On Wednesday, the company revealed it has secured the license for the La Marocaine des Jeux et des Sports (MDJS) following a competitive tender process. Ultimately, Sisal was selected as the victor of the tender process and signed an eight-year agreement for the MDJS in Morocco. With that in mind, the deal itself can be extended for a further term of 2 years. The operational launch, according to Sisal, is expected to be completed on January 1, 2024.

“We are extremely pleased to announce the consolidation of our offering in Morocco.“

Marco Caccavale, international managing director at Sisal and the CEO of Sisal Jeux Maroc

Marco Caccavale, Sisal’s international managing director and the CEO of Sisal Jeux Maroc, the local subsidiary that will be in charge of the exclusive distribution in Morocco, explained that the company is delighted to further expand its presence and enter a new market. He explained that the license is a testament to the quality of Sisal’s offering and complements its growth from the last few years.

“This is our fourth successful international tender, all of which have been highly competitive, recognizing the commitment, investment and know-how that make us unique in the market,“

added Caccavale

At the same time, Caccavale said that the entry into the market in Morocco holds significant potential for further growth. Caccavale pointed out that the latest license marks the fourth competitive international tender for Sisal. This, according to him reaffirms the company’s commitment to growth and ambition to capture emerging new opportunities. Finally, Caccavale said that Sisal benefits from being a part of the entertainment giant Flutter and this delivers unique experiences by developing joint products for different markets.

The Company Continues to Expand Its Presence in North Africa

Sisal’s latest tender in Morocco represents a major achievement for the company, considering that it will be the sole retail and online sports betting operator in the country. As noted, the company will offer exclusive services via a local entity called Sisal Jeux Maroc. Sisal Jeux Maroc will leverage a growing network of online and retail outlets to deliver Sisal’s leading services.

Elsewhere in North Africa, Sisal secured another major contract. Last year, the leading gaming, betting and lottery company, was awarded a concession contract for gaming services by the Tunisian gambling regulator, Promosport. In Tunisia, Sisal was awarded an exclusive 10-year license for the delivery of online games, instant lotteries, number games and sports betting.

The 2005-founded gaming entertainment provider of online slots invites players to join Roman soldiers in their endeavor to find golden coins and march their way to victory in their freshest slot release. 

Legion Gold Metrics Overview

• Reels: 5
• Rows: 3
• Paylines: 25
• RTP: 96.23% | 94.23% | 91.20% | 87.24% | 84.27%
• Hit Freq: –
• Max Win: 2000x 
• Volatility: Medium
• Min/Max Bet: 0.5-100
• Release date: February 9, 2023

There’s No Place Like Rome 

Fans of Ancient Rome-themed games will get a fresh taste of the fallen glory of the empire which used to be the center of the world. The action is set in a sumptuous Ancient Roman arena with large and sturdy columns, fierce lions, and valuable coins hidden around every corner, ready to be grabbed. 

The grid counts five reels, three rows, and 25 paylines and it is set up into Legion Gold to nicely alight with the winning combinations. To land a win, players must match between three and five identical symbols along a line, starting with reel number one. 

The game counts eight regular paying symbols that are spread into four low-paying symbols and four high-paying symbols, joined by a wild symbol, a scatter, and the mouth-watering Gold Coins. 

Players who land a line of five regular J-A royal symbols receive twice the amount of the bet. Landing five dog, horses, eagle, or bear symbols brings players 8x to 20x the stake. 

Legionnaire armored Bearer wild symbols are found on all reels and they can land in stacks, filling up the entire reel. These symbols replace all non-special pay symbols and they carry the same value as the growling bear symbol when making a winning line on their own.

The multiplying Wild symbols in the game are represented by the Gold Coins while the untamed Lions are the Scatters. 

Don’t Mess with the Roman Troops!

The Roman troops are not only beyond number, but they are also determined to hunt all golden coins in the new game with cool dynamics and straightforward action on the reels. 

Players who land a minimum of three Lion scatter symbols trigger the Mega Free Spins round.  When engaged in it, they can land a Mega symbol on any location on the reels. Landing six Coin symbols or a single Mega Coin symbol anywhere on the reels will activate the Gold Re-Spins. 

Play’n GO has also included an innovative progress feature where players’ lives are counted. New players receive three lives to get started during the Gold Re-Spins. Provided no coins land during any of the re-spins, players lose a life.

Speaking about the new release, the company’s head of game retention George Olekszy has emphasized the fusion between the game’s narrative and its spectacular features meant to send players straight into a Roman soldiers’ march.

Play’n GO started the year by inking an agreement with Kindred-owned brand 32Red for the UK market, right before launching Pilgrim of Dead, an Egyptian-themed game part of the popular Dead series. 

Effectively, this program allows players to use Caesars.com to book a comprehensive offer that includes resort accommodations and other activities. The booking can be placed through the dedicated Caesars call center, while also adding to the Caesars Rewards point system and advancing individual customers’ status.

Guests will then be able to tap into the extra points they generate from booking flights and hotels with the Caesars Rewards Travel Bundle which then allows travelers to redeem the points across the company’s entire network of properties in the United States and Canada.

