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China cracks down private gambling in WeChat groups during World Cup
Online gambling was banned by the Chinese government in 2015. But the FIFA World Cup in Russia triggered a sudden growth of online gambling activities, especially in WeChat groups.
The Chinese authorities are cracking down such illegal gambling operations. The government is concerned that online lotteries, driven by profit, may give access to underage teenagers or create other management loopholes, while others complain about the inconvenience of going into a lottery store and said the ban has prompted many to bet in WeChat groups or go to foreign websites.
“Always illegal”
During the World Cup this year, mobile apps and websites selling the lotteries have flourished, with some topping the app store list, including the Tiantianaicaipiao, Renrenzhongcaipiao and Caipiaocaipiao.
After the official clampdown, however, such platforms and those backed by Weibo and Tencent have suspended operations, CNR reported. Many such websites come up with this notice when one tries to log on: “System is under maintenance and upgrade.”
“Purchasing lotteries online has always been illegal. Relatively lax supervision by authorities led to a spike in recent years,” Adrian Geng, the CEO of Sina Caitong, told the Global Times.
Operators are willing to take risks because of the allure of huge profits, Geng added.
In 2015, eight central government agencies banned online lottery, citing risks to buyers’ interests.
Under lottery management rules, no entity shall carry out the business of sale of lottery via internet without the approval of the Ministry of Finance. All sports lottery tickets are sold offline through branches run by the General Administration of Sports.
If lotteries were sold widely online, underage teenagers who are not allowed to bet would get access. Income from online sales cannot be identified at a provincial level as Chinese lottery sales are province-based, Geng explained.
As of June 20, the National Sports Lottery Center suspended thousands of sales terminals involved in online ticket sales in many provinces, Xinhualuncai, a WeChat account specializing in lottery, reported. The number of suspended machines was expected to reach more than 6,000 on June 21, the report said.
Geng said that meeting social responsibility, rather than making money, is the ultimate goal of the National Sports Lottery Center. “That’s why the center wouldn’t use the FIFA World Cup to advertise itself for more revenue.”
Total sales of China’s sports lotteries in the week from June 18 to 24 stood at 11.83 billion yuan ($1.7 billion), while it was only 1.6 billion yuan a week before the World Cup, data released on sporttery.cn, official website of lottery SMG, shows.
Not market-driven
Even though online lottery is banned, Chinese gamblers still have many options to taste the thrill of betting.
Xue, a PhD student based in Shanghai, said that many of his friends use private gambling in WeChat groups, in which one person is the “banker” and provides winning and losing rates.
“Mobile payment on Alipay and WeChat allows us to gamble in private with small amounts of money more conveniently. We don’t have to choose online lottery,” Xue told the Global Times.
“I feel everyone is betting this year during the World Cup. Even many people who don’t watch soccer matches are into it,” he said.
Foreign gambling websites also illegally sneak into the Chinese market in an effort to take a share of the spoils, which results in huge outflow of capital of Chinese citizens, Chen Haiping, a researcher at the Gaming Research Center of China with Beijing Normal University, told the Global Times.
Some stores or groups on platforms such as Taobao, WeChat and QQ have also been found claiming that they are commissioned to sell lottery, according to Nandu Daily.
Lottery is seen as a welfare project in China. Its issuers are not motivated by the market, only routinely raising funds to meet the financing gap of the government for good causes, Chen noted.
But the trend of internet, said Chen, is irresistible and the lottery has already developed into an industry involving tourism, amusement and culture. There has been talk of opening online lottery services inside Chinese government circles in recent years, but since different interest groups are involved, the progress has been slow.
Source: globaltimes.cn
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Week 46/2024 slot games releases
Here are this weeks latest slots releases compiled by European Gaming
Spinomenal has welcomed another title into its Wildlife Series, Majestic Bison. Set in the Wild West, Majestic Bison surrounds players in a landscape populated with wild wolves, elegant eagles, fearsome snakes and formidable goats. A stripped back soundtrack captures the essence of the Wild West, with banjos and harmonicas immersing players in the action as they hunt for gold.
PG Soft, a world-class digital mobile games company, is celebrating the magic of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival with the release of its new slot, Rio Fantasia. A young dancer named Isabella is the star of the show as players join in the rhythm and passion of one of the world’s most spectacular parties. Rio Fantasia is a 3-reel, 3-row video slot featuring Stacked Wild symbols, multipliers, and respin until win.
