According to the Indiana Gaming Commission, the Hoosier state has surpassed the $10 billion benchmark figure in all-time sports wagering handle with over $452.3 million in wagers accepted in November. This way, Indiana has joined the list of five other US states that went over the $10 billion mark after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) fell on May 14, 2018, giving the green light to sports betting in the country. The list includes Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Nevada after reaching the impressive milestone in the 39 months of legal sports betting after its launch in September 2019.

The Eighth US State to Clear $4 Billion Handle in 2022

Indiana was the eighth state to clear the $4 billion sports wagering handle in 2022. Licensed sports betting operators however narrowly missed a third consecutive month with revenue of $40 million when it fell $30,000 short in November. The month’s handle, however, was the sixth all-time highest handle in the history of the state, showing a 1.4% rise compared to October’s handle of $446.2 million. In September, the state’s sports betting handle reached $382.5.

Nonetheless, November’s sports wagering handle recorded a 2.5% decrease compared to the $463.7 million reported during the same month of 2021. Both November 2021 and November 2022 recorded sportsbooks’ win rates that went over 10%.

The state also received close to $3.8 million in tax receipts in November 2022, rounding the 2022 total to more than $32.7 million, which represented a $6.1 million increase compared to 2021. November revenue went up 22.9% when compared to the revenue recorded in November 2021.

Indiana Sports Betting Operators Pay a 9.5% Tax on Revenue

As previously mentioned, Indiana’s lawmakers officially legalized sports betting in May 2019 and launched the retail sports betting market a few months later in September. The following month of the same year, the state opened its online sports betting market. All state operators need to pay a 9.5% tax on sports betting revenue. Most of the money goes to the state’s general fund, while a share also reaches a series of problems dedicated to problem gambling.

At the end of September, the Indiana Gaming Commission released a positive iGaming report that compared a number of regulation and taxation rates and implementation models and assessed provides iGaming activities in other US states. The report suggested that the introduction of iGaming in the state should be done in a relatively straightforward manner.

3 Oaks Gaming, one of the quickest-developing gaming studios in the iGaming industry, has signed a new partnership with Lucky Drops, a company that specializes in the creation of promotional tools for the sector. Lucky Drops develops solutions that help “remove gaps in player activity” and boosts engagement and retention rates across the board.

Lucky Drops are designed in a way that distributes random prizes and rewards players out of a preset prize pool over a specific period of time. The prizes that Lucky Drops extends could be custom and real money prizes, multiplier options, and even bigger rewards, designed to appeal to players and meet user expectations.

Lucky Drops has a “Hot Period” feature that allows partner operators and studios to boost their retention rates and deliver value to players that makes them stick around and inspires brand loyalty. The software provided by Lucky Drops takes a deep look at historic player data to craft tailored products that strike home with player bases of all backgrounds.

Adjustments are made in real-time to better reflect what players need and prefer and 3 Oaks Gaming is happy to leverage this data to integrate it into its own games, which will ultimately benefit partner operators. The solution is even more worthwhile as it doesn’t require any specific integrations and is readily available to operators once a game is introduced.

3 Oaks Gaming is determined to benefit from the range of promotional products that Lucky Drops leverages in order to build its momentum in the iGaming space. The supplier has released dozens of titles in only a single year of operation and more products are forthcoming.

Commenting on this opportunity, 3 Oaks Gaming managing director Sebastian Damian has said that the company was happy to integrate the range of promotional tools into its offering to deliver an even better experience for players and partner casinos.

Commercial Success by Delivering Best Partner

“Whether you’re looking to plug the gap during quieter activity periods or elevate the user experience with a complementary promotion, Lucky Drops is destined to improve engagement and retention,” Damian added.

The solutions provided by Lucky Drops, argued the executive, add an extra dimension to every spin and make the experience even more worthwhile. Previously, 3 Oaks Gaming became part of the St8.io platform and the company has signed similar commercial partnerships with Hub88 and Technamin.

Playgon Games Inc. has signed a new distribution agreement with EveryMatrix, a company that specializes in the aggregation and delivery of cutting-edge content for the online casino industry. Through this new partnership, EveryMatrix will add Playgon’s own mobile-first live dealer and eTable game offerings available through the VegasLounge brand.

Playgon to Get Content Distribution Springboard with EveryMatrix

As a result, EveryMatrix will be able to provide its global network of clients with a range of titles that are expected to generate robust interest and elicit a strong response from players.

Commenting on this partnership opportunity, Playgon Games CEO and president Darcy Krogh welcomed the chance to be teaming up with a leading distributor of content, which will allow Playgon to leverage its own live dealer products and expertise. Krogh added:

This relationship with a top-tier aggregator will give our Company extensive reach in highly lucrative key markets through one integration, and we expect it will play a significant role in our revenue growth.

Playgon Games CEO and president Darcy Krogh

Krogh confirmed that Playgon’s products are beginning to receive interest from leading operators in the industry and the EveryMatrix tie-up will only expedite this process and help boost awareness for the company’s unique iGaming proposition. EveryMatrix CasinoEngine COO Amund Stensland argued that the company was more than happy to see Playgon’s live dealer games enter the distribution platform.

