Industry News
Joining The Fight Against Predatory Terms
The UK online gambling industry is being dealt a series of powerful blows following findings by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Gambling Commission.
The investigation concluded that players may be losing out due to “inadequate or unclear information about the restrictions and conditions that apply to the promotion before sign-up” and “restrictions on their right to withdraw winnings…unless they meet extensive wagering requirements”.
Wagering Requirements
Wagering requirements associated with casino bonuses have been in existence for years, at least since crafty players realised they could profit from the bonuses with little or no risk. Nevertheless, they have sat quietly hidden away in the terms and conditions of online casino websites, with few genuine players being aware of their existence.
The terms protect online casinos from bonus abuse by requiring that players wager a bonus several times over before they can become eligible to withdraw it or any winnings won from it. Whilst wagering requirements are necessary in their own right to prevent abuse, casinos have taken the terms to the extreme and in many cases impose excessive wagering requirements making it impossible for players to withdraw legitimate winnings.
Furthermore, the investigation raised concerns that wagering requirements force players to “play for longer than they had bargained for before they can withdraw money” and “players may not be able to withdraw what remains of their deposit, and any winnings, when they want to stop playing”.
Consequently, wagering requirements can not only be used to confiscate winnings unfairly, but could also be a contributing factor towards irresponsible gambling – the very issue the Gambling Commission exists to prevent.
Enforcement Action
Since 2015 UK license holders have been required to include in their promotions any significant terms and conditions to avoid misleading players. Largely unfazed by the guidelines it was business as normal for online casinos, until May 2017 when BGO Entertainment were fined £300,000 over misleading advertising on its own and its affiliates’ websites.
The fine was followed up by a warning from the Gambling Commission over unfair practices and promotions surrounding wagering requirements and restrictive terms. Together, they sent shockwaves through the industry and led to a flurry of operators promptly displaying the significant terms of their bonuses prominently across their websites. Additionally, affiliates were also ordered to comply else have their agreements and commissions terminated.
To top it off, August 2017 saw 888 being fined a record-breaking £7.8million as a result of “serious failings in its handling of vulnerable customers”, reiterating the Gambling Commission’s stance on non-compliance.
Transparency
Today, players don’t have to look hard to notice the effort made by operators and their affiliates to prominently display significant exclusions and limitations of promotions. It seems that casinos can be transparent about their terms and conditions after all.
However, as a result of this increase in transparency, it has become more apparent just how predatory and unfair the small-print terms have been for all this time, and in most cases, the terms remain unchanged.
The more savvy players will think twice about claiming bonuses or entering promotions with excessive wagering requirements or limitations. For others however, the term “wagering requirement” and the conditions associated with them remain meaningless.
Going “Wager Free”
The confusion surrounding wagering requirements was enough to lead BGO into adopting a “no wagering” model with its promotions. This October they announced that they were going “wager free” and would have no wagering requirements on any of their bonuses, free spins, or promotions.
Although few and far between, wager-free bonuses and free spins are nothing new to the industry, but this is the first time a leading brand has announced they are making the switch entirely.
The commotion has also seen the launch of NoWagering – a website dedicated to casinos with no wagering requirements. Their aim is to make players realise they do have a choice of where to play and to favour casinos with fair wagering terms.
NoWagering’s founder Pavlos Sideris stated “We hope the move taken by BGO to go wager-free will resonate throughout the industry” and that “we could be witnessing an industry-wide trend where casinos compete on favourable terms rather than the size of their bonus”.
With a growing number of casinos shouting about their “wager free bonuses” it would certainly appear that there is somewhat of a trend taking place; and with new “no wagering” casino PlayOJO winning “Rising Star of the Year” award at the EGR Operator Awards 2017, it would also appear that so too is their popularity.
Industry News
SKS365 keeps investing in people: GROW People Management Program took the next level
11 experienced people managers from the SKS365 group’s 4 locations gathered last week in Belgrade for the new GROW People Management Program. From 15 th to 19 th of April, through trainings, discussions, and social connections, people had the opportunity to further grow individually and as a team, while enjoying Belgrade’s city center and rivers.
Created in 2023 with the purpose of building foundation people management skills across the organization, GROW initiative evolved this year by including a new, advanced program for experienced people managers to further consolidate their skills and prepare for future opportunities.
Building and fostering connections, sharing experiences, and enjoying team building experiences – all these activities have been part of the GROWpmp agenda for the 11 people managers coming from Commercial, Product and Development, Finance, and Sportsbook departments of the group’s 4 locations – Malta, Italy, Austria, Serbia.
