Illegal betting activities in northern Cyprus continue, organized by relatives of murdered businessman Halil Falyali, according to Turkish Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu.

Illegal Betting Continues

Soylu, who spoke to the Turkish news media channel TRT, claimed that the entire area from the Balkans to Malta and the north is filled with illegal online betting operations.

“We conducted a preliminary operation in October 2022,” Soylu said and went on to announce that a new crackdown on illegal gambling is underway since this Monday, outlining that “the organization in question” operates “15 betting sites, which are active in island countries with a favorable tax regime, originating in Malta.”

Soylu also commented on the operation in October when Turkish authorities arrested 46 people on suspicion of participating in an illegal betting ring.

46 individuals across eight provinces were arrested back then after an investigation linked to the murder of Falyali led investigators to an organization that was receiving the proceeds of illegal betting in the form of cryptocurrency assets.

Soylu said that some of the 136 individuals who were identified as being involved with the illegal betting operations are relatives of Falyali. He also raised the total number of arrests during the October crackdown to 101.

“The income from these crimes can be used very easily in other countries,” he noted.

Underworld and Political Involvement

On Falyali’s execution, Soylu mentioned that following the six arrests in Turkey, authorities identified links to activities in northern Cyprus and Malta. Falyali was shot while being driven home and died of his wounds in the hospital. His driver was also shot dead during the attack.

The execution of Falyali stirred media speculation of his alleged links to organized crime, with several reports speculating that he was the mastermind behind a gambling empire in the north, and by running the illegal betting activities he has managed to establish powerful connections with the underworld that may have led to his gang-style murder.

Falyali was previously pointed as one of the political figures with shady activities by Turkish gang leader Sedat Peker, who implied Falyali’s involvement with drug trafficking and money laundering in collaboration with the son of former Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, Erkan, but Falyali had denied allegations.

Turkish media also speculated about links between Falyali and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar after a photo of them dining together appeared to confirm suspicions raised by a published telephone call in February, which alleged Falyali was sponsoring Tatar’s election campaign.

The national trade group for the US casino industry, the American Gaming Association (AGA), released its latest commercial gaming revenue report. AGA’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker provided insight into the performance of operators and showed significant growth in revenue in October.

Commercial Gaming Revenue Increases, a New Report Reveals

The overall commercial gaming revenue in October hit $5.29 billion. This result, when compared to the same period in October 2021, marked an increase of 10.5%. What’s more, the result from October marked the second-best gaming revenue result falling behind only to the $5.35 billion record set in March this year.

Besides a year-over-year growth, the commercial revenue result from October boosted the overall results for the whole year. In fact, AGA revealed that the total commercial revenue in the last ten months hit $49.85 billion, representing a significant increase of 14.7% when compared to the corresponding period in 2021.

A further breakdown provided by the Association reveals that slot GGR for the first ten months this year hit $28.6 billion, marking an increase of 5.8%, while table games GGR was up 16.5% to $8.3 billion. On the other hand, for the first ten months this year, iGaming revenue increased by a solid 38.1% to $4.08 billion.

But without any doubt, the biggest growth this year was in terms of sports betting revenue. The AGA’s report reveals that for the first ten months this year, sports betting GGR hit $5.76 billion, marking a whopping 77.9% growth when compared to the same period in 2021.

“As 2022 draws to a close, the gaming industry remains on track for another record-setting year. Over the first ten months, commercial gaming revenue totaled $49.85 billion, 14.7 percent ahead of the same 10-month period in 2021,“

reads the American Gaming Association’s latest report

Sports Betting Soars in October

Despite the ongoing economic uncertainties and increase in the cost of living, commercial gaming reported strong growth for another month. According to a breakdown provided by the AGA, commercial operators in October have seen an increase in all different operating segments.

Most notably, sports betting revenue increased by 77.7% in October to $804.7 million when compared to October last year. Strong growth was observed in iGaming revenue which this October increased by 26.8% to $453.1 million. Slot GGR and table game GGR increased as well, hitting $2.91 billion and $846.9 million, up 2.4% and 1.9% respectively.

Casino Guru, the biggest casino database in the world, has teamed up with the British safer gambling charity Gordon Moody. The two parties will join forces, just as suggested by GambleAware, to deliver a new interactive safer gambling course.

Casino Guru and Gordon Moody Teamed Up for a New Course

Casino Guru and Gordon Moody will leverage their expertise to create a new program that will promote safer gambling by familiarizing people with the benefits of betting responsibly. The best part about the program is that it would be completely free, which would allow it to reach more people.

