games.

Future Goals and Continuous Improvement

While the report highlights significant progress, Play’n GO acknowledges that there is still work to be done. The company is committed to continuous improvement and innovation, ensuring that its strategies evolve to meet emerging challenges and opportunities in the industry.

Source: “Play’n GO Announces Release of Company Sustainability Report”, Play’n GO, May 28, 2024.

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The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has published data about the local casinos’ performance in Q4 2023, reporting a decrease in gross operating profit despite an increase in net revenue.

The report highlights Q4 net revenue of $781.9 million, reflecting a 1.3% increase year-on-year. As mentioned, gross operating profit declined by 3.6% to $148.5 million.

Additionally, the Division of Gaming Enforcement published data about its licensees’ full-year performance. According to the authority, net revenue reached $3.33 billion for the calendar year, representing an increase of 0.8% year-on-year. In the meantime, licensed casino companies in New Jersey reported FY 2023 gross operating profit of $780.7 million, a 4.1% decrease year-on-year.

The division also published hotel occupancy figures for the period, saying that casino hotels in the state reported a Q4 occupancy rate of 66.5%. This figure marks a slight 0.7% increase compared to the prior year period. The occupancy rate for the twelve months ended December 2023, on the other hand, reached 73%, which demonstrates a decline of 0.4%.

Most Hotels Experienced a Decline

The most profitable casino resort in 2023 was the Borgata with Q4 net revenue of $190.4 million and gross operating profit of $47.9 million. The property’s FY 2023 results included net revenue of $785.6 million and gross operating profit of $226.1 million.

Next up was Hard Rock with Q4 net revenue of $140.3 million and gross operating profit of $28.5 million. Its FY net revenue stood at $572.7 million, resulting in a gross operating profit of $125.5 million

Rounding up the top three, Ocean Resort posted Q4 net revenue of $119.8 million and gross operating profit of $26.6 million. The venue was one of the only three licensees to report an increase in gross profit for 2023, with net revenue of $491.8 million (+16.3%) and gross operating profit of $117.2 million (+21.8%).

Bally’s AC was notably the biggest winner in 2023 as it was able to greatly bolster its profitability from a gross operating loss of $1.8 million in 2022 to a profit of $11.1 million in FY 2023. Resorts Casino, on the other hand, saw its gross operating profit plummet from $21 million in 2022 to $9.5 million in 2023.

Here’s how New Jersey’s other licensees fared in terms of FY 2023 gross operating profit:

• Caesars: $51.7 million
• Golden Nugget: $29.8 million
• Harrah’s: $80.6 million
• Tropicana: $93 million
• CIENJ: $23.6 million
• Resorts Digital: $12.2 million

In other news, Atlantic City’s casino workers continue to push for a ban on smoking in the local casinos.

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EveryMatrix partnered with iGB to research the players’ behavior in six iGaming markets in the world: Colombia, Germany, Brazil, Greece, Peru, and Romania, and the Slot Trumps Player Behaviour Report was finally published. Among them is the Peruvian market, which has undergone significant changes in the slot gaming industry at the end of 2023.

The research was based on the 400 most popular games in the market, and the results were enlightening.

Behavior of Peruvian players

According to the report, the players in Peru enjoyed animal-themed slot games more than others, and 7% of players said that they played such games. The second place took popular classic slots, with 4.4%, and the third place was divided by Asian-themed, fruit-themed, and mythology-themed games, which earned 2.7% of votes each.

When it comes to features, it’s not surprising that Wilds took the first place when it comes to base-game features, with 24% of voters granting it their vote. Multiplier is a favorite of 22% of players, while 14% of players voted for Scatters.

When it comes to bonus features, Free Spins took first place with 75% of the votes. It was followed by Buy Feature with 55%, and Jackpot with 20%. The top retention feature was Buy Feature, which increases the average bet by 70% on average.

The Peruvian players enjoy placing higher bets since they allow more bonus features to be triggered. The average bet for the top 20 games was 1.94 EUR, while 20% of all bets placed on the 20 most popular games were higher than 3 EUR.

