Every week, we deconstruct the numbers behind some of the industry's most fascinating tales. A further Gambling Commission fine, Ksa anniversary update and service discontinuation, Entain Q3 review, MGA warnings, and Aristocrat rebranding are all included in our overview of last week's headlines.
672,829
The UK Gambling Commission uncovered failings in social responsibility and anti-money laundering at gambling operator NSUS, which was fined £672,829 for the violations.
The operator, GGPoker, which operates www.ggpoker.co.uk, was also issued an official warning for failing to comply with licence criteria 12.1.1 and 12.1.2 covering anti-money laundering, as well as the social responsibility code of practise.
Failures in social responsibility revealed at the online casino included failing to identify consumers who may be at risk of experiencing gambling-related damages.
It was also discovered that the group neglected to contact with clients who "may be at risk of experiencing harms linked with gambling."
55,000
Following regulatory action last month, the Dutch Gambling Authority, Kansspelautoriteit, has informed that online gambling providers LCS and MKC have stopped their offerings to Dutch consumers.
The Ksa slapped corrective fines on the pair in early September after an examination revealed that it was easy to register a player account from the Netherlands and gamble on each's websites.
The company, which also owns the SvenPlay, Lapilanders, Wallacebet, and Nucelonbet Casino brands, was told it would have to pay a total of €55,000 per week, up to a maximum of €165,000, if corrective action was not done.
After imposing a similar ban on MKC, the Ksa continued its campaign against the illegal offering of online games of chance to participants within the country two days later.
If the company did not comply, the Dutch regulator stated that it would have to pay a penalty of €28,000 each week or part of a week, up to a maximum of nearly €84,000.
850
PENN Entertainment is exploring a quartet of expansion projects, including amending a leasing agreement with Gaming and Leisure Properties to pay a portion of the project.
This comes as the company plans to relocate its riverboat casinos in Aurora and Joliet, Illinois, as well as construct a new hotel at Hollywood Columbus in Ohio and a second hotel tower at the M Resort in Henderson, Nevada.
The first phase of the $850 million project will see the consortium replace the current Hollywood Casino Aurora riverboat facility, with a comparable project beginning at Hollywood Casino Joliet. There will be more developments at Hollywood Columbus and the M Resort in Henderson, Nevada.
1.3
Entain is on target to capture $1.3 billion in net gaming income for its BetMGM joint venture this year, after the group's digital ecosystem was reported to have recovered from Q2 and H1 challenges in a third quarter update.
With group-wide revenue rising 2% in the third quarter and 12% year to far, online is also stated to have exhibited "good underlying growth" that was in line with expectations.
Entain also announced that excluding the Netherlands, where the group indicated there is a temporary enforced shutdown of activities due to licencing procedures, NGR would be up 4%.
After dropping 7% in the second quarter and first half of the year, digital saw a 1% increase from July to September, although the space is still down 5% year to date.
Through Q3, sports and gaming are up 1% each, with each area down 4% and 6%, respectively, for the year.
18
The Malta Gaming Authority issued warnings about unlicensed operators after the regulator discovered "entities operating without an authorisation within Malta" that are "functioning illegally."
As a result, the Authority has stated that it "notifies the public that these firms are not lawfully allowed" to provide gaming services to anyone in Malta.
The MGA issued a statement in which it listed 18 websites as breaking regulatory criteria, including Casinowin.bet, OlympusPlay.com, ThePokies.net, and Jbag888.com.
The operators also lacked a licence to operate in Malta, which violated the regulatory requirements of Article 13 of the Gaming Act, according to the warning.
2022
Aristocrat Leisure unveiled a new real money gaming business unit, with Anaxi tasked with realising the group's grandiose goals in the field.
According to the company, the new branding will aid in the execution of Anaxi's build and purchase growth strategy, including assisting the company in continuing to attract and retain online RMG talent and fostering team culture.
The company's RMG strategy was first revealed earlier this year, when it was stated that Aristocrat would "spend heavily" in infrastructure while pursuing M&A, partnerships, and talent acquisition to fuel its goals.
Aristocrat announced the establishment of a dedicated online RMG business in February 2022, with Anaxi becoming the group's third business sector. This will be in addition to Aristocrat Gaming and the Pixel United mobile-first publishing company.
12
"We're moving closer to our ultimate goal," said René Jansen, Chair of the Kansspelautoriteit, as the Dutch online gaming ecosystem celebrated its one-year anniversary.
Looking back on the "milestone" occasion, Jansen dug into the findings of a recent study that provided an update on progress made over the previous year.
The regulator praised the "various perspectives" gathered through these period reports, with the Ksa hoping to "follow the appropriate roads that finally lead to a - ideally - entirely safe online gambling environment."
"As is well known, the Netherlands took a long time to legalise internet gambling; political views on this were and continue to be mixed," Jansen said.
"Ultimately, a political majority supported the creation of a safe atmosphere for those who gamble on the internet." Even though it was illegal, hundreds of thousands of Dutch people did it before October 1, 2021."
1
Almost nine years after parliament passed a vote to allow gaming enterprises, the Bermuda Gaming Commission handed the self-governing British offshore territory its first casino licence.
Following the certification, which came months after Hotelco Bermuda Holding submitted its application, the group's St Regis Bermuda Resort was set to become the site of the island's first casino, subject to the completion of a number of "necessary actions."
Despite the fact that "the Commission has found that the applicant has met the statutory suitability requirements for a licence under the Gaming Act and regulations," the BGC stated that the venue must still "comply with all legislative requirements to launch the casino."
By fLEXI tEAM
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