Every week, CasinoBeats breaks down the numbers behind some of the industry’s most fascinating stories. Swedish sanctions and increased UK compliance feature in this edition, alongside a return to gaming revenue growth in Nevada.
$1.24bn
Nevada gaming operations returned to revenue growth in April, with operators on the Las Vegas Strip performing well in comparison to the same month the previous year.
According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, statewide gaming revenue improved by 6.95 per cent year-over-year to $1.24bn (April 2023: $1.16bn).
Although this figure is down in comparison to March’s $1.29bn, it is a return to YoY growth for operations in the Silver State after undergoing a 1.65 per cent YoY decline the previous month.
For the fiscal year – July 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024 – Nevada revenue has risen by 4.67 per cent YoY to $13.2bn (2023: $12.6bn).
Operations on the Strip in April rose by 6.62 per cent in comparison to the same month last year to $666.1m (April 2023: $624.7m). For the fiscal year, revenue for the Strip rose by 6.52 per cent to $7.6bn (2023: $7.1bn).
Per vertical, the NGCB stated that slot machines revenue grew by 5.86 per cent YoY to $886.8m, with multi denomination and one cent generating $586.8m and $216.6m in revenue respectively.
Table, counter and card games revenue improved by 9.8 per cent YoY to $353.4m, with blackjack and baccarat producing $110.2m and $76.1m in revenue respectively.
SEK 2.6m
Spelinspektionen stated that Hacksaw Studios supplied games to operators that didn’t have a Swedish licence, issuing the slot supplier a warning and a SEK 2.6m (€226,300) sanction fee.
The Swedish Gambling Authority mentioned that an inspection took place on January 10, 2024, of several websites run by companies that don’t have a licence to operate in the country. Hacksaw Studios was found to be a supplier for two of the websites investigated, so an inspection into the supplier was initiated.
Within the authority’s decision, it is noted that Hacksaw Studios responded to Spelinspektionen’s inspection on January 23, 2024, stating that it has implemented geoblocking to make sure its game software is only available in Sweden to licensed operators.
The studio said that it does not provide its software to operators who don’t have the necessary licence, and the studio themselves don’t enter into agreements with operators as this task is done by other legal entities within the Hacksaw Group.
In addition, Hacksaw Studios noted that they can’t be responsible for their client’s regulatory compliance, it can’t be guaranteed that an operator won’t attempt to take its content to a market where it doesn’t hold the necessary licences and that any provider that has adequate processes in place shouldn’t be determined in breach of the gambling act and penalised.
$100m
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino has announced the completion of a $100m redesign of its 2.1 million-square-foot convention centre, which includes the updating of its tech infrastructure.
Furthermore, the boost also includes additional dynamic digital signage and a fresh design that looks to complement the resort’s tropical-inspired brand.
Ernest Stovall, VP of Hotel Sales for Mandalay Bay, commented: “Meetings and conventions play a pivotal role in the success of Las Vegas, and the revitalisation of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center demonstrates our commitment to this critical piece of our city’s foundation.
“Our goal is to evolve alongside the meetings industry to meet the needs of the modern customer. Based on invaluable insights from our customer advisory board, we crafted a space at Mandalay Bay that sets a new standard in excellence and reflects the future of modern meetings, events and trade shows.”
98%
The Betting and Gaming Council revealed its member bookmakers and casinos achieved record compliance rates for age verification checks.
Reporting independent figures from ID and compliance testing service Serve Legal, the BGC noted that bookmakers had a 91.4 per cent age verification pass rate across thousands of annual checks, while casinos had a pass rate of 98 per cent.
The council said that the compliance rate has increased by 30 per cent across the audit volume since Serve Legal began working with the regulated betting and gaming sector in 2009, with its members enforcing strict age verification to prevent underage gaming.
BGC members have also increased the checking age from “Think 21” to “Think 25” across betting shops and casinos, requiring anyone who is over 18 but looks under 25 to provide ID.
In addition, the council funds YGAM and GamCare’s £10m Young People’s Gambling Harm Prevention Programme, which has reached more than two million 11-to-19-year-olds, and those working with them, in the UK.
Wes Himes, Executive Director of Standards and Innovation at the BGC, said: “The BGC and our members are incredibly proud of these compliance rates, which put us ahead of our peers in every department.
“Bookmakers and casinos play a vital economic role on the UK’s hard-pressed high streets, as well as in the leisure and tourism sector. But economic contribution has to go hand-in-hand with the highest standards.”
DKK 595m
Spillemyndigheden, the Danish gambling authority, reported a year-over-year decline in gross gaming revenue across betting, gaming machines and land-based casinos in April, alongside an increase in online casino GGR.
Reporting figures for April 2024, the authority stated that GGR amounted to DKK 595m (€79.8m), down from the DKK 640m GGR during the same month last year.
In terms of GGR by sector, online casinos led the way with 45.85 per cent, followed by betting with 32.79 per cent, gaming machines with 16.11 per cent and land-based casinos with 5.26 per cent.
Online casinos in April generated DKK 273m in GGR, up 6.04 per cent from the DKK 257m reported during the same month the previous year.
Within the vertical, gaming machines had the largest share of total GGR at 76.26 per cent, followed by roulette at 7.27 per cent, blackjack at seven per cent, commission at 3.66 per cent, other at 3.17 per cent and bingo at 2.64 per cent.
Spillemyndigheden noted that betting operations in April produced DKK 195m in GGR, down 20.92 per cent in comparison to DKK 247m reported in April 2023.
Mobile betting led the way with a 70.18 per cent share of the vertical’s total GGR, followed by land-based at 15.06 per cent and computer at 14.76 per cent.
Gaming machine GGR fell by 7.36 per cent YoY in April to DKK 96m (April 2023: DKK 104m) with an average daily GGR of DKK 3.3m.
Gaming arcades generated a 79.65 per cent share of the vertical’s total GGR during the month, while restaurants produced 20.35 per cent.
Land-based casinos reported an April GGR of 31m, down 1.63 per cent YoY (April 2023: DKK 32m) with an average daily GGR of DKK 1.1m.
As of April 30, 2024, Spillemyndigheden noted that the ROFUS self-exclusion service had 50,740 registered persons, with 32,823 permanently registered persons and 17,914 temporary registered persons.
SEK 30m
Kindred has confirmed that the sanction fee ordered to the company by the Swedish Gambling Authority in 2020 has been reduced for a second time to SEK 30m.
Following bonus rules violations that took place in 2019, Kindred’s wholly owned online casino subsidiary brand Spooniker was ordered to pay SEK $100m.
The firm had been accused of offering “several different unauthorised bonuses” as well as games, specifically lotteries, that were not covered by the operator’s licence.
At the time, the SEK 100m figure was considered necessary due to the nature of the violations, but the Authority did ensure the fine wouldn’t “exceed ten percent of the licence holder’s turnover”.
In response to the original violations, the operator stated: “Kindred will appeal the SGA’s decision to obtain judicial guidance on how the new legislation should be interpreted. Until recently issued warnings and fines issued to other licence holders are tried in court and enforced, Kindred will continue to adopt a strict interpretation.
“Kindred is of the opinion that the Swedish Gambling Act adopted on January 1, 2019, has been vague in areas related to commercial activities and thereby creating unnecessary ambiguity. Kindred welcomes more clarity in these areas and continues to improve its operations to ensure full compliance.”
Following Kindred’s appeal, the sanction fee was originally reduced down to SEK 50m, however, over four years after the original violations, the fee has been reduced further to SEK 30m.