Public Gaming July/August 2016

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July/August 2016 // PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL // 73
opportunity. They are among the richest
companies in the world, with a combined
market cap of $1.5 trillion, but none of the
tech companies wants to buy its way into
Hollywood. Rather, they hope to establish
an independent presence.
Apple has been a player in the entertain-
ment business for years, but few people
know that. Eddy Cue, who oversees the
company’s Internet software and services,
is a well-known presence in Hollywood.
He has been negotiating licensing deals
with film studios and TV networks since
the beginning days of iTunes in the early
2000s. In Apple’s 2015 annual report, the
company reported nearly $20 billion in
revenue for its services business, which
includes sales from the iTunes Store, as well
as the App Store, Apple Music, AppleCare,
and Apple Pay. The company sees these
services—especially “apps, movies, and
TV shows”—as an important part of the
company’s growth strategy. Apple appears
to be undertaking a two-pronged approach
to original programming. The first is a slate
of short films, music videos, and documen-
taries that will feature musicians. The idea
is to use this content to promote Apple
Music, the subscription streaming service
that launched in 2015.
The second method is to do what Amazon
and Netflix have done: offer original TV-
style entertainment.
This effort is being directed by Robert
Kondrk, Apple’s VP of iTunes content.
Kondrk must balance Apple’s objectives—
for multiple successes at once—with the
risk required to achieve those successes.
For example, Amazon executed a $250
million deal for a new series with the Top
Gear stars and HBO signed the popular
sports-and-culture figure Bill Simmons,
who could have helped Apple with both
original series and podcasts. Apple is
“definitely more cautious,” says Eric Jackson,
managing director of SpringOwl Asset
Management. “They probably see that as a
strength, but I think it could hurt them if
they end up being too slow. By all accounts,
[Amazon and Netflix] are going to keep press-
ing on the gas in terms of making investments
in this space.”
In March, Apple announced its first origi-
nal production, an unscripted documen-
tary series celebrating apps and starring
As Apple moves into originals,
it has leverage that neither Netflix nor
Amazon had when they began making
original shows: a positive reputation among
creators. Years of recruiting celebrities to be
brand advocates has entrenched Apple as a
company friendly toward artists.
Although there are numerous questions,
including whether Apple will use its
money to finance shows or build its own
team of development executives, no one is
concerned by the lack of specifics. Why?
“Because it’s Apple,” one manager says.
Mysterious ancient civilizations are the hot
new thing in gaming
AROUND THE WORLD
Poland and Czech Republic Boost
Online Gambling in E.U.
The new law regarding online gambling
in the Czech Republic includes strict ISP
blocking measures as well as financial trans-
action blocking in an attempt to stop unli-
censed operators. The law also includes strict
loss limits and bet size limits. The Poland
Ministry of Finance announced the govern-
ment’s intention to amend its gambling laws
to make it less complex for offshore internet
gambling operators to apply for a Polish
betting license. “We want Poland in a sphere
of normality and common sense. We want to
move away from solutions that make 95% of
betting a gray area.”
The New Finland Gaming Company
will be Called Veikkaus
The Finnish gaming operations of Fintoto,
RAY, and Veikkaus are merging to form the
new Finnish gaming company that will start
its operations on 1 January 2017. The com-
pany will reinforce the Finnish responsible
gaming system and offer fun and benefits by
providing entertaining Finnish games. It will
generate over one billion euros a year to the
common good for everyone living in Finland.
As of 1 January 2017, the new gaming com-
pany will be called Veikkaus. The company
has a total of 1.9 million Finnish loyal cus-
tomers. The objective is to appoint the CEO
of the new company in June. The company
will employ nearly 2,000 people.
The new gaming company will be called
Veikkaus. The new shared name was decided
on the basis of an extensive, multi-stage
consumer survey. The company will be
provided with a completely new brand and
visual image. The name and identity of the
new company were designed on the basis of
an extensive multi-stage consumer survey.
During the spring 2016, a total of 4,300
Finns took part in the different stages of the
survey. According to the survey, two out of
three Finns feel that Veikkaus is a suitable
name for the new gaming company. Finnish
consumers are familiar with it and it repre-
sents security and responsibility.
The survey analysed Finns’ views on a
reliable gaming company. Among the key
points raised in the survey were the fact
that the products enjoy a strong Finnish
consumer protection and that the company
provides tools for gaming control and is a
social benefactor.
Several experts from all of the current
gaming companies were involved in the
planning of the consumer survey. Whilst
looking for the best possible solution, the
working group also explored the option
of introducing a completely new name.
However, the customers chose the old ac-
customed name, Veikkaus.
The new name and brand will be implement-
ed gradually. The first elements of the new
brand and the shared name will be visible to
the customers at the beginning of 2017.
The new company will be provided with
an altogether new brand, visual image,
and colour scheme. At the present stage,
the new gaming company’s text logo and
symbol are ready.
The symbol of the new company will
symbolize the company’s positive impact
on society, representing three cornerstones: