With 2023 just around the corner, the American Gaming Association (AGA) has shared some highlights of the industry’s performance in 2022. Despite the various setbacks, the industry managed to achieve another record year, just as predicted in Q1.

The Industry Experienced a Second Record Year

The AGA posted details about the performance of the gaming industry, outlining spectacular performances from commercial and tribal operators alike. Overall, the industry managed to surpass a revenue of $100 billion, beating 2021’s record.

These results were achieved in spite of the global uncertainty and macroeconomic difficulties, the AGA emphasized. While some analysts are still cautious about what the future might bring, the Association is optimistic about the upcoming 2023 and hopes that the industry will continue to flourish.

In addition, the AGA pointed out that there are now 31 states + Washington DC where wagering on sports is legal. Five more states have legalized sports betting but are yet to launch their markets.

Illegal Gambling Is Still a Problem

Unfortunately, not everything is rosy for the industry as illegal gambling continues to be a problem. According to the AGA, there are currently close to 600,000 illegal gambling machines in the US.

All of the illegal operations in the country have an estimated handle of a whopping $510 billion, with revenues sitting at around $44.2 billion. In total, it has been estimated that the black market causes the United States to lose $13.3 billion in potential taxes.

However, the industry and law enforcement are working hard to crack down on illegal businesses. US Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice promised to continue giving their all in the battle against the black market while protecting customers from harm.

The AGA Was Very Proactive

Meanwhile, the AGA is still hard at work protecting customers from harm. In 2022, the Association extended its Responsible Gaming Education Week initiative and expanded its Have A Game Plan. Bet Responsibly campaign.

The AGA also researched other aspects of the gaming industry and met with policymakers more than 140 times, hoping to repeal the sports betting federal excise tax. It also made progress on the slot tax threshold.

One of the highlights of AGA’s activity in 2022 was the G2E and G2E Asia events it hosted, allowing operators and providers to showcase their products. These industry fairs were attended by more than 25,000 industry pros, 350 exhibitors and a few top-ranking executives from some of the biggest companies in gaming.

AGA’s chief executive officer, Bill Miller, is looking optimistically to 2023, hoping to continue “telling gaming’s good story. He is confident that 2023 can be another amazing year for the industry.

Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest is a Round 17 game of the 2022-23 Premier League that’s scheduled for Tuesday, December 27. This is going to be the first time these two meet at Old Trafford since 1998 when the Red Devils beat the Trees 3-0.

Something similar is expected for Tuesday’s game as well. Man United are seen as huge favorites in the eyes of the bookies. Are they going to justify the favorite role, or will we witness an upset? Let’s find out!

Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest Odds

Moneyline

Goals

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: Old Trafford in Manchester
• Date: Tuesday, December 27, 2022
• Time: 12:30 PM ET
• How to Watch: NBC Universal

Man United’s First Game in the Post-Ronaldo Era

Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer a Manchester United player, but this doesn’t have to mean a catastrophe for the Red Devils. On the contrary, they did okay in almost every game in which he was out of the squad.

This includes their most recent EPL game – against Fulham on November 13 – which they won 2-1 with a late winner by Argentina teenager Alejandro Garnacho. It was their eighth win of the season, and they’re now at 26 points, which puts them in the no.5 place on the table.

The Red Devils are just three points behind Tottenham (who’ve played one game more), with a pretty good chance of overtaking their spot in the next week or two. The thing is that their Schedule in late December/early January looks really easy.

After the game with Nottingham Forest, they play the bottom-placed Wolves on New Year’s Day. Then, in their first game in 2023, they take on AFC Bournemouth.

Bad Days Returning to Nottingham

In November, Nottingham Forest played three games in total. They drew with Brentford at home in the Premier League, followed by a win over Tottenham in the EFL Cup, before beating Crystal Palace in the Prem. But then, the World Cup break came.

Can they get back to their pre-break form? Probably not, and it’s not just because they’re facing a tough opponent on Tuesday. It’s also because they have some serious problems with injuries. Six of their first-team players are sidelined, three of which are defensive/holding midfielders. The other three are defenders.

All of this means that the Tricky Trees are going to have some serious problems at the back in the game against Man United.

Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest Prediction

The Red Devils will win this game and they’re going to do it in style. The banged-up defense of Nottingham Forest simply cannot stop Man United’s raging offense. A win by two or three goals is what we expect to see on Tuesday.

Picks: Manchester United to win; over 2.5 goals

As a result, Hölle Games will have the opportunity to significantly grow its footprint across the continent and benefit from Slotegrator’s reach.

