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Casual Connect USA 2016 was hosted in San Francisco from 18-20 July, giving attendees the opportunities to gain social casino insights from a speaker list of more than 300 specialists. And, thanks to a Gamesauce report, Online Casino Reports is able to provide a summary of the three-day conference. Pleasing the Players For the topic of user acquisition and retention, organisers turned to leading igaming software developers in the form of Big Fish Games, Playtika, and Zynga. In terms of the findings, it emerged that slot games designed with localised themes were performing well over the world, while it was also revealed that in-game rewards were appealing to players. Small but Successful When it came to business strategies and innovation, the panels were mostly focused on how smaller companies could gain traction in the industry. In one of the panels, executives from Rocket Games and Super Lucky Casino told their story of becoming top-15 companies by utilising classic game mechanics, increasing their rate of output, and focusing on niches. Developing Games Addressing game development, a four-person panel of experts from King, FlowPlay, OpenFL, and Unity Technologies held a broader talk covering all things related to development. Meanwhile, Gamedesire CIO Pawel Weder held a more focused talk in which he discussed game development in relation to esports and real-time strategy experiences. Supporting Customers Customer care is still at the infancy stage in the social casino market, with operators and app developers currently refining their strategy. To broach the topic, a four-person panel consider the role and success of customer care at land-based casino and in online VIP programmes. Real-world Casinos Physical casinos also received attention, with oneLIVE CEO Michael Jabara convinced that they should be doing more to create mobile apps to support their experiences. Other experts contributed in this area by further underlining the potential of combining social casinos with real-money gambling.
The match that everyone is waiting for in the first round of the Premier League pits Arsenal against Liverpool. These are two of the favorites to lift the trophy, trailing only the teams from Manchester and Chelsea in the bookmakers’ preferences. If one squad manages to claim all three points at Emirates Stadium, this will represent an important milestone in their bid for the trophy. Inconsistent Performance for Liverpool Klopp has experimented a lot in the friendly games played by Liverpool in late July and early August. The results speak for themselves as the team was unable to win two games in a row and alternated victories with defeats. The last two results are downright surprising, with Liverpool scoring four unanswered goals against Barcelona, before losing 4-0 to Mainz. The German manager didn’t change his strategy and compelled footballers to play the aggressive football he loves so much. This makes Liverpool highly unpredictable and a serious threat for Arsenal. The fact that they play on the road isn’t expect to change Klopp’s strategy, as he shoots for all three points. Arsenal Rides Long Invincible Run Since losing to Barcelona at Nou Camp in March, Arsenal has avoided defeat despite playing against tougher opponents. They had a busy schedule in August and played games on both shores of the Atlantic, with tremendous success. The team won four games in a row and scored an average of four goals per match over the span, but only managed to keep one clean sheet. Just one of the last six head to head games concluded with fewer than three goals scored. Under these circumstances, the best choice for punters is to bet on the total number of goals rather than the winner. More than 2.5 goals are expected to be scored at Emirates Stadium and this outcome is priced at even odds by bet365 Sports.
iSoftBet has been building its profile as a slot developer for a few years, and now the company has taken a major step forward after completing a content distribution deal with bgo. Moving forward, the online gambling operator will be able to share iSoftBet slots with its current player base. From August 2016, bgo will have the right to distribute iSoftBet content via HTML5 and Flash software. This will ensure bgo has an even larger and more competitive slot library, which is already comprised of gaming content from third-party software providers. iSoftBet Managing Director Nir Elbaz believes the developer’s innovative slots will appeal to players. Famous Slot Titles iSoftBet’s growth has become more and more evident from the developer’s ability to secure licensing agreements for famous films, which is an accurate gauge for success in the software sphere. One example is the 1996 Vietnam war film Platoon, which recently spawned a sequel with a progressive jackpot. Alongside Platoon, there are several other Hollywood films that have received the slot conversion treatment. For instance, fans of action films can turn to slots based on popular franchises like Rambo and the Warriors. Of course, players can also seek out lighter, more playful experiences with the Love Guru and 90210. Original Slot Creations In addition to branded content, iSoftBet is also striving to create original slots that can find an audience. From the more recent releases, Spin or Reels is slot game based on retro machines, but players have the added appeal of playing to unlock a spinning reel with a potential 300,000-coin jackpot. Cloud Tales is another charming option, with players encountering a fantasy slot with cute, colourful creatures and a place called Mushroom Island. Where Spin or Reels is a more adult experience, Cloud Tales showcases iSoftBet’s diversity by creating a game to conjure memories of childhood.
