Industry News
EGT Multiplayer debut new portfolio at ICE as part of expansion into Asia and beyond
With brand new Live Baccarat and roulette tables set to make their debut alongside a host of exclusive products and solutions at this year’s ICE London, EGT Multiplayer is playing to win with its global growth strategy. As the company establishes itself further in Europe and looks to entirely new markets including Asia and the United States, the company’s Director of Sales & Marketing, Borislav Marinov, unveils their newest additions and explores what lies ahead for the changing table games market…
ICE London will host its largest edition yet in 2020, what’s new for EGT-Multiplayer this year?
ICE London is well known as the most significant international exhibition in the gaming industry, and it sets the industry standard for quality, innovation, and novelty. There is no place more suitable for manufacturers to show their newest products and solutions. EGT Multiplayer will use this chance to debut many new products and new generations of current series. New hardware and software will make their debut on our stand S4-350 at the ICE event. As well as five exclusive new roulette models and the brand-new R-line terminals, visitors will also be able to see the brand-new Live Baccarat and roulette tables and multi-games. Our most successful S-line series featuring our well-established HD terminals and UHD slot cabinets is also something that must be seen. We are very excited and looking forward to presenting them to our visitors!
What will be the key messages you want to drive home in 2020?
We started this new decade fulfilled with optimism and big ambitions. For this very first exhibition of the year, we prepared a wide range of new attractive additions to our portfolio. Comparing to the previous years, while we were trying to react to world trends, this year, we decided to take a different approach. We realise how important it is for us to have a wider variety of solutions that we can offer to the operators. With the new decade, we set a new trend for our self. It is all about highly effective hybrid casino solutions and excellent customer experience. We want to send a message to our customers that we are here to hear what they look for and to create it, especially for them. In other words, this year, we will offer a full portfolio of excellent products that completely can equip every casino with everything needed.
You mentioned EGT-MP will have a focus on key markets like Asia and Europe at ICE, how will you be targeting new business in these regions in the coming year?
For us, Europe is the most essential and primary target market. After all, there is where the EGT family was established, and we’ve grown to become one of the leading players on the continent!
In some of the markets, we already have a stable presence, and now we are focused on entering into others. Our strategy is to go further beyond and to raise our presence in the biggest and most important continent, which for us is Asia. There we are working with the partnership of a reliable local distributor. The focus for us so far and for the future is to create the most effective and attractive solutions that can satisfy the local expectations. We listen to the local players’ feedback and use it to upgrade our current products as well. We aim to create something new and to set a new trend there. So far, this is a winning strategy!
How will you start to focus your intentions in these markets?
We aim to grow as a company having now reached a point where we are recognised as a strong provider in the industry. Following the strategy of our group, we are participating in all of the major exhibitions like ICE London, G2E Macao and Vegas. Also, smaller but also important events and, of course, in the one held in our homeland BEGExpo. In our opinion, the markets that take the most wins in gaming are some of the countries in Central Asia. That is why we are focused on precisely those geographical areas.
What do you consider to be the big issues facing your sector in 2020?
I don’t think that there are specific issues for our sector in of itself. However, in terms of general issues, there is the lack of finding qualified personnel. Nowadays, when advanced technologies are well used in many industries, our sector is struggling to find enough experts. Most of the specialists are aiming to work for IoT companies or as self-employed freelancers, and every technology company is in a contest of hiring such professionals.
Despite this, I don’t think even this will affect our sector that much. I firmly believe that 2020 at the start of a new decade will be very successful and promising for all of us in the gaming industry.
How are you working to ensure your corporate strategy in the coming years weathers change and continues to build your brand?
So far, we have many successful tools to use to go though the difficulties that we meet and to deliver our corporate strategy. When it comes to issues like lack of experts, we have a different policy for people management. We strongly believe that everyone’s opinion is essential, and they have the full right to express it. The top management is always working along with all the employees, and we discuss and solve all the situations together.
For us everyone in our company is important which is why we are working tightly like a family, and we rely on each other. This is how we have built our brand so far, by involving all of us.
What will make 2020 a landmark year for EGT-MP itself?
We were originally a department of Euro Games Technology Ltd. and became an official subsidiary company in 2017 but our very first roulette made by the Multiplayer department was born a decade ago. So, this year we will celebrate the foundation of this project and the considerable success that we’ve achieved throughout these ten years of experience!
How would you describe the corporate DNA at EGT Multiplayer?
