The innovative games provider for the iGaming vertical, ESA Gaming, announced the launch of its newest title a part of its EasySwipe portfolio, Baccarat. This is the thirteenth game a part of EasySwipe.

The new game marks the company’s third casino table game, resonating well with Blackjack and European Roulette, which were previously released. Besides the launch of Baccarat, ESA Gaming confirmed that more classic casino table games are due to be released soon.

ESA Gaming’s head of marketing, Thomas Smallwood, acknowledged that the release of Baccarat marks only the first game from the planned rollout in 2023. Moreover, he predicted that the new card game will be well-received by customers online.

“Our 2023 content rollout is well underway with the release of our newest EasySwipe title, Baccarat, a classic casino card game which looks set to be a huge hit.“

Thomas Smallwood, head of marketing at ESA Gaming

At the same time, ESA Gaming’s head of marketing acknowledged that the new game expands further the company’s offering which further boosts fan engagement not only for its partners but customers as well. Finally, Smallwood acknowledged that the company continues to build up its portfolio and the latest title contributes to the variety.

Baccarat Delivers Engaging Experiences

Inspired by the classic card game, ESA Gaming’s Baccarat title offers an RTP of 98%. According to the title’s developer, the game is played between two hands, the banker and the player. There are a total of three outcomes: win by the banker, player or a tie.

ESA Gaming’s Baccarat game is quite appealing, considering that it is a high-volatility title. What’s more, the game offers players a chance to win a prize of up to 25x, further taking the experience to a new level. The immersive title offers the online players a casino setting that enables them to “swipe in and out in open sessions,” explained ESA Gaming.

The release of the new title comes after early last month, the company hired the services of Josefin Uppeke. Joining ESA Gaming, Uppeke was named as the company’s new head of game production. In her new role, she is expected to play a pivotal role amid the ongoing growth and development of ESA Gaming and its products.

Before that, the company expanded further the reach of its product via a deal with betBonanza, a Nigerian operator. This collaboration helped ESA Gaming’s content reach new customers, while at the same time expanding the offering of the Nigerian operator.

Ben Winston is now the 12^th member of the board and he is also a founding partner of Fulwell 73, a production company, and a prominent name in the industry. Professionally, Winston is the youngest show producer of a late-night program in the United States.

He worked on The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2015 and has been a prominent fixture in the production industry ever since. His addition to the board has interesting timing, too. MGM Resorts International is looking to leverage the expertise of people who are well-versed in what the company considers to be the more transformative aspects of the entertainment industry.

Commenting on his appointment as part of the team, Winston hailed the company as a premier entertainment and gaming destination and said he was honored to be joining the MGM family. “I’m looking forward to working with my fellow board members to drive growth, building the best experiences possible for our guests,” Winston said.

Winston Demonstrates Clear Creative Leadership

MGM Resorts Board of Directors chair Paul Salem was similarly pleased with the appointment of Winston. He explained that the new addition was a person who had a significant experience in entertainment and was beyond any doubt a tremendous asset to the company as it continues to explore new venues and facets of the industry.

MGM Resorts CEO & president Bill Hornbuckle was of a similar mind. He praised Winston and his addition to the team and said that the man demonstrated clear dynamic and creative leadership in his career. This is an exciting opportunity for the company to explore new profitable streams and move in lockstep with the evolution of the entertainment industry as it continues to introduce fresh talent in its ranks.

“We know Ben will provide great insight and creative counsel to our management team as we evolve and execute our strategy,” Hornbuckle concluded. As to Winston, the man has done quite a few excellent productions. He produced the Carpool Karaoke for Apple TV+, The Grammy Awards for CBS, and more. He also directed Friends: The Reunion, which became the most-watched show in HBO Max’s history.

In our recent sit-down with company chief product officer Andrew Booth, we discussed the current context in the gambling industry and where Games Global comes in.

The company presently operates 36 exclusive studios worldwide, giving Games Global a significant advantage over competitors with its distinct focus on local players and their needs.

Presence in local jurisdictions has given the company a very strong foothold in target markets, but also globally, allowing it to shape as a developer of iGaming content that always hits the mark. 

Q: With 36 exclusive studios operating worldwide, do you feel Games Global has a strategic advantage over its competitors when it comes to analysing player preferences and creating content for specific markets?

Most definitely. The number of exclusive studios we collaborate with encapsulates our mission to have a diverse and innovative content offering. Having this array of content enables us to provide various themes and mechanics to keep our players engaged with our products.

It also means we can provide our customers with everything they need to run a successful casino product all under one roof, regardless of which markets they are operating in.

A big bonus for us is possessing local knowledge by having members of our talented teams in each jurisdiction. Having a better understanding of the trends, demographics, and which titles are enjoying success in various markets benefits us and our partners and keeps us in touch with the needs of players.

Q: Have you been able to identify regional trends when it comes to game mechanics, if so, are there certain types of games you know will work in one jurisdiction, but not others?

We have found that the best-performing titles resonate with players across all markets, in large part because of the math and mechanics within the game and how they entertain players, whether that be because of the theme, graphics or gameplay itself.

There are however some notable trends for certain jurisdictions. Video bingo games are, for example, extremely popular in LatAm, while the Netherlands and Spain enjoy familiarity with land-based games that have been designed for online audiences.

