At the start of December, the proposal for an integrated resort (IR) project in Osaka gained more traction as Noboyuki Baba MP asked lawmakers to urgently give the project the green light by the end of 2022. At the start of December, the governor of Osaka prefecture explained that, currently, the proposal for the new IR would remain open between the fall and winter of the financial year 2029.

The governor also explained that the respective date had not been influenced by the extended examination completed by the national government of Osaka. More recently, Osaka’s mayor Ichiro Matsui has announced a potential yearly land lease for the gaming resort: JPY2.52 billion ($18.3 million).

The Lease Amount Suggested by Four Appraisal Companies

The Japanese businessman and politician who is the current mayor of the second largest city in Japan explained the figure was generated based on reports from four different real estate appraisal companies. Matsui explained that they asked four different real estate appraisal companies to come up with a suggested price for the lease. However, all four companies told the mayor that they could not suggest a different price that would specifically suit the purposes of an integrated resort. Accordingly, Matsui asked the companies to suggest a lease based on an “ordinary commercial development purpose.” He considered this approach to be a “legitimate and reasonable way” of completing the appraisal.

Osaka Operators Have Spoken: Leasing Instead of Selling

Matsui also explained that prior to the completion of the appraisal process, several operators had expressed their desire to see the city lease the respective land where the new integrated resort would be built instead of selling it.

The project would be developed on the artificial island of Yumeshima located in Osaka Bay in Osaka. The total cost of the investment has been approximated at JPY1.08 trillion ($7.90 billion).

According to Matsui, IR promoters would have to cover a lease price of JPY428 ($3.12) per 10.76 square feet of land for a grand total of approximately JPY210.6 million ($1.53 million) a month.

Osaka has partnered with casino operator MGM Resorts International in the US and Orix Corp in Japan, choosing them as its private-sector partners in their efforts to build the new casino resort. MGM Resorts Japan’s chief executive officer discussed the planned project, expressing their expectations that the IR would contribute $775 million to local taxes.

In November, the national authorities wanted additional information regarding the proposed project for the new project. Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, Tetsuo Saito, believes the Osaka IR would help Japan turn into a “tourism-driven country.”

Leading game developer that caters to the needs of premium brands in the iGaming world Pragmatic Play has strengthened its foothold in Europe by inking a new partnership agreement with the number one casino operator in Switzerland, mycasino.

The latter is the online casino brand of Grand Casino Luzern. Swiss players will get access to award-winning games developed by the company that has also recently expanded its presence in Venezuela via a fresh gambling content agreement with Liderendeportes.bet.

What Can Swiss mycasino Players Expect?

Pragmatic Play’s portfolio includes recently released hit games such as Sweet Powernudge and Santa’s Secret Gifts, together with iconic slot games that have gained recognition from prestigious bodies in the industry, along with numerous awards.

The list features Sugar Rush, Gates of Olympus, and The Dog House. Mycasino will, therefore, continue to provide its registered members with state-of-the-art content and gaming options from this leading provider known to be driven by persistence to “craft immersive experiences and responsible thrills.”

Pragmatic Play’s team of pros is constantly busy delving “best in class services” to all partners, and this means mycasino will benefit from the same sense of dedication and timeless games loved by all players. Grand Casino Luzern’s chief executive officer Wolfgang Bliem called the new partnership “with a giant like Pragmatic Play” a “momentous win,” while expressing hope that their award-winning products would “go down a treat” with their existing customers.

Pragmatic Play, Ready to “Entertain an Ever-Broadening Player Base”

Pragmatic Play’s chief operating officer Irina Cornides spoke about the new agreement, expressing the company’s delight for the expansion of its footprint in the country while taking its “distinguished slot vertical live” with a leading casino brand.

Cornides also described the online gaming market in Switzerland as “one that we have made strides in over 2022,” with the company taking its products live with several important domestic operators. This new deal is expected to help Pragmatic Play “entertain an ever-broadening player base” with premium slot games that are highly appreciated by slot aficionados from all parts of the world.

With a clear vision to become “the world’s favorite game developer,” Pragmatic Play is currently powering up fresh possibilities of play with the help of its single application programming interface, versatile multi-product portfolio packed with award-winning slots, bingo, live dealer games, sportsbooks options, and virtual sports. All products are accessible in all major regulated global markets.

