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Exclusive Q&A with Alex Morgan-Moodie, Senior Director, Worldpay

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We talk here with a passionate gaming industry professional, mainly about the risks of fraud.

Alex Morgan-Moodie, who currently holds the position of Senior Director, Vertical Growth focusing on Gaming Vertical at Worldpay, offers insightful and precise answers about various facets of fraud.

 

Q. We usually start with a quick bio. Our readers love it. Could you briefly narrate how you landed in the gaming industry and progressed?

A. I started in the gaming industry back in 2009 when I joined PokerStars as an analyst in the payments team. I was soon learning about payment trends and regulatory complexity from Europe to the US, Latin America and other emerging markets. From there I was hooked and after roles in product delivery and corporate development (including working on the integration of Sky Betting & Gaming into the group in 2018 and preparation for the company’s subsequent acquisition by Flutter) I moved to Worldpay to lead our global Gaming vertical strategy.  The role felt made for me and I haven’t looked back. My role may have expanded since I joined, but the gaming industry remains my passion.

Q. You joined Worldpay Gaming in September 2020. Could you describe your role and responsibilities?

A. As I mentioned, my role entails defining the strategy for Worldpay’s presence in the Gaming industry together with my team. We support the commercial teams by defining our value proposition, keeping them abreast of trends and developments, and partner with our account managers to support our tier-1 customers in mid to long-range planning. We also work with Legal and Risk to explore new markets and help Product to define the gaming-specific product roadmap. Finally, we are the team that ensure Worldpay shows up at key events – ICE, G2E or our own merchant workshops for example. As you can see, it’s pretty varied but the vertical itself is hugely important to Worldpay – we’ve been supporting customers here for over 20 years and have masses of experience working within operators themselves as well as being payments partners.

Q. You are talking about global digital fraud in London ICE – especially about how digital fraud in the gaming sector increasing even while the incidence of overall global fraud shows signs of decline. What do you think are the reasons why the gaming sector seems particularly vulnerable to fraud?

A. I think the story around fraud is an interesting one because we see fraud attempts in ecommerce increasing generally across the globe, driven in part by the shift online as people have reduced their in-person spending and usage of cash, so with more transactions online, there is more data. With that said, the increase of fraud in the gaming sector appears to be driven by the competitive nature of new, emerging markets and the types of bonus offers we’ve seen, such as in the US in order to gain market share. This leads to ‘friendly fraud’ or ‘bonus abuse’ where opportunists will attempt to create several accounts in order to take advantage of multiple offers. Thankfully, operators in general manage large teams and develop bespoke tools that go some way to managing that risk – but it is certainly a drag on growth.

Q. What are the challenges and opportunities in front of gaming entrepreneurs in balancing the risk of fraud versus the need to provide an amazingly seamless end-user experience?

A. Gaming consumers are savvy and demanding, and this means their expectations around user experience are high. Seamless and real-time are the key tenets and any additional checks – whether they are regulatory requirements, for fraud or in order to protect players for safer gambling purposes – need to fit into that seamless experience as far as possible. This means identifying tools that can operate in real-time whilst minimising the need for manual intervention. Thankfully payment solutions have come a long way since I first joined the industry and we are now able to offer solutions to ensure how a player pays or withdraws winnings is seamless and real-time wherever possible – something our research tells us drives loyalty for customers, which is essential when the marketplace is as competitive as it is.

Q. Now, tell us about the recent Worldpay FIS Global Gaming Payments Report. What are the key insights from that report that explores payments habits in over 40 markets and real-time payment trends?

A. The GGPR is a much-anticipated round up of industry trends and payments information. So it’s a pleasure to be responsible for its delivery after years as an avid reader. This year, as well as the usual country profiles on key established and emerging markets in the industry, we’ve also done deep dives into trends such as the emergent fraud challenges mentioned above, as well as the opportunity presented by omnichannel gaming as users have returned to physical stores and suddenly operators want a single view of their customers across all of their physical and online stores. We also tackle the opportunities presented by improvements in virtual reality technology that will potentially give rise to gaming metaverses of the future, and our thoughts on how the industry is adapting to cryptocurrency/blockchain technology.

Q. Could you talk about the innovations and strategies Worldpay has adopted or planning to adopt to curb the growing fraud in the gaming sector?