For the past two weeks, many affiliates have been trying to understand what exactly happened to the BestPay Partners affiliate program. The BestPay Partners website has been down since late July, bringing visitors to a 404 page not found – and any form of communication with the people at BestPay Partners cannot be established. The Mystery Unfolds First reports of the mysterious vanishing of BestPay Partners came in July in the GPWA forums, where an affiliate reported running into a forbidden page when trying to access BestPay Partners’ website. Other affiliates confirmed that they couldn’t get in touch with the program, and specifically not with John Stern, who is described as heading the senior management team of BestPay Partners at the program’s Linkedin page. Meanwhile, the BestPay Partners brands seem to be alive and well at the moment, accepting registrations of new players. At the time of writing this article, it was not clear whether the brands were to keep operating and if so, what would be the state of the affiliations and what would become of the affiliates who promoted BestPay Partners brands. From inquiries it seemed that the brands were operating "business as usual". GPWA Inquiry Responding to the situation, GPWA Executive Director Michael Corfman has written that the BestPay Partners situation is taken very seriously and that he has been having email exchanges with the program, making it "crystal clear" that the current situation is unacceptable. Corfman has emailed a contact from BestPay Partners and Driven Affiliates, asking: "We need urgent confirmation and positive and pro-active statements that affiliate earnings will continue for all existing affiliates with any players that continue to play even in the face of the former affiliate program for those sites being closed. And those statements will need to be accompanied by a specific plan that can be explained to affiliates regarding the steps that will be taken to assure affiliates that will be the case." "In the absence of such statements and such a plan, we will, unfortunately, have no choice but to terminate Driven Affiliates sponsorship of the GPWA for violation of the GPWA code of conduct by your organization." Quick Action Needed Known for brands the likes of Play2Win, Grand21 and SupremePlay Casinos, the BestPay Partners affiliate program has been in operation since 2009 and has since opened many brands which led to many affiliates promoting the brands. It would be in BestPay Partners' best interests to return to communicating with affiliates directly pronto, and not via third parties, to explain what has happened and to be 100% transparent about the situation. Online Casino Reports hopes for a speedy, clean and fair conclusion to this affair.
International Game Technology IGT had an interesting tidbit of good news for Q2: a modest jump in year-on-year consolidated revenue translating to a massive gains.. Don´t Jump to Conclusions However, upon review, the data reported so far by the product of a US$6.4-billion merger completed in April 2015 between Nevada-based slot machine supplier International Game Technology and Italy-based lottery equipment specialist GTech SpA suggest reserving judgement. Large Gains To wit, the reported 2016 Q2 gain of 1% in consolidated revenue may sound modest, but the increase represents a total year-on-year gain of a whopping US$1.29 billion. Robust Growth In an announcement Thursday, IGT chief executive Marco Sala attributed the growth to strong lottery performance, “particularly in Italy and North America,” as well as the “resilience of our global gaming business.” Breakdown Other Q2 gains shed more light on the true nature of the boost The operating income gain of 48% year-on-year jumped from US $116 million to US$171 million in the second quarter of 2015, which Sala attributed to drivers “revenue growth, synergy savings and lower transaction-related expenses. Another significant Q2 jump year-on-year was the net income gain of US$73 million, compared to a loss of US$117 million in the same period of 2015. This translated to a 14% adjusted net income jump to US$87 million. Declines The only revenue declines for this year that IGT showed were in international gaming service revenue, which in figures that exclude North America and Italy showed an 8 percent year-on-year drop to US$46 million; and in international gaming product sales, which declined 24 percent year-on-year to US$64 million, a result of shipping 2,989 gaming machines in Q2 compared to 3,929 units in the same period of 2015. Partial Picture Of further interest is the fact that IGT has yet to release Q2 data for its gaming operations in Asia. Any conclusions drawn in early analysis of this major merger´s new trajectory have the potential to prove premature.