The studio itself is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority and holds an ISO 27001 certification. Its products are already established in Europe with games such as Höllische Sieben, Fruits, and Jolly Wild all being part of the European iGaming market.

Hölle Games Gains Further Exposure with Slotegrator

All of Hölle Games’ titles are marked by a high level of gameplay depth and excellent graphics and are immediately recognized on the German market for one. Slotegrator will take the company’s product offer and popularize it in new markets as well.

Hölle Games Co-founder and CEO Robert Lenzhofer spoke highly of the cooperation with Slotegrator and its significance. He hailed Slotegrator as a straightforward organization that has emerged as a startup and quickly consolidated its presence in the industry.

For a young studio such as ours, to be recognized by so many powerful players of our industry and now getting a chance to prove ourselves with the wide network of Slotegrator partners, is truly an honor.

Hölle Games Co-founder and CEO Robert Lenzhofer

Hölle Games has had several big milestones to celebrate in 2022, with the Slotegrator partnership rounding up a busy year indeed. Hölle Games has been building up its footprint over the past months.

The company joined First Look Games, a solution developed to provide suppliers and companies with a quick and reliable way to distribute their products with affiliates and partners interested in promoting their titles. Hölle Games signed a similar partnership with SkillOnNet and is in the process of amping up its production pace.

Kindred’s board of directors may soon expand as the company’s Nomination Committee just proposed five new members. The company’s board until the next annual general meeting will likely consist of a total of nine members without any deputy members.

The Nomination Committee Proposed Five New Board Members

The Nomination Committee proposed the re-election of four of the current directors. The members that will remain on the company’s board are the following:

• Evert Carlsson
• James H. Gemmel
• Carl-Magnus Månsson
• Heidi Skogster

Meanwhile, five new members were proposed to join the company’s board for the next one-year period. According to Kindred, these include the following:

• Cédric Boireau
• Jonas Jansson
• Andy McCue
• Martin Randel
• Kenneth Shea

Lastly, the Nomination Committee proposed the re-election of Evert Carlsson as the board’s chairman.
Meanwhile, four members, namely Peter Boggs, Gunnel Duveblad, Erik Forsberg and Fredrik Peyron said that they will not stand for re-election.

A Look into the Proposed Members’ Backgrounds

Kindred published some information about the five people whom the Nomination Committee proposed. Cédric Boireau is a French citizen who has years of experience in the real estate and investment sectors, having previously worked for SAS Premier Investissement and Lagune Holding, an investment advisory company founded by him.

Since Boireau is a member of Kindred’s Nomination Committee, Kindred emphasized that he did not participate in the deliberations and the decision regarding his nomination.

Jonas Jansson is an experienced Swede who has previously worked for Kambi Group. He later joined Unibet/Kindred as the head of trading, a position he occupied for seven years.

Andy McCue hails from Britain and is currently chairing the board of Thérapie Clinic and Camile Thai. He has previously worked as the chief executive officer of Paddy Power, overseeing the M&A deal with Betfair. McCue also has a variety of other experiences with many companies.

Next up is Martin Randel, another Swede with significant experience as the founder, owner and board member of various companies. He is a veteran entrepreneur who will bring years of experience to Kindred’s board.

Lastly, Kenneth Shea, born in the United States, is the current director of investments at the real estate firm Hamilton Point Investments. With more than 25 years of experience in financial services, Shea will bring a lot of financial insight to Kindred’s team.

Meister Spoke about the Proposed Members

Keith Meister of Corvex Management who chairs the Nomination Committee spoke about the proposal. He noted that the major board changes should be communicated before the Notice of the AGM 2023 and the committee’s motivated opinion. For reference, the two documents will be published at the same time.

Meister said that he believes the proposed members have skills that will complement the company’s board. He noted that Boireau and Gemmel own almost 20% of the company, while Jansson and McCue have valuable experience in gaming. Shea and Randel, on the other hand, have financial experience that will help the company a lot.

The proposed new Board has the right mix of continuity: new directors representing large owners, proven industry leaders, and business leaders with capital markets, M&A, and entrepreneurial expertise.

Keith Meister, chair, Nomination Committee

In other news, Kindred just announced that it plans to open a new office in Bengaluru.

The Nevada Gaming Commission unanimously voted in favor of implementing updated cybersecurity regulations. The state’s casinos will need to introduce tighter control over their online operations to better protect against leaks of sensitive information such as client data. Industry representatives supported the changes, with most high-profile brands already featuring adequate data breach safeguards.

