Latest News
Bacta app is making swift progress with industry invited to see for itself at ACOS
Bacta Vice President Greg Wood provides an update on the JV struck in the summer with payments specialists Polar Moment and provides a taster to what the industry can expect to see on the newly formed Game Payment Technology stand at ACOS.
It’s two months since you received the green light from National Council for the JV – can you update us on what you’ve been working on and what’s been achieved in the first 60 days?
We’ve been involved on a number of concurrent work streams. In terms of product development the guys at Polar Moment and Reflex have been working extremely hard and have achieved amazing things in what is a short time frame. The whole backend is now fully developed to production level in terms of being fully secure and scalable, with a fully operational digital wallet. The front end user app is in final testing stages and we will have completed all the finishing touches to the User Interface by the end of October.
We will be using an additional piece of hardware to enable the machine which has been developed and designed for production. This is now complete and we will have the first version of the Solution in machines at Reflex and Polar Moment by the end of October to enable us to complete full end-toend testing of the whole system in a fully live environment.
Banking and compliance is a big area. Not only have we taken into account the social responsibility requirements of the Gambling Commission but also the compliance requirements of the Financial Conduct Authority, payment processors and the banks all of whom require us to pass compliance testing and ensure that we have the correct processes in place. Polar Moment has been able to provide the insight to make this process seem effortless.
What’s the make-up of the board and what do the individuals bring to the table?
We have incorporated a new company – Game Payment Technology – which has a board comprising three people from each side of the JV. From Polar Moment, Paul Deedis is the technical lead, John Rozek brings all the knowledge and skills required for banking compliance and Tim Stratton, one of the founders of Polar Moment has over 30-years experience in the sector. From the bacta side Robert Gibb is heading up the finance in the JV and dealing with legals and Quentin Stott from Reflex brings a manufacturing perspective which has enabled us to move very quickly getting the product integrated. Having headed up the cashless committee within bacta for two years I was also asked to sit on the board. Being an operator I am able to bring this perspective to the development, combining technical knowledge with insight on the process for collections and accounting for cash. Overall I think we have a strong team which boasts detailed knowledge of each sector and I’m pleased to say it’s working extremely well.
How does the new company interface with bacta and can members feed into the JV with their own ideas, observations and experiences?
As all the bacta members on the board are also members of Mancom there is a high level of interface with the trade association and progress reports are issued every month. Updates are also made to each of the bacta Divisions and to National Council. Moving forward there will be opportunities for members to interact via these forums. As bacta members will be the main customers their feedback will be integral to the success of the venture.
What is the gestation period from where you are now to having a fully functioning app working throughout the various gaming verticals?
We hope to be fully operational on site with a shake down test by early November. This will be a four site test run conducted over an eight week period. From there we will move to a wider test with a number of different operators. In the first instance the solution will only be available to the pub market but given the design of the system it can be easily integrated into most machines with some changes to the machine operating system. We will soon be publishing the specification for this which will be circulated among all manufacturers.
How has the Gambling Commission responded to the initiative?
The Commission has been positive in its approach to app payment systems generally. Their published guidance on what is and what isn’t acceptable in their interpretation of the law means that we have defined and specific requirements to work with. To keep them fully informed we have invited representatives of the Gambling Commission to visit us at ACOS for a full demo of the system. From a social responsibility perspective the app will deliver much more control than cash and the team will be implementing a number of features. For example the app will have a default weekly deposit limit that will take 24 hours to change. We will also have a cooling off option that will allow the player to restrict their gaming access through the app. There are also a number of other initiatives that we will be incorporating into the system, but at this point we don’t want to publicise them.
What are the biggest hurdles and how do you plan to overcome them?
Given the way our project is structured most of the complex parts of the development, speaking both technically and operationally, have already been dealt with very effectively. That is not to say that everything has been easy, but the outcome has always been achievable. The area that we believe is going to represent the biggest challenge is educating the enduser and driving uptake. We do however have strategies under discussion to deal with this, so wait and see!
What presence will you have at ACOS and what’s your message to the industry ahead of the show?
