Connect with us
European Gaming Congress 2024

Latest News

UKGC: More than football – A Deep Dive into Euro 2024 Betting

Published

on

ukgc:-more-than-football-–-a-deep-dive-into-euro-2024-betting
Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

Following on from this summer’s UEFA European Football Championship, Commission Research and Statistics Analyst Robyn Brummitt and Research and Impact Manager Caleb Adegbola discuss the impact of the tournament on consumer gambling behaviour.

“The 2024 UEFA European Football Championship (Euros) was a landmark event, not only for football fans but also for the gambling industry. This tournament provided us with a unique opportunity to explore the impact of the Euros on consumer behaviour, particularly following England’s impressive run to the final.

“Given that major football tournaments featuring the home nations occur only every two years, we partnered with our Consumer Voice research provider, Yonder, to explore betting behaviours, motivations, and the impact of promotional offers and advertising during this year’s Euros tournament. This research builds on our previous studies into gambling attitudes during major football events like the World Cup.”

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

What did Yonder do?

“Using Yonder’s omnibus survey (opens in new tab), we employed cross-sectional tracking to ask a series of questions to a total of 6,237 people across three waves, with just over 2,000 respondents participating in each. The first wave was conducted a week before the tournament started, wave 2 fieldwork was conducted between the group stage and the knockout stages, and wave 3 was a week after the tournament had concluded. Participants shared their insights on various topics, including their betting activity and intentions, awareness of advertising, use of promotional offers, gambling motivations, and even how England’s run to the final influenced their behaviour.

“Betting behaviour: The rise of the young female bettor?

Interestingly, our findings revealed a notable increase in the proportion of female respondents who reported betting on the Euros, which significantly outpaced the rate of increase among male respondents. Pre-tournament (20.8 percent male, 6.6 percent female) and mid-tournament (27.0 percent male, 9.6 percent female) ratios were similar, with males approximately three times more likely to report participation – but that was closer to two times (27.3 percent, 13.3 percent) more likely in the post-tournament wave.”

“When considering age, there was a marked increase in the proportion of those aged 18 to 24 who reported betting on the Euros in wave 3 (14 percent at wave 1, 36 percent at wave 3) compared to older groups, for whom the increase in participation was far more modest.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

“As with previous research, (such as the aforementioned project into World Cup gambling attitudes), the most common motivations for gambling were to win money, make the game more interesting or because of a promotional offer and/or free bet. There was evidence of a change in motivations during the tournament due to the success of the English team, with a significant increase in the third wave in the proportion of respondents reporting that they had bet because England or the country they support were playing. (21 percent at wave one, 23 percent at wave two, 36 percent at wave three in which), particularly amongst the 18 to 24 year old group.”

What drives betting?

“Overall, respondents said that advertising had a limited impact on their gambling engagement. Less than 10 percent of those who intended to or had bet on the Euros reported doing so because they saw an advert, and most people who reported betting on the Euros spent the amount they anticipated (67 percent), 15 percent reported spending less than expected (a decrease from wave 2), and just 10 percent reported spending more than they had planned. In their comments, many respondents indicated they had set a fixed budget and felt in control of their spending.

“When it comes to promotions, free bets were reported to be the most popular, with three out of four respondents that had engaged in offers utilising free bets.

“Looking at intentions for future sporting events, a significant proportion of those that bet on the Euros stated they also plan to bet on other upcoming sporting events like the World Cup in 2026 (67 percent), the Premier League (52 percent) and Olympics (22 percent). However, this did not increase from wave 1 to 3, suggesting that the Euros may not have enticed respondents to gamble on other sporting events.”

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

The post UKGC: More than football – A Deep Dive into Euro 2024 Betting appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Latest News

Leadership transition within the Merkur Group

Published

on

leadership-transition-within-the-merkur-group
Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

Paul Gauselmann steps down from the group’s executive management / Michael Gauselmann assumes the roles of Chairman of the Supervisory Board and the Board of Directors of the Gauselmann Family Foundation / Lars Felderhoff is appointed new Chairman of the Management Board

A new chapter is dawning for the Merkur Group as company founder Paul Gauselmann is set to retire as Management Board Chairman on 1 October, stepping back from the company’s executive leadership. For 67 years, he has shaped the destiny of the group, transforming a part-time one-man business into an internationally acclaimed group of companies with total sales revenues of around 4 billion euros and external sales revenues of over 2.7 billion euros. “I have consistently devoted my energy to the company’s welfare, and at the same time to the benefit of our approximately 15,000 employees,” he stated. “Now the time has come to entrust my life’s work to the younger generation,” explains Paul Gauselmann. Lars Felderhoff, 48, CFO of the Merkur Group, will assume the role of Chairman. He will be supported by Jürgen Stühmeyer (64), Management Board member with responsibility for sales, and Manfred Stoffers (70), Management Board member with responsibility for marketing, communications and political affairs, as vice-chairs. “I am delighted that this trio is taking over the helm. They are outstanding leaders with a deep understanding of the company,” adds Paul Gauselmann, who will continue his association with the company as a member of the Gauselmann Family Foundation.

