Latest News
Ukrainian gambling: to be, or not to be, that is (already not) the question
After significant and protracted deliberations, Ukraine finally legalized gambling activities back in 2020. The Law on the governance of the organization and carrying out of gambling activities became effective almost half a year ago. As of the date of writing this article, already 3 licenses have been granted to online casinos for their gambling activities to be performed in the future.
There is still a number of issues and, despite all efforts, the gambling market seems to be standstill except for the mentioned minor movements by local online players obtaining licenses. As of now, it seems that no big international market players are entering the newly born Ukrainian gambling market. So, let`s discuss whether it is all going somewhere and if that somewhere is in the right direction.
Ukrainian gambling market background
To see a broader picture, one should unveil the historical background of the current gambling market legalization in Ukraine. First of all, it’s worth mentioning that the Ukrainian gambling market has been actually reopened, but not developed from scratch.
The previously operating Ukrainian gambling market was not so much a success story as one might imagine. There were no huge and fancy casinos like in Las Vegas, but rather a market consisting of different establishments, some of them even legal and compliant. They were shut down by decisive moves of the state authorities in 2009 due to the lack of comprehensive regulations and effective control over their execution, which irreversibly led to negative consequences. As a result, the mentioned flaws contributed to the growth of black and grey gambling services markets. Moreover, the lack of strict rules and their enforcement also formed a public opinion that the gambling market was something antisocial and dirty. Ukrainians still remember well those times when slot machine halls literally surrounded public transport stops and were filled with some not exactly wealthy people giving up their last money in pursuit of a snatch.
At that time, Ukrainian authorities decided to use muscles instead of brains and banned all gambling activities instead of introducing reasonable regulation and taking the situation under control. Thus, starting from mid-2009, all gambling operators were forced to leave the wild, but rapidly growing market. However, as one may guess, the Ukrainian gambling ban was not far from the Prohibition in the United States in terms of its results. Ukrainian gambling market simply went undercover, depriving the Ukrainian budget of significant contributions previously made by the industry.
What are the current challenges for the Ukrainian gambling market?
Not so long ago, a logical step was taken by Ukraine and the gambling activities ban was lifted. However, same as in the case with the Ukrainian land market, things are not perfectly smooth and there are still some obstacles in place.
For instance, while three online casinos have already paid for and received licenses, they still can`t fully realize and enjoy the rights of an online casino operator. The reason is that the necessary regulations applicable to certification of the equipment to be used in casinos haven`t been adopted yet. Additionally, there is still a certain lack of clarity in terms of taxation of gambling activities. Some say that a specific volume-based tax will be introduced. However, considering that the licensed operators can`t get any revenues in the absence of the regulations to certify their equipment, the issue of taxation seems to be too far to think about.
Apart from that, one should note that this time Ukrainian government decided to seriously take advantage of the gambling market by imposing comparatively high license fees, financial thresholds, and location requirements (for offline casinos). For instance, the license fee is around USD 1.1 million for online casinos (for 5 years) and USD 10 million for offline casinos if based in Kyiv (additional equipment fees will also apply). Moreover, a gambling operator must have a share capital of at least USD 1.1 million and a deposit account or Ukrainian bank guarantee for USD 1.2 million.
As to the location requirements, under the new legislation, casinos can be opened only at 5-star hotels with at least 150 rooms in Kyiv, 4- and 5-star hotels with at least 100 rooms in other regions, out-of-town resorts with a total area of at least 10,000 m2 or “special gaming zones” within territories to be further defined by the Ukrainian government.
Under the new law, various restrictive regulations of a similar character also apply to betting, slot machine halls, and online poker activities.
Opportunities and additional obligations for Ukrainian gambling operators
It is worth mentioning that there are some opportunities for the new market players. The new law provides that such players may obtain investment licenses. Holders of such licenses will be exempt from license fees for 10 years if they build a new 5-star hotel with at least 200 rooms in Kyiv or 150 rooms in another Ukrainian region.
