European Gaming News
The Rise of Artificial Intelligence is Projected to Accelerate
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May 29, 2018 — According to data published by Grand View Research, the global artificial intelligence market size is projected to reach $35.87 billion by 2025, while growing at a CAGR of 57.2 percent. The report indicates that rapid improvements in fast information storage capacity, high computing power, and parallelization are some of the factors that are contributing to the rapid innovations of robotics and artificial intelligence technology. AI becomes prominent in end-use industries such as automotive and healthcare. In addition, there is strong demand for understanding and analyzing visual contents and gaining meaningful insights, which is also expected to provide strength to the market over the forecast period. Internet of Things Inc. (OTC: INOTF), Gopher Protocol Inc. (OTC: GOPH), Remark Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MARK), Veritone, Inc. (NASDAQ: VERI), ShiftPixy, Inc. (NASDAQ: PIXY)
A report by the McKinsey Global Institute surveyed companies about their use of AI. Their findings show that only few companies have incorporated AI into their value chains at scale, as most of companies that had awareness of AI technologies are still in experimental or pilot phases. Out of the 3,073 respondents, only 20 percent said they had adopted one or more AI-related technology at scale or in a core part of their business. Ten percent reported adopting more than two technologies, and only 9 percent reported adopting machine learning. Some industry experts are more optimistic. Elon Musk wrote in a comment on Edge.org that, “The pace of progress in artificial intelligence (I’m not referring to narrow AI) is incredibly fast. Unless you have direct exposure to groups like Deepmind, you have no idea how fast-it is growing at a pace close to exponential.”
Internet of Things Inc. (OTC: INOTF) also listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker (TSX-V: ITT). Last week the company announced breaking news that, “Is pleased to provide a corporate update detailing its recently accomplished milestones and current growth initiatives. Appointment of President & COO – IoT Inc. recently announced the appointment of James Sutcliffe as President & COO. Mr. Sutcliffe will oversee operations, investee companies and merger & acquisition opportunities.
Mr. Sutcliffe brings more than 20 years’ experience in global operational and financial leadership. Earlier in his career, he was as a key member of a management team that grew a Fortune 150 Tier 1 automotive supplier’s Asian operations ten-fold. During this time, Mr. Sutcliffe held senior corporate development, finance and executive management roles. Spearheading entry into new markets in Asia, he was instrumental in guiding start-ups and acquisitions in China, Indiaand Korea.
Mr. Sutcliffe commented, “IoT Inc. is at a critical inflection point given its growth opportunities in Asia and North America. I am excited to leverage my relationships and operating experience as the company pursues very compelling and complementary accretive acquisitions.”
Corporate Repositioning: The Company has developed a new website designed to encourage investor signups and inbound business opportunities and enhanced marketing collateral including a new corporate presentation. In addition, IoT Inc. has signed up to participate in investor focused conferences over the next few months to raise awareness. This corporate repositioning reflects the new strategic vision of the Company and will serve as the foundation to expand its strategic plan to acquire and operate growth-ready technology companies.
Equity Financing: After the original public announcement of a private placement financing in December 2017, the Company closed an over-subscribed funding round of $2,300,000. This working capital provides a sufficient runway to continue execution of its long-term corporate growth strategy and to pursue strategic acquisitions.
Portfolio Company Updates: Weather Telematics Inc. The Company announced that it has entered into a letter of agreement to acquire Weather Telematics Inc. (“WTX Inc.” or “Weather Telematics”), a data science company offering real-time advanced AI-based predictive road condition weather analytics for safer, connected and autonomous transportation. For further details read the May 14, 2018 press release. Weather Telematics recently announced a partnership with Teletrac Navman, a global software-as-a-service provider that leverages location-based technology for GPS tracking solutions, to provide dynamic weather data including a real-time view of hazardous road conditions to the DIRECTOR® fleet management platform.
New Hope IoT Intl. Inc. (or the “JV”) – Management is pleased with the progress that continues to be made with factory automation initiatives as IoT Inc. expands its presence in Greater China. The JV continues to make headway with artificial intelligence in China and pending the closing of WTX Inc., the Company will look to leverage their unique data and technology by integrating it into its manufacturing process optimization platform to turn traditional manufacturing operations into smart industrial IoT enabled facilities.
