Thailand pushes forward with casinos, ICE incoming, suppliers in the US

The week saw a lot of regulatory moves, as well as some interesting developments across the board, with prediction markets, regular suppliers, and big upcoming events all in focus.

To start with, Yggdrasil, an acclaimed supplier of online casino games, was able to break ground in both the United States and Denmark. The company was awarded a B2B license by the Danish Gambling Regulator.

Across the pond, the seminal studio launched its products in North America with Aristocrat Interactive, in an important move for the company as a whole.

This tie-up will allow Yggdrasil to rapidly deploy its online slots to market in some of the core iGaming jurisdictions in the region and strengthen its domestic as well as overseas operations as a result.

Thailand is taking another step forward to the legalization of casino resorts. A draft bill has been already filed seeking to legalize the arrival of casino resorts, which have been a hot-button issue for lawmakers locally.

However, there seems to be enough momentum behind the newest draft law to see it move forward. In the meantime, Singapore has raised concerns over Polymarket, a prediction-market platform that was recently endorsed by the son of the President-elect, Donald Trump Jr.

The local gambling regulator has deemed the platform to be tantamount to an illegal gambling website and issued an ISP block.

Business and finance

This is definitely the week of suppliers in the United States who have driven steady forays into the market. Play’n GO has launched with its first tribal partner and specifically the Eagle Casino & Sports in the United States.

Play’n GO is hardly the only operator to grab headlines this week, expanding into the United States. RubyPlay, for example, launched with Rush Street Interactive, in a first such partnership for the company in the local market.

Similarly, Bragg Gaming Group built upon an existing partnership with Caesars Entertainment this week, offering extended platform support and extra games to the brand’s multifarious online casino brands.

Responsible gambling

BetBlocker has expanded its support for its services to Zambia by offering its tools in three native languages spoken by the majority of the local population. BetBlocker’s products have been now translated into Bemba, Nyanja and Tonga and are available to local consumers.

ICE Barcelona also revealed the Sustainable Gambling Zone with a €65,000 donation, which is meant to further spearhead efforts in positive play and responsible gambling.

In the meantime, Flutter Entertainment has been selected as the official sponsor for the Sustainable Gambling Zone, promoting and sharing its own experience with achieving a more robust responsible gambling framework intended at protecting consumers.

The voice of the industry

There is so much already happening with just days away from ICE Barcelona. Casino Guru has further detailed its participation in the major industry gathering, outlining the company’s plans for both ICE and iGB Affiliate. You can find out more about Casino Guru’s attendance and where to meet the team here.

Casino Guru News had the opportunity to catch up with Andy Payne and Gabriel Pisani from Relax Gaming who spoke about the process that goes into crafting a blockbuster superhero game fit for the online casino industry. You can read Payne and Pisani’s insights here

Speaking of impactful game content, Casino Guru News also caught up with Thunderkick’s CCO, Svante Sahlström, with whom we spoke about the company’s commitment to building steadfast experiences for the online casino sector and the guiding principles that have defined the studio’s commercial success. You may find more about the conversation with Sahlström here.

Gaming Realms’ Ian Robson spoke about his company’s own preparations for taking 2025 by storm. Robson has vowed for Gaming Realms to bring tons of excellent games that will ignite the industry, in his words. Find out the full conversation here.

Jody Bechtold, a well-known expert in the field of problem gambling, and a Casino Guru Awards judge in the the RG Tools and The Most Impactful Social Responsibility Initiative categories has sat down with us to discuss the current state of problem gambling and how it impacts consumers and the general public.

In her insightful interview, Bechtold offers guidance on how this can be addressed, but only if there is willingness on the part of the industry. Read the full interview with Bechtold here.

SBC Events had exciting news this week, with the company confirming that its seminal CasinoBeats Summit has been rechristened to SBC Summit Malta, and will now enjoy an expanded format that will involve a wider range of discussions, experts, and focus topics.

Eventus International in the meantime has reminded about the upcoming BiG Africa Summit, which is now less than a month away.

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