EGM Technical Standards 2.0 may not arrive in Macau as initially planned as some of the major operators are planning to request Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) to consider a two-year deadline extension, reported Inside Asia Gaming.

Industry May Ask for an Extension

EGM Standards 2.0 which was published in early 2021 is set to update Macau’s standards related to the operation of electronic gaming machines, EGM Standards 1.1, which was released in 2014.

Under the timeline for implementation adopted by the DICJ, operators should be fully compliant with the new rules by the end of 2024 but an industry panel during the 2022 MGS Summit last week heard representatives of some of the major suppliers such as Aristocrat Leisure, Light & Wonder and IGT talk about a possible two-year extension of the implementation deadline.

Aristocrat’s general manager for Asia, Lloyd Robson, told the panel that the company’s original understanding was that all compliance should be in place by the end of 2024, suggesting that this deadline may be pushed further in coordination with the DICJ.

Preparation Work Ongoing

Robson then outlined the work Aristocrat has done in the past 18 months to implement the new standards within the new games the company has launched in the last quarter, as well as the collaboration with partner properties “to create a game portfolio from existing games to help them become compliant in the future.”

Another major supplier, Light & Wonder, is also advancing with the implementation of the new standards according to Ken Jolly, vice president and managing director for Asia, who outlined the work done on upgrading the Dualos X cabinets and the portfolio of games available for the upgraded cabinets.

Jolly also noted that the supplier has a new game based on its new Kascada cabinet approved and is ready “to move forward with upgrading casinos in Macau as soon as the concessionaires have their licenses renewed.

Speakers at the panel also suggested that it would be better if the regulator considers a phasing in for the new rules over the next four years, like for example setting a requirement for 25% of Macau’s casino floors to be compliant each year starting from the end of 2023, requiring 100% compliance at the end of 2026 only.

The suggestion is contrasting with the current rules which require all casino floors to have at least 40% of machines compliant with the new standards by December next year, going up to 100% compliance on December 31, 2024, while any machines that are not compliant by that date would be switched off and withdrawn.

Sports betting operator Tipico announced the launch of a free-to-play game in Ohio as part of the operator’s preparations to go live alongside the official launch of sports betting in the state on New Year’s Day 2023.

‘Call to Action for the Diehard Fans’

The free-to-play game will be part of the “Win Ohio” statewide campaign Tipico is starting to celebrate the upcoming launch of its sports betting platform on January 1, 2023, and reward sports fans in the Buckeye State.

Commenting on the launch of the campaign and the free-to-play game, Tipico US chief executive officer Adrian Vella hailed ‘Win Ohio’ as “a call to action for the diehard Ohio sports fans,” who will finally be able to enjoy the “memorable, personalized experiences” provided by “a platform that shares their passion for wagering on sports.”

“We are on a mission to discover the most loyal fans in Ohio, and we look forward to providing them with the opportunity to compete for glory,” Vella concluded.

Tipico’s free-to-play game is available on a dedicated website, www.winhio.com, and presents sports fans with a chance to earn sportsbook bonuses, free bets and fan experiences within the operator’s mobile app by playing a scratch-and-win contest.

“Win Ohio” will provide four new opportunities every week, including NFL Monday Night Football, NFL Thursday Night Football, College Saturday, and NFL Sunday, as players will receive points for every successful pick on the contest’s leaderboard that will be available to the contest homepage alongside their total winnings and entries.

Every week of participation will be rewarded with a $10 free bet and weekly bonuses awarded according to the rankings on the leaderboard: first place will be given $500, second place will receive $250, and the third-placed participant will get $100 in bonus money. The remaining participants ranked in the top 100 will receive a $50 bonus.

Participants will also accrue entries into Tipico’s Grand Prize Sweepstakes, a competition that will reward the 10 lucky winners with a prize package of $1,500, featuring unmatched experiences in Ohio, including luxury stays, five-star dining experiences, premium tickets to sporting events in the state, as well as VIP concert tickets. The package can be claimed in Tipico bonus money also.

The launch of “Win Ohio” ahead of the official launch of sports betting in Ohio is the latest piece of Tipico’s puzzle which began shaping in January this year when the sportsbook operator teamed with Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew to become the team’s official and exclusive sports betting partner.

As part of the agreement with the Columbus Crew, Tipico received the rights to launch its mobile sports betting app when the state officially launches wagering on sports.

Sportradar, a leading B2B global sports betting technology company, has published its financial results for the third quarter of 2022. The company’s performance highlighted its strengths as metrics rose across the board.

Sportradar’s Metrics Rose

Sportradar reported Q3 revenue of $175.2 million, which represents a 31% year-on-year increase compared to Q3 2021. The final sum was largely thanks to the RoW betting segment, which grew by 28% to $98.9 million and was responsible for 56% of the total revenue.

