Odds On Compliance, a technology and consultancy firm providing gambling firms with crucial regulatory advice, has announced a new addition to its team. The company has reinforced its European division, naming the experienced compliance specialist Cheryl Jones as president of Odds On Compliance Europe.

Odds On Compliance Europe Designated Jones as President

Jones is a gambling industry veteran with intimate knowledge of the sector. Her expertise was cultivated over years in the gaming sector, during which she occupied compliance-related roles at several notable companies.

Jones’ career in gaming began when she joined NMi Metrology and Gaming, a provider of testing and auditing services to the gambling industry. She served as a regulatory specialist and corporate legal specialist, helping her develop her skills. The company would later be acquired by Gaming Laboratories International where Jones would occupy a variety of compliance-related positions.

Between September 2021 and December 2021, Jones had a short stint as the chief legal and compliance officer of g.games. After that, she joined Lady Luck Games, a fast-growing developer of casino games. During her time at Lady Luck, Jones worked as the provider’s chief legal and compliance officer.
Jones has previously worked with international regulators and has offered guidance on responsible gambling, Odds On Compliance emphasized. Her profound experience is sure to help Odds On Compliance replicate its US success in Europe.

Jones Is Thrilled to Grow Odds On Compliance in Europe

Jones shared her thoughts on joining Odds On Compliance. She praised the company for being the go-to provider of compliance-related advisory services in the United States and said that she is excited to work for the company’s European arm. Jones is looking forward to bringing Odds On Compliance’s regulatory knowledge to Europe and helping the company’s clients navigate the regulatory landscape.

Eric Frank, Odds On Compliance’s chief executive officer and co-founder, welcomed Jones on board. He lauded the new hire as a highly committed person who is capable of leveraging tech and innovation to improve compliance. This, he said, makes her a great fit for the company.

Cheryl’s experience, determination, and leadership will strengthen our position as the global leader in the compliance space.

Eric Frank, CEO, Odds On Compliance

Frank briefly addressed Odds On Compliance’s foray into Europe, calling it an “exciting moment” in the company’s history.

Cheryl Jones was designated as one of the Most Influential Women in Gaming in 2022 and would be a valuable addition to Odds On Compliance’s team.

Livespins, a company providing socially-charged casino experiences, has enhanced its content roster with new titles. The new additions will be added to Livespins thanks to an agreement with Gamzix, a provider of progressive slot games.

Another Awesome Deal in the Bag

Livespins offers streamed casino games where viewers can become a part of the action. Audiences can dictate their bets to a streamer and can see how other participants perform. In addition, Livespins players can communicate with one another, giving each other tips or commenting on the latest in-game developments.

This concept adds a social layer to games that people would otherwise play alone, thus boosting engagement. The Livespins chat offers all the musts of a modern chat, ensuring seamless communication between the players.

Gamzix will now power Livespins’ content offering with extra titles. As a result, audiences will now be able to experience fan-favorite games such as Bonanza Donut, Buffalo Ice, Dogs and Tails, Fruit Story and Happy Rabbit with an added social element.

In its announcement Livespins also noted that slots will not be the only Gamzix games to be added to its portfolio. Crash games such as Pilot, Pilot Coin and Pilot Cup will be added as well, further improving content diversity.

Livespins Will Popularize Gamzix’s Titles

Gamzix is a fairly fresh but ambitious studio from Estonia, which leverages intimate knowledge of mathematics and design to create some of the most thrilling experiences in the contemporary market. The quality of Gamzix’s products has helped the company grow and sign agreements with many notable casino companies.

Marina Kalinina, Gamzix’s chief marketing officer, praised the integration, calling casino streaming an “absolute phenomenon.” She is sure that Livespins will be a suitable partner that will popularize Gamzix’s exciting games among many new players.

Michael Pedersen, Livespins’ chief commercial officer, agreed with this sentiment and noted that the agreement will popularize the provider’s titles among many new audiences. He is also happy about his own company, which has now successfully secured access to more hit casino content.

In Gamzix, we have a pioneering developer whose games promise to get players on the edge of their seats with each spin. We are particularly pleased to add its crash games to our portfolio, adding more variety for our streamers and their audiences to enjoy.

Michael Pedersen, CCO, Livespins

January has been a busy month for Livespins, which penned deals with two other major suppliers. The slots streaming specialist signed agreements with Yolo Group and EveryMatrix, securing further expansion of its content offering.

On Tuesday, the organization unveiled it inked a four-event collaboration with the leading resort destination. As a result, the Sycuan Casino Resort will be the exclusive location in the US for Cage Warriors this year. The new partnership launches on March 9 with CW 149. Then, the promotion will return to the resort on June 2, September 8, as well as December 15.

Rob Cinelli, Sycuan Casino Resort’s general manager, said that the resort is excited to become the exclusive partner of Cage Warriors in the US. Additionally, he explained that martial arts are a popular sport in San Diego, considering that there are world-class gyms, a large community of fighters and sports fans alike. Cinelli added: “We are excited to bring four action-packed events to Sycuan, so dedicated fans and those newly introduced to combat sports can come and experience this massively entertaining sport first-hand.”

