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Behind the Success of the Growing European Online Gambling Market

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Due to all types of restrictions on social gathering and physical attendance in many brick-and-mortar businesses, the global online gaming and gambling markets have ballooned in 2020. As gambling becomes more and more of an online activity, markets such as the European Union are projected to grow at about 10% per year, and increase to nearly US$35.5 billion by 2022, up nearly 32% from its 2018 numbers. Globally, the online gambling market is projected to reach US$160 billion by 2026. The European market is seen as far more regulated than any other, with the Western side catching up to the Eastern market revenue-wise. But for a diverse group of developers and their platforms, there are companies already licensed to operate in the EU that are reaping the rewards of their market position on the continent, including Bragg Gaming Group, Glue Mobile, Activision Blizzard, Century Casino Inc., and Enthusiast Gaming.

Through its subsidiary ORYX Gaming, Bragg Gaming Group recently announced its entry into the lucrative Swiss market, after signing a content deal with leading operator mycasino.ch by Grand Casino Luzern.

It’s worth noting that as recently as 2019, online gaming was illegal in Switzerland, and all access to unlicensed sites and apps were to be blocked. But a new gambling law from July 2019 enabled land-based casinos to launch online operations.

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Since then, the Swiss regulated online market quickly gained traction. The latest official figures from the country’s regulator showed that online gaming licensees generated CHF23.5M (more than US$26 million) in just the first partial year of being live.

It’s notable that ORYX/Bragg’s partner Grand Casino Luzern‘s brand mycasino.ch generated CHF8.9M (nearly US$10 million) in revenues in 2019—accounting for nearly 38% of the total Swiss online gaming market.

“We have had a strong start to our online operations and are constantly looking for fresh and exciting content to enhance the experience for our growing customer base. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with ORYX moving forward,” said Wolfgang Bliem, CEO of Grand Casino Luzern. “Our main objective is to provide our Swiss players with pure entertainment at the highest level, and we believe ORYX’s portfolio of games can help us achieve just that. We are pleased to be the first operator in the country to offer the games through ORYX and are confident that the games will be huge hits with our players.”

Through ORYX GAMING, Bragg is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), as well as the Romanian National Gambling Office (ONJN) and is compliant, certified, or approved in 18 other major jurisdictions.

“The Swiss online market is one that we have had an eye on since the new legislation entered into force in 2019 and we are thrilled to finally make our debut,” said Matevz Mazij, Managing Director of ORYX Gaming. “Grand Casino Luzern makes a perfect partner for us as one of the most established operators in the market with a strong online brand and we look forward to working together to build our presence in the country.”

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Prior to the Swiss announcement, Bragg Gaming Group announced an exceptional revenue growth of 72% in Q3 2020. Bragg continued to focus on expanding its global footprint, onboarding 14 new customers in the quarter alone. Beyond Switzerland, they’re also in advanced discussions with new customers across multiple other licensed jurisdictions in Europe and Latin America.

Built upon its portfolio of assets that includes the ORYX Gaming subsidiary, Bragg Gaming Group is positioned as an innovative B2B online gaming facilitator, providing turnkey solutions including an omni-channel retail, online, and mobile iGaming platform to clients such as Grand Casino Luzern. Bragg’s games are played and enjoyed in countries around the world, and the company is set to sponsor this year’s prestigious World Gaming Executive Summit (WGES)—one of Europe’s most exclusive iGaming conferences.

At another virtual conference held on Dec 9, Glu Mobile (NASDAQ:GLUU) will be sending its CEO and COO to participate in one-on-one meetings and a fireside chat at the UBS Global TMT Virtual Conference.

Unlike online casino games, Glu Mobile’s primary assets are “freemium” mobile games—games that are free to download, but incentivize players to spend more money for downloadable content and upgrades. The business model has proven quite successful, as shares of Glu Mobile have risen 43.88% over the past quarter, and are up 76.88% in the last year. The company’s revenue reached a record high US$158.50 million, beating the estimate of US$136.30 million, resulting in a year-over-year growth of 48%.

Much like Glu, Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI) saw its revenues grow in 2020, by an expected rate of 28%. This year’s lockdowns and increased time at home has given Activision Blizzard its biggest base of engaged players to date. The company expects that its next major Call of Duty release will only add more to the bottom line—and push sales in Q4 to $2 billion, and net bookings of $2.7 billion.

