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GAN, Chickasaw partner for first Euro-facing US Tribal Online Gambling offering
There’s a bit of news to report on both the European and US-tribal online gambling scenes, where software platform provider GAN Plc. (otherwise known as the Game Account Network) has partnered with the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma in offering real-money gaming to select European jurisdictions. The online offering will attempt to leverage whatever brand equity that the Chickasaw’s “Winstar” brand might have in Europe.
The Chickasaw nation is by far Oklahoma’s largest tribal-gaming operator, owning some 20 casino venues scattered across the Sooner State. Those include the Winstar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, OK, which is the state’s largest casino.
GAN revealed its partnership in the real-money Winstar offering — it’s available at www.winstar.com — as part of its 2017 year-end financial reports. According to that report:
In Europe, the identity of GAN’s client for the Overseas Internet Casino can now be confirmed as the major Native American US casino operator Chickasaw Nation. The Overseas Internet Casino launched for the Chickasaw Nation was delivered in H2 2017 and is now available in regulated European markets at www.WinStar.com.
It wasn’t that much of a reveal, truth be told. GAN had already announced its play-money offering with the Chickasaws last May, with a separate play-money site (or “simulated gaming,” as GAN prefers to categorize it), already up for some months at winstarworldcasino.com.
GAN’s done a whole bunch of these deals, by the way, signing up a handful of well-known US-based gambling entities as clients of GAN’s turnkey solution for online gaming, called the GameSTACK Internet Gaming System. Those other clients include Maryland Live! Casino, Parx Casino, San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino, Isle of Capri Casino Hotel, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Turning Stone Resort Casino, and several others. GAN also recently inked a deal with the soon-to-reopen Ocean Casino (formerly Revel) in Atlantic City. Already licensed as a third-party provider in New Jersey, GAN clearly has its sights set on a reopened US online market… whenever that me.
That’s going to take some time, of course, and for now, regarding the Winstar.com real-money offering, it’s only the non-firewalled portion of Europe that will have access. Flushdraw has been able to determine that the Alderney-licensed site is available for real-money play in the United Kingdom, German, the Netherlands and several other countries, but is not open to real-money action in France, Spain, Italy, or Portugal. Gamblers in those countries, as with those in the US, will find themselves automatically redirected from winstar.com to the play-money winstarworldcasino.com site. Both the real-money and play-money offerings provide online slots, video poker, blackjack, and roulette, but no actual online poker.
One question can not be answered fully as of yet, and that’s the sovereignty issue regarding the US’s tribal casinos that has added significant complications to the legalized online-gambling debate in the States. European-based casinos have very little reason to plunk down large deposits on a Winstar-branded site that has little or not brand recognition on the Euro side of the pond. That incentive diminishes even more if US tribes insist on sovereignty regarding consumer disputes, which means that aggrieved customers would have to file a complaint in an Oklahoma tribal court if any sch problems arose.
The fact that the Winstar.com site is licensed by Alderney might alleviate some of those concerns, but the specific legalese where the dispute language is found is temporarily unavailable on winstar.com; Flushdraw checked the site via proxy servers, and at the moment, it’s the only page on the site that doesn’t load.
Meanwhile, over at the play-money WinstarWorldCasino.com site, which admittedly may not even apply, the following appears:
Any claim relating to Chickasaw Nation Division of Commerce’s web site, or these terms and conditions shall be governed by the laws of the Chickasaw Nation without regard to any conflict of law provisions. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to waive the sovereign immunity of the Chickasaw Nation.
It will be interesting to see of a similar claim of sovereign-immunity invioability will appear in the fine print at winstar.com. One indicator that it might: The site itself is licensed by Alderney to an Oklahoma-based entity created last May, especially for this purpose, called Sovereign Interactive Gaming LLC.
In any event, the launching of the site shows that it’s not that hard for a US-based tribal nation to offer a site to international players, now that the legal backdrop is firm. The Chickasaws and a couple of the other GAN-partnered tribes likely piggy-backed on the legal decision that favored the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma a few years back, although the Chickasaws are the first to give it a go for real money.
They also saved themselves a ton of startup investment by doing it the easy way, partnering up and utilizing a ready-made turnkey solution such as that offered by GAN. Compare what GAN or other prominent turnkey providers charge compared to the combined $20 million or so that the Cheyenne and Arapahos and the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma sunk into the scammy Universal Entertainment Group “pokertribes.com” and “pokertribe.com” projects, and it’s clear which tribe took the proper approach… at least to bringing such a site to market. It’s not at all evident that Euro gamblers want to play on a US tribe’s online offering, when there are so many prominent, familiar Euro brands to choose from, but who knows? A few million more in marketing and promotion might make a tiny dent.
