Industry News
ECA Says European Casino Revenues Down 50%
The European Casino Association (ECA) has said that the European land-based casino sector has been hard hit by the pandemic.
ECA this week released statistics that show a devastating year for the bricks-and-mortar gambling industry through a poll of members.
The European casino industry was closed for an average of 136 days in 2020 and most operators have been closed for the first quarter of 2021. Seventy percent of casinos are currently shut down, with some exceptions this year, including Luxembourg, Spain and Monaco, but with restrictions.
The industry lost an average of over 37% of normal operating days last year and revenues have fallen by over 50%. The majority of ECA members do not have a clear schedule for the official reopening in 2021. Before the pandemic members employed 70,000 staff in their 900 casinos, an employment number that is likely to fall to 50,000 when reopening is allowed.
ECA chairman Per Jaldung said: āThis is the deepest trough the European land-based casino industry has ever experienced. The financial impact of the pandemic on the land-based casino sector has been extreme and these numbers show the economic realities of Covid-19 on the European land-based casino sector.
āSome casinos have closed permanently and many casino employees have lost their jobs. We are under no illusion that the industry can return to ābusiness as usualā any time soon. We are, as a matter of fact, very far from business as usual.ā
Restricted opening hours, maximum occupancy and amenity limitations, social distancing protocols, restricted gaming offers, protective measures including plexiglass, masks and on-site testing are just some of the hurdles that the land-based casino business is currently facing.
Country to country variations in the restrictions and mandates have also been compounded by regional variations within national borders. These restrictions are the next major challenge for a sector that the pandemic has hit the hardest.
ECA secretary-general Hermann Pamminger said: āGuests want to visit casinos again. The relaxation and tightening of numerous lockdowns in 2020 demonstrated the ability of the land-based sector to safely and responsibly return to business.
āGuest registration has enabled quick and practical social distancing measures and casinos have implemented comprehensive hygiene initiatives, far exceeding local requirements, ensuring that our guests feel comfortable and safe.
āOur industry is part of the service and tourism sector in which we employ a large number of highly trained and motivated people. The closures affected 130,000 direct and indirect employees, not only across our gambling facilities but also in our restaurant and entertainment areas.
āOur employees cannot wait for the day business is back to normal and they can once again welcome guests to their casino and entertainment venues, but our industry continues to need support to achieve this during an extraordinarily challenging period.ā
Industry News
Nadine Dereza Returns to Chair the ICE World Gaming Forum
Award-winning former Financial Times journalist and business broadcaster Nadine Dereza has been confirmed to chair Januaryās World Gaming Forum, the three-day learning, networking and knowledge sharing exchange which replaces ICE VOX.
In a career thatās seen her interview global politicians including the late Kofi Annan, Condoleezza Rice, Ban Ki-moon, Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Gerhard Schrƶder, Nadine will once again be applying her journalist skill set to Clarion Gamingās sector-leading World Regulatory Briefing, Casino & Leaders Conference (formerly the ICC), and the Esports & Games Conference (formerly the Esports Betting Conference), having previously presented the final edition of ICE VOX in London.
The ICE World Gaming Forum will run Monday 20th ā Wednesday 22nd January 2025 alongside the ICE and iGB Affiliate exhibitions which will be hosted for the first time at the Fira Gran Via Barcelona, one of Europeās biggest and best-appointed venues and home to prestigious Tier 1 events including Smart City Expo, IOT World Congress, Mobile World Congress, IBTM World and Integrated Systems Europe.
Clarion Gamingās Senior Conference Producer Damien Ashton-Wellman said: āWe are delighted to have Nadine back on the team for delivering the first edition of the World Gaming Forum. Nadine was central to the success of the 2024 ICE conferences which featured over 1,210 senior decision makers from 79 countries, including 621 operator C-Level, 87 global CEOs, 72 national and regional regulatory bodies, and 7 government ministers. Her unique blend of financial, political, and technology sector experience, and her broadcast ready presentation skills really delivered an elevated experience for the show.ā
He added: āWe are confident that our new world class venue and host city partnership will provide a platform for further growth with the ICE World Gaming Forum delivering exclusive connections, in-depth content, and tailored networking events.ā
Nadine Dereza said: āIām delighted to have been invited back to help launch the World Gaming Forum in what is a favourite European city of mine. The gambling industry is a highly innovative sector for entrepreneurs, policy makers and campaigners alike. ICE reflects this dynamic on a global scale and Iām looking forward to hosting insightful debates, regulatory updates and plenty of knowledge sharing. Iāve described ICE as being the āDavos of Gamingā because itās the largest gathering of leaders from across the global gaming ecosystem. Having previously hosted the IBTM Leadership Summit for several consecutive years and many international shows in Barcelona, the welcome and event services offered by the city and Fira venue are among the best Iāve worked with, and those attending ICE in January will see that experience tooā
The World Gaming Forum will be situated at the heart of the Fira Gran Via Barcelona and feature an exclusive club-style VIP lounge for delegates and speakers, a dedicated networking garden, and provide access to a range of concierge services, including early access to the show each day.
Industry News
BetConstruct Nominated at SiGMA Europe B2B Awards
BetConstruct has been nominated for two categories at the SiGMA Europe B2B Awards that is set to take place in Valletta, Malta on November 11.
BetConstructās full-fledged platform was nominated for the Best Platform Provider category, while the novel loyalty system The Last Battle received a nomination for the Unique Selling Point category.
āOur platform and The Last Battle are testaments to BetConstructās commitment to pushing the envelope in innovation, and we are excited to be nominated for both categories. The Last Battle in particular is unique, as it can be easily paired with our casino and sports betting products. It helps partners enhance player engagement on their platforms by putting players into different segments, each with their own unique and customisable rewards that are triggered when players earn points and level up,ā the company said.
The Awards take place on the 11th of November during the SiGMA Europe 2024 event.
Industry News
Kindred Group Announces Third Quarter Revenue as Part of Tender Offer by La FranƧaise des Jeux
Kindred Group plc (Kindred) announced third quarter total revenue figures (unaudited) as part of FDJās public tender offer to acquire the entire outstanding share capital of Kindred.
During the third quarter of 2024, Kindred saw continued solid growth across its diversified market footprint with total revenue (B2C and B2B) reaching GBP 294.5 million. The Gross winnings revenue for the third quarter amounted to GBP 283.1 million and the share of Gross winnings revenue from locally regulated markets amounted to 83%.
Kindredās estimated revenue and share of locally regulated revenue for the third quarter 2024 are in line with expectations and the Group remains on track towards its communicated full-year EBITDA guidance. Kindred will report final figures for the third quarter 2024 in its interim report on 25 October 2024.
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