When news broke out at the end of March that David Baazov was charged with insider trading by the Quebec securities regulator, Amaya stocks took a blow. Earlier this year, Baazov expressed his intention of taking over the publicly traded company that owns PokerStars via an all-cash offer. Now he officially resigned as Chief Executive Officer as well as all other positions within the company. A Not So Voluntary Leave of Absence David Baazov had to step aside after the Autorité des Marchés Financiers hit him with five charges in late March. His brother was also charged with insider trading as well as a few other of his business partners. Baazov told the media at that point that the accusations were false and that he will contest them vigorously. He still claims his innocence and says that he decided to resign to protect the company. In turn, Amaya stated in a press release that it acknowledges the contribution made by David Baazov and thanks him for his efforts. Rafi Ashkenazi is now the acting CEO and in the wake of Baazov resignation will assume a permanent position for PokerStars. The Meteoric Rise of David Baazov When little David decided to quit school at 16 years old, his parents didn’t approve. He proved them and the world wrong by building a fortune and becoming a very wealthy man at 35 years old. He started Amaya in 2006 and turned it into one of the most profitable gambling companies in the world. The corporation emerged as a global gaming leader after acquiring the Rational Group. In late 2014, Forbes reported that Baazov's 12.5% stake in Amaya was worth $800 million.
From a global perspective, some might say the Brazilian government´s new regulation suggestions tend towards the Draconian. Not so Free Though the special committee headed by Senator Fernando Bezerra Coelho calls the new SB 186/2014 legislation a “liberalization” of the country’s land-based and online gambling markets, early information indicates that those measures are going in the opposite direction. Constrictive Market A report released by Coelho reveals new restrictive requirements the government is considering. The report contains recommendations for the implementation of brick-and-mortar casinos; bingo; sports betting; online gambling; federal and state lotteries; sweepstakes and the ‘jogo de bicho’ numbers game; without making any mention of slot machines nor video lottery terminals. Concessions Limited The report further specifically limits gambling concessions to subsidiaries of the Caixa Federal Bank, the current owner and operator of the Lotex instant lottery scratch card business–or awarded to the highest auction bidder. Though the fees are expressly earmarked to fund Social Security, this system appears the antithesis of a free market, favoring richer international operators over domestic firms. Inspection Fees Another stiff requirement in the report would be variable monthly “inspection fees” to be paid out by operators according to the value of monthly winning bettor awards. Fee Range Monthly awards totaling BRL 50m (US $15.9m) or less would incur a fee of BRL 259k ($82.5k), or roughly 0.5%. For monthly awards exceeding BRL 400m ($127.5m), the fee tops out at $1.3m (1%). Large Player Tax A further requirement that raises eyebrows is the subjection of players’ gambling winnings to a 30% withholding tax, which instead of increasing government revenues may just as likely steer Brazilian punters towards unlicensed sites. Unlicensed Penalties Unlicensed operators who provide services to Brazilian players will be liable for fines and prison terms of one to five years. Outlook Considering the harshness of the licensing regulations and the possibility of offering services to Brazilian operators from remote locations, the penalty does not seem like sufficient deterrent. For Brazil to harness the benefits of the online gambling revenue tax, a more user-friendly system of regulation may be advisable before sending it in for a Parliamentary vote.
