News
Wazdan’s funky Flash Mob Video has gone viral
Major games producer Wazdan have been astonished at how their flash mob video from SiGMA has been picked up by the igaming industry and the wider community after collaborating with
Malta’s Philharmonic Orchestra for a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun that disrupted the SiGMA conference last week. The final release of the video comes on the back of six figure viewing across Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and the media, where the story got major coverage in Malta’s national media as well as in the international igaming media.
For the launch of SiGMA, one of Europe’s biggest iGaming events, Wazdan staged a spectacular flash mob with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra to call attention to Maltese culture for City of Culture Valletta 2018 and Wazdan’s own creativity as a major casino games producer with products covering slots, table games and video poker, launching the world-first real-time in-game ‘Volatility Level Control’. This feature allows players to control how they win in-game and is proving highly attractive to operators.
Professional dancers dressed in traditional Maltese costumes helped to make the event even more fun for the packed crowds, igaming people, businesses, government representatives, regulators, affiliates and press.
Wazdan have over 100 HTML5 casino games full of innovative, industry-first features licensed in Malta, Curacao and soon UK. These games feature an innovative ‘Energy-Saving Mode’ that reduces battery drain on devices by reducing graphics resolution so that players are able to play longer on existing battery life, a benefit not missed by operators seeking incremental revenue.
More than 60 people were involved in the Wazdan flash mob choreographed to the rhythm of Maltese composer Charles Camilleri’s “Malta Suite Waltz,” and inviting the crowd to join the dance and the wider move towards European City of Culture 2018 in Malta.
Ogilvy Malta Country Director Marcus Ward, who coordinated the production said: “We’re obviously delighted that the delegates at SiGMA not only enjoyed Wazdan’s bit of fun, and we’re even more delighted by the local and international reaction to the video, it’s been shared incessantly since we live-streamed last week from SiGMA.“
Wazdan’s popular portfolio includes titles such as Magic Target Deluxe, Valhalla and Wild Guns, with new game releases of upcoming titles Los Muertos, Mayan Ritual and Captain Flynt, imminent.
Jeremy Fall, Head of Marketing at Wazdan said: “We never expected the level of interest and excitement that our collaboration with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra has produced. It’s great that we can help put Malta into a situation like this ahead of V18 with the video going viral, it’s a wonderful showcase for Maltese culture and talent.
Wazdan fosters a spirit of creativity in our games development platform and we’re excited to collaborate on ventures that fit with our approach.”
News
The UK online casino market is at a crossroads
Martyn Hannah, Managing Director of Comparasino, says the direction the government and regulator take with updates to gambling law will determine the long-term success of the market
Great Britain is approaching a crossroads when it comes to online casino and the direction it takes will ultimately determine the viability of the market for all stakeholders over the next few years, including comparison sites such as Comparasino.
This remains a market with plenty of potential. The latest participation figures from the Gambling Commission show high demand for online casino, sports betting and bingo, with around 10 million people (16% of the population) engaging in these activities.
But the regulatory requirements being put on operators are now impacting the experiences they can offer to players while squeezing margins to the point where the UK – once the benchmark for regulated online gambling markets – is no longer sustainable for some.
In the last three years or so, we have seen an exodus of brands with only a small number of new online casinos taking their place.
This should be cause for concern, especially as the consultations from the White Paper rumble on and the changes that will result come into focus – we’ve already had the £2/£5 slot stake limits confirmed with more updates to follow.
Of course, players must be protected so that those at risk of developing problem play receive the support they need long before they reach the point of crisis. But at the same time, we have to remember that just 0.3% of UK players are considered to have a gambling problem.
The real risk for me is that if regulations and requirements continue to tighten, the UK market will no longer be viable for most brands – only the tier ones will be able to manage the slim margins.
This is bad for player choice and ultimately has the potential to push consumers towards unlicensed brands that can offer the experiences they are seeking and this is the opposite of what the changes to regulations are aiming to achieve.
It’s important to remember what players are looking for when deciding where to play – they want generous bonuses, a seamless sign-up process and a great selection of games to explore. They want to do this with reputable brands they can trust, and that’s why licencing is so important.
But the requirements operators must now meet – and any new requirements set to come into force – are at risk of damaging the player experience to the point where many will turn to unlicensed brands. Remember, these sites usually offer a great customer experience, they just don’t hold a licence.
The other day I was sitting with a friend when they signed up for an online casino for the first time. They were genuinely shocked by the sign-up process, especially the amount of information they had to provide and the length of time it took to register and deposit.
They were especially irked by the need to provide their occupation and monthly income. When I said there were unlicensed sites that offered a more streamlined onboarding process – and bigger bonuses – the friend said they’d play at those brands over the licensed site.
Of course, this is just one example but for me, it should raise concerns about how far we go when it comes to limiting bonuses and imposing stringent affordability checks on operators.
The Gambling Commission has indicated that affordability will be “light touch” for most players, but any additional friction really does risk pushing players to unlicensed sites where the sign-up process is quicker and the bonuses bigger.
The challenge is striking the right balance between consumer experience and protecting the most vulnerable, and I have some ideas for how we can do this.
I think operators should be able to offer the bonuses they wish, but they should not be able to impose high wagering requirements – or any wagering requirements, ideally.
