Recently, OKBet Infinity, the popular Philippine junket operator that operates VIP rooms in Newport World Resorts, Okada Manila, Hann Casino Resort, NUSTAR and City of Dreams Manila, confirmed that it has shut down all of its Philippines VIP rooms. The company unveiled the surprising announcement, confirming that it is in effect as of August 8, 2023.

However, amid media reports claiming that the closures were related to people that were arrested over alleged money laundering, OKBet released a new statement. Earlier this week, the company rejected claims that the 10 people, arrested in Singapore over money laundering and forgery, were related to the closures.

Media reports said that at least one of the people that was involved in the crimes was a “top official from OKBet.” The company disagreed with that statement and explained that the closures of its Philippines VIP rooms were “purely business driven.”

The Singapore Police Force said that it acted based on intelligence that included Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) which resulted in identifying a group of individuals that was believed to be involved in financial crimes such as money laundering. The law enforcement outlined that the group was suspected of laundering illegally obtained funds from criminal activities, including online gambling and scams.

Besides confirming that the decision to close its operations in the Philippines was a business one, the company reiterated that the closure isn’t tied in any way to the legal matter in Singapore. OKBet said its VIP rooms were committed to integrity and adhering to the established regulations. Additionally, the company highlighted that its clubs have been renowned for the unique luxurious experiences they offer to their visitors.

“The statement aims to clarify that the closure is not related to any legal issues in Singapore or any other specific jurisdiction. Throughout its operations, OKBet VIP Club has maintained a commitment to the highest standards of legal compliance and operational integrity,“

reads a statement released by OKBet Infinity

In its initial statement, OKBet said that its board of directors decided to cease operations. The company pointed out that its members will be allowed to withdraw their funds without interruptions.

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The new game, Roulette VIP, is built to introduce players to even more accessible, fun, and rewarding gameplay, courtesy of ESA Gaming’s sprawling portfolio of optimized and lightning-fast games.

ESA Gaming Brings in Better Roulette

Based on European Roulette, and featuring a single zero, the game comes with an intuitive user interface, designed to help players onboard quickly and enjoy the experience from start to finish. The game also has a high betting limit, and the mobile experience – for which it is built – goes smoothly.

As a single-zero roulette, Roulette VIP comes with a 97.30% RTP, and a maximum payout set at 35x. The game’s low house edge allows players to play and experiment with different strategies and be sure that their experience will be uninterrupted because of the underpinning technology that is built for resilience.

The mobile-first design means that players can take the game with them on the go and play wherever they like as they see fit. This latest addition also expands on the company’s portfolio of sprawling gaming titles, including Blackjack VIP, Baccarat, and Blackjack.

ESA Gaming Head of Marketing Thomas Smallwood has welcomed the opportunity to work on this new game and deliver it to the company’s audiences. Smallwood said that his company’s mission was to deliver exceptional content with unwavering determination.

“This VIP version of Roulette bridges the gap between cross-selling mobile games and high-performing mainstream casino games,” Smallwood added. He added that players are in for a treat and some of the best roulette experiences brought by any supplier.

Providing Partners with Ultralight Games

Apart from creating content, ESA Gaming has also been busy spreading the word and ensuring that its titles are reachable to partner third parties and their player bases. ESA Gaming recently teamed up with Kiron Interactive to do just that.

Octavian Lab, another company, also sought out ESA Gaming’s products as a part of a recent deal which further consolidated the supplier’s reputation as one of the go-to options for excellent innovative and light content. With games such as Goal Mine World, Pirate Mine, Fruit Bloxx, and many others, ESA Gaming is providing its partners with an outstanding variety across the board.

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Evolution, a leading provider of live casino games, has announced the launch of two new high-limit live casino tables in partnership with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) in Canada. 

Evolution’s VIP Games Bring Exclusive Gambling Experience to BCLC’s PlayNow.com

Streaming live from Evolution’s Vancouver studio, these VIP games offer an opulent and immersive gaming experience. With higher minimum bets, they cater to high rollers and VIP players looking for an exclusive online gambling experience. These tables join the existing lineup of Evolution-powered live casino games and live game shows on BCLC’s PlayNow.com platform, which includes lottery, casino, sports betting, poker, bingo, and instant games.

Jeff Millar, chief commercial officer of North America at Evolution, expressed his satisfaction with the partnership’s progress. He stated: “Our initial agreement with BCLC, over five years ago now, was instrumental in Evolution creating its Canadian live casino studio. Since then, our relationship with BCLC has gone from strength to strength. We are proud to launch these new VIP tables and confident that VIP players will be attracted by this premium online gaming experience.”

The Evolution Vancouver studio, spanning an impressive 16,000 square feet, was purpose-built to provide live casino services for BCLC. Initially offering Live Roulette, Blackjack, and Baccarat games, the studio has grown over the years, expanding its game offerings and staff. Monica Bohm, VP of eGaming at BCLC, previously highlighted the significance of Evolution’s live casino portfolio for the corporation, stating that it helps keep BCLC at the forefront of gambling entertainment while creating local employment opportunities and generating revenue to support provincial initiatives in British Columbia.

BCLC Welcomes VIP Roulette by Evolution

In addition to VIP Blackjack and VIP Baccarat, Evolution also offers VIP versions of European and French Roulette. These VIP games follow the same live casino format but feature higher wagering limits to accommodate the preferences of VIP customers.

