Press Releases
Bacta to voice members’ outrage over B2 delay at Treasury meeting
A senior delegation of Bacta figures comprising National President Gabi Stergides, Vice President James Miller and Chief Executive John White, will meet with officials from The Treasury next week to convey the industry’s outrage over the proposed delay in implementing the £2 stake on FOBTs and to outline the case for reducing MGD on SWP machines from 20% to 5%. The meeting will be held on Wednesday 25th July at The Treasury.
Previewing the Bacta position, John White said: “The government has taken the decision to reduce the maximum stake (on FOBTs) to £2, it’s taken the credit for making that reduction so why is it taking two years to implement?” He continued: “The bookies are pushing the quite ludicrous argument that it will take two years to make the technological adjustments necessary to reduce the stake when everyone who is involved in the FOBT supply chain knows that’s abject nonsense.
“We also know that the bookies have been scenario planning for a variety of outcomes and it’s inconceivable that the £2 stake has come as a shock when the weight of opinion from the Church of England to The Royal Society for Public Health has been in favour of such a reduction. Bearing in mind the examples of human tragedy caused by FOBTs, this delay is both reprehensible and totally avoidable.”
Bacta will also be putting its strong empirical arguments in favour of reducing MGD on SWP machines before the genre disappears completely from British pubs. John White explained: “A reduction in the rate of MGD has long been an ambition of Bacta. SWPs or quiz machines were part of the culture of many pubs and they are now close to disappearing entirely. The cost to the Treasury of such a change is negligible and could be facilitated by a simple amendment to the Finance Act. We are hopeful of a sympathetic hearing based on the facts.”
About bacta:
Bacta represents the amusement and gaming machine industry in the UK, encompassing high-tech and creative manufacturers, machine suppliers for pubs, clubs and bingo halls, as well as operators of Family Entertainment Centres and over 18s Gaming Centres. Bacta members include the whole of the amusement machine supply chain in the UK, which has a collective turnover of nearly £2bn across more than 500 companies, operating in excess of 310,000 machines.
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BGaming curls up with bountiful bonus games in Catdiana
Popular iGaming content provider BGaming is helping players hunt for ancient treasures in its latest release Catdiana. Boasting two purr-fect bonus games, the gameplay is further enhanced through cat-themed scatters, coveted coins and high-value gem symbols.
The 5×3 reel action unfolds deep within a mystical cat temple where Catdiana goes on the prowl, performing as a wild to guide players to hidden treasures and big wins.
Landing three of the temple’s sacred Ark Scatters on reels one, three and five holds the key to getting your claws into the game’s five Free Spins bonus round. Amping up the level of excitement, the Blazing reels are reels two, three and four merged into one giant symbol to enhance the player’s winning potential.
Players scoring six or more coins in the main game or Free Spins can then pounce on Catdiana’s additional bonus game, where only coins take their place on the grid, offering multiplier values as high as x20 of the bet. To help slot enthusiasts edge ever closer to untold riches, Mini, Major and Mega Jackpots are also featured in the Coin Respin game.
Julia Alekseeva, Co-CPO at BGaming, said: “With such a charming main character taking inspiration from the ever-popular Indiana Jones and Puss in Boots, we’re hoping players will be feline just fine with Catdiana.”
“Our two sumptuous Bonus games lead the way with inspired mechanics, including Blazing Reels and three lavish jackpots, while the ancient temple-themed style and crisp audiovisual effects add an extra dynamic. This is the best time to get your paws on prizes!”
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BetBlocker partners with Yellow Scarf to deliver to valuable support to Ukrainian, Polish and Russian communities in the UK
BetBlocker, a charity providing free, anonymous to use, blocking software has partnered with Yellow Scarf, a charity working to deliver support and treatment for Eastern European communities in the Midlands of the UK, to deliver translated versions of the BetBlocker service to support Ukrainian, Polish and Russian communities.
Supported by funding from GambleAware, this project has resulted in the roll out of key native language support for under-supported minority communities. Removing barriers to accessing support services is one of the cornerstones of the minimisation of harm.
Founder and Trustee for BetBlocker, Duncan Garvie, had this to say about the launch of the BetBlocker in these new languages: “A significant priority for BetBlocker is expanding the languages that we can support. As a tech solution to a complex problem, ensuring that users have as smooth and easy a set-up process as possible is paramount to our success in minimising gambling harms. If a user can’t get our app set-up, we’ve failed.
For this reason it’s critical that we facilitate users accessing our app in a language that they’re confident using. Yellow Scarf’s critical work has highlighted the need that exists to provide BetBlocker in languages that the Ukrainian, Polish and Russian communities in the UK can easily access.
The opportunity that GambleAware has provided us to cooperates with an important treatment provider in the UK to expand the service we offer and ensure that our support can be accessed by these under-served communities is one that we were thrilled to take on.”
Tomasz Jarecki, Head of Development at Yellow Scarf, added: “It is a great honour for us to support BetBlocker in making their project more accessible and reaching wider communities – translation into a national language ensures that the more vulnerable people will be able to receive support that would otherwise miss them. More than 25% of Eastern Europeans living in the UK still struggle, despite their best efforts, to fluently speak English in unusual circumstances – and it raises our spirits to find partners such as Betblocker, willing to put in an extra effort to support instead of judge.”
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Stakelogic Wraps Up Deal with Bet25.dk
Industry-leading casino content provider Stakelogic has enhanced its presence in the Danish market by signing a partnership with leading operator Bet25.dk. This new integration, facilitated by Light & Wonder, will allow the site full access to Stakelogic’s in-demand online slot portfolio.
Players at Bet25.dk will now be able to enjoy cutting-edge online slot action in games like Snowflake Sorcery, Emperor’s Champion, and The Watcher, all of which showcase Stakelogic’s commitment to innovation and excitement.
Bet25.dk is an extremely popular online casino with years of experience in the Danish market. The addition of Stakelogic’s slot portfolio will only amplify the top-quality service the casino already offers players.
As per the deal, an exciting promotion based around Stakelogic’s industry-first Super Wheel bonus will be part of the launch campaign. Super Wheel combines the excitement of online slots with the immersive environment of a live casino.
The optional side-bet gives players the chance to be whisked away to a live studio setting where they can spin the Super Wheel to win prizes or trigger additional bonuses.
Robert Stoyanov, Account Manager at Stakelogic, said: “The Danish market is an extremely important one for Stakelogic, and working with brands like Bet25 will only help us strengthen our position there. The company’s reputation speaks for itself.
It has a history of bringing exciting and unique online slot experiences to its players, and we are excited to become a part of its slot catalogue.”
Lasse Larsen, Casino Product Owner at Bet25.dk, said: “We pride ourselves on delivering the most innovative online slot experiences to our players, and the integration of Stakelogic’s award-winning slot portfolio only reinforces that position.
When players log in to Bet25, they expect to find the best online slots on the market, and this new partnership ensures that this is exactly what happens.”
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