Intensifying efforts in light of necessary COVID-19 precautions globally, Gamesys is embarking on a strategy to increase awareness of player time and spend across all its portfolio of sites, including Jackpotjoy, Virgin Games and Botemania.

Commenting that such efforts have seen the firm record a 45 per cent increase in players setting up deposit limits since the lockdown began. It’s also noted that community and recreational characteristics across bingo-led sites has seen player engagement in chat rooms rise by 38 per cent, with non-wagering sessions up 10 per cent. 

Furthermore, the group has also temporarily removes all Jackpotjoy branding from ITV’s Loose Woman which has subsequently opened up the sponsorship opportunity for Women’s Aid, the national charity working to end domestic abuse. Gamesys has also donated £200,000 to the charity. 

Lee Fenton, chief executive officer, Gamesys, explained: “During these unprecedented times our main priority is the health and wellbeing of employees and players and I am incredibly proud of the steps we have taken as a group to ensure that we are best placed to do this. 

“Our business purpose of “crafting entertainment with care” has never been more relevant and we remain committed to providing a fun, safe and entertaining environment for our global customer base to enjoy. 

“I am also delighted to be able to announce our support for Women’s Aid to help it provide such a vital service during these extraordinary times. Like all businesses across the UK and those within our sector, we will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation carefully and operate based on official Government guidelines until we are ready to return to a normal course of business.”

Providing a financial update for the first quarter of the year Gamesys has seen first quarter revenue increase 19 per cent to £155.3m, reflecting strong growth in Asia and a solid performance in the UK. 

Hinting at positive start to the second quarter, continued progress across Spain, Germany and US also drew praise, however, the Swedish market continued to be a point of weakness.

Fenton added: “The group is in a strong position given our operational control of a portfolio of well-renowned brands and complete ownership of our technology platforms. We are confident that the business is capable of meeting the challenges in the current environment and continuing to thrive in the long term.” 

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As part of the executive team restructure, Chris Ames will join GiG as the group’s new chief information officer, joining the Stockholm-listed enterprise from rival SG Digital, where he previously held the position of chief technology officer.

Commenting on his new role, Ames said: “This is an opportunity to truly innovate in a dynamic industry. I am looking forward to pushing the boundaries by leveraging new technologies and helping GiG to make a leap forward ahead of the competition.”

As part of the new job, Ames will be tasked with taking strategic responsibility for GiG’s multiple technology assets. Supporting his appointment, GiG explained in a statement: “GiG is increasingly focusing on being value accretive for larger and more complex customers across the globe, and Chris will ensure the robust and secure delivery of tech solutions to existing and new customers.”

In addition to Ames’ appointment, GiG has also confirmed the appointment of former Betsson executive Jonathan Gauci as SVP of Technology, who will join Stephen Borg as director of data, as well as former Jackpotjoy’s Jan Flores as director of production operations.

Robin Reed, CEO of GiG commented on the appointments: “GiG’s vision is to make igaming fair and fun for all. We want to do this by being the platform of choice for iGaming. To build the most flexible, efficient and scalable product we need to have the very best tech management team. 

“Chris has a wealth of experience from senior positions within companies such as Sun, Oracle and lately with Scientific Games. Chris is the latest in a range of tech management hires and he will be a fantastic asset for the GiG team and its customers. I am thrilled to welcome Chris, Stephen, Jan and Jonathan on-board.”

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The Arizona-based firm, which has also become the latest to align itself with the upcoming CasinoBeats Summit as a premium sponsor, is very much going against the grain by seeking to expand beyond its US base, as numerous entities chase the American gold rush.

Troy Zurawski, DWG’s founder and CEO, who will be flying in from its Scottsdale headquarters to participate as a speaker, commented on the firm’s current approach: “We are new to the online real money gaming market and are currently waiting for our GBGC licence to launch our slots into this space for the first time.

“DWG has a long and successful background in land-based and social gaming, and we’re now looking to use that expertise to help RMG operators in the UK and elsewhere in the world.

Adding on it’s ongoing aspirations: “We’ve produced successful land-based titles for the likes of IGT, Novomatic, Aristocrat and Konami since we started in 2005. But we also operate four social casinos that are highly popular. 

“Our content has already been validated by millions of users as a result. As we produce a lot of content – over 100 titles last year – we are in a position to offer exclusive content to operators of all sizes, including many that might not get that opportunity from other suppliers because of their size. 