Source: European Gaming Media and Events
Latest News
What makes Turbo Games’ provably fair games so special?
A partnership between game developer Turbo Games and iGaming solution provider and aggregator Slotegrator began in November 2022 via the APIgrator game integration solution. Since then, the collaboration has been developing successfully — and now it’s time to analyze what made it successful.
Turbo Games has noticed how the new technologies spreading throughout the industry can work for the good of brand transparency and player loyalty: “We can already see how blockchain technology has made it possible to make betting checks more accessible to players. All you need is a blockchain-hash and a decoder service. We think we will continue to move in this direction. Many traditional online casinos do not offer the possibility to check the bet. Sooner or later we all have to come to this. Perhaps the development of artificial intelligence will help here, because we are already seeing its involvement in all spheres of human life.”
Turbo Games specializes in provably fair games. Provable fairness is a concept where players can verify their wins or losses using blockchain technology — the outcome of the game is dictated by a smart contract and is absolutely random, barring the possibility of any human involvement. Using cryptographic hashing algorithms, the gambling site and the player’s device both generate seeds (random strings of numbers). Players receive a key that allows them to check the results; if the results are the same as the game round they witnessed, it proves that there was no foul play.
According to statistics from Turbo Games, the audience for provably fair games is mostly between 18 and 25 years old. However, there are also players aged 35-40 who prefer traditional games but would like to try something new, and have turned their attention to provably fair games.
There are good odds that the technology of provably fair games will become more popular, if not even commonplace, because it gives players a feeling of transparency and proves that the business is trustworthy without the need to search through dozens of reviews. Whereas many innovations in iGaming simply add entertainment, provable fairness addresses security concerns and reassures players that they’re not being exploited, which is invaluable.
Provably fair games are beneficial for both players and online casinos. Vadim Potapenko, Head of Sales at Turbo Games, comments: “It often happens that the users are not satisfied with the result, because gambling is not only about big wins, but also possible losses. By allowing them to check the fairness of a bet, we make life easier for platforms and players. Of course, this allows us to communicate with partners and users that we work honestly and that’s why they should trust our games.”
Ayvar Gabidullin, Business Development Manager at Slotegrator, adds that “this type of game is now becoming more and more popular and has great potential for both players and game providers in the future. On the part of the player, the advantage is that the player can always be sure that his game is fair and he can independently check any of his bets. And for the game provider, this also simplifies the process of implementing casino games, since now it will not be necessary to obtain the appropriate certificates from independent laboratories before launching new games, they can immediately enter the market with these games and where anyone can check the result and make sure that that there is no cheating with players. Many game providers are starting to look towards this type of game. And as far as I see, many operators are starting to think about adding these games.”
What do players in 2023 need? The iGaming industry is all about reputation and trust. Players have a huge number of platforms to choose from, making them pickier and pickier. There’s an abundance of forums where players leave reviews, so if players view a brand as untrustworthy, there are plenty of places they can share their opinion. Provable fairness not only stops that from happening, it provides evidence to the contrary, giving players something else to talk about.
Slotegrator also recommends investing time and effort into localization and creating an effective and detailed marketing strategy — before trying provably fair technology players need to get to the platform, and there is no acquisition without marketing.
ABOUT SLOTEGRATOR
Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.
The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.
The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.
Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.
More information: https://slotegrator.pro/
ABOUT TURBO GAMES
Turbo Games — a provably fair games provider that belongs to Turbo Stars company — has an ambitious goal to establish widespread recognition throughout the iGaming world. Even though it is young, the company consists of professionals who have been working on the brand for over five years and are even planning to introduce a new brand for a wider audience soon.
Turbo Games also works in Europe, India, and South Africa, where the company sees the most potential and expects the same “hype” as in Brazil.
The portfolio of Turbo Games consists of 21 titles, including well-known games like Mines, Crash X, DoubleRoll, Hi-Lo, and Plinko. The studio releases a game every month. However, not all games are developed from scratch. Wicket Blast and Spin Strike, the last two releases, are based on cricket and the Indian Premier League. Crash X remains the most popular fast game in the Turbo Games portfolio, and the studio reports that crash games enjoy stable levels of popularity. Overall, the main focus of the brand is provably fair games.
More information: https://turbogames.io/
Baltics
Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.
Looking to take your career to the next level in the games industry? Then, Nordic Game Talents is the place to be! Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.
From Oct 27-29, the online and interactive event is dedicated to recruitment and career building in the creative & games industry within the Nordic region. The event empowers participants to be part of a bigger community and motivates them to explore new paths in achieving their career goals.