A generational shift is also taking place on another level: Michael Gauselmann (68) is set to assume the role of Chairman of the Supervisory Board from Manfred Grünewald (89) on 1 October. He will also succeed Paul Gauselmann as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Gauselmann Family Foundation. As the sole shareholder of the group, the Foundation is the hub for all fundamental strategic decisions. “I am thrilled that my son Michael is embracing this important responsibility and will contribute his international experience to our company,” states Paul Gauselmann. Michael Gauselmann, a business administration graduate, joined the group in 1982 and worked across all business segments. He advanced internationalisation by establishing the subsidiary Atronic in 1993, overseeing all foreign operations. For a decade, he served as Vice-Chairman of the Management Board before becoming Co-Chairman of the Group Management Board, sharing responsibilities with Paul Gauselmann from 2004 to 2012. From 2013, he was involved in the then Gauselmann Family Council and, from 2016, in the Gauselmann Family Foundation.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Lars Felderhoff will assume responsibility for executive management as the new Group Chairman. He has overseen the finances and organisation of the Merkur Group since 2018. He started his career in 2000 at the subsidiary Atronic. From 2007 to 2011, he expanded his expertise at the gaming group GTech (now IGT) and at Metro Cash & Carry International, a wholesale group. Felderhoff rejoined Merkur in 2011 as the Commercial Director of the adp Merkur subsidiary. In that capacity, he was in charge of commercial operations for the Merkur business segment, encompassing over 40 companies both in Germany and internationally. As a native of Rahden, he has close ties to the region and understands the roots of the corporate group. “The challenge is immense, and naturally, we will not be able to fill the shoes of an entrepreneur like Paul Gauselmann one-to-one. However, the company is robust and agile enough to continue setting new benchmarks in the future.”

He is assisted by the Management Board’s Vice-Chairs, Jürgen Stühmeyer and Manfred Stoffers. Stühmeyer, who hails from Minden, has dedicated 37 years to the Eastern-Westphalian company, starting as a trainee in 1987 and progressively advancing through the ranks. In his function as the Management Board member responsible for sales, he has directed the strategic orientation and commercial success of the entire Merkur pillar since 2007. Manfred Stoffers joined the company in 2011 as a consultant to the Chairman of Gauselmann AG, and was appointed Management Board member responsible for Marketing, Communications and Political Affairs in 2015.

Paul Gauselmann expressed great satisfaction with the top-level personnel changes, stating, “Reorganising the company by the time I turn 90 has been my wish for some time. We have accomplished this very well and are ideally positioned for the future, particularly as my son Michael, both a member of the Gauselmann family and an experienced entrepreneur, will continue to be involved in the most critical decisions.”

The post Leadership transition within the Merkur Group appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)
Continue Reading

Latest News

QTech Games partners with SmartSoft Gaming to strengthen its varied offering

Published

on

qtech-games-partners-with-smartsoft-gaming-to-strengthen-its-varied-offering
Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

Leading distributor teams up with non-traditional specialist to underscore its status as a definitive one-stop-shop for igaming

QTech Games, the leading game distributor for emerging markets, has launched with innovative games developer SmartSoft Gaming in a new deal for the platform which adds more muscle to its definitive product portfolio, allowing its clients to access another multifaceted catalogue.

Founded in Georgia in 2015, SmartSoft Gaming has swiftly cemented its reputation as a unique igaming software studio by creating many sought-after games, as well as delivering top-quality promotional tools with which to acquire new players and deepen players’ engagement in responsible fashion.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

SmartSoft is proven across a number of verticals including slots, keno and roulette, alongside a category of crash titles, known as XGames, whose flagship creation is the hugely popular JetX. SmartSoft’s games are designed with immersive narratives, eye-catching design and high-class gamification components.

The developer’s offering features a rich variety of other dynamic games and slots, as well as virtual casino content. It represents just the latest studio to benefit from QTech Games’ unrivalled speed-to-market and the machine-learning excellence of its AI games lobby, which curates targeted portfolios of games for operators across Asia, LatAm, Africa and the CIS-facing markets.

