Industry News
Sporting Solutions secures World Lottery Association – Security Control Standard certification
Parent company Sporting Group achieves landmark security accreditation
Sporting Group, the parent company of highly regarded B2B sportsbook services supplier Sporting Solutions, has obtained World Lottery Association – Security Control Standard (WLA-SCS) certification.
The accreditation is an important milestone for the company’s extended suite of pricing and risk management services that it supplies to the lotteries sector, including several highly regarded operators, among them Danish giant Danske Spil.
The certification supports the continued development of its unique solution for highly automated Risk Adjusted Pricing, which is designed to deliver a superior player experience, improve both welfare insight and margin on turnover for operators and reduce the non-scalable operational cost pressure that its partners incur.
Simon Trim, Chief Executive of the Sporting Group, said: “We’re delighted to announce the attainment of our WLA-SCS certification during the World Lottery Summit in Argentina.
“Our longstanding partnerships with several WLA members are founded on the highest standards of trust, integrity and operational excellence. This accreditation recognises that our procedures for data and information security are among the best in a sector facing unprecedented levels of competition and regulatory & public scrutiny.”
Ed Peace, Head of Commercial at Sporting Solutions, said: “Achieving this certification is a significant milestone, and with it, our message is clear. Working in partnership with lotteries we will deliver a service that has the security and welfare of the player at its heart but reconciles this with a market leading customer experience, increased profit certainty and bottom-line growth.”
The WLA-SCS is specifically designed for the lotteries sector, awarded by an independent third party (the British Standards Institution) following a thorough audit process.
It is developed using the internationally recognised ISO/IEC 27001 framework, which helps organisations manage and protect information and data. As part of the accreditation process, Sporting Solutions was audited against the ISO/IEC 27001 and WLA-SCS standard and is now fully compliant with both.
About Sporting Solutions:
Sporting Solutions is the B2B division of the UK’s widely respected Sporting Group. Alongside market-leading pricing, data and software solutions, its partners benefit from deep trading expertise not available elsewhere in the outsourced market. It is a partner to 40+ operators in regulated jurisdictions, the majority of which are either lottery or Tier 1 & 2 operators.
While Sporting Solutions is global in outlook, with partners from Europe to Australia, it is focussed on supporting partners to be leaders in their local markets. Rather than providing a “one size fits all” solution; it works with partners to fulfil their specific needs, based on an intrinsic understanding pricing, trading and risk management.
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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