News

Casinos around the world cautiously reopen to a new normal

Published

4 years ago

July 13, 2020

Given how devastatingly hit the casino business has been in the past few months, it should come as little surprise that casino operators around the world are hurriedly reopening their doors at the first opportunity.

Revenue reports from March to July – effectively when the novel coronavirus had spread across the planet and forced countries to impose severe lockdown measures – made for grim reading in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia.

In Nevada and New Jersey – the biggest casino hotspots in the US – recorded losses of up to and more than 90 percent compared to the same months in 2019. In the UK and mainland Europe, the figures were similar, while Macau – the gambling capital of the world – saw three successive months of revenue drops over 90 percent.

While online operations have seen a surge as millions of people have been forced to stay at home, that makes no difference to the many people whose livelihoods depend on land-based casinos opening their doors and welcoming customers. Indeed, thousands of jobs have been lost and thousands more are still at risk.

So even as Covid-19 continues to plague many countries, casinos have understandably started to open their doors once again.

The United States – the country where the pandemic has hit harder than any other – has allowed casinos to reopen, even as new cases cross more than 50,000 per day. In Las Vegas, Nevada and Atlantic City, New Jersey casino floors are once again welcoming guests, while casinos across the United Kingdom reopened on July 4.

Las Vegas has also reopened its sportsbook operations, so guests can visit to get the latest Kentucky Derby odds (although you can find them online easier through TwinSpires.com). You can place wagers on races and sports that, like the casino business, also went into lockdown but are now re-emerging.

Meanwhile, in Macau, casinos have also reopened but the mandatory 14-day quarantine for foreign visitors has severely limited foot traffic. The same applies to other countries like Singapore, South Africa, and Monte Carlo.

While casinos have resumed operations in an attempt to bounce back from a financially damaging few months, they do so amid a new normal for operators and visitors alike.

Strict rules and health measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of guests and staff and to limit the potential spread of the coronavirus.

Maximum capacity limits range between 20 and 30 percent and face masks must be worn at all times. Drinking, eating, and smoking have been banned for the time being, while temperature check points and hand sanitizer stations have been placed all around casino floors. Glass barriers have also been placed around table games in some casinos to prevent the spread of germs between players and dealers.

Those guests returning to casinos may also notice higher gambling minimums or at least fewer options of lower minimum games. This is thought to have been introduced for two reasons. Firstly, it is viewed as an attempt by many casinos to drive revenues up as quickly as possible and secondly, to deter some players to ensure going over the imposed limited capacities.

Even with the many restrictions in place and the pandemic still raging on, the economical decision to reopen has helped to address growing unemployment in casino-focused cities and towns.

For instance, the union representing casino workers in New Jersey reported that in the first few days of reopening, between 20 and 30 percent of union members got their jobs back.

As measures loosen and capacities gradually increase, more people will be able to return to work after months of struggle and uncertainty.

It had been deemed callous to talk about reopening economies and getting people back to work during the early stages of the pandemic and when the death toll was rapidly increasing. But as the crisis continued and there was a realization that ‘normal’ would not return for the foreseeable future, then tackling increasing poverty as a result of the outbreak has become an inevitable priority.

The casino business is just one of many industries that rely heavily on visitors and tourism, and its cautious reopening shows that life must go on in the current climate, even if ‘normal’ is some way away from returning.

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News

ReferOn Insights Seminar: A Comprehensive Guide for Operators

Published

2 days ago

April 30, 2024

George Miller

ReferOn, a state-of-the-art affiliate management system developed exclusively for casino and sports betting operators in the iGaming industry, announces the opening of a limited registration (closing 10th of May) for a free seminar. The seminar will cover valuable affiliate management tips directed at operators.

ReferOn brings several useful innovations to managing affiliate marketing in the form of a comprehensive set of tools and services – dynamic reporting, company grouping, a strong media module, easy flows for rewards, sub-affiliation, an IDC calculator, and many more. In its first year of operation, ReferOn has been recognized with industry nominations and awards including 5Star iGaming Media Awards, iGB Affiliate, SBC Casino Beats, and AffPapa Awards. Most recently, it has been shortlisted as an “Affiliate Software Provider” and “Rising Star Software” at the EGR B2B Awards.

