Yggdrasil has new chief executive, Entain to slash workforce, regulator under review

The week has brought a number of interesting events, with one of those coming out of Australia where Entain is reportedly "tweaking its structure" which could result in yet unconfirmed losses. The Australian Financial Review, which did the original reporting, obtained a quote from the company in which it said that "small redundancies" are to be expected.

Sources close to the matter suggested that anything between 50 and 80 local jobs may be lost. This is not the first time Entain’s name has been linked to the possibility of job cuts as earlier this year, Entain began streamlining its commercial operating structure, which prompted similar speculation.

Yggdrasil has announced the departure of its Chief Executive Officer, Bjorn Krantz, a company veteran with more than a year on the job. Krantz is stepping down from the position at the end of September and he is passing the baton to James Curwen.

The company has welcomed the news and thanked Krantz for his service and involvement with Yggdrasil over the past four years during which he held different positions within the supplier. Itai Frieberger, Chairman of the Board, said that Curwen would indeed make a strong fit at the helm of Yggdrasil, joining from OPAP, an esteemed Greek operator. Curwen’s appointment was welcomed by the outgoing incumbent as well.

In the meantime, the Swedish government and the country’s National Audit Office have announced that they are reviewing how efficient Spelinspektionen, the gambling watchdog is. This review is intended to determine whether the regulator is effectively protecting consumers.

One issue that may be brought up during the review is the channelization of players into the regulated gambling market which is still under its stated 90% according to data by the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling.

Supplier Partnerships and Business Roundup

The week has been marked by a series of prominent partnerships and content alliances with operators and developers growing their respective footprints in a variety of geographies across the world.

Notably, Hacksaw Gaming, a prominent iGaming supplier, has teamed up with N1 Casino in Greece, giving both companies a stronger presence locally and helping them to continue and build their pull with audiences in the country.

Stakelogic deployed its live game and slot portfolio in Belgium with Starcasino, strengthening the operator’s footprint in the highly lucrative and fast-developing market. Starcasino is an established local brand with a strong reputation and track record, benefiting greatly from the addition of a dedicated suite of games of the highest quality such as the products brought by Stakelogic.

US Soccer has secured an alliance with Sportradar, as the organization’s Official Betting Data Partner. Sportradar is a technological company with a robust integrity track record and added value to sports leagues and organizations. Thanks to this partnership, US Soccer will find more commercial outlets for its data and also help strengthen the level of integrity exercised by the organization when seeking to protect the sport.

Relax Gaming has expanded its list of partners with the addition of a brand new studio – Endorphina. The Powered by Relax program has got another worthwhile member with the established studio joining the aggregator and becoming a part of its sprawling reach. Endorphina is committed to establishing its footprint across global markets and this tie-up with Relax Gaming is a determined step in that direction.

People on the Move

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has confirmed the official appointment of its new CEO and Registar in the face of Dr Karin Schnarr who will be succeeding the outgoing incumbent Tom Mungham.

Dr Schnarr’s appointment is effective from September 18, 2023, when she will be taking over the organization at a time when the gaming market in Ontario is thriving and evolving to meet the demand for more gaming and betting products from consumers.

D'Arcy Myers has been appointed to GamCare as the organization’s Interim CEO. Myers is an experienced and established charity consultant who will make an ideal fit for the position and help steer GamCare’s ongoing efforts to provide support to victims of problem gambling. Myers is taking over Anna Hemmings who is stepping down.

Meanwhile, Future Anthem, a company that leverages artificial intelligence to personalize the gambling experience for partner businesses and drive stronger retention and engagement with consumers, has been able to double its workforce over the past months, and since the company’s Series A funding.

The Industry Talks

This week we caught up with Matus Mlej, Casino Guru’s Lead Designer, who is responsible for designing the look and functionality of the eponymous website. In his interview, Mlej explains how he has designed Casino Guru as an aesthetically pleasing project that is underpinned by flawless functionality that serves user needs and highlights the brand’s functionality.

Mlej goes into detail to explain his own journey as a designer in the gambling industry and also how he conceptualized and fleshed out Casino Guru’s evolving visual identity.

In another insightful conversation, Better Change Engagement Director Robert Mabbett has spoken at length about what he has described as the "spirit of the game," where he discusses the current status quo in the gambling industry.

Mabbett touches on the ongoing change in the industry and the proliferating reports of "millions of people" who have been impacted by gambling harm, calling for a level-headed discussion that does not misuse data and facts, or conjures them up on a whim.

His opinion reflects a recent call from the UK Gambling Commission to use data accurately so that consumers may benefit the most.

Markus Antl, Greentube’s Director Global Sales, was among our guests this week as well. We spoke about Greentube’s recent successes in expanding its iGaming footprint across multiple jurisdictions and the particular approach the supplier elected when building content to make sure that it resonates with its players.

Michael Maokhamphiou, Operations Manager at Lightning Box, offered a similarly insightful conversation into not just how his company remains competitive and builds future-proof products, but also how different regions respond to change and innovation. Our conversation with Maokhamphiou has been a delight and is recommended to read in its entirety.

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