IGT Enters Electronic Bingo Market in Canada

Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is first operator in Canada to feature IGT's new electronic bingo content

LONDON, U.K. (November 14, 2018) -- International Game Technology PLC ("IGT") (NYSE: IGT) today announced that the Company recently launched first-of-its-kind electronic bingo content for the Canadian market. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation ("OLG") is the first Lottery in Canada to feature a range of IGT's electronic bingo games through a pilot at twelve of OLG's charitable gaming centers.

IGT is the global leader in gaming. We enable players to experience their favorite games across all channels and regulated segments, from Gaming Machines and Lotteries to Interactive and Social Gaming. Leveraging a wealth of premium content, substantial investment in innovation, in-depth customer intelligence, operational expertise and leading-edge technology, our gaming solutions anticipate the demands of consumers wherever they decide to play. We have a well-established local presence and relationships...

IGT's engaging electronic bingo games such as Bengal Eyes®, Golden Rooster® and Pharaoh's Legacy® are among the many exciting titles that players can enjoy at twelve OLG-governed charitable gaming destinations.

"Launching electronic bingo content in Canada represents a meaningful growth opportunity for IGT and our customers," said David Flinn, IGT Regional Vice President Canada. "IGT's bingo portfolio for Canada complements our existing solutions portfolio for the region, and is anchored in dynamic titles that were localized to meet the needs of our customers and their players. Following a successful launch with OLG, we look forward to extending our electronic bingo installed base to additional provinces throughout Canada."

For more information, visit IGT.com or go to Facebook at facebook.com/IGT, follow us on Twitter, twitter.com/IGTnews or watch IGT videos on youtube.com/igt.

About IGT

IGT (NYSE:IGT) is the global leader in gaming. We enable players to experience their favorite games across all channels and regulated segments, from Gaming Machines and Lotteries to Digital and Social Gaming. Leveraging a wealth of premium content, substantial investment in innovation, in-depth customer intelligence, operational expertise and leading-edge technology, our gaming solutions anticipate the demands of consumers wherever they decide to play. We have a well-established local presence and relationships with governments and regulators in more than 100 countries around the world, and create value by adhering to the highest standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. IGT has over 12,000 employees. For more information, please visit www.igt.com

CONTACT:

SOURCE: International Game Technology PLC (IGT).

INTRALOT Signs a Two-Year Contract Extension Together with the Green Light to be the Provider of the New Mexico Sports Lottery Game

ATHENS, Greece (November 12, 2018) -- On October 30th the New Mexico Lottery Board voted unanimously to move forward with the creation of a game tied to the outcome of sporting events (Sports Lottery) as well as to grant a 2-year extension on its existing online systems contact with INTRALOT. This move reflects the great long-term partnership and appreciation between the New Mexico Lottery and INTRALOT built for nearly 11 years now.

The New Mexico Lottery will be the first Lottery in the United States to authorize a Sports wagering lottery game to be available through its entire retail network, approximately 1,100 retail terminals. Players will be able to make their selections from a wide menu of sporting events made available to them together with their possible outcomes (Parlay wagering game).

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Specifically, the agreement includes the deployment and customization of INTRALOT’s holistic and cross-channel Sports Lottery Gaming Platform along with the terminal software for the operation of its 1,100 terminals. INTRALOT will also provide the Lottery with its suite of fully Managed Services related to the Sports Lottery game including Risk management and Trading services guaranteeing the payout of the game as well as product and marketing services (i.e. acquisition, retention, promotions).

INTRALOT will also offer dedicated training to all of New Mexico’s retail network and Lottery personnel, as well as related system operation, software maintenance and supporting activities.

Mr. David Barden, New Mexico Lottery Chief Executive Officer, stated: “Today we reinforced our strong partnership with our systems vendor, INTRALOT by extending our contract for another 2 years.  We also moved the Lottery industry forward as we took the approval from our Board to launch a Sports Lottery game throughout our retail network. We are convinced sports lottery games will provide new and exciting experiences for our players while significantly increasing dollars being transferred to our scholarship fund for student beneficiaries.   We are always looking for games that strengthen our Lottery brand by attracting Millennials and other new players.  Lottery games of this type are fun to play and will move us in that direction.”

