Relax Gaming, known both for its third-party aggregation solutions and its own in-house games, has launched a new foray into the Italian online casino market, teaming up with Octavian Lab.

Octavian Lab develops comprehensive 360-degree solutions for the iGaming industry and creates products, protocols and integrated solutions for the Italian market, and other jurisdictions. Through this tie-up, Relax Gaming will have direct access to Eurobet, one of the leading sportsbooks and casinos in the country.

In turn, Eurobet’s players will be able to explore the full variety of Relax Gaming titles, including Money Train, Wild Chapo 2, and Marching Legions, among others.

Resonating with Players All Across Italy

Commenting on this new opportunity, Octavian Lab CEO Emanuele Nocentelli said that his company was proud to bring one of the industry’s highest-quality games to the library of Eurobet.

Nocentelli further said that Octavian Lab’s Gaming and Aggregation platforms made it certain that Relax’s games would reach players across the entire market and resonate with local audiences all across Italy.

Relax Gaming Director of Italy Gianluca Crimaldi was similarly pleased with this opportunity, arguing that Italy remains a key market for the company which has been expanding rapidly across Europe and beyond.

“We are delighted to partner with the talented team at Octavian Lab who are helping ensure our games reach Italian players via the country’s top operators,” Crimaldi said. Relax Gaming has recently appointed a new CEO in the face of Martin Stålros who took over the position in April.

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At the 11th Annual Truist Securities GLLR Summit in Boston last week, the buzz surrounding the debut of ESPN Bet dominated conversations among gaming enthusiasts. The anticipation even found its way into the analysis by Truist Securities analyst Barry Jonas, who dedicated a significant portion of his conclave summary to the groundbreaking sports betting app.

Penn Entertainment Celebrates Success as ESPN Bet Emerges in 17 States with 4.9-Star Ratings

ESPN Bet, a joint venture between Penn Entertainment and ESPN, has already gone live in 17 states and provinces, garnering praise for its impressive download metrics, which have surpassed the 2 million mark. Penn Entertainment expressed its satisfaction with the app’s performance, highlighting a stellar 4.9-star rating from online reviews.

Investors are eyeing a 5% market share for ESPN Bet, despite the absence of early financial reports. Jonas observed that early data indicated that Penn was expanding the market, demonstrating an encouraging influx of female players, which he interpreted as a testament to the influence of the ESPN brand.

While the retention of customers remains uncertain, executives at Penn are optimistic, noting increased spending on wagers even as promotional funds dwindle. Despite a challenging November in terms of hold, Jonas observed strong initial wagering volumes and anticipated growth in promotional allocations.

Addressing concerns raised by Jonas, Penn executives assured that issues such as the speed of cash withdrawals and parlay treatment of pushed legs are being actively addressed, with expectations of the application becoming an “industry standard” in the first quarter of the coming year.

ESPN’s Bet Mode Set to Debut for Super Bowl

Looking ahead, ESPN plans to introduce its Bet Mode within the media app in time for the Super Bowl. The long-term vision includes integration with ESPN’s existing fantasy sports app.

The spotlight shifted to New York state, where ESPN Bet aims to secure a pivotal presence. Discussions are underway to acquire an Empire State license from an existing operator, with hopes of approval and entry in the coming year. However, the app faced a setback in Connecticut, losing out on an online license to newcomer Fanatics due to unfortunate timing.

According to an earlier analysis by Chad Beynon from financial services company Macquarie, ESPN Bet is off to a promising start, securing a notable market share in states like Iowa, Maryland, and Indiana. Despite being in its early days and not yet on par with established brands like BetMGM, DraftKings, or FanDuel, ESPN Bet has shown steady growth, posting a 16% increase in average handle in the three outlined states and surpassing 1.1 million downloads in its first week across 17 total states. 

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Gross gaming revenue for online slot and table games soared to $171.5 million, which is the highest yield recorded in a single month by the regulator, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.

Online Casino Games Lead the Way in November

The strongest online performance in iGaming has been posted amid increased spending on “at-home” entertainment options as confirmed by a recent PaySafe report, which indicated that inflation had not curbed enthusiasm for sports betting, and this may be spilling over into the iGaming sector as well.

The year-over-year results have been particularly encouraging with last month’s results ahead 17% of those posted in November 2022 with $146.1 million. Golden Nugget Online Casino topped the iGaming food chain, driving $50.1 million of the total gross gaming revenue, followed by Resorts with $47.2 million and Borgata Online with $37.9 million.

The retail sector has not done so hotly, though, with mostly nominal gains, as casino revenue amounted to $214.9 million or a slight 0.2% increase in the results. Table games contracted by 6.5% last month, although slots made headway with a 3% jump for a total of $161 million.