“As we produce a lot of content … we are in a position to offer exclusive content”

“We’re also looking forward to introducing our marketing tools to RMG, such as our wheel spin bonus, piggy bank and prize drop mini games. These tools deliver customisable and flexible promotions and incentives that reward play across all games on the casino – not just ours. They’re not limited to the one vertical either, being available across casino, bingo, sportsbook, etc. 

“There is always an element of uncertainty when entering a new business vertical, but we are eager to see how DWG’s slots and promotional tools are received in the RMG market.”

At the Summit, which is to bring together 1,000 delegates, 75 speakers and 30 exhibitors at Olympia London between September 17-20, Zurawski’s participation is to be on a panel entitled: ‘Player focused game design – Leading slots developers share insights into the ways studios use data to inform product design’. 

Emphasising the relevance due to DWG’s new approach Zurawski stated: “As a result of our operations in land-based and social gaming, we have an abundance of data and insight that we constantly analyse and refine so that it can be utilised to inform the development of our future products. 

“We also use our data to ensure that we turn only our most successful titles into RMG games. And we can share with our partners what games perform best in each of a number of key territories around the world, meaning our offering is tailored and focused for each operator’s requirements. This bespoke validation of the games in strongly related channels is a massive benefit that operators don’t get from most other suppliers.”

“We have an abundance of data and insight that we constantly analyse and refine”

Summit delegates will gain access to Betting on Sports, which takes place at Olympia at the same time, alongside the PaymentExpert Forum and the Digital Marketing Forum, delivered in conjunction with AffiliateINSIDER.

Representatives from some of the industry’s largest operators will also be present, including Betsson, Hard Rock, Caesars, Videoslots, Jackpotjoy, Ladbrokes Coral, LeoVegas, Lottoland, Mansion, Olympic, Paf, Pinnacle, Rank, and William Hill, with leading suppliers represented too. 

Detailing the decision to align with September’s event it was stated: “The CasinoBeats Summit brings together key industry stakeholders and will be host to a series of informative panels focused on all the hottest industry topics, so it makes sense for us to be involved. As a sponsor, we’re hoping we can introduce ourselves to a whole new audience and bring a little bit of Las Vegas to operators’ casinos.”

Before Zurawski closed by addressing what DWG will bring to the show, and what the company is most looking forward to: “We are looking forward to meeting up with as many delegates as possible, to introduce DWG to them, and explain how our products can help operators stand out in a crowded marketplace. 

“We are also excited about attending and participating in the panels to find out more about what challenges the industry is currently facing – as well as what opportunities there are for a fresh take on areas that are currently pertinent to the industry such as regulation, innovation, responsible gambling and player marketing.”

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The second staging of the CasinoBeats Summit – the premier online casino conference and exhibition – taking place on 17-20 September, will also attract around 30 exhibitors to Olympia London, at the heart of the world’s largest regulated online gaming market.

Visitors will enjoy four tracks of content featuring some of the industry’s biggest names, alongside unbeatable networking opportunities and excellent hospitality, all combining to offer industry leaders and senior executives an unmissable few days.

Speakers and delegates from some of the industry’s largest operators will be present, including Betsson, EnergyCasino, Hard Rock, Jackpotjoy, Ladbrokes Coral, LeoVegas, Lottoland, Mansion, Olympic, Paf, Pinnacle, Rank, Royal Panda, William Hill and Wishmaker, while leading suppliers are also well represented – as speakers, sponsors and exhibitors.

The CasinoBeats Summit takes place alongside the fourth edition of SBC’s flagship event, Betting on Sports, which has seen significant growth in both the conference and exhibition elements. Together the two events will feature more than 300 expert industry speakers across 13 specialist tracks, welcoming an expected 3,500 delegates from around the world – a 30 per cent increase from 2018.

Summit delegates gain access to Betting on Sports, as well as the PaymentExpert Forum and the Digital Marketing Forum, delivered in conjunction with AffiliateINSIDER.

The CasinoBeats Summit agenda is comprised of four main tracks, entitled: The Future of Gaming; Market Forces; Responsibility & Sustainability; and Customer Journey & Marketing. Each will explore the threats and opportunities facing the online casino sector, and will hear from some of the industry’s most influential speakers.

David Flynn, who attended the 2018 Summit as CEO of operations at Jackpotjoy, said: “Having so many industry leaders and decision makers at the CasinoBeats Summit helped make it a great event.