CasinoEngine, which is EveryMatrix’s distribution platform, has the means necessary to guarantee quick market entry and help promising and innovative companies such as Playgon reach new audiences without issues.

EveryMatrix is a powerful ally for Playgon as it already works with more than 200 customers worldwide and is regulated to operate in multiple prominent jurisdictions, including many individual markets in the United States, giving partners access to numerous opportunities to bring their products to market with prominent brands in the most frictionless way possible.

EveryMatrix has been posting solid results across the board with the Q3 performance markers exceeding expectations. In November, EveryMatrix added 3 Oaks Gaming to CasinoEngine.

In its motion submitted to the New Jersey Superior Court, BetMGM urges the court to dismiss the lawsuit against the company filed by Sam A. Antar in September.

BetMGM Submits Motion in Antar Lawsuit

SBC Americas reported on details around BetMGM’s motion filed in connection with the lawsuit against the company submitted by gambling addict Sam A. Antar alleging that BetMGM deprived him of winnings due to a glitch in one of BetMGM’s mobile applications.

BetMGM highlighted Antar’s criminal past and suggested that the plaintiff submitted the lawsuit against BetMGM, filled with untrue representations because he wants to acquire funds to cover his debts resulting from the sentence in connection with his fraudulent Ponzi scheme.  

Overall, the BetMGM motion portrayed Antar as a desperate fraudster who is trying to squeeze the company out of money based on frivolous allegations, which are far-fetched and could not be further from the truth.

According to previous legal proceedings, Antar has conned several victims out of significant funds and has used the money on gambling.

In its motion, BetMGM dissected and disputed all of the claims made by Antar. However, the most important point the company made was that Antar’s lawsuit should be an arbitration case as when Antar created his BetMGM account he agreed to their Terms and Conditions.

Additionally, BetMGM further discussed Antar’s statements showing that the company is convinced his allegations do not come up to judicial standards.

Sam A. Antar submitted his lawsuit against BetMGM in September. He accused the company of attempting to hide the constant disruptions with its mobile app by offering considerable bonuses to him and, thus, further fueling his gambling addiction.

Antar claimed that he got disconnected about every 30 minutes. This happened very often during winning streaks so it led to him losing money. His claims also suggest that he reported the issue many times but BetMGM did not want to stop offering the problematic game as it was bringing in a lot of revenue.

Furthermore, Antar alleges in his lawsuit that BetMGM tried to keep him from reporting the issues with the game to the regulator by offering him generous bonuses.

Antar supported his claims with a wide range of screenshots and communications with BetMGM’s customer service.

Antar has two criminal sentences behind his back. In 2013, he was sent to prison for almost 2 years after running away with $225,000. In 2019, he also pleaded guilty to operating a fraudulent investment scheme. All funds he acquired through these criminal activities he used to gamble.

While the association might be debatable for some, the real issue here isn’t the content, but rather – the context. Looking back at the recent months for regulation in the industry, a slightly suggestive tweet is hardly the nation’s biggest problem. It was fixed, though.

Associating Gambling, Kids by Mistake

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) removed a tweet it made last Friday, December 9, and later issued an apology for the unintended association it invoked. The tweet in question contained a message to consumers to trust only licensed companies and included a link to its own online register listing licensees, however, it also contained a gif with a kid celebrating a soccer game.

The removed tweet was made a day before England was to face France in the quarterfinals, and was following a steady flow of similar messages, excluding the questionable association. It said “Whether it’s your first time betting on the World Cup, or not, make sure you protect yourself with licensed companies” and was followed by the link to its online register, so nothing in the messaging was related to the removal.

UK’s minimum gambling age is 18, and all licensed operators are required to have a compliant policy in place that prevents underage gambling. So, it’s safe to say that the Commission’s apology for the “unintended association” was simply an oversight during the publication of the controversial tweet in question. After it deleted the tweet and issued another one, apologizing for the first one’s publication, the UKGC tweeted again the same message about its online register but used a different gif.

UKGC Stepping on Touchy Ground

The UKGC, like anything that relates to gambling regulation in the UK, is often in the conversation mostly for the extremely delayed gambling white paper. It was supposed to give the start to gambling reforms in the country, with UK’s Gambling Act dating all the way back to 2005 – before the first iPhone was even released.

The situation hasn’t changed much since the summer, with various explanations being tossed around every time the delay was announced or acknowledged. Having already been faced with criticism over the delay, it didn’t help that news of UK teenagers addicted to gambling was spreading as well. It’s a dark picture that’s being painted on the news, with reports often citing government inactivity as part of the growing gambling problem in the country.

It was towards the end of October when the UKGC announced it would be changing its approach for this year’s Young People and Gambling 2022 Report, released on November 10. The Commission explained that because of the sweeping changes in methodology, structure, and scope of the new report, it would not be directly comparable to previous years’ similar reports.

In this context, having already brought focus on underage gambling in the UK, UKGC’s tweet containing an image of a kid celebrating at a soccer game might – for some – seem like it’s making matters worse. However, it’s important to note that the white paper’s review is being held up by the government, and the UKGC hasn’t got a lot to do about it.

