Industry News
SiGMA Attendees Wowed by the Preview of Three New Wazdan Games
SiGMA 2019 saw Wazdan showcase three brand new game titles to an eager SiGMA audience.
Done for another year, SiGMA 2019 was a smashing success for the team at Wazdan, who’ve all come back to HQ delighted to have had the opportunity to host an exquisite wine-pairing dinner and mingle with their existing customers, as well as meet a slew of new contacts.
The greatest entertainment from the Wazdan crew had to be the big reveal of three new game titles; Neon Cityâą, Butterfly Loversâą, and their brand-new, futuristic slot, Reel Hero, the game to steal the show, creating much hype about its upcoming launch in 2020.
Neon Cityâą embodies what a modern fruit-themed online slot game should look like, combining futuristic tech elements with the fruit-themed slot style that slots players have loved for decades. Butterfly Loversâą, on the other hand, takes players back in time to the Eastern Jin dynasty period, following a story of forbidden love that can only come together in spirit as butterflies.
Both Neon Cityâą and Butterfly Loversâą are due for release before the end of the year.
Reel Hero, the much-awaited release for 2020, pays homage to the classic sci-fi cinema of the ’80s with its retro-style graphics and soundtrack, that merges with the modern tech-progressive elements expected from Wazdan games, including four exciting bonus features, and jaw-dropping technically advanced graphics.
The final element that makes Wazdan games so uniquely Wazdan, and so deeply desired by players and operators alike, is the Unique Wazdan Features which have been weaved into every game, allowing players to tailor their gameplay according to their unique style and preference.
Adding to what was already a great week, Wazdan won the Slot Game of the Year Award at the Malta Gaming Awards for their star release, Larry the Leprechaun. The category, Slot Game of the Year, looks at all the latest slots to see which “offers the best odds and highest payouts, with high stakes jackpots and engaging narratives that show off beautiful graphics and attention to detail. From classic games to modern twists, these will appease even the pickiest player,” and the judges decided that Larry the Leprechaun fit their criteria.
Head of Sales at Wazdan, Andrzej Hyla, said of the event: “We had a great time at SiGMA 2019. It was a pleasure to re-connect with many of our existing partners at dinner, to accept the award for Solt Game of the Year and, of course, it was a lot of fun to reveal our three new games. We are incredibly proud of our new titles, Neon Cityâą, Butterfly Loversâą and Reel Hero, and it was thrilling to see a tremendous amount of excitement from the attendees at SiGMA 2019.”
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-NCRVâs 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 âfree moneyâ, 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 Pointerâs findings.
Pointerâs research shows that part of the gambling industry deliberately targets young people who are often susceptible to promises such as âfast moneyâ 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 Britainâs 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 ÂŁ1.32 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 ÂŁ453 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 ÂŁ680 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 ÂŁ4.20 to ÂŁ4.13 in the equivalent timeframe
- LBO GGY decreased by 1 percent to ÂŁ533 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.
Industry News
Petra Maria Poola Joins Xace as Group Commercial Director
Xace has announced that Petra Maria Poola has joined the company as Group Commercial Director.
Petra brings a wealth of experience from the iGaming industry having formerly held roles at several iGaming companies such as Yolo, Relax Gaming and SiGMA. She will lead the commercial growth of Xace and its group companies, including crypto and iGaming focused xda.io, helping to drive strategic initiatives across banking, fintech and iGaming solutions.
In her new role, she will mainly oversee the growth of the groupâs sales, marketing and account management functions, ensuring a cohesive strategy that supports Xaceâs ambitious expansion plans.
âI am incredibly excited to start this new chapter with Xace, and work alongside such a talented team and management. Transitioning into the fintech space, while still connected to iGaming, presents an exciting opportunity for growth and learning. Iâm looking forward to applying my expertise to help Xace and its group companies achieve new heights commercially, while gaining deeper insights into the fast-evolving world of fintech,â said Petra Maria Poola.
Reuben Abel, CEO of Xace, said: âPetraâs extensive background in the iGaming sector, combined with her commercial acumen, makes her a valuable addition to the Xace team. She will play a crucial role in expanding Xaceâs market presence and enhancing its suite of services tailored to the specific needs of the iGaming and fintech industries.â
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