News

Advertising gambling in Italy: how the dignity decree has affected online casinos

Published

2 years ago

June 7, 2021

Advertising gambling in Italy: how the dignity decree has affected online casinos

One of the oldest pastimes, the fine sport of gambling, is at risk with strict new laws taking effect in countries like Italy, with the government’s 2018 implementation of the Dignity Decree that directly affects advertising gambling in Italy.

The creation of the Dignity Decree placed a strict ban on gambling-related companies from advertising, providing sponsorship, the marketing of gaming services & products, and all promos related to gambling including on billboards as well as online.

Talk about a challenge for gaming companies operating in Italy, this decree hits advertisers and sponsors hard but also sponsees, such as with soccer clubs are losing huge amounts in potential sponsorships from online gambling companies.

What is the Italian gambling dignity decree?

The Italian Gambling Dignity Decree would be approved and implemented in 2018 drastically changing the way in which gambling-related companies would be able to advertise within Italy. The general gist of the decree prevents direct and indirect gambling related advertising such as commercial ads, billboards, and sponsorships either in print form or online including social media platforms. A financial nuisance and major obstacle for the surge of online gambling companies that have recently hit the online space in Italy.

The purpose of the Italian Gambling Dignity Decree, which was ushered in by Italy’s Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni (AGCOM), was to establish a layer of control and protection for Italian citizens reducing exposure to gambling opportunities and therefore preventing a potential rise in gambling addiction.

Another key component of the Decree was the new layer of player protection being provided. In just the last year alone due to COVID-19 and mandatory stay-at-home orders imposed throughout Italy there has been a steep rise in the number of online gamblers with a diverse background counting young professionals and elderly amongst the spectrum of players.

The caveat of the dignity decree is the ability for companies to advertise if promoting and pushing messages surrounding responsible gambling and legal gambling products and services, however even during these promotional campaigns gambling companies are still not permitted to use their logo or branding.

The country’s gambling advertising ban on sports

The Italian gambling Dignity Decree has had an immediate and direct effect on sports in Italy from the Olympics all the way to A series sports clubs. As most of Italy’s sports clubs work with betting companies through sponsorship support the loss in ability to advertise alongside them is leaving clubs at a financial disadvantage.

Post COVID and a year-long shutdown the sporting industry including football clubs have had to aggressively rally to find new business solutions pressing them to demand from the Italian government a suspension of the Decree.

Getting new clients with the Italian gambling advertising ban

The question you’re probably asking yourself is the same question every gambling company operating in Italy once asked: So then how do we acquire new clients if we aren’t permitted to advertise?

Let’s see the possibilities a company has with the advertising ban:

What’s banned by the Italian gambling Dignity Decree

As we mentioned above, the Italian gambling Dignity Decree limits the possibilities of advertising gambling in Italy.

To protect Italian players it prevents both, direct and indirect gambling related print and online advertising including commercials, sponsorships and billboards.

Advertising gambling in Italy: what’s still possible?

Despite Italy’s Anti-gambling 5Star movement and the current administration’s support of the Decree there have been countless pleas from the business, sports and gambling-related sector to suspend the Decree.

The holy grail of workarounds for gambling companies is the popular online practice of affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing occurs when online companies pay websites to mention and link their company.

The advertisement in this marketing tactic involves text and links (SEO) as opposed to flashy advertisements oftentimes found on the side of articles we read, or our Facebook feeds, or even the advertisements when we Google search.

Casino comparison sites in Italy

Affiliate marketing in Italy is essential for online gambling companies to be able to reach potential new players while respecting the italian gambling advertising ban.

The necessity of affiliate marketing for advertising gambling in Italy has then created the need for casino comparison sites such as ProCasino, where players can find all the casinos related information in one place and can pick the one that best fit their needs.

These casino comparison sites are flooding the online space, with new sites operating and catering to gambling-related companies in need of affiliate marketing. These sites tend to create a spreadsheet of comparisons including the gambling company’s welcome deposit bonuses, fee amounts, payout times and a number of other key information a player may be interested in learning.

A popular new section being added to comparison sites includes the deposit and payout options as gambling-related companies are finding Millennial and Gen Z users in particular looking more and more to use cryptocurrencies when playing.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can say that the Italian gambling Dignity Decree, as much as it is making advertising gambling in Italy through common practices almost impossible, it has also proved its effectiveness in protecting players.

