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Promotional strategies of gambling operators: what points of vigilance has the ANJ identified?
Meeting in plenary session on January 21, the members of the National Gaming Authority (ANJ) examined the 2021 promotional strategies of gambling operators, both in competition and monopoly, with particular regard to the objectives of prevention of excessive or pathological gambling and protection of minors. In view of the points of vigilance that were identified during this review, such as increased advertising pressure and the targeting of young audiences, the approval of these strategies is in most cases subject to conditions in their implementation.
Reminder of the legal framework
Since the reform of gambling regulation in 2020, all operators must submit their promotional strategies to the National Gaming Authority for approval each year. The latter examines it in the light of the objectives of the State’s policy on gambling and chance, and more specifically, the prevention of excessive or pathological gambling and the protection of minors.
This first exercise of approval of promotional strategies should allow the ANJ to progressively build its analytical grid to maintain a recreational game and for operators to become familiar with these new provisions. It is also on the basis of this analysis grid that the ANJ will be able, if necessary, to mobilize its power to withdraw from a particular advertising campaign that encourages gambling by minors or that contains excessive encouragement to gamble.
The ANJ’s analytical grid takes into account the balance to be struck between the legitimate use of advertising by operators to promote the legal offer and differentiate themselves in a highly regulated market, and its necessary channelling to counter the risk of problem gambling and protect minors. It will be regularly updated in the light of the observations or developments observed by the ANJ and the work carried out with the CSA and the ARPP, in the framework of the implementation of an observatory on gambling advertising.
It is in line with the reference framework for the prevention of excessive and pathological gambling and the protection of minors published in December 2020, which proposes an operational manual for operators in the implementation of their new obligations.
Points of vigilance common to operators for the 2021 strategies
The ANJ conducted a comparative analysis of the promotional strategies of the 14 licensed operators and the 2 operators under exclusive rights (FDJ and PMU). This analysis revealed points of vigilance, common to all these operators, which justify attaching conditions to approval decisions:
- A substantial increase in advertising budgets of 26% compared to 2019*, with large-scale campaigns around major sporting events planned for this year (notably the Euro Football Championship and the Tokyo Olympic Games);
- A reinforced targeting of young people with the use of digital marketing strategies on the social networks Snapchat and TikTok particularly followed by minors;
- Active stimulation of the player with the effect of intensifying gambling practices and the recruitment of new players (bonuses, personalization of the offer).
The particular case of monopoly operators (FDJ and PMU)
An examination of the promotional strategies of these two operators under exclusive rights shows that the Authority has serious concerns about them, particularly in light of the case law of the CJEU and the Conseil d’Etat, which reminds us that the monopolies’ advertising efforts must remain measured and strictly limited to what is necessary to channel consumers towards controlled gambling networks. Moreover, in connection with this jurisprudence, the ANJ will be vigilant to ensure that any advertising or promotional campaign by these operators does not hide behind arguments of general interest to give a positive image of gambling or to justify it.
The ANJ will be very attentive to ensure that the points of vigilance it has identified are the object of particular attention on the part of operators with regard to their obligations in terms of prevention of excessive gambling and protection of minors.
*Since the 2020 budgets are not significant, 2019 will be the last fiscal year carried out under normal market conditions.
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Crash Games
ICONIC21 launches Arrow Chase, a continuous multiplayer multiplier game
ICONIC21 has launched Arrow Chase, a new iGaming title the supplier says is designed as a continuous experience rather than a round-based game.
The game is built around an arrow that “endlessly” moves across the screen towards multiplier blocks. ICONIC21 said players choose multiplier blocks to bet on and receive instant payouts when blocks are hit, with the experience running without “rounds, resets” or downtime.
ICONIC21 is also positioning Arrow Chase as a multiplayer product, with all players watching the same on-screen action at the same time. The company said the concept aims to combine timing-driven play associated with crash-style mechanics with a continuous flow.
Edvardas Sadovskis, Chief Product Officer at ICONIC21, said: “Every few years, something comes along that makes the industry stop and reconsider what a game can be. We believe Arrow Chase is one of those moments. We built something with no round, no reset, no interruption, because we believe that is what the next generation of players will come to expect. What comes after it is a conversation we are very much looking forward to having.”
