Industry News
Microgaming ushers in a wave of diverse titles this December
Microgaming is set to deliver an entertaining display of vibrant content this festive season, with new and exclusive titles forming a compelling showcase this month.
Throughout December, leading software supplier Microgaming is offering a diverse roster of exclusive high-quality games from its network of independent studios and game development partners, to meet the needs of its customers worldwide. Players can immerse themselves in all the captivating artwork and unique features of Microgamingâs December releases.
The adventure begun on 3 December in the jungles of West Asia with the release of Ivory Citadelâą, developed exclusively by Just For The Win. Shrouded in mystery and adorned with marble, stone, ivory, and flames, the five-reel, 20-payline slot is filled with superb visuals and exciting features, including Mystery Symbols, free spins, and three wild symbols.
Staged in an ancient temple in the snowy mountains, North Stormâą (Rabcat) lures players into a mystical world full of treasures. Scheduled to launch on Microgamingâs award-winning platform on 5 December, this five-reel, 25-payline fantasy-themed slot offers a strong feature line-up, including Bonus Falls, where symbols in winning combinations disappear and new symbols fall down to close the gaps, and the Increasing Multiplier, which is doubled to 8x in the free spins feature, offering rewarding win potential.
Due for release on 10 December, Treasures of Lion City (Pulse 8 Studios) brings intriguing adventures to life in the form of a thrilling five-by-three reel, 25-payline online slot, where stone buildings, statues and temples lie hidden in the deepest sea in the East. The game features Microgamingâs popular Rolling Reelsâą mechanic and a Win Meter feature, which includes multipliers of up to 27x, creating excellent win potential of up to 2,600x the initial bet.
The craic looks mighty in Stumpy McDoodles (Foxium), a five-by-four reel, Irish-themed slot bringing a unique slant through its party atmosphere, a pair of mischievous characters and a hatful of features, including a pot of gold in the base game that reveals Stumpy Random Wilds and Random Multipliers. Players can utilise Foxifyâą, which increases the multiplier values awarded during the feature. Players get a second chance at triggering free spins with Rainbow Re-spin. During free spins, players collect coins for wilds and multipliers that progress through the remainder of the feature up to a 34x multiplier. Set to launch on 17 December, Stumpy McDoodles is loaded with charm and offers a never-ending party, filled with great rewards.
With an array of spectacular content planned, along with a wealth of existing Christmas-themed games, Microgaming customers can expect even further variety and more targeted, engaging gameplay throughout the month of December.
“Microgaming continues to diversify its exclusive content offering this December, along with popular partner games. Each new release is packed with thrilling features, formats and unique themes, offering operators incredible choice. 2019 has been a particularly exciting and busy year for Microgaming, with more than 40 feature-rich exclusive new games released, including blockbuster branded titles such as the action-packed Lara CroftÂź Temples and Tombsâą and Village PeopleÂź Macho Moves online slots. Weâre looking forward to building on that momentum as we head into 2020, when we will be revealing another wave of exciting releases and announcements to shake up the new year.” – James Buchanan, Director of Global Operations at Microgaming.
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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