Articles Archives - Page 2 of 6

SkyCity Auckland looks to early December reopening

November 26, 2021 by Admin

The New Zealand government has confirmed its intent to transition to a new COVID-19 alert system, allowing venues to operate under a trio of restriction tiers.

Auckland is expected to fall under the most severe, red setting, which means venues may only accept vaccinated individuals with specific capacity and social distancing restrictions in place.

SkyCity made the recent commitment that all staff and visitors to its New Zealand casinos and resorts would have to be fully vaccinated to gain entry, irrespective of the alert setting. The company’s SkyCity Auckland venue is expected to reopen from December 3 with its casino, entertainment and accommodation facilities all being open to the public.

“The SkyCity Auckland property will reopen in a staged manner with health and safety measures in place to reflect the Ministry of Health’s latest recommendations and guidelines,” the operator explained in an official statement.

SkyCity Auckland had previously closed doors on August 17 following a COVID-19 Delta variant outbreak in what is New Zealand’s most populated city.

New Leadership

The reopening is not the only significant event that the company has recently announced. The name of the person who will fill the seat of outgoing SkyCity chairman Rob Campbell has been revealed.

Julian Cook is the new appointee to the SkyCity chair role, leaving the former director to assume the job of group chairman from January 1 2022. The company expressed that it is committed to ensuring that the coming weeks are an “orderly transition and handover period.”

In an October announcement, Campbell advised that he was standing down at the end of the year to turn his attention to other work commitments.

“We have made significant progress over the past year to refresh the SkyCity board and I am delighted that Julian has been selected by the SkyCity board to lead SkyCity and the new chair from January 1,” he said.

Cook has a diverse background, previously serving as the chief executive officer of retirement village operator Summerset Group Holdings from 2014 to 2021 and while also assuming the role of a director at Macquarie Group from 2010.

Vital Mandate

Michael Ahearne, the chief executive of Skycity advised the company’s annual meeting that the new traffic light system would enable it to reopen its major casinos and hotels.

“Accordingly, our intention is that all SkyCity properties in New Zealand will operate as vaccination-only venues when the new framework comes into effect – a decision that has been made with the health and safety of our staff and customers in mind. The vaccine mandate would apply to all its 2900 employees, as well as customers, contractors and visitors to any of its New Zealand venues.

“As one of the biggest entertainment venues in New Zealand, and a significant employer in New Zealand, we need to take measures to help keep Kiwis safe,” he said.

Ahearne emphasised the negative impact that the current lockdowns were having on the company, costing it around $1 million a day in lost revenue, rendering the determination of a full-year earnings forecast impossible.

“Trading over the course of the first half of the financial year has been materially impacted by the COVID-19 restrictions, in particular, the ongoing lockdown in the Auckland region and, consequently, the company’s first-half earnings are expected to be impacted from the difficult trading conditions,” he concluded.

Skycity, Adelaide

Microgaming sheds its Quickfire Platform

November 16, 2021 by Admin

Microgaming made the recent announcement that it would be selling its globally-renowned Quickfire distribution business and portfolio. This deal encompasses the platform’s games and the buyer stepping up to the table is Games Global Limited.

As part of the deal, Games Global will also possess several games studios across multiple jurisdictions with the conclusion of this agreement expected to happen by the second quarter of 2022. Once it is done, the buyer will find itself in a highly advantageous position as it will be taking on regulation-ready assets across various jurisdictions.

The management of 25 studios and over 3,000 games, including the platform’s progressive jackpot network and distribution systems that have 260 customers and 980 brands will now pass to Games Global. With this, the previously-held balances of power and influence within the global iGaming industry have shifted enough to guarantee an interesting era ahead.

Starting from the Top

Walter Bugno, the CEO of Games Global, expressed excitement at being able to make such a spectacular entry into the industry as the company is a fairly new venture, having only been established in early 2021.

“We see a very vibrant gaming market at present across the world, with many new regulated markets coming online. The creation of a new large-scale independent supply chain that Games Global will be has not been witnessed for many years,” he said.