This covers more than 50 gaming destinations and extends to both the land-based experience as well the sportsbook or interactive gaming and wagering options under the Caesars roof. The company is confident that the Travel Bundle is what it describes as the best “Caesars Entertainment gateway” offering a revamped traveling and vacation experience that adds true value and advantage to the customer experience.

Caesars Entertainment SVP of commercial operations Pavan Kapur welcomed the initiative and said:

We’re so proud to see the Caesars Rewards Travel Bundle come to fruition. We have more than 60 million Caesars Rewards members across the country, including 1.5 million who have signed up through our Caesars Sportsbook mobile app over the last year.

Caesars Entertainment SVP of commercial operations Pavan Kapur

Discounts, benefits and additional reward credits are all coming as part of the Caesars Rewards offer, Kapur said. To start the new initiative off, Caesars Entertainment is launching the options to book commercial air and hotel rooms.

Booking Everything You Need with Caesars.com

Later this year, guests and travelers will also be able to reserve a rental car through Open Table or book entertainment through Ticketmaster, all through the unified experience under Caesras.com. This new booking option was developed with the help of Snowstorm Technologies, a leading provider of travel technologies.

Joining the conversation, Snowstorm Technologies CEO Riaz Pisani hailed the opportunity to be working with Caesars Entertainment to bring an incredible experience to customers from the industry and beyond. “We are honored to partner with them to continue to build on that legacy,” Pisani concluded.

On Wednesday, the company posted its preliminary 2022 results, showing that its operating revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022, hit $3.76 billion, marking a flat result when compared to the corresponding period a year ago. Adjusted property EBITDAR for 2022 hit $725.4 million, marking an increase when compared to the $596.4 million result for the year ended December 31, 2021. The net loss attributable to Wynn Resorts for 2022 was $423.9 million or $3.73 per diluted share when compared to a net loss for the same period in 2021 of $755.8 million or $6.64 per diluted share.

The recent trading update revealed that the total operating revenue in Q4 2022 hit $1 billion, marking a slight decrease from the $1.05 billion result from Q4 2021. A breakdown of the $1 billion in revenue reported for Q4 2022 revealed that the casino revenue for the fourth quarter decreased while revenue from other segments increased.

In Q4, 2021, casino revenue hit $518.1 million, while in Q4, 2022, it halted at $423.2 million. However, room and food and beverage revenues in Q4 both marked an increase hitting $233.3 million and $217.6 million respectively. For the fourth quarter, Wynn’s revenue from entertainment, retail and other operations was flat when compared to Q4 2021, hitting $131 million.

Casino Revenue Dips in 2022, Other Operating Segments Mark Increase

The latest trading update provided a breakdown of the $3.76 billion revenue reported for 2022 by Wynn Resorts. Not unexpectedly, the lion’s share of the revenue came from the company’s casino operations. For 2022, Wynn’s casino operating revenues hit $1.6 billion, marking a decrease when compared to the $2.1 billion in casino operating revenues reported for 2021.

Although casino operating revenues for 2022 decreased, all of the other of Wynn’s operating segments reported an increase last year when compared to 2021. The company’s room operating revenues hit $802.1 million, marking a significant increase from the 2021 result which was $592.6 million.

Additionally, food and beverage operating revenues in 2021 halted at $633,9 million for 2021, but in 2022, increased to $846.2 million. Last but not least, Wynn’s entertainment, retail and other revenues increased to $475.9 million in 2022, judging by the latest report

“Our teams at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Boston Harbor delivered a new fourth-quarter record for Adjusted Property EBITDAR at our combined North American properties. For the full year of 2022, these properties generated $1.04 billion of Adjusted Property EBITDAR, a record for us by a wide margin.“

Craig Billings, CEO of Wynn Resorts

Wynn Resorts’ CEO, Craig Billings, said that the company’s Encore Boston Harbor and Las Vegas operations reported a record for North America in adjusted property EBITDAR within the fourth quarter. Calling the results impressive, he commended the company’s dedicated team members for their efforts in delivering supreme services for the guests. Finally, Billings acknowledged that the company was excited to secure a 10-year gaming concession in Macau which paves the way for future growth.

The company, which has been expanding its presence in the African region, has extended its existing collaboration with the Ghana Football Association in support of the country’s top women’s soccer competition, the Premier League.

Betway Strengthens Positions in Ghana Sports Market

Betway is going to maintain a principal development partner for the topflight event, while also ensuring that it grows awareness for its brand and products in the country. Betway country manager Kwabena Oppong Nkrumah welcomed the opportunity to see the sportsbook brand continue to collaborate with the Football Association. Nkrumah added:

Through our sports sponsorships, we have demonstrated our commitment to the development of sports since our inception in Ghana. Our goal is to help grow our women’s football in Ghana and develop an interest in the game.

Betway country manager Kwabena Oppong Nkrumah

Nkrumah said that Betway will continue to seek the empowerment of women’s soccer in the country and beyond, including the administration, coaches, and actual players. Betway is building upon its mentoring program from last year and hoping to bring new opportunities for sports in the country while also positioning its betting brand firmly.