ICONIC21 said Arrow Chase was informed by ongoing discussions with operator partners on player behaviour and demand, and suggested the format could evolve into a new category with naming still to be defined.
The post ICONIC21 launches Arrow Chase, a continuous multiplayer multiplier game appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Betina Todorova Smartico Partnerships Manager
Honoré Gaming and Smartico Join Forces to Drive Player Engagement
Honoré Gaming, the trailblazing online sportsbook platform and tech provider, has teamed up with Smartico, a specialist in CRM automation and gamification, to improve its player engagement and retention features.
In preparation for the expanded World Cup, the incorporation of Smartico’s sophisticated CRM solution transforms the Honoré Gaming platform into a holistic entertainment ecosystem, signifying a strategic advancement in its progression toward a more intelligent, automated, and player-focused future.
Smartico’s adaptable features will bolster Honoré Gaming’s broader goal of providing operators with top-tier tools to enhance revenue and improve customer analytics, establishing CRM as a fundamental element of its platform offerings. Intelligent interactions will be a crucial factor for achieving favorable outcomes in Honoré’s main markets in French-speaking Africa and Central America, where comprehending player behavior and providing pertinent interactions are vital for long-term growth.
Emphasizing gamification and automation, Honoré Gaming will implement tailored engagement strategies influenced by local market specifics, while adhering to the key elements that contribute to a platform’s success – from deposits to gameplay, winnings, withdrawals, and return play.
Honoré Gaming CEO, Christophe Casanova said: “Smartico’s CRM solution is a critical pillar in our mission to better serve our operators and end users. Our partners can now implement data-driven customer experiences that increase player LTV ahead of a major World Cup summer. The integration of Smartico’s AI-driven technology represents a pivotal shift in Honoré Gaming’s operational scale, transforming its analytical depth and redefining how the platform communicates and interacts with players.”
Betina Todorova, Smartico Partnerships Manager added: “We believe that the combined strengths of our AI-driven technology and Honoré Gaming’s platform will deliver significant value to operators. Working together across African and Central American markets will benefit local partners and ultimately create more engaging player experiences.”
The post Honoré Gaming and Smartico Join Forces to Drive Player Engagement appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AI
SportVot raises $3.6m to expand sports production platform into Europe, US and West Asia
SportVot has raised $3.6m in a new investment round as it plans to expand across Europe, Australia, the United States, and West Asia. The company said the funding will support international growth and further development of its AI-led production and analytics capabilities.
The round was led by Indian Angel Network’s IAN Alpha Fund, with participation from Anicut Capital, SucSeed Indovation Fund, LVX (LetsVenture), Capital-A, and other global investors.
SportVot positions its platform as a unified workflow covering capture, production, distribution, and monetisation for competitions outside top-tier broadcast ecosystems. The company said its cloud-based setup supports remote production in real time and includes automated highlights, graphics, insights, multi-angle viewing, decision review systems, and virtual advertising.
The company lists customers and partners including Junior Super Kings (Chennai Super Kings’ Junior’s Tournament), All India Football Federation, Rugby India, the International Table Tennis Federation (Oceania) and the International Padel Federation. It said that since launching operations in 2025 in Australia it has worked with organisations including Table Tennis Australia, Table Tennis Queensland, Netball Victoria, the National Pickleball League and KommunityTV.
SportVot said it has delivered over 500,000 matches across its core markets, reaching more than 100 million viewers in 30+ countries. In Australia, it said it streamed 12,000 matches over the past year across 30+ partner organisations.
Tim Anderson, Managing Director, SportVot Australia, said: “Over the past year, we’ve seen strong adoption from sports organisations across Australia looking to scale how their competitions are captured and distributed. The ability to deliver consistent, high-quality production across different sports and formats has been key. This next phase allows us to build further on that momentum, both within Australia and in closer alignment with global markets.”
Sidhhant Agarwal, Founder & CEO, SportVot, said: “What we are seeing globally is not a lack of sport, but a lack of structured systems to capture and distribute it at scale. Our focus has been to build something that can work across geographies, sports, and formats without adding operational complexity. As we expand into new markets, the goal is to enable more competitions to be seen, experienced, and sustained.”
The post SportVot raises $3.6m to expand sports production platform into Europe, US and West Asia appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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