Industry News
European Lotteries Adapting to a Post-corona World
The lottery executives and industry experts in Europe have met together via an online webinar “Lotteries in COVID-19 Lockdown” to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the lottery sector, the consequences for a post-corona world and the importance of continuing to fund good causes during a pandemic.
The webinar was organised by VIXIO GamblingCompliance in association with The European Lotteries (EL), together with representatives of two of EL Members the SAZKA Group and Veikkaus Oy. The webinar has gathered over 250 participants.
During the webinar, EL Secretary General Arjan van ‘t Veer outlined the situation for lotteries during the lockdown. In their immediate response to the outbreak, the vast majority of EL Members have already taken a series of priority actions to protect players and lottery employees, retailers and providers’ staff. The most common steps included remote working, travel restrictions and regular communication with the players and relevant stakeholders.
On the operational side, Mr. van ‘t Veer noted: ‘‘I have seen many EL Members take necessary continuity measure to make sure operations can continue. In the first days of the lockdown, there was a tremendous drop in sales, as retailers closed their doors and draws were postponed or cancelled. Early on, Members that operate slot machines, EGMs or casinos took their responsibility to close, in order to reduce large public gatherings. As the lockdown spread across Europe, more POSs were closed (some up to 100%) and sports betting took a major hit.’’
However, it is not all bad news. Mr. van ‘t Veer added, ‘‘Over the last few weeks some EL members have reported stable sales. Online games are performing better than expected, scratch cards are doing well, and many lottery campaigns are now focused on good causes to support the health sector and vulnerable people, such as funding for medical equipment or the delivery of daily essential supplies to care homes. Since the Easter break, there has been a positive impact on the sales of (draw based) games. There is still a long way to go but light is at the end of the tunnel. Some POSs are re-opening and Members are reporting preparations to get back to (full) business when possible.’’
Moderated by Andrew Gellatly, Head of Global Research at VIXIO, the discussions moved on to national situations and how lotteries can learn to co-exist with the virus.
Robert Chvatal, CEO of the Sazka a.s. and Sazka Group highlighted the observed “north-south divide,” i.e. differences in impact on lottery business between southern and northern regions of Europe, where for example in the southern countries with very small share of on-line lottery sales and 100% POS closures, the business was hit very hard by the crisis and in opposite, in the northern and central European countries, where the on-line share is much higher and retail was closed only partly, the business impact was much smaller.
“Many lotteries have seen a significant increase in online sales share, due to the retail channel limitations and customers’ willingness to have a chance to continue to play. Fortunately, this is even supported by high jackpots of both, local Lotto games and Eurojackpot/ Euromillions, attracting even occasional players to participate. This is something that lotteries will need to adjust to support, for example, their elderly customers concerned about going to their usual retailer with advice on how to play online. Some of them will probably remain the online customers, benefiting from convenience of on-line channel, which will partially increase the future on-line channel share. Nevertheless, plenty of the players will revert back to play in retail, especially those needing the social contact connected with the play. I believe that the lotteries biggest challenge will be to re-open fully the retail channel, respecting all hygienic rules to protect both customers and retailers, and ramp-up the retail channel performance as soon as possible to start to generate good causes contributions on the pre-corona level,” Chvatal noted.
On monitoring changes in the behaviour of players, Sami Kauhanen, SVP of Betting at Veikkaus Oy highlighted that “in Finland casinos, VLTs and slot machines closed in March, while the retails network remained open and continued to operate more or less ‘normally.’ There has been a slight increase for online casinos, but not to the extent that they are seen as a replace to suspended games such as slot machines. On offshore operators, there are not major changes during the lockdown. There is a traditional loss of the market share for online casinos and betting from these operators, regardless of the crisis.”
On sports betting Mr. Kauhanen added, “Live sport betting is a big thing in our country and with the cancellation of sport events, many are turning towards betting on horse-racing, often with new players who cannot currently bet on their favourite live sport, like football. Virtual betting and e-sports are not so popular in Finland.”
An audience poll was conducted during the webinar on what changes there will be in lottery player behaviour in the post-corona era. Most participants said players would revert to their existing retail/online preferences, followed closely by players staying online and retail lotteries becoming less relevant.
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Navajo Gaming has appointed John James as its Chief Executive Officer.
John James brings more than two decades of professional gaming and hospitality experience to Navajo Gaming. He previously served as CEO of River Rock Entertainment Authority in Geyserville California. There he exemplified his strong leadership skills by identifying and implementing innovative operational improvements to grow revenue while improving morale through thoughtful strategic direction and mentoring.
