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The Malta Gaming Authority Releases 2022 Annual Report and Financials

the_malta_gaming_authority_Releases_2022_annual_report_and_financialsThe Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has released its 2022 Annual Report and Financial Statements. The move and similar moves by government entities are widely seen as efforts to provide clarity of mission and transparency of operations.

In that light, Malta has been mostly successful throughout the years, at least in as far as the information provided is somewhat useful to potential license holders and consumers. However, the type of information and the depth to which activities are reported can leave a lot to be desired.

5,280 players requested assistance

While the number of player complaints is reported, the type and severity of potential violations are not reported in context nor are the results of any decisions related to specific disputes. Further, alternate dispute resolution is mandatory so it is assumed that only complaints that fail arbitration and that ADR service providers consider worthy to escalate are ever considered by the gaming authority.

As well, plans to change the law or even bills introduced to mdo so are rarely ever reported either on the website news section or in the periodic or annual reports until policy or law has changed such as when operators may have been aware of a comment period but players had no clue that the minimum theoretical return to player percentage (RTP) for MGA-regulated online slots would drop from 92% to 85%, ostensibly to bring it “into line” with the land-based sector.

More recently we had to learn from news outlets that follow such disputes that a bill had been introduced to the legislature which would modify the gambling act yet apply to all other European Union trade disputes absolving any Malta-registered company from responsibility to conform to EU trade law by escaping enforcement of judgments when a Maltese licensed online casino is sanctioned or fined by another EU member state.

While the previously mentioned and other information may be available in official government gazettes or press releases, in the spirit of transparency and consumer confidence it should at a minimum be linked to from the MGA website if not included in periodic and annual reports.

The topline numbers and a link to the financials and report can be found here (here).

A brief summary follows:

  • 5,280 players requested assistance
  • 28 compliance audits were conducted and 228 desktop reviews
  • 25 licensees were subject to remediation and/or administrative measures
  • 6 individuals and companies were deemed by the Fit & Proper Committee to not be up to the Authority’s probity standards due to various factors
  • 41 gaming license applications were received during 2022. Thirty-one (31) licenses were issued
  • 1,500+ criminal probity screening checks were undertaken
  • 48 interviews with prospective Money Laundering Reporting Officers (MLRO) and key persons carrying out the AML/CFT function
  • 9 Letters of Breach were issued following breaches of the Commercial Communications Regulations
  • 85 responsible gaming-themed website checks were performed with 38 URLs found to have misleading information

In publishing the report, MGA CEO, Dr Carl Brincat said: “This report is testament to our collective efforts in promoting a fair and sustainable gaming ecosystem. Through proactive measures and leaner regulation processes, we strive to ensure a level playing field that nurtures innovation while safeguarding against any potential risks.

“As the global gaming landscape evolves, our role becomes even more critical. We embrace this responsibility with utmost determination, working tirelessly to stay ahead of emerging trends, technologies, and challenges. We remain steadfast in our pursuit of robust frameworks that inspire confidence, protect vulnerable individuals and render Malta the home for gaming operators of goodwill.”

Source: The MGA publishes its 2022 Annual Report and Financial Statements, Malta Gaming Authority News, June 2, 2023

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New Online Slots – BGaming, Gamzix, Wazdan, Lady Luck, Playson, Red Rake Gaming

new_online_slots_bgaming_gamzix_wazdan_lady_luck_playson_red_rake_gamingWith so many new studios out there and the legacy brands working overtime to compete for player spins, each week sees well over a dozen new game releases. Today’s players simply have to click on a title at one of their favorite gaming portals to be the first in their circle to try a new game.

In the not-too-distant past, each and every online casino was simply an extension of the game developer with one site carrying Microgaming titles exclusively and others that carried only Playtech, Realtime Gaming, or Cryptologic games, etc. – there were no multi-software online casinos and in order to download a new game at a Microgaming site, players had to completely reinstall the Viper download client and every element of each game. Thanks to innovations such as instant play via HTML5 those days are long behind us now.

Today’s games can be built with pre-existing modules on Remote Game Servers (RGS) and deployed as soon as they are certified. In some jurisdictions such as in Spain, after winning a supplier license, a developer like Play’n GO can self-certify each new game in that market and release it across its entire network of games without the need for regulator by regulator approvals.

Raft of New Games to Play

Today we’ll look at a few fresh releases from BGaming, Gamzix, Lady Luck, Playson, Red Rake Gaming, and Wazdan.

