Latest News
UK Casinos Urge Chancellor to Let Them Re-open This Month
Casinos in the UK have urged Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to allow them to reopen this month to help kick-start the local economy and contribute tax revenue.
The venues were dealt a huge blow last month when ministers ruled that they could not open their doors again on July 4, having been closed since the start of lockdown in March.
It meant that thousands of casino staff remained on furlough – costing the Exchequer around £5m a week. The closures mean the Treasury is also missing out on vast revenues, with casinos last year paying £5.7m each week in tax and duties.
Casinos have invested heavily to ensure their premises are covid-secure, with measures such as perspex screens, santisation equipment and sophisticated track and trace systems, as well as introducing other changes and strict social distancing measures.
In an open letter to the Chancellor, Betting and Gaming Council chief executive Michael Dugher says the sector is ready to help get the UK economy back on its feet again as soon as it gets the green light from the Government.
Mr. Dugher says: “The UK casino sector were sorely disappointed not to be included in the list of industries allowed to reopen on 4 July.
“The support from HM Treasury, such as the Job Retention Scheme, has been extremely welcome, however support for casinos is costing the Exchequer around £5 million per week while they are closed.
“Casinos want to get back in business and once again contributing to the economy, not costing the Exchequer money. Last year, casinos paid over £5.7m million in tax per week.
“With phased reductions in wage support kicking in soon, there is however a real fear that if reopening doesn’t happen in July there will be severe damage caused to the casino industry.
“To our knowledge, casinos have met all Covid safety requirements and yet they are still not permitted to open. We urgently ask for your help to get casinos reopened and back to contributing to the UK economy.”
The letter adds: “The cost of remaining in a reopening ‘holding pattern’ is significantly higher as it means businesses are kept in a state of preparedness, including maintaining the premises for reopening, cleaning, restocking supplies and staffing.
“Having made the necessary preparations for a July reopening, casinos are ready and able to open at the earliest opportunity. We would greatly appreciate any help you can give to get our businesses back open and contributing to the UK economy.”
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Baltics
HIPTHER Announces the BALTIC & Scandinavian Gaming Awards 2024 Shortlists
HIPTHER, the leading event organizer for Gaming and Technology industries in Europe, is excited to announce the Shortlists for the Baltic & Scandinavian Gaming Awards (BSG Awards), that will honour iGaming industry excellence in the Baltics and Nordics regions for 2024.
Hosted under HIPTHER’s Pioneering GameTech Event in the Baltics, the MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit, the BSG Awards recognize and celebrate the achievements of the very best of the iGaming industry, as voted by their peers.
The Final Vote will be cast at the MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit by the participants of the conference, and the Winners will be crowned at the BSG Awards 2024 Ceremony that will take place during the event on 4 June 2024.
HIPTHER is thankful to all the esteemed industry professionals who voted online and decided the Shortlists across a series of streamlined Categories covering iGaming Operators, B2B Providers, and Connected Services such us Testing Laboratories and Payment Service Providers.
View the Baltic & Scandinavian Gaming Awards Shortlists
Baltic & Scandinavian Gaming Awards – BSG Awards 2024 Categories
Baltics: Operators Categories:
- Best Online Casino in the Baltics
- Best Sports Betting Operator in the Baltics
Baltics: B2B Categories:
- B2B Providers (Sports): Best eSports Service Provider in the Baltics
- Best Fantasy Sports / Virtual Sports Provider in the Baltics
- Rising Star in Baltic Fantasy Sports / Virtual Sports
- Rising Star in Baltic Sports Betting Technology
- Best Sports Betting Provider in the Baltics
- B2B Providers (Casino): Best Online Casino Provider in the Baltics
- B2B Providers (Casino): Best Slots Provider in the Baltics
- B2B Providers (Casino): Best Live Casino Provider in the Baltics
- B2B Providers (Casino): Rising Star in Baltic Online Casino Technology
- Connected Services – Best Payment Service Provider in the Baltics
- Connected Services – Best Testing Laboratory Provider in the Baltics
Nordics: Operators Categories:
- Nordics: Best Online Casino in the Nordics
- Nordics: Best Sports Betting Operator in the Nordics
Nordics: B2B Categories:
- B2B Providers (Sports): Best eSports Service Provider in the Nordics
- B2B Providers (Sports): Best Fantasy Sports / Virtual Sports Provider in the Nordics
- B2B Providers (Sports): Rising Star in Nordic Fantasy Sports / Virtual Sports
- B2B Providers (Sports): Rising Star in Nordic Sports Betting Technology
- B2B Providers (Sports): Best Sports Betting Provider in the Nordics
- B2B Providers (Casino): Best Online Casino Provider in the Nordics
- B2B Providers (Casino): Best Slots Provider in the Nordics
- B2B Providers (Casino): Best Live Casino Provider in the Nordics
- B2B Providers (Casino): Rising Star in Nordic Online Casino Technology
- Connected Services – Best Payment Service Provider in the Baltics
- Connected Services – Best Testing Laboratory Provider in the Baltics
- Connected Services – Best Hosting Provider in the Baltics
Congratulations and best of luck to all the Shortlisted Companies!
