Latest News

Lee Willows: ‘We should be humbled that addiction levels are coming down: do we really think that big state programmes, funded by a statutory levy and controlled by the NHS could do any better?’

Published

2 years ago

June 17, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Lee Willows, the long-standing lived-experience leader who came into the gambling space following an addiction that almost drove him to suicide, has warned that the UK risks losing its status as a world-class leader in Social Responsibility. Commenting after the Westminster Media Forum – Next steps for UK gambling regulation and Labour Party MP Carolyn Harris’s Westminster Hall debate on the statutory gambling levy, Willows said: “I firmly believe the UK is a global leader in Social Responsibility, but I worry that flame might be dimming as the funding debate becomes more about a desire to break-up the very eco-system that supported me and today supports many others. It is this Third Sector-led eco-system that to my mind, makes us world-class.”

Addressing the nature of the debate he questioned: “Why have we allowed it to come down to narrow choices between the NHS or the Third Sector to deliver a national programme of treatment – why can’t both co-exist? I have often said we need a choir of voices and organisations in this space. Why is it so difficult for start-up organisations – often led by individuals with Lived Experience – to access funding? Why is the funding debate consistently tarnished by some who feel there is a lack of independence as opposed to recognising the impact of that funding, which in my experience is completely independent. Finally, why are we not humbled that addiction levels are coming down and education and awareness is now at an all-time high, being led by superb charities in a considered, well-thought and evidenced manner?

“These divisions and the potential introduction of a statutory levy carry significant risks to my mind and in many ways undermines a lot of the good work that’s been undertaken. We have built an eco-system to deliver treatment, support and prevention that has impressive reach across the United Kingdom. This didn’t happen overnight, it took time, and a huge collective effort on behalf of many very decent people. A statutory levy risks being seen by operators as another tax and as a result dilute their level of involvement in reducing harms.

“Whilst there is much more to be achieved, we should be humbled by this progress. Do we really think that big state (NHS only) programmes, funded by a statutory levy can do any better? Will big state programmes enable agility and innovation? Will big state programmes deliver better value for money? Will big state programmes really provide the funding for very local services or take a risk on start-up organisations or ideas, particularly from those with Lived-Experience, often starting out as sole-traders? Will big state, one size fits all programmes, be able to deal with the complexities around gambling addictions?

“Several years ago, I led the work of a national reducing re-offending charity at the time when the Probation Services were being privatised. A slightly different scenario, but a similar outcome in that the PLC companies and the state won many of the contracts, forcing many charities to close. Wind the clock forward and re-offending rates today remain broadly where they were prior to privatisation. The tragedy is that re-offending rates were beginning to drop, prior to privatisation. Beneficiaries of services often would say that they had a personal connection with the staff member supporting them from charities, whereas they were more like a number when being supported by the larger companies. It has also been proven consistently that charity-run services almost always deliver better value for money.”

“It will not surprise you that I do not support a statutory levy. There is much comfort to take from the current eco-system and the many charities and non-profit organisations working hard in this space and it would be a big mistake to risk this. Additionally, I believe our prime commissioner of services in this space might want to ask themselves what they can do better to support start-up organisations and foster agility, spending their income in a timely manner, with a percentage aimed at small start-up organisations. I also believe they might consider their ballooning establishment chart, which for many seems excessive.”

Looking to the short/medium-term Lee Willows has identified an action plan in order to facilitate innovation, encourage agility and maintain the UK’s world-class status. He explained: “Firstly the new strategy to reduce gambling-harms should be fully costed (so we actually know how much funding we need as opposed to a blanket 1%); secondly some mandated guidance should be given to operators when making donations, based on percentages for treatment, prevention and research; finally larger businesses should in my opinion, be mandated to commit 50 percent of their LCCP RET donations to fund three-year funding commitments in order to ensure sustainability. Operators need certainty, so they can budget donations; charities and non-profit organisations need certainly so they can plan services”.

“The notion of a Gambling Commission held RET list is something I continue to support, but I would also question if it is appropriate that the Gambling Commission administer Regulatory Settlements. Perhaps having another body or organisation to oversee these would bring about some of the reflections I am proposing, particularly where prevention is concerned. This would enable the Commission to focus on its regulatory responsibilities.”

Endorphina Press Releases

Endorphina releases its newest title – Jolly Queen!