Ukrainian gambling operators will be also obliged to follow certain gambling standards and policies aimed at preventing gambling addiction. The government plans to launch a state-owned online monitoring system. The system will perform a real-time oversight and control of the Ukrainian gambling industry.
To sum it all up, it’s an important aspect that different people might make different conclusions as to the above. Pessimists might claim that this time, the gambling market launch in Ukraine has little chance to become interesting for the largest international market players. However, if evaluated by opportunists, entering the Ukrainian gambling market is definitely worth a shot.
High financial thresholds and strict regulations ensure that the market will not slip into putting dirty slot machines centered around metro stations. It is more likely that the Ukrainian gambling industry will at least somehow resemble what one may observe in wealthy locations like Las Vegas. This puts confidence into the minds of potential investors because the government will not be in a position to cut its own leg by banning a well-governed and budget-supporting industry.
The readiness of the local online casino market players to pay for the licenses which can`t be yet used proves the above statement to be true. It also leads to a conclusion that gambling investors should already be on their way to Ukraine in order to be in a time when the market starts to operate and extreme profits flow into the hands of the few pioneers.
This article has been created with the help of Oleksandr Aleksyeyenko (Partner at Marchenko Partners) and Sviatoslav Henyk (Senior Associate at Marchenko Partners)
Latest News
Bacta pledge support for Safer Gambling Week as industry drives awareness campaign
Bacta is at the forefront of initiatives to encourage responsible gambling with the leading trade association for the land-based low-stake sector joining the Betting and Gaming Council, the Lotteries Council and the Bingo Association as organisers and supporters of the 2024 edition of Safer Gambling Week (SGW) which runs 18th – 24th November.
With a core objective of encouraging people to talk and take action to gamble responsibly, the initiative which is running for its eighth year, will feature what the official SGW web site refers to as a ‘blitz’ of safer gambling messages online and in land-based venues in order to spark a nationwide conversation about responsible gambling and the safeguards that have been put in place by the regulated industry.
George McGregor Bacta’s Executive Director (Government Relations) believes the initiative continues to make a significant contribution to the industry’s endeavours to reduce further the incidence of problem gambling. He stated: “The first point to make is that Safer Gambling Week draws attention to what Bacta members are practicing every week and every day of the year. This commitment and culture is something that every Bacta member should be extremely proud of.
“The consumer-facing Safer Gambling website poses a series of questions to consider and outlines how to use safer gambling tools such as setting time and deposit limits and how to self-exclude from gambling.”
He added: “As an awareness raising initiative Safer Gambling Week has demonstrated its value. Safer Gambling Week 2023 smashed previous social media records, generating over 50 million impressions across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
“The website received half a million visits and the campaign engaged with a large number of cross-party MPs and peers who gave their backing as did Premier League clubs West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion.
“Safer Gambling Week demonstrates that Bacta, its members and the industry at large is fully committed to delivering a safe, responsible and enjoyable gambling entertainment experience for all of its customers.”
The post Bacta pledge support for Safer Gambling Week as industry drives awareness campaign appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
SharpLink Gaming Announces Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results
SharpLink Gaming, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBET) (“SharpLink” or the “Company”), an online performance-based marketing company serving the U.S. sports betting and iGaming industries, today announced its financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024.
Financial Highlights
- Revenues decreased 27.7% to $2,838,908 for the first nine months of 2024, compared to $3,925,618 for the same nine-month period in 2023. For the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, revenues declined 34.7% to $881,690 compared to $1,349,331, respectively.
- Total operating expenses declined 25.9% to $4,426,835 from $5,977,327 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively; and total operating expenses dropped 46.0% to $970,080 from $1,795,057 for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
- For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, net income climbed to $11,002,266 after factoring net income from discontinued operations of $14,567,733 – up 673.3% from a net loss of $9,114,443 inclusive of the net loss from discontinued operations of $2,523,754 posted for the comparable nine months in the prior year. After factoring a net loss from discontinued operations of $97,139, the net loss for the three months ended September 30, 2024 decreased 68.9% to $885,131 when compared to a net loss of $2,849,547 for the same three months ended September 30, 2023 after factoring a net loss from discontinued operations of $822,100.