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“There are few entertainment franchises that generate over $1 billion in annual net bookings,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. “And today, we operate three of them: Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush. And each has clear opportunity for sustained growth.”

The lack of physical traffic in Europe appears to be hurting groups such as Century Casino Inc. (NASDAQ:CNTY), which cited its casinos in Poland having a softer Q3 2020. While casinos in smaller cities around the country (drawing more local patrons) are doing well, their two larger casinos in the Polish capital of Warsaw are being softened because of the lack of tourists and business travelers. However, the global casino entertainment company has already begun to move on internet sports betting, such as in October partnering with Tipico for gaming in Colorado. Tipico originally started in Europe in 2004, and is the leading sports betting provider in Germany.

The popularity of online gaming and esports continues to be aided by the work of the world’s largest social network of communities for gamers and esports fans, Enthusiast Gaming (TSX:EGLX). With a reach of over 300 million gaming enthusiasts on a monthly basis, and hosts of the largest mobile gaming event in Europe, Pocket Gamer Connects, Enthusiast Gaming has seen strong growth in 2020—including 36% growth of total advertising revenue, including programmatic advertising revenue growth of 28%.

Because of the nature of their business, Enthusiast’s events have not been as harmed as the more brick-and-mortar centered groups, such as Century Casino. Its latest EGLX 2020 online gaming festival was watched by over 12 million fans, while streaming a total of 53 hours of content over four days from November 10-13.

As the European online gaming and gambling markets continue to grow, companies like Bragg Gaming Group look to be in a good position to take advantage of the gains.

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SOURCE Microsmallcap.com

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Aristocrat Gaming

Record Progressive Jackpot at Over $2 Million and Climbing Up for Grabs at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood

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A record progressive jackpot of more than $2 million continues to climb on a $1 million Dragon Link slot machine by Aristocrat Gaming. The huge jackpot is up for grabs at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood.

The $1 denomination Dragon Link slot is a single-site progressive (SSP) and is located in the high-limit slots area of the Hollywood casino, famous through the world for its iconic Guitar Hotel. The slot machine’s progressive jackpot increases independently from other Dragon Link slots at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and elsewhere.

The jackpot is climbing by an average of $7,000 per day and is on track to become one of the largest slot machine payouts in Seminole Gaming history and the largest Dragon Link jackpot ever awarded. Players at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood have a chance to be a part of jackpot history.

“It’s exciting to witness the Dragon Link jackpot grow to an unprecedented amount. The game has been a favorite since its release, and with this amazing prize now up for grabs, our players have the potential for a huge win,” said David Hoenemeyer, Chief Operating Officer of Seminole Gaming.

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“We are incredibly proud of the fanfare Dragon Link has amassed over the years, and this historic milestone reinforces player excitement for the brand. The Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood team have been incredible partners and huge supporters of our $1 million Dragon Link offering. We can’t wait to be a part of the celebration of this record-breaking jackpot,” said Kurt Gissane, Chief Revenue Officer for Aristocrat Gaming.

Since its debut at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood in June 2021, Dragon Link has consistently drawn in players with its exciting high-denomination offering, which includes a $25 minimum bet and a $2,500 max bet. The casino-resort was the first in the world to feature the $1 million Dragon Link progressive, and today, it remains one of the most popular high-limit slot games available.

The impact of Dragon Link on the gaming landscape has been immense, cementing its status as a player favorite. While Aristocrat Gaming continues to push boundaries with innovative offerings, the latest jackpot at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood represents a new milestone in gaming entertainment.

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Chris Chapman

Xpoint Appoints Chris Chapman as CTO and Rahul Agrawal as VP of Engineering

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Xpoint has announced two key appointments as it strengthens its leadership team.

Chris Chapman has been promoted to Chief Technology Officer and Rahul Agrawal has joined as VP of Engineering.

Chapman previously served as VP of Engineering at Xpoint and has been pivotal in leading the company’s engineering efforts, advancing its geolocation technology and ensuring the platform’s reliability and scalability. Prior to joining Xpoint, he held senior leadership positions at companies such as Sourcepoint, Integral Ad Science and Amino Payments, which he founded. In his new role, he will focus on driving innovation and ensuring that Xpoint remains at the forefront of geolocation and compliance solutions in the iGaming sector.