Industry leader

In Peru, the most popular content providers are Pragmatic Play, Microgaming, Playson, Wazdan, RedRake, Fazi, High5Games, NolimitCity, Habanero, and Hacksaw Gaming. Most popular games were Big Bass Splash, Cosmic Cash, Fire Hot 5, John Hunterand the Tomb of Scarab Queen, Hot to Burn, Gates of Olympus, Master Joker, 3 Pots Riches: Hold and Win, Sweet Bonanza, Sugar Rush Xmas, Wolf Gold, Joker’s Jewels, Gates of Olympus, Big Bass Christmas Bash, Mustang Gold, Fire Stampede, Buffalo King Megaways, Hot Pepper, Christmas Big Bass Bonanza, and Sugar Rush. All games in the top 20 in the Peruvian market are developed by Pragmatic Play, except for 3 Pots Riches: Hold and Win, Playson’s title.

The results show that Pragmatic Play is an ultimate leader in this rapidly growing market, and since the company started focusing on expansion across the LatAm market, it’s not surprising. Among the operators, the supplier partnered with big industry names such as Pentagol and Tinbet.

Source: “Slot Trumps Player Behaviour Report: Key Player Insights in Peru 2024”. iGaming Business.

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Digital fraud continues to plague the online gambling industry, with a recent report from TransUnion shedding light on the alarming increase in fraudulent activities targeting gambling sites. According to the study, over 10% of online gambling transactions in the United States were suspected to be fraudulent in 2023, marking a significant rise from previous years.

The report highlighted promotion abuse as the most common type of fraud within the gambling sector, indicating a trend where fraudsters exploit promotional offers and bonuses offered by online casinos and sports betting platforms.

Steve Yin, senior vice president and global head of fraud solutions at TransUnion, emphasized the shift in tactics among fraudsters, noting that instead of compromising existing accounts, they are now creating new accounts using synthetic identities. Synthetic identities, often assembled from data obtained through multiple data breaches, have become a lucrative tool for fraudsters, contributing to the surge in fraudulent activities.

The study also underscored the role of data breaches in fueling digital fraud, with the number of data breaches in the US increasing by 157% from 2020 to 2023. This escalation in data breaches has facilitated the creation of fraudulent accounts and synthetic identities, posing a significant threat to the integrity of online transactions.

On a global scale, the retail sector surpassed gaming, including online gambling and poker, in experiencing the highest suspected digital fraud rate in 2023, reaching 8.7%, marking a 21% year-over-year increase. Furthermore, the telecommunications industry witnessed a substantial 111% year-over-year surge in suspected digital fraud rate, rising to 4.5%.

Economic Shifts Alter Gambling Landscape

Furthermore, TransUnion’s research highlighted the impact of economic conditions on gambling behavior. Despite the overall resilience of the US economy, factors such as declining consumer liquidity and low consumer confidence have dampened gambling activity as per another TransUnion report released in January. 

In Q4 2023, decreased consumer liquidity led to a 10% decline in overall betting activity, with millennials being the exception, as 77% reported better-than-planned household finances. TransUnion’s report revealed that betting behavior is closely linked to available cash, with high-value bettors significantly influencing the market. 

While land-based channels saw higher participation rates, online platforms attracted more high-value bettors, particularly those depositing over $500 monthly. Despite a decrease in overall participation, strategies focusing on expanding across channels proved successful. 

TransUnion highlighted that understanding the financial signals distinguishing resilient from distressed players is crucial for operators aiming to attract high-value bettors.

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The world’s largest market research store, ResearchAndMarkets.com, has recently added the “Online Poker Market Report: Trends, Forecast and Competitive Analysis to 2030” report to its offerings. The report estimates that the global online poker market will reach the $193.8 billion threshold by 2030 at a combined annual growth rate of 11.5% from 2024 to 2030.

Mobile Gambling Facilities Pushing the Market

According to the analysts, the subject market is expected to be mainly driven by the increasing accessibility to online and mobile facilities and the growing popularity of poker games across gaming and social networks. Having analyzed the player preferences around the world, the report expects that the PC/Laptop users will generate the highest value to online poker operations by 2030. At the same time, the study finds the Texas Hold’em Poker game the most popular among online poker enthusiasts expected to be predominantly located within the North American market.

