Industry News
SAZKA Group: COVID-19 update
SAZKA Group wishes to give an update to its stakeholders regarding the measures our companies and retail partners have taken with regard to the COVID-19 virus outbreak.
First and foremost, in order to protect the health and safety of our customers, employees, partners and the public, all our companies have fully complied with all the decisions and recommendations of the public authorities in the countries of their operations. We have successfully implemented contingency and business continuity plans with no significant impact to our business processes, and almost all our employees are currently working from home.
While all our digital channels continue to operate without interruption, our physical retail networks have adopted various measures to safeguard public health and the health of our employees.
We anticipate that these developments will impact our financial performance. The extent of the impact will depend on factors including the duration of the outbreak, how longer current restrictions remain in place, further measures taken by governments, and the extent of economic disruption.
Robert Chvatal, CEO commented: “Management are working on mitigating steps to minimise the financial impact for our companies, our employees, and our partners. SAZKA Group is in daily contact with its local operating companies to coordinate timely response to the developments in individual markets.”
Below is a brief overview of the current situation in our markets:
Greece
On Friday 13 March 2020, the Greek government published its decision to impose a temporary ban on the operation of a wide range of shops, indoor venues and other locations. As a result, all of the OPAP stores and PLAY gaming halls in Greece will be closed for two weeks, from Saturday 14 March until Friday 27 March 2020 inclusive. The horseracing facility at Markopoulo Park will also be closed.
Consequently, during this period, the company’s gaming activities will only be operating through its online platforms, which offer sports betting and certain other lottery games, and via the street vendor network of Hellenic Lotteries, which offers scratch cards and passive lotteries.
OPAP’s stores in Cyprus have been temporarily closed as of.
Austria
On Friday 13 March 2020, the Austrian government published its decision to impose a temporary ban on the operation of a wide range of shops, excluding those providing basic services such as food retail, pharmacies, post offices, banks, petrol stations and tobacco stores. The decision went into force on Monday 16 March 2020. The ban has so far had only a limited impact on the availability of Austrian lotteries products through its main retail channels, as more than 90% of all point-of-sales are excluded from the ban.
Austrian Lotteries’ online gaming activities remain available to the public during the entire period. They include draw based games (including Austrian Lotteries’ major products Lotto and Euromillions), instant scratch cards, online casino, poker, bingo and sports betting.
In coordination with the authorities, Casinos Austria has decided to close all its casinos in Austria and its subsidiary Austrian Lotteries has decided to close all its 19 gaming halls on March 13, 2020. The casinos and gaming halls will be closed at least until April 13, 2020. The Austrian government is introducing measures to support part time work, which may allow reduce Casinos Austria and Austrian Lotteries to reduce the financial impact of the closure
Casinos Austria International, which operates casinos and VLT businesses in multiple countries, is closely monitoring the situation and acting in accordance with the instructions of local governmental bodies.
Czech Republic
As of Monday 16 March, the State Security Council of the Czech Republic has decided to severely limit free movement in the Czech Republic in order to limit the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic. Citizens are allowed going to work and shop for supplies limited to food, vital supplies, fuel and medicine, as well as use of necessary financial and postal services. We estimate that 70% of SAZKA’s Czech retail network, including newsstands and post offices, continues providing their services to the public.
At the same time, we are actively promoting the use of online platforms for lottery products as well as digital-only offerings. In recent weeks we have seen a 25-30% increase in sales via digital channels compared to previous weeks.
Italy
Most shops, restaurants and cafes in Italy are currently closed as a result of a number of recent measures. Tobacconists, which are a key channel for LOTTOITALIA, are allowed to remain open, however traffic has declined.
About SAZKA Group:
We are one of the largest pan-European lottery operators. Our businesses operate lotteries in all the major continental European countries where lotteries are privately operated, including the Czech Republic, Greece, Austria and Italy, and in Cyprus. Our businesses focus on the lottery segment, including numerical lotteries (draw-based games) and instant lotteries (scratch cards), and also provide complementary products, including sports-betting and digital-only games. They sell their products both through various retail networks and through digital platforms.
Industry News
International Accolade for Campaign from the Danish Gambling Authority
At a conference for gambling regulators from all around the world, the Danish Gambling Authority has been awarded “Best regulatory campaign”. The award was given for the Danish Gambling Authority’s campaign “The One-Armed Bandit”, which on social media highlighted the consequences of gambling for young people under the age of 18.
The award was presented by a jury from the International Association of Gaming Regulators, an association of 81 gambling authorities from around the world. Every year, they gather for a conference to discuss current gambling topics across countries. This year, the conference was held in Rome under the heading “Navigate the future of gaming regulation in a transforming world”.
It was a proud Director of the Danish Gambling Authority, Anders Dorph, who received the statuette in front of the 400 participants at the conference gala dinner.
“I am incredibly proud and happy that we have won this award! It is a very special recognition and honour that our colleagues from all over the world have chosen our campaign,” said the Director.
Campaign personifies gambling addiction
Despite the fact that most types of gambling have an age limit of 18, a study by the Danish Gambling Authority in 2023 showed that 15% of young people aged 15-17 have gambled.
To prevent this and to prevent young people from becoming addicted to gambling, the Danish Gambling Authority launched the campaign “The One-Armed Bandit” in December last year, targeting young people aged 14 to 17.
The campaign talks about the potential consequences of gambling in a humorous and exaggerated way.