The sports specialist reported an adjusted EBITDA of increase of a whopping 75% to $35.8 million for the period. This was driven by strong revenue growth and continued investments in Sportradar’s business. AEBITDA margin was 20%, representing an increase of 500 bps.

Thanks to the substantial increase in revenues, Sportradar raised its financial and AEBITDA guidance for FY 2022. It now expects revenue of between $703.6 million to $708.5 million for the year, as well as adjusted EBITDA of $121.5 million to $124.5 million. Sportradar was also able to pay back $207 million of its outstanding debt.

The Company Inked Important Agreements

Sportradar also listed a few major achievements that boosted its business in Q3 2022. One of them is a long-term NBA-centered deal with FanDuel that will see the sports specialist supply the operator with a suite of betting products and entertainment tools.

At the same time, Sportradar also inked cricket-oriented agreements with Australian Premier Cricket competitions. It renewed existing agreements with the top-tier competitions in Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia and now has a presence in every Australian state.

The sports tech company struck an integrity agreement with the International Golf Federation, agreeing to help it prevent fraud. Sportech also reaffirmed its commitment to tennis by partnering with Tennis Data Innovation.

CEO Koerl Praised the Results

Carsten Koerl, Sportradar’s chief executive officer, applauded his company’s strong performance, which exceeded expectations. He said that the company managed to consistently grow its revenue, profitability and cash flows in spite of the economic headwinds.

Koerl noted that Sportradar’s business in the United States greatly helped the company improve its financial metrics.

We are proud of the continuous success of our U.S. operations. We managed to generate a U.S. profit for the first time in the third quarter, displaying solid operational leverage in the business model.

Carsten Koerl, CEO, Sportradar

Koerl Concluded that the partnership with FanDuel is a highlight that attests to the quality of Sportradar’s products.

Ulrich Harmuth, Sportradar’s interim chief financial officer, noted that the company is growing almost three times faster than the betting market.

As a result of this strong momentum and based on what we can see today, our 2023 preliminary expectations are for revenue to grow in the mid-20’s percent while expanding Adjusted EBITDA margin above 2022 levels.

Ulrich Harmuth, interim CFO, Sportradar

Spotradar’s higher-ups will discuss the company’s performance in a conference call at 8 am Easter Time today. Those who wish to learn more should visit Sportradar’s Investor Relations page.

The Cordish Companies’ gaming division, Cordish Gaming Group, made an important announcement. The company said that it is sharing ownership of its mobile sports betting license in the state of Maryland with its valued employees.

Cordish Gaming Shares Ownership with Workers

Basically, Cordish Gaming, which is the operator of Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland, allowed workers to purchase shares equivalent of up to 10% of the Maryland license. This move precedes the company’s launch in the Free State.

 As of the time of this writing, 90 Cordish workers across the company’s casinos opted to purchase company shares. The Cordish Companies reported that more than half of those people are women or representatives of minority groups.

Cordish Gaming operates three of Live! Casino & Hotel properties – one in Maryland, one in Pittsburgh and one in Philadelphia. The gaming division hopes that the new ownership structure will have a positive impact on its business and its diverse team members. Cordish Gaming emphasized its desire to support its workers who have shown their loyalty to the company.

Furthermore, the move is in line with the Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission’s requirements which state that 5% of applicant ownership have a personal net worth commiserate with the working families of the state. By allowing its members to possess shares, Cordish Gaming fulfills this requirement while doubling down on its people-first culture instead of searching for outside investors.

Norton Thanked Everyone Who Supported the Company

Rob Norton, the president of Cordish Gaming Group, noted that Cordish Gaming desires to continue being a “family-oriented and privately held company.” Its decision to share ownership with its employees, Norton said, is the operator’s creative way of rewarding its loyal team members.

He said that as soon as Maryland required the company to share 5% ownership with families in the Free State, Cordish Gaming knew this was the right approach.

When we evaluated how we should meet the state’s requirements for ownership of this license, there was no question that this was the right path forward.

Rob Norton, president, Cordish Gaming Group

Norton thanked all of the company’s team members for being a part of the Maryland venture. He concluded that this unique approach will help the company remain compliant with the rules set by the Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission while ensuring diverse, equitable and inclusive ownership participation.

In October, the Cordish Companies was selected to develop a new casino resort in Petersburg. The city council picked the Cordish Companies because of its impressive track record and extensive experience in gaming.

Image Source: Shutterstock.com

Dragon Gaming has launched Chase the Turkey just in time for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday next week. Players who are still looking for the perfect turkey can start practicing their bird-catching skills by playing the studio’s freshest release while potentially winning just enough to buy turkeys for the entire neighborhood. The high volatility game comes with a standard 5×3 grid, counts 27 paylines, and introduces players to a plethora of exciting bonus features such as free spins and turkey wilds.