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INTRALOT Group CEO Antonios Kerastaris stated: “This is a special day for us, not only because we renew our partnership with a great client but also for breaking ground with a new sports lottery contract, leveraging our extensive experience and our latest technology on sports prognostics, our first such venture in the US in the post-PASPA period.  I look forward to the new era bringing in all our lottery modernization expertise while extending my sincere thanks the New Mexico Lottery for their trust and continued partnership”.

About INTRALOT

INTRALOT, a public listed company established in 1992, is a leading gaming solutions supplier and operator active in 52 regulated jurisdictions around the globe. With €1.1 billion turnover and a global workforce of approximately 5,100 employees (3,100 of which in HQ and subsidiaries and 2,000 in associates) in 2017, INTRALOT is an innovation – driven corporation focusing its product development on the customer experience. The company is uniquely positioned to offer to lottery and gaming organizations across geographies market-tested solutions and retail operational expertise. The company has designed a new ecosystem of holistic omni-channel solutions across verticals (Lottery, Betting, Interactive, VLT) for Lotteries digital transformation. INTRALOT has been awarded the prestigious WLA Responsible Gaming Framework Certification by the World Lottery Association (WLA) and the WLA certificate for the Security Control standard.

For more info: Mr. Chris Sfatos, Group Corporate Affairs Director, Phone: +30-210 6156000, Fax: +30-210 6106800, email: sfatos@intralot.com.

SOURCE: INTRALOT (www.intralot.com).

Skilrock to Launch its 4th Gen Platform at WLS, Buenos Aires

GURUGRAM, India (November 15, 2018) -- After the successful tradeshow at G2E Vegas, Skilrock once again comes to the Lottery industry’s most prestigious event - The World Lottery Summit at Buenos Aires, Argentina. As a Gold Contributor Skilrock is fully aligned with the spirit of the event ‘Gaining the edge in the new world’ and therefore it will launch its 4th generation platform that promises to take the lottery & gaming industry to the new world.

This latest technology platform promises to bring a paradigm shift in the way lottery operators would like to transform themselves with a cutting edge in the new world that is unfolding before us. With an increased focus on Americas, this is the fourth major event in a series of major events in the lottery and gaming industry, where Skilrock is exhibiting.

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Mr. Sujit Lahiry, Executive Director at Skilrock Technologies Pvt. Ltd, commented “We have been always aligned with the theme of the WLS. After demonstration of Green Lottery at WLS 2016, Singapore, Skilrock will now be showcasing its latest 4th generation platform at WLS 2018, that is designed for the new world with infinite possibilities for diverse markets with immersive games, channels, technologies of today and fully extensible for tomorrow. Infinite possibilities of extending new age technologies for Smart Retailing, Exciting electronic instants, Transforming local games, Leveraging Digital world, Managing Player Loyalties will be some of the key highlights of the full services omni-channel platform of Skilrock. Looking forward to seeing you at Buenos Aires.”

About Skilrock Technologies

Skilrock Technologies is a leading technology solution provider for the lottery, gaming and payment industry with its R&D centres located at global IT hubs. It is technology arm of $2 billion Sugal & Damani Group, who are leaders of Indian lottery & gaming operations.

The Omni-Channel Gaming Platform of Skilrock serves RETAIL, iGAMING & SELF SERVICE channels with equal ease and at the same time supporting a wide variety of games like Lotto, Keno, Bingo, Instant, Sports, Poker, Rummy, Casino and Slots. More than 120,000 retail touch points and over 5 million iGaming players across 22 jurisdictions have been serviced by Skilrock.

CONTACT: Sourabh Goyal, Manager – Marketing & Sales, Office: +91 124 4193500, Mobile: +91 88 2631 5550, Email: sourabh.goyal@skilrock.com.

SOURCE:  Skilrock Technologies (www.skilrock.com).

Mega Millions, Powerball Runs Lead to Highest Sales and Income Month in Kentucky Lottery History

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (November 12, 2018) -- The near-world record Mega Millions jackpot run – in tandem with a Powerball jackpot run that rose to more than $680 million – led to the most successful sales month in the nearly 30-year history of the Kentucky Lottery.

Overall sales for the month were $115.5 million, which is $33.2 million (or 40.3%) more than budgeted. This shatters the previous record sales month from January 2016, when a world-record Powerball jackpot of $1.6 billion led to sales of $105.1 million.