Agrawal brings over 25 years of experience in technology leadership, most recently serving as VP of Technology at PointsBet, where he advanced the development of the sportsbook and casino platform, built a global engineering team and integrated multiple technology partners, including geolocation providers.

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His extensive background also includes being CTO at FaceOff and senior technology roles at Jump Ramp Games and High 5 Games. He will lead the Xpoint engineering team, focusing on operational excellence and the continued development of the supplier’s geolocation technology.

Manu Gambhir, CEO of Xpoint, said: “We are excited to promote Chris to CTO and welcome Rahul as our VP of Engineering.

“Chris has been an integral part of Xpoint’s success and his promotion to CTO is a natural progression as we continue to evolve. Rahul’s extensive experience in building and scaling technology platforms will complement Chris’s leadership and together, their expertise will drive the next phase of innovation for Xpoint as we continue to lead the geolocation and compliance space in the iGaming industry.”

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9 Aspects to Look For in a Top iGaming Payment Provider

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There are hundreds of iGaming payment providers out there. Which one will meet your demands? Many businesses ask this question. Not many get the right answer.

With the global online gaming market expected to reach $127 billion by 2027, getting the right iGaming payment services is paramount. Simply put, the better provider you have, the more customers you can serve, the faster payments will be, and the higher your income you will have.

Yet, choosing the right provider can be challenging, especially with the unique needs of high-risk industries like iGaming. In this piece, we will go through a nine-point checklist. These steps ensure you enter a pool of top iGaming payment providers.

So, buckle up.

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1. Verify If an iGaming Software Provider is High-Risk Friendly

iGaming is a high-risk industry. That means higher fees and more scrutiny. Choose a provider specialising in high-risk sectors to avoid disruptions and reduce transaction rejections.

Keep note: Not all payment providers are willing to work with high-risk industries, leading to potential delays or increased fees.

The right iGaming payment provider must have these aspects to be truly high-risk friendly:

  1. Have no volume restrictions
  2. Understand the industry to the bone
  3. Provide a dedicated account manager with expert knowledge of the sector
  4. Support licenses in different jurisdictions

 

2. Check How Long It Takes for an iGaming Payment Provider to Open a Business Account

Now, you narrowed down the list of best payment providers for iGaming. The next important question to ask:

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 How long will it take to open a business account?

In most cases, when you need to open a business account, you can expect two challenges:

  1. Lengthy approval process.
  2. A lot of documents to provide.

 

Many banks does not understand industries like iGaming. That is why they ask tons of unrelated questions and require documents you don’t simply have. As a result, getting a business account can take weeks or months.

A good provider opens a business account for you in several weeks. A great iGaming software solutions provider opens a business account in about 48 hours.

https://account.paydo.com/en/auth/business/sign-up

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3. Make Sure an iGaming Payment Provider Has SWIFT In Their Arsenal

For international transactions, SWIFT is a must. This scheme allows for faster, more secure iGaming transactions. It reduces delays and ensures smooth processing of player deposits and withdrawals.

Without SWIFT, iGaming operators risk slower processing times and dissatisfied players. Yet, the rule of thumb dictates that the more payment schemes you have access to the better.

 

4. Does iGaming Payment Provider Offer Multiple Currencies?

This should be your next question. Even if an iGaming payment provider is high-risk friendly, opens a business account fast, and is connected to SWIFT, this does not mean you get many currencies to work with. You still need to pay contractors in their local currency.

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Also, setting up a multicurrency account can come at a significant cost. Banks and EMIs impose additional charges for each extra currency you might need.

 

5. Check If an iGaming Payment Provider Offers Merchant Services

If you have a website accepting payments, you need a good checkout.

What constitutes a “good” checkout?

In most cases, the number of chargebacks, holds, rolling reserves, as well as payment methods available. Besides, you want a checkout that can be easily integrated.

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6. What About Mass Payouts?

Every iGaming operator knows how hard it can be to send multiple payments to several customers. When you don’t have mass payments with your iGaming provider, every payment must be made one by one. Without saying, it will take a lot of your time and nerve.