“We are thrilled to be the exclusive US partner of Cage Warriors in 2023.“

Rob Cinelli, general manager at Sycuan Casino Resort

Graham Boylan, Cage Warriors’ president, acknowledged that Sycuan Casino Resort will be the US home of the organization during 2023 thanks to the terms of a new partnership. He pointed out that the new collaboration is expected to deliver unique experiences for sports fans. Boylan said that the world tour is planned to kick off with an exciting card at an incredible location. Finally, he said: “Cage Warriors is at the forefront of So-Cal MMA, and you’re going to see exactly why on March 3!”

“This year, we’ll be joining force with Sycuan Casino Resort, making them the official US home of Cage Warriors in 2023.“

Graham Boylan, president of Cage Warriors

Besides the four-event partnership with the Sycuan Casino Resort, Cage Warriors unveiled details regarding its roster of fighters for the 2023 world tour. The martial arts organization explained Wilson Reis, the former UFC flyweight title challenger is expected to return. Additionally, Tuomas Gronvall, a fighter with a two-fight winning streak, including most recently at New Year’s Eve within CW 148 is expected to return as well. Chasen ‘Paper’ Blair, as well as Jordan Bailey and Damon ‘The Nomad’ Wilson, are also among the fighters that are expected to return this season.

The launch of Massachusetts’ sports betting market is around the corner. Authorities in the Bay State used the last few days to discuss what activities should people be allowed to wager on. The list contains some surprising entries.

MA Punters Will Be Able to Bet on Drafts and Award Events

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission approved the catalog of events people would be allowed to place wagers on. Evidently, once the market launches, punters will be able to bet on sports. In addition, they will be allowed to bet on sports awards, professional drafts and even the Oscars.

The sporting event catalog will include ML drafts, ML awards, special events, the Oscars, Emmys, Nathans and ML eating, Bill Speros, a sports betting expert and columnist, shared on Twitter.

While Commissioner Eileen O’Brien believed that sports betting should be strictly reserved for sporting events and opposed the introduction of betting markets, the final vote passed with three votes in favor of the extra markets.

This will turn Massachusetts into one of the rarer states where betting on drafts is allowed. On the contrary, local bettors will not be allowed to place wagers on virtual sports, esports, Jai alai, chess, Cornhole, Olympic events and Russian events.

Other Entries Might Be Added to the Catalog at a Later Date

Olympic events might be included in future iterations of Massachusetts’ sports betting catalog. However, the Gambling Commission is still not sure how to handle certain Olympic events where the scoring systems are subjective. This includes ice skating and gymnastics – markets that are popular in some states but illegal in others.

There is still more than a year remaining before the beginning of the next Olympics, so authorities will have ample time to discuss the subject.

In addition, the MA regulator does not want to allow wagering on Russian and Belarusian sporting events amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Such events might be included in the catalog at later dates, depending on how the market and the global political and economic situation develop.

Massachusetts will launch sports betting just in time for the Super Bowl. The market is set to go live at 10 am on January 31. This time was picked to avoid rush hours and mitigate the risk of uncontrollable crowds.

The Bay State is also preparing to launch mobile sports betting in March. However, there are still discussions about gambling advertisements. The Gambling Commission is in favor of tougher marketing regulations that would lead to lower gambling harm rates.

Gambling harm consultancy EPIC Risk Management announced it has reached an agreement with the largest gambling operator in Australia, Tabcorp, to deliver educational programs on safer gambling to its employees.

Help Reduce Gambling Harm Risk

EPIC Risk Management will deliver executive training, gambling harm awareness and its ‘Interactions Masterclass’ program to employees of Tabcorp, the gambling operator ranked as the third-largest in Asia and one of the largest worldwide.

Welcoming the new business project, Martin Bland, director of Business Development at EPIC Risk Management, outlined the crucial role of the gambling harm consultancy as it would bring its expertise to Tabcorp’s workforce of more than 5,000 people to assist the operator’s efforts to “significantly reduce the risk of gambling-related harm occurring” across any of its brands.

“We look forward to commencing our working relationship with Tabcorp and trust that we will provide some key support in relation to player protection throughout the organization,” Bland concluded.

Providing education, training, advice, and consultancy related to the minimization of gambling-related harm and player protection enhancement, EPIC Risk Management has already partnered with a number of organizations in sports, gambling and horse racing industries.

Utilizing the knowledge and understanding derived from personal experience as around half of EPIC’s employees have lived experience of serious gambling harm, the consultancy is continuing to raise awareness within some of the highest-risk sectors for gambling harm and the gambling industry itself.

Expanding Presence in the Region

The partnership with Tabcorp is a major step for the consultancy as it seeks to grow its popularity in the Asia-Pacific region and Australia, where it recently spoke at the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) 2022 conference in Melbourne and hosted a discussion on minimization of gambling harm with senior representatives from almost every sports league and sport governing body in the country in Sydney.

EPIC Risk Management already established collaborations with Cricket New South Wales, the trading body of the New South Wales (NSW) Cricket Association, providing lived experience facilitators to deliver their gambling harm stories to both men’s and women’s players on an ongoing basis.