A. At Worldpay, our role is to develop tools that augment operators’ in-house solutions and provide yet more data points to help them identify and prevent fraud. We have seen huge success in the sector with our new Fraudsight tool, which uses machine learning to review the billions of transactions Worldpay is processing per annum and continuously update a set of configurable fraud rules for operators to help flag and prevent fraud, providing yet another layer of protection. This is already in the market with significant adoption in the gambling industry, and we’re continuing to find innovative ways of curbing fraud in the gaming sector.

Q. New Neural Language Models (NLM) applications are emerging after the news-making launch of OpenAi’s ChatGPT. How do you view such developments in the machine-learning sector with respect to the risk of fraud in the gaming sector?

A. As mentioned above, Fraudsight is already harnessing machine learning to improve how it identifies fraud. Beyond that, I think the possibility to harness AI technology advancements to refine existing tools and identify new ones is almost limitless. We invest in product innovation teams that are focused on identifying exactly that; so there are lots more to come!

 

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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Push Gaming enjoys further Spanish market growth with Bally’s Interactive

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B2B gaming supplier Push Gaming has significantly amplified its European presence, launching its portfolio of hit titles in Spain with the prominent operator Bally’s Interactive. This strategic move is part of the studio’s broader growth strategy to appeal to a wider range of markets and player profiles.

Bally’s Interactive now has access to a variety of Push Gaming titles, including legacy hits such as Jammin’ Jars and Wild Swarm, along with all of the supplier’s expansive roadmap of high-quality new games like recent hit Wild Swarm Triple Hive

The Spanish activation builds upon an already robust collaboration between the two across the highly competitive UK market. Push Gaming is strategically focused on supporting its partners in newly regulated and key existing markets to achieve significant market share.

This latest launch will enable Push to further harness the impact of iGaming in Spain. According to the latest reports from the national regulator Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), 2024 saw record-breaking performance with GGR reaching a high of €1.45 billion, representing a substantial 17.6% increase from the previous year. Online casinos were the primary source of this revenue, generating €730.7 million in GGR (up 17%), with slots contributing €472.2 million.

This partnership showcases Push Gaming’s commitment to expanding its reach across key regulated global territories and driving the Push Gaming brand in line with its ambitious growth strategy.

Joanna Wren, Senior Commercial Operations Manager at Push Gaming, said: “Launching our portfolio in Spain with Bally’s Interactive continues our growth in Europe. Strengthening our partnership with this top-tier operator boosts our confidence for a successful future in the region.

“Our goal is to achieve significant market share by developing our game range to suit a wide variety of player profiles while maintaining the high quality we are known for. We’re confident that our established localisation strategy, combined with our exciting slot content and Bally’s Interactive’s outstanding support, will ensure our titles resonate strongly with players and drive significant growth in the region.”

Richard Harris, CCO at Bally’s Interactive, said: “We are excited to introduce Push Gaming titles to our platform and are proud to host its brand in Spain. Its games align perfectly with our commitment to providing Spanish players with the highest quality and most entertaining casino content.

“Given the impressive performance of Push Gaming’s titles with our UK brands, we believe its content will attract players and help maintain our success in this vibrant market.”

The post Push Gaming enjoys further Spanish market growth with Bally’s Interactive appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Betandyou supports the Legends Charity Game in Lisbon

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Betandyou is proud to announce its support for Legends Charity Game, a spectacular charity football match taking place at the iconic José Alvalade Stadium, bringing together over 50,000 fans in the stands and millions more watching online and on TV across the globe.

This is more than just a match, it’s a historic meeting of football legends. The pitch will host some of the greatest names in football history, including Kaká, Roberto Carlos, Carles Puyol, Del Piero, John Terry, Michael Owen, Petr Čech, and many others. Led by Peter Schmeichel and Diego Lugano, the World Legends will face the Portugal Legends, delivering a once-in-a-lifetime football spectacle.

But the true goal is charity. The event aims to raise over €1,000,000 to support children and families in Ukraine, Portugal, and around the world. Every goal scored, every cheer from the stands, and every contribution will help transform lives.

As a proud donor of the tournament, Winandyou contributed €10000, reinforcing its commitment to unity, support, and social responsibility. For us, it is not only about creating opportunities within the betting and affiliate industry, but also about making a meaningful difference where it matters most.