The course covers everything that should be known about safer gambling. It talks about the basics, as well as the advanced stuff, such as the usage of AI for spotting irregular gambling patterns that often signpost problem gambling. The new course is Casino Guru and Gordon Moody’s way of delivering valuable knowledge to customers and operators alike.

The course teaches the value of responsible gambling and how it benefits sustainability. As such, it is targeted toward industry professionals but also contains valuable information that customers and industry enthusiasts might be interested to know.

Gambling operators can further expand the information contained in the free course and use Gordon Moody’s learning platforms to meet the demands of developing market segments.

The new course is a part of Casino Guru’s Casino Guru Academy, the casino database’s in-house program for promoting a better understanding of gambling, the gambling industry and responsible wagering. The new course is notably the third one Casino Guru has worked on. Previously, the company released two other courses, one dedicated to customer support and one concerning casino bonuses.

United Against Problem Gambling and Harm

This is not the first safer gambling initiative that the involved parties have undertaken. Gordon Moody recently released its own E-Learning platform and Virtual Classroom. Casino Guru, on the other hand, is currently working on a Global Self-exclusion Initiative, attesting to its commitment to safer gambling.

The two companies’ collaboration reflects GambleAware’s call for unity from earlier this year when the charity proposed that industry veterans should join their forces in the battle against gambling harm.

Casino Guru’s safer and sustainable gambling lead, Simon Vincze, spoke about the new course. He said that his team is delighted to join forces with Gordon Moody, a charity with decades of experience in the sector. Vincze reaffirmed his company’s intention of providing customers and operators alike with content of value.

All of our Academy courses are created with the intention of giving our participants the maximum possible value within a limited time frame.

Simon Vincze, safer and sustainable gambling lead, Casino Guru

In October, Casino Guru promised to award the most responsible companies in the sector.

Bettor Vision, the only sports betting and fantasy sports account aggregator, has released a brand new app for fantasy sports. It allows fans to bet, access fantasy contests and follow the latest developments involving their favorite sports teams.

Bettor Vision Launched a New App

Bettor Vision’s new app will work as a one-stop shop for fans of fantasy sports and will have everything they need to play and enjoy the vertical. To celebrate the launch of its new all-in-one app, the company also unveiled a new contest for its customers.

The contest, Bettor Vision announced, will run between December 18 and January 23. It will provide fantasy sports enthusiasts with opportunities to win tickets for major sporting events. In total, there will be three prizes lucky fans could grab. The first one is two tickets for the “Big Game” with airfare and lodging costs covered. The second is two tickets for the “All-Star game” with airfare and lodging costs covered. Lastly, three lucky people will win a humungous 75” Smart TV.

All five winners would be randomly drawn from the entry pool. Fans can join the promotion by submitting an online entry at bettorvisionbucketlistgiveaway.com. Once they do so, they will be provided with a personalized link they can send to their friends. The referent will get an additional entry for every person who registers through their personalized link.

CEO Lanier Wants to Make Fans Feel a Part of the Action

Brett Lanier, Bettor Vision’s co-founder and chief executive officer, spoke about Bettor Vision’s vision. His company’s philosophy is to provide fans with a convenient app they can use to access their favorite fantasy sports teams – an app that Lanier believes fans deserve.

Bettor Vision customers, according to Lanier, are fervent sports enthusiasts who like wagering and playing fantasy sports. According to him, this makes them feel more connected to the action. Bettor Vision, he said, was created to cater to these fans’ needs and help fans stay tuned with the latest developments in professional sports.

Speaking about his company’s exciting promotion, Lanier said:

This promotion gives our customers a chance to really feel connected to the action by attending sports bucket list experiences in person or using their massive new TV to host a party for the Big Game.

Brett Lanier, CEO, Bettor Vision

Bettor Vision is a fairly new player in the fantasy sports market. It was founded last year by Lanier and Geoff Doyle. The inspiration behind the new app was the founders’ vision for streamlining sports information to provide smoother fantasy experiences.

Betting brand Betway will become the inaugural title sponsor of SA20- South Africa’s newest T20 cricket league. The operator gains the rights to full brand coverage of the tournament, launching on 10 January 2023. It will initially run for four weeks, featuring 33 matches between several of the region’s most high-profile teams.