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7. Confirm Whether an iGaming Payment Provider Have Virtual and Physical Cards

Virtual and physical cards allow flexibility for both business payments and player withdrawals. They can be used for payouts, ad spending, or corporate expenses. Besides, having a personalised plastic card speaks volumes about your brand.

 

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8. Compliance With Global and Local Regulations

After going through the arsenal of services of a chosen best iGaming payment provider, the next logical step is to look at compliance. You must be sure a selected provider has the legal right to provide certain services and operate in partnership destinations.

To illustrate, as an iGaming payment provider, one should have at least these:

  1. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
  2. Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC).

 

As an add-on, a good iGaming payment provider should have an Authorised Electronic Money Institution (UAB) license. This one allows the platform to issue electronic money and offer related financial services within the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA).

 

9. Double-Check the Security Measures an iGaming Payment Provider Implements

For top iGaming payment providers these security measures are non-negotiable:

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  • Built-in anti-fraud.
  • PCI-DSS Level 1 compliance.
  • 3D-Secure (3DS) technology.
  • Anti-money laundering (AML) protocols.
  • Automated KYC.

 

PayDo—All Payment Solutions in One Place

While all roads lead to Rome, all aforementioned aspects lead to platforms like PayDo.

PayDo is a payment ecosystem. It made sure all the aspects we talked about were covered. Namely, the platform is:

 

1. High-risk friendly:

    1. No volume restrictions.
    2. No hidden fees
    3. No minimal commitments
    4. No minimal balances
    5. No nonsense requirements
    6. All iGaming licenses (Curacao included).
    7. In-depth understanding of high-risk industries.
    8. Curacao and other licenses supported
    9. A dedicated account manager with extensive experience in iGaming
    10. Momentary payouts
    11. Scheduled payments
    12. 140+ destinations

 

2. Business account opening:

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    1. Takes about 48 hours.
    2. Completely remote.
    3. Requires a standard package of documents.
    4. Onboarding is as quick as verification.

 

3. Nine payment schemes: 

    1. SEPA
    2. SEPA instant
    3. Fedwire
    4. Target 2
    5. FasterPayments
    6. Chaps
    7. BACS
    8. Kronos2

 

4. Multicurrency:

    1. Dedicated IBAN with 35+ currencies and 150 countries.
    2. Personal account with 12+ currencies.
    3. No extra charges for currencies.

 

5. Checkout:

    1. Zero chargebacks
    2. No holds or rolling reserve
    3. Easy API integration
    4. 350+ payment methods
    5. Localization
    6. Instant settlements
    7. Conversion rate > 98%
    8. Unlimited websites

 

6. Mass Payouts:

    1. Automatic payouts without any manual inputs.
    2. Customers receive their funds without fees.

 

7. Virtual and Physical Cards:

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    1. Offer employees personalized cards.
    2. Improve corporate expense management.
    3. No limit on issuance.

 

8. Compliance and Security:

1.Licensed by:

      1. FCA.
      2. FINTRAC
      3. UAB.

 

2.Security measures:

      1. Built-in anti-fraud.
      2. PCI-DSS Level 1 compliance.
      3. 3D-Secure (3DS) technology.
      4. Anti-money laundering (AML) protocols.
      5. Automated KYC.
      6. Encryption.
      7. Safeguarding.

 

 

Besides, recently PayDo was nominated for the Payment Innovation of the Year award at a

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reputable iGaming-focused SBC 2024 convention.

 

Finally, PayDo have become a SWIFT Direct Participant. Now the platform can send and receive messages directly through the SWIFT network without intermediary banks.

For PayDo clients, it means faster transaction speed and fewer delays.

 

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Conclusion

When choosing a payment provider for iGaming, check these aspects:

  1. High-risk friendly;
  2. Business account opening;
  3. SWIFT availability;
  4. Multiple currencies;
  5. Merchant services;
  6. Mass payouts;
  7. Virtual and physical cards;
  8. Compliance;
  9. Security measures.

 

The list is that long because top iGaming payment providers like PayDo work hard to develop a solution that will stand out in a competitive market. With PayDo, you get the services of 8-9 payment providers in one place and under one contract.

Don’t hesitate to open an account right now. We are ready when you are!

The post 9 Aspects to Look For in a Top iGaming Payment Provider appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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