Public Gaming International Magazine May/June 2022

49 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 tion in making the webinars a great success and looks forward to continued efforts in 2022. https://www.world-lotteries.org/insights/news/ association-news/taking-stock-of-2021-fromdigitalization-to-responsible-gaming WLA guide helps lotteries ensure responsible marketing of sports betting products The WLA is pleased to announce the publication of a guide on sports betting marketing, with a focus on the marketing communications of sports betting products. It offers guidance on how to market such products competitively, yet responsibly, in order to meet the competition from illegal betting operators head-on. The 20-page guide was developed against this backdrop and is available now for downloading, in PDF format, from the Sports Betting Integrity section of the WLA website. world-lotteries.org UK Gambling Reform Eyes More Restrictions, Sports Betting The UK is closer to revealing its first major gambling overhaul in years. As the day approaches, the topic is receiving a lot of attention. But it isn’t all good news. Changes to gambling laws in the UK are on their way, but no one yet knows exactly what’s in store. Everyone is waiting to see what an updated white paper provides, although most expect new – and possibly contentious – restrictions. German State of Thuringia Issues Online Casino Monopoly to Finance Ministry The German state of Thuringia has fulfilled its mission. It wanted to have a monopoly on its online casino operations, which is official as of last week. After Germany revised its outdated gambling laws last year, there was a chance for federated states across the country to explore robust online gaming markets. In some states, though, leaders decided to head in the opposite direction. Instead of opening up their iGaming activity to licensed operators, some monopolies are arriving in Germany. Thuringia has opted for the state monopoly, which is also practiced in other federal states. It argues that this will allow it to implement the protection of minors and players as effectively as possible and to ward off manipulation risks. However, the opposite may be true. Monopolies have no reason to innovate or offer additional competitive measures to users. As a result, more users turn to black-market options. Markets that incorporate licensed operations offer greater controls and improved oversight, since regulators can monitor the activity. This can’t be done when consumers use offshore sites. Australia: Tabcorp Lotteries Demerger Rolls On Tabcorp’s plan to break off its lottery and keno operations has been approved by New South Wales’ Supreme Court as well as its shareholders. The proposed demerger will see Tabcorp retain control of wagering, media and gaming services, while a new, Australian Stock Exchange-listed company – The Lottery Corporation – will be responsible for lotteries and keno. Veikkaus' financial profit remained on previous year's level The coronavirus epidemic and the Sustainability actions that Veikkaus took had a major impact on Veikkaus 'business in 2021. Veikkaus' Gross Gaming revenue (EUR 1,100.1 million) decreased by 12.7% as compared to the year 2020. A drop in the retail Commissions, as well as more costeffective operations, kept the financial profit for the period at the previous year's level, reaching EUR 680.0 million. The total volume spent on Veikkaus games was ca. EUR 6.9 million in 2021. The coronavirus epidemic hit the Gross Gaming revenue of the slot machines the most dramatically. It dropped by 52.2 percent from the previous year to EUR 143.0 million. The fall in the Gross Gaming revenue was also affected by the compulsory authentication and loss limits, which were introduced to Slots gambling in 2021. The Gross Gaming revenue from Veikkaus' most popular games Lotto and Eurojackpot dropped from the previous year due to jackpot levels that were lower than those of 2020. Lotto's Gross Gaming revenue was EUR 162.7 million (-6.0%) and Eurojackpot's EUR 127.1 million (- 7.2%). Betting operations, in contrast, almost reached their pre-coronavirus level, as the provision of sports events recovered, going nearly back to normal. The Betting Games group attained a Gross Gaming revenue of EUR 149.0 million (+ 8.6%) in 2021. The toto games, part of the Betting Games groups, grew slightly from the previous year, reaching a turnover of EUR 62.6 million (+ 0.5%). ). - One of the great milestones of the year was the opening of Finland's second casino, Casino Tampere at the Nokia Arena center in December. Both our Casinos, Casino Helsinki and Casino Tampere, are trailblazers in the European casino world when it comes to building a responsible gambling environment, Ms Sippel says. Veikkaus' share of the total Finnish gambling market was ca. 74% (-5 percentage points) in 2021. Participation in online games provided by other gambling services than Veikkaus increased by 16% in the year under review. The international business-tobusiness operations of Veikkaus' subsidiary Fennica Gaming Ltd have been launched. The company engages in the provision of game services and products to corporate customers on international game development markets. New Zealand Gambling Spend increases 17% YoY, with Slot Machines Leading the Way As Lootbox Mechanics Become More Widespread, Where is the Line Between Online Gaming and iGaming? There is already some research that is tackling this issue and reaching the conclusion that loot boxes are indeed akin to gambling on a psychological level. IGT - International Game Technology PLC Announces Agreement to Acquire iSoftBet, a leading igaming content provider and third-party game aggregator. IGT PlayDigital content library will more than double to approximately 225 proprietary games Rupert Murdoch's News Corp is joining a consortium that plans to launch an online sports betting brand in Australia Brazil’s Gambling Market Is Adding New Lottery, Sports Betting Options Different aspects of Brazil’s lottery market are going through a transformation. The most anticipated change is the introduction of a new lottery that includes a minimum prize of R$10 million (US$2 million). La Française des Jeux (FDJ) sees "good start to the year" in Q1 with revenue up 14%, growth in all business lines U.K. Regulator asks court to enforce Allwyn licence award of UK National Lottery License Critics say Gambling Commission’s move in legal row risks depriving good causes in UK of up to £800m Camelot Disputes Award of UK National Lottery Macau: New Gaming Bill removes lawyer-client confidentiality to uncover junket activities

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