Well, for all these years, it has been a part of us. We are all more than just employees in this company. We are all involved more than usual, on a deeper level. I can tell this because I see how everyone is dedicated to their tasks, how they always think about how to improve their work or their product even during off-hours. That feeling. That passion. This is how I feel our DNA.
Can you discuss the EGT-MP expansion strategy a bit more, both internally and externally?
In terms of expansion, we plan to continue in the same spirit and double up our efforts. Our team is growing rapidly every single year. EGT Multiplayer is seeking and recruiting specialists to all of our departments as we speak and we are always on the lookout for a fresh perspective.
In terms of the portfolio – we are continually upgrading our existing products to fit customer needs even better while simultaneously creating new gen, advanced products. It’s a laborious process, but in the end, it is very fruitful, and it works perfectly for us. Our end goal is to have a 360-degree solution for our customers.
Looking forward to this new decade, what opportunities do you envisage for the multiplayer games sector?
Our opportunities are closely tied to players’ desires. The feedback that we receive from the casino operators is that multiplayers are becoming steadily more attractive to their customers, at places even substituting the established slot cabinets. We are prepared to leverage that situation with new advanced products both in terms of hardware and inspiring new software titles and features. With the rise of the new generation of players, new and more exciting products are on the rise as well, and we are more than ready to follow that trend.
A new generation of players is rising, and they demand modern products from all manufacturers. It the era of the fastest digital evolution it is our duty not to stay behind. In our work, we are not only working on new innovative features. We’re mixing modern with standard technologies, and we are producing a new type of hybrid solutions that we believe will be the real step into the future for us. Our aim is to integrate the standard table games mixed with slots so we can get the most impressive products.
Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.
Latest News
AU10TIX announced the launch of a free Child Safety Age Assurance Risk and Readiness Assessment and Age Assurance Readiness Guide designed to help businesses better understand their risk and tailor their strategy to meet regulatory obligations. They support AU10TIX’s Selfie-based Age Estimation service, which delivers the industry’s most precise and unbiased age assessment in just two seconds. In the US, federal legislation such as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires parental consent for users under 13, while the California Consumer Privacy Act mandates age verification for websites accessed by users under 16. Additionally, 19 U.S. states now enforce mandatory age checks for adult content and gambling platforms. Similar regulations are impacting social media and online services in the UK, EU and Australia.
Caesars Entertainment has launched its third fully in-house developed proprietary online casino title: Signature American Roulette. Now live in New Jersey, the game is available across Caesars Palace Online Casino, Caesars Sportsbook & Casino and Horseshoe Online Casino, bringing another standout addition to the Company’s Signature table game series. Developed by Empire Creative, Signature American Roulette reflects Caesars’ growing investment in building its own proprietary content, a cornerstone of its online casino strategy aimed at delivering a best-in-class player experience. Signature American Roulette follows the recent launches of fan-favourite Signature titles, Caesars Palace Signature Multihand Blackjack Surrender in May and Signature Blackjack Surrender in June, both also developed by Empire Creative.
Novig announced the successful close of an $18 million Series A funding round. The round was led by Forerunner, with participation from existing investors Y Combinator, NFX, Perceptive Ventures and Gaingels. Founded by Jacob Fortinsky and Kelechi Ukah, Novig is reimagining sports predictions as a transparent and fair marketplace. Unlike traditional sportsbooks, Novig allows users to trade directly with one another, rather than against the house, eliminating hidden fees, biased odds and the risk of being penalised for winning.
Partnerships
IGT announced that it has secured a multi-year sports betting technology and services agreement with Hipodromo de Agua Caliente SA de CV and Distribuidora Internacional de Equipos de Juego, S. De R.L. De C.V. that will significantly extend IGT PlaySports’ footprint to Mexico and Latin America via Corporación Caliente. Per the agreement, 42 Caliente sportsbooks in Mexico will leverage the IGT PlaySports platform and services from the Company’s Trading Advisory Services Team. Through a phased rollout, Caliente will also be able to provide select sportsbooks operators throughout Latin America access to IGT PlaySports’ technology, extending the technology’s reach to more than 100 additional venues across eight countries.
CT Interactive has announced a strategic partnership with Ondiss. Through this collaboration, CT Interactive’s top-performing titles are now integrated into the Ondiss platform, significantly expanding the company’s reach within the region’s regulated iGaming market. This integration adds value to the broad Argentine audience of Casino & Hotel Casino Magic S.A., which successfully uses the Ondiss platform. With CT Interactive’s certified and player-favourite content now available, operators on the platform are empowered to diversify their offerings and meet the increasing demand for engaging, high-quality games.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – August 11-17 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
PAGCOR, the Philippine gaming regulator, has opposed a proposed ban on online gambling, despite mounting nationwide calls to criminalise it over soaring numbers of addiction, debt and mental health cases.
