Eastern Europe
Anticipating Gambling Legalisation in Ukraine, Hilton Kyiv Plans to Open 2 Casinos
Hospitality giant Hilton has announced its plans to open two casinos on the premises of its Kyiv hotel, anticipating gambling legalisation in Ukraine.
The co-owner of the hotel’s Ukrainian branch, who has also co-founded the 1+1 Media Group, Boris Fuchsman, plans to invest $30 million in the project.
The project’s start date remains unknown amid ongoing efforts to legalise gambling in hotels.
A draft bill legalising gambling in hotels has to undergo a few more steps before it comes into effect: while it was passed in the first reading on January 16, parliament still has to vote for it in the second reading before Ukraine’s president signs it.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has pushed for legalising gambling in Ukraine: he ordered a new gambling bill in September 2019 and supported it in December when parliament votes for it in the first reading. As a result, 260 lawmakers voted for the draft law.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk echoed Zelensky’s support for the bill. The easiest way to eliminate the vast network of underground illegal gambling spots would be to legalise the activity, which could also bring over $120 million in tax revenues to the state budget, Honcharuk said during a briefing in November 2019.
Meanwhile, the head of the parliament’s committee on finance, taxation and customs policy, Danylo Hetmantsev estimates the tax revenue could be as high a $190 million.
According to the draft, casinos will be only be permitted in five-star hotels in designated tourist areas.
The government’s ambition is to ensure that “gambling will be conducted exclusively on the territory of hotels” while removing “gambling halls and slot machines from streets,” Honcharuk said.
In Kyiv, only hotels with more than 200 rooms will be eligible, while in smaller cities such as Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Lviv, hotels will be allowed to install casinos if they have at least 120 rooms.
Eastern Europe
TotalBet Joins Forces with Fast Track to Boost Player Engagement
Fast Track, a pioneer in customer engagement and CRM solutions for iGaming operators, is thrilled to announce its strategic partnership with TotalBet, a leading brand in the online sports and casino industry. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for TotalBet as it aims to enhance its player engagement strategies and deliver unparalleled gaming experiences to its customers.
With a focus on providing innovative and personalised gaming experiences, TotalBet recognises the importance of leveraging advanced CRM solutions to optimise player engagement and retention. By joining forces with Fast Track, TotalBet aims to streamline its CRM operations and foster long-term player loyalty.
“We are excited to embark on this partnership with Fast Track,” said Gabriel Nita, Director of Operations at TotalBet. “Their expertise in CRM solutions and deep understanding of the iGaming industry align perfectly with our goals of delivering exceptional player experiences and driving sustainable growth.”
Fast Track’s cutting-edge CRM platform offers TotalBet the capabilities to orchestrate real-time campaigns, personalise player journeys, and efficiently manage player interactions across multiple channels. By leveraging Fast Track’s advanced technology and industry-leading expertise, TotalBet aims to establish itself as a market leader in player engagement and retention within the Romanian gaming market.
“We are delighted to collaborate with TotalBet and support their vision of elevating player engagement to new heights,” said Fast Track’s Simon Lidzen, CEO & Co-founder. “Our partnership signifies a shared commitment to innovation and excellence in the iGaming landscape. Together, we are poised to unlock new opportunities and drive mutual success.”
As TotalBet prepares to go live with its site operations in the coming months, the partnership with Fast Track underscores its dedication to delivering unparalleled gaming experiences and exceeding customer expectations. With a focus on innovation, agility, and customer-centricity, TotalBet and Fast Track are poised to redefine player engagement standards in the online gaming industry.
The post TotalBet Joins Forces with Fast Track to Boost Player Engagement appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Eastern Europe
EGT Digital and PublicWin: A Successful Combination in Romania
One more prominent betting site in the Romanian market enriched its gaming portfolio with the top-performing slots of EGT Digital. The titles of Bell Link and Clover Chance jackpots have won the hearts of the visitors to PublicWin’s site since the very beginning, currently being among their favourites.
Tsvetomira Drumeva, Head of Sales at EGT Digital, said: “We are happy that EGT Digital’s games are once again demonstrating excellent performance. We would like to thank Public Win for choosing us as one of their providers of high-quality casino games, and I believe that we will soon have the opportunity to expand our partnership with them.”
Alex Marin, COO at PublicWin, said: “EGT Digital’s titles fit perfectly into our concept of always offering to our customers fresh and attractive gaming content. The results so far show that we have made the right decision and in the near future players on our site will be able to enjoy more slot products of the Bulgarian provider.”
The post EGT Digital and PublicWin: A Successful Combination in Romania appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Compliance Updates
Romania Bans Gambling Venues in Small Towns and Villages
Romania has announced a ban on gambling venues in small towns and villages with populations of less than 15,000 residents.
What’s known as the “law of slot machines” was passed by deputies in the lower house of parliament. “It is the first law adopted in Parliament in 30 years against this mafia that has controlled the political world until now,” said Alfred Simonis, the leader of the Social Democrats.
“Right now we are fighting an industry that has a total turnover of €10-12 billion.”
Industry figures complain they were not consulted, and hope that the authorities will control the black market as they promised.
Despite the unanimous vote, there was some dissent within the chamber. Two opposition parties that want to ban the “scourge” of gambling outright accuse the government of collusion with the gaming sector for not taking a stronger position.
On another front Ionut Mosteanu, the leader of the opposition USR, questioned how lawmakers had set the threshold.
“They thought that slot machines only damage 15,000 people,” he said. “There was not even a debate to see how many townships qualify for this 15,000. Why not 16, 17, why not two million and you would ban them definitively?”
Gambling venues have become ubiquitous across Romania over the last few decades. The National Gaming Office, the state body that monitors and approves the sector, has registered 12,000 sports betting, bingo, casino, lottery rooms.
The state collects taxes from gambling venue licenses and online ticket sales as from the amount betting houses spend on advertising.
There are no recent data to indicate how many people in Romania are addicted to gambling. The last survey was conducted in 2016, and found that there could be around 100,000 addicted people across the country. The number today could be much higher.
The post Romania Bans Gambling Venues in Small Towns and Villages appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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