The ascendant crash-games domain continues to go from strength to strength with a truly global fanbase, particularly in breakout territories like LatAm and Africa, where SmartSoft’s innovative and authentic gameplay have placed its premium content, like JetX, in the vanguard of this must-have igaming vertical. Accordingly, these games now all form part of the progressive portfolio made available to QTech Games, its partners and their culturally-diverse appetites of their myriad players.

Accordingly, integrating this content from one of the most innovative and creative online casino game developers adds more muscle to QTech Games’ thriving platform, which is bringing the widest range of online games to emerging territories with established names, such as Evolution and Yggdrasil, sitting alongside the sector’s rising-star providers.

As the fastest-growing distributor in Asia and other growth markets, QTech’s platform boasts the broadest gaming portfolio around, localised for each region, with native mobile apps, powerful reporting and marketing tools, and 24/7 local-language support.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Philip Doftvik, CEO at QTech Games, said: “We’re pleased to have signed another progressive agreement with a brand like SmartSoft Gaming, whose games need little introduction and are routinely raising the bar for cutting-edge mobile and web gaming.

“SmartSoft produces a range of innovative and interesting titles across a range of gaming verticals, including the in-demand crash format, so it’s fantastic to be able to bring these compelling titles to the QTech Games platform. We firmly believe these games will resonate strongly with our operator partners’ customers around the world and are thrilled to bring SmartSoft aboard.”

The post QTech Games partners with SmartSoft Gaming to strengthen its varied offering appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Discover ancient plagues and big wins in Shadow Summoner Egypt

Published

on

discover-ancient-plagues-and-big-wins-in-shadow-summoner-egypt
Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

Would you dare to summon the most terrifying of Egyptian plagues? That is exactly what’s being asked of players in Fantasma Games’ latest blockbuster slot, Shadow Summoner Egypt, already showing outstanding player engagement KPIs from its initial limited market release. Shadow Summoner Egypt is scheduled for general market release in the very near future.

Players must travel along the Shadow Summoner to unlock the Tomes of Locusts, Blood, Sacrifice and Firestorm if they are to find the wonderful treasures that can be discovered in the ruin and destruction these tomes bring to the reels.

And what are these treasures? The Tome of Firestorm turns itself into a Multiplier and destroys 4-12 random symbols. For each symbol destroyed, the Multiplier increases by 1x.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

The Tome of Locusts brings an explosion to the reels, turning itself and all neighbouring paying symbols into the same random paying symbol. Meanwhile, the Tome of Blood turns 1-4 neighbouring symbols and itself Wild for even more win possibilities.

The Tome of Sacrifice wields great power and can bring one of four upgrades to the reels. This includes turning all of the low symbols into their corresponding high symbols before the Tome of Sacrifice itself becomes the corresponding high symbol of the last upgrade.

But that’s not all. Sometimes the Tomes of Blood, Locusts and Sacrifices will turn into a Multiplier after activation. That’s not the only time Multipliers can appear – they can drop at any point during the game and range from 2x to 100x.

The darkness of the plagues is followed by the brightness of the sun. Sun Free Spins see players receive four spins initially with a guaranteed Tome in play. If enough winning symbols are collected during the initial spins, another four are retriggered.

The total win Multiplier is semi-persistent and is applied to the win if there is a Multiplier on the reels at the end of a winning spin.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Then there are the Moon Free Spins where all Tomes can land. If a further four bonus symbols drop, players receive an additional 10 Moon Free Spins. Again, there is a semi-persistent Multiplier in play.

Fredrik Johansson, CEO and Founder at Fantasma Games, said: “Shadow Summoner Egypt is the latest in our Shadow Summer series.  Players must be bold and brave, summoning plagues and tomes if they are to discover the exciting and thrilling treasures they contain.

“Shadow Summoner Egypt really showcases the excellence of our games, combining a great theme with striking design, a compelling narrative and gameplay that promises to put players on the edge of their seats spin after spin.

“This is a solid addition to our portfolio of premium online slot games and we look forward to seeing players travel along the Shadow Summoner in their quest for potentially big wins”.

The post Discover ancient plagues and big wins in Shadow Summoner Egypt appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)
Continue Reading

Trending

Get it on Google Play

Fresh slot games releases by the top brands of the industry. We provide you with the latest news straight from the entertainment industries.

The platform also hosts industry-relevant webinars, and provides detailed reports, making it a one-stop resource for anyone seeking information about operators, suppliers, regulators, and professional services in the European gaming market. The portal's primary goal is to keep its extensive reader base updated on the latest happenings, trends, and developments within the gaming and gambling sector, with an emphasis on the European market while also covering pertinent global news. It's an indispensable resource for gaming professionals, operators, and enthusiasts alike.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 - Recent Slot Releases is part of HIPTHER Agency. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania