Latest News

Prostrate Travel and Tourism Sector & Legal Restraints to Challenge Growth Even as Casinos Reopen

Published

6 years ago

July 28, 2020

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The “Casinos – Global Market Trajectory & Analytics” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

While the pandemic and lockdowns have largely benefitted the gaming industry, the gambling sector has been less lucky faced with a tepid outlook and a mixed bag of opportunities and challenges. With 74.6% of revenues coming from the offline brick and motor sector, the closure of entertainment centers and casinos as part of the lockdowns imposed in 1st Q 2020 impacted revenues and profitability for companies. The global market for casinos is expected to decline by 10.8% in the year 2020. The abrupt halting of economic activity has pushed businesses across all industries into financial distress. Sudden fall in revenues and profits as a result of demand disruptions has resulted in workforce pruning and layoffs. Unemployment rates have hit never-before highs with the US topping the charts with 12.5% unemployed as a % of total labor force. Social outlook against this background remains grim with households expected witness erosion in wealth. Personal financial outlook, community, economy, job security confidence, purchasing and investment confidence are all tumbling as the human and economic cost of the global pandemic rises. While brick and motor casinos stagnate, online casinos are faring better although limited by lower discretionary spending. The increase in spending is coming largely from gaming addicts and from consumer clusters spending more on online retail and entertainment during the pandemic.

Even as casinos begin to reopen as lockdowns are cautiously eased in countries worldwide, they face the challenge of falling consumer confidence and spending and the still prostrate travel and tourism sector. In Las Vegas for instance which is the gambling Mecca of the world, millions of tourists and visitors make up for the large customer base at casinos. Gaming operators from Macau to Las Vegas are all anticipating a rough restart after gaming properties are allowed to reopen. In Macau, a few gaming properties have reopened but could not see desirable outcomes. In gambling destinations such as Parisian Macao, Venetian Macao, Sands Cotai Central, Wynn Palace, City of Dreams, Galaxy Macau, MGM Cotai, Grand Lisboa, MGC Macau, Star World and Wynn Macau, customer turnover still remains low. During pre-COVID-19 times, each of those casinos attracted around 200 thousand visitors every day. This extreme drop in visitor numbers is due to stringent border restrictions being followed since the month of March. Limited options for transportation and quarantine rules make it difficult for players to visit gambling destinations. With the global economy now in recession, recovery will be delayed further. Although online casinos are well suited for safe indulgence in gambling in the midst of a pandemic situation, this sector is still fledging and is plagued with legality issues. Online casinos are illegal in most parts of the United States and in countries where online casinos are legal confusion over legal boundaries of betting and gambling is a chief restraint to growth. Underdevelopment online funds transfer platforms also adds another layer of challenge to growth. In younger markets like the U.S. and Asian countries where digital prize money disbursement platforms are still underdeveloped, the challenge is bigger and more difficult to overcome. In Europe, the region with a well-developed online and offline gambling infrastructure, casino owners are innovating in digital payments by using digital wallet services to transfer funds to customers.

A return to complete normalcy will begin only after barriers to access gaming destinations are completely removed. The market is projected to reach US$159.3 billion by the year 2027, trailing a CAGR of3.7%. Offline Casinos, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 3.4% CAGR to reach US$116.3 million by the end of the analysis period. Few of the factors expected to drive growth in the post pandemic period include migration from cards to crypto currency gambling; continued evolution of online casinos supported by rapid proliferation of mobile devices and growing penetration of smart phones and tablets; development of supplicated gambling apps; growing participation of women in casinos; resurgence in casino tourism; relaxation in gambling regulations and legalization of gambling in several nations given their contribution to national income and development of local tourism.

Key Topics Covered:

I. INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY & REPORT SCOPE

II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. MARKET OVERVIEW

2. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS

3. MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS

4. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE

III. MARKET ANALYSIS

IV. COMPETITION

Companies Mentioned

888 Holdings Plc
Betfair Group Plc
Boyd Gaming Corporation
Caesars Interactive Entertainment, Inc.
Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment Inc
Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd.
Golden Nugget Atlantic City
Harrington Raceway & Casino
Ladbrokes Coral Group Plc
Las Vegas Sands Corporation
Mgm Resorts International
Penn National Gaming
Sjm Holdings Ltd.
William Hill Plc
Wynn Resorts Limited

AI in gaming

ZingBrain AI Boosts Hondubet Engagement

Published

10 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

ZingBrain AI Drives Hondubet Growth with Real-Time Personalisation

ZingBrain AI is reshaping the iGaming landscape by delivering measurable performance gains for Hondubet through advanced real-time personalization technology.

By replacing its manually curated casino lobby with a fully automated, API-driven solution, Hondubet has unlocked a new level of player engagement and operational efficiency. The AI-powered system dynamically adapts content to individual player behaviors, ensuring that each user encounters games tailored to their unique preferences.