Hölle Games has released Jumpin’ Jacks, a new Classic title featuring a special Duplicating Wilds mechanic. This 5×3, 15 payline slot has a theme of Halloween harvest, with scarecrows, pumpkins, corn, crows and a creepy midnight sky completing the picture. The atmosphere is there to match, with a cosy yet somewhat spooky soundtrack.
Belatra Games, the specialist online slots developer, has served up Cafe Pin-Up, a slot that whisks players away to a vibrant 1950s diner, where retro glamour meets thrilling gameplay. Players take a seat inside a charming cafe, where pin-up girls are on hand to deliver delicious dishes in a raucous atmosphere created by a jukebox playing toe-tapping tunes. The game is presented in a 5×4 grid with 20 paylines with the Pin-Up Girl Wild symbol playing the key role.
New from Peter & Sons comes Muddy Waters, a game that will send your Geiger counter up to 11. This high-volatility and highly radioactive slot comes packed with symbol multipliers, power-ups and a unique fishing mechanic. Muddy Waters riffs on the popular fishing-slot genre, but since this is the weird and wonderful world of Peter & Sons, it gets flipped on its head, because this game is about reeling in radioactive fish.
Relax Gaming, the iGaming aggregator and provider of unique content, is getting players into the festive spirit with its latest release, Money Sleigh, a Christmas-themed slot guaranteed to deliver stocking-filled fun and the chance to unwrap big wins. Santa and his team of loyal helpers are ready to guide players through this exciting holiday adventure, with the potential to win up to 10,000x their stake.
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AGREEMENT BETWEEN ZITRO AND GRUPO OSGA TO PROMOTE THE LABOT INTEGRATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Zitro, a leading company in the gaming industry, has signed a collaboration agreement with Grupo OSGA, a business group committed to promoting the employment of people with disabilities. Grupo OSGA offers job opportunities to people with disabilities and supports their professional development in inclusive and accessible environments.
Through this alliance, Grupo OSGA will provide Zitro with a parcel and documentation service between its offices, optimizing Zitro’s operational efficiency and strengthening its social commitment to creating a more inclusive work environment.
At Zitro, we firmly believe in the power of diversity as a driver of growth and development. This collaboration with Grupo OSGA not only enriches our company but also reinforces our commitment to contributing to a fairer and more inclusive society,” said Albert Zorrilla, Managing Director of Zitro for Spain.
“The collaboration with a prestigious international company like Zitro not only constitutes recognition of the work that Grupo OSGA has been carrying out but also contributes to the generation of real opportunities for people with disabilities to achieve effective and stable integration in the labor market,” said Oscar Galilea, President of Grupo Osga.
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EGT Digital’s iGaming platform X-Nave and successful titles to deliver high-quality experience to BetHub’s customers
BetHub and EGT Digital have started their successful partnership, as a result of which the leading Bulgarian operator is now using the iGaming platform X-Nave. Its 4 main modules: CRM Engine, Sport product, Gaming Aggregator and Payment Gateway, enable the betting site to effectively manage all online gaming business verticals and further improve its performance.
CRM Engine provides a wide range of player management tools and bonus features, allowing the operator to create more personalized offerings for its customers, based on their preferences and behavior.
Through X-Nave’s Sport product BetHub will enrich even more the sport content it offers.
The Payment Gateway gives access to numerous payment methods and thanks to the Gaming Aggregator EGT Digital’s slot games are already at the disposal of the website’s visitors. The top-performing titles from Bell Link, Clover Chance, High Cash, Single Progressive Jackpot, as well as the multiplayer game xRide quickly gained popularity among BetHub’s customers.
“We are very glad with our collaboration with EGT Digital so far,” commented Kiril Naldzhiev, CEO at BetHub. “The platform has made the management of our business much easier, and the company’s gaming content has shown impressive results that have not only met but exceeded our expectations.”
Tsvetomira Drumeva, Head of Sales at EGT Digital, also gave a positive evaluation to the cooperation. She said: “Partnering with a prominent operator like BetHub is very valuable for us, as it gives us the opportunity to demonstrate the enormous potential of our developments and consolidate our status as a leader in the local market. I am confident that this is the beginning of a very successful collaboration that will bring a lot of positives to both companies and the players themselves.”
The post EGT Digital’s iGaming platform X-Nave and successful titles to deliver high-quality experience to BetHub’s customers appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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