Competitive Online Poker Environment

Online poker market analysis also discusses the competition in this lucrative market to conclude that the quality of offerings is the key competitive advantage in the market. As reported, online poker operators rely on their supply chain management and manufacturing and R&D capabilities to ensure efficiency of their operations on both the input and output side and generate profits amidst these margins. The report lists some online poker operators implementing the said strategy, such as Tencent, Partypoker, Baazi Games, Bovada, Pokerstars, and more.

As indicated, the analysts estimate that mobile players will bring the largest handle to the online poker operations from 2024 to 2030. More specifically, the study expects that smart phones will be the vehicle most frequently used to place bets online in the near future. The estimate is based on the mobile-friendly poker games being increasingly preferred among the poker player community for their convenient and engaging features appealing to worldwide players.

Europe Expected to See Largest Growth

The study also analyzes the size and the value of online poker markets in the world and anticipates that the global online poker market will reach the value of $193.8 billion by 2030. It also ponders the trends and provides estimates for various market segments and regions. Thus, the report breaks down the global market into the regions of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World to analyze each region. For example, the study reveals that it expects that Europe will experience the most significant online poker market growth in the subject period.

Comprehensive Market Review

The study analyses the impact of different devices, games, and regional preferences to reveal the key growth opportunities in this reference. The report pays attention to the role of new product developments, coupled with market and advertising activities, in reaching strategic objectives. Finally, the online poker market report focuses on strategic analysis of the competitive landscape to offer a comprehensive review of the global online poker market.

Source: “Online Poker Market Trends, Forecast and Competitive Analysis to 2030: Rapid Growth Forecasted for Smartphone Poker Games and Services, with Europe Witnessing the Highest Growth”. European Gaming. March 16, 2024.

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Political bettors seem to be losing their trust in President Joe Biden’s ability to win the upcoming election, as demonstrated by Betfair. According to the betting exchange, Biden’s odds plummeted following an official report about the president’s waning memory.

In a response to the Justice Department report into Biden’s mishandling of top secret documents, the president said that he knows what he is doing. While the 81-year-old denied having memory problems, the report still led to a decline in his odds of winning the elections.

Biden wasn’t helped by his recent gaffe either as he just referred to the Egyptian leader as the President of Mexico.

According to Betfair, Biden’s odds of reclaiming his post now stand at 3.9.

Biden’s loss is Trump’s gain as the former president’s chances to reclaim power have just increased, despite his ongoing legal issues. According to Betfair, the former POTUS’ chance to return to the Oval Office now stands at 2.2 or 47%.

Biden Now Faces a Harder Battle

While many expect the upcoming US elections to be another faceoff between Trump and Biden, political bettors haven’t ruled out the chance of another candidate winning the Democratic ticket. Betfair pointed out that punter’s backing for Vice President Kamala Harris to win the race has significantly increased following the latest Biden report. Michelle Obama’s odds have also increased dramatically, the betting exchange reported.

Trump, on the other hand, maintains a leading position among the Republicans and cemented his position as the front-runner of his party following DeSantis’ premature exit. DeSantis, whom many considered a major contender, failed to gain sufficient traction and decided to pull back from the race.

According to Betfair spokesman Sam Rosbottom, many bettors view Trump as a more reliable candidate following the recent report.

Biden has been a fairly significant drifter in the Election Winner market, but this report, compounded by another memory lapse, is seeing punters viewing Trump as the safer bet with their money.

Sam Rosbottom, spokesman, Betfair

Speaking of Biden, the president recently visited Las Vegas and revealed his plans to crack down on additional fees at Vegas resorts, also known as “junk fees.” He criticized Sin City companies for ripping people off, saying that their underhanded business tactics are “plain wrong.”

Biden also vowed to bring down the price of insulin, prescription drugs and energy.

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A Nevada software startup, powering the world’s biggest casino, left one of its databases exposed to the internet without a password, a newly released report reveals. Currently, WinStar World Casino and Resort, a premium casino and entertainment destination in Thackerville, Oklahoma, owned by the Chickasaw Nation, takes pride as the world’s largest casino in terms of square feet.

The casino resort offers My WinStar, an application that provides features for self-service to hotel guests, while at the same time, catering as a loyalty program. Using My WinStar, visitors can access different benefits, including loyalty rewards points, promising seamless and engaging experiences.