The Blues are ready to get their season underway tonight with a new coach and some fresh new talent to close out their star-studded roster. Chelsea has inked some new signings with Michy Batshuayi and N'Golo Kante set to make their debut tonight. Antonio Conte, new Chelsea Manager is confident that his team will do well this year and they plan to get things started with a big win tonight at home. They will need to do it without Kurt Zouma, still sidelined with a knee injury that could keep him out for the next few weeks. West Ham is also expecting a decent season and hope that their new acquisition, Euro 2016 finalist Dimitri Payet will be able to create some offense, but tonight he is expected not to play the entire match, as he got a late start to training with the Hammers this year. They hope to a similar start to the season as last year they began by beating Arsenal. New players Sofiane Feghouli and Ashley Fletcher look really good and they could help West Ham challenge for the top five. West Ham has been unsuccessful in beating the Blues at Stamford Bridge in their last 10 Premier League matches therein with Chelsea winning 7 and drawing thrice. The last time that they were able to win in Chelsea was in 2002. The Hammers are hoping that the Blues dismal 50-point season last year will continue this year giving them a better chance at a good finish. Last season was the first time in 20 years that West Ham finished higher on the table than Chelsea, but the Blues are sure that this will not be the case this year. Premier League Betting Odds bet365 Sports is offering attractive Premier League Betting odds ahead of tonight's match with Chelsea in front at 1.65, while West Ham is at 6.00. A draw rings in at 4.00, but my prediction is a Blues win at 2-0 to start the year.
This August, bet365 have added several new games from developers like Net Ent and Playtech to their Casino and Vegas platforms. At the Casino section, players will find Jekyll and Hyde, the pirate-themed Juicy Booty and Nostradamus, while Frankenstein and Pyramid: Quest for Immortality can now be found at bet365 Vegas. Jekyll and Hyde is of course, based on the famous tale of a scientist who changes to a murderous beast and he now features on a 5-reel, 20 line slot from Playtech. It's only natural that Dr Jekyll is the wild symbol here, expanding in to Mr Hyde, while a bottle of potion is a scatter that triggers free spins, which last until the bottle is emptied. Players will find 243 ways to win with the Nostradamus slot, as well as several bonus rounds that see planets awarding multipliers, free spins with modified reels and mystery cash prizes. Playtech have also provided Juicy Booty, which has everything from crazy pirates who slice fruit into lots of identical symbols to a progressive jackpot. There is also a free spins round that sees symbols turn into doubles or triples for lots of quick wins, while a further side game sees guaranteed instant wins and a shot at winning the jackpot. New from Net Ent is the creepy Frankenstein slot which sees the legendary monster come to life with 3D graphics. Linked Wilds are a unique feature that pays out extra wins when they stretch across the reels, plus there is a Burning Mill free spins game to bring in further prizes and multipliers of up to 5x the base amount. Pyramid: Quest for Immortality follows the ever-popular ancient Egyptian theme and features 720 different ways to line up symbols for a win. Wilds can be created by winning combinations, while unearthing certain hieroglyphics can bring in multiplier wins of up to7x the basic value. Find the mistresses symbols for a 25x the bet payout, or the Pharaoh for a 50x prize.
PlayFrank Casino has been operating since 2012, but now the site has been re-launched with an ambitious new design for August 2016. Moving forward, PlayFrank Casino’s goal is to give players the feeling of being in a playground environment. To that end, an array of artistic and layout changes have been implemented. A Player-friendly Design From a visual perspective, the cool blue tones are the first design elements to stand out. Look a little closer, though, and gamers will see a cast of one-eyed creatures who look like friendly types. These characters are designed with charming cartoon graphics and also embrace the blue tones found in the rest of the design. All the while, the creatures are playing around in an arctic wonderland. Having listened to its gamers, PlayFrank has also been redesigned to offer a more streamlined and accessible experience. On the left of the screen, gamers can find their way using a navigation bar with only a few of the most important actions, such as sign up, games, and promotions. In the centre, gamers can then look for the welcome offer and the top games found at PlayFrank. Getting to the offers, PlayFrank intends to get the ball rolling with a welcome deal to help newbies build their bankrolls. Later, though, this approach will transform into a situation where PlayFrank creates personalised offers for its gamers. Ideally, this will result in PlayFrank users receiving offers that are more relevant to how they prefer to play. A Seal of Approval Casino It should be noted that PlayFrank Casino is also an Online Casino Reports Seal of Approval casino, and this new design re-haul is a good testament for that. Players can look to the seal as a guarantee of the online casino’s quality and integrity, having been rigorously tested by the Online Casino Reports team.
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