One of the other recent additions to BCLC’s game portfolio was an instant ticket game based on the popular board game Ticket to Ride, offering players a chance to experience the Canadian railway network and win prizes up to $50,000. Developed in collaboration with Pollard Banknote, the game features artwork that captures the essence of the tabletop experience.

In April, Light & Wonder entered into a distribution agreement with ReelPlay, allowing the latter to supply its games to the BCLC. Hypernova Megaways was the first game to be featured in the BCLC’s content portfolio, with more games expected to be added in the future, showcasing Light & Wonder’s commitment to supporting independent studios.

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As the junket industry in Macau is continuing to adjust to the new reality, more than 90% of people who were previously employed with junket operators have not returned to the gaming industry.

Junket Operators Staying on the Sidelines

The figure was revealed by the president of the Macau Association of Gaming and Entertainment Promoters, Kwok Chi Chung, who also said that the majority of junket operators are currently staying on the sidelines, waiting to see how the VIP sector would restart under the new law.

With less than 10% of junket employees returning and just a few junket operators having resumed operation so far, the prospect of the sector is unclear. Kwok noted that he was not in a hurry to resume operation with his company either.

“As the profit of all the junkets comes from a 1.25% commission (on rolling chip turnover) and there is no more profit sharing with the casino operators, we are figuring out the new start under the new gaming rules,” Kwok stated as quoted by Asia Gaming Brief.

It seems that the resurgence in visitations to the Special Administrative Region (SAR) is not helping the junket sector to recover, but is in alignment with the new reality pictured by the local government, in which Macau’s focus is shifted away from VIP gambling and into a mass-centric model, and the once gambling Mecca is re-branded as a tourist destination.

Kwok also noted that most of the former employees of VIP casino rooms would gladly return to the sector as they do not feel the same level of financial security at their new jobs as taxi drivers or local food delivery personnel, wrongfully considering that their old jobs would pay the same level as before.

Kwok admitted that VIP room operators would not be able to pay the same remuneration for their employees as the new junket law limited junket operators to one source of revenue only – the 1.25% commission – and employees cannot participate in gaming revenue share schemes.

Difficulties Finding Jobs in the Sector

Information that former VIP workers find difficulties to return to the sector was confirmed by data released by the Macau Gaming Industry Employees Home related to a survey the workers union conducted in March last year.

According to the data, 85.1% of respondents confirmed they could not find work at the time, and for 70% of those who managed to find a new job in the sector, it took them more than six months to do so.

Yet, the majority elected to start working in retail or as taxi and delivery drivers, earning far less than they have earned before and are still being owed termination compensation.

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Mega-power online betting company 888 has suspended VIP operations in the Middle East and its top executive has stepped down in news that has eroded the value of company stock. An internal compliance investigation has been announced in regard to perceived failures in internal anti-money laundering and know-your-customer (KYC) processes.

According to the company, certain best practices related to anti-money laundering and KYC regulations “have not been followed”.

According to UK’s The Guardian, share prices have folded by as much as a quarter of their value in the firm’s biggest loss in share price in nearly two decades. Over the last year, the share price has dropped over 70%, according to the news organization.

In relation to account holders in the Middle East, the company said: “While further internal investigations are underway, the board has taken the decision to suspend VIP customer accounts in the region, effective immediately. Based on the board’s current understanding, the process deficiencies identified are isolated to this region only.”

About 3% of the company’s revenues (+/- £50m) would be affected by the suspensions.

CEO Steps Down

Separately, as the company did not state a reason for the following, 888 said on Monday that 4-year CEO, Itai Pazner would exit his role as chief executive and company director and would be replaced with immediate effect on an interim basis by non-executive chairman Lord Mendelsohn.

Pazner, 50 has worked for the company for more than 20 years and oversaw the acquisition of William Hill’s international (non-US) assets from the U.S.-based Caesars Entertainment in 2021.

Earlier in January, the company announced that Chief Financial Officer Yariv Dafna would be stepping down after 888’s full-year results are published in March. However, in a move seen to calm investors, Dafna has reportedly been asked to stay on until the end of the calendar year.

Lord Mendelsohn commented: “The board and I take the group’s compliance responsibilities incredibly seriously. When we were alerted to issues with some of 888’s VIP customers, the board took decisive actions. We will be uncompromising in our approach to compliance as we build a strong and sustainable business.”

The company has struggled with compliance issues in recent years. In 2017 the Gambling Commission in Great Britain fined the company £7.8m for somehow letting thousands of punters who had self-excluded access their betting accounts.

In 2022, 888 caught a fine of £9.4m from the British gambling regulator for various instances of players overspending and experiencing excessive losses during the pandemic.

“Not Likely” to See License Suspended

The government of Gibraltar, where 888 is licensed stated: “The Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner, who is the gambling sector supervisor for anti-money laundering in Gibraltar, has been notified by 888 of the matters that are now subject to the public disclosure and is monitoring development.

“The gambling commissioner will be reviewing and discussing the outcome of the internal investigation in due course. Relevant customer accounts have been suspended whilst that internal investigation is carried out and 888 have given full commitment to regulatory transparency in respect of this matter.

“It is too early to say what the regulatory outcome will be, but on the known facts, and because of the level of commitment to resolution, license suspension or revocation, is highly unlikely.”

888 was founded by brothers Avi and Aaron Shaked and brothers Shay and Ron Ben-Yitzhak in 1997. The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2006. 888 has its headquarters in Gibraltar. Following the acquisition of William Hill the company now employs about 12,000 people worldwide.

Source: Shares in 888 fall as it removes CEO and suspends Middle East VIP accounts, The Guardian, January 30, 2023

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