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Juventus struggled for most of the season and nobody gave the reigning champions any chance of defending their title in 2016. Throughout November and late October, Juventus managed to recuperate most of the points and they now have a real chance at closing the gap separating them from Napoli. Lazio is one of the teams blocking their way, but unfortunately for the Romans, they are bleeding points both at home and on the road. Juventus Seeks Fifth Consecutive Win Not having home pitch advantage didn’t hurt Juventus that much, with the reigning champions winning twice on the road. On each occasion they scored three goals and will try to achieve something similar when they travel to Rome to take on Lazio on the Olympic Stadium. The visitors are also actively engaged in the Champions League and with one round left, they have already secured safe passage to the playoffs. Somehow, they managed to ward off injuries and can field a competitive starting 11 that will feature Dybala and Mandzukic up front. Europa League Takes Its Toll Lazio are also playing in a European competition, but unlike Juventus they are unable to cope with the pressure and have lost many players to injuries. As a result, they were unable to win back-to-back games in more than a month and are winless in Serie A since late September. The team lost all the important games so far and as a result they fell into 10th place and could drop even further if they fail to win at home. The inability to keep clean sheets, doubled by recent offensive woes is worrisome against an offensive minded team like Juventus. Punters will surely appreciate the top odds of 11/10 offered by Bet365 to those confident of the visitors’ ability to secure the fifth win in a row.
The South Africa casino lobby has announced a substantial contribution to the country's GDP for the recent fiscal year. Performance Figures According to figures released Monday by the Casino Association of South Africa (CASA) in the annual Survey of Casino Entertainment in South Africa, the online gambling industry contributed R17.2b (US $1.13b) to the country’s gross domestic product in the last fiscal year covering 2014-15 fiscal year, a 4.5% jump from the previous year. The CASA figures for South Africa’s entire gambling industry generated revenue of R24b for the fiscal year, for a healthy 9.6% year-on-year improvement. The casino business further contributed R5.7b to the government in form of taxes, a jump of 3.6% year-on-year. Growth in the Face of Recession CASA CEO Themba Ngobese pointed out that in the face of a South African economic downturn overall, the figures represented an “important contribution casinos make towards the South African economy.” Ngobese said that the capital expenditures of CASA members totaled R2.3b, in a time in which consumers are specifically decreasing spending on non-essential items like gambling. Calls for Regulation and Protection Ngobese also called for the government to provide CASA members with more equitable conditions for operation, pointing out that the casino industry currently supports over 64,000 jobs earning a cumulative R3.2b in the year. Ngobese also called for the government to “stamp out” widespread online gambling offered by foreign operators to local citizens, in a country where online casinos such as CrazyWinners Casino, Rich Casino and SlotsPlus Casino are already popular. To this end, CASA has been waging a campaign to educate the public on the alleged hazards of online gambling, including a snitch line for punters to report online marketing and pop-ups detected from unauthorized gambling sites. Regulation Status in SA As far as regulation efforts within South Africa, the current status is that it remains unregulated. There are politicians in the country's Parliament attempting to get the government to approve and tax online gambling but the ruling party has refused to this point.
The UK market is growing, and the UKGC statistics to prove it. Growth Shows for 2015 In a market where the popularity of online casinos such as bet365 Casino, Trada Casino and Fruity Casa Casino is already entrenched, the UK market showed continued growth according to the UK Gambling Commission national regulatory body's disclosure of annual gains in the UK remote and non-remote gambling markets through March 31, 2015. The total yield of the UK’s non-remote industry generated a GGY of £5.4 billion (€7.7 billion/$8.1 billion) in the 12 months, for a steady increase of 2% over the corresponding period from last year. Non-Remote Grows... The sector of non-remote betting jumped as well, from £3.17 billion to £3.25 billion. Casinos specifically showed an increase in GGY from £1.1 billion to £1.2 billion. The only visible drops according to the UKGC were in arcades, whose GGY slipped from £377.5 million to £371.7 million; and bingo, which fell from £672.4 million to £663.3 million. ...while Remote Carries the Day Remote betting, bingo and casino gambling results were split in two due to the introduction of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act from November 1, 2014. This resulted in figures for remote betting GGY for the period prior to the new Act adding up to £753.5 million, with the figure GGY for the period from November 1 to March 1 at £1.5 billion. The previous year's total GGY for UK the remote betting, bingo and casino gambling sector in the UK amounted to £1.1 billion, so remote betting GGY's substantially offset the minor shortfalls. UK Lottery Tabulations Remote and non-remote activities surrounding the UK National Lottery brought in £3.2 billion, jumping from £3.1 billion last year, with other remote and non-remote services for lotteries grew from £306.8 million to £361.6 million. Significance The UK constitutes a massive market where online gambling is popular and successfully regulated. So iGamers and professionals, at the end of the day--or year--the system is working.