This in turn led to $34.4 million in monthly net income to the Commonwealth for the month, again a record. This surpasses the previous record, also set in January 2016 by $1.8 million.

Kentucky players hoping to win the $1.5 billion jackpot awarded in October spent $21.2 million on Mega Millions tickets alone. This exceeded the $3.8 million October budgeted sales for the game by $17.4 million. Powerball ticket sales for the month were $13.3 million, which exceeded the budgeted sales for the game in October by $7 million (or 114%).

Lottery Scratch-off tickets also posted a solid month, realizing $55.1 million in sales. That’s $9.3 million (or 20.3%) higher than budgeted.

The Lottery’s online sales portal also saw its highest sales level in the site’s history, driven in part by the number of players going there for Mega Millions and Powerball tickets. Instant Play games online realized $1.5 million in sales, beating the old record by $300,000.

“While jackpot games were obviously the major driving force behind these record sales, our other products also did really well,” said the Lottery’s President and CEO Tom Delacenserie. “Great performance by our Scratch-offs and strong online sales helped bring home the record month. We have a solid plan ahead for November to help sustain the forward momentum, as our state’s college students are counting on us for scholarship and grant proceeds.”

The Kentucky Lottery has earned over $5.1 billion for the Commonwealth since 1989.  KLC dividends pay for college scholarships, grants and literacy programs. Visit kheaa.com to find out more about grants and scholarships paid for by the KLC.

For More Information CONTACT: Chip Polston, Jennifer Cunningham or Sara Westerman, T: (502) 560-1675.

SOURCE: Kentucky Lottery press release.

Maryland Lottery Launches Enhanced Player Loyalty Program

BALTIMORE, MD (November 8, 2018) -- The newly enhanced My Lottery Rewards™ program will add exciting opportunities for Lottery players.

Beginning November 13, members of My Lottery Rewards, the Lottery’s free player loyalty program, will be able to earn more and win more — with new ways to earn rewards and new ways to redeem points.

By entering eligible Maryland Lottery tickets into your Rewards account, you will earn prize points that can be redeemed for great merchandise like music downloads and e-gift cards in the digital marketplace; or electronics, sporting goods, jewellery and more in the Points for Prizes® store.

You can also earn draw points that can be used to enter drawings for chances to win prizes like sports packages, merchandise, electronics and more.

And, of course, all of your favourite second-chance contests, like Ravens and the Warehouse Dash, will still be available.

Want to become a Rewards member? It’s easy to start earning rewards — and it’s free! Just visit mdlottery.com/rewards or download the free My Lottery Rewards mobile app to register your account. (You must be 18 years or older to register.)

For more details, see the Frequently Asked Questions section on the My Lottery Rewards website.

Visit the My Lottery Rewards website on November 13 for more information.

SOURCE: Maryland Lottery press release.

Francaise des Jeux Becomes Official Gaming Partner of the NBA in France; A First in Europe for a Sports Betting Operator

FRANCE (November 13, 2018) -- This partnership is the first of its kind for the NBA in Europe. It will allow ParionsSport, the sportsbook brand of FDJ, the leader in sports betting in France, to reach millions of fans of the famous American basketball league considered as the most prestigious world championship of the discipline in terms of exposure , audience and level of play.

FDJ and the NBA announce a partnership making ParionsSport the official and exclusive partner of the NBA for sports betting in France. As part of this partnership, FDJ will be able to use the image of the NBA and its franchises for its sports betting activity and its communication, to offer its players and fans exclusive experiences during matches of the NBA regular season in Europe. and in the United States, and finally will benefit from increased visibility and media exposure on all digital platforms of the NBA in France; including NBA.com, the NBA app and NBA social media, which will offer content dedicated to ParionsSport.

In addition, the NBA will be highlighted in the network of 27,000 FDJ ParionsSport outlets, as well as on digital platforms and ParionsSport social networks. In addition, FDJ will be able to display the official statistics of the NBA on the live matches and thus propose one of the most competitive offers of the market on the competition.

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Sports betting is one of the pillars of the FDJ strategy (€ 2.5 billion in sales in 2017 and 17% of stakes). FDJ ranks among the top 10 sports betting operators worldwide.

