Issue ten of the SBC Magazine is available for your viewing pleasure, accessible online HERE, boasting expert insights from across the entire betting and gaming ecosystem.
Kicking things off with the casino section, we applaud Malta for the resilience it showed to emerge from under the ‘clouds of corona’, assess the sustainability of poker’s renaissance, and find out why the ‘number one’ contributing factor to online gaming success in Japan will be for operators to express dedication to the market and its local culture.
But that’s not all from the casino floor, as Hub88.io director Vladimir Negine explains why content aggregators must find ways to better serve the needs of both players and operators, while David Little outlines the Lightning Box plans for across the pond, including why it must be regulation ready as the starting gun fires in various states across the US.
Moving on, and an interview with William Hill CEO Ulrik Bengtsson elaborates on the challenges presented by COVID-19 and Brexit proofing operations, before highlighting the firm’s strong position in the US in response to being probed about its ‘soft approach’ to M&A.
Fittingly, we then take a look at all things US and Latin America, headlined by Penn National Gaming’s decision to lead with the Barstool brand for online sports betting, why it is a case of ‘if not when’ for single event sports betting in Canada, and the specific measures to maintain integrity in South American football – as told by FIFA and CONMEBOL.
We also check in on the international expansion journey for the rebranded Kaizen Gaming, formerly Stoiximan/Betano, which is now present in six countries, and with a strong footprint in Europe.
CEO George Daskalakis expands on the company’s symbolic name change, before assessing new opportunities in Latin America and sharing his disappointment over Germany’s failure to finalise a modern regulatory framework for its online gambling market.
‘Cashless’ is the buzzword for our payments section as we debate whether retail betting is on the cusp of a new cashless normal. AstroPay CEO Mikael Lijtenstein believes that the digital shift was inevitable – even without the acceleration provided by COVID-19 – and that ‘thinking like the customer’ is imperative in terms of adapting to these new times.
Finally, we learn how diversification is the best response to regulatory changes on the marketing scene. Ian Sims, founder of Rightlander, encouraged affiliates at CasinoBeats Malta Digital to ‘spread the risk’ across markets and operators, referencing a number of high-profile recent pull-outs in the UK over compliance issues.
The latest SBC Magazine is available to download or view online HERE.