Furthermore, the Italian gambling advertising ban is permitting the growth of casino comparison sites that provide updated information on various providers. Each user can then compare all the platforms, evaluate which one best fits his knowledge, possibilities and needs.

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Fiat & Crypto: King Billy players get the best of both worlds

Published

4 hours ago

March 20, 2023

George Miller

Fiat & Crypto: King Billy players get the best of both worlds

See how the casino players can deposit in crypto and play in fiat.

Since the dawn of e-gaming robust payment systems have been crucial for the success of any online casino, as they are a key factor in creating a positive and satisfying gaming experience. Moreover, the availability of different payment options allows players to choose the method that works best for them, whether it be classical fiat money or cryptocurrency.

But is it possible for an operator to give its players the best of both worlds, fiat and crypto at once? Yes, it is, with the King Billy feature “deposit in crypto, play in fiat”. The concept is simple. A casino player deposits in crypto (choosing among 4 cryptocurrencies King Billy supports). Then, the system automatically shows them their balance in the currency of their choice (among the 14 currencies King Billy supports, used by more than 3 billion people worldwide). When the players withdraw, their transaction takes place back in crypto.

What are the advantages of this system? Ruslan Legenzov, King Billy Casino Head of Affiliates (or “Lord of Affiliates” as the internal etiquette demands) has the answers: “Good things come in threes, and there are certainly 3 very good things about our “deposit in crypto, play in fiat” feature.

First of all, depositing in crypto means less hassle and paperwork for the player and elimination of the dreaded “transaction not coming through” issue. This has been a problem and actually a torment for many of our players in remote areas of the world. As a global casino, we are happy to act in ways that give peace of mind to our players.

Secondly, this system offers a greater player experience to the King Billy Citizens and Nobles, as they can now take advantage of our numerous promotions and offers in fiat. For example, players who deposit in crypto can now participate in our extremely popular fiat-only “Slot of the Month” offer, that’s been a staple of our casino since our launch.

Finally, with “deposit in crypto, play in fiat” our players, especially the not so cryptocurrency-savvy have a much clearer understanding of their wins or losses. I am sure that a player, let’s say from Vietnam, prefers to see, in real time, how much his slot win is worth in the Vietnamese Dong than running in parallel a crypto converter tool to do the math!”

Well said and well done your Majesty.

For those interested in the “deposit in crypto, play in fiat” feature, King Billy Casino accepts the following currencies: Euro (€), US Dollar ($), Canadian Dollar (C$), Australian Dollar (A$), New Zealand Dollar (NZ$), Norwegian Krone (kr), Indian Rupee (₹), South African Rand (R), Vietnamese dong (₫), Indonesian rupiah (Rp), Malaysian ringgit (RM), Thai baht (฿) and the Philippine peso (₱). King Billy also accepts the following cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC) and Tether (USDT).

King Billy Casino is a new-generation online casino, launched on St. Patrick’s Day in 2017. It is available in 4 languages (English, German, French and Finnish) and it has an impressive record in awards with 25 wins, shortlists and other distinctions, and an amazing variety of features and games. King Billy has prioritized the creation of a superb user experience, focusing on the myth of King Billy and his Kingdom and treats all players with the specialness they deserve.

London Affiliate Conference

Records tumble as iGB Affiliate London grows attendance by 40% with delegates travelling from 101 nations

Published

1 week ago

March 10, 2023

George Miller

Records tumble as iGB Affiliate London grows attendance by 40% with delegates travelling from 101 nations

The 2023 edition of iGB Affiliate London has broken all records with more attendees travelling from more countries than at any time in the event’s history. The number of unique show visitors attending iGB Affiliate London ’23 totaled 5,763 a 40% uplift on the April 2022 edition (4,116) and 19% ahead of 2020 (4,844) which was the last edition of iGB Affiliate London to take place prior to Covid. The number of visitor days which measures return visits, stands at 7,176.

The brand’s impressive international credentials were once again in evidence with visitors travelling to London from 101 nations – the first time that iGB Affiliate London has broken through the symbolic ‘three figures’ for international representation.