“We are proud to support such a significant event. The Legends Charity Game brings millions of people together and proves that sport has the power to change the world. For Betandyou, this is a chance to contribute to a greater cause and support those in need,” CEO of the company stated.

The Legends Charity Game is more than football. It’s a game where legends of the past help shape a brighter future.

The post Betandyou supports the Legends Charity Game in Lisbon appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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1/ST CONTENT and Italy’s MASAF form new partnership ahead of the Breeders’ Cup

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Distribution deal sees leading racing provider for the Americas extend its scope into Italy’s local pool betting via governing body for horse racing

1/ST CONTENT, the pre-eminent provider of premium North and South American horse racing content and a key division of 1/ST, has continued to grow its international footprint in a new partnership with the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (MASAF) in the run-up to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, one of the true highlights on the global racing calendar.

The deal now opens a breakthrough gateway for local pool betting on North American, South American and Turkish racing in Italy – and was soft-launched over last month’s 100th edition of the Hambletonian at The Meadowlands, NJ. This milestone renewal, the pinnacle of harness racing and a format of the sport which is particularly popular with Italian racing fans, fostered immediate fan engagement, as reported by MASAF this month via https://www.grandeippicaitaliana.it/.

The agreement kicks off with the 2025 flagship finale at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in Del Mar (31 October – 1 November) and brings many of the premier stateside races to Italy, including the Pegasus World Cup (24 January) and the Triple Crown contests of Preakness 151 (16 May) and the Belmont Stakes (6 June). In the aggregate, 1/ST CONTENT’s extensive content portfolio maps approximately 90% of all North American racetracks, alongside South American and Turkish venues, neatly complementing Italy’s domestic sporting action with a reliable source of fast-settling betting content between 18:00 and 05:00 CET.

Italian and North American horse racing currently enjoy a strong reciprocal bond, thanks to three of Italy’s leading jockeys in Frankie Dettori, Umberto Rispoli and Antonio Fresu plying their trade in North America. These three Italian ambassadors were recently introduced to a mainstream global audience via Netflix’s acclaimed Race For The Crown.

1/ST CONTENT’s worldwide experience and customer base for pools betting features the Americas, Morocco, Italy, Singapore, Australia, Turkey, Sweden, France, New Zealand and Hong Kong. As a result, by leveraging 1/ST CONTENT’s unparalleled expertise in capturing and streaming elite live-racing events, bettors across Italy can now enjoy a best-in-breed international racing experience.

Key features of the deal include but are not limited to:

  1. Comprehensive Coverage: exclusive signals of all racetracks in the United States, Canada, South America and Turkey, ensuring an extensive and diverse range of racing content for Italian audiences.
  2. Cutting-Edge Technology: high-quality, immersive broadcasts, providing viewers with an unparalleled access to live racing and informative content that both engages the seasoned viewer and educates those unfamiliar with the sport.
  3. Enhanced Viewer Engagement: accompanying innovative marketing strategies, promotions, and engagement initiatives, enhancing the overall viewer experience and speaking to a dedicated racing community in Italy

Simon Fraser, Senior Vice President International at 1/ST CONTENT, said: “We’re thrilled to be working as a partner with MASAF on a program to rejuvenate their horse racing audience and breathe new life into the Italian industry. Our collaboration marks a cornerstone from which we can build together to ensure that racing is competitive with other betting options and further expands 1/ST’s global reach.”

Remo Chiodi, Director General for Horse Racing at MASAF, added: “This partnership is part of a broader framework aimed at strengthening relations between Italy and the United States in the horseracing sector: it is a path that consolidates ties between the two countries, enhances both our national excellence and international achievements, and opens up new opportunities for growth and exchange. It is a step that also involves breeding and training, while highlighting the image of Italian racing excellence in the United States, represented by our most renowned jockeys competing overseas.

“Thanks to this agreement, major American racing events will be broadcast free-to-air on EQU TV, expanding the television offering and allowing betting on the races within a fully integrated system. After years of challenges, Italian racing is redefining the entire sector to restore our sport to a position of strength, both at home and abroad.”

The post 1/ST CONTENT and Italy’s MASAF form new partnership ahead of the Breeders’ Cup appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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