Again, I tried explaining how the wagering requirement works to my friend and they simply couldn’t get their head around it.
“So, I have to wager £975 through the casino to unlock £15 in bonus winnings? That’s ridiculous.”
This is also what leads players to ultimately gamble more than they can afford as they make additional deposits in an attempt to complete the playthrough requirement, only to run out of funds or give up having deposited more than they intended.
This is when players can become frustrated. Many find it hard to understand how wagering requirements work, and then when they can’t withdraw their bonus winnings, it leads to a negative experience with the brand but worse, can put them in a state of mind that’s not ideal for gambling.
Player onboarding needs to be faster and more seamless, too. It’s so clunky right now that operators shouldn’t be surprised that a large percentage of players drop-off between landing at a casino for the first time and spinning the reels.
For context, it took around seven minutes for my friend to find a brand, sign up, deposit and play.
There are technologies available now – I’m talking about open banking here – that would mitigate sign-up friction, but would most likely require regulatory approval for operators to be able to use them to improve the sign-up process.
I absolutely believe that operators should be mandated to monitor each and every player in real time, and benchmark their gambling activity against markers of harm. This is the best way to spot problem play early and then make the necessary interventions.
I also think education is vital, and this is where affiliates must do more. Players are often unaware of the licensing process in the UK, and why it’s important to play at licensed brands. Nor are they aware of the tools in place to help them stay in control of their play.
This is something that we have committed significant resources to, with a dedicated safe gaming hub, responsible play messaging on all of our pages and the Comparasino Blog, where we publish articles and interviews with responsible gambling thought leaders.
The UK has always set the standard for regulated online gambling and I hope that this will continue to be the case once the consultations have closed and the final updates to the law are made.
The market might be at a crossroads, but if it goes in the right direction, it has a long and successful future ahead.
News
Golden Boomerang Awards 2024 Sees Overwhelming Response in First Month with Over 220 Teams Competing — Enter Today!
Boomerang Partners’ inaugural Golden Boomerang Awards 2024 traffic tournament has captured the attention of the global affiliate marketing community. With over 226 teams already registered, representing top webmasters from across the world, the competition to drive high-quality traffic is intensifying
Boomerang Partners reported a 12% increase in month-over-month traffic for its sportsbook products within just one week, attributed to the Golden Boomerang Awards tournament, launched on February 14th. Two weeks later, it’s time to assess the impact of the Golden Boomerang Awards on Boomerang’s casino products.
Following the three-week report, new first-time casino deposits have spiked by 14% compared to the previous month, and there’s been a significant rise in repeat deposits. This indicates enhanced player engagement with Boomerang Partner’s products, thanks to the quality traffic driven by participating affiliates. Among the casino offerings, the slots that have drawn the most attention are Book of Dead, Legacy of Dead, and Book of the Fallen. Notably, the period’s largest win was a staggering €314,000.
In Week 3 of the tournament, the total across all participating teams has already surpassed 12,000 new depositing players acquired for Boomerang’s platforms, with intense competition for the top prizes. While some teams have taken an early lead, with two more months until the contest concludes, it remains wide open for other contenders to make a surge and challenge the frontrunners on the leaderboard.
The Golden Boomerang Awards offers rewards every two weeks, with the most lucrative prizes coming in later rounds. Affiliates who missed the initial weeks still have a chance at the biggest rewards by joining now. Registrations remain open until May 14th, allowing participation for the top rewards.
The tournament will culminate in a grand ceremony in Cyprus on June 1st, where the top 30 teams will enjoy an exclusive high-profile event that features awards night, networking opportunities, entertainment from leading artists, and the iconic Golden Boomerang statuettes for the winners.
Boomerang Partners invites all skilled affiliates to join the action at GoldenBoomerangAwards.com and contend for a spot among the industry’s elite traffic drivers. Register now and showcase your expertise in driving premium traffic — prestigious prizes and industry recognition start here!
Affiliate Announcements
Catena Media readies for online sports betting launch in North Carolina
Catena Media is well positioned to record a solid launch of online sports betting affiliation in North Carolina when the state opens for licensed sports wagering.
The group’s national brands, led by LegalSportsreport.com, are attracting North Carolina bettors with dedicated content, as is Catena Media’s state-focused NCSharp.com website. Alongside Catena Media’s own brands, the group has also published content in collaboration with media partners including Advance Local, owner of NJ.com and other news websites.
In the countdown to launch day, Catena Media held several top rankings for key organic search terms used by potential bettors to find relevant sports-betting-related content and offers.
Prior to the official go-live, the group has deals in place with five major operators offering sports betting platform access to North Carolinians. The customer agreements in North Carolina consist of a mix of revenue share and cost-per-acquisition (CPA) agreements.
North Carolina, with an adult population of 8.5 million, allows anyone aged 21 and over to place sports bets online.
Ryan Harper, Catena Media Vice President North America, said: “We have had a solid run-up to the launch date and are pleased with our efforts so far. We also expect the March Madness NCAA college basketball tournament later this month to be a big driver of new depositing customers in North Carolina.”
North Carolina expands Catena Media’s operational footprint in North America to 29 state and regional markets.
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