In this, FDJ stands as a complete player in this market whose sales have doubled since 2010. Out of a total of thirty sports, basketball represents the third sport in terms of bets for ParionsSport on its two channels of play off line and on line; the NBA represents, it, the second sporting competition most put on line.

The NBA is a strong benchmark brand in the world of sports and sports betting. It enjoys a strong exposure in the world in the wake of several French players evolving in NBA displaying a worldwide notoriety.

France is the 3rd most represented country in the NBA with 9 French players playing in the biggest franchises. ParionsSport strengthens its close relationship with the most popular sports for the benefit of punters.

FDJ and the NBA will also be concerned to share best practices, information and experiences in raising awareness and monitoring sports handling risks related to sports betting.

Indeed, FDJ has a monitoring expertise in sports betting for more than 30 years, having launched in France the Football Loto in 1985 and the bet aside in 2003.

"We are delighted to partner with FDJ, the leader in the sports betting market in France," said Vandana Balachandar, Vice President, Global Partnerships NBA.

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"This collaboration will result in the best possible gambling experience for users. And this especially through the consideration of official data of the NBA in real time and a betting offer among the most competitive market, while implementing a joint effort to preserve the sports integrity of our matches."

"Being an official partner of the NBA, the most prestigious basketball competition in the world, will allow ParionsSport to offer an even richer betting experience to its bettors, to be even more in the game and thereby to expand its reach to new audiences. For us, basketball is on the podium of the most played sports. Thanks to the NBA and the exclusive partnership that we are forming with it, it will remain so, strengthen and become even more popular and motivating for our punters," summarizes Richard Courtois, Director of Sports Activities Paris FDJ.

about FDJ

Sports paris is a market development potential whose practice is democratized in France. FDJ made € 2.5bn in sports bets in 2017; or 17% of FDJ bets on its two channels of betting "ParionsSport Point of Sale" and "ParionsSport Online". In 2018, FDJ posted € 1.6 billion, + 24.6%, in sales in the first half of which € 333 million in bets made at the World Cup football.

About the NBA

The NBA is a sports and media company, built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women's National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League. The NBA has an international presence with matches broadcast in 215 countries in 50 different languages and sells its products in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries and six continents. At the beginning of the 2018-19 season the NBA teams included 108 international players from 42 countries and territories. The digital tools of the NBA include the NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and the NBA League Pass. The NBA has built one of the world's largest social networking communities, with 1.5 billion likes and followers across all league platforms, teams and players. Through its NBA Cares program, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth service organizations that support education, youth and family support, and health-related causes. .

SOURCE: La Francaise des Jeux (FDJ).

Svenska Spel’s New Campaign Emphasizes: Social Responsibility, Major Sponsor of Swedish Sport and State-Owned

VISBY, Sweden (November 12, 2018) -- Social responsibility, major sponsor of Swedish sport and state-owned - these are areas that Svenska Spel emphasizes when the Group positions itself for the reorganization of the Swedish gaming market. The brand campaign on the theme "The world's Swedishest gaming company" starts on November 12th.

From the turn of the year, a major change in the Swedish gaming market takes place with a new gaming legislation, which means, among other things, that foreign gaming companies can apply for a license to offer games in Sweden. Svenska Spel welcomes the change and prepares by launching a new branding campaign.

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"Now that we finally compete on equal terms in the gaming market, we want to make it clear that we are different from many other gaming companies. We are the entire Swedish people's gaming company, and this means, for example, that the entire profit returns to the state and benefits society, thus taking social responsibility. Everyone may not know what we stand for. With our new branding campaign, we show that it is important which gaming company you choose,” says Joakim Mörnefält, Communications and Sustainability Director Svenska Spel.

The new concept is called the world's Swedish gaming company, claiming that Svenska Spel conducts its business in a unique way, where state ownership, social responsibility and proximity to the sporting movement are some of the pillars.

“Svenska Spel is Sweden's oldest gaming company and has made the game a popular entertainment by offering games for everyone. With the concept "The world's Swedish gaming company", we want to lift the Swedish way of running gaming companies, that is, shaky, trustworthy and genuine - endowed with a lot of humor and glimpse in the eye. In the concept, we also want to show that we are a caring and inclusive gaming company. Everyone is welcome and we have something for everyone,” says Anna Fohlin, Marketing Manager, the Swedish brand brand brand.