BGaming – Alien Fruits

Look for groundbreaking AI-generated graphics in this game with refilling reels and a chance to win up to 15,000x. You’ll come along with fruit characters as they hunt down jelly letters in this intergalactic thriller for energy.

The game launched across the SOFTSWISS network and other operators carrying BGaming titles. Alien Fruits features a maximum win of €180,000 at full-tilt betting.

Yulia Aliakseyeva, co-CPO at BGaming, said: “As a leading slots provider, we are delighted to add Alien Fruits to our portfolio of more than 100 creative titles. We are especially excited to introduce AI-generated graphics – just one example of BGaming’s innovative approach to slots development.”

Land four or more Scatter symbols (spaceships) to trigger the free spins bonus and the fruits will traverse galaxies to carry you into the free games.

Players will in most markets also have access to the Bonus Buy feature to cut to the front of the line (for a price) and play the bonus game whenever they feel like taking a chance.

Random multipliers ranging from 2x to 100x take the game to new heights.

Gamzix – Wolf Story

Wolf Story is set up as a 5-reel, 3-row slot with 25 fixed paylines. Game icons depict members of the animal kingdom and symbols like Scatter and Moon provide more: Scatter symbols trigger Free Spins and Moons are a portal into the Bonus Game using the Gamzix Hold the Spin mechanics.

There are four jackpots available and you’ll need to collect 15 Moon symbols to have a crack at the Grand Jackpot.

Wolf Story has a fairly high RTP at 96% and a max win over 5000x.

Alexandr Kosohov, CEO of Gamzix commented: “Every slot is a combination of visual representation and a perfect mix of available features. It has to catch attention from the first sight and leave a player intrigued until the very last spin. This is what we were focused on while creating Wolf Story. You’ll see a lot of animated elements, changing backgrounds and features, like Mystery Coin, that reveal the final result only when time comes. Wild and mysterious, isn’t it?”

Lady Luck Games – Popeye

This highly anticipated release from Lady Luck Games is officially scheduled for its global launch on April 20, 2023 – however, word has it that it could be released into select regional markets before rolling out over the Lady Luck distribution network.

Popeye was created in collaboration with King Features Syndicate (Hearst Communications), a comics content company and animation studio first launched in 1914 and the home of iconic characters such as Flash Gordon, Beatle Baily, Hagar the Horrible, and of course, Popeye.

Some of the regional releases include The exclusive regional releases include partnerships with Danske Spil for players in Denmark, Novibet which caters to Greek players, Tipobet365 active in scattered markets globally, Betsson, and White Hat Gaming for players in the UK.

“We are excited to bring our captivating and immersive Popeye slot game to a global audience through these exclusive regional launches with leading brands in the industry. We believe that our engaging gaming experience, combined with the strong market presence of these leading platforms, will be a winning combination for players worldwide,” said Mads Jørgensen, Co-Founder, and CEO of Lady Luck Games.

Global Release date: April 20, 2023
RTP: 94.0% | 96.1% | 88.0% depending on the market
Layout: 5×3
Volatility: Medium
Lines/Ways: 20
Hit frequency: 29.8% | 29.7% | 30.4%
Max win: 5100x bet | 5500x bet | 5300x bet
Min/max bet: €0.10/€100.00
Languages: EN, RU, TR, ES, IT, DA, ZH-CN, TH, KO, DE, EL, NL, RO, SV, KA

Playson – Giza Nights: Hold and Win

This game is feature-rich with semi-complicated mechanics that will keep new players enthralled with mystery and discovery as well as bring back seasoned players for years to come. Set up as a 5×3 slot with 25 paylines, it promises to take players on a journey to one of the Seven Wonders of the World and set off to find treasure in the mysterious ancient town of Giza.

The Boost feature collects the value of accumulated moon symbols and awards them to players instantly. It can also award one of three jackpots if the proper symbols land on the reels on the same spin.

The bonus game is powered by Playson’s popular Hold and Win mechanic which resets the number of available respins to 3 with each new Bonus, Boost, or Mystery symbol that appears in the feature. The bonus game plays until the player runs out of chances or fills the 5×3 grid with bonus symbols which will award the Grand jackpot worth 5,000x your bet.

The Mystery symbol can also change into a Mini, Minor, or Major Jackpot symbol during the bonus game. These will appear after a Boost symbol is landed or they will be revealed one at a time when the respin bonus is completed.