Outside of the region, EPIC Risk Management is continuing with its preparations for the upcoming summit on gambling harm prevention in sports it is organizing in collaboration with the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB)’s Global Institute of Sport (GIS).

The summit will take place at the Wembley Stadium on February 8 and will welcome C-level executives and player welfare specialists from major sports clubs, leagues, governing bodies, and the gambling industry.

Italian betting and gaming operator Lottomatica confirmed rumors that it was considering an initial public offering among its options going forward but did not provide any further details on its plans.

Considering Going Public

Lottomatica announced that its board, together with the company’s controlling shareholder, Apollo Global Management, “is currently contemplating potential strategic alternatives to support its future growth, including capital markets transactions such as a potential listing” of the company’s shares on a regulated market.

The announcement was made as part of the company’s trading update for the fourth quarter and full-year 2022 consolidated preliminary results. Earlier in the month, there was media speculation that Italy’s biggest gaming and betting operator is considering going public in 2023, looking to raise as much as $1 billion.

Fourth Quarter Results

Lottomatica reported continued strong growth in Q4 driven by organic growth and the acquisition of Italian sportsbook Betflag in November which added “a strong and distinctive brand” to the group’s portfolio and consolidated the group’s position in iCasino and Online.

The operator registered a record quarter for Bets, €6.7 billion ($7.3 billion), up 17% year-over-year, or 11% when excluding the effects of the acquisition of Betflag. Across the business divisions, Online and Sports Franchise were up by 18% and 17%, respectively, and Gaming Franchise grew by 5%.

Q4 revenue grew by 7% to approximately €377 million ($411 million), or 6% when excluding the contributions made by Betflag, while EBITDA is expected to be between €115 million ($125.35 million) and €119 million ($129.7 million), up 11%-15% year-over-year, or 7%-11% when excluding the Betflag acquisition, with the biggest EBITDA contribution, 46%, or 50% with Betflag, coming from Online.

FY 2022 Results

Stating that its full-year results will be published by early March, Lottomatica expects Bets of approximately €22.8 billion ($24.85 billion), revenues of approximately €1.4 billion ($1.52 billion) and EBITDA of between €458 million ($499.2 million) and €462 million ($503.6 million).

Lottomatica expects FY 2022 EBITDA of between €516 million ($562.4 million) and €520 million ($566.8 million), while Betflag synergies of approximately €6 million ($6.54 million) have already been identified and are currently being implemented.

The year generated strong cash flow as operating cash flow is expected to be between €385 million ($419.65 million) and €395 million ($430.55 million), rising to €422 million ($460 million)-€432 million ($470.9 million) with the acquisition of Betflag.

GambleAware, a British charity protecting people from gambling harm, shared details about the donations it received in the first three quarters of the 2022/23 fiscal year.

GambleAware Received Donations from Many Companies

The charity listed the full list of benefactors and noted that it has received a total of £13,209,805 ($16,318,204, current conversion rates) between April 1 and December 2022. This funding was provided in the form of voluntary donations by companies from within the industry.

The two biggest contributors were bet365 and Entain. The two gambling juggernauts collectively donated over 90.4% of the total sum received by GambleAware within these nine months. Entain, which operates the Ladbrokes brand, donated $8.6 million. Bet365, on the other hand, donated around $4.9 million through its three local brands.

Other operators’ contributions collectively amounted to the remaining 9.6%. The full list of operators and their donations can be checked on GambleAware’s official website.

The four biggest operators in the United Kingdom have been increasing their donations since 2020 as a part of an initiative by Britain’s Betting and Gaming Council (BGC). The union seeks to increase the funding provided by the industry for the research, prevention and treatment of problem gambling. As a result, the BGC asked the four biggest operators to donate 1% of their profits to GambleAware.

Other operators are expected to make donations by March 31. The BGC expects companies that profit from gambling to donate a minimum of 0.1% of their GGR to the charity each year. Smaller companies that earn less than $308,000 a year need only donate $308. The full list of contributions, GambleAware noted, will be reported to the UKGC in April.

The Charity Vows to Use the Funds in a Transparent Manner

GambleAware noted that all funds donated go towards activities that are delivered against its commissioning objectives. The charity strives to maintain transparency and accountability and make sure that the funding provided is put to proper use. To that end, GambleAware recently published its commissioning intentions, laying out its strategic commissioning approach for the National Gambling Treatment Service.

GambleAware reminded readers that its commissioning intentions support the delivery of its Organizational Strategy. In addition, the charity bases its approach on its understanding of the resources it needs to provide British bettors with the resources they need. GambleAware concluded that it always seeks to utilize the most cost-effective and impactful methods.

The charity concluded its statement by once again calling for the introduction of a compulsory levy. As Britain’s gambling industry awaits the long-overdue gambling reregulation, many specialists, GambleAware included, have supported the introduction of a mandatory 1% levy that would replace the current voluntary donations. The problem gambling specialist believes that this would provide it with funding that will help it boost its efforts and deliver better treatment results.