- As of September 30, 2024, cash on hand was $1,850,206 and total stockholders’ equity was $2,020,143. This compared to $2,487,481 cash on hand and total stockholders’ deficit of $9,399,769 as of December 31, 2023.
Commenting on the results, SharpLink Chairman and CEO Rob Phythian said, “The notable decline in operating expenses reflects SharpLink’s continued focus on streamlining our affiliate marketing business; and the significant improvement in our bottom line results is largely a result of our $22.5 million cash sale of our SportsHub fantasy sports and sports game development businesses to RSports Interactive, Inc. earlier this year. Since that time, we have succeeded at scouring our balance sheet, eliminating virtually all of our debt, and have turned our attention to identifying, qualifying and pursuing compelling strategic growth opportunities that we believe can best be leveraged to create and enhance long-term sustainable value for our shareholders. As we progress through to the end of the year, we look forward to sharing much greater insight into our future plans for SharpLink resulting from the collective due diligence efforts of our leadership team and our highly engaged Board of Directors.”
For more detailed information about SharpLink’s Third Quarter 2024 financial results, please refer to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed yesterday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and accessible online at sec.gov or via SharpLink’s investor relations page at investors.sharplink.com/
About SharpLink Gaming, Inc.
Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, SharpLink is a trusted marketing partner to leading sportsbooks and online casino gaming operators worldwide. Through its iGaming affiliate marketing network, known as PAS.net, SharpLink focuses on driving qualified traffic and player acquisitions, retention and conversions to U.S. regulated and global iGaming operator partners worldwide. In fact, PAS.net won industry recognition as the European online gambling industry’s Top Affiliate Website and Top Affiliate Program for four consecutive years by both igamingbusiness.com and igamingaffiliate.com. SharpLink also owns and operates a portfolio of direct-to-player, state-specific, affiliate marketing websites designed to attract, acquire and drive local sports betting and online casino gaming traffic to its valued partners which are licensed to operate in each respective state. For more information, please visit sharplink.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such statements include statements regarding the Company’s ability to grow its business through strategic growth opportunities, the potential benefits of the Company’s products, services and technologies and other statements that are not historical facts, including statements which may be accompanied by the words “intends,” “may,” “will,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “predicts,” “estimates,” “aims,” “believes,” “hopes,” “potential” or similar words. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, including without limitation, the Company’s ability to achieve profitable operations, government regulation of online betting, customer acceptance of new products and services, the demand for its products and its customers’ economic condition, the impact of competitive products and pricing, the lengthy sales cycle, proprietary rights of the Company and its competitors, general economic conditions and other risk factors detailed in the Company’s annual report and other filings with the SEC. The Company does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
INVESTOR AND MEDIA RELATIONS
[email protected]
The post SharpLink Gaming Announces Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
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.
The post Week 46/2024 slot games releases appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Latest News2 months ago
BlueOcean Gaming Wins Best Aggregator 2024 Award at SiGMA East Europe Awards
-
Latest News2 months ago
BOS/The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling commissions Advisense to strengthen efforts against money laundering
-
Latest News2 months ago
EGT’s bestseller Bell Link with another great success: Its bells are now ringing in the Czech market
-
Latest News1 month ago
MIRACL partners with Continent 8 to offer its single-step passwordless MFA solution to simplify the login experience
-
Latest News2 months ago
Applications invited to become safer gambling charity for 2025 editions of ICE, iGB Affiliate and iGB L!VE
-
Latest News1 month ago
ACR Poker’s OSS XL Exceeds Guarantee With Over $46 Million In Prize Pools
-
Latest News1 month ago
Match of LeGGends: Double Down. Highlights of the show match between NAVI and Team Vitality
-
Latest News1 month ago
FBMDS and FBM Foundation host solidarity keepy-uppy initiative at G2E Las Vegas 2024
You must be logged in to post a comment Login