Bugno emphasised that his company’s mission is to offer a “best-of-breed product” that creates unmatched end-customer experiences.

Not All the Way Out

Microgaming’s CEO, John Coleman, appeared elated at what he characterised as mutually beneficial and advised that this deal was the conclusion of a lengthy process.

“Games Global will acquire the game IP and distribution business previously known as Quickfire, and Microgaming will continue to support its traditional core business while increasing its reach with the addition of new business and managed services,” he explained.

Quickfire’s influence appears to have rubbed off on Microgaming as the company intends to continue offering turnkey solutions to its key customers.

Microgaming gives back to the environment with a 20th-anniversary tree planting project

October 26, 2021 by Admin

Microgaming has had its headquarters on the Isle of Man for the past 20 years and the international iGaming giant has chosen to look to the future of its local ecosystem with a tree-planting initiative as part of its employee-powered PlayItForward CSR programme.

The project got off the ground on October 8 and 9 when 80 of the company’s volunteers headed to the parish of Rushen to join up with the Manx Wildlife Trust and plant saplings at a prepared site. Over and above this initial planting, Microgaming has donated a further 1500 saplings to the project.

The company has cleverly named the area the “microforest”, and it will be the home to various native tree species like birch aspen, native oak, hawthorn, and wild roses.

Growing Green

The tree planting is the beginning of Microgaming’s promise to transform itself into a sustainable and environmentally responsible entity. The new project will, in around 70 years, yield a fully grown, lush forest that will add to the island’s ecosystem. Not much ongoing maintenance will be required for the site and it will grow naturally, creating natural habitats for the area’s wildlife. The Rushen Fire Station showed up to help irrigate the land, pouring 5000 litres of water into the thirsty ground which has not seen any rainfall in recent weeks

The volunteers were generously provided parking space by the Southern Nomads RUFC, whose pitch is located nearby to the new forest.

Decades of Dedication

Microgaming’s CEO, John Coleman, thanked the volunteers for their hard work, saying,

“As we come to the end of our 20-year celebrations, I’m proud that Microgaming can support a project that will benefit our island for many more decades. Huge thanks to everyone who mucked in to bring the microforest to life, together you have helped plant a legacy that will last for years to come.”

The Conservation Officer for Manx Wildlife Trust, Andree Dubbeldam, expressed joy at the project taking shape, adding,

“The new microforest is the first piece of a massive nature jigsaw that will take shape on land owned by Rushen and Arbory Commissioners over the coming years. The microforest’s location close to Port Erin and Port St Mary means that it will not only bring wildlife into a suburban area, but it will also attract people out into nature, delivering the associated physical and mental health benefits. Children and adults alike will be able to enjoy the space for centuries.”

Microgaming celebrates 20 years in the game and on the isle

May 18, 2021 by Admin

Microgaming, an online casino software monolith famously behind games like Mega Moolah, is in a festive mood after two decades of operations on the Isle of Man. To celebrate, the company will make 20 donations to 20 charitable organisations to mark this milestone.

The organisation will use its PlayItForward corporate social responsibility scheme to distribute the funds to deserving organisations that it has identified. The company is hopeful that helping the identified charities will grant them a much-needed reprieve and benefit the local community at large.

Charity begins at home

This latest act of generosity is not an isolated event. Ever since Microgaming began operating in the Isle of Man the company has consistently supported the island’s local charities. Since 2001, it has contributed over NZD 3.5 million to local charities.

At the time of writing, the developer has pledged its support to the North Ramsey Bowling Club, the Ramsey Grammar School, and the Isle of Man Foodbank, with additional assistance for a young person who is training to become a paramedic also offered. The kindness won’t stop there as 16 new donations are planned for the year.

Going green

Over and above its existing donations, Microgaming intends to pay particular attention to the Isle of Man’s wildlife and environment. The company has plans to construct a ‘microforest’ in the Manx countryside that will boost and support the area’s wildlife and biodiversity for years to come. This project will be managed in collaboration with the Manx Wildlife Trust and Microgaming’s staff members have pledged to plant 1,500 native trees ion the south end of the isle by October 2021.