Hiring creative & games studios – Supercell, Funcom, Panzerdog, Tactile Games, Gamecan, Fingersoft, Dazzle Rocks, Redhill Games to name a few from the Nordic region will be participating in the event. These studios will share information on their latest projects, work culture and what it takes to be part of their team. The individual games associations from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia will share insights through live sessions on the booming games industry in their respective countries. Career development topics pertinent to job seekers like – How to have a successful first interview, Creative Portfolio reviews will also be discussed.
Experienced game industry professionals and individuals beginning their careers from around the world are welcome to join the event. One-to-one interviews with the hiring studios can be scheduled through the event platform. A great opportunity to get to know the studios and network with game professionals from around the world.
Participating in the event
As a job seeker attending Nordic Game Talents, take a few minutes to fill out a simple registration form. After filling the registration form you will receive a link to the online event platform – PINE, to join the event on 27th October. Participants joining Nordic Game Talents will also receive a free-of-charge pass to the Nordic Game Conference.
To view the complete agenda, please click here and to learn more about the event please visit Games Job Fair
About Games Factory Talents
A Helsinki-based talent attraction agency dedicated to the games & creative industry. Our services include direct recruitment, organizing game job fairs and managing a community of game industry professionals through our GameDev Talent Board.
To learn more about Games Factory Talents visit – Games Factory Talents
810 THE SPREAD
Cumulus Media Launches 810 THE SPREAD, the Bay Area’s First Sports Station Focused on Sports Betting
Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) announces that it has launched the Bay Area’s first Sports radio station focused on sports betting, 810 THE SPREAD. The new station brings sports and sports betting news, information, and insights to the burgeoning and underserved sports betting audience in San Francisco. 810 THE SPREAD will deliver behind-the-book perspectives from experts in a highly entertaining and engaging format. 810 THE SPREAD goes live today on the legendary 810am frequency that has been the 80-year home of historic Talk Radio KGO-AM. Cumulus San Francisco also launched the station’s new website at www.810thespread.com. Kevin Graham, Program Director of Cumulus’ sister sports stations KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT, adds Program Director duties for 810 THE SPREAD.
Larry Blumhagen, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus San Francisco, said: “810 THE SPREAD joins our sports brands KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT for a trifecta of dynamic sports content across four signals and streaming everywhere. We are excited about this new chapter and look forward to serving the Bay Area’s passionate sports fans in an incomparable way.”
Blumhagen added: “This is a bittersweet day for us, as it’s hard to say goodbye to the legendary KGO, which has been a part of listeners’ lives for so many years. We want to thank all the people who have been a part of KGO’s historic run these many years – and the listeners who loyally tuned in to the station. Times change, and we must change with them.”
Kevin Graham, Program Director, 810 THE SPREAD, said: “810 THE SPREAD will be the Bay Area’s best bet for sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts, and we are pleased to introduce sports-betting radio to our community. The station will feature a lineup of expert personalities that deliver unique sports talk and sports betting insights that entertain, inform, and engage, along with Cal Football and Basketball as well as select professional and college sports play-by-play events. While 810 THE SPREAD will feature specific gambling information, we believe our entertaining presentation will make it a favorite for all Bay area sports fans and a perfect complement to the legendary KNBR and KTCT. With its addition, it truly shows Cumulus’ commitment to the Bay area as ‘The Sports Leader’!”
The weekday programming lineup for 810 THE SPREAD includes:
6am-9am – Bet QL Daily – The must-consume show for sports fans and betting fans alike. Hosted by Joe Ostrowski, Joe Giglio, and Erin Hawksworth.
9am-12pm – Jim Rome - Aggressive, informed sports opinions, rapid-fire dialogue, and plenty of sports smack. As one of the most prolific sports talk hosts in America, Rome draws massive tune-in with legions of fans known as clones, who live for Rome’s take on the day’s largest issues in sports.
12pm-4pm – You Better You Bet – Nick Kostos and Ken Barkley have you covered for the best bets on the biggest matchups, the latest line movement and updates in the futures market. We’ll have up-to-the-minute coverage of backdoor covers and bad beats, and the cheers and tears that come with them. It’s sports betting conversation like you’ve never heard before.
4pm-8pm – Bet MGM Tonight – Live sports betting updates for all the night’s games as they happen – plus live “look-ins” for Major League Baseball games in progress. Get the latest scores, sides, totals, props, parlays, futures, and much more with hosts Quinton Mayo, Trysta Krick, and Ryan Horvat.
8pm-12 Midnight – CBS Sports Radio
BetQL Network programming is provided by Cumulus Media’s Westwood One through a partnership with Audacy.
For more information or to stream 810 THE SPREAD, visit: http://www.810thespread.com.
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