Game Payment Technology will have a dedicated stand at ACOS and there will also be GPT enabled machines on the Reflex stand. We will be able to provide visitors with a full overview of the system and a live demonstration. Our message to the industry is that this solution is not designed to be a replacement for cash, but is to facilitate the consumers who would rather play by means other than cash. In our modelling we haven’t assumed any uplift will be driven by deploying the app, but instead we view it as a means of keeping the customers that we currently have. If we are able to pick up more players this will represent a significant added bonus.
Latest News
Global Dollar Network Launches USDG Stablecoin Which Could Revolutionise iGaming Transactions
In a significant advancement for the iGaming industry, the recent launch of the Global Dollar Network introduces USDG (Global Dollar), a stablecoin set to transform online gaming transactions. Already fronted by bigshot financial technology and cryptocurrency firms—including Robinhood, Kraken, and Galaxy Digital—this new option will provide a stable digital asset backed by traditional currencies.
Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that have been designed to maintain a fixed value by pegging them to more conventional currencies, such as the US dollar. In that respect, they respond better to issues of high volatility usually associated with cryptocurrencies—appealing to those industries requiring consistency of transaction value, an attribute that is invaluable in iGaming for online crypto casino platforms.
These casinos have become some of the most widely used platforms now where cryptocurrencies are accepted as a payment method. They offer great perks like generous bonuses, faster withdrawals, and a more private and seamless experience for players. However, crypto volatility can make it tricky as winnings can soar or drop based on how a particular crypto token is performing. Stablecoins make a great alternative to mitigate this issue.
The Global Dollar Network’s USDG has been issued from Singapore by the crypto platform Paxos, aligning with the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s regulatory framework. The governance of USDG will be handled by a board that includes representatives from its network partners, such as Anchorage. USDG will face the uphill challenge of seeking entry into a market dominated by Tether and other prominent stablecoins, which hold nearly 90% combined of the total market capitalization, according to a CoinGecko report.
With USDG integrated into an iGaming platform, several tangible benefits are predicted to arise. First of all, it improves a lot in terms of transaction speed and efficiency. Traditional methods of banking delay the depositing and withdrawing of money, thus frustrating players who wish to participate in gaming activities. Stablecoins provide virtually instant transactions, allowing players to deposit their money and begin playing instead of waiting around for hours.
Furthermore, your winnings won’t fluctuate as much since they are relatively stable thanks to the coin being tied to the US dollar. Stablecoin transactions typically cut out most of the middlemen, hence reducing fees on deposits and withdrawals, making it cost-effective both for players and operators. This will enable players to have more funds for gaming while operators will be offering better services without necessarily affecting profitability.
However, acceptance of this class of cryptocurrency may vary among gaming platforms; whereas some online gaming platforms might fully accept them as a mode of payment, others might merely be considering it or be partially done with the integration process. Gamers wishing to try stablecoin should validate the different accepted payment means on their preferred platform.
Paxos CEO Charles Cascarilla asserted that they are willing to offer incentives to ensure a speedy adoption of the new stablecoin across all industries. Per Reuters, he iterated that The Global Dollar Network is committed to redistributing nearly all rewards to its participants. Its purpose is to encourage the widespread use of global stablecoins and to speed up the adoption of the technology behind it.
The involvement of reputable financial institutions further solidifies the credibility of USDG. For the purpose of the project, DBS Bank has been chosen as the main banking partner, taking care of cash management and custody services for the reserves behind USDG. The partnership with a major South East Asia bank ensures that the stablecoin will be backed by secure and reliable financial assets, further building trust among its users and stakeholders.
Paxos co-founded USDG’s governing body with some of the biggest crypto giants: Anchorage Digital, Bullish, and Nuvei. As such, the new stablecoin has quite a big advantage over many competitors regarding regulatory compliance.
As such, the integration of stablecoins like USDG into the continuously developing iGaming industry is one of the main avenues through which payment systems are getting modernized and user experiences improved.
Latest News
Galaxsys Presents Slap Shot – A New Slap-Tastic Turbo Game
Latest News
SUPERSCALE RAISES $1.2 MILLION FOR GAME BUSINESS ANALYTICS ‘SUPERPLATFORM’
SuperScale, the game business analytics company, announces it has secured an investment round of $1.2 million to support the launch and rapid expansion of SuperPlatform, the ultimate game business analytics platform.