In an official statement, Microgaming’s CEO, John Coleman said that this year is a special one for the brand and that there could not be a more appropriate way to celebrate calling the island its home than to give back to the place and people that helped it build its success. Mr Coleman further stated that he is filled with pride that the company continues to further establish its roots in the region and that the PlayItForward scheme will seek to continue its support of the community.

LeoVegas keeps it in the family with the opening of an in-house studio

May 11, 2021 by Admin

One of New Zealand’s favourite online casinos, LeoVegas recently publicised a new division of its business. The operator recently launched a new in-house development studio that will create exclusive games for the LeoVegas brands and a few other online casino operators. The new business arm is called Blue Guru Games and is 85% owned by LeoVegas. The new team will employ the company’s combined experience to its advantage for the delivery of games.

The studio is planned to have at least 20 games launched within the next two years with the first of them set for release in late 2021.

Going their own way

LeoVegas CEO – Gustaf Hagman

LeoVegas CEO, Gustaf Hagman, commented on the new development in an official statement, saying that while the company has collaborated with external providers to create exclusive games, the time is now ideal for LeoVegas to take the leap into independent games development. The company will draw on its by drawing from its troves of existing data and casino knowledge, Blue Guru Games is geared at creating innovative online casino games for NZ players.

Hagman continued, saying that the games produced by Blue Guru studio will encompass a wide range of formats and themes including niche, local games for individual markets and more widely targeted international games. The studio also intends to develop titles and unique characters that LeoVegas can employ in its marketing.

LeoVegas hopes that this development will engender increased loyalty to its brands. The operator’s new ability to be flexible in creating games will provide the operator with a competitive advantage. Hagman wrapped up, saying that the new unit will also create a lucrative new revenue stream for LeoVegas.

A considered strategy

The foundation of Blue Guru Games furthers LeoVegas’ strategy of efficiently controlling a bigger portion of the industry’s value chain. The studio will be housed under the LeoVentures subsidiary with Blue Guru Games studio being only one of many LeoVentures affiliates. The company has also created CasinoGrounds as its marketing arm, Pixel.bet, an esports betting operator, and SharedPlay, a multiplayer online casino game platform.

Is Mobile the future of online gambling?

March 23, 2021 by Admin

Gambling technology has always been on the cutting edge of human invention as the various aspects of the pastime have remained popular in our civilisations for millennia. While brick-and-mortar casinos remain highly popular, the emergence of the home computer and later, handheld smart devices has seen gambling transcend physical boundaries with more and more people log in at home or on their mobiles to scratch their gambling itch.

From the time Home PCs have been able to connect to the internet, online casinos sprung up to bring the casino experience to screens everywhere. The smartphone era naturally resulted in far more profound developments and mobile-optimised casinos are in high demand. The breakneck rate of innovation in and uptake of mobile technology could lead one to speculate that mobile gambling will rise to take a major share of the overall market.

Future tech

Modern mobile devices are imbued with impressive processing capabilities and adaptive operating systems that make them ideal for accessing online gambling. Developers in the iGaming industry have been quick to catch the wave of mobile innovation and the competition to provide engaging mobile gambling content and claim a slice of the burgeoning market has never been stiffer.

Despite New Zealand officially outlawing online gambling, punters from the nation regularly patronise online casinos. The convenience of taking your casino experience on the road and securely playing up-to-date releases optimised for mobile devices across all operating systems is seemingly too attractive for the country’s enthusiasts to resist.

Bullish predictions

Land-based casino venues have met the trend of mobile gambling head-on by developing online versions of their offerings frequenters of traditional casinos can now access their favourite gaming environments without setting foot inside the door.

Mobile casinos are achieving phenomenal growth; however, land-based venues will likely hold on to a significant chunk of the market for the foreseeable future, as it is hard to match the holistic entertainment experience that these venues offer.

