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Live Casino Comparer: 60% of British Public Think Loot Boxes Should be Regulated as Gambling

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LONDON, January 12, 2018 – Video game manufacturers are persistently facing criticism on account of loot boxes, which contain randomised prizes and can be bought with real money to be used within games. As per a survey by Live Casino Comparer the percentage of British people who cling to the belief that loot boxes should be regulated as gambling adds up to 60.

The very inception of this disputation over loot boxes goes back to Belgian and Dutch gambling regulators who initially looked into the idea that loot boxes should be classified as gambling.

Which was followed by the Hawaiian state representative Chris Lee, a damning critique of loot boxes who released a video on YouTube. Emphasizing on the loot boxes in 2017 video game Star Wars: Battlefront II, Lee expressed his anger towards a “Star Wars-themed online casino designed to lure kids into spending money.”

In response to the affair, Apple recently changed the rules on its app store with regards to loot boxes.

Vulnerable young people

Neil Walker, the gambling expert who conducted the survey of over 1000 British people, condemns the “gambling loopholes” that allow loot boxes to exist. “Vulnerable young people are being introduced to gambling in a way that provides them with no protection or support.”

The Gambling Commission has also recently expressed concerns about the amount of exposure to gambling that young people are facing. Its research on the issue states that 80% of 11–16 year olds have seen gambling advertised on TV. What’s more, 12% of 11–16 year olds have gambled in the last week.

However, with regards to loot boxes, Walker worries that this figure could potentially be “a lot higher”. He also blames the Government for its double standards on tackling the issue. “Large fines have been levied by the UK Gambling Commission for misleading advertising, yet nothing is being done to regulate gambling purchases in video games in the UK.”

Despite increasing pressure to regulate loot boxes as gambling, from both officials and the public, the stance of authorities in the UK and the US is that loot boxes do not constitute as gambling because players do get some kind of reward.

Walker believes that this is missing the point. “Politicians are out of touch with what the public wants. Of course, loot boxes count as gambling. The time to act is now.”

This is not the first time that the question of whether or not loot boxes count as gambling has been raised. In 2012, a predatory scheme similar to loot boxes in Japanese games was declared illegal by the government. Kompu gacha was an in-game mechanism which involved encouraging players to pay a little bit of money for a randomised prize. Most of these prizes were small, but some were worth much more.

Shocking similarities

As with kompu gacha, the concern with Star Wars: Battlefront II is the way in which its loot boxes so closely mimic a casino. One minigame even involves a slot machine and, according to journalist Zaid Jilani, it is not uncommon for players to treat the loot boxes in Star Wars: Battlefront II like a slot machine. “A loot box costs between 83 cents and $1.80, and it’s not uncommon for a player to buy dozens and dozens of boxes in an attempt to unlock a particular character or capability.”

Walker calls these similarities “shocking”, as he had previously assumed that loot boxes were regulated as gambling. “As someone who has worked in the iGaming industry for years, I had long thought that loot boxes counted as gambling in the same way that blackjack or a slot machine would.”

“There are children growing up right now who’s first exposure to gambling is through loot boxes. We need to make sure that video games are held accountable in the same way casinos are.”

For more information about Neil Walker, please visit www.livecasinocomparer.com

About Live Casino Comparer

Live Casino Comparer is an online casino comparison and gambling news website run by gambling expert Neil Walker. Each article is written by Neil, who specialises in analyses of different online live casinos. The website also features reviews, insight, and updates from across the casino industry.

SOURCE Live Casino Comparer

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Crypto Casinos Review – Exploring the Crypto World

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Cryptocurrency is a digital currency that, unlike traditional money, is traded in an encrypted form. This encryption was developed to ensure that cryptocurrencies, which are intended as a medium of exchange that can replace cash, are secure and verifiable. With cryptocurrencies, you can transfer value anytime, anywhere, to anyone, over the internet. Cryptocurrencies are digital assets that are not regulated by a central authority. This means that no one prints or controls them. They run on a free and open network of computers. This network uses a technology called blockchain, a publicly visible database that keeps track of cryptocurrencies. The blockchain ensures that cryptocurrencies are protected against counterfeiting. To own cryptocurrencies, it is enough to join this network and create a crypto wallet. In today’s article, we will explore the advantageous world of cryptocurrencies and crypto casinos. Let’s get started!

Alt : Bitcoin symbol

About Cryptocurrencies

Since the 90s, the heyday of technology, there have been many attempts to create a digital currency. Systems such as Flooz and DigiCash were developed, but these attempts failed due to fraud, financial troubles, internal disputes, etc. No one predicted that some people would use crypto for gambling at the time. All these efforts led to the idea of a trusted, third-hand approach.


The first cryptocurrency was developed in early 2009. By a person or persons who went by the name Satoshi Nakamoto. It was shared as open source software by an unknown person. This network runs on a platform similar in concept to file-sharing platforms. One of the major problems with payment systems is the possibility of the same money being spent twice. However, this method implies the intervention of an authority that can control all capital. This reduces credibility. However, in a decentralized and distributed network every part of the system needs to give its approval for the transaction to take place. This is done through the blockchain, so every transaction is visible to everyone. All transfers take place with the wallet addresses of the sender and receiver and the amount to be sent. The exchange or shipment must be verified by the sender and then approved by the system. Confirmation can only be done by miners. If a transaction is confirmed, it is irrecoverable. The biggest risks for cryptocurrencies are the possibility of hacking and attacks. Let’s continue with blockchain technology to understand cryptocurrencies better.