Prior to that, he led numerous tribal casinos including serving as CEO of Muckleshoot Casino Resort in Washington, CEO of Soboba Casino Resort in California, COO of Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in California, and CEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises in Arizona. Additionally, he has served in leadership positions for Seminole Gaming Inc., Pechanga Resort and Casino, and various successful Station Casino properties.
As CEO of Navajo Gaming, John James will oversee and manage Navajo Gaming properties in New Mexico and Arizona, as well as ensure that Navajo Gaming policies and objectives are met. His three main objectives are to strengthen Navajo Gaming and the hospitality economy, return revenue to the Navajo Nation, and provide additional jobs to members of the Navajo Nation.
“Navajo Gaming has grown to a multi-million-dollar enterprise over the past 15 years. John James brings extensive gaming and management experience and leadership qualities to lead Navajo Gaming. James has been widely recognized as the industry’s ‘best of the best’ for his exceptional strategic and positive impact. He will stimulate continued growth and success for Navajo Gaming as we remain focused on job creation and enhancing the Navajo economy,” Quincy Natay, Chairman of the Navajo Gaming Board of Directors, said.
“I am honored to serve Navajo Gaming’s team and guests under the stewardship of the board and alongside such a strong management team. Our industry is transforming rapidly and there is tremendous opportunity for Navajo Gaming to capitalize on opportunities, elevate guest experiences and solidify our reputation as exceptional destinations where memories are made,” John James said.
Ocean Casino Resort announced the opening of Medal Bar: The Summer Games Pop Up Experience, located at 1927 Lounge on the casino floor across from The Gallery. Medal Bar’s opening ceremony will take place on Friday, June 28 hosted by Gold Medal Winning Gymnast, and member of Team USA’s Magnificent Seven, Dominique Dawes.
“We are so excited to embrace this celebratory global event as only Ocean can. From specialty themed cocktails and décor to iconic athletes and gaming activations; Medal Bar will be a must-see destination for our guests this summer,” Kelly Burke, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer for Ocean Casino Resort, said.
Located at 1927 Lounge, Medal Bar will offer an international flair with Americana spirit and a nod to the host country (Paris). Social moments and nostalgia will abound throughout the venue where guests can go for the gold in a myriad of ways including sipping worldly drinks and flights, playing games, cheering on their favorite athlete, and more. The festivities kick off on Friday, June 28 with an appearance by Olympic Gold Medal Winning Gymnast Dominique Dawes and will extend through Labor Day Weekend. Normal operating hours will be Thursday and Friday, 5 pm to 12 am, Saturday, 3 pm to 1 am and Sunday, 5 pm to 12 am. Medal Bar will be open daily from Friday, July 26 through Sunday, August 11 showcasing all of the thrilling events and competitions.
Guests can also celebrate the start of summer with the 3rd annual North Beach Fireworks Spectacular on Friday, June 28 at 9:30 pm. The demonstration, in partnership with Fireworks by Grucci, will showcase a dazzling ocean-front fireworks display presented by North Beach Atlantic City with several viewing locations including The Park and the world-famous Atlantic City Boardwalk. The event will be open to the public.
idPair Inc
National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program (NVSEP) to Begin Free Self-Exclusion Assistance in Four US Jurisdictions
idPair Inc., an award-winning provider of safer gambling technology, announced the upcoming launch of free self-exclusion assistance in Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, and Tennessee this August, as part of the first phase of the National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program (NVSEP). Where states require a notarized form, a free remote online notary will be provided through the NVSEP platform to remove any cost for individuals. Importantly, there will be no changes to the respective state programs or how operators receive and process the self-exclusion information as part of this initiative.
Depending on the state, self-exclusion options will be available for casinos, online sports betting, online casino, online poker, fantasy sports, and/or horseracing. Each jurisdiction has its own unique gambling landscape, and individuals seeking to self-exclude are encouraged to visit www.NVSEP.com/jurisdictions to learn more, including which products and properties have a supported option.
Jonathan Aiwazian, CEO of idPair, said: “For the first time ever, individuals seeking a wider level of protection can self-exclude from multiple states in a streamlined fashion. While today we announce our ability to provide free assistance with self-exclusion in each of these 4 states, more jurisdictions are on the way, as we accelerate toward our goal of removing barriers for people seeking protection across all gambling jurisdictions and products.”
With future phases of NVSEP planning a deeper level of integration and potential to directly connect with the Player Account Management (PAM) systems of gambling operators, gambling regulators can one day ensure that voluntary self-exclusions are instantaneously processed, providing immediate protection for those who opt-in to the program, a major leap in efficiency to the current processing times in some existing programs.
NVSEP’s announcement of assisting consumers with Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, and Tennessee self-exclusions is the first step in a broader effort to expand responsible gambling measures nationwide.
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