Last week, the tech news portal, TechCrunch, uncovered details regarding an exposed database that was “spilling customers’ private information” on the internet belonging to Dexiga, the software startup powering My WinStar. The new report revealed that the exposed database was discovered by security research Anurag Sen. The “good-faith security researcher” uncovered the exposed database, finding out that it contained personal information, including emails, names, home addresses and phone numbers.

Access to the Database Was Discontinued

Sen contacted TechCrunch in an effort to help identify the exposed database. The tech news portal investigated the matter and uncovered that besides names, phone numbers and emails, there was sensitive data as well, including dates of birth. Partially this data was made confident with the use of stars, yet the information was available online without a password.

Once TechCrunch was able to identify that the data belonged to Dexiga, they contacted the software company. Shortly after, access to the database was discontinued. After it was notified about the exposed database, Dexiga explained that the information there was “publicly available,” rejecting claims about the exposure of sensitive personal information.

The company did not confirm whether it had active tools that recorded information about the users who were able to access the database. Still, while the database was available, anyone who knew Dexiga’s public IP address was able to access it via a web browser online.

On the same topic, earlier this month, a cybersecurity expert warned about the dangers of cyberattacks for casinos. Dan Lohrmann, a cybersecurity expert with extensive experience, revealed that gambling operators who fall victim to cyberattacks may be subject to further attacks unless they take proper action. Lohrmann said that even if gambling operators settle a matter by paying ransom, they are still vulnerable unless changes are implemented to their cybersecurity policies.

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Just after finalizing its acquisition of Playmaker Capital, Better Collective published its unaudited full-year report. The company said that 2023 was a very strong year and that the results exceeded its guidance.

According to the company’s announcement, its full-year revenues reached EUR 327 million ($352.5 million), which represents a 21% year-on-year growth. EBITDA, on the other hand, increased by 31% to EUR 111 million ($119.7 million). The latter figure was within the high end of Better Collective’s guidance, while revenue exceeded previous estimates.

In addition, Better Collective reported net debt to EBITDA before special items below 2.0, in line with its target.

The digital sports media group described 2023 as a very strong year as it allowed it to surpass its financial targets. Throughout the year, the company had to update its guidance two times thanks to strong operational performance and accretive acquisitions.

For reference, Better Collective’s first guidance was set out at the beginning of the year and targeted revenues of between EUR 290 and 300 million, as well as EBITDA range of EUR 90-100 million. However, the company had to update the guidance, eventually targeting revenues of EUR 315-325 million and EBITDA of 105-115 million.

Better Collective concluded that its official Q4 and FY 2023 report will go live on February 21, after market close.

Better Collective Seeks to Dominate the Affiliate Market

Better Collective is ambitious to become the leading digital sports media group. The company’s goal is to engage fans and foster passionate communities all over the world.

Better Collective is also bullish on promoting gambling in a safe and responsible way, as demonstrated by its participation in the Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association (RGAA), a body that was founded last year to help affiliate companies serve the online gambling market responsibly.

Other RGAA members include Catena Media, Gambling.com, Oddschecker Global Media, Spotlight Sports Group and XLMedia.

As mentioned, in 2023, Better Collective signed a definitive deal to acquire Playmaker Capital, another leading digital sports group. The acquisition, which was just completed, reinforced the former company’s position as a leading affiliate, allowing it to further develop its business.

In addition, Better Collective expects financial synergies between the two companies to have a beneficial effect on Better Collective’s business. Because of that, the company updated its long-term financial targets following the conclusion of the deal.

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The US Department of the Treasury has published its 2024 National Money Laundering Risk Assessment. The report highlighted, among other things the online gaming and sports betting sector’s vulnerability to money laundering.

According to the Treasury, the anonymity provided by the online gambling sector provides some unique money laundering risks. While US casinos have a number of AML laws to follow, as per the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), not all operators are aware of their obligations, the department pointed out.

Considering the volume of betting, the fast growth of the online gambling market and the disparities between separate jurisdictions, enforcing the requirements is a challenging task, the US Treasury noted. As a result, the US online betting market is exposed to “significant and increasing money laundering risks.”

While the legal betting sector is very vulnerable to money laundering, illegal gambling operators represent additional dangers. Cryptocurrency-based casinos, for example, are no ubiquitous and add more nuance to the saturation.