In September, the company announced it would be opening a new studio in Bulgaria, further expanding its reach on the European market. At the start of December, the company grew its presence in Brazil by partnering with JK Bet and BetBastet.

Swedish iGaming supplier and developer Gaming Corps announced its entry into the Greek market thanks to a partnership with operators Kaizen Gaming and Novibet. The company will use its extensive portfolio of games to bolster the offerings of its newest partners. Gaming Corps has also pledged to develop additional region-specific content to capitalize on untapped markets.

Expansion Efforts Picked Up in Recent Months

Gaming Corps has gathered substantial momentum in 2022, enjoying rapid expansion and a series of high-profile partnerships. The developer took off in the second part of the year after launching in Gibraltar through the Relax Gaming platform in October. November saw a content partnership deal with Casino777, paving the way for Gaming Corps’s entry into the Belgian market.

The company’s rapid expansion did not stop there. Gaming Corps solidified its position as a leading European developer thanks to its newly acquired Netherlands license, even successfully expanding to South America after the strategic collaboration with Sportingtech allowed it entry into Brazil.

The developer appears confident in the quality of its offerings, previously expressing its intention to spread its products to as many countries as possible. Gaming Corps also announced it would reinforce its content creation pipeline, including developing area-specific offerings to tap into unexplored niches.

Greek Fans Will Enjoy New, Engaging Content

Gaming Corps’ Greek launch capitalizes on the developer’s partnerships with leading regional operators Kaizen Gaming and Novibet. As proven leaders in the European market, the companies will benefit from the developer’s portfolio of engaging titles built on their success in the video game industry.

Gaming Corps CEO Juha Kauppinen noted that obtaining a Greek license was among the company’s top priorities because of its strong ties with the most substantial regional operators. He thanked customers for their support and committed to delivering more engaging content.

We are… grateful to our commercial team for their hard work and our customers for their support for yet another market entry.

Juha Kauppinen, Gaming Corps CEO

The developer plans to go live in Greece as soon as it receives the green light from the Hellenic Gaming Commission. Local fans will receive access to a diverse selection of slot, plinko, mine, crash, and table games. Some of Gaming Corps’s best-performing titles include the likes of Jet Lucky 2, Plinko, Stormy Witch, Coin Miner, and Penalty Champion. They should be available in all partner-owned brands, giving the developer access to roughly 80% of the lucrative Greek market.

The company acknowledged the impact of the increase in the cost of living, which was evident in its UK-facing operations. Releasing its latest report, Rank Group acknowledged that in the five months ended November 30 this year, net gaming revenue (NGR) was up by only 1%, when compared to the same period in 2021.

Rank Group Faces Tough Recovery

The company said that year-over-year comparison showed a decline in NGR for Grosvenor venues, which was partially offset by growth reported for Enracha, Mecca venues and online gambling operations. Rank Group said that Grosvenor venues’ trading improved slightly, but overall, in Q2, performance was below expectations.

This resulted in a weekly average NGR of £5.8 million ($7.1 million), which was slightly better than the results reported for Q1. Although the company expected further improvement for its Grosvenor venues, it said that “this improvement has not yet materialized, driven by lower customer spend per visit.” In contrast to the decline in NGR for Grosvenor venues, Rank Group’s digital operations reported strong growth. The company acknowledged its NGR for the digital segment increased by 11%.

“Whilst there has been some improvement in Grosvenor’s trading over the last few weeks, trading in Q2 has been weaker than expected, with weekly average NGR of £5.8m being only marginally ahead of the levels seen in Q1,“

reads a statement released by the Rank Group

The Company Plans to Invest and Deliver Long-Term Growth

John O’Reilly, Rank Group’s chief executive, said that its UK venues have felt the impact of the decrease in disposable income and shrink in customer spending per visit. What’s more, he explained that the company expects those challenges to continue to impact its recovery. Still, O’Reilly said that Rank Group has “implemented a series of measures to deliver incremental cost savings and to drive revenues.”