BLOCKStrain Technology Corp.(“BLOCKStrain”) – The Company made a strategic investment in BLOCKStrain Technology Corp. (TSX-V: DNAX). BLOCKStrain delivers a secure and immutable blockchain platform to establish global certainty for cannabis strains and their ownership. BLOCKStrain closed a non-brokered private placement raising gross proceeds of $10,500,000, and also completed its go public transaction earlier this week. Based on yesterday’s closing price of BLOCKStrain, IoT Inc’s position in the company is worth more than 250% of its original investment. The Company is in discussions with BLOCKStrain and is evaluating how to deploy and leverage its strategic technology applications into the BLOCKStrain ecosystem.
Braingrid Corp. (“Braingrid”) – In December 2015, IoT Inc. acquired an 8.33% minority equity position in Braingrid for $500,000. Braingrid recently closed a $2,500,000 equity financing and continues to work on its public listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange. Braingrid intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, such as continuing expansion of its R&D department as well as furthering the execution of its long-term roadmap. Management expects that Braingrid’s go-public transaction will be accretive to IoT Inc.
New Opportunities – IoT Inc. looks to capitalize on new opportunities when they fit the Company’s core investment criteria. There are occasionally new legislation and regulatory guidelines that open new markets, particularly the recent Supreme Court of the United States ruling that struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), an act that largely outlawed sports betting outside of Nevada. This change in legislation effectively clears a path for the legalization of sports betting in the United States. Research firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming estimates a regulated United States sports betting market could generate $6.03 billion in annual revenue by 2023. Additionally, the Canadian Gaming Association estimates that Canadians are wagering approximately $10 billion annually through illegal bookmaking operations in Canada, and more than $4 billion through offshore online sports gambling websites, meaning that many people are betting through illegal and nefarious channels. As a result of these regulatory changes, IoT Inc. has formed a strategy to capitalize on the opportunity to develop, commercialize and monetize an AI-based platform using the Company’s innovative technologies within the sports wagering marketplace.
About Internet of Things Inc. – Internet of Things Inc. is a strategic investor in growth-ready companies with innovative technology solutions. The Company creates value through its portfolio companies’ expertise in the IoT, AI and Blockchain solutions, by turning data into actionable intelligence to drive more efficiency into organizations. The Company has a joint venture partnership, New Hope IoT Intl Inc., with New Hope Data Technology Co. Ltd. Internet of Things Inc. also has strategic investments in Braingrid Corp. and Blockstrain Technology Corp. and has its headquarters in Toronto, Canada.”
Gopher Protocol Inc. (OTCQB: GOPH) is a development-stage company which consider itself Native IoT creator, developing Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence enabled mobile technology. Recently, the company announced that it is developing a new web interface for Avant!, its Artificial Intelligence Platform. Avant! is Gopher’s software that incorporates artificial intelligence, which it intends to use to control its GEO MESH system when fully developed. It is based on mathematical algorithms in the domain of machine, deep learning. Avant! uses natural language processing and cognitive computing to identify data objects during our MESH communication. When fully developed, it is intended to be used to control the system’s nodes, that may be used in a wide variety of applications, for example, navigating a self-driving car. It is expected that Avant! will have the ability to harness vast amounts of data and computing power, learning GEO conditions, analyzing the data and making decisions in real time.
Remark Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MARK) primarily focuses on the development and deployment of artificial-intelligence-based solutions for businesses and software developers in many industries. Additionally, the company owns and operates digital media properties that deliver relevant, dynamic content. On March 5, 2018, the company announced that they are partnering to deploy Remark’s KanKan data intelligence and AI technologies in approximately 11,000 7-Eleven stores that CP ALL operates throughout Thailand. Remark and CP ALL will hold a press conference (the details of which appear below) on March 6, 2018, in Bangkok to launch the partnership. The Remark/CP ALL partnership will utilize KanKan’s AI-based facial recognition and behavior analysis technologies to provide enhanced customer support, business analysis, employee management and security in CP ALL’s 7-Eleven stores in Thailand, which generate more than $14 billion in revenue. KanKan’s technologies can monitor product levels on store shelves, suggest products and services to customers, provide real-time operations performance and competitor analysis, check in and check out employees, identify unauthorized personnel, and assess crowd size and crowd flow for safety, among myriad other services
Veritone, Inc. (NASDAQ: VERI) is a leading artificial intelligence company that has developed aiWARE, an AWS-certified platform offering orchestrated cognitive computing to transform and analyze structured and unstructured data for clients in a variety of markets, including media and entertainment, legal, compliance and government. On April 11, 2018, the company announced that its aiWARE platform has set the standard for how enterprises and institutions can effectively and profitably engage with AI. The open and extensible platform allows clients to configure cognitive capabilities based on organizational needs – prioritizing accuracy, speed, and cost while enhancing workflows. The recent introduction of the aiWARE real-time framework, coupled with the platform’s ever-growing ecosystem of 185 cognitive engines and applications, enables users to unlock new insights and economic value from virtually any type of data.
