GAN and Betfred see veterans leave, NSW moves forward with cashless gaming

The biggest events of this week include the rejuggling of some corporate structures at the biggest gambling companies. We saw many prominent figures from the industry end decade-long service at the companies they helped build to pursue new opportunities. This is the news roundup for the week and here are the week’s highlights.

Gaming Innovation Group (GiG)’s appointment of a new CEO in the face of Jonas Warrer following Richard Brown’s somewhat earlier-than-expected exit was just one of the events that the industry spoke about this week.

Brown is expected to take up a new position as a CEO at Glitnor Group in January 2024. Warrer’s succession at Brown’s post has indicated that come what may, the industry has developed a proven formula of seamless transition of power. And if the GiG change in leadership was not enough, there were two more similar events of the week that reaffirmed this point of view.

First, Dermot Smurfit said that he is leaving GAN Limited and will no longer serve as its CEO. This comes after a 21-year stint at the helm of the organization. Smurfit joined the company in 2002 and saw it achieve many important milestones, including its public listing on the London Stock Exchange and the Irish Stock Exchange. Smurfit has been succeeded in the post by Seamus McGill, the long-standing Chairman of the Board, who will serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer while a suitable successor is found.

Another big change in leadership came from Betfred’s corner this week after Mark Stebbings confirmed that he is departing from the company. His last day on the job is on Friday, September 29, and it comes after 30 years as part of Betfred.

Stebbings was trained personally by Fred Done who elevated the then-younger Stebbings from the position of a betting shop manager and helped him rise through the pecking order – demonstrating that some of the best industry and corporate talent could be trained in-house. Stebbings has announced no immediate plans but said that he would look forward to spending quality time with his family first.

Responsible Gambling and Business Roundup

Through October 13, New South Wales is collecting submissions to roll out a cashless gaming test at licensed gaming venues in the state. These submissions are coming directly from businesses that wish to be at the forefront of innovation and are willing to roll out a cashless pilot at their venues.

Cashless gaming has been a rather divisive topic in society, with seemingly overwhelming support among consumers and lawmakers, but businesses and industry groups cautioning of unintended consequences.

Meanwhile, SBC and the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming have teamed up to boost awareness for their respective products. The Institute is an industry-led initiative created by many prominent gambling stakeholders all of whom are committed to spreading a safer and responsible gambling message in the fast-evolving market in Brazil. This comes ahead of the SBC Summit Rio, an inaugural event that is going to focus on the fast-expanding Brazilian landscape.

Meanwhile, Playzido, Light & Wonder’s dynamic content platform was introduced in Michigan for the first time, after the company acquired a license back in 2022. This launch marks Light & Wonder’s commitment to further establishing itself as a leader and allowing upcoming studios to quickly gain a foothold in the United States.

Speaking of acquiring licenses in the United States, Oddin.gg has been cleared by the Colorado Division of Gaming to launch its esports betting products and solutions in the state. This is another big milestone for the company which is fast-expanding across North America and helping the esports vertical gather momentum.

Meanwhile, BetMGM introduced Atlantic Digital iGaming titles to the United States for the first time. The studio is a developer of many innovative games inspired by film and TV franchises and is now bringing the popular The Godfather slot as an exclusive option.

The Industry Speaks

This week we again caught up with industry voices at some of the biggest companies and innovators in the space. We first had the chance to speak with Kai Botha, Commercial Director at Kalamba Games, who discussed the crash gamegenre and its rise to prominence – an unstoppable process that still has plenty to offer.

As Botha puts it, this particular vertical has a lot of room for innovation and it has already been a big hit with audiences. This is why Kalamba Games is also moving forward with this fresh opportunity and has recently launched its Deep Rush crash game which Botha was more than happy to talk about with us.

We similarly caught up with Bragg Gaming Group Director of Product Marketing Niklas Mravlje who focused on the Atomic Slot Lab division and the company’s expansion into the iGaming casino market in North America.

The conversation veered towards how Atomic Slot Lab was taking its land-based expertise and bringing it to the online casino sector, creating fresh opportunities for players but also consolidating the studio’s presence, and drawing bridges between the physical and digital sectors. Our full conversation with Mravlje is worth reading in its entirety here.

Last but hardly least, the nominations for the Casino Guru Awards 2024 are closing in a little over one month from now. The deadline has been set for October 31, 2023, and you still have a chance to submit a nomination. You can nominate your company here and join the hundreds of companies competing for a distinction across numerous categories.

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