It does this through the fictional character, “The One-Armed Bandit”, who is the personification of gambling addiction. In videos on social media, the One-Armed Bandit tries to lure young people to gamble in unorthodox ways. He uses humour, sarcasm and provocative language to achieve his goal.
To spread awareness of the One-Armed Bandit among the target audience, the Danish Gambling Authority used influencers, among other things.
“It’s a very different campaign from our previous campaigns. It required completely new approaches and a lot of courage to reach a new and very young target group. The people we wanted to reach are very hard to reach with campaigns, but with “The One-Armed Bandit” we hit the mark and I’m very proud of that,” said Anders Dorph.
International recognition
When the nomination was written and sent to the jury for evaluation, Anders Dorph and the rest of the Danish Gambling Authority were very excited: “It’s one thing for us in little Denmark to think it was an unconventional campaign, but would our colleagues in the rest of the world understand the irony or would they think it was really about being enticed to play?”
The concern was put to rest when Anders Dorph, on behalf of the Danish Gambling Authority, lifted the trophy for the award, which was won in competition with three other countries’ campaigns.
“There was a great diversity in the nominees’ submissions, reflecting our members’ increasing efforts to improve the regulation of the gambling market,” said Sarah Kelly, Vice President of IAGR.
Campaign with impact
Subsequent surveys among the target audience showed that the One-Armed Bandit had actually made them reflect on their relationship with gambling: 44% said the campaign had made them think about how often they gamble and how much money they spend and 41% indicated that they have talked to their friends about how difficult it can be to control their gambling.
“It’s fantastic to be able to say that we have made a difference,” said Anders Dorph, who is also aware that the great results are a contributing factor to the authority being able to take home the international award from Rome.
He is joined by Sarah Kelly from IAGR: “The winners stood out for their commitment to improving standards to regulate the gaming market for the benefit of both industry and consumers.”
The agency Advice, in collaboration with the Danish Gambling Authority, is behind the campaign, which features comedian David Minerba in the role of the One-Armed Bandit.
The post International Accolade for Campaign from the Danish Gambling Authority appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry News
ECA Announces Winners of Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship to the EDP 2024
The European Casino Association (ECA) has announced the winners of its esteemed Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship for the Executive Development Programme of the Universities of Las Vegas and Reno.
“Our jury has made their selection, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to: Siham Makrache, Director of Marketing & Communications at Grand Casino Brussels, Belgium and Vesna Goričan Čač, Marketing Manager, Mond, Resort & Entertainment, HIT Universe of Fun, Slovenia,” the Association said.
Now in its landmark seventh year, ECA’s initiative continues to champion diversity and inclusion within the European casino industry by offering two scholarships annually to ECA member employees, providing fully-funded participation in the renowned Executive Development Programme at Lake Tahoe, USA.
The Executive Development Programme (EDP), a partnership between UNLV International Gaming Institute and the University of Nevada, Reno, stands as the pinnacle of gaming leadership education. This intensive 8-day professional development programme, now in its 35th year, is tailored for future C-suite executives in the gaming industry. With over three decades of excellence and more than 1600 alumni worldwide, the EDP focuses on developing leadership, management, and strategic thinking skills. It emphasises strategic issues in casino gaming while providing global networking opportunities, offering participants a unique chance to establish lasting professional relationships with industry peers.
ECA Board Member Tiina Siltanen underscores the importance of this initiative, stating, “Promoting diversity and inclusion in the land-based casino industry remains a cornerstone of the ECA’s mission. These scholarships play a pivotal role in fostering these values, providing opportunities for underrepresented groups to rise in the industry and bring unique perspectives to decision-making roles.”
The ECA firmly believes that a diverse and inclusive environment enhances employee engagement and satisfaction. The scholarships awarded to the Executive Development Programme are instrumental in nurturing these values within the land-based casino sector, creating pathways for currently underrepresented groups to ascend in the industry and contribute their unique perspectives to decision-making roles.
The ECA extended its sincere gratitude to its partners – Clarion, AGEM, and the Universities of Las Vegas and Reno – for their unwavering support and commitment to this transformative scholarship programme. Their ongoing dedication ensures that all costs, including travel, accommodation, and the training programme, are covered for the scholarship recipients.
This initiative not only enhances employee engagement and satisfaction but also propels the European casino industry towards a more diverse and inclusive future.
The post ECA Announces Winners of Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship to the EDP 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry News
Betsson Group Triumphs at the EGR Operator Awards 2024, Securing Five Major Wins
Betsson Group has once again proven its dominance and dedication to excellence, taking home five awards at the EGR Operator Awards 2024. This year’s event, held in London, saw the industry’s best gathered to celebrate outstanding achievements, and Betsson emerged as one of the night’s biggest winners.
The accolades this year include top honours in the categories of Sports Betting Operator, Customer Services Operator and ESG Strategy of the Year, with Betsson also securing a silver award for Operator of the Year. Additionally, Jonna Danlund, Head of ESG at Betsson, received the coveted Individual Achievement Award, reflecting Betsson’s leadership in both industry standards and sustainable practices.
“As we celebrate these accomplishments, Betsson Group remains focused on the future. Our ongoing investments in innovation, customer service, and responsible gaming will ensure we continue to lead the way in the online gaming industry. The recognitions we’ve received at the EGR Operator Awards 2024 are a testament to the dedication of our teams, the trust of our customers, and our commitment to setting new standards for excellence,” Betsson Group said.
The post Betsson Group Triumphs at the EGR Operator Awards 2024, Securing Five Major Wins appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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