Kevin Hart steals the limelight in Pragmatic Play’s Live Casino and Kalshi doesn’t play politics

Our main story this week concernsPragmatic Play, the studio behind blockbuster live casino and slot games, with the company announcing a major partnership with award-winning actor Kevin Hart, known for his signature personality and unbeatable optimism.

Hart and Pragmatic Play have teamed up for a two-day Live Casino carousel on November 6 and November 7, when the actor will step behind the green felt and host select tables for Pragmatic Play’s global audiences. Hart will be dealing for players on the aforementioned dates, with the exact dates confirmed closer to the time.

In the meantime, players may also participate in a Pragmatic Play-backed promotional campaign that will lead to credits to be used at the tables once the experience launches.

In the meantime, Kalshi has sent a clear message that it won’t play politics, permanently banning George Santos, an ex-US Congressman, over the fact that he used the platform to trade on himself attending the State of the Union address.

Santos responded by mocking the platform and testily implying that it may not be around for much longer. This is the first time Kalshi has issued a lifetime ban over the behavior of a user, and it has similarly taken action against other lawmakers and politicians on the same day it announced the Santos enforcement action.

Business and finance

Yggdrasil has expanded in Romania this week, with the supplier of acclaimed proprietary games and third-party collaborations through the YGG Masters Program, teaming up with Kaizen Gaming and its local brand - Betano.

The partnership will see numerous Yggdrasil in-house titles, such as Vikings Go Berserk, launched with Betano, and many third-party titles through the partnership program from studios such as 4ThePlayer, ReelPlay, and Reflex Gaming added to Betano’s own portfolio.

Licensed Dutch Online Gaming Providers (VNLOK), a Dutch trade group representing the interests of licensed gambling operators, has once again targeted Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, over the proliferation of illegal gambling ads targeting Dutch customers.

At a time when thousands of games are competing for the same lobby space and player attention, Maxxi Labs is live with a new formula: six independent studios, one integration, and content designed to cut through rather than blend in.

The idea is simple: different studios for different audiences, brought together under one collective.

Bad Company, Fortune One, Gacha, Red Papaya, Slotty and Ventura Studio lead the launch, with more to follow. There is no house style or one-size-fits-all catalogue.

Laws and regulations

The Gambling Commission has suspended the licenses of BresBet Ltd and Bet St George Ltd, which are behind the eponymous bresbet dot com and betsgeorge dot com websites.

The move comes after the regulator has established issues with the companies’ social responsibility and anti-money laundering practices. The watchdog has urged the operators to treat their customers fairly and allow withdrawal of funds if users deem it necessary.

Responsible gambling

Šimon Vincze, Head of Sustainable and Safer Gambling at Casino Guru, and Dr Margaret Carran, Assistant VP for Education Partnerships, City St George’s, University of London, have presented the Self-Exclusion Standards Project, a project focused on creating standardized and clear guidelines for how online self-exclusion programs should work across different jurisdictions, while paying particular attention to Africa. Read more about the announcement here.

Kindbridge Research Institute (KRI) has released a new report on the harms and gambling-related risks that first responders in the United States face, and how mental health, occupational factors, and even military experience could have an impact on gambling behavior.

The report was penned by Anca-Maria Gherghel, who is a senior research manager at EPIC Global Solutions, along with her colleague, Anneke Stols, a research associate at EPIC Global Solutions.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has launched a new "Bet on Respect" initiative, which will seek to curb abuse against athletes. With the rise of sports gambling, there has been a substantial increase in the abuse and threats issued to athletes by upset sports bettors.

Besides insults, some bettors have threatened to resort to physical violence or have issued death threats. The MGC now wants to add such individuals to the state’s involuntary exclusion list, blocking such people from gambling at licensed venues and online.

The Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA) has launched a new campaign, called "Bet on Your Self," which seeks to raise awareness about problem gambling on the occasion of Responsible Gambling Education Month.

WIGA is committed to helping curb problem gambling in Washington and to help dispel the stigma surrounding problem gambling.

The voice of the industry

Ladipo Abiose Akolade, Founder and Executive Director of GamblePause Initiative Africa, talks about the launch of the GamblePause app and why a pan-African solution matters. You may read the full interview with Akolade here.

Casino Guru News sat down with BGaming CPO Julia Alekseeva to discuss the success of one of the company’s most recent releases, Royal Beellion Hold & Win. The title combines an ambitious theme with a range of tailored game features designed to enhance the entertainment factor, creating a familiar yet enticing format that drives stronger engagement and retention. You may read the full interview here.