Svenska Spel also wants to emphasize that the group is owned by the Swedish state, that is, the entire Swedish people from north to south, and that all revenues return to Swedish society.

"We have a unique position and we take it into the new gaming market. When the other companies are screaming, we want a little more sensible tone. At the same time, we are clear about lifting what we are good at and that we actually see things in a slightly different way. One example is that for us a bonus is not a game bonus, but a bonus that benefits society as a whole, "says Anna Fohlin.

About the concept and campaign

The concept has been developed together with Bloomy. The campaign will be on TV, outdoors, digital screens, SoMe and on-line.

SOURCE: Svenska Spel media release.

Manhattan Man Wins Largest Jackpot in New York Lottery History

NEW YORK (November 14, 2018) -- Sixty-seven-year-old Robert Bailey has come forward to claim the $343.8 million winning ticket from the October 27, 2018 Powerball drawing. Bailey, of New York City, now has the distinction of winning the largest jackpot in New York Lottery history. His winning ticket matched all six of the numbers drawn; numbers he said he has been playing for over twenty-five years.

“A family member gave me the numbers over twenty-five years ago and I faithfully play them,” explained Bailey.

The retired federal government employee purchased his lucky ticket at the West Harlem Deli on 5th Avenue in Harlem.  “I buy my tickets at three of four different stores. It was raining that day so I went into the deli to get out the rain and bought my ticket there.”

Bailey said he checked his ticket online after the drawing and was in shock at what he saw.  “I said to myself, ‘these look like my numbers.’  “I tried to remain calm and sat down to watch some shows I had on my DVR.  I didn’t sleep the rest of the night.”

The winning Powerball numbers for the October 27th drawing were 8-12-13-19-27 Powerball 4.

Bailey opted to take the cash value of the annuitized prize, earning him a single lump sum payment totalling $198,086,518. His net check will total $125,396,690 after required withholdings. Bailey was presented his winnings today by Yolanda Vega of the New York Lottery at an event at Resorts World Casino New York City.

When asked how it felt to win an historic Lottery jackpot Bailey said, “It’s a good life changer. I plan to do the right thing with the money.”

As far as continuing to play the Lottery Bailey said “Yes, I will continue playing my numbers until this train runs out!”

New York Lottery Director Gweneth Dean offered her congratulations to Bailey.  “We congratulate Robert on his historic Lottery win. It’s good to see a new record set in New York. I should also note that this is a good thing across the board as New York also had two one million dollar winners and 26 winners of $150,000 or more for this drawing.”

 Dean noted that the jackpot win and increased ticket sales also had a ripple effect in New York. During the jackpot roll up that began on August 12 and ended on October 27, New York’s Powerball prizes to players was more than $363 million, Aid to Education accrued more than $39 million and Lottery retailers earned $6.6 million in commissions.

This is the second consecutive Powerball jackpot won in New York this year. The most recent win came in September when the Sea and Sand Trust won the $245.6 million jackpot.

The New York Lottery contributed $ 1,337,283,719 in Lottery Aid to Education to school districts throughout the five boroughs of New York City during fiscal year 2017-2018.

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.37 billion in fiscal year 2017-2018 to help support education in New York State. The Lottery’s contribution represents approximately 13 percent of total state education aid to local school districts.

New York Lottery revenue is distributed to local school districts by the same statutory formula used to distribute other state aid to education. It takes into account both a school district’s size and its income level; larger, lower-income school districts receive proportionately larger shares of Lottery school funding.

New Yorkers struggling with a gambling addiction, or who know someone who is, can find help by calling the State's toll-free, confidential HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (467369).

CONTACT: NYS Gaming Commission, Press Office: T: 518-388-3415, Email: Info@gaming.ny.gov.

SOURCE:  New York Lottery.

Administrative Court Rejects Appeals by Unlicensed Operators Against the Lottery Inspectorate's Deliberations

SWEDEN (November 13, 2018) -- The Administrative Court in Linköping rejects a large number of appeals against the Lottery Inspectorate's deliberations. Administrative law finds that the injunctions are in accordance with the Constitution, do not violate EU law and that the Lottery Inspectorate has made decisions. This means that the testimony is confirmed and that it is not allowed to link to games sites that are not in Swedish.

In May 2018, the Lottery Inspectorate instructed 39 Internet domain owners to know to cease to promote participation in a lottery organized outside the country.