“Weak consumer confidence and pressure on disposable income is resulting in a tougher than expected trading environment for our UK venues businesses, particularly in Grosvenor where we are seeing customers spending less per visit.“

John O’Reilly, chief executive at the Rank Group

Focusing on the future, Rank Group’s chief executive added that the company remains committed to continue investing in solutions and initiatives that will help with the long-term recovery. According to O’Reilly, on the way to long-term growth and recovery, the company plans to introduce new products, extend offerings and implement improvements for its venues. Finally, he acknowledged that improvements via digital channels will also play an important role in the future of the company.

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) submitted a proposal seeking the creation of standard markers for gambling harm in Europe.

Standard European Markers to Combat Gambling Addiction

The proposal was submitted Thursday to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) as EGBA is planning to enhance the protection of customers and fight gambling harm. The Association said that the creation of a standardized list of markers in Europe will boost the efforts against gambling-related harm.

The initiative was supported by leading experts in harm prevention, as well as academic groups that signed a letter to support the creation of markers for gambling harm. The groups of experts acknowledged that such markers would help better understand problem gambling and at the same time help reduce and prevent gambling harm in Europe.

“We urge national standardization bodies, gambling authorities, and other stakeholders to support this common-sense proposal to jointly develop a standard on markers of harm in Europe.“

Maarten Haijer, secretary general at EGBA

EGBA’s secretary general, Maarten Haijer, called for the use of a common-sense proposal when developing standard markers for gambling harm in Europe. He explained that gambling regulators, standardization bodies as well as other stakeholders in the industry can collaborate to achieve this.

Haijer said that standard markers for gambling harm will play a pivotal role when it comes to preventing problem gambling, enhancing the protection of customers, or combating at-risk gambling. Finally, EGBA’s secretary general said: “The process to develop the standard would bring together the knowledge and expertise of academics, researchers, harm prevention experts, and other stakeholders to work collaboratively towards the common purpose of preventing gambling-related harm.”

Health Experts to Help with the Development of Harm Markers

The CEN, which is in charge of developing standards for the Old Continent, initiated a vote with the national standardization bodies (NSBs) of European countries, as well as its members, to decide if EGBA’s proposal for a European standard markers for gambling harm should be allowed.

“EGBA believes that a reliable, standardized list of markers of harm is essential for preventing gambling-related harm in Europe,“

reads a statement released by EGBA

As a result, NSBs will be able to vote on the topic by the end of this month. Considering that EGBA’s proposal receives approval, health experts, gambling regulators, as well as operators will be able to join the discussion and help in the creation of standard markers for gambling harm.

CT Interactive is expanding its presence in the regulated iGaming market in Europe with the company teaming up with MondoGaming, a prominent operator in the Italian gaming market. Moving forward, CT Interactive will provide MondoGaming with 20 games. CT Interactive head of business Milena Tsankarska commented on the partnership and welcomed the opportunity, saying:

Our strategic plan is to increase our market share in Italy, and we find MondoGaming as the perfect operator for this goal. We are confident that this is the start of a long and prosperous partnership.

CT Interactive head of business Milena Tsankarska

CT Interactive CEO Lachezar Petrov was similarly pleased with the development. He noted that the supplier has been licensed to provide games in Italy since 2021 and has been looking to collaborate with prominent names in the country’s fast-developing iGaming markets.

“This shows that our products are well-received there and we are very proud of that fact,” Petrov said. MondoGaming CEO Matteo Dimatteo was similarly pleased with the opportunity and said that the whole company was excited to be bringing products by CT Interactive.

European Footprint Remains a Priority for CT Interactive

This is not the first market entry for CT Interactive in Italy as suggested by Petrov. In fact, the supplier has already teamed up with other prominent names from the iGaming market in the country, including Microgame. As such, CT Interactive has brought a number of excellent titles to what the company has described as a “key market” for the company.

Banana Party, 40 Mega Slot, Chilli Fruits, and so many others are all part of the games that are available in Italy. Meanwhile, CT Interactive has been pushing to bring more titles to this strategic market and managed to certify 10 jackpot games for Italy in November. Among the games were Hot Luck, 20 Roosters, Wizard Blizzard, and many others.

CT Interactive has also been present in other European markets, including Spain, Slovakia, and more.