Land three scatters to trigger or retrigger 8 free games with only top-paying Bonus, Boost, Scatter, and Wild symbols being collected.

Tamas Kusztos, Chief Commercial Officer at Playson, said: “Giza Nights: Hold and Win is a great addition to our library, adding the allure of Giza to our Egyptian-themed series of games.

“The Hold and Win mechanic is a player favorite and with the Boost feature integrated, they’re sure to have a thrilling time when they explore our bespoke gameplay offering.”

Red Rake Gaming – Ramses Legacy

There must be dozens if not tens of tens of Egyptian-themed slots out there but it remains a popular genre as developers add their own twists to the highly visited theme. Red Rake is no exception. First launched in 2011 the studio plied its trade in the social game realm before taking on the more serious role of becoming a BMM-certified real money game provider.

Ramsey’s Legacy is a huge slot in many ways – the first way that jumps out is the One Million Ways to Win feature, but the minigame and free spins also loom large for players who enjoy total game immersion when they play.

Go to the doors of Ramses’ pyramid and watch a wall raise with each win and reveal more rows of symbols. When a pyramid appears on the reels it will be added to the progress meter which triggers the minigame when it gets filled.

In addition to the minigame, there is a free spins bonus round with 8, 12, or 16 free games for 3, 4, and 5 scatters respectively. The game screen starts out with 4 rows on the reels and with every win 2 more rows are opened up.

The game was released across the Playson network on April 13.

Wazdan – Hot Slot™: 777 Cash Out

Wazdan had added its eighth game to its top-performing Hot Slot series with Hot Slot™: 777 Cash Out.

Andrzej Hyla, Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan: “We are delighted to share the latest addition to our Hot Slot™ series, bolstered through immersive new mechanics that provide endless entertainment and massive win potential.

“As the first game of a new quarter, we wanted to release something for our partners to be excited about while building on the momentum of our ever-popular series.”

Like all games in the Hot Slot series, this game melds a classic retro theme with Wazdan’s innovative modern mechanics.

However, this game introduces a new feature with the Cash Out symbol. Players can use it to collect prizes including jackpots through Wazdan’s player-engagement engine.

Cover all of the reel positions with jackpot symbols to win up to 1,500x your bet when you win the Grand Jackpot.

Players can double up their bets to enable the new Chance Level mechanic which increases the chance of landing jackpot symbols.

Wazdan prides itself on catering to individual players’ wants and needs through its Freedom of Choice™ Suite which allows players to customize their game experience in various ways, providing a sense of ownership and increasing player retention and loyalty.

Source: Embark On Space Odyssey With Bgaming’S Alien Fruits, European Gaming News, April 13, 2023

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Macau Maintains Recovery Momentum, April Gaming Revenue Totals $1.82B

Macau casinos maintained their recovery momentum in April as gross gaming revenue (GGR) continued to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Macau gaming revenue casino China COVID-19
Pedestrians walk the Cotai Strip in Macau near Sands China’s Londoner casino and resort. Macau casinos won more than $1.8 billion in April 2023, the region’s best gaming month since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. (Image: Bloomberg)

Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau revealed Monday that the region’s six commercial casino operators won MOP14.72 billion (US$1.82 billion) in April 2023. That marks a 16% month-over-month improvement from March.

April 2023 was 450% richer for the casinos than April 2022 when GGR totaled just $332 million. April 2022 was Macau’s worst month in terms of gaming income since September 2020, as the enclave was reeling from its most significant coronavirus outbreak of the entire pandemic.

Macau’s economy has been on a pandemic rebound since China President Xi Jinping announced in late November he would be ditching his “zero-COVID” policy that had been scorned by many foreign leaders and international cooperatives such as the World Health Organization.

Macau Bounce Back

Macau’s gaming recovery comes about two years after other major casino markets, including Nevada and Las Vegas, experienced their own.

China’s efforts to eliminate COVID-19 by isolating infected persons and locking down cities among even small outbreaks proved unsustainable. Amid public unrest and widespread protests, Xi finally agreed to lift “zero-COVID.”

Health officials in December and early this year worried Xi’s lockdowns over the past three years suppressed herd immunity and could result in mass COVID-19 causalities with “zero-COVID” being ditched. After case counts soared in the immediate aftermath of “zero-COVID,” much of China and its two SARs finally returned to a sense of normal. Macau is one of two Special Administrative Regions in China along with Hong Kong.

