Industry News
A GAME ABOVE and Beanstalk Launch “Yield Sec”
Customer experience marketing agency A Game Above has teamed up with the player protection company Beanstalk and launch “Yield Sec,” a new solution to help combat illegal gambling.
A GAME ABOVE and Beanstalk have stated that they have developed the first tool helping governments and regulators, monitor and remove “black market threats,” obstructing the progress of regulated marketplaces for licensed incumbents.
Yield Sec will support regulatory authorities with a real-time solution and database actively monitoring the activities of illegal black market websites targeting individual marketplaces and vulnerable customer segments.
“The operation of a sustainable marketplace, with cared-for customers and practically excluded minors and at-risk audiences, whilst raising valuable taxation revenues for society, predictably, is the perfect way to support our shared mission across A GAME ABOVE and Beanstalk: the customer experience,” Steen Madsen, CEO of A GAME ABOVE, said.
“Player protection and the operation of a sustainable, responsible industry, onshore and subject to regulation, are, in our view, simply facets of the customer experience, overall,” Steen Madsen added.
The product will allow governments and regulators to establish a “regulatory ring-fence for all licensed and soon-to-be licensed markets,” which A GAME ABOVE and Beanstalk hope will prevent “the failure to fund good causes and the outright theft of legitimate tax yield by illicit black market operators.”
“After an intensive period of research and development, we’re pleased to be announcing the launch of Yield Sec. Across most markets today, those at risk of gambling-related harm do not know where to effectively turn when facing a problem,” Jack Symons, Co-Founder and Director of Beanstalk, said.
“Escaping a spiral of continued, compulsive play is almost impossible when no gambling cessation helpline or tool has historically worked to effectively exclude the black market. Yield Sec will achieve this and provide for meaningful player protection. Caring for the vulnerable is ineffective if we only place conditions upon licensed operators but then leave the unregulated black market openly available,” Jack Symons added.
Yield Sec developers stated that an effective black-market monitoring solution is needed during a time of disruption across multiple markets, in which government and regulators aim to harmonise regulatory measures balancing player protection and taxation yield measures.
Bill Pascrell, III, President, North America for A GAME ABOVE, said: “For governments and regulators, Yield Sec is a tool for our time and the sustainable future of regulated online betting and gaming.
“Despite the loss of nearly all professional sport over the COVID-19 crisis, it is clear that black-market betting and gaming sites and apps benefited enormously – at no other point in history have we seen the broad presence and availability of so many unlicensed, unregulated offerings, none of which pay any tax, protect any players or provide for those at risk.
“In targeting regulated territories, these black market operators are effectively stealing taxpayers’ money and avoiding the contributions that licensed, responsible operators make to good causes and the prevention of gambling-related harm.”
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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