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The present submissions concerned clickable graphics that, for a commercial purpose, forward (link) the site visitor to a lottery organized outside the country.

Internet Domain Holders Refused Appeals

Sörmlands Media AB, Norrköpings Tidning Media AB, Svenska Dagbladet AB, Skellefteå AIK Hockey, Norra Västerbotten Newspaper Company, Stampen Local Media AB, Herenco IT AB, Hall Media AB, Norrköping Tidning's Limited Company, Östgöta Media AB, AB Laholms Tidning, MittMedia AB

Promotion Prohibition

Under section 38 of the Lottery Act (1994: 1000), it is prohibited to promote participation in a lottery organized outside the country for professional purposes, or otherwise for acquisition purposes. In the new game act (2018: 1138) there is a corresponding prohibition on the promotion of illegal games (Chapter 19, Section 2).

The Lottery Inspectorate may, in accordance with Section 52 of the Lottery Act, notify the injunctions and prohibitions necessary for compliance with the Lottery Act. Such an injunction or prohibition may be combined with a penalty in accordance with the law (1985: 206).

New game day from January 1, 2019 but same rules

Even in the new game act, which comes into force on January 1, 2019, it is forbidden to promote illegal games in Sweden.

Read more about the promotion ban, click here!

SOURCE: Lotteriinspektionen.

Collaborate and Know Your Customers to Make Gambling Safer – Gambling Commission CEO to Leaders of Britain's Gambling Industry

BIRMINGHAM, U.K. (November 8, 2018) -- Gambling Commission Chief Executive Neil McArthur has today called on the industry to work together and know their customers better to make gambling in Britain the fairest and safest in the world.

Mr McArthur made the call at the regulator’s Raising Standards Conference at the International Conference Centre in Birmingham.

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The event, attended by 170 leaders from more than 100 gambling businesses, is aimed at encouraging the most senior members of the industry to take action to boost fairness and safety.

He said: “I want consumers in Britain to be able to enjoy the fairest and safest gambling in the world… and to achieve my aims I need your support: I need you to work together to make sure you are the best - the fairest, safest - gambling operators in the world.”

Mr McArthur told delegates he wanted gambling businesses to collaborate and focus on three areas - understanding the early signs which could indicate a customer is experiencing or developing problems, interacting with those customers to ensure they can receive support and advice, and rebuilding public trust by changing advertising strategies.

“This is a call to action to join the race to the top,” he said. “A race to put your customers, their enjoyment and their safety at the top of the agenda for your management meetings, your board meetings and meetings with your investors.

“A race to approach the minimum requirements we impose as exactly that: minimums not maximums. A race to look for real solutions to the public health issue of gambling-related harm.”

Today’s conference also heard from Jeremy Wright, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and representatives from the Advertising Standards Authority, the Competition and Markets Authority, and Twitter UK.

Guy Parker, ASA Chief Executive, said: “The existing rules that regulate the content and targeting of gambling advertising are working effectively, but there is public concern about the timing and quantity. Today’s Gambling Commission conference is a great opportunity for gambling firms to discuss how those concerns might be addressed.”

George Lusty, CMA Senior Director for Consumer Protection, said: “We’ve seen gambling operators making changes to promotions and withdrawal practices, and this is a great start, but it’s only one aspect of achieving compliance and clearly much more needs to be done by the sector to win back customer trust.

“The best operators going forward will be those who lead by example, those who build on the work we’ve done and treat their consumers fairly and responsibly.”

Dara Nasr, Managing Director for Twitter UK, said: “Twitter recognises the importance of innovation, knowing your customer and acting accordingly to ensure they are treated fairly, and I believe such a stance will serve the other industries well too.

“I think today’s event is a great way for key players in the gambling industry to come together to find new ways to safeguard their customers which will benefit both their businesses and the industry as a whole.”

Click here to read Neil McArthur’s speech to the Raising Standards conference.

SOURCE: UK Gambling Commission.

Enforcement Authorities in Portugal and Luxembourg Successfully Dismantled Illegal Online Gambling Scheme

The Hague, The Netherlands (November 12, 2018) -- After a 15-month investigation conducted by the Portuguese Public Prosecutor’s Office, and with the assistance of Eurojust and Europol, judicial and law enforcement authorities in Portugal and Luxembourg successfully dismantled an organised criminal group (OCG) of more than one hundred people.