Online Security Breaches Are on the Rise

Cybersecurity has been a persistent issue for gambling operators since they first went online, as hackers relentlessly target the multi-billion dollar industry. A recent report by cybersecurity company Kaspersky revealed that Southeast Asia casinos were under constant attacks by Chinese malware, persisting for several years.

Western operators are in no less danger, as evidenced by two recent incidents with high-profile companies. In November, DraftKings found itself in hot water after uncovering that security breaches caused clients to lose up to $300,000 as their login details were allegedly compromised. A few days ago, BetMGM also announced that a potential cyber attack may have leaked personal information on an unspecified number of customers.

The Commission Opted for a More Relaxed Approach

With incidents rising in scope in scale, the Nevada Gaming Commission has taken preemptive measures, introducing updated rules for operators in the state. The reworked regulations give casinos a year to develop adequate cybersecurity solutions and procedures. Commission members opted to give companies relative freedom in implementing their new security features, but the new rules contain a few strict requirements.

All Nevada operators must perform yearly compliance reviews and inform the regulator within 72 hours of a security breach. Their reports should contain the cause and extent of the attack, as well as the company’s immediate response and planned countermeasures.

The Commission gave operators a lot of leeway with the new regulations, making them intentionally vague and open to interpretation. Since the rules mostly lack strict requirements, they leave casinos opportunities to cooperate with authorities like the FBI or other agencies before submitting a detailed report to the regulator.

Industry Representatives Offered Substantial Contributions

Several high-profile organizations supported the new regulations, recognizing the pressing need for heightened online security. Nevada Resorts Association president Virginia Valentine lauded the Commission for maintaining a constructive dialogue with operators. She added that several suggestions by association members made their way into the final version of the updated regulation.

The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers also contributed to the end document with a list of proposed amendments that the Commission implemented into the document’s final draft. Even though the amended regulation is predominantly advisory, it is still an important milestone toward a more secure gambling environment prepared for the dangers of the modern age.

Atlantic City’s Borgata Casino officially announced the long-awaited relaunch of its high-limit Miralto lounge. The renovated play space underwent an extensive multi-million redesign, featuring many top-of-the-line amenities, appealing to wealthy bidders. The casino also plans to overhaul the rest of the slot and table game spaces to offer a more polished and engaging experience.

Miralto Remains a Premier Luxury Gaming Space

Borgata’s Miralto high-limit slot lounge reopens on December 23 after an extensive two-month rejuvenation project. The 8,300 square-foot space offers a hand-picked collection of over 100 slot games like the $500-dollar Red White and Blue Wild Star aimed at high-volume bettors. The lounge caters to the most discerning tastes, featuring private restrooms, exclusive cashiering services, and elegant, refined decor.

Director of slot operations at Borgata Demi Adebowale was excited to announce the lounge’s long-awaited reopening, welcoming clients to experience the updated interior and immerse themselves in a secluded high-limit slot experience.

Elevating the level of luxury Borgata offers demonstrates the ongoing commitment we have to remain the market leader.

Demi Adebowale, Borgata director of slot operations

The Miralto lounge is situated next to the hotel lobby, and its renewed interior features a cream, gold, and green color palette, accentuated by redesigned cabinetry. Frosted window panes and a golden framework separate the space from the rest of the floor, providing a secluded, luxurious place for patrons to enjoy an undisturbed betting experience.

A custom glass chandelier over 8 feet in diameter dominates the area’s central space. 3,456 individually cut, hand-placed pieces of glass draw in visitors, welcoming them to one of the premier high-limit slot lounges in the Atlantic City market. The space perfectly matches the elegance and sophistication valued by Borgata and gives a clue to the casino’s future projects.

Borgata Envisions Additional Extensive Updates

The Miralto renovation is the next step in Borgata’s plans to refresh its offerings. The Old Homestead Steak House reopens with Miralto, offering an unparalleled dining experience and extending its 100-year heritage of serving the finest cuts of beef. A newly designed dining room and expanded bar welcome new and returning guests to savor its legendary food and beverage menu.

Borgata also plans an extensive redesign of its 161,000 square feet gaming space, envisioning a dynamic and spacious interior complemented by comfortable seating and new arrangements. Ninety 55-inch televisions will allow fans to remain connected to their favorite games without interruptions. The casino is investing substantially in the future, recognizing the need to stay relevant within its market niche by keeping its offerings fresh and exciting.