The Referon Insights Seminar will be led by David Harris, B2B Affiliate Team Manager of ReferOn with 7+ years of experience in the iGaming market together with Alexia Gauci, B2B Sales Manager at ReferOn as a moderator. This event will help operators, both existing partners and those who are interested in the product, learn valuable information on what ReferOn can deliver to the user with the following agenda;

Data Discovery: Dashboard, Statistics, Reporting and APIs
Tracking Methodology: Creating a campaign, Creating a media item, Setting deals individually or in bulk, and Bulk actions
Management Tips: Company adjustments, Master affiliate adjustments, Manager reassignments, Password setting and 2FA, Payment method checks, and Support reminders.

The duration of the first seminar will be approximately 45 minutes, followed by a Q&A session. Following the seminar, a set of useful instructions will be published and sent to the participants of the event.

David Harris shared details about the upcoming seminar, “Our goal is to give operators useful hints and tools they need to optimize their processes and scale their affiliate marketing efforts into new markets and regions. We look forward to sharing our knowledge and experience with the community.”

ReferOn’s team invites all interested operators to join us for this seminar. The number of seminar participants is limited and there is no fee to participate in the session.

Mark in your calendar: 15 May 2024, 2 PM (GMT+2).

News

L&G esports team founded by Alona Shevtsova won the national Dragon EC Cup tournament

Published

1 week ago

April 24, 2024

TheVoice

Ukrainian esports team L&G won the Dragon EC Cup tournament, held on the 20th of April by Dragon Esports Club. Four teams competed in the tournament’s final: Lazer Cats, L&G, which received a direct invitation to the final stage, EsportsBattle, and ThunderFlash, which had open qualifiers. During the Grand Final, the L&G team competed with Lazer Cats on Mirage, Anubis, and Vertigo maps.

“This victory is a testament to the exceptional talent and commitment of our players, as well as the collective effort of our coaching staff and support personnel,” said Alona Shevtsova, founder of L&G Esports. “We are immensely proud of their accomplishments and grateful for the unwavering support of our fans.”

L&G is among the top 5 Ukrainian teams in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It was founded in 2021. The previous name was Leogaming, and it was created on the initiative of the famous Alona Shevtsova from the fintech sector.

The team began competing in top tournaments and almost immediately made it to the Advanced division of the ESEA League Europe competition. The team also participated in and took prizes in European tournaments such as the SCL League, WhiteBit Crypto Open, Phoenix League, and local competitions. The team players are marat2k, r0ublE, kr1vda, kL1o, OneUn1que, rji (coach).

The winners received a 50,000 UAH prize. Dragon Esports Club also prepared a 15-skin giveaway for the broadcast’s viewers.

It is worth mentioning that the L&G team created its merch items, which are available for order worldwide. To get more information about the team, visit the L&G Instagram page, Twitch, or Telegram Channel.

Affiliate Announcements

WA.Technology Launches WA.Affiliates

Published

2 weeks ago

April 17, 2024

George Miller

WA.Technology, an award-winning B2B iGaming solutions provider, announces the launch of WA.Affiliates, a next-gen iGaming affiliate management platform. WA.Affiliates empowers operators to manage and optimise their affiliate programs for enhanced profitability, broader market reach, and streamlined, successful operations.

WA.Affiliates combines an intuitive user interface with a clean, functional design, facilitating simple affiliate performance management. The platform solution is built on real-time optimisation and informed analytics so operators can expand their reach, increase traffic, and boost revenue with maximum efficiency.

Key features include personalised and customisable agreements for each affiliate, integrated user tracking for intelligent insights, and an optimised iGaming-oriented back-office. WA.Affiliates’ support includes zero setup fees alongside free panel transitions and integrated wallets for transaction security and straightforward migration.

Operators can reap the benefits of effortless management thanks to WA.Affiliates’ user-friendly dashboard configuration. Around-the-clock support offers real-time assistance and uncomplicated navigation, giving operators the upper hand in the global marketplace. Hourly insights, detailed reports, and in-depth analysis perfect data-driven decisions for improved acquisition and retention strategies. WA.Affiliates also motivates affiliates via its engaging gamification system, and intelligent user-tracking provides accurate information on campaign performance.

Tim Scoffham, CEO of WA.Technology, shared his enthusiasm for the launch, saying, “With WA.Affiliates, we’re forging a new path in the iGaming industry, creating a platform that not only meets but anticipates the needs of our partners. Our focus on innovation and customised solutions makes WA.Affiliates a key player in driving growth and profitability. We’re simplifying affiliate management to deliver tangible results, demonstrating our commitment to leading the way in digital excellence. At WA.Technology, we’re not just following the path to excellence – we’re creating it.”