Latest News
Louisiana Gaming: Threat From Texas, Plus More Parishes Could Legalize Sports Betting
If Texas ever approves commercial casinos and sports betting, Louisiana could see a big falloff in gaming revenue, says the Bayou State’s top regulator.
“It’s going to be a huge blow to Louisiana,” Ronnie Johns, Louisiana Gaming Control board chairman, said.
Johns, who is retiring at the end of June after three years as chairman, spoke with Gambling.com in a wide-ranging interview on “The Edge.”
Johns also said additional parishes in Louisiana could approve sports betting within a few years. In addition, he expressed doubt that a tax hike is coming on sports wagering in the state.
If using any of this content please reference Gambling.com and link back to our on-site article, where you can also find additional information: https://www.gambling.com/us/news/louisiana-gaming-threat-from-texas-plus-more-parishes-could-legalize-sports-betting
Texas Might Not Expand Gaming Until 2030s: Johns
A 75-year-old former Republican state senator, Johns noted that Louisiana has already gone 35 years with legalized commercial gaming, while Texas still doesn’t have it. Louisiana has since seen the build up of first-rate casino resorts in the state, he noted.
In Texas, sports betting and Las Vegas-style commercial casinos are prohibited. Efforts at the Texas Legislature to expand gaming have been unsuccessful. To date, sports betting is legal in 38 states and Washington, D.C.
Currently, Louisiana benefits from Texans like “Mattress Mack” traveling next door to the Bayou State to gamble. Houston, the fourth most-populated city in the U.S., is only about two hours from Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Johns said he sees gaming expansion happening one day in Texas, the nation’s second most-populated state. However, that might not occur until well into the 2030s because of opposition from anti-gaming lawmakers and others, he said.
When it does happen, it will have a negative impact on Louisiana.
“We’re predicting a 50% decrease in state revenue, should that happen,” Johns said. “It’s going to be big.”
No Tax Hike On Sportsbooks, Some Parishes Might OK Sports Wagering
During the interview on “The Edge,” Johns also addressed other gaming-related issues facing Louisiana, including:
A national conversation about an increase in sports betting taxes in some states.
Johns said he has not heard any rumor or discussion about a tax hike in Louisiana on sports wagering.
“Sports betting’s been highly successful in Louisiana,” he said. “It’s actually brought in more money than projected. With that being said, I just don’t see any movement at this time to increase taxes.”
Legalizing sports betting in the nine parishes where it is currently prohibited.
Johns said he anticipates a public vote will occur in some of those parishes to legalize sports betting. Those nine parishes previously rejected sports betting, while 55 parishes approved it.
“I’m not sure that all nine will get there,” he said. “I predict over the next, say, four to five years you could probably have half of those attempting to approve sports betting again.”
The implementation in Louisiana of online casino gaming, known as iGaming, allowing bettors to play casino games such as slots and craps on their smart phone or computer.
Johns said there is a conversation in the state about the issue, but the casino industry itself is divided — some want it, others don’t. That sort of division makes legislative approval difficult, he said.
“The other aspect is going to be those legislators who view it as an expansion of gaming,” he said. “You’re going to have some pushback from some of the traditional Christian-based organizations, such as the Family Forum here in Louisiana and others who are traditionally anti-gaming.”
More riverboat casinos moving their operations ashore.
Johns said he does not think all 15 riverboat license holders will ultimately build casinos on land. A handful already have moved ashore or are in the process of becoming land-based.
“I see a point where we’re going to have a number of them do it,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll ever get to the point where all 15 are going to do that. Just from the economic standpoint, is it feasible for them to do that?”
eSports
DATA.BET Reflects on 2024 Milestones, Growth, and Achievements
With the start of the year behind, the company reflects on the key milestones.
Business Development
In 2024, the company experienced significant expansion, reflecting the increasing demand for progressive esports betting solutions. The total volume of bets processed grew by 74.2%, aided by the efficiency and dynamic scalability of the company’s trading team, alongside new collaborations from partners and clients. Otto Bonning, Head of Sales, said: “Our new partnerships with companies such as Altenar, NuBet, Airhead Ventures, and TurboStars have significantly strengthened the portfolio. These collaborations demonstrate our expanding influence and commitment to delivering exceptional solutions in the esports betting industry”. Clients also experienced an improvement in GGR, demonstrating the impact of the solutions on profitability.
The company’s user engagement rates also reflected the sizable uplift seen in 2024, with active users rising by 97.3% and average bet size increasing by 7%. Meanwhile, DATA.BET continued to broaden its presence in key markets, including Canada, Brazil, Finland, and Poland, further strengthening its global reach.
Esports Trading and Content Coverage
DATA.BET focused on strategic growth, enhancing its esports content to offer prosperous and dynamic opportunities for clients and their users.