Last week, the studio that produces gaming products meant to improve player engagement announced the release of the new game cooked in its kitchen by experts using its social media. Players were openly invited to put themselves in the shoes of the farmer trying to catch and prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal for his family. The studio described the endeavor as “challenging” but “far from impossible” as long as a little bit of luck is involved.

Chase the Turkey Metrics Overview

• Reels: 5
• Rows: 3
• Paylines: 27 
• RTP: 94%
• Hit Freq: –
• Max Win: $4,300
• Volatility: High
• Min/Max Bet: 0.01-3 

Join the Fun Action at the Farm 

The engaging action of the lighthearted game is, therefore, placed at an animal farm where players are challenged to match identical symbols on the grid and engage the available bonus features for greater wins. The slot has been designed in a cartoonish manner with all the elements you would find at a farm, including tractors, barns, and flowers, setting the whole farm atmosphere. The wild symbol in the game is represented by the turkey, while the Game Logo represents the scatter symbol. The Farmer together with the Farmer’s Wife, the Farmer’s Kid, Corn, Carrots, Pumpkins, and A-9 wooden royal symbols are the rest of the symbols available on the grid.

Scatters trigger the free spins bonus round. Seeing expanding wild symbols popping in a random manner will trigger a winning combo. The game is presented as being perfect for new players in search of a fun time online. 

Expanding Wild Symbols and Free Spins 

Wild symbols popping on the grid will act as replacements for the rest of the symbols except for the scatters. The wild symbol can, nonetheless, also expand in a random manner in such a way as to completely cover an entire reel while boosting players’ odds of landing a massive prize. While the turkey’s attempt to escape the chase will sometimes be a successful one, on other occasions, the bird will land straight into the arms of the farmer’s child.

A minimum of three bonus symbols trigger a free spins round where players can enjoy 12 free spins, multipliers, and additional expanding wilds. When the Wild Symbols land on the first, third, or fifth reel, each spin is guaranteed to see between one and three Wild Symbols. Based on the number of Wild symbols found on the reels, players receive a win multiplier of x3, x5 or x7.

In September, Dragon Gaming released American Diner, a high-volatility slot with re-spins and expanding Multiplier Wilds celebrating the 1950s. 

The leading casino resorts developer, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, announced a new collaboration with the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA). The announcement came Wednesday and sees Mohegan become a member of the Association.

Mohegan Teams up with IBIA

The IBIA is tasked with safeguarding the integrity of the global betting industry. A growing roster of regulated sports betting operators and organizations support the Association. Annually, the IBIA’s members account for nearly 50% of the regulated gambling industry in the world. This translates to a staggering sum surpassing $137 billion in global betting handle every year.

Joining forces with IBIA, leading operators seek to protect the integrity of their services and eliminate corruption. This, according to the Association is achieved via collective action. A comprehensive monitoring and alert network helps raise reports for suspicious activity within different markets.

Besides operators, the IBIA collaborates with gambling regulators and sports organizations, enabling them to prosecute corruption by providing vital data. This allows regulators around the globe as well as sports organizations react accordingly when it comes to suspicious bets or signs of corruption. At the same time, the process safeguards the integrity of the betting operations offered by gambling companies.

The Collaboration Brings Excitement for IBIA and Mohegan

According to the IBIA’s CEO, Khalid Ali, joining forces with Mohegan marks a major step in expanding the reach of the Association around the world and in North America. He outlined that IBIA is excited to team up with leading operators such as Mohegan and help protect the integrity of betting operations.

“The addition of Mohegan to IBIA’s ranks is an important boost for the association, maintaining our strong growth globally and particularly in North America.“

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA

Richard Roberts, Mohegan Digital’s president, added that the company is excited to become a member of the IBIA. He pointed out that this collaboration complements Mohegan’s efforts to offer leading digital entertainment services to its customers. Finally, Roberts said: “As we continue to expand our digital presence, it will be beneficial to have IBIA in our corner to ensure our members that the integrity of all games is safeguarded.”

“Digital gaming and sports wagering will continue to grow as cornerstones of the entertainment industry over the next few years.“

Ray Pineault, CEO and president of Mohegan

Mohegan’s president and CEO, Ray Pineault, predicted that the sports wagering and iGaming industry will continue to grow. He explained that becoming a member of the Association enables the company to stay at the forefront of the industry and offer its services confidently within the growing regulated gambling markets.

The interactive gaming and sports betting technology company, Elys Game Technology, released a trading update Tuesday. The latest report revealed data regarding the company’s financial performance for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2022.