Leading publisher of online gambling content Yggdrasil and game development studio specializing in mobile and casino games Peter & Sons have once again reunited for the release of a new slot. After launching Dungeon Tower Multimax and Voodoo Hex together, the two companies have announced their fresh product: The Legend of Musashi. The game with high volatility and a maximum win of 20,000x the stake has been inspired by the iconic Ancient Japanese legend of the great master of the double blade. The game is packed with eye-catching, adrenaline-pumping mechanics and special features, ranging from ten Power Mode levels, Monster Multipliers, Monster Free Spins, and Super Free Spins games.

The Legend of Musashi Metrics Overview

• Reels: 6
• Rows: 4
• Paylines: 4096
• RTP: 96.1%
• Hit Freq: –
• Max Win: 20,000x
• Volatility: High
• Min/Max Bet: 0.10-20

Collect Scatters to Trigger the Power Mode Level

The action is set in a soothing-looking building with sloped tiled roofing, wooden floors, and lanterns to set the mood. The winning combos can be scored from the leftmost side of the grid and they will land over consecutive reels. Once the winning symbols are in sight, the cascade machine will pop them off the board, enabling the remaining symbols to fall and fill in the gaps. The cascading motion will continue until there are no more fresh wins making an appearance.

The Legend of Musashi incorporates a standard card suit as symbols, along with nunchucks, fans, clubs, blades, and character symbols. The scrolls that display the letter “W” on them are wild symbols and they can replace all regular paying symbols.

Players who manage to collect 65 scatters in a meter automatically trigger one of the ten available Power Mode levels. The Power Mode is a popular collection feature rewarding loyal players while introducing an element of progression to the gameplay. During this mode, players are randomly given between three and ten lives. Once a Wild symbol pops up, it will turn into an Expanding Wild that will use up one of the lives. The Power Mode ends when all lives are lost.

When a player manages to complete all levels and collect around 650 scatters, the Super Free Spins game is activated. Here, the wilds turn into expanding wilds. When a scatter hits, an additional free spin is given to the player. The multiplier’s starting value goes up by +1. Similarly, players who land three scatters receive ten Monster Free Spins and two extra free spins for every extra scatter. Here, the multiplier resets after each free spin.

An Excellent Year for Both Companies

Yggdrasil’s head of products and programs Stuart McCarthy expressed their delight regarding the fresh release with “visually stunning” elements that were made possible with the help of Peter & Sons. McCarthy added they “couldn’t have asked for a better game” to end the year.

Peter & Sons’ business development manager Yann Bautista called 2022 “a fantastic year” in terms of releasing “top-tier games with Yggdrasil.” Bautista called The Legend of Musashi the epitome of “everything we’re about”, expecting it to perform “exceptionally well.”

Online sports betting and casino gaming operator Rush Street Interactive (RSI) announced the opening of two new offices in Bogota and Medellin as part of its continued expansion in Latin America.

Latin American Headquarters

The operator of the RushBet brand in Colombia and Mexico opened a new 8,000-square-foot office in the heart of the Colombian capital that will serve as the headquarters for RSI’s Latin American operations team.

Commenting on the development, RSI’s chief executive officer Richard Schwartz hailed the new offices as investments for the future of the region and recognition of “the importance of earning the trust and respect of the communities” where RSI is operational.

It’s important to have the brightest and strongest local teams to execute RSI’s ambitious growth strategy.

Richard Schwartz, CEO, RSI

The cutting-edge design of RSI’s Latin American headquarters is an embodiment of innovation that is central to the Chicago-based gaming operator, as well as a display of the essence of the gaming industry delivering fun and exciting experiences to its customers.

The office space is surrounded by a full multimedia wall for watching live sports, while other amenities include an actual basketball court functioning as the marketing team’s space, poker rooms-like conference rooms, a stadium-like production set, lamps resembling casino cards, and a cafeteria that is a replica of RushBet’s sports bars.

Tech Hub Expansion

The second office space was opened in Medellin, where RSI expanded its technology hub in the El Poblado neighborhood to house a team of local tech talent and provide support for the operator’s global technology platform.

The area was selected due to its attractiveness for tech talent following the local government’s investment to create a software valley under the “Vale de Software” project.

The initiative aims to attract IT businesses and students from the best universities in Latin America by promising them a successful career in the IT field, and provides an additional impetus for RSI to set foot in the region which already boasts over 163,000 companies from different economic sectors.

These new state-of-the-art offices further exemplify our innovation and continued investment in Latin America and the future growth we expect in the region.

Richard Schwartz, CEO, RSI

Schwartz highlighted the importance for RSI “to invest in creating world-class facilities to continue to attract and retain top industry talent” and strengthen its presence in Latin America.

As the first US-based operator to enter the Colombian market, RSI has grown to a top-three market position, partnering with leading media businesses, banks, retailers, and sports leagues to increase brand awareness among the locals.

Last month, RSI published its third-quarter results posting 20% increases in both revenue and net loss.