Industry News
888 Suspends VIP Activities in Middle East; CEO Steps Down
888 Holdings announced the departure of its chief executive on Monday, as it said it was suspending some VIP accounts in the Middle East pending the outcome of an internal compliance investigation.
Just weeks after announcing that chief financial officer Yariv Dafna had “mutually agreed” to step down from the business, 888 announced that CEO Itai Pazner is stepping down with immediate effect.
888 had said in January that Dafna was stepping down at the end of March, but the company has now said he will remain in his job until the end of the year.
Non-executive chair Lord Mendelsohn is assuming the position of executive chair on an interim basis while the company searches for a permanent CEO.
The news came alongside a separate statement in which the company said that an internal compliance review had revealed that “certain best practices” had not been followed in regard to “know your client” and anti-money laundering processes for 888 VIP customers in the Middle East region.
As a result, VIP activities in certain of its .com markets have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
“While further internal investigations are underway, the board has taken the decision to suspend VIP customer accounts in the region, effective immediately. The board currently estimates that the impact is less than 3% of group revenues, should the suspensions remain in place,” 888 said.
888 said its current understanding is that the process deficiencies identified are isolated to the Middle East only.
Mendelsohn said: “The board and I take the group’s compliance responsibilities incredibly seriously. When we were alerted to issues with some of 888’s VIP customers, the board took decisive actions.
“We will be uncompromising in our approach to compliance as we build a strong and sustainable business.”
Industry News
FDJ Announces its First Bond Issue
La Française des Jeux (FDJ), one of Europe’s leading betting and gaming operators, will meet investors over the next days with a view to launching its first bond issue, subject to market conditions.
FDJ recall that, on 7 November, Moody’s assigned the Group a long-term credit rating of Baa1 – stable outlook.
With a total value of €1.5 billion, in 3 tranches with maturity of 6, 9 and 12 years, the bond issue would be used to refinance most of the €2 billion bridging loan, drawn on 7 October to finance the acquisition of Kindred shares for nearly €2.5 billion. The bonds will be listed on the Euronext regulated market in Paris.
Furthermore, FDJ is finalising a €400 million syndicated loan with top-tier French and international banks, which will be repaid over 5 years. This financing is also intended to repay the bridging loan which will be settled with Group’s cash.
The post FDJ Announces its First Bond Issue appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Balkan's
CT Interactive Shortlisted in Two Categories at BEGE Awards 2024
CT Interactive has announced that it was shortlisted in two categories for the upcoming prestigious BEGE Awards 2024. The company has been recognised for its exceptional contributions to the online gaming industry by being among the finalists for Online Game of the Year for the innovative and engaging game Doctor Winstein Buy Bonus and Online Provider of the Year.
The BEGE Awards, which celebrate excellence and innovation in the gaming and entertainment industry, will be held on November 27, 2024, at the Club Black & White in the Grand Hotel Millennium, Sofia.
This year’s nominations reflect CT Interactive’s dedication to creating top-tier gaming experiences and its continuous efforts to push boundaries in the online gaming world.
“Being recognised in these two categories is a testament to the hard work and creativity of our entire team. We are thrilled to be among the industry’s finest at the BEGE Awards once again,” said Monika Zlateva, CCO at CT Interactive.
The post CT Interactive Shortlisted in Two Categories at BEGE Awards 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry News
Public Voting Starts for Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 3.0
The highly anticipated Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 3.0 has officially entered the public voting phase as submissions are closed.
More than 70 game providers have turned in over 160 submissions, including Tom Horn Gaming, Pragmatic Play and RubyPlay. Public voting involves enthusiasts casting their votes to pick the winner of the Game of Public Choice category.
The Public voting phase ends on December 1st 23:59 GMT+4.
Concurrent to public voting, the first phase of private voting also starts during which all participants who have submitted entries get the chance to vote for one favourite in each category. An international auditing company oversees this phase to eliminate duplicate votes and self-votes. This phase ends on November 19, 23:59 GMT+4.
The second phase of private voting will also take place with a jury of industry experts making their decisions based on the shortlist picked by participants during the first phase.
The post Public Voting Starts for Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 3.0 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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