The online gambling sector in the Philippines has been growing exponentially, with gross revenues jumping from $140M in 2022 to $2.4B in 2024, according to Senate Committee on Games and Amusement data.
The committee held a hearing last week, highlighting the human cost of the industry, with its members demanding to outlaw it, saying the country was facing a full-blown public health and social crisis.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo, who led the hearing on online gambling, warned that “as long as online gambling exists, we are breeding the next generation of addicts, debtors, and broken families.”
He called for a ban and to “prosecute not only the operators, but also the enablers — in the government and in the private sector — who profit from this misery.”
PAGCOR, which is both an operator and regulator, said it “is not in favor of a total ban and instead advocates for stricter regulation.”
The regulator said that illegal operators are the real problem.
“Unfortunately, many of these unregulated online operators are based overseas who target Filipinos, most of whom do not realize that the sites they are playing on are not licensed by PAGCOR. This is where problems arise, especially regarding age restrictions.”
But a survey cited by senators indicates that age was not the main issue. It indicated that 66% of Filipinos aged 18 to 40, and 57% of those aged 41 to 55 were engaged in online gambling. Nearly a third bet multiple times a week, some wagering up to $53 per session.
Majority Leader Joel Villanueva warned online gambling is a “growing national crisis” in the Philippines.
“People are not just risking their hard-earned money. They are putting their futures, families, and lives on the line. The lure of instant wealth has already led many down a path of addiction, debt, and despair,” he said.
“Online gambling is not just a matter of financial loss. It is strongly associated with serious mental and physical health issues, broken relationships, family conflict, increased cases of domestic violence and suicide, crime against persons and property, and ultimately, the erosion of opportunities and dignity in the lives of many Filipinos.”
The post PAGCOR Opposes Online Gambling Ban Amid Pressure to Criminalise the Industry appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The UNLV International Gaming Institute has launched a new AI Research Hub (AiR Hub) to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing the gaming industry’s digital transformation.
Co-founder Kasra Ghaharian, the institute’s director of research, said the AiR Hub will address critical questions reshaping the sector: How is artificial intelligence transforming gaming operations? What governance frameworks should guide AI implementation in this traditionally regulated industry? Which emerging technologies must operators master to stay competitive? And how can the sector effectively integrate responsible AI practices with cutting-edge academic research?
“So all of these things that you might expect a research institution to do,” Ghaharian said, “we wanted to do specifically for this intersection of AI with gambling.”
While scattered research around AI in gaming has existed, Ghaharian said there hasn’t previously been a central hub for it. He and AiR Hub co-founder Simo Dragicevic, an International Gaming Institute (IGI) adjunct fellow, saw the opportunity to generate evidence, research and insight that could help the industry better understand and navigate AI technology.
“I think IGI has always had this place to be a thought leader in terms of knowledge, insights for the breadth of stakeholders across the gambling industry. And with the growth and expansion of this new technology, which is artificial intelligence, I think it’s important for us to continue that reputation,” Ghaharian said.
AI is and will continue to have a fundamental impact on all aspects of society, said Dragicevic, who is an industry veteran with experience in gaming software, regulation and AI.
As the gaming industry naturally focuses on product innovation and growth, it’s important someone is also looking at the potential safety aspects that may arise from AI — and AiR Hub is prepared to take on this critical role, Dragicevic said.
“Given the arguably controversial nature of the gambling industry and the gambling product, when it intersects with this technology — which, in and of itself, is controversial — I think that highlights the need for scrutiny; for some research to help guide the ship,” Ghaharian said.
The AiR Hub has received financial support from a variety of industry stakeholders, Ghaharian said. Founding industry members will also serve on an industry advisory panel to ensure that what the hub is doing is practical and relevant.
“It’s kind of that analogy of the ivory tower, right?” he said. “We don’t want to be just in a silo, not speaking to the industry, doing research that we think is relevant, that might not be applicable.”
There’s a reason the new entity is called a “hub” and not a “lab,” Dragicevic said, and that’s to emphasize its collaborative nature.
AiR Hub will build a framework and tools for regulators to help them ask the right questions before making any decisions on whether regulations need to adapt to change, he said, by inviting them to work with academics and partner universities in the early stages of projects.
It will also be important to engage the industry to ensure framework and tools are practical and factor in the complexities and nuances of the industry, Dragicevic said.
The post UNLV International Gaming Institute Launches New AI Research Hub appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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