In January, Macau was given the go-ahead to end its pandemic-related entry procedures. The enclave was opened to all of the mainland, plus Hong Kong and Taiwan, with no border rules in place such as testing or quarantine mandates. The Chinese casino hub is additionally open to foreigners, but they must still present a recently conducted negative COVID-19 test for entry.

Business in Macau has been good since January and April only further improved on the gaming resurgence.

March 2023 marked Macau’s best gaming month since January 2020, and April turned out to be even better. Through the first four months of 2023, GGR totaled $6.12 billion, up 141% year over year.

US Tensions

Macau is open to the world but US officials continue to caution citizens about venturing into the country and its casino enclave. US Department of State officials say China continues to subjectively enforce laws on foreigners that threaten travelers’ safety.

“Reconsider travel to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, due to arbitrary enforcement of local laws,” a China Travel Advisory issued by the US State Department reads.

US citizens traveling or residing in the PRC, including the Hong Kong SAR and the Macau SAR, may be detained without access to US consular services or information about their alleged crime. US citizens in the PRC may be subjected to prolonged interrogations and extended detention without due process of law,” the notice added.

The US is a minor feeder market for Macau. In 2019, the US accounted for just 200K visitors to Macau of the record 39.4 million travelers who ventured into the enclave that year.

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Betsoft Gaming says Mr. Vegas is Back!

betsoft_gaming_says_mr_vegas_is_backBetsoft Gaming’s legendary grandiose open-shirt Las Vegas plunger is back with a beautiful woman on each arm in Mr. Vegas 2: Big Money Tower. The new game is live now and was released nearly 11 years after the enduring inaugural release of Mr. Vegas on May 17, 2012.

One big difference between this game and the earliest version is that the progressive jackpot has been removed. In exchange, the default return to player percentage (RTP) has been increased from 93.60% to a much better 96.06%. The volatility has also been ratcheted up significantly from medium to very high.

Keep reading to learn more about other improvements and changes as well as a way to determine the highest-paying awards when you trigger the bonus round and pick a card for one of three possible free spins enhancements.

Multiple Licenses, Games Available in USA

Betsoft is one of the most prolific suppliers of online casino games out there but the company is not without some controversy in its past. The official company website currently claims RNG (random number generator) certification by leading testing houses and audit labs QUINEL and GLI as well as license seals from the Malta Gaming Authority, Romania’s ONJN, and Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM).

Controversies include the developer claiming an unwritten term when a progressive jackpot was won (GlamLife 2016), a sudden abandonment of its previous license in another jurisdiction with no transparency as to the reason why (Alderney 2014), a lack of easily found public records of anyone actually collecting one of its progressive jackpots, and finally, a glitchy keno game giving non-random results (2010).

The company’s QUINEL certificate is only for the RNG as tested without any games plugged in. The company displays the GLI seal with a link to a generic page rather than to the actual certification document as required by Gambling Labs International.

Sixty Paylines, 5×4 Reels, Buy Bonus, Free Spins, Big Money Tower, More

Whereas the original Mr. Vegas was a 5-reel game with 3 positions each the new game adds one more visible reel position and doubles the paylines to 60. The bet levels are still “Betsoft strange” ranging from $0.30 to $150 per spin at intervals of $1.50, $3, $9, $18, $24, $39, $54, $75, and $105.

The max win is 2601X your bet with every spin and the Big Money Tower can award 1,000x your total stake if you make it to the top of the right one.

High Hit Frequency

Another big difference players will find with this game is a much higher “hit frequency”. The first version may have “felt” more like a highly volatile game than it really was because it produced a win only 8.25 times in every 100 spins on average for a hit rate of 8.25%. Roughly one in every 12 spins produced a win of some sort, whether it returned the value of your bet, less or more, is not accounted for in that aspect of the maths.

The hit rate for Mr. Vegas 2: Big Money Tower is 18.22% so nearly one in every five spins (5.48) will return something. Since this game is more volatile by amplitude (Very high vs medium) and the hit frequency is more than doubled, we can jump to a weak assumption that the base game returns are each smaller on average and the greater volatility resides in the bonus mechanics.

It’s really a quite brilliant re-engineering of a time-honored favorite. The game should feel brand new while still warming the cockles of Mr. Vegas fans.

Look for Stacked Mystery Symbols on all five reels – they can turn into anything but scatters or bonus symbols, even wild symbols before the spin.