GROWpmp included a variety of topics that people managers in SKS365 recognized as the key areas for management development. Topics such as influence through communication, team effectiveness, DEI, through to presentation skills and business topics like understanding finance and management reporting, were delivered with the support of external professionals and internal experts, while designed and organized by the SKS365 People & Culture team.
Industry News
Kindred’s Share of Revenue from High-risk Players Shows Slight Increase
Kindred Group plc’s (Kindred) share of revenue from high-risk players showed a slight increase to 3.2% (Q4 2023 3.1%) in the first quarter of 2024. Compared to the first quarter of 2023, the high-risk revenue share decreased marginally. The percentage of detected customers who exhibited improved behaviour after interventions came in at 87.1% (compared to 87.4% in Q4 2023 and 83.0% in Q1 2023). This sustained trajectory in the improvement effect after interventions, observed over an extended period, serves as a testament to the strong dedication and collective efforts throughout the company. It reflects Kindred’s ongoing commitment to fostering positive change within the industry.
“We continue to see our share of revenue from high-risk players fluctuate quarter to quarter, and we are working closely with all teams across the company to support customers towards a more sustainable gambling experience. However, it is encouraging to see that our Journey towards Zero data has steadily decreased since 2020. A similar trend can be seen across the healthier gambling behaviour effect after interventions. This tells us two things: our work is paying off, but we need to continue to push ourselves to propel a sustainable progression,” Alexander Westrell, Director of Communications at Kindred Group, said.
“It was very encouraging to witness the open and transparent discussions at the Sustainable Gambling Conference in London on 20 March, where those with lived experience shared their important stories. Also, it is evident that technology is moving forward, and will provide greater opportunities to detect and intervene in the future. We hope to see more regulators engage with the industry and with experts to secure a more sustainable industry for everyone,” Alexander Westrell added.
Industry News
PENN Entertainment Names Aaron LaBerge as Chief Technology Officer
PENN Entertainment announced that Aaron LaBerge has been named Chief Technology Officer (CTO) effective July 1, 2024, subject to customary regulatory approvals. Mr. LaBerge will report directly to PENN CEO & President Jay Snowden.
In his new role, Mr. LaBerge will be responsible for driving the technology strategy and execution for PENN, while leading the multinational team of technologists and serving as the key business leader for the company’s Interactive division.
Mr. LaBerge spent more than 20 years at The Walt Disney Company, in two stints separated by five and a half years as a technology entrepreneur. He was most recently President & Chief Technology Officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN where he was responsible for driving all technology and product development in support of The Walt Disney Company’s two media divisions. In that role, he helped set the vision and strategic leadership for how Disney uses technology to enable storytelling and innovation, drive its business, and create unparalleled consumer experiences with entertainment and sports content.
“We are thrilled to have someone of Aaron’s caliber join our PENN executive team. Having overseen a global organization of thousands of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, and data scientists that created some of the largest scale and most successful media properties in the world, there is no better candidate to lead our Technology and Interactive division into its future. I know Aaron is looking forward to working with Todd George, our head of operations, and our entire Executive Team to continue growing our position as a leader in online gaming, sports betting, and digital sports media,” Mr. Snowden said.
“I’m excited to join another talented team at PENN Interactive and lead our technology strategy. PENN Entertainment is at the forefront of the fast-changing gaming and sports media industry. I plan to use my experience from Disney and ESPN to help make ESPN BET an essential piece of the sports fan experience. Together, we’ll push the limits and redefine how fans interact with sports and gaming,” Mr. LaBerge said.
Prior to his most recent role at the Walt Disney Company, Mr. LaBerge was Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at ESPN from 2015 to 2018. At ESPN he played an instrumental role in the growth of ESPN’s consumer-facing digital media products and services – leading many of ESPN’s most ambitious and challenging projects and helping establish ESPN’s position as the leader in digital sports and innovative sports technology development. He was a key architect in the design, development, and engineering of ESPN’s state-of-the-art facilities in Bristol, CT; Los Angeles, CA; Charlotte, NC; and Austin, TX, as well as data centers and infrastructure that connect those facilities around the world, as well as the technology design and development to support the launch of the multi-platform SEC Network.
Between 2007 and 2012, LaBerge was co-founder and CEO of Fanzter, Inc. – a venture-funded consumer software and digital product development company. At Fanzter, he directed all day-to-day operations and led the development and launch of a variety of consumer-focused internet and mobile products, ground-breaking social and commerce technologies and more.
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