The Malta iGaming Seminar was one of the most anticipated events in the industry this year and it lived up to the expectations by delivering on important topics from expert speakers, allowing more than enough networking possibilities for attendees and keeping everyone engaged. It was considered by many as the best iGaming show of the year and we will take a look at some of the highlights that made it so great. Networking opportunities for all MiGS has already established itself as a leading event for networking and this year reached a whole new level. The entire schedule was designed around different networking opportunities for those attending to get the conversation ball rolling and close new deals. Any regular attendee will attest to the fact that this is where most deals are done and this year was no exception. The action started with the free roll poker tournament held on Monday, sponsored by industry giant PokerStars along with Intercomp. The official start of the conference was on Tuesday and there were frequent breaks, lunches and networking-minded small events to help fuel the conversations. Big names covering important topics The conference was not just about networking and the different panels made it very informative. On Tuesday, the key topics were investing in small businesses in the industry and the changes made by the Malta Gaming Authority to stay ahead of the curve; delivered by the Minister of Economy in Malta, Chris Cardona, and the head of the MGA, Joe Cuschieri, respectively. A big highlight at the MiGS 2015 was the panel of legends in the industry with more than 100 years of experience between them. Called the Century of iGaming, the session was a combined effort from the founder of SportingBet, Mark Blandford, the Pinnacle CEO, Paris Smith, the former Novomatic CEO, Franz Wohlfahrt, the founder of Betsson NetEnt, Pontus Lindwall and Calvin Ayre from Bodog who joined the conference by Skype. They talked about their journey in the iGaming industry and what the future might hold.
The German first division is hardly the most competitive one in Europe, with Bayern Munich expected to win the title many rounds before it officially comes to an end. While the defending champions have a significant lead over the pack, the race is very much on between Wolfsburg and Dortmund. As the two teams compete for the second-place, the outcome of the head to head games is particularly important. Dortmund Drops Valuable Points at Hamburg It’s been a while since the former Champions League finalists lost a match on the road against any team besides Bayern Munich. That’s why it came as a shock when Hamburg managed to score 3 unanswered goals, with Dortmund’s latest effort being inconsequential. The defensive was subpar and unless the newly appointed manager Tuchel finds a way to patch the backline, Wolfsburg could strike a deadly blow. In fact, this was the last team to defeat them at home and the fact that they sit just seven points behind them, provides the ideal incentive. Wolfsburg Set to Defend Flawless Home Record Wolfsburg is one of the three teams in the German Bundesliga that are yet to lose a match in front of their fans this season. They also have the second-best defensive after Bayern Munich and managed to keep a clean sheet in each of the last three games in all competitions, including two crucial victories. Despite all these reassuring numbers, the home side needs to take extra precautions when Dortmund come visiting. This is not going to result in the high scoring game that everyone predicts, but a rather dull encounter in which both teams exercise caution. A double chance wager on Wolfsburg to win or draw at odds of 11/10 appears to be the best choice for punters who have an account with bet365 sports.
More figures have been released by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) national regulatory body about the year's performance, revealing insights into the types of services and technologies that contributed the most to the steady and robust expansion within the UK online gambling sector. Total Activity As of September 30th of this year, the UKGC had commissioned a total of 719 remote gambling activities, more than doubling the 305 from March 31, 2012 and 269 from the end of March 2014, when remote gambling activity picked up as a result of the uptick in widespread regulation of online gambling. The most widespread technology that expanded was gambling software, leading the way with a total of 233 activities regulated under the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014, with online casino coming in second with 176. This was followed by 95 regulated activities in the category of general betting and newly emerging pool betting posting a significant market share with 79 regulated activities. Lower down on the scale was betting intermediary with 17 regulated activities, and betting intermediary trading rooms with six regulated activities. Empowering Statistics In a country that embraced online casinos like Fruity Casa Casino, Ladbrokes Casino and Trada Casino One from the outset of the young online gambling era, one gets the strong sensation that the lower placing activities should not be seen as failures, but as areas with the most room for growth through improving user engagement and technology marketing efforts in those sectors. Further interesting tidbits of market info from UKGC: between the introduction of the new Act in November 2014, and March of this year, remote gambling generated a gross gambling yield (GGY) of £1.5 billion (€2.1 billion/$2.3 billion) along with a revenue share GGY of £673.5 million. Online casinos were responsible for the majority of this growth, with contributions of £834.3 million to the total GGY as well as £474.4 million in revenue share GGY. Not surprisingly, the UKGC also reported that football generated the highest remote betting GGY, with slots easily the most popular form of gaming within online casinos.
The first ever Armenian Gaming Forum took place in Yerevan on 19-20 November and the exhibition-conference was a success. Representatives from the gambling industry visited the forum, attendees got the chance to learn from expert speakers and software developers presented some of their creations in the demo zone while guests had a full tour for the top casinos available in the country. BetConstruct was on the list for the first day and then the tour moved to land-based casinos like Shangri La and Parisian. Topics covered at the conference One of the major topics covered at the conference was the possibility for Armenia to close online casinos within its borders. This was covered by Samwel Martirosyan, an IT security specialist and media expert who stated that at this moment foreign online casinos still engage Armenian players without paying taxes in the country but that the technology to regulate gaming websites is coming. New technologies used in online gaming took up quite a big part at the Armenian Gaming Forum and bitcoin along with other cryptocurrencies did not go unnoticed. The brand manager for CASEXE, Ivan Kondilenko, covered the topic and its use in the Armenian online gambling industry with the conclusion that Bitcoin is still a new thing in the market and not in much demand. Addressing the legal aspects With Armenia being a growing market in the region for online gambling, the legal aspects of its industry were on the list for discussion and many showed interest at the conference. The key speaker on the subject was the former Minister of Justice’s Deputy in Armenia, Aram Orbelyan, and he shared information on the rules every operator has to meet. A highlight from the session includes mentions that basically anyone can create a casino in the country with the government approval but that advertising is limited to entrance points, casinos and four-star hotels.