That being said, online gambling platforms are becoming more sophisticated at simulating the casino experience and the anywhere-anytime aspect of the experience in a world under the cloud o a global pandemic continues to boost the popularity of holding a casino in your palm. Sites like JackpotCity Casino and Ruby Fortune Casino continually up the ante to deliver engaging and increasingly realistic digital casino experiences.

Mobile gouges the competition

March 9, 2021 by Admin

Gambling has made profound evolutionary steps along with human civilisation and the digital age saw one of the world’s most popular pastimes transcend brick and mortar casinos to the screens of computers and mobile devices. Mobile casinos have seen phenomenal growth in popularity as more and more gamblers seek out the convenience, safety, and novelty of holding a casino in the palm of their hand.

The arrival of the internet-connected PC as a standard household device naturally resulted in the rise of online casinos and as smartphones evolved to perform tasks similar to personal computers, the demand for mobile-optimised casino content grew. All indicators point to mobile claiming a significant chunk of the online casino market share in years to come.

Tech progression

With the convenience and speed of PCs being matched by modern mobile devices, developers have been scrambling to develop and release engaging content to the mobile market.

Despite the practice of online gambling in the country being technically illegal, New Zealand gamers have eagerly embraced the emerging technology, and for good reason. Aside from the convenience of being able to play from literally anywhere, most modern titles are developed to be compatible with all possible platforms, so seamlessly taking your experience from your PC screen to your mobile or tablet is virtually effortless. Whether players are fans of Apple, Android, Linux, or any other platform, their access to their favourite titles is guaranteed.

Future-forward

Land-based casino venues have increasingly become aware of the impact of the mobile revolution and have responded accordingly by creating online versions of their services. Players who previously visited and enjoyed their physical establishments can now enjoy a similar digital experience from the comfort of wherever they are.

While mobile casinos are doing swift business, they are unlikely to completely depose the popularity of land-based venues. However, the increasing popularity of online gambling platforms means that anyone with a smartphone has the option of taking their favourite pastime ‘on the road’ with sites like JackpotCity Casino and Ruby Fortune Casino offering a holistic digital casino experience. These sites are convenient and have the advantage of adding games as soon as they are released and feature a full bouquet of associated services to help players get the most out of their play.

Microgaming and Aurum hash out pokies deal

December 1, 2020 by Admin

Microgaming has grown its exclusive player offering for operators with a recent content deal signed with Aurum Signature Studios. The deal means that the developer is the latest addition to Microgaming’s growing network.

Special Content

Microgaming’s content aggregation platform provides casino operators with a globally revered offering that delivers a vast selection of gaming choices from a wide assortment of content partners. Microgaming is constantly on the hunt for independent gaming producers to diversify its selection of pokies and other iGaming content for its clients.

Aurum Signature Studios’ content destined for the platform will include exclusive titles developed specifically for Microgaming and its operator clients. Aurum will make history as Microgaming’s first dedicated creator of exclusively produced pokies, and the company will also allow Microgaming access to a selection of its existing portfolio of titles for the brand’s exclusive use.

These titles include the Christmas-themed A Tale of Elves slot. This 243 Ways To Win game features free spins and stacked wilds and is available now on Microgaming’s platform for operators.

Custom Content

The deal cements Aurum’s brand as an innovator as it will develop custom casino games as part of the agreement. Building on its existing portfolio of over 20 exclusive pokies for operators, Aurum will be able to achieve amplified reach with tier-one operators across the online casino industry.

Microgaming has grown over the years to become one of the top brands in the casino industry. The brand created the first mobile casino in the world in 2004 after launching the first-ever online casino ten years prior in 1994. In addition to its vast selection of pokies, Microgaming’s platform features several other verticals that include Poker, sportsbooks, Bingo, live-dealer games. The company recently added eSports games to its offering, having also signed new content deals with companies including SpinPlay Games, Neon Valley Studios, Pulse 8 Studios, and SlingShot Studios.