Three scatters appear on reels two, three, and four will bring up two face-down playing cards. Choose one to get one of three bonus mechanics.

  • Sticky Wilds offer 10 Free Spins and the wild symbols stay in place throughout the round when they are part of a win.
  • Expanding Wilds and 12 Free Spins cover the reel and stay in place for a re-spin. Landing another wild adds another respin.
  • Random Wilds come with 15 Free Spins and two to six Wilds will appear in each free game.

Buy Bonus

While you can’t choose which bonus you will get when you trigger the bonus with random scatter symbols, you can buy the bonus you want to play!

When betting $0.30 per spin you can the following bonuses:

  • 10 free spins with sticky wilds will cost $23.40
  • 15 free spins with random wilds will cost $31.20
  • 12 free spins with expanding wilds can be bought for 36.90

Big Money Tower

There are three Big Money Towers and landing the proper symbols on reels one, three, and five will take you to one at random. The towers are Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Flip a coin to move one rung up the ladder or collect your winnings up to that point. You will always win something and you won’t need to risk what you’ve already won in order to progress. Just flip a coin and build your fortune until you collect your winnings.

If you reach the top rung of the Golden Tower you will win 1,000x your stake for the triggering spin.

You can learn more about Betsoft Gaming software and games here.

Source: Betsoft Gaming Delivers The Ultimate V.I.P. Gaming Experience in Mr. Vegas 2: Big Money Tower™, Betsoft Gaming, March 30, 2023

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New Mississippi Coast Casino Gets Gaming Green Light

The Mississippi Gaming Commission on Thursday green-lighted a gaming development called South Beach Casino & Resort. The project targets about four acres of land located at 6081 S. Beach Blvd. in Bay St. Louis.

Silver Slipper Casino, Mississippi
The Silver Slipper Casino Hotel in Bay St. Louis, Miss. The casino could someday have a nearby competitor, as a casino has been green-lighted by the state for vacant land just east of it. (Image: baystlouisoldtown.com)

The license was granted to Kirk D. Ladner of Diamondhead and Russell Elliott of Bay St. Louis. Ladner’s LinkedIn profile says he’s the president of Kirk Ladner Excavating, a Gulfport-based general contractor. Information regarding Elliott’s profession wasn’t immediately available.

The South Beach Casino was approved to feature a 40K gaming floor with 1.1K slot machines, 25 table games, and six poker tables. That’s according to a notice of intent to apply for a gaming license, which was published by Ladner and Elliott, as legally required, in a local newspaper.

South Beach Casino would be built onshore, but would remain within 800 feet of the 19-year high-water line as defined by the Mississippi Code. After Katrina, the state allowed its riverboats to move inland so long as the new gaming structures remained within 800 feet of their original barges. New casinos must be within 800 feet of the high-water mark.

There are currently only two commissioners on the state’s gaming commission, Tom Gresham and Francis Lee, both of whom voted in favor of the approval. (Kent Nicaud, CEO of Memorial Hospital at Gulfport, has been nominated by Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves to complete the vacant term left by chair Al Hopkins, who died earlier this year.)

One Small Problem

Ladner and Elliott have yet to secure financing. Ladner told gaming commissioners that obtaining site approval first would make the funding process easier.

In 2004, Ladner and Elliott applied to license the same casino under the same name in the same place. However, they withdrew the application during the second step of the casino development process — the step in which applicants are required to show that they have the funding to complete the casino they were licensed for.

This is not an uncommon problem on the Mississippi Coast, which has 12 casinos across Hancock and Harrison counties, with several more are proposed for Biloxi, Long Beach, and D’Iberville. Twice as many as that were approved, but more than 20 casino developers who received site approvals have been unable to secure financing since Hurricane Katrina devastated the region in 2005.

Though Mississippi’s gaming industry has more than rebounded from the pandemic — generating gross gaming revenue (GGR) in 2021 of almost $2.7B, the state’s highest gaming win since 2008 — banks and investors remain hesitant to open their wallets for new casino projects in the Gulf. Even the rock legends KISS couldn’t win over enough investors to help renovate the former Margaritaville Casino into a $200M rock n’ roll-themed gaming and entertainment destination called Rock & Brews Casino.

In fact, only one new company was able to nudge their approved casino concept into reality: the Margaritaville Casino, overlooking the Biloxi Back Bay, and that has since closed.

Elliott and Ladner have until 2026 to build the South Coast Casino & Resort.

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