Since Klopp took over, Liverpool exceeds expectations and they are currently riding a four-game winning streak. All good things eventually come to an end, but for the Reds the danger comes from the long list of injuries. With seven key players on the bench for the match with Newcastle, the visitors will have a hard time in keeping the winning streak alive and making it five games in a row. Klopp Leaves His Mark on Liverpool Under the German manager, Liverpool has emerged as a more offensive team and is slowly starting to take advantage of its roster. Despite the offensive spirit, they only won once by a comfortable spread, while having to settle for narrow margin victories on two occasions. Their performance against Manchester City is the one fondly remembered by fans, as they scored three goals in 20 minutes. Against Newcastle, Liverpool will have to exercise caution because the home side doesn’t mind defending with all lines. They are particularly dangerous on counterattacks and this is how Liverpool allowed most of its goals in both the Premier League and Europa League. The Specter of Relegation Is Looming Newcastle will try to survive for one more season in the Premier League, but they are currently sitting in the danger area. Last year, injuries brought all their winning streaks to screeching halts and they once again have to cope with a high number of players mending injuries. Krul is again unavailable, with the first goalkeeper spending most of the time on the bench last season as well. The backline and midfield are also ravaged by injuries, so manager McLaren will have to rely on a makeshift formation. Even so they are a force to be reckoned with and it is definitely worth taking the coverage of an 1:0 Asian handicap at odds of 4/5 with Bet365 sports.
The popular software provider iSoftBet has received a level 3 certification for its entire collection of casino games from the main regulatory body in the United Kingdom. This gives it the ability to continue offering its services within the market after getting an initial approval last year. The UK Gambling Commission issued a continuation license for iSoftBet in November 2014 with the condition to bring the entire gaming suit offered by the company to a level 3 compliance standard in the next 12 months. The compliance manager for iSoftBet, Mark Halstead, was pleased to announce that level 3 accreditation has been acquired. A full collection of great games iSoftBet has a lot of great casino games in its collection and continues to release new titles for a bigger and better portfolio. The latest addition to the list is Astro Magic HD and it joins other popular titles like 24, Neon Reels, Happy Birds, BeWitched, Ambiance and Ninja Chef. Cutting-edge graphics and animations make sure to represent the theme in detail on the reels and alongside them, while agreements with big movie studios allows the software developer to create slot machines based on blockbuster movies like Rambo, Rango, The Love Guru and Basic Instinct. Most of the games in the collection are slot machines but there are also a few table games available which were designed to be realistic and entertaining. Mobile versions are offered for a good part of the titles. Playing iSoftBet games With the certification now secured, players can continue to enjoy games from iSoftBet at top casinos like 10bet Casino, Real Deal Bet Casino and Casino 777. There are demo versions offered for most of the games in order to get a sample of the action for free. iSoftBet will continue to create new titles and this also marks the beginning of a new growth period for the company, according to the Halstead.
The expansion of regulation across Europe has brought about new challenges to each member country, and the EGBA is glad to see the newest state response in the form of a landmark agreement for online gambling. Landscape Requires Coordination While laws on gambling are the responsibility and right of individual countries, EU policy supports regulation across all countries, with online gambling at this point not limited by national borders. There is a need for coordination among EU nations if legal online gambling is going to work, so that all activity that takes place within the borders of EU countries, and all revenues from legalized gambling are diverted to productive purposes such as budget relief and public works. As of now, over 7 million citizens in the EU currently gamble online. Those who do so illegally in unregulated environments are unprotected from profiteers who seek to lure them into gaming at all costs, and will prey on addictive personalities. Unregulated environments also leave users vulnerable to financial and identity fraud, and can be used to launder money or manipulate odds. Agreement to Address the Issue To this end, EEA members states today signed the first formal agreement to coordinate integrated cooperation among the gambling authorities of member states. The agreement covers a number of diverse areas including coordination among countries on procedures for tender, verification of information provided by other authorities, and exchange of technical expertise. Coordinated supervision procedures will be implemented place through areas of compliance with national laws, protection of consumers, prevention of money laundering and fraud, and betting related to match-fixing. As far as technological sharing, national gambling systems will be coordinated through the compilation of gateway files on the participating countries. These gateways will serve to synchronize member nations regarding areas of role and remit of national authorities, emerging areas they would like to share information on, competences of other national authorities with regards to gambling, and any limitations in laws regarding specific categories unique to the online gambling environment such as data protection.
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