Unsurprisingly, our local studios enjoy the most success in their own markets as they can tap into the preferences of the audience and design content that appeals to them specifically. Additionally, we are constantly analysing data to see which titles are performing well, which helps ensure we are providing relatable content for different audiences.

Q: Do you rely on certain studios to create games for certain markets, or do you assess where each game will thrive once it’s been developed?

A bit of to be honest. Some of our studio partners may have more local knowledge or experience in creating specific game types for certain markets, such as video bingo titles in LatAm.  We also utilise strong math engines to find themes and trends that may resonate in certain markets. As a result, our studio partners develop titles that we feel can resonate with audiences globally, but we particularly want it to perform well in a certain market.

It goes without saying that local studios will have a better understanding of their home market, but in the end, it’s the players who decide whether a game is successful or not. We don’t have a crystal ball to see into the future, but our ability to predict success is getting better through our research and data analysis.

We use data to assess demand and, combined with our increasing level of knowledge of player preferences, we are able to provide relevant content to keep players engaged and entertained.

Q: Games Global exclusive studios have a number of new games coming out in Q1 including titles developed by Just For The Win, Snowborn Games and Triple Edge Studios. Which of the upcoming games has caught your eye the most?

We have a lot to look forward to at the start of 2023 and have a host of exciting new content due for release. It is hard to pick just a few titles, but some that I’m particularly excited about are Snowborn Games’ Masters Of Olympus™ and Trojan Kingdom from Just For The Win, but that really is the tip of the iceberg. It will be great to see these new titles hitting the market hot on the heels of Gold Blitz™ which has shown amazing results with great feedback from players and operators.

Fire and Roses Joker™ looks to be another winner with excellent performance stats shown in the exclusive release, Gallo Gold Bruno’s Megaways™ is off to a flyer in Italy and wider markets, Tippy Tavern™ looks set to be an evergreen classic, and many more will be added to our growing portfolio in Q1 and together promise to bring unique, entertaining experiences to players. We expect Northern Lights’ Bison Moon™ to be a very popular title, offering memorable visuals and the potential for players to win up to 12,500x their bet!

Q: Games Global enjoys a strong reputation for developing legendary jackpots such as Mega Moolah and WowPot! Are these games sought after in every jurisdiction they’re available, and are there more jackpot titles on the horizon?

Absolutely. Big jackpots greatly appeal to players in all markets where we offer them as they bring a heightened level of excitement. In truth, though, our jackpot titles are terrific games to play, which makes them even more attractive to players than the jackpots alone. We continue to pay out the largest jackpots in the industry with Mega Moolah recently paying out €6.7 million and WowPot! at the time of writing sitting at a potential record-breaking €20.6 million.

We are constantly introducing new titles into our progressive jackpot network, which has seen huge success as the pots accumulate across numerous markets to offer huge prize potential. As new markets open, we have to adhere to local regulations and it has been fantastic to see how well Maple Moolah, the Gold Factory version of Mega Moolah, has performed in Ontario, our first ring-fenced market with others to follow.     

The demand for flexible jackpots is always increasing from operators as new jurisdictions open up, and there is so much scope for our network to expand. We always look to introduce brand new titles, specifically created for jackpots, as well as find innovative ways of bringing jackpots into existing titles. We have some fantastic new game types that we intend to introduce into our jackpot offering soon, so watch this space to find out more!

As a result, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has prompted The Star to provide for fines and penalties of AUD 150 million ($101 million) in its financial report for the half-year which ended on December 31, 2022.

Star Entertainment Could Be Slapped with Fines of up to $1B

As part of its financial reporting surveillance program, ASIC reviewed The Star’s financial report for the year ended on 30 June 2022. The review revealed that no provision had been made for potential fines and penalties related to non-compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws, despite some uncertainties about the amount.

The alleged non-compliances are the subject of an AUSTRAC investigation. According to the financial crimes regulator, Star has been accused of permitting 117 high-risk VIP customers to launder billions of dollars in illicit funds through its casinos for several years, which constitutes a “serious and systemic” violation of the law.

The non-cash impairment charge for fines and taxes for FY23 that Star faces is estimated to be between AUD 400 million ($269.7 million) and AUD 1.6 billion ($1 billion). The company has already been hit with two separate AUD 100 million ($67.4 million) fines by regulators in New South Wales and Queensland for compliance failures. 

Following the concerns raised by ASIC, The Star has included provisions amounting to AUD 150 million ($101 million) in the company’s financial report for the half-year, which ended on December 31, 2022.

ASIC’s financial reporting surveillance program aims to improve the quality of financial reporting and to ensure financial reports have been prepared in accordance with the law, supporting investor confidence and the integrity of Australia’s capital markets.

Star Entertainment Faces Class and Regulatory Actions while Considering Asset Sales

Star Entertainment Group’s woes do not stop here. The company faces four class actions, and ASIC is separately pursuing action against former and current directors and executives. 

The company’s recent financial report showed an AUD 1.26 billion ($849.6 million) loss in the six months to December 31, 2022, driven by an AUD 988 million ($666.2 million) write-down of its Sydney casino. The group is also considering offloading Brisbane real estate holdings as it attempts to secure its financial future for the next three years.

Star Entertainment Group is one of Australia’s largest casino operators, with properties in Sydney, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast. It is a significant contributor to Australia’s economy, providing jobs and tourism revenue. However, its recent troubles with compliance failures are a significant blow to its reputation and are leading to a loss of investor confidence.