Making focused improvements in popular markets resulted in growth. “We’ve expanded our offerings by adding 38 new markets, creating more opportunities for bettors and driving engagement,” said Thomas Donson, Head of Trading. “Our event coverage has also grown by 11%, adding over 10,000 events to ensure a more diverse and comprehensive experience. Ensuring 24/7 trading process, DATA.BET offers the highest quality market availability.”
The trust earned through high-quality product features, including the new Scoreboard and Pitch Tracker widgets, as well as the Bet Builder based on official data, all launched in 2024, has been instrumental in enhancing the customers betting experience. Scoreboards deliver detailed statistics, interactive visualizations, and comprehensive insights, helping users make informed decisions while boosting engagement through features like live betting, analysis, and availability for LoL, CS2, Valorant, and Dota 2.
Pitch Tracker, supporting our top tier titles, offers a 2D map as a visual representation with advanced tools for data analysis and in-game tracking, delivering detailed insights that enhance user engagement and decision-making. Additionally, the Bet Builder enables personalized betting by allowing users to combine multiple selections into a single wager, meeting the demand for tailored and dynamic betting experiences.
DATA.BET also broadened the scope of disciplines, adding 6 new games, such as Deadlock, Street Fighter 6, GeoGuessr, Teamfight Tactics, Hearthstone, Apex Legends, complementing client content with distinctive choices that amplified diversity and engagement.
Customer Support & Risk Management
The company provides a seamless customer experience and robust Risk Management, continuing to deliver swift and practical assistance.
With an average response time of up to 5 minutes, the dedicated team remains extremely efficient, addressing client concerns promptly while maintaining the highest quality standards. Between Q2 and Q4, handled around 1,500 client requests and completed more than 150 technical tasks effectively and precisely, ensuring high-quality 24/7 support and maintaining consistent service standards.
This is due to our proprietary trading platform that enables the generation and customization of content – specifically, markets – to align precisely with each partner’s distinctive requirements while accommodating their existing settlement rules. This approach ensures a seamless transition to the solution, eliminating the need for adjustments or reconfiguration after working with a previous data provider.
DATA.BET’s Risk Management team efficiently handled over 1,700 client requests. Over time, the number of requests from long-term clients noticeably decreased. The team’s familiarity with clients’ audiences and operations reduces risks through proactive measures. By identifying patterns early, the team prevents issues, ensures smooth operations, reduces reactive interventions, and builds client trust while improving system efficiency.
In 2024, DATA.BET strengthened its presence in the esports betting industry by showcasing its solutions and engaging with audiences at premier exhibitions, immersing attendees into the vibrant world of esports. Moving into 2025, DATA.BET remains focused on leveraging this momentum to drive further success and prospects for everyone involved in esports betting.
The post DATA.BET Reflects on 2024 Milestones, Growth, and Achievements appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Week 3/2025 slot games releases
Here are this weeks latest slots releases compiled by European Gaming
Relax Gaming has kick-started the year with the launch of Kraken’s Cove, its latest cluster pays game that can see players loot up to 10,000x their stake. At the core of the gameplay is Ship Wild, a special symbol that is present on every spin that moves closer to the central hot spot with each winning spin. Upon reaching the hot spot, it expands into a 2×2 to 5×5 Wild, with a multiplier that increases every time it contributes to a cluster win.
GAMOMAT is gearing up to release the second instalment of The Book Beyond: The Quest for the Cipher Stone on Thursday 23rd January 2025. The game presents a classic 5×3 layout with 10 paylines and the possibility of two exciting Free Game levels. A shimmering gold-leafed book represents both the Scatter and Wild. An intriguing twist in the game involves the special Book Feature, where instead of ‘stamping’, the reels move up and down to uncover full stacks of bonus symbols.
ICONIC21’s just launched live slot portfolio now stands at seven titles as the provider continues to enhance its market leading offering, laying the foundation for its place at the front of a vertical set for long-term growth andsuccess. The new releases — Dao Riches, Fiesta Wilds and Vitamin Joy 25 — all take the classic slot format, which is highly sought-after by players in both real money gaming and sweepstakes markets.
Karen’s back, and she’s as greedy as ever. Nolimit City is diving headfirst into the post-apocalyptic chaos once again with xWays Hoarder 2—a sequel to the wildly popular xWays Hoarder xSplit. This game follows in the footsteps of sequels like San Quentin 2, Punk Rocker 2, and Fire in the Hole 2, proving once more that the end of the world is just the beginning when it comes to our games. When survival is the name of the game, desperation leads to chaos. Betrayal, looting, and backstabbing are all fair play in this wasteland—but it’s all worth it for that sweet, sweet loot.
