Entain in focus, Bally's takeover bid, Responsible Gambling

This week was heightened by an influx of news about assets being dropped or potentially bought out. Entain has admittedly hogged the limelight on this count, as two independent media, citing their sources, reported on the company’s intention to offload some of its brands.

First, Sky News said earlier this week that the FTSE 100 group is looking to sell PartyPoker, its flagship poker brand. The news was then followed by a report by the Financial Times that the group has initiated a strategic review that would see a number of other brands potentially sold as well.

Among those are some recent acquisitions, such as BetCity in the Netherlands, and other better-established brands, such as Ladbrokes in Australia, among some of the names mentioned. The company could potentially seek to shed brands that are not integrated into its tech stack. Entain has gone through a change of leadership and a sort of investor revolt with some of the company’s most recent decisions now being revisited.

For example, BetCity was purchased only recently, and selling it right after would seem like a miscalculation. However, Entain has made no official announcement regarding any potential sales, and this remains purely speculative as per the Financial Times’ report.

Moving on down the mergers and acquisitions roundup, Standard General is making a play for Bally’s. The hedge fund wants to buy out the remainder of the stock in the company, as it currently controls 23%, and is the largest shareholder.

Standard General first attempted a takeover in 2022 but was rebuffed. The price the company offered back then was $38 per share, and the current one is $15 per share. However, the company is confident that Bally’s will agree to its newly tabled proposal.

If you are looking for events on your calendar, we strongly recommend checking out the newly announced DigitalPlay Summit which is hosted collaboratively between iGaming Business and the Indian Gaming Association.

The event will be a part of the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention in Anaheim, California and will take place on April 10 – 11, reuniting tribal and commercial gaming leaders and experts. The focal point of the event will of course be the North American gambling industry and market, but there will be a global aspect to the event as well.

Responsible Gambling and the Regulatory Climate

Moving on, responsible gambling is back in focus as it is in much of March. BetMGM has teamed up with Connor McDavid, a hockey player who has been picked as the Most Valuable Player of the season.

These types of partnerships signal a change in the way gambling companies seek to promote their products, and possibly put a bigger emphasis on responsible gambling. In Europe, for example, some jurisdictions only allow gambling partnerships between companies and prominent sports personalities only when they focus on responsible play.

Speaking of problem gambling, the Annual Student Gambling Survey commissioned by GAMSTOP and Ygam revealed that still, a very high percentage of students are actually suffering from the activity.

Although the overall number of student gamblers has declined, the percentage of problem gamblers remains unchanged and the same. This raises an important question and that is whether current problem gambling numbers in the United Kingdom are actually accurate.

As the Gambling Act Review continues, the National Center for Social Research (NatCen) will seek to offer its input and help garner a better understanding of the proposed changes' strengths and weaknesses. This should happen before implementation and offer further guidance on what can be done to make the White Act Review a more successful and effective measure to regulate gambling for the benefit of consumers.

In the meantime, Pennsylvania is keen to see credit card gambling gone. Well, for the most part, there is a bill that has been filed for the legislative session. Whether it succeeds only time will show. Yet, the bill’s premise makes sense.

Gambling with credit cards can further fuel problem gambling and it has already been banned in several countries around the world, including in the United Kingdom, and most recently with efforts still ongoing in Australia.

The Industry Speaks, We Listen

Not least, we had several interesting catchups this week. The Casino Guru Awards 2024 produced a few winners across several important categories, and we had the chance to speak to some of these winners already.

MindwayAI won in the Best Implementation of RG Tools, and the company discussed the importance of winning accolades to help improve awareness for its products which ultimately help companies to be proactive in protecting their consumers.

RoySpins secured an accolade in the Fairest Bonus Policy with the company arguing that the best way to achieve a best-in-class experience is to seek and actively break the stagnant model of traditional casinos.

Not least, Clarion Gaming scooped the accolade for the Most Ethical Approach to Marketing awarded for the company’s Consumer Protection Zone, part of the ICE industry expo.

We also had a catchup with Ayvar Gabidullin. Slotegrator’s Business Development Manager shared his thoughts on the road ahead for iGaming in 2024 and what to expect.

Last but not least, we spoke with Light & Wonder Senior Creative Director iGaming Bob Parker who discussed how his company has been able to leverage the popularity of the Cheltenham festival and incorporate it into the MONOPOLY Travel World Tour.

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