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Global Video Games Industry Rises To Covid-19 Challenge To Entertain, Connect, Educate, Donate And Communicate Public Health Messaging

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#stayhomeplaytogether  #PlayApartTogether

ISFE PUBLISHES GUIDANCE FOR VIDEO GAME PLAY FOR PARENTS

With the world facing the biggest public health crisis in living memory, the global video games industry is harnessing its reach, its imagination, and its unique ability to connect people whilst keeping them at home indoors, to help keep its 2.5 billion players safe from Covid-19.  And with millions of children turning to their video games for entertainment, education and to connect to their friends, ISFE has published a blog for parents to help them manage safe and healthy game play during the pandemic.

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ISFE CEO Simon Little said: “Never has it been so important to keep people entertained and connected in the safety of their own homes.  The video games industry is uniquely placed to encourage people all over the world to use the technology of video game play to help cope with the challenge we are facing right now and to make it easier to stay home, stay safe, and protect others.

“We urge parents all over Europe to take a moment to read our comprehensive guide for parents on how to ensure their children are playing appropriate games, how to use the parental controls available on all games and consoles to set time limits, to control in-game spending and manage privacy settings, and how to keep them safe online.  We encourage all parents to make some time to play with their children.  The ISFE guide includes a list of games and free educational content that the industry is making available during the crisis.”

The industry takes its responsibility to its players, companies and employees extremely seriously.

Industry trade associations are:

  • supporting their member companies and providing them and their employees with information on national business and financial support schemes
  • devising and joining campaigns to encourage players to follow public health authority rules and guidelines, using hashtags such as #stayhomeplaytogether and the industry’s WHO-supported #PlayApartTogether initiative
  • promoting healthy gaming behaviour and the use of parental controls
  • helping parents find appropriate games for their families
  • devising campaigns to minimise the impact of social distancing on mental health

Video games companies are:

  • Donating to Covid-19 emergency funds
  • Inserting in-game Covid-19 safety messaging
  • Making educational games free during the crisis
  • Making fitness games free during the crisis
  • Taking measures to preserve network capacity

Simon Little added, “This situation is new to us, as it is to everyone but the video games industry is committed to learn, adapt and support our community of players, companies and employees throughout this unprecedented crisis.”

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IGT Achieves Improved ESG Score from FTSE Russell

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International Game Technology PLC announced that it has achieved an environmental, social and governance (ESG) Score of 4.3 out of 5.0 from FTSE Russell, positioning IGT in the 97th percentile within the Travel and Leisure sector of FTSE Russell’s ESG Scores. This was an improvement from IGT’s previous ESG Score of 4.2 out of 5.0 in 2023, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to enhancing ESG performance.

“As a company committed to continually elevating our sustainability practices and leadership, IGT is proud to once again achieve an improved ESG score from FTSE Russell. Through our global Sustainable Play program, we execute sustainable practices and policies throughout our company and this improved score validates our ongoing efforts,” Wendy Montgomery, SVP of Marketing, Communications and Sustainability at IGT, said.

FTSE Russell’s ESG Scores and data model allows investors to understand a company’s exposure to, and management of, ESG issues in multiple dimensions. The ESG Scores are comprises an overall rating that breaks down into underlying pillar and theme exposures. Scores built on over 300 individual indicator assessments are applied to each company’s unique circumstances. The ESG Scores align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), all of which are reflected in FTSE Russell’s ESG framework.

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Super Group Appoints Merrick Wolman to its Board of Directors

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Super Group has appointed Merrick Wolman to its Board of Directors, effective from February 18, 2025.

Mr. Wolman is the Chief Executive Officer of a global finance company and has worked closely with the Super Group executive team for over two decades.

Neal Menashe, Chief Executive Officer of Super Group, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Merrick to the board. His deep understanding of the gaming industry, alongside his wide range of experience in executive roles, will be of great value as we continue to pursue our global growth strategy and build on our successes to date.”

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This appointment brings the total directors on Super Group’s board to nine, including five independent directors.

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Kindred Reports Decline in Revenue from High-risk Players for Q4 2024

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Kindred Group has reported decline in its share of revenue from high-risk players for the fourth quarter 2024 at 2.7% (Q3 2024 3.2%). The percentage of detected customers who exhibited improved behaviour after interventions showed an improvement at 92.2% (compared to 87.3% in Q3 2024). This positive trend is mainly the result of stricter measures across key markets, improved internal processes, as well as the exit from non-locally licensed markets as part of to the acquisition by La Française des Jeux (FDJ) in October 2024. This shift reflects Kindred’s broader commitment to maintaining high regulatory standards and fostering safer gambling practices.

“It is pleasing to see the decline in high-risk revenue during the fourth quarter of last year. We know that the share fluctuates between quarters, but the long-term trend is showing a steady decline. We remain dedicated and focused on improving our systems and processes to ensure we offer our customers a safe and fun experience,” Esther Scheepers, Head of Responsible Gambling at Kindred Group, said.

“The increased focus on responsible gambling by regulators and the industry is welcomed. From our end, we see that by combining our expertise with emerging technologies, we can further enhance detection capabilities. We are currently working on our existing detection system in combination with an additional system that will enable us to integrate more robust compliance features and optimize our overall approach to safer gambling. Furthermore, we are exploring opportunities to expand our research efforts, aiming to support data-driven discussions and looking at emerging trends in consumer protection. All these aspects are important to protect the integrity of the licence model and maintain a level playing field,” Esther Scheepers added.

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