Gambling in the USA
Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – May 23-29
Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news, new partnerships and new appointments. Read on and get updated.
Latest News
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation has officially launched WONDR NATION. Formerly Mashantucket Pequot Interactive, WONDR NATION is the Tribe’s newest venture – an online gaming entertainment company focused on partnering with best-in-class gaming platforms and using emerging technologies and trends to create new and exciting experiences for players.
Playmaker has acquired creator agency and podcast network TPN Media Group, which owns sports betting information site PropsHQ.com, known as The Props Network. The Props Network was founded in January 2020 and publishes bookmaker reviews, sports and betting information from across the US. It also broadcasts creator content from its podcast network.
Jumbo Interactive Limited has announced that its acquisition of Stride Management Inc in Canada has been approved by both the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) and Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA).
Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. and Zynga Inc. announced that the stockholders of each organisation have approved all proposals related to Take-Two’s combination with Zynga at each company’s respective Special Meeting of Stockholders.
JCM Global has upgraded its award-winning ICB Intelligent Cash Box system on nearly 7600 gaming devices at 12 Cherokee Nation casino properties. The upgrade is part of JCM’s technology roadmap for Cherokee Nation, whose properties are protected by JCM’s iVIZION and UBA bill validators.
888 has announced that it has launched SI Sportsbook in Virginia. Offering a unique value proposition for the state’s sports fans, SI Sportsbook combines 888’s world-class proprietary technology with Sports Illustrated’s iconic brand.
Kings Entertainment Group has signed a business combination agreement with Sports Venture Holdings, the parent company of online sportsbook and casino brand Bet99.
PlayUp has launched its online Racebook. The app, available on Android and Apple iOS, allows bettors to bet on races from tracks all over the world.
Partnerships
Cipher Sports Technology Group has announced a sports betting partnership with leading U.S. publisher Advance Local. The agreement will see Cipher STG’s predictive analytics tools and content integrated into Advance Local’s PennLive.com, LehighValleyLive.com and GulfLive.com platforms, providing users with data rich information that will help them make more informed decisions when it comes to their sports betting.
Paysafe announced its expanded partnership with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG). The new OLG.ca affiliate programme is powered by the affiliate software of Income Access, Paysafe’s marketing technology and services provider, which is also managing the programme.
Jackpot Software has entered into a partnership with BetConnections. This partnership promotes Jackpot Software’s games to new markets.
New Appointments
Esports Entertainment Group has announced the appointment of Kaitesi Munroe to the Company’s Board of Directors. Her appointment will bring the size of the Board to eight members.
FanDuel Group has appointed Andrew Sheh as its Chief Technology Officer. Sheh will be responsible for oversight of FanDuel Group’s customer facing engineering and platform development teams, as well as all IT architecture and personnel.
Gaming Laboratories International has promoted two leaders in its Engineering and Client Solutions departments. Malvina Mikaelian has been promoted to Director of Engineering and Kelly Myers has been promoted to Manager of Client Solutions.
Gambling in the USA
Zula Casino Kicks Off its Spectacular 1-Year “Zula-versary” with a Month of Events and Promotions
Zula Casino launched its online social casino in the US exactly a year ago delivering more. More games. More rewards. More free-to-play entertainment through a personalized experience. Zula Casino marked its one-year launch by crossing the 1000 casino-game threshold – a milestone that positions it among the top platforms nationwide.
The month-long birthday bash intends to go over the top to give back to its amazing player community that helped make this first year so incredible. With its advent calendar format, players can unlock a special surprise each day ranging from a “Win-a-Vacation” event, a carnival event, free spins and new exclusive games, and a prize pool of over 25 billion Gold Coins (GC) plus 150,000 Sweeps Coins (SC) to be given out throughout the month. Over this period, Zula Casino will run other special events, including surprise happy hours with special coupons, various social media contests, and special giveaways.
“We’re incredibly proud of the player experience we’ve built over the last 12 months. The platform has garnered a substantial and loyal pool of players, and it’s not just because we offer one of the largest game selections from leading global providers, but also the exclusive experiences we’re providing, and the platform’s continued evolution with enhanced promotions, personalization, and seamless user experience,” said Tamar Laypan, Program Manager of Zula Casino.