GFA general secretary prosper Harrison Addo was similarly pleased with the partnership and said that it was an important opportunity for the Women’s Premier League. He said that the collaboration between GFA and Betway will continue to result in strong improvement for the event and further develop and boost the competition.

Betway’s backing, Addo argued, will also help close any remaining gap between men’s and women’s soccer in Ghana. “The recent improvements in women’s football have started yielding great results,” he concluded.

Betway and Others Continue to Grow across the African Betting Market

In similar regional moves, Betway was able to secure a deal with the SA20, South Africa’s newest T20 cricket league. Betway and Twain Sport announced a similar groundbreaking deal for the African market, bringing more quality products to local consumers.

Potential in the sports and sports betting markets in Africa has been significant, so much that this year should see a surging interest among companies looking to expand their pull in the market. Sports Information Services completed a partnership with Jolibet, seeking to consolidate its presence in the region. MGA Games, a prominent iGaming company, has teamed up with Goat Interactive’s Premier Bet brand for the region.

The tech and e-commerce giant’s media arm continues to invest in sports-related content and will likely use the newly added channel to gauge interest in a standalone sports app. Amazon has maintained ties with several operators and may attempt further forays in that direction, relying on partnerships for additional gambling content.

SportsGrid Complements Amazon’s Existing Content

As the newest addition to Amazon Prime Video’s FreeVee platform, SportsGrid offers a lot of exciting content covering all major US leagues. The network launched in 2018 and quickly branched out into wagering and fantasy sports content thanks to partnerships with high-profile operators like FanDuel, BetMGM, and WynnBet. SportsGrid president and co-founder Louis Maione was excited to join Amazon Prime, sharing his hopes for a successful and long-lasting partnership.

We look forward to the Amazon partnership to innovate and develop new tools to engage and redefine the sports viewers’ betting experience.

Louis Maione, President and Co-Founder of SportsGrid

The new Prime and FreeVee channel will be joining more than 200 free and features over thirty engaging shows, with expert analysts and live odds supplementing the hottest sports action. With an active presence on social media and streaming services like Roku, YouTube TV, and Fubo, SportsGrid should be a valuable addition to Amazon’s roster, drawing a substantial dedicated audience.

A New Amazon Sports App May Be Underway

SportsGrid’s addition marks another significant milestone in Amazon Prime’s plans to become the leading sports content provider. The network has been doubling down on its ambitions, investing billions in exclusive content covering “Thursday Night Football,” New York Yankees games, and the English Premier League. With several new high-budget sports talk shows, Amazon can provide a complete roster of sports-related content.

The next step in Amazon’s plans likely revolves around the rumored upcoming sports app, which would give the network tighter control over its content and allow for more extensive monetization options. Such a move would be characteristic of the tech and e-commerce giant and could pave the way for additional forays into sports betting.

Amazon is no stranger to partnering with gambling operators. In September 2022, the company joined forces with DraftKings, picking them as a sponsor for Thursday Night Football on Amazon’s Prime Video in a multi-year agreement. A shift towards more third-party betting content would significantly bolster the rumored app’s profitability with minimum effort required on Amazon’s part.

USA TODAY is one of Gannett’s brands and its audience numbers more than 47 million sports fans who are going to be served in-depth reviews, expert insights, and breaking news under the partnership with Gambling.com Group. There’s obvious room for synergies between what Gambling.com can offer and what Gannett’s audience needs – analysis and betting insights.

“We expect this partnership to be immediately accretive to our EBITDA and Free Cash Flow by monetizing our sports traffic. The deal is progressively more valuable as regulated online gambling is launched in more states.” said Michael Reed – Gannett’s chairman and chief executive officer. This is possible because the partnership will be realized across the entire USA TODAY Network.

Gambling.com Group’s proprietary data science platform and sports betting content will be spread throughout the Network, as well as more than 200 publications. This includes the namesake – USA TODAY – as well as AZCentral.com, Tennessean.com, and other publications in states that have sports betting legalized, which are currently 33, with three more launches soon.

Sports Betting is Gaining Popularity in the US

Additionally, the partnership will see tools and content distribution across USA TODAY Sports as well as Sports Media Group, which itself includes another very important element – the Sports Wire suite of fan sites which covers more than 20 of the legal sports betting markets across the US. Overall, Reed might just be right about how quickly the partnership can start bearing fruit.

Gannett is almost in the middle of its five-year partnership with Germany’s Tipico, which provides the publisher with odds for its sports content. The deal is with Tipico’s American subsidiary – Tipico USA Technology – and the move to partner with a sports betting provider shows that Gannett is serious about its undertaking in this market.

Gambling.com Group is also very focused on strengthening its US presence. It launched the betohio.com website just before New Year’s, and a month before that, it had already expanded into Maryland as well. If anything, the 2022 push for a stronger presence in North America overall started back in February 2022, when it acquired BonusFinder.com.

So, the partnership between the two companies feels like a natural pairing and is set to bring even more high-quality content to sports fans in the US. Sports betting has been gradually gaining popularity across the country, with only 16 states remaining where sports betting isn’t legal in any form. Three states legalized sports betting in 2022 – Massachusetts, Kansas, and Maine.