Blockchain

In the chain, data is always added as blocks at the end. Adding a block to the chain requires the approval of all registries in the network. Records added to the blockchain cannot be changed or deleted later. To delete or change records in blocks, all blocks in this ledger, of which there are millions of copies, would have to be changed. This is almost impossible. This is because even if a change is made in any block, the chain containing the modified block will be different from the other chains in the network and will become invalid. It is close to impossible to produce fake information and documents and to make fictitious money transfers in the blockchain. This is because many voluntary users keep a copy of the blockchain ledger on their personal computers. Blocks are linked to each other with each new transaction to ensure chain security. Encryption in the blockchain is performed with various mathematical algorithms called “hashes”. Each block contains the hash code of the previous block. This allows chronologically successive blocks to be linked together, like the links of a chain. Hash functions have no inverse, meaning that encryption is performed in one direction. When an input is given to the hash function, a hash code is obtained. However, it is not possible to make an opinion about the input or to understand what the input is by looking at this hash code. Even a simple change in the input text will result in a new hash code. As such, there are many reasons to prefer cryptocurrencies. But how do casinos use these advantages? Let’s take a closer look at the world of crypto casinos.

Explore The Crypto Casinos World

Crypto casinos are referred to as Bitcoin casinos. However they are just like typical online gambling sites with the only different payment methods. Crypto casinos give their customers the opportunity to deposit and withdraw funds using digital currencies. Each transaction is verified by blockchain technology. Transparency and security providing an unprecedented level of anonymity to gamblers. These features are driving forces behind the increase in the number of players opting for crypto casino platforms because they offer high privacy and security based on the use of pseudonymous transactions along with blockchain encryption methods. They are also faster than all traditional banking methods. Plus the fees are lower. Being decentralized extends to global availability, allowing players to get worldwide.

Of course, it is important to do a little research before embarking on this adventure because there are important things to consider. One of them is reliability. The fact that you have so many options on the market also means that you may encounter negative events. To avoid this, you need a casino that is known to the public and licensed. To check this, you can check what people say about that casino online. It is also possible to check the casino’s licenses. Another factor is the variety of games. Take a look at the games offered by the casino and compare their quality. The more options, the more quality. Payment methods are another consideration. The variety of cryptocurrencies accepted by the casino will create a more advantageous environment for you. After all of these, you should take a look at bonuses and promotions. These are things that will contribute so much to your budget management that maybe you can reach the money of your dreams thanks to these promotions and bonuses. A lot of casinos design tight promotions to attract players to them. In the same way that you chase discounts when shopping for yourself, you can also try to find advantageous times here.

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Interviews

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

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

 

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Industry Awards

ProgressPlay Shines Again as a Finalist in Multiple Categories in the 2024 EGR B2B Awards

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ProgressPlay, a leading innovator in online casino and sports betting platforms, proudly announces its selection as a finalist in multiple categories for the esteemed EGR B2B Awards. This recognition comes hot on the heels of Marina Nahhas, the Head of Sales and Marketing, being acknowledged as one of the Top 10 Inspiring Leaders in 2024 by Value Icons Magazine.

Last year, the company made significant advancements in responsible gambling with the introduction of new generation proprietary automation and tools, earning another EGR B2B Awards shortlisting this year in the Safer Gambling category.

Earlier this year, ProgressPlay garnered acclaim for its groundbreaking standalone solution and platform technology, earning a spot among the Top 10 Casino Tech Solutions Providers by CIO Applications Europe. The company has further expanded its sports betting offerings with the recent addition of United Kingdom and Irish horse racing to its platform.

At the heart of ProgressPlay’s recent success is its revolutionary standalone platform, which debuted at ICE in January. This platform empowers casino brands to take full control of their operations while ProgressPlay provides unparalleled technology support. With a focus on AI-driven UI/UX, the platform promises an exceptional user experience across all devices and currencies.

In addition to its extensive game library including slots, live dealer games, poker, table games and sports betting options, ProgressPlay offers value-added services to enrich the offerings for operators and players.

Commenting on the EGR Awards shortlisting, Nahhas remarked: “ProgressPlay is a leading provider of online casino and sports betting platforms, offering a comprehensive suite of solutions tailored to the evolving needs of the iGaming industry, which these EGR B2B shortlistings recognise once again. We will be at SiGMA Asia in Manila to communicate why over 150 online casino and sportsbook brands are already in partnership with us.”

“We are thrilled to be recognised once again by the EGR B2B Awards,” the Chief Executive Officer for ProgressPlay, Itai Loewenstein, said. “Our commitment to innovation and excellence drives us to continually enhance our platform and services, delivering unparalleled value to our partners and players alike and underwritten by the judges each year at the EGR B2B Awards.”

For further information visit www. ProgressPlay. com.

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