SuperPlatform solves a critical industry challenge: aligning changes in game business strategy from top to bottom with consistent and trustable data that is always up-to-date. The platform provides executives with a single source of reliable, standardized business insights from across the organization in order to execute data-backed strategies with coherence and confidence. After a soft launch in August 2024, 60 studios are already using SuperPlatform to understand their entire business in one integrated platform.
The fresh funding round was led by existing investors including Across Private Investments, LevelUp Ventures, Zero One Hundred, and Venture to Future Fund, along with new investor Strecko Investments. Following the successful soft launch and strong market adoption of SuperPlatform, SuperScale has already become cashflow positive and is extending the current funding round by a further $2.15 million by the end of 2024, positioning the company for sustained success.
The no-SDK SuperPlatform integration ensures consistency of business data from over 40 sources across marketing, product, and finance, providing an all-in-one, AI-powered view of games business performance. It brings games studios and publishers all the flexibility and data ownership of an internal solution at a fraction of the cost of today’s fragmented tools. SuperPlatform includes advanced features such as predictive modeling, automated data health monitoring, and hundreds of standardized use cases—all tailored to the unique needs of individual decision makers inside game organizations of all sizes.
A standout feature of SuperPlatform is its ‘Command Center’ which enables gaming executives and investors to model shifts in strategy, and execute them across their organizations. Whether a CEO of an indie studio focused on maximizing short-term cash flow or a Portfolio GM aiming to boost first-year profits in a larger gaming organization, SuperPlatform provides decision-makers with the accurate success criteria needed to align their teams with the organization’s goals.
Ivan Trančík, Founder and CEO of SuperScale, commented:
“Apple’s privacy changes and the post-pandemic slump rocked the games industry. CEOs, CFOs and investors have been kept up at night, scrambling to implement radically different business strategies across their organizations. By consolidating essential tools and analytics into one platform, we give studios of all sizes the peace of mind to trust their business data again, while reducing the need for multiple platform tools or costly internal solutions.”
He added:
“SuperPlatform is our flagship SaaS offering and is the culmination of eight years of internal development, encompassing all the tools and models developed by SuperScale. It has already delivered record profits to our partners as part of our existing complementary solutions and, by offering it as a unified platform, we can empower a much broader range of studios to achieve unprecedented results.”
Michal Csonga, partner at Zero One Hundred, said:
“SuperScale has executed a stellar corporate and product transformation during the most turbulent period in the history of the gaming industry. They have consolidated years of expertise into one software platform. SuperPlatform saves game studios and developers significant time and costs and increases profits drastically. We are thrilled to support this success story that is reshaping this global industry.”
Founded in 2015, SuperScale has long been known for offering a suite of solutions to game developers and publishers, powered by the proprietary analytics technology that now underpins SuperPlatform. By making it available to all on a subscription basis, SuperScale completes its transition from a service-based to a SaaS (software-as-a-service) model. To find out how SuperPlatform can unlock your game’s true potential, simply copy the link of your game in the Google Play or App Store into the platform’s Revenue Uplift calculator.
-
Asia7 days ago
Hong Kong Construction Titan Turned Macau Casino Boss Lui Che-Woo Dies Aged 95
-
Asia7 days ago
Making Indian Presence Felt: Natural8 India gears up to take a contingent of nine winners of its latest India Exclusive to Asian Poker Tour (APT) Phu Quoc!
-
Conferences in Europe6 days ago
The iGaming Conference Boom: A Catalyst for Industry Growth or Event Overload?
-
Asia6 days ago
Nazara integrates with ONDC Network to Launch “gCommerce” in India, Unlocking a new era of In-Game Monetization
-
Latest News7 days ago
TOGETHER ON THE ROAD TO GLORY: TotoGaming x CFR Cluj
-
Latest News7 days ago
UK Gambling Commission Launches Gambling Harms Action Lab
-
Latest News7 days ago
bwin Becomes “Official Betting Partner of the NFL” in Germany and Austria
-
Sports Betting6 days ago
Swifty Global Announces Launch of Swifty Sports IE, Expanding Sports Betting and Casino Services in the Irish Market