Elys Releases Q3 Results

The company revealed its revenue in the third quarter this year hit $9.6 million, marking a 19.4% increase when compared to the $8 million reported for the same period in 2021. The revenue increase came despite the “effect of the strengthening of the US Dollar against the Euro,” Elys explained. The company’s selling expenses in Q3 this year decreased when compared to Q2, 2022. In Q2, 2022, Elys’ selling expenses were $7.9 million, while in Q3 decreased to $6.9 million.

On the other hand, the company’s revenue for the nine months until September 30, 2022, decreased slightly. In total, Elys reported $32.2 million in revenue for the first nine months of this year. When compared to the $33.9 million result reported for the corresponding period in 2021, a decrease of 5% was observed this year.

Elys acknowledged its Multigioco operations delivered a strong performance. Primarily, this was the result of online players switching to re-opened brick-and-mortar locations, according to the company. At the same time, Elys pointed out that it expects to receive a revenue boost upon reopening land-based locations and introducing new venues in Italy.

The Company Continues to Execute Its Growth Strategy

Michele Ciavarella, Elys’ executive chairman, shared his excitement about the latest results. He outlined that the company continues to follow its strategy which helped its European operations deliver profitability. At the same time, Ciavarella predicted growth for Elys further into 2023.

“The road map we set out in 2016 has come full-circle with European operations streamlined and returned to profitability through Q3-2022 with substantial headroom for continued growth of revenue and earnings through 2023.“

Michele Ciavarella, executive chairman at Elys Game Technology

The company’s executive chairman added that Elys follows its US-facing strategy as well. He pointed out that in the US market, Elys has seen significant success after the “real-money deployment of both our small and large retail platform architectures at Grand Central Restaurant Bar and Sportsbook and Ocean Casino Resort, respectively.”

Addressing the growing US market, Ciavarella added that the company advances in the development of a digital solution that will be used by Lottomatica, one of the giants in the industry. Finally, he said that Elys will be excited to compete with operators in the US and leverage its experience.

Philadelphia Eagles vs Indianapolis Colts is one of the most interesting matchups of Week 11 of the 2022 NFL season. This is the first game after Philly’s superb 8-win run ended, and they want to get back on the winning track.

Indy players will do all in their power to stop the Eagles from making their plan come alive. And they’ll have their fans to support them from the stands of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Philadelphia Eagles vs Indianapolis Colts Week 11 Odds

Spread

Moneyline

Points

*Odds taken from bet365 on Wednesday, November 16.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana
• Date: Sunday, November 20, 2022
• Time: 1:00 PM ET
• How to Watch: CBS

Philadelphia Determined to Bounce Back Straight Away

There’s no longer a single NFL team that has a 100% win record in 2022. It’s because Philadelphia suffered its first loss of the season last weekend. The Eagles suffered a 32-21 defeat to the Washington Commanders at home.

The loss came as a huge surprise given the fact that Philly’s players have been terrific in 2022. Does this mean they’re tired of playing their best football?

The momentum probably isn’t over, but some of Philadelphia’s players definitely looked sluggish against Washington. This goes especially for those in the Eagles’ defense, who simply were unable to do anything against the Commanders’ wide receiver Terry McLaurin.

They need to improve their passing defense in the future, but that shouldn’t worry them much in the Indianapolis game. Why? Because the Colts’ strongest weapon in 2022 is rushing.

Indy’s Key Men are Back From Injury

Quarterback Matt Ryan made his comeback from injury last weekend, leading his team to a 25-20 win over the Raiders. He threw for one touchdown, as well as scored one rushing TD on his own. Speaking of rushing, running back Jonathan Taylor was superb in that game as well.

He too had some annoying problems with injuries recently, but he’s back now and he’s playing great. We saw him make a 66-yard TD run against the Raiders, which we think of as a preview of what he’s going to do in the remainder of the season.

With these two playing top football, the Colts fans have every right to dream big. This team’s chance of making the playoffs is 29% but it can skyrocket if they beat the Eagles on Sunday.

Philadelphia Eagles vs Indianapolis Colts Prediction

Both teams are great when it comes to rushing. Neither team is great when it comes to rushing defense. That said, we think that the winner of the Eagles vs Colts game will be the team that has better runners. So, what is the answer?

We say Indianapolis! And it’s mostly because of Jonathan Taylor. He’s arguably the best running back in the league who was the NFL’s rushing yards (1,811) and TDs (18) leader last season. This season, he’s played just one game, but his numbers were more than decent.

Taylor made 21 carries for 78 yards and one touchdown, and we think he’s gonna do even better this coming Sunday. As a result, his team should do well against Philly, possibly even winning the game. Still, we do think the best bet is that they’re not going to lose by more than seven points.

Picks: Indianapolis Colts +6.5; over to hit