Published

8 hours ago

April 23, 2024

George Miller

endorphina-releases-its-newest-title-–-jolly-queen!

Reading Time: < 1 minute

One of the top casino game providers, Endorphina, has announced the release of its brand-new title, Jolly Queen, which will join its portfolio on April 27th. Jolly Queen is a 5-reel, 5-row fruit slot with 50 fixed paylines, introducing players to the lifestyle of the nobles.

On top of the aristocratic ambiance, Jolly Queen provides players with Free Games, allowing them to master the reels. During the Free Games, at least one Expanding Wild Joker is guaranteed to appear on the screen.

Furthermore, Jolly Queen also features the Royal Treasures Pick Game, enabling players to get a taste of the noble lifestyle. In the Bonus Game, players can choose from three gold-filled treasure chests, containing prizes of 10x, 30x, and 50x their total bets.

The post Endorphina releases its newest title – Jolly Queen! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Latest News

Kambi Group’s AI-powered trading division Tzeract enters into Bet Builder partnership with European operator kwiff

Published

8 hours ago

April 23, 2024

George Miller

kambi-group’s-ai-powered-trading-division-tzeract-enters-into-bet-builder-partnership-with-european-operator-kwiff

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Tzeract to provide its leading Bet Builder product in the cutting-edge supplier’s first commercial partnership

Kambi Group plc, the world’s trusted sports betting partner, today announced its AI-powered trading division Tzeract has partnered with kwiff to provide its powerful Bet Builder product to the innovative sports betting operator.

The partnership represents the first commercial deal for Tzeract since it was officially launched as a standalone division earlier this year, marking a significant step forward for Kambi as it continues to expand its range of modular services.

Tzeract will initially provide kwiff with its industry-leading Bet Builder football product ahead of the highly anticipated Euro 2024 football tournament, ensuring kwiff customers enjoy an unparalleled betting experience throughout the competition. Additional sports will be added during the course of the partnership.

Unlike other third-party products, Tzeract’s Bet Builder has been designed to seamlessly integrate into an operator’s existing sportsbook and can utilise either the operator’s existing pricing or leverage Tzeract’s AI-generated odds. Working with kwiff, the super-charged betting operator, known for its proprietary platform, sportsbook and innovative modular tech stack, presented Tzeract both of these opportunities.

Having powered football pricing for the Kambi network since 2022, Tzeract is on a mission to establish a new standard in sports betting by providing an indispensable service which empowers operator innovation and makes it possible to bet on anything, at any time.

As part of the Kambi Group, Tzeract benefits from Kambi’s vast network data to inform its state-of-the-art AI-powered algorithmic trading capabilities in combination with increasingly rich sports data.

David Jacquet, Interim Managing Director at Tzeract, commented: “I am thrilled to announce Tzeract’s inaugural commercial partnership which will enable us to demonstrate the full power of Tzeract outside of the Kambi network for the first time. To work with such an innovative sportsbook like kwiff will provide the opportunities to build the world’s most exciting and intuitive betting experiences together.”

Niklas Fallsjo, Head of Sportsbook Innovation at kwiff, added: “We are delighted to partner with Tzeract and integrate their market-leading Bet Builder product into our proprietary sportsbook. This innovative solution perfectly aligns with our commitment to providing our customers with an unrivalled and entertaining betting experience. We are confident that the addition of Bet Builder will be a hit with our players.”

The post Kambi Group’s AI-powered trading division Tzeract enters into Bet Builder partnership with European operator kwiff appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Interviews

Exclusive Q&A w/ Steven Paton, Commercial Director at Wise Gaming

Published

10 hours ago

April 23, 2024

George Miller

exclusive-q&a-w/-steven-paton,-commercial-director-at-wise-gaming

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Could you describe the range of products and services that Wise Gaming offers? What makes them unique or appealing to potential clients?

Wise Gaming is the fastest-growing, Complete platform offering both White-Label & Turnkey Solutions. The Wise Gaming solutions are built from our team’s extensive experience: 15 years B2C and 10 years B2B. We know the importance of a truly modular approach, allowing our partner the ability to obtain our entire solution or individual components to enhance what they already have.

In what regions or markets does Wise Gaming primarily operate? Are there any plans for expansion into new territories?

Our focus has been on both the European & LatAm Continents. With enormous success in our B2C operations, we are relying on our extensive experience. We believe the balance between established & emerging markets brings both knowledge and the ability to learn and adapt, truly focusing on our partners needs without limitations.