Belatra Games has crafted an intriguing alchemical adventure slot titled Make it Gold. The first release of 2025 is a captivating and visually stunning slot that welcomes players into the mysterious world of alchemy on a quest for the legendary Philosopher’s Stone. Set within an alchemist’s laboratory, the game’s key feature is the cascading reels where winning combinations vanish, allowing new symbols to drop and fill the spaces.
Playson, the renowned digital entertainment supplier, guides players on an enchanted adventure in 3 Luxor Pots: Hold and Win, with the stylish new release offering bountiful opportunities to win via golden Bonus symbols, Scarab coins and the iconic Hold and Win bonus game.
Feel the rhythm of the streets in Spin City Beats, the latest slot from in-demand provider Silverback Gaming. This is a highly volatile game where players come across infamous characters including a Rapper, DJ and Skater. These characters act as Expanding Wilds and have different triggers and rewards. When a single Rapper Wild appears on the board and the Boombox symbol is present, the Rapper Wild Expands to cover reel two.
Prepare to embark on an epic battle as Play’n GO releases Tower Quest Legacy, the much-anticipated sequel to Tower Quest. This 5×3 slot with 20 paylines invites players into a mystical realm where glowing flasks, powerful Wilds, and a towering dark fortress dominate the reels. With captivating mechanics and the chance to take on the Wizard in a thrilling card-based Bonus Battle, Tower Quest Legacy delivers an unforgettable fantasy experience.
Push Gaming has leveraged its past successes to drive the creation of its latest feature-rich cluster pays slot, Dragon Hopper. Boldly combining the best elements of the hit game Fire Hopper, with a sprinkling of flavour from some of its other fan favourite slots such as Retro Tapes, Dragon Hopper provides an exhilarating journey through a far-eastern lantern festival.
Pack your safe cracking tools and get ready to raid a maximum-security vault for precious gems worth up to 3,000x the bet in Ruby Robbery – the exciting heist-themed slot from Twin Win Games that marks the studio’s third release via the SwinttStudios programme. A five-reel, 50-payline title with a medium level of volatility, Ruby Robbery takes place in a heavily fortified strongroom and features all manner of treasures among its high-value symbols, with golden crowns, Fabergé eggs and piles of cash all accounting for the base game’s biggest prizes.
Booming Games are lighting up the world of online casinos once again, turning up the heat with the January launch of the brand new Wild Wings of Phoenix DELUXE. Booming’s Wild Wings of Phoenix slot is legendary in its own right, but this sizzling sequel rises from the flames to deliver something truly iconic. This 5×3 reel, 20-payline game reaches new heights, following the Aztec theme of its popular predecessor – while delivering more features than ever before.
ELA Games is proud to announce the release of Cash of Egypt, a new mythical slot game that combines high-quality aesthetics with exciting gameplay mechanics. Players can now demo the game on ELA Games’ website to explore all the game has to offer. The 5×4 slot includes 1024 paylines, ensuring the player can enjoy frequent action both during the base game and the bonus feature.
The post Week 3/2025 slot games releases appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Interviews
Fast Track CEO Shares Honest Reflections in New Interview: Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked
Fast Track, the leading SaaS technology company and CRM provider in the iGaming industry, has unveiled the second instalment of its Inside Out video series.
Titled “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” the interview features CEO and Co-founder Simon Lidzén in a candid, behind-the-scenes discussion about the company’s growth, challenges, and vision for the future.
In the 30-minute video, Simon reflects on Fast Track’s nearly ten-year journey: “Success to me is about setting goals and achieving them. This year has been intense, but incredibly rewarding. From scaling Fast Track to launching groundbreaking products like Rewards, we’re just getting started.”
The conversation explores the launch of Rewards, Fast Track’s promotional ecosystem that integrates CRM with gamification to deliver engaging and personalised player experiences. Simon also discusses the company’s rapid global expansion and the challenges of scaling leadership within a fast-growing organisation. Looking ahead to 2025, he highlights Fast Track’s focus on leveraging AI to redefine CRM and customer engagement.
Simon’s reflections also touch on the company’s culture: “Fast Track is built on relentless innovation and a team that thrives on solving challenges. Seeing how much we’ve grown and how far we’ve come makes this journey so exciting.”
For those unfamiliar with Fast Track, the company is a high-growth SaaS leader, known for pioneering the use of AI to deliver personalised experiences to customers. Its software empowers companies to automate marketing and operational workflows, enabling teams to focus on strategy and innovation. Fast Track is reshaping CRM for iGaming, setting a new standard for customer engagement.
Watch the interview here: https://2ly.link/23JyZ
The post Fast Track CEO Shares Honest Reflections in New Interview: Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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