ShiftPixy, Inc. (NASDAQ: PIXY) is a disruptive human capital management platform, revolutionizing employment in the Gig Economy by delivering a next-gen mobile engagement technology to help businesses with shift-based employees navigate regulatory mandates, minimize administrative burdens and better connect with a ready-for-hire workforce. On March 27, 2018, the company has leveraged the powerful Watson’s artificial intelligence engine across its platform to achieve an active and personal user experience. ShiftPixy’s current mobile gateway app uses Watson to power its entire employee enrollment process.
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Source: European Gaming News
European Gaming News
Could the Gambling Commission ban wagering requirements?
Wagering requirements; whether you love them or hate them, with the Gambling Review well underway, there’s never been a better time to debate if they still have a place in modern gambling and whether the upcoming review will ban them once and for all. But first, let’s look at their development and why they are a contentious issue in the industry.
What are wagering requirements?
Wagering requirements are a common term and condition attached to a bonus that prevents players from taking a promotion and withdrawing it immediately. They are applied differently by each gambling brand. Some, like PlayOJO, Paddy Power, MrQ and Betfair, have revolutionised the casino scene by offering no wagering bonuses. In contrast, others take the predatory route and list bonuses with up to 100x requirements (the average is around 30x).
The requirement is the amount a player must wager at the casino before any winnings made with a bonus are valid for withdrawal. In the case of a £100 bonus, a 30x requirement would mean a player must wager a total of 100×30=£3,000 before they could withdraw any winnings. Most players would easily decimate their winnings before fulfilling the condition and, as most bonuses expire within 7-14 days, may well be forced to play for periods, or at times, they otherwise might not.
Why do wagering requirements exist?
In the early days of online casinos, bonus hunting among players became widely popular. It led to forums where players shared information on where and how to profit from the best welcome bonuses, earning money from the available offers available and never playing at a site again.
As casinos began to notice players taking bonuses and withdrawing without using them fairly, they combatted the practice with wagering requirements and other terms, such as the ability to withdraw a bonus and any winnings made if an account was suspect of this activity.
However, with no limits or official licensing rules to regulate wagering requirements at that time, things soon got out of hand as operators set high limits that were and still are unattainable to most players. Additionally, in many cases, the terms and conditions were not clearly displayed or explained, leading to the confiscation of bonuses and winnings without players understanding how or why they’d fallen foul of the casino’s rules.
Wagering requirements under fire with UKGC
By 2014, and following a flood of player complaints, the Gambling Commission weighed in, creating the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act which prescribed operators were to advertise their bonus terms and conditions clearly and explain them to players. This led to some reducing their requirements to more feasible levels. However, not all operators followed suit, hence why we’re still discussing wagering requirements today.
More recently, in February 2022, the UKGC set its sights on reforming wagering requirements again, issuing new guidance regarding fair and transparent terms and practices, which acknowledged that wagering requirements could lead to excessive play, not in line with social responsibility rules for operators.
The new guidance rules cited that licensees used potentially unfair terms, with examples including:
- “terms that allow licensees to confiscate customers’ un-staked deposits
- terms regarding treatment of customers’ funds where a licensee believes there has been illegal, irregular or fraudulent play
- promotions for online games that have terms entitling a licensee to void real money winnings if a customer inadvertently breaks staking rules
- terms that unfairly permit licensees to reduce potential winnings on open bets.”
It also stated that the Commission was aware of:
- “terms and conditions that are difficult to understand
- welcome bonus offers and wagering requirements which may encourage excessive play.”
While the guidance did not contain rules for abolishing or limiting wagering requirements, they instructed licensees to review their terms and conditions to ensure they fit consumer protection laws and that; “The LCCP requires rewards and bonuses to be constructed in a way that is socially responsible. Although it is common practice to attach terms and conditions to bonus offers, the Commission does not expect conditions, such as wagering requirements, to encourage excessive play.”
Will wagering requirements be banned?