NZ casino study panned as unsound & unbalanced

February 14, 2020 by Admin

Juxtaposing the potential downfalls associated with low-risk gambling like occasionally playing the Lottery or casino games from time to time against severe physical disorders such as cancer and physical bodily harm is purely salacious, according to leading New Zealand economic advisor, TBD Advisory.

TBD recently distributed a video commentary, addressing a report on the effects of low-risk gambling, commissioned by the national Ministry of Health. The report, “Measuring the Burden of Gambling Harm in New Zealand” has been characterized by TBD as essentially flawed and possibly even purposefully misleading and biased.

A waste of time and resources

The report reportedly cost the health department NZ$319,000, but this may have been an ill-advised splurge as the research value is highly questionable. According to TBD Advisory, the analysis of low-risk gambling detailed in the report contains no fewer than 10 glaring research flaws.

The research in the report suggests that low-risk gambling is comparable to various diseases and complete physical incapacity due to mutilation. A severe addiction to casino games, sports betting or any other type of gambling is placed alongside suffering from terminal cancer or even the long-lasting effects of a major stroke.

Another identified error purported by the hypothetical “research” is the supposition that gambling is a unique addiction unto itself and is, therefore, damaging and even capable of robbing the addict of up to 20% of their quality of life. This position, unfortunately, disregards the fact that any addiction is rooted in deep, fundamental causes and cannot be seen as stand-alone harm all unto itself.

Questionable survey techniques

The findings of the report are also suspicious because the survey respondents may have been biased towards particular leanings regarding gambling-related harm. The participants were also allegedly not selected completely at random.

The Gaming Machine Association of New Zealand has demanded either the complete withdrawal of the report or that it should be re-published, accompanied by a warning, detailing the potential flaws and biases contained therein. The organisation’s position is that the research report does not paint an accurate picture of the casino industry and is, therefore, of little to no value.

NZ Casinos take on facial recognition tech

February 4, 2020 by Admin

Facial recognition technology is becoming a regular feature at land-based casinos across New Zealand. The tech’s intended use centers around the prevention of problem gamblers from entering a casino’s premises. A problem gambler who tries to enter the premises is quickly identified through fast-acting biometric detection systems and authorities can be notified and dispatched, long before the individual can lay their hands on a single gambling machine.

SkyCity Entertainment Group, one of New Zealand’s largest gambling operations, is the latest adopter of facial recognition systems. Their sites in Queenstown, Hamilton and Auckland are all now similarly equipped, with full system integration at each entryway.

The technology, while increasing in popularity, has been criticised for having variable accuracy levels, which has caused no small measure of controversy.

Biometric security in a nutshell

Biometric technology utilises unique genetic traits to single out individuals. Where facial recognition is concerned, a human face is mapped, and recorded for future comparison, without any human intervention. As an add-on to current security systems, this has enhanced the capabilities of security professionals exponentially and heralds an end to physical screening methods, such as fingerprint scanning.

The widespread popularity and adoption of this technology have not dampened the resolve of its critics. The accuracy of the results such systems can produce has continually been called into question. Some have gone as far as characterizing facial recognition as so flawed as to be unworkable, with experts claiming that fooling the algorithms is as easy as donning a simple disguise.

In contrast, SkyCity Entertainment Group has been talking-up the technology, making note of the advances made with such systems and insisting on its suitability for screening at casino entrances.

Below image shows how facial recognition works

Always Improving

New Zealand’s overall faith in biometrics seems to be on the rise, with the police force is reportedly considering its own biometric system. The US-based company, DataWorks, is allegedly in discussions with the local police force to formulate a crime-prevention version of the same equipment featured in casinos. This idea is still in the pipeline stage and it remains o be seen when and if it will become a reality.

Macau was an early adopter of facial recognition security for gambling venues and outstanding results have emerged from its use. It seems that facial recognition will soon be a standard part of gambling venues across the globe, with the spread of the technology showing no signs of stopping.