Industry News
IAGR2019 to explore casino chaos and the regulator’s response
Dr Larry Barton, world-renowned expert in crisis management for casinos, will be exploring a regulator’s role in times of chaos at IARG2019 later this month in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
IAGR2019 is the key event for gaming regulators, law experts, advisors and industry – organised by the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR). IAGR2019 runs from Monday 30 September to Thursday 3 October at the Half Moon Resort.
Dr Barton is the Distinguished University Professor of Crisis Management and Public Safety at the University of Central Florida, and has spent 31 years working with casinos and regulators in crisis management worldwide.
Larry’s presentation, titled The dynamic realities of crisis management and casinos: Prevention and oversight in the midst of chaos, explores what regulators can learn from those who have already navigated through troubled waters.
‘Gaming regulators often find themselves under scrutiny faster than they may expect, such as Twitter and news feeds, with public expectations for answers, after a crisis impacts a casino,’ said Dr Barton.
‘There is increasingly little time to get to the office and collaborate with staff in person. Much like a casino itself, the regulator must adapt because whether the issue is alleged fraud and embezzlement, insider trading of a publicly traded casino, drug dealing by employees or human trafficking being funded by execs at a property, the range of issues can be dazzling.
‘Even the most seasoned and informed regulatory bodies are often unprepared when legislators, the news, social media and the public begins to demand answers after a crisis.’
Dr Barton will use his extensive experience – he’s on call 24/7 to many regulators and properties globally – to explore strategies that work and those that haven’t during crisis situations.
His session will explore the lessons learnt when casinos and their licensing authorities have faced issues of workplace violence, radicalization, organized crime, allegations of unsafe working conditions and numerous other critical incidents.
As demonstrated by the licence conditions Massachusetts Gaming Commission recently placed on Wynn Resorts, impacts on people – staff, suppliers, customers and the community – are an important part of the mix.
‘This session will focus not on the legislation that governs casino operations, but on the people side – the topics we rarely discuss – so regulators will be more informed and prepared to effectively address questions in a world of often immediate scrutiny,’ says Dr Barton.
‘For example, we are now in the first stage of a massive global discussion regarding mental health and the proper screening of employees. Background checks and weapons ownership, if an employee makes or poses a threat, is in focus.
‘This is a critical time for regulators to look at the landscape of potential controversies and crises and ask: how can we be more effective in the public interest?’
Attendees can catch Dr Barton’s session on Day 1 of our program at IAGR2019. View his full bio.
Industry News
MiFinity to Showcase Innovative iFrame at SiGMA 2024
MiFinity, a leading global payment services provider, is excited to announce its participation at SiGMA 2024, held in Malta from 12 to 14 November. Visitors can find MiFinity at Stand 2012, where the team will be showcasing its award winning PayAnyBank service, and the latest version of the MiFinity iFrame and demonstrating how it helps iGaming operators acquire and retain players with a seamless, flexible payment experience.
Paul Kavanagh, CEO of MiFinity, commented: “SiGMA is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase our latest developments and engage directly with the iGaming community. The MiFinity iFrame is a game-changer for operators looking to streamline their payment processes and enhance the player experience. We look forward to demonstrating its capabilities and connecting with both existing and prospective partners.”
MiFinity’s Business Development and Account Management teams will be on-site to discuss the new iFrame features in-depth and highlight how MiFinity can optimise payments for iGaming operators. They will also be showcasing MiFinity’s innovative suite of payment solutions developed specifically for the iGaming sector, including MiFinity PayAnyBank — a powerful tool that enables operators to send payouts directly to players’ bank accounts in multiple countries and currencies, enhancing the user experience with faster, more localised transactions and reduced FX fees.
The MiFinity Affiliates team will also be available to explain the benefits of MiFinity’s affiliate program, which offers some of the highest commissions in the industry and unique promotional opportunities via the MiFinity Bonus website.
Meet the MiFinity team at Stand 2012 at SiGMA 2024 to learn more about the company’s solutions and how they are transforming the iGaming payment landscape. Pre-book a meeting with the MiFinity team or drop by the stand during the event to explore how MiFinity can support your business.
Book a meeting here > outlook.office365.com/book/[email protected]/
Industry News
Dutch Mental Health Care Calls for Total Ban on Online Gambling Advertising
The Dutch mental health service is calling for a total ban on online gambling advertisements in the Netherlands.
Although a ban on untargeted gambling advertisements and a ban on the use of role models has been in effect since 2023, a recent research by KRO-NCRV’s Pointer shows that (illegal) gambling companies and sports tipster platforms are still enticing young people via social media such as TikTok and Snapchat.
By using influencers and terms like “free money”, they try to attract a young audience and thus lower the threshold to start gambling. This concerns both legal online casinos and online casinos that do not have a license in the Netherlands. The Gaming Authority has started an investigation based on Pointer’s findings.
Pointer’s research shows that part of the gambling industry deliberately targets young people who are often susceptible to promises such as “fast money” and the influence of role models. Ruth Peetoom, chair of the Dutch mental health service, compares this approach to that of the tobacco industry, where similar marketing strategies were used to get young people to smoke.
Despite the existing advertising ban, gambling companies continue to explore the boundaries of the law, according to Peetoom. The Dutch mental health and addiction care associations in the Netherlands therefore push for a total ban on online gambling advertising and stricter rules for the duty of care of gambling providers.
With the call for a total ban, the Dutch mental health care sector hopes to prevent further normalisation of gambling behaviour among young people and to protect them from the temptation and consequences of online gambling.
Compliance Updates
UKGC: Market impact data on gambling behaviour – operator data to Oct 2024
The Gambling Commission has published further data on the gambling industry in Great Britain.
This data, sourced from operators, reflects the period between March 2020 and September 2024, inclusive, and covers online and in-person gambling covering Licensed Betting Operators (LBOs) found on Britain’s high streets.
Comparison should not be made with the industry statistics dataset, as this dataset may include free bets and bonuses and does not include data from all operators.
This release compares Quarter 2 (Q2) of financial year 2024 to 2025, with Q2 of 2023 to 2024, looking at how the market has changed in comparative periods over a year.
The latest operator data shows:
- online total Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) in Q2 (July to September) was £1.32 billion, an increase of 11 percent from Q2 the previous year. The overall number of total bets and/or spins increased 12 percent Year-on-Year (YoY), reaching a new peak for the third consecutive quarter of 25.2 billion, whilst the average monthly active accounts2 in the quarter increased 8 percent
- real event betting GGY increased by 6 percent YoY to £453 million. The number of bets decreased 10 percent, while the average monthly active accounts in Q2 increased 9 percent
- slots GGY increased 16 percent to £680 million YoY. The number of spins increased 13 percent to 23.3 billion while the average monthly active accounts in Q2 increased 16 percent to 4.4 million per month. Although this is a new peak for GGY in this dataset for the slots vertical, it should be noted that one operator has re-classified some of its products into the slot vertical this quarter, which has had an impact on the vertical data
- the number of online slots sessions lasting longer than an hour increased by 9 percent YoY to 10 million. The average session length remained at 17 minutes. Approximately 6.1 percent of all sessions lasted more than one hour compared to 6.6 percent in Q2 the previous year. The number of spins per session has fallen from 147 to 142 YOY, whilst the GGY per session has fallen from £4.20 to £4.13 in the equivalent timeframe
- LBO GGY decreased by 1 percent to £533 million in Q2 2024 to 2025, compared to the same quarter last year, while the number of total bets and spins decreased by 0.1 percent to 3.1 billion.
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