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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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Christos Zoulianitis Chief Commercial Officer at ENJOY
ENJOY expands distribution through SoftGamings partnership
Collaboration marks a key step in ENJOY’s ongoing growth strategy
ENJOY, the dynamic iGaming content developer, has broadened its market access through a new partnership with SoftGamings, bringing its slot and live casino portfolio to one of the industry’s leading aggregation platforms.
The deal sees ENJOY’s content, including standout releases Hotfire Diamonds, Bison Strike and Grand Lightning, made available to SoftGamings’ extensive network, reinforcing the studio’s strategy to deliver its titles across multiple markets.
The integration is the latest in a string of alliances with key industry stakeholders, and reaffirms the studio’s commitment to innovative design, technical reliability and long-term commercial impact.
Christos Zoulianitis, Chief Commercial Officer at ENJOY, said: “This new partnership firmly places ENJOY’s games in front of a wider audience seeking proven, high-quality entertainment.
“SoftGamings has established itself as a trusted distribution partner, and this collaboration supports our focus on sustainable, global growth.”
Inna Lukina, Head of Partnerships at SoftGamings, added: “ENJOY delivers strong, player-focused content that stands out for both its technical execution and playability.
“Adding its titles to our platform offers our clients access to a brand with clear creative direction and momentum.”
The post ENJOY expands distribution through SoftGamings partnership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
Pragmatic Play, a leading content supplier to the iGaming industry, unleashes a thunderous new entry in its iconic Greek Gods series with Fortune of Olympus – an electrifying 7×7 cluster-pays slot charged with random multipliers, dynamic special bets, and a 10,000x max win.
Fortune of Olympus is the latest feature-packed addition to the industry-leading Gates of Olympus universe. The blockbuster slot delivers explosive action as clusters of 5-15+ matching symbols reward players with wins of up to 150x in the base game.
On any spin, mighty multiplier symbols worth 2x-500x can strike the grid. When multiple multipliers hit, their values combine and detonate into a single, supercharged payout at the end of the tumbling sequence.
Landing 4-7 scatter symbols triggers the bonus game, awarding 15-30 free spins. During this striking feature, every multiplier that appears is added to a growing total multiplier, which is applied to all subsequent wins in the round, building tension and potential with every spin.
Players in certain markets can also amplify the action with special bets. Ante bets boost the chance of triggering Free Spins or Super Free Spins. The two Super Spins options guarantee at least one multiplier on every spin, with the second raising the minimum multiplier value to 50x.
Those eager for instant power can jump straight into Free Spins or Super Free Spins via 100x or 500x bonus buys, with the latter ensuring all multipliers start from 5x and above.
Fortune of Olympus marks the triumphant return of Pragmatic Play’s legendary Zeus character, following the success of Gates of Olympus Super Scatter and Gates of Olympus 1000, and pushes the fan-favourite series into thrilling new territory.
Irina Cornides, Chief Operating Officer at Pragmatic Play, said: “Fortune of Olympus is a stunning addition to Pragmatic Play’s popular Greek Gods series and a distinctly different kind of outing for Zeus. Taking the iconic Gates of Olympus series in a thrilling new direction, this feature-rich slot delivers a standout experience with epic win potential.”
The post PRAGMATIC PLAY STRIKES GOLD WITH FORTUNE OF OLYMPUS appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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Nagoshi Studio Unveils GANG OF DRAGON, a New Action-Adventure Game from Director Toshihiro Nagoshi
Steam page: store.steampowered.com/app/4146000/
GANG OF DRAGON
is a new action-adventure game set in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo’s iconic nightlife district. Protagonist Shin Ji-seong is a high-ranking member of a Korean crime syndicate, and is portrayed by celebrated Korean actor Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee).
This new story will engage players in an exciting way and showcase increadible graphics for an action packed adventure. Viewers of The Game Awards were the first to get a look at the new footage!
About Toshihiro Nagoshi
The post Nagoshi Studio Unveils GANG OF DRAGON, a New Action-Adventure Game from Director Toshihiro Nagoshi appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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