See you in Tallinn & the MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit 2024 – Register Now
The post HIPTHER Announces the BALTIC & Scandinavian Gaming Awards 2024 Shortlists appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Africa
Kiron Interactive strengthens Ethiopian performance with Hulu Sport deal
Kiron Interactive, a leading provider of virtual sports and numbers games, has announced the expansion of its partnership with Hulu Sport, a tier-one operator in Ethiopia, with the launch of its innovative Mobile Lite Football Leagues product.
The new offering, known as the Hulu League, is an extension of Kiron’s existing partnership with Hulu Sport, which already includes the integration of Kiron’s products in the operator’s retail and online channels via its omnichannel Betman platform.
Mobile Lite Football Leagues is a tailored version of Kiron’s popular virtual football product, designed specifically for mobile devices in markets with limited bandwidth. The game offers an immersive and engaging virtual football experience, complete with a wide range of betting markets while requiring a fraction of the regular data consumption.
The Hulu League launch will significantly boost Hulu Sport’s mobile offering, providing its players with a unique, entertaining and data-light virtual football betting experience that Kiron Interactive is renowned for in the industry.
Steven Spartinos, Kiron Co-CEO, said: “We are honoured to extend our partnership with Hulu Sport, one of Ethiopia’s leading operators. The launch of the Hulu League demonstrates our commitment to delivering innovative and tailored products that meet the specific needs of our partners and their players.
“We look forward to working closely with the Hulu Sport team to ensure the success of this new bespoke offering and to exploring further opportunities to enhance their product portfolio with our cutting-edge virtual sports content.”
Kibrom Gebremeskel, Deputy General Manager at Hulegeb Online Solution, said: “We are excited to expand our partnership with Kiron Interactive and bring the engaging Hulu League virtual football product to more players in Ethiopia. This innovative offering perfectly complements our existing sports betting portfolio and provides our customers with a unique and immersive gaming experience.
“Kiron’s Mobile Lite Football Leagues product has been tailored to meet the specific needs of our market, and we are confident that it will be a major hit with our players. We look forward to working closely with the Kiron team to maximise the potential of this new content and to further strengthen our position as a leading operator in the Ethiopian market.”
The post Kiron Interactive strengthens Ethiopian performance with Hulu Sport deal appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Swintt teams up with Casino 777 to increase regulated market presence
In-demand software provider partners with leading Dutch operator to supply Swintt titles in Belgium and the Netherlands, with Belgium launching first.
Swintt, the rapidly-expanding software developer behind popular titles Aloha Spirit XtraLockTM and Seven Seven Pots and Pearls, has announced that it has formed a new partnership with Casino 777 that will see its full suite of games released on the Netherlands-based platform.
As a result of the new deal, both classically-themed SwinttPremium games and cutting-edge SwinttSelect releases will go live on the platform later this month, with this bumper collection of almost 150 top titles providing Casino 777 customers with an unrivalled choice of gaming options.
The provider also hinted that titles from Swintt’s latest venture – Elysium Studios – will be added later in the year, further improving the range of gaming options available to players.
With Casino 777 already offering hundreds of slots, table games, and ‘Gridders’ from other industry-leading studios, Swintt’s addition as a top-quality software provider will further elevate the operator’s reputation with Dutch and Belgian players. Belgium will be the first to experience this partnership, followed by the Netherlands.
Of all the Swintt games that will shortly be live on the platform, it’s the two aforementioned titles that are likely to attract the most attention from slot fans. The former – Aloha Spirit XtraLockTM – is an innovative Tiki-themed title in the SwinttSelect range that currently stands as the provider’s most successful release to date thanks to its exciting XtraLockTM feature and a max win of 200,500 x bet.
Seven Seven Pots and Pearls, meanwhile, is a SwinttPremium release that puts a fresh spin on the classic fruit-themed slot format. Boasting iconic graphics and sound that provide a fitting homage to traditional land-based machines, the game gives players access to Swintt’s signature Pearl feature which can potentially award one of four local jackpots for truly huge wins.
Lars Kollind, Head of Business Development at Swintt, said: “The goal at Swintt has always been to have a strong presence in regulated markets – and partnering with an operator of the size of Casino 777 will enable us to raise our profile in both the Netherlands and Belgium. We’re really looking forward to working with them and can’t wait to hear what their players make of our slots.”
Jennifer Dettori, General Manager at Casino 777, is thrilled, “At Casino 777, we’re always in pursuit of the next level of entertainment, curating top-tier titles from industry-leading suppliers. Welcoming Swintt to our ever-growing portfolio is a testament to our commitment to offering unparalleled gaming experiences. With their diverse range of Premium and Select slots, we’re confident that Swintt’s innovative games will captivate and thrill our customers, taking our entertainment offerings to the next level.”
The post Swintt teams up with Casino 777 to increase regulated market presence appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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