Significant Performance Gains Across Player Segments

Data from a controlled A/B test comparing the legacy manual lobby with the new personalized system highlights substantial improvements:

A 25% increase in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) and turnover among newly registered players
A 10% rise in total bets placed by returning users
A 25% boost in the number of unique games explored across the player base

These results underscore the effectiveness of AI-driven personalization in enhancing both user engagement and revenue generation.

From Manual Management to Intelligent Automation

Previously, Hondubet relied heavily on manual processes to manage its casino lobby, requiring constant updates and resource-intensive oversight. According to Julian Pareja Garcia of Hondubet, the shift to ZingBrain AI has been transformative.

The automated system continuously learns from player interactions, refining game recommendations and lobby sections without human intervention. This allows the operator’s team to focus on strategic initiatives rather than routine maintenance.

Smarter Player Experiences Through AI Innovation

Oleg Smolerov emphasized the collaborative approach between the two companies, highlighting a shared commitment to innovation and product excellence.

Rather than static content placement, the AI engine ensures that every element of the lobby evolves in response to real-time data. This creates a more intuitive and engaging user experience, where players are presented with content that feels both relevant and natural.

Aligning Commercial Goals with User Experience

Beyond engagement metrics, the integration also supports Hondubet’s commercial strategy. Through ZingBrain AI’s Game Promotion tool, priority titles can be strategically surfaced within personalized sections.

Crucially, the system evaluates performance continuously. Games that fail to resonate with players are automatically deprioritized and replaced with more relevant options. This ensures a balance between promotional objectives and player satisfaction, maximizing both retention and monetization.

A New Standard for iGaming Personalisation

The success of this integration signals a broader shift within the iGaming industry toward intelligent automation and data-driven experiences. By leveraging AI to personalize every touchpoint, operators like Hondubet are setting new benchmarks for engagement, efficiency, and revenue growth.

As competition intensifies, solutions like ZingBrain AI are poised to become essential tools for operators seeking to deliver meaningful, high-performing user experiences at scale.

The post ZingBrain AI Boosts Hondubet Engagement appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Gambling in the USA

AGS Interactive Announces Launch of Cash Cow Bonus Wheel

Published

10 hours ago

April 9, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

ags-interactive-announces-launch-of-cash-cow-bonus-wheel

AGS yesterday announced the launch of Cash Cow Bonus Wheel marking the North American debut of AGS Interactive’s newest character-driven franchise, now available in all licensed real-money online gaming markets.

The title expands AGS’ stepper portfolio and introduces Bartholomoo the Cash Cow — a fresh, fully marketable character designed to anchor a multi-title franchise. Powered by AGS’ proven math models and player-favorite mechanics, Cash Cow Bonus Wheel delivers a contemporary take on the classic 3-reel stepper experience with energetic game play and an approachable design.

“We are so excited to introduce this innovative, character-driven game to the online gaming world,” said Zoe Ebling, Vice President of Interactive at AGS. “With Cash Cow Bonus Wheel, we are leveraging our proven performance-validated math models to reduce performance risk for operators, while pairing that strong foundation with a deliberate, recognizable character and IP strategy. This approach enables us to create franchise assets built for marketing impact, player delight, and scalable, long-term operator success – well beyond the lifecycle of a single title.”

The launch serves as the first chapter in AGSi’s new Cash Cow franchise, a long-term strategy built on character recognition, scalable assets, and compounding operator value. The franchise roadmap includes a buildable ecosystem designed to span multiple formats, channels, and promotional opportunities.

Additionally, Cash Cow Bounty Board will be available in all licensed real-money online gaming markets April 15, with the Cash Cow 3-pot game to follow later in the year.

For more information, visit newsroom.playags.com.

©2026 AGS LLC. All® notices signify marks registered in the United States. All notices signify trademarks, which are not registered on any country-wide basis. Products referenced herein are sold by AGS LLC or other subsidiaries of PlayAGS, Inc.

The post AGS Interactive Announces Launch of Cash Cow Bonus Wheel appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Latest News

N1 Partners at Search iGaming Conference 2026 in Limassol

Published

15 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

n1-partners-at-search-igaming-conference-2026-in-limassol

The N1 Partners team will attend the Search iGaming Conference 2026, held on April 16 in Limassol, Cyprus.

The conference will bring together more than 1,200 professionals in SEO and iGaming, including PPC experts, ASO teams, and affiliate programs representatives for networking and sharing insights.

At the event, the N1 Partners team will not only be an active participant but also a conference bags sponsor for guests. This is the part of a comfortable event experience that helps participants focus on networking and knowledge-sharing.

The conference is a perfect place to discuss profitable deals and SEO traffic, as well as learn more about the N1 SEO Traffic Cup, the first tournament in the N1 Traffic Cups global promo series from N1 Partners. The team will explain how to enter the promotion with highest efficiency at the final stage — there’s still a chance to join the tournament until April 30th.

Participate in the largest SEO tournament in the industry this spring and acquire generous prizes!

In addition to the current promo, N1 Partners affiliate managers will be happy to discuss working with any of the 14+ brands in the portfolio, top Tier-1 GEOs, as well as individual payment terms and payment models.