“The content of the panel sessions was informative and inspirational for many of the attendees,” said Flynn, now CEO at Swintt.

Commenting on the 2018 Summit, Tobias Svensen, managing director of leading slots streaming network CasinoGrounds, said: “Hats off for CasinoBeats for gathering a crowd of highly relevant, interesting and knowledgeable speakers for their first event.” Helen Walton, CCO of Gamevy/Gluck, said the event had “thoroughly earned its place in the i-gaming calendar”.

Gavin Walters, director at Gambling.com, added: “CasinoBeats gives the chance to talk openly on topics happening right now in the casino space. The Gambling.com group were happy to feature on a panel to share some of our experiences in a fast-paced market.”

Stewart Darkin, managing director of CasinoBeats, commented: “With the 2019 CasinoBeats Summit now just three months away, the excitement and momentum is really starting to build. Once again we are looking to raise the bar in terms of both content and networking, with operators and leading suppliers at the heart of the event.”

Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and founder of SBC, added: “The CasinoBeats Summit has quickly become a key part of the SBC Events portfolio and we’re excited to once again welcome senior executives from leading companies in the online casino sector to London, to what is a significantly bigger Summit than in 2018.

“Our events have become the place to network and meet the key decision makers, thinkers and influencers from the gambling sector. The CasinoBeats Summit will be no different.”

The CasinoBeats Summit takes place at Olympia London on September 17-20, alongside Betting on Sports Week – learn more and buy tickets for the Summit here

To find out more about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities at the Summit, please contact sales@sbcgaming.com

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Earnings (adjusted EBITDA) rose similarly in the period, up 16 per cent to £29m. The underlying picture behind the headline figures is a little more complex however, with Jackpotjoy UK dragging Jackpotjoy operations down, with a seven per cent drop in revenue.

This fall was attributed to the introduction of enhanced responsible gambling measures in the UK and increased marketing spend in Spain and the UK, as well as the “intense competitive environment in Sweden”.

However, these negatives were once again heavily outweighed but the continuing stellar success of the Vera&John brand, which posted a 62 per cent Q1 increase in gaming revenue, now accounting for 41 per cent of group revenue. Adjusted EBITDA for Vera&John leapt 234 per cent.

This extends the recent trend for Vera&John sustaining and driving growth at Jackpotjoy as the core UK business faces continuing regulatory and competitive challenges.

The group’s average active customers per month grew to 242,938 in the 12 months to the end of March 2019, an increase of eight per cent on the same point in 2018.

In a statement released this morning the group’s executive chairman Neil Goulden, said: “I’m pleased to report that the group has delivered another good quarter of growth… driven by a strong performance in Vera&John.

“We successfully completed the sale of our Mandalay business to 888 Holdings in March for £18m, which will allow us to focus on driving progress in our core market-leading brands in the UK. We remain convinced of the growth opportunities in global online gaming markets and are confident that we are well-placed to take advantage of this positive backdrop and deliver value to shareholders.

“The board is currently comfortable retaining significant cash on the balance sheet given the optionality which this confers and we will update the market at our interim results with respect to our plans to return cash to shareholders.”

The group said that trading in the first quarter has been in line with management’s expectations and the company “remains confident in the full-year outlook”.

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In a statement, JPJ said: “Overall, the board is confident that the group will report FY 2018 revenue and adjusted EBITDA at the upper end of current market expectations for the period.

“2018 has seen some consistent trends across the group with the stand-out being strong organic growth at Vera&John across a number of international markets. Meanwhile, the JPJ segment has reflected the consequences of the introduction of enhanced responsible gambling measures in the UK.”

It is something of a recurring theme for Jackpotjoy, which in Q3, reported a 40 per cent revenue increase for Vera&John, driven primarily by organic growth

Executive chairman Neil Goulden said in the statement: “We are pleased with the performance of the group during 2018, as we continue to take advantage of the growth opportunities present in international markets, notwithstanding what has been a challenging regulatory backdrop in the UK.

“We enter 2019 in a strong position to deliver further growth and to create value for shareholders.”

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Ryan, who is also CEO at Pala Interactive, was awarded 30,000 share options – worth around £200,000 at present value – in September, 2016.

“These options were a legacy holding resulting from the more common use of share options to compensate non-executive directors in North America,” the group said in a short statement.

The practice, while common in North America, is not consistent with the requirements of the UK Corporate Governance Code, which requires non-executive directors to be able to act independently. JPJ voted to eliminate the practice at its 2018 annual general meeting.