Zula Casino has added over 1000 games across all categories over the past 12 months, including slots, jackpots, fish, table, plinko, megaways, crash, hold and win, tumble games, and more. These additions include top games like Big Bass Vegas and Fire Stampede, as well as branded exclusives like Gold Gold Gold 5000, supplied by Booming Games, and Sweet Bonanza 1000 by Pragmatic Play. With recent additions, Zula Casino now boasts 25 game providers, including Relax Gaming, Habanero, Evoplay, Pragmatic Play, RubyPlay, Gamzix, Let Us Entertain You Inc., to name a few.
Zula Casino flourished in a tough and highly competitive market, launching its proprietary-integrated platform in September of last year. With an average TrustPilot score of 4.6 and almost 9K reviews, the online social casino is among the highest-rated free-to-play sites in the market.
Zula Casino was also previously shortlisted for the prestigious Global SBC Awards in the category of “Rising Star in Casino”.
Diana Goode
NCPG Welcomes Diana Goode to the Board of Directors
NCPG has announced the appointment of Diana Goode to the National Council on Problem Gambling’s Board of Directors. Diana, who has served as the Executive Director of the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling (CCPG) since May 2018, brings over 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience to this role.
In her time with CCPG, Diana has championed initiatives that address problem gambling and promote responsible gaming across Connecticut. Additionally, she has played an active role on the NCPG Affiliates Committee, contributing valuable insights from her years of experience.
Before joining CCPG, Diana held executive roles in nonprofits focusing on poverty alleviation and financial literacy in Connecticut. Her academic credentials include a degree from Dartmouth College and an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Connecticut. She resides in the Greater Hartford area, where she remains deeply engaged in her community.
Diana will serve an interim appointment in the Affiliates seat on the NCPG Board of Directors until Spring 2025.
Gambling in the USA
Gaming Executives Positive on Current Business Conditions, Cautious on Future Growth Expectations
Overall Balance Sheet Health, Access to Credit Continue to Improve
In the face of slowing revenue expansion, gaming industry leaders continue to hold an overall positive view of the current business situation, with a notable improvement in credit conditions, according to the latest American Gaming Association (AGA) Gaming Industry Outlook.
The majority of respondents (88%) view the current state of the gaming industry as either good or satisfactory. Meanwhile, executives have a more conservative outlook on future business conditions, with respondents split on whether they expect conditions to improve over the next three-to-six months (3% net positive) and many expecting a decrease in customer activity (28% net negative).
“After years of very strong consumer gaming spending growth, expectations around customer activity over the next three to six months have cooled considerably,” said AGA Vice President of Research David Forman. “Still, gaming businesses remain well positioned, with executives touting strong balance sheets and more viewing access to credit as easy than restrictive for the first time in two years.”
Gaming Executive Panel
Since Q1, gaming executives’ sentiment has shifted, with a greater number of respondents now expecting a decline in customer activity over the next three to six months (28% net negative, up from 4% net negative in Q1). Despite this, panelists foresee improvements in overall balance sheet health (34% net positive).
Additionally, more executives reported access to credit as easy (19%) rather than restrictive (3%) for the first time in two years, and fewer cite interest rates as a major limiting factor than in the spring.
Hotel (56%) and food and beverage facilities (56%) continue to be the main and growing focus of capital investment among operators, followed by live entertainment (28%) and casino floor slots (22%).
Meanwhile, gaming equipment suppliers now believe their pace of capital investment and game sales will decelerate (13% net negative).
These expectations are impacted by evolving macroeconomic challenges, with uncertainty of the economic environment vaulting to the top of executive concerns (56%, up from 34% in Q1), followed by state regulatory concerns (31%), and inflationary or interest rate concerns and geopolitical risk (both 34%).
The Current Conditions Index
The Current Conditions Index for Q3 2024 was 97.3, which is consistent with real annualized contraction of 2.7 percent. The Current Conditions Index measures real economic activity in the industry, as measured by gaming revenue, employment and employee wages and salaries.
The Future Conditions Index
The Future Conditions Index, a leading indicator of changes in industry conditions, measured 98.9 in Q3. This indicates an environment in which real economic activity in the gaming sector, after controlling for underlying inflation, is expected to moderately decrease over the next six months (1.1% annualized rate).
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