Each week, CasinoBeats breaks down the numbers behind some of the industry’s most interesting stories. In today’s edition we look at responsible gambling initiatives in the Mediterranean, big development plans at a UK property and Senet Group strength.

€1m

A campaign has been launched on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus in an attempt to secure a €1m budget to prevent gambling addiction, primarily amongst young nationals of the island, report media outlets.

It is said that the Cyprus National Betting Authority has asked the government for the sum to aid support for those exposed to the activity, to combat potential addiction amongst locals.

Requested to design a series of initiatives promoting responsible gaming and dealing with cases of gambling addiction, plans also include the establishment of a specialist prevention and intervention centre.

The aim of the development would be to provide information and supportive measures to gamblers and the general public, in addition to strengthening those centres already providing services to people experiencing such issues.

Furthermore, an online portal is also desired, in order to allow consumers to self-exclude themselves from gaming services, with educational workshops set to carried out across Cypriot schools and elsewhere.

5

Five of the largest UK Casino and gaming companies have joined the UK responsible gambling body Senet Group in a bid to address problem gambling and improve industry-wide collaboration on the matter.

Aspers, Caesars, Genting, Playtech and the Rank Group have joined the group. As part of their membership, the new partners will hold positions in the Senet Group’s quarterly CEO forum, which currently advises the group’s Board and independent chairman, Gillian Wilmot.

Sarah Hanratty, chief executive of the Senet Group, commented: “With a great many initiatives and projects underway across the gambling industry, aimed at understanding and reducing problem gambling, the sector needs to improve its ability to collaborate on the development, testing and sharing of interventions which work.

“Senet is doing its part in leading and facilitating collaborative projects, and I am delighted that our new partners have chosen to recognise the importance of collective leadership on safer gambling.”

$70m

Gateway Casino and Entertainment has provided a further update regarding its $70m Cascades Casino Delta development, with land preparations underway following the company securing its final set of approvals.

Gaining the green light from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, who provided their approval of the civil works plan to The City of Delta and Gateway for the new gaming and entertainment facility, the company has begun stage stage one of the construction, with a complete site demolition.

Lauded as the “final piece of approvals,” work has now begun with the demolishing of the existing Town and Country Inn building, which is set to take place over the next several weeks.

In a media release detailing the latest update, the organisation stressed that “since receiving regulatory approvals in November, Gateway has been hard at work completing of all site planning preparations and design details, in order to be ready for the commencement of construction once the civil works plan was approved.”

£750,000

Genting UK has detailed plans of a £750,000 refurbishment of its Luton establishment, through which it intends to create an increased number of gaming opportunities for patrons.

Currently underway, with Genting Casino Luton to continue to operate as normal during the work, among the upgrades set to be felt are improvements to the gaming room, poker room, bar and lounge areas.

The creation of one large gaming room, as opposed to two separate entities, is designed to create more space on the gaming floor in order to provide additional slot machines and new electronic terminals for customers to choose from, improving gaming experience in the process.

As a result the number of slot machines in the new gaming room will increase from 28 to 40, with four new electronic terminals also to be installed.