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In one year, the OCG’s profits were estimated at EUR 80 million in activities involving illegal online gambling, money laundering and tax fraud.

Between 6 and 8 November, Operation Shadow Game led to a total of 267 searches in Portugal and 8 searches in Luxembourg, resulting in the seizure of EUR 576 000, approximately 3 000 computers and tablets used in illegal gambling, 428 pieces of hardware, 22 firearms and 86 vehicles.

More than EUR 6 million in criminal assets was recovered.

Thirty people were arrested, 29 in Portugal and 1 in Luxembourg, and 14 commercial companies were charged with criminal activity.

The OCG operated since 2015 in several EU Member States and internationally.

The operation was led by the Portuguese Public Prosecution Office (PPO), and was carried out by the Fiscal Action Unit of the Portuguese Republican National Guard (Unidade de Ação Fiscal da Guarda Nacional Republicana) and several territorial police departments, with the cooperation of the judicial and law enforcement authorities of Luxembourg.

The international coordination would not have been possible without the coordination of Eurojust, which assisted with the issuing of European Investigation Orders and freezing orders, and the support of Europol.

CONTACT: For more information about Eurojust, see www.eurojust.europa.eu or contact Eurojust’s Corporate Communications Unit at: media@eurojust.europa.eu, Phone: +31 70 412 5000.

SOURCE: Eurojust press release.

The Swedish Gambling Market is Growing, Unlicensed Foreign Companies Drive Growth

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (November 8, 2018) -- The Swedish gambling market reported gross gaming revenue after payment of winnings of SEK 16.8 billion in the first three quarters of 2018. This was an increase of 1.2% compared with the same period last year. Operators with Swedish permits reported gross gaming revenue of SEK 12.2 billion, down 2.4%. Operators without Swedish permits reported gross gaming revenue of SEK 4.5 billion, up 12.4%.

Market share for operators with Swedish permits was 73% in the first three quarters, while operators without Swedish permits had a market share of 27%. Online gambling increased by 12.9%, while land-based gambling decreased by 8.4%. Betting increased by 13.6% and online casino increased by 11.9%.

• Svenska Spel reported gross gaming revenue of SEK 6.4 billion, down 1.6%. Land-based gambling fell by 9.4% while online gambling increased by 22.5%.
• ATG reported gross gaming revenue of SEK 3.1 billion, down 0.4%. Land-based gambling decreased by 10.0%. Online gambling increased by 6.7%.
• Non-governmental organisations
  - Folkspel, with Bingolotto and Sverigelotten, reported gross gaming revenue of SEK 345 million, down 1.3%.
  - The Swedish Postcode Association reported gross gaming revenue of SEK 1.6 billion, down 5.1%.
  - IOGT-NTO, with Miljonlotteriet among others, reported gross gaming revenue of SEK 171 million, down 24.8%.
  - SAP/SSU, with Kombilotteriet among others, reported gross gaming revenue of SEK 143 million, down 10.7%.
  - Other national lotteries, including Cancerfonden and PRO among others, reported gross gaming revenue of SEK 145 million, up 0.7%.
  - Operators without Swedish permits reported gross gaming revenue of SEK 4.5 billion, up 12.4%.

The gross gaming revenue figures for some of the smaller national lotteries, land-based bingo, restaurant casinos, local and regional lotteries are not included. The Swedish Gaming Authority estimates their gross gaming revenue to be SEK 373 million.

The table for gross gaming revenues per quarter can be found here.

About the data

The Swedish Gambling Authority continually collects and analyses data in order to monitor trends in the field of gambling. The gross gaming revenue figures for operators with Swedish permits are based on the figures supplied by the operators themselves. The figures for operators without Swedish permits are based on the figures from H2 Gambling Capital. Gross gaming revenue means revenue after paying winnings.

Further information CONTACT: Magnus Granlund, Analyst, tel. 0152-650 171, 0765-330 171, Email: magnus.granlund@lotteriinspektionen.se or My Hamrén, Press Officer, tel. 0152-650 174, 0765-330 174, Email: my.hamren@lotteriinspektionen.se

SOURCE: Lotteriinspektionen (The Swedish Gambling Authority),