Hard Rock Bet goes live, credit card bans, Ohio's Gamban rollout

Another great week has passed for the gambling industry with many important developments happening. The first and perhaps the one to catch the attention of the industry is the preemptive rollout of Hard Rock Bet in Florida.

The betting app, launched owing to a new compact between the state and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, was supposed to go live on Thursday, but it actually rolled out on Tuesday, two days ahead of schedule.

Legal challenges to the rollout continue, but they are unlikely to change the fact that Florida now has mobile sports betting. At the beginning of the week, a report by The Sunday Times indicated that 888 Holdings was offered to be bought out by rival Playtech during the summer of 2023.

The bid was snubbed. Although the news is technically "old," the report did send 888 Holdings’ share value up on Monday. The offer was tabled around the same time that DraftKings made its public offering for 888 Holdings, which has been in a bit of a tight financial spot, but this is nothing its new leadership doesn’t think can’t be sorted in due time.

The Australian Senate this week has voted favorably and backed the Interactive Gambling Amendment, which will now see credit cards banned from use for online gambling in the country. This ruling comes a few months after the House of Representatives backed the measure.

With the Senate now supporting the measure, a Royal Ascent is needed to introduce the bill into law. Once this happens, online gambling and payment operators will have a grace period of six months to comply.

Ohio has become the first place in the United States to rollout a free software that allows local gamblers to restrict their gambling habits. The state’s Time Out Ohio program was originally designed to curb problem gamblers who have excluded brick-and-mortar venues.

This has now been changed with the help of Gamban, a software solution that makes it possible for people to self-exclude from online gambling as well, thus reinforcing the state’s commitment to responsible play and protecting gamblers.

Business Roundup of the Week

In terms of interesting business developments within the industry, BetMGM introduced the first "NHL-endorsed" slot game to its online platform in New Jersey.

The game is created by Digital Gaming Corporation as it’s exclusively available to players at BetMGM, with the Garden State the first place where you can find the title.

HappyHour.io, one of the most prominent investment vessels in the gambling industry, has announced the appointment of Patrick Soric who is the new Investment and Portfolio Partner. Soric’s expertise comes at a time when the company will be looking to expand its portfolio further into 2024.

The UK Gambling Commission has launched a new service, aptly called "Tell us something in confidence."

This new line of communication is supposed to elicit more input from stakeholders, whistleblowers, and the general public who may be suspecting crime related to gambling operations in the country. All tips are anonymous, and the commission will investigate independently.

In the meantime, illegal casino gambling continues to cost France a substantial chunk of money. The issue has to do with the lack of regulation for the online casino sector, according to a recent PwC survey.

According to the survey, around €748m and €1.5bn are being spent on illegal gambling, a considerable amount that may only be stopped through the legalization of the sector says EGBA, a trade group.

GambleAware has been encouraged by the success of treatment services that have proven to have a deep and meaningful impact on individuals who struggle to control their gambling habits, the organization explained.

The latest data shared by the company reveals that these have been impactful with nine out of 10 people or 88% of all people receiving treatment through the NTGT actually improving their status, the organization said.

The American Gaming Association has appointed two new representatives this week, with Joe Maloney stepping in as SVP Strategic Communications role and Michael Rumbolz appointed as the new Elected Chairman.

Casino Guru Is Shortlisted in 3 Categories at iGB

Wrapping up, Casino Guru has been listed in 3 categories at the upcoming IGB Affiliate Awards 2024. The company has been nominated for Safer Gambling Initiative of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, and Best Casino Affiliate. As a reminder, Casino Guru won the Safer Gambling Initiative of the Year in 2023 and is keen to repeat this success.

Speaking of awards, the Casino Guru Awards judges was a success. The panel of external and team judges gathered in Bratislava on November 30 and December 1 to evaluate dozens of worthy entries for Casino Guru Awards 2024.

Casino Guru News was similarly happy to catch up with some of the industry’s most accomplished insiders. We were happy to hear from 4H Agency Head of LatAm Desk who published his opinion piece detailing the future of slot machines in Mexico and the most recent regulatory changes.

We also spoke with ZEAL Instant Games Managing Director Julian Tietz who spoke about how online games are evolving in the German iGaming market, and the opportunities therein that companies such as ZEAL can explore.

Not least, we caught up with Pragmatic Play VP of LatAm Victor Arias who said that his company is now in a place where it has to maintain its leadership position in the region through a firm focus on local player preferences.

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