Interestingly, iGaming has been able to co-exist with the land-based sector and has mostly appealed to a different type of audience, ensuring that there is a steady footfall at casino properties around Atlantic City.

Jane Bokunewicz, a frequent commentator, and analyst on gaming results in New Jersey, has even gone further to suggest that there is a very strong argument to be made for the lasting quality of in-person gaming which is not going to be supplanted by online casino performance, which is often cited as a fear factor for regulating online gambling in states where he land-based casino resort industry is loath to move forward with iGaming.

Smoking Ban and Gambling Results Continue to Pose a Challenge

Meanwhile, a vicious debate is raging in New Jersey with casino workers and activists demanding from Atlantic City’s resorts to finally fold an exemption of the state’s public smoking ban, which still allows 25% of casino floors to offer smoking.  

Atlantic City launched iGaming in 2013, and ten years after the fact, the industry seems to be growing and setting up new records. Land-based casinos argue that their profits would plummet further if a smoke ban were enacted because they do not get all the winnings but share the proceeds from online games with third-party suppliers.

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The company’s latest partnership comes from Slovakia where the supplier has teamed up with local brand Kajot and has now deployed its portfolio of top-performing games. This tie-up is exclusively signed with the operator, giving it the opportunity to quickly differentiate its offer and position itself strongly in the market.

Commenting on this business opportunity, CT Interactive head of business development EMEA Milena Tsankarska said that the supplier was very happy to bring its top-notch slot games once again to a brand-new operator with an established reputation.

Games such as Cherry Crown, 20 Star Party, and Coffee Magic, among many others, will all make players happier. Tsankarska spoke highly of Kajot’s geographical reach as well, arguing that more content link-up would follow from there on out.

“This partnership with such a renowned gaming operator will help us increase our visibility in the European iGaming scene,” she concluded, noting that Kajot is a brand with more than 27 years of operating experience in Europe.

Kajot head of online casino Stanislav Šebest was similarly excited to see the CT Interactive products arrive on the market and give local players the best possible chance to engage and enjoy with its players better. The goal, said Šebest, is to ensure that the casino is able to reach a wider audience and engage with it meaningfully.

CT Interactive is a fairly new entry into the Slovakian iGaming market, obtaining its license in 2022. However, there has been a very strong reception and uptake of the company’s games in that geography, said CT Interactive head of CRM Silvia Hristova.

CT Interactive has been relentlessly expanding its content footprint, having recently teamed up with Sbbet.me in Montenegro and ELITBET in Bulgaria. The supplier offers more than 100 quality games that are designed to elevate the consumer experience. In the meantime, the company has been driving steady forays into new markets, including Italy, which is one of the most tightly regulated ones, as well as Georgia.

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Sara Lee Moon, who has been working as a gambling manager at the Prosser Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, has been detained due to allegations of first-degree theft. Moon is being held at the Benton County Jail.

The Theft Was Discovered after Routine Check from Washington State Gambling Commission

Back in February 2022, the Washington State Gambling Commission performed a routine check at the Prosser Veterans of Foreign Wars Post. As part of this audit, all records related to gambling activities at the Post were inspected. 

As a result, the Washington State Gambling Commission quickly discovered that funds are missing. This led to a criminal investigation being conducted by the Commission, which took many months before Sara Lee Moon was identified as the main suspect.

Moon joined the Prosser Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in June 2019. Her job title was gambling manager and she was responsible for running the gambling and bar accounts. 

The investigation conducted by the Washington State Gambling Commission revealed that in this position of trust, she was able to defraud over $300,000. Moon created bank accounts to her name and was able to transfer some of the funds there. It took a large number of transactions spanning over a few years to steal such a large amount. 

It was discovered that Moon started her criminal activity not long after joining the Prosser Veterans of Foreign Wars Post. Moon took advantage of the fact that she was entrusted with confidence and responsibility by her employer and her position facilitated the execution of her crimes.

Moon Not the First Worker to Betray an Employer’s Trust

It is not the first time trusted employees betray the confidence instilled in them and steal money from their employers. Just last week an elderly Indianapolis church staff member was arrested on similar charges. Marie Carson, who was a business manager at the church, stole $573,836.59 from the church accounts, which mainly came from parish donations. Another recent case, saw two clerks from Flordell Hills, Missouri, stealing the whopping amount of $663,604 from the city’s coffers. The two women allegedly forged the mayor’s and the city treasurer’s signatures and issued over 600 checks to their names. They used the funds for gambling and paying their bills and taxes.

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