The African sports betting market has long been one of Betway’s priorities. The region’s gambling industry is rapidly expanding, drawing the interest of many high-profile operators. Betway has established a solid foothold in South Africa, paving the way for several of its partners into the untapped market.

The company has found particular success with the country’s Cricket leagues. Last year, Betway became the title sponsor of South Africa’s T20 Challenge cricket tournament, rebranding the contest’s name to the Betway T20 Challenge. The operator’s initiative appears to have been successful, as it is now engaging with another high-profile South African Cricket league.

Betway’s new deal with T20 remains roughly the same as last year’s sponsorship. The new tournament will officially be named the Betway SA20, setting the stage for a prosperous multi-year partnership. The operator solidifies its dominating position in the Cricket scene while ensuring that the engaging sports content reaches a sizable worldwide audience. Betway SA20 already has a 10-year broadcast deal with Indian sports network ViacomSports 18, giving the country’s sizeable cricket fan base access to a novel and exciting experience.

Betway CEO Anthony Werkman noted that the sponsorship was a significant step towards the company’s goal to become the leading sportsbook for cricket content.

We are delighted to see the Betway brand continue to showcase its long-standing commitment to the sport with another top-tier sponsorship.

Anthony Werkman, Betway CEO

Werkman added that the tournament’s launch was already causing significant interest worldwide, expressing excitement to become its inaugural title sponsor.

SA20 Aims to Bolster Its Global Reach

The partnership also garnered favorable reactions in South Africa, as SA20 League commissioner Graeme Smith welcomed Betway to the new T20 cricket league’s growing list of partners, lauding their global reach and passion for the sport.

We look forward to seeing the Betway SA20 scale new markets and audiences globally.

Graeme Smith, SA20 League commissioner

The first SA20 season will feature six privately-owned teams with 102 local and international players competing in 33 matches. The league has already expressed its intention to become the second-largest in the world. Although still unable to compete with India, South Africa remains a substantial foothold for professional cricket, hopefully leading to new immersive, inclusive, and thrilling experiences.

The 2012-founded iGaming technology company that offers leading solutions, products, and services to iGaming Operators Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) has designated Marcel Elfersy as its new chief commercial officer for platform and sportsbook. The appointment comes naturally following the group’s plans to strengthen its foothold as a leading tier 1 platform provider of sportsbook services in regulated markets worldwide.

GiG Ready to Enter the New Year With Real Excitement

The company that strives to become the industry leader in platforms and media content while driving sustainable growth and profitability has made the new appointment to further expand the group’s technology reach. To achieve these goals, Elfersy will work closely with GiG’s sales and commercial team while going after the exciting opportunities provided by regulated global markets.

Speaking about the new appointment, the group’s chief executive officer Richard Brown referred to Elfersy’s high caliber and experience as assets that will help them take a “significant step forward” in leveraging their full potential. Brown also mentioned the company’s ongoing interest in improving its work as one of its main operating principles, while mentioning the strong foothold of the business in “diverse and high-value areas” of the Business-to-Business supply chain part of the sports betting and iGaming industry. Accordingly, the group is looking forward to entering the new year “with real excitement.”

Elfersy, “Super-Excited” to Join GiG

Speaking about his appointment, Elfersy expressed his super-excitement to be joining Richard together with the “all-star-team” at GiG. The new CCO also said that he was “really impressed” by the group’s strategic growth as a premium Business-to-Business provider in the past few years, while praising their market agility and “unrivaled regulated omnichannel portfolio,” along with their completion of proven services and products.

Prior to being appointed the Gig’s new CCO, Elfersy spent six months as OXTech Group’s chief executive, one year as Impala Digital’s CEO, and more than 12 years as 888’s business development manager, business development director, and vice president of business development. His impressive resume also includes a position as chief executive officer for Entain’s Africa JV, Business-to-Business. From his position as vice president of business development at 888, he helped the company re-enter the regulated iGaming market in the US while helping them expand their Business-to-Business operations, supervising the Delaware Lottery agreement and the acquisition of the Betbright sportsbook.

Elfersy was also Come2Play’s board member for two years and he spent time working in a number of important positions for T-Mobile UK, JPMorgan Chase, CenturyLink, as well as the US Department of Commerce and the US Defence Logistics Agency. At the beginning of December, GiG inked a partnership with News Corp UK & Ireland, bringing its sports betting and casino content to News Corp’s The Sun and talkSPORT platforms. During the same month, GiG also announced it would power Starcasino’s debut into the Spanish iGaming market.