With every show metric in positive territory Portfolio Director Naomi Barton expressed her thanks to the entire iGB Affiliate community for its support and for helping to make the 2023 edition so successful. She stated: “We’ve worked in partnership with colleagues active in the iGaming Affiliate sector to deliver an event that provides what the industry requires across all fronts.

“Our focus was to deliver on our pledge to provide delegates with access to new business strategies, new thinking, new trends, new technologies and new content, in the process keeping the iGB Affiliate London proposition fresh and compelling.”

“This edition of iGB Affiliate London was physically the largest on record and the continued demand for space from both new and existing exhibitors underlines the fact that iGB Affiliate London is regarded by our stakeholders -who are based throughout the world – as being their flagship event.”

“Significantly 24% of attendees were making their first appearance at iGB Affiliate London with 1 in 10 affiliate visitors new to gambling. The ability to bring new people into the igaming affiliate space represents an important attribute of the brand.”

Away from the exhibition show floor a total of 450 sector professionals attended the prestigious iGB Affiliate Awards which recognized the ‘best of the best’ across 19 categories. Better Collective Co-founders, Jesper Søaard (CEO) and Christian Kirk Rasmussen (COO) were awarded with the blue riband ‘Affiliate Idol – Lifetime Achievement Award’ for their successful contributions to the industry.

On receiving the Award Jesper Søgaard, Co-founder and CEO said: “I speak for Christian too, when I say that it is an incredibly humbling feeling to not only have been considered but chosen to receive the Affiliate Idol Award. Christian and I may have laid the foundation for something great but without our dedicated colleagues, Better Collective would not be where it is today. I am very honoured but also trust that with our vision to become the Leading Digital Sports Media Group, ‘the best has yet to come’.”

The Affiliate Awards sponsors comprised V.Partners (Stage Sponsor), Safe Affiliates Programs (Photobooth), YGAM (Safer Gambling) and Trueplay (NFT).

Awards

Casino Guru Awards invites you to watch the live ceremony on February 22

Published

4 weeks ago

February 20, 2023

George Miller

Casino Guru Awards invites you to watch the live ceremony on February 22

The Casino Guru Awards Ceremony is just a week away with the grand date set for Wednesday, February 22 at 13:00 CET. The event will take place online and reunite casino experts and companies, distinguishing them for their efforts and hard work in making the gambling industry a safer place for everyone.

Casino Guru Awards 2023 will reveal the names of the winners of each of the seven categories online during a YouTube live stream hosted by the team. During the event, each of the seven categories will be discussed and a winner – finally announced.

The inaugural edition of the Awards focuses on distinguishing brands across seven core categories that are considered the linchpin of safe and responsible gambling in the industry. Those categories are as follows:

The Fairest Bonus Policy
The Fairest General T&Cs
The Most Impactful Social Responsibility Initiative
The Best Implementation of RG Tools
The Most Transparent Casino
The Most Effective Handling of Complaints Voice of the People

To judge each of the categories, Casino Guru Awards turned to some of the most prominent names in the gambling industry who sat as judges across the panels and sought to distinguish the most worthwhile and deserving gambling companies. The event’s schedule is as follows:

13:00 Event Begins
13:10 Panel with industry expert judges
13:30 Winner of ‘The Most Impactful Social Responsibility Initiative’ category
announced
13:30 Winner of ‘The Best Implementation of RG Tools’ category announced
14:05 Short Break
14:10 Winner of ‘The Most Effective Handling of Complaints’ category announced
14:30 Winner of ‘The Fairest Bonus Policy’ category announced
14:50 Winner of ‘The Fairest General T&Cs’ category announced
15:10 Winner of ‘The Most Transparent Casino’ category announced
15:30 Short Break
15:35 Winner of the ‘Voice of the People’ category announced

The nominees include prominent operators, international gambling and entertainment giants, safe and responsible gambling specialists, tech and data companies, and others.

Apart from the seven core categories judged by the expert list of specialists, Casino Guru Awards 2023 features a “Voice of the People” category voting for which has been going since December 1, 2023. The category’s winner, driven solely by people’s votes, will also be revealed during the upcoming ceremony next week.

Casino Guru proudly invites you to the Casino Guru Awards 2023 ceremony, which you will be able to attend virtually. Viewers are encouraged to ask questions, and should they want to, open discussions using the Slido platform. Do not miss the biggest iGaming event next week – tune in to watch Casino Guru Awards 2023!