2025 will be Wise Gaming’s year of expansion! 2024‘s goal is about building on our success in EU & LatAm whilst planning next years’ growth in both Africa & Asia.

What technologies does Wise Gaming employ to deliver its iGaming solutions? Can you highlight any proprietary technologies or platforms that differentiate your offerings?

From our 15 years of B2C success, we felt that we understood both the pleasure points and pain points that most operators face on a daily & weekly basis. Therefore, we build our Wise Gaming solutions with a customer-centric approach, How can we support our partners to support their customers. We diligently sourced the industry’s best-in-class providers for both our Sportsbook & Casino content, utilizing Enterprise software to provide the most robust offering in the iGaming industry.

Our dedicated in-house teams visualize, build and enhance our Proprietary systems for each of our Partner’s needs, making each of our partners brands Unique.

In what ways does Wise Gaming prioritise security and data protection within its technology infrastructure?

As previously mentioned, our customer-centric approach is vitally important to Wise Gaming and our Partners! Providing the correct technology and experience to our partners is key to having a successful KYC, AML, Due Diligence and Data Protection process. We opted for Amazon AWS solutioning to provide market-leading security, Encrypted databases & data storage, penetration resilience, DDoS attack elimination, dedicated Back-Office segmentation and User-based access, protecting player data while safeguarding our partners operations.

What are the current trends or challenges you’re seeing in the iGaming market? How is Wise Gaming adapting to these changes?

The speed in which technology advances is always a challenge for any provider. The key is to know your markets, the players, the accessibility of online entertainment such a sports betting & casinos and implement the technology that meets these variables. Everyone is talking about AI & Machine learning, and rightly so! With such advancements AI & Machine Learning models, it would be irresponsible not to utilize them. Whether it’s for Player customisation, Events based recommendation or supporting operational needs such as RG, KYC & AML, AI & machine Learning should be used to ENHANCE human interaction, not replace. At Wise Gaming, we have already implemented AI & Machine Learning models to provide the unique edge to our partners.

Also localized content is important. Every market is its own unique playground with their own specific cultural identities. Knowing these identities and becoming an expert in these will not only assist in the acquisition of players, it signifies a brand’s genuineness and authenticity to that market and allows greater player retention. At Wise Gaming we have already implemented A.I & Machine Learning models

How does Wise Gaming ensure compliance with regulations in various jurisdictions? How important is regulatory adherence in your sales approach?

I will answer these 2 questions together. The market is experiencing a shift in regulation, and compliance. MGA & CGA license domination has been challenged, with more and more markets opting for tighter safety measures and implementing their own self-regulated approach. This brings safety to players and trust.

Working alongside regulators will always help, and more importantly, we can learn from each other. Adhering to regulation is ultimately for a player’s safety and that is paramount for the industry’s longevity. Wise Gaming continuously enhances its platform to conform with regulations, making it safe and reliable for our partners.

What are the key factors potential clients considering when choosing an iGaming provider, and how does Wise Gaming address these factors in its offerings?

As previously mentioned, experience and knowledge are key attributes from both an operational and technical aspect. “You can’t plant apple trees and expect to get oranges!” Wise Gaming’s experience & knowledge puts us, and our partners, at the forefront of each market, allowing substantial growth and higher ROI.

Time to market should also be a priority. Whilst most Providers offer 2-4 months implementation time, Wise Gaming can deploy your platform within 2-4 weeks, giving us the competitive edge in a highly competitive space.

How does Wise Gaming incorporate feedback from clients into product development and improvement?

Experience and knowledge are simply 1’s learning over time. Our approach at Wise Gaming is that of a learning mentality, “you are never too old to learn!” iGaming is rich in experts – We trust our Partners, and they trust us, it’s the unification that builds long-term partnerships. We have 2 ears and 1 mouth, use them in that order!

What are the future goals and plans for Wise Gaming? Any upcoming innovations or developments you can share?

Our goal is to continue providing a reliable and robust platform, listening and delivering an innovative and unique solution for each of our Partners.

Innovative Developments – If we tell everyone, they won’t be innovative 😉 However, what I can say is that we are focused on “advanced”, real-time localised AI recommended content both Casino & Sportsbook.

The post Exclusive Q&A w/ Steven Paton, Commercial Director at Wise Gaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.