The US Department of the Treasury noted that some fraudsters would deposit criminally acquired money into online sports betting accounts and then withdraw them to disguise them as winnings.

The Treasury has already recorded a number of such cases, including a recent fraud that saw a Georgia man launder a whopping $1 million through a betting account. The money had, in reality, come from faith-based charities and individual donors. The money, initially intended for religious purposes, was appropriated for personal gain.

The Department Wants to Raise Awareness of AML Risks

The Treasury’s report hopes that it would be able to raise awareness of the issue and educate organizations about the vulnerabilities of the US business sector. To that end, the department also emphasized other risk-heavy sectors, such as dealings with Russia and North Korea. The former is increasingly keen on acquiring US-origin military products, while the latter has been leveraging hackers to undermine and exploit the American digital economy.

Brian E. Nelson, the department’s under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, concluded that the Treasury remains committed to protecting the US economy from fraud.

Treasury, through our National Risk Assessments, is at the cutting edge of analyzing the global risk environment to protect the US and international financial systems from abuse by illicit actors.

Brian E. Nelson, under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, US Department of the Treasury

Nelson urged businesses within the public and private sectors to familiarize themselves with the Treasury’s full report and stay tuned for the forthcoming National Strategy for Combating Terrorist and Other Illicit Finance.

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Svenska Spel has published its interim report for 2023, highlighting stable revenue. The year saw Svenska Spel earn a total net revenue of SEK 8,029 million ($766 million), in line with last year’s results. This followed a stable fourth quarter in which the company recorded net gaming revenue of SEK 2,121 million ($202 million) – a 3% year-on-year decrease.

Furthermore, Svenska Spel reported an operating profit of SEK 485 million ($46 million) in Q4, representing a decrease of 16%. The operating margin for the period also declined to 23%. The company’s full-year results, meanwhile, demonstrated an operating profit of SEK 2,333 million ($222 million) and an operating margin of 30%.

Net profit for the year, meanwhile, stood at SEK 1,941 million ($185 million), representing a 3% year-on-year decline.

Svenska Spel added that its board is planning to pay out a SEK 1.9 billion ($181 million) dividend.

Some of Svenska Spel’s Brands Continue to Struggle

The lower Q4 results were attributed to a decrease in the income of Casino Cosmopol and Vegas caused by lower customer demand and ongoing restructuring activities. Net gaming revenue of this segment was down by 25% as the sector continues to experience fierce competition from the online market.

Svenska Spel was forced to offset this decline by reducing the workforce of Casino Cosmopol, laying 220 full-time positions off, which included roughly 100 redundancies. Svenska Spel also intends to close its casinos in Malmö and Gothenburg to face the ongoing financial challenges. The casino in Stockholm will continue operating normally.

In Q4, the Tur lottery revenue experienced a net gaming revenue decline of 2% year-on-year. The sports & Casino segment, on the other hand, experienced a 7% increase in net gaming revenue thanks to an increase in active customers and sales.

An Eventful Year for Svenska Spel

In Q4, Svenska Spel’s healthy revenue portion increased to an all-time high. Svenska Spel was also the most sustainable gambling company in the Sustainable Brand Index and was among the top 10 best employers, according to Universum’s annual survey. In addition, the company paid SEK 35 million ($3.3 million) to 8,654 associations in youth sports through its Gräsroten initiative.

Meanwhile, 2023 saw Svenska Spel’s Sports & Casino segment launch a new poker platform and Momang – a new online casino. The Tur brand, on the other hand, launched Supportern, a digital lottery for Swedish sports associations.

The year also saw Svenska Spel select Kambi as its new sportsbook provider, allowing it to enhance the Oddset brand.

Erik Strand, Svenska Spel’s president and CEO, commented on the results, praising his team for their dedication to sustainable gambling.

Our continued focus on sustainable gaming is having an effect and the share of healthy revenue is increasing compared to the same quarter last year. The number of sustainable customers is also increasing to the highest level ever.

Erik Strand, president & CEO, Svenska Spel

Speaking of Sweden, BOS’s chief recently discussed the ban on online gambling advertising in public transport, expressing his disagreement with the measure.

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