Every week, CasinoBeats breaks down the numbers behind some of the industry’s most fascinating stories. Our latest headline reflection features continued growth in the region of Macau, a slap on the wrist from the UKGC and a Thai push for casino legislation.
582,120
The UK Gambling Commission settled with bet365 on a sanction of £582,120 after the operator was found to have shortcomings when it comes to the anti-money laundering and social responsibility requirements of its bingo and casino business.
The decision comes after a Commission compliance assessment took place in March last year, which discovered the bet365 failings.
Kay Roberts, Executive Director of Operations at the UKGC, emphasised that the failings aren’t as severe as other gambling businesses in recent years. However, she stated that the breaches didn’t stand up to the high standards the regulator expects from operators.
She said: “We expect high standards from operators in terms of keeping gambling safe, fair and crime-free, and will always take action to correct any failings. This operator is very aware that a repeat of these failings will result in escalating regulatory action.”
One of the failures stemmed from the firm’s interactions with customers, which were frequently not tailored to the specific customer journey or spectrum of harm and therefore interactions were deemed ‘not meaningful’.
Meanwhile, bet365’s Early Risk Detection System was found to be ‘not demonstrably effective’ in understanding the impact of individual interactions on a customer’s behaviour and whether further action was required.
Furthermore, the investigation was further concerned with the company’s approach to customer care evaluations, as it was unable to effectively determine whether a customer had read and understood the information or advice provided within its interactions.
The operator provided public responses accepting the assessment, in which it stated that bet365 will direct £582,120 towards socially responsible causes as part of the regulatory settlement.
4
Following four years in the role, Entain has announced that Barry Gibson will be retiring from his position as Chair and from the company’s board at the end of September 2024.
Additionally, the FTSE100 company has announced that current interim CEO Stella David will be replacing Gibson as Chair.
Gibson could also step down from the role earlier than scheduled, depending on the timing of the appointment of a permanent CEO, which Entain says is currently “ongoing and is progressing well”.
Gibson commented: “It has been a privilege to lead the board of Entain for the past four years, and while I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at this dynamic, exciting and innovative business, I reflected a little while ago that 2024 would be the right time for me to retire.
“I am delighted that, in Stella, Entain has an exceptional successor who knows the business well and has already proven herself to be a firm hand on the tiller in her role as interim CEO.”
Gibson was appointed to Entain’s board in November 2019 before becoming Chair in February the following year.
As Chair, he has seen the company undergo its rebrand from GVC Holdings to Entain, overseen the board’s renewal, move to operate in only regulated or regulating markets and the resolution of the HMRC investigation into the group’s former Turkish-facing operations.
Replacing Gibson as Chair later this year, David was previously a non-executive director and Senior Independent Director from March 2021, before becoming interim CEO in December last year.
David added: “Barry has been a wonderful mentor and source of wise counsel to so many people during his time as Chair of Entain and I would like to personally thank him for his unwavering support.
53.1
Macau’s gambling sector continued to exceed expectations in March as the region enjoyed 53.1 per cent growth compared to the same period last year.
In total, this came out to 19.5bn patacas ($2.4bn), with the figure bolstered by a growing number of visitors in the region – as footfall and tourism continued to grow significantly.
The growth was largely underpinned by an uptick when it comes to the recovery of the markets in the region, off the back of the easing of restrictions after the pandemic.
In spite of the positivity a challenging era may well be ushered in for the casino sector in Macau, as regulatory frameworks around VIP players become increasingly stringent.
In 2023, the region reported gross gaming revenue of $22.7bn, a staggering annual increase of 334 per cent.
As a result of the recorded numbers, a stipulation has been triggered which will mean that the six major operators in the region will have to raise their spending on non-gaming investments by 20 per cent.
225
Fanatics Betting and Gaming has closed on its previously announced PointsBet US business acquisition in its final state of Illinois.
PointsBet confirmed receipt of the final instalment of the headline purchase price of $225m and has transferred the remaining entities to Fanatics.
This includes all of the remaining entities that make up PointsBet’s US sports wagering, advance-deposit wagering and igaming operations, Banach Technology, a copy of the PointsBet platform and a licence to use that proprietary technology.
Fanatics noted that the resulting transaction has accelerated its growth plans, with the Fanatics Sportsbook now available across 95 per cent of the addressable US online sports betting market.
PointsBet’s Mark Hughes and Aonghus Mulvihill will join the company’s executive leadership team, in addition to more than 200 PointsBet employees in a variety of roles. The company has also taken over the leases of PointsBet offices in Denver, CO and Dublin, Ireland.
“The acquisition of the US businesses of PointsBet has supercharged our expansion plans,” commented Matt King, CEO of Fanatics Betting and Gaming.
“In addition to our migration of PointsBet customers and technology to the Fanatics Sportsbook and Casino platform, we have also added an incredibly talented team of passionate leaders from the ranks of PointsBet USA that have already made an impact on our business.”
5
Economic corridors which could usher in a new era for casino legislation in Thailand have been given a boost after their opening was touted for five years time, in 2029.
Bidding processes for the casinos are set to conclude this year and should they be approved, subject to regulatory sign-off, they could be open in five years.
In what will be viewed as progress for the bill, the House of Representatives in Thailand approved a study that will explore the benefits of casinos in the region, which will then be published to the government as developments and discussions continue.
It was also laid out in a statement by the Maybank IB analyst Samuel Yin Shao that the introduction of the corridors will likely be complemented by improved transport links and a myriad of tourism benefits.
Potentially tapping into the sector could be integral if Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is to follow through on economic pledges made for the country.
There were recent developments as one of the key stumbling blocks was overcome with the agreement of a 17 per cent tax rate in the region.
Furthermore, the bill and the tax rate look to be vital in tackling the black market and halting its growth, as well as enabling the region to compete with Singapore and Macau in terms of the casino sector.
Details stem from the report which was formed by the previous government and took into account the potential economic impact of casinos, in addition to the social consequences that could come with the growth of the market.
1.12
Groupe Française des Jeux has announced it has acquired 1.12 per cent of outstanding shares in Kindred from Veralda Investment, corresponding to 2.4 million shares at SEK 122.5 per share.
The French gambling operator submitted an offer to acquire Kindred back in January for around €2.6bn, an offer which was unanimously recommended by Kindred’s board and approved by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority in February.
The offer initially launched on February 20 and will last for a maximum of 39 weeks, expiring on or around November 19, 2024, subject to regulatory authorisations and FDJ’s acquisition of at least 90 per cent of Kindred’s capital.
FDJ also obtained irrevocable undertakings to accept 27.9 per cent of outstanding shares in Kindred for SEK 130 per share. Veralda was allowed to sell 50 per cent of its shares, representing a 2.3 per cent stake.
During its March 15 general meeting, Kindred amended its bylaws “to provide for squeeze-out rights of an offeror”. Shares could not be sold to FDJ at higher than the previously stated offer price of SEK 130 per share.
On March 18, Veralda notified FDJ that it would be selling 49 per cent of its shares, 1.12 per cent of outstanding shares in Kindred for SEK 122.5 per share. FDJ exercised its right to purchase the 2.4 million shares.
Following the purchase, FDJ holds 1.12 per cent of outstanding shares in Kindred, with the remaining irrevocable undertakings with Corvex Management LP, Premier Investissement SAS, Eminence Capital, Nordea and Veralda representing in total 26.82 per cent of the outstanding shares in Kindred.
