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SKS365 AT SBC DIGITAL ITALY 2021 ALEXANDER MARTIN (CEO): OMNICHANNEL AND GAMING AS RESPONSIBLE ENTERTAINMENT ARE THE KEYS FOR HAVING LONG-TERM SUCCESS IN THE ITALIAN MARKET
The outlook of the Italian gaming industry after having been hit in the last three years by the advertising ban, a new turnover tax and the lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. These were the main topics discussed during the panel ITALY 2021 – RECOVERY, RETREAT OR RESTART? at SBC Digital Italy, the virtual summit which put together 750 leaders of the Italian gaming industry.
Alexander Martin, SKS365’s CEO, has highlighted the economic damages for the industry because of the pandemic. The increase of the online channel was not big enough to compensate the losses caused by the closing of the betting shops imposed by the government. In addition, the introduction of a new turnover tax during the first lockdown, made even worse the situation for the industry.
“In May 2020 – said Martin – the Italian government announced it was adding a new 0.5 per cent turnover tax for gambling, in order to support sports organisations suffering losses during the pandemic.
This decision was a paradox that worsened the situation in the sector, because at the same time many other industries were benefiting, albeit with difficulty, of state aid. The consequence is a relevant loss in terms of revenues, not only for the gaming companies but also per the Taxman, as the fiscal losses exceeded 4 bln euros last year”.
The online revenues have just partially reduced the industry losses. “The online gaming – Martin stated – has grown by over 40% and probably will stay at these high levels in the upcoming months. Despite the good online performance, we hope that our customers will soon be allowed to return to play in the shops, which have been closed for over 8 months, although the operators – both concessionaires and shop owners – have been committed to reopen safely the gaming outlets”. Once reopened, the betting shops will have to deal with the different regional restrictive rules: “Each region has set up its own model on distances, creating thus a chaotic situation. It is necessary a reorganization of the sector, based on national criteria, so that the distribution of gaming venues can be homogeneous over the territory”. Martin hopes for the opening of a dialogue with the government, so that together with the industry it can be possible to draw a new and sustainable business model.
The fight against illegality is another of the crucial issues addressed by the CEO of SKS365: “A key of responsible gaming is to educate consumers to play exclusively with authorized operators. It is the only way to achieve players’ protection and be compliant with the rules. From this point of view, communication has a key role, as the advertising ban stopped the communication flow to the consumers. Furthermore, a survey carried out by the ISS (Health national institute) showed that 80% of Italian population doesn’t gamble because of advertising. So, facts prove that this ban does not work and that, identifying a legal operator has become more and more difficult than in the past”.
According to Martin, the answer to this problem is only one: a culture of gaming that brings back the business to the pure entertainment and fun aspect. “In SKS365 we have just renewed our brand identity,
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Sportsbook provider builds on commitment to local sporting initiatives by extending sponsorship deal to 2027
Altenar, a leading sportsbook and iGaming software provider, has agreed to sponsor the 2025 Isle of Man Marathon and Half Marathon for another three years, taking its agreement up to 2027.
This year’s edition of the popular event will take place on 10th August and will mark the third year of the provider’s sponsorship deal, which forms part of its broader strategy to invest in the Isle of Man community.
At the heart of the action, Altenar’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) John Quaye will once again take to the undulating course, reinforcing the provider’s dedication to hands-on local engagement. This year, participants will also receive newly designed medals, t-shirts, and trophies, while extra medals will be awarded to winners of the Isle of Man Marathon Championships.
Fundamental to Altenar’s strategy is forging successful ties with Isle of Man locals and finding proactive ways to reinforce its affinity with the area. As part of its wider CSR goals, Altenar has also signed a new deal to sponsor the island’s Gran Fondo cycling race, further expanding its presence in the sporting scene.
John Quaye, CFO at Altenar, said: “We are delighted to support the Isle of Man Marathon and Half Marathon for a third year. It has been such a rewarding journey, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed being part of such a meaningful local tradition. We are also pleased to announce that Altenar will remain the official sponsor for another two years at least.
“Being able to actively support our community and engage in events like this is something we take great pride in at Altenar.”
The post Altenar agrees sponsorship extension for Isle of Man Marathon appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Darwin Filho CEO of Esportes Gaming Brasil
Esportes Gaming Brasil announces Rita Cunha as Chief Growth Officer
Esportes Gaming Brasil, the group behind the brands Esportes da Sorte and Onabet, has appointed Rita Cunha as Chief Growth Officer (CGO). In her role, she will focus on driving the group’s organic growth, boosting commercial performance, and consolidating data-driven, customer-centric initiatives.
“The iGaming sector is undergoing a period of rapid and highly competitive expansion,” notes Rita Cunha. “I’m excited to join Esportes Gaming Brasil with the mission of transforming data into agile decision-making, strengthening our owned channels, and creating experiences that maximize user value—from the first interaction to long-term relationships,” she explains.
With over 20 years of experience in e-commerce and technology, Rita has built a career leading growth and marketplace strategies at companies such as PicPay—where she led PicPay Shop—as well as stints at Mosaico (Buscapé), Zoom, Passei Direto, and Match.com. Known for her data-driven business mindset, she brings acquisition, retention, and engagement strategies that have consistently delivered exponential results for high-traffic digital companies.
“Rita’s arrival reinforces our strong growth strategy grounded in technology, without compromising the user experience,” says Darwin Filho, CEO of Esportes Gaming Brasil. “Her experience with digital operations, combined with a 360° view of the customer journey, will be essential as we expand our market share in Brazil’s regulated environment.”
The post Esportes Gaming Brasil announces Rita Cunha as Chief Growth Officer appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
PG Soft, a world-class digital mobile games company, has unveiled its fantasy-fueled video slot, Dragon’s Treasure Quest. The game is presented within a 5-reel, 3-row frame and features expanding reels and multipliers.Players must track down hidden treasures while navigating through legendary lore to find Wilds and Scatters, represented by a dragon eye and treasure chest respectively.
The Dragon Wild symbol only appears on reels two, three, four and five, and substitutes for all symbols except the Scatter symbol. Four Scatter symbols found anywhere will trigger the Free Spins Feature with 15 free spins – each additional Scatter symbol will trigger two more free spins. It’s possible to retrigger Free Spins.
At the end of every winning free spin, the total win for that spin is multiplied by both the multiplier at the bottom of the reels and the combined multipliers from the multiplier symbols on
the reels. Any multipliers collected during free spins will be accumulated and will remain at the bottom until the end of the Free Spins Feature.
Players can also take advantage of the Expanding Reel Window feature in Dragon’s Treasure Quest. At the start of each spin, all reels begin with three large reel windows. After each cascade, any reel window involved in a winning combination is split into two smaller windows—boosting the number of ways to win with every round.
A final element is the Multiplier symbol which is in play for any spin within the main game. One or more Multiplier symbols with values ranging from x2 to x100 may appear on the reels. At the end of the spin, all multipliers from the Multiplier symbols on the reels will be added together, and the total win for that spin will be multiplied by the total multiplier. The Treasure Chest may randomly add additional Scatter symbols if there are 1, 2 or 3 Scatter symbols present.
PG Soft’s spokesperson commented: “Dragon’s Treasure Quest delivers an action-packed reels adventure packed with exciting moments as players spin through a magical realm. Dragon’s Treasure Quest captures the spirit of heroic quests and the fiery power of dragons, keeping the adrenaline red hot with every spin.”
The post PG Soft releases fantasy-fueled Dragon’s Treasure Quest appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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