“Under the existing Remuneration Policy approved by shareholders at the 2018 AGM, non-executive directors are not eligible to participate in any of the company’s share schemes or incentive schemes in the future,” continued the statement.

“The surrender of his options allows Mr Ryan to be deemed an independent member of the board as per the UK Corporate Governance Code. The surrender of options will not involve financial consideration.”

The company also confirmed that Ryan “no longer holds any shares” in the group.

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Third-quarter revenues across the group were £78m, up eight per cent year on year, gaming revenue per customer climbed 10 per cent, to £99.

JPJ’s European online gambling brand Vera&John reported a 40 per cent revenue increase to £26m, driven primarily by organic growth.

Underpinned by the benefits of a proprietary technology platform, Vera&John maintains JPJ’s group momentum during a period in which the flagship Jackpotjoy brand is adjusting to new UK responsible gambling measures, which has lowered its revenue and EBITDA earnings.

“As part of our commitment to meeting the highest industry standards on responsible gambling, revenues at Jackpotjoy UK have been impacted by the responsible gambling measures we have implemented and the closure of a number of high value accounts” said JPJ Group chief executive Neil Goulden.

During Q3, the company disposed of its social games division for £18m cash to South Korean games developer BagelCode.

Closing a busy trading period, JPJ declared a group net income of £7.5m with an adjusted EBITDA of £29m, up from £25m year on year. The results sees JPJ reverse 2017 comparative losses of £8.2m.

Looking ahead, JPJ states that it will continue with its international expansion assisted by operations partners Gamesys.

“Overall, we remain confident in our outlook for the full year. We continue to enjoy a strong association with Gamesys in a relationship which provides mutual benefits and we are also excited by the significant growth opportunities that exist in both existing and new markets, where we are well placed to take advantage of this promising backdrop,” said Goulden.

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The discussion was led by David Flynn, then CEO of group operations at Jackpotjoy, who was joined on stage by Graham Weir, group director of responsible gambling at Ladbrokes Coral; Daniela Johansson, chief responsibility officer and deputy CEO at Paf; and Anna Hemmings, CEO of Gamcare.

Following a spate of fines for UK gaming companies related to social responsibility, the panel held a highly informed discussion covering a series of related topics, including Paf’s recently introduced loss limit and the potential effectiveness of that and similar measures.

Watch the entire presentation for free, simply by clicking ‘play’ below.

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John Coleman, named CEO of Microgaming just days earlier, took to the stage with highly experienced Playtech counterpart Mor Weizer, along with Jackpotjoy co-founder Keith Laslop; Betbright CEO Marcus Brennan; and Per Widerstrom, CEO of Fortuna Gaming.

As was to be expected, the topics discussed covered a wide range, including virtual and augmented reality, data and artificial intelligence. In debating the latter, newcomer Coleman and the veteran Weizer were happy to spar.

With reference to recent allegations surrounding Facebook’s use of member data, Coleman said: “You look at Facebook and some of the things they are trying to do. The tech might be outstanding but if your sole driver is to squeeze maximum revenue out of the user base then trust will always be an issue.”

The Microgaming CEO suggested that those trust issues needed to be overcome before data-driven AI really comes into its own. “The use of AI – sure, it’s valuable,” he mused, “but we have barely scratched the surface in terms of what it can do.”

Weizer, in essence, agreed but offered a different perspective. “Everyone talks about services like Netflix using AI to give you what you want and to personalise an offering to make your individual experience better,” he said.

“I take the point that the data – that Facebook has collected, for example – is the most important asset we have. And yes, what you do with that data can lead to trust issues if it is handled badly or monetised by third parties.

“The problem is that the industry is lagging behind,” continued the Playtech CEO. “We need to learn from other sectors. Operators need to consolidate their infrastructure, to consolidate the technology. Then it will become ‘one’ industry.

“AI is here now – and it works – and it will lead to a better product, a better experience and improved trust. But from where we stand today, it will take two years for the industry to get there.”

Coleman concurred that AI was here and working but that trust issues could hold the sector back. “The customer relationship can also be improved,” he said, before outlining some current research projects Microgaming is working on.

“We’re playing around with blockchain, beyond purely currency applications. Taking ownership of identity and finding a way that players can own that [online] will lead to limited registration forms and potentially do away with KYC issues.

“We are also looking at data over sound – embedded audio code that can launch an app. We are exploring many possibilities,” he said.

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