With the Gambling Review white paper currently overdue and keenly expected by all industry stakeholders, many wonder if it will cover wagering requirements or, more specifically, exclude them from casino practice. The Gambling Review aims to update the 2005 Gambling Act, fit for the modern age, and wagering requirements would undoubtedly slot into the remit of what’s being discussed, which includes greater player protections and affordability checks.
While it’s clear that some big-name operators and affiliates like No Wagering are pioneering the way in bringing zero wagering bonuses to players, many sites have not followed suit. This is despite clear evidence that players favour fairer bonuses (PlayOJO is one of 39 brands operated by the same parent company, it is the only one with zero requirements, and it’s the most successful of all, according to the company).
Realistically, we’re not sure that the new gambling regulations will ban wagering requirements completely (as we covered earlier, they do exist for a reason), but it certainly wouldn’t be beyond the imagination for there to be a maximum cap applied in the view that excessive requirements equate to excessive play.
What’s next for operators and bonuses if wagering requirements are banned?
Bonuses are one of the most important factors for players in picking between casino sites, and they make players feel lucky to score something for free straight off the bat (even if the wagering requirements mean this is not really the case).
If wagering requirements are banned, operators unwilling to offer bonuses without wagering requirements will have to return to the drawing board and reimagine rewards, especially welcome offers. Alternatively, they could begin competing based on other USPs, such as focusing more on the casino product to pull in the punters by offering unique games, making space for indie developers, having instant withdrawals, or gamified loyalty benefits and better loyalty clubs.
Moreover, it would present a fantastic opportunity for remote operators to move away from the tired system of matched deposit bonuses towards more exciting and fresher ideas like promo wheel spins, mystery gifts on first deposits, prize draws and so on. With brands including PlayOJO, Paddy Power, MrQ and Betfair already doing this, operators do not lack a blueprint to success, just the gumption to embrace a new model.
Bulgaria
Betway Bulgaria officially launches, offers live and bet-builder options
Another company has officially launched its activities in the growing niche of online betting in Bulgaria. But here we are not just talking about another operator licensed by national institutions, but about a leading brand worldwide. Betway is one of the largest bookmakers in Europe and globally, and the fact that it already offers its services in Bulgaria speaks positively about the development of the gambling business in the country.
Indications of an increase in the size of the industry appeared last year, when several operators received a permit to operate under Bulgarian jurisdiction. It is unlikely that this process will end with the official launch of betway bulgaria, rather the brand entering the country can be perceived by international operators as a positive assessment of the market in Bulgaria. What can we find at Betway besides the obvious – increased competition and of course more choice for consumers?
What do we find in the sports section?
Sports betting – this is the leading sector of the company, which started operations in 2006. The brand is associated with a number of teams in Europe such as Tottenham, Atletico Madrid, Leicester, Alaves, Belenenses, Werder, etc. Of course, the top championships in Europe are present in the latest betting platform, but that’s not all. Betway offers the opportunity to make predictions at less popular UEFA championships. The fans of the Bulgarian championship have options too. All matches of the First League are present in the bookmaker’s menu, and are offered with dozens of choices for each of them.
Real-time bets and long-term combinations
Live bets are a big thrill for many players. This option is present at Betway, and this also applies to the mobile version, of course. It is not difficult to detect current events – they come first when loading the platform. And with them the bookmaker really comes up with interesting offers, some of which are rare on the Bulgarian market. The outcome of the bets become clear in literally seconds if the next goal market or one of the performance options is selected.
In addition, the company accepts predictions with a much longer horizon. It is now standard to bet on who will be the champion in England, Spain, Italy or Germany. However, there are also specific markets and selections for certain teams – will Barcelona take the trophy this season, will Liverpool reach the final in at least one of the tournaments in which it participates, etc. And if users don’t find what they’re looking for in these offers, they can always turn to the betting menu. The bet-builder is still limited to one match, from which we can choose two or more selections until the desired odds are formed. This is the most appropriate way to optimize the bet according to personal preferences and therefore it is increasingly preferred by the players.
Betway’s first steps on the Bulgarian market are impressive. And this is just the beginning, we can expect even more in the near future.
European Gaming News
EveryMatrix inks RGS Matrix agreement with Wild Boars
EveryMatrix announces the second RGS Matrix partnership with Wild Boars, newly launched gaming studio that aims to bring creative storytelling and a fresh feel to the gaming industry.
Launched in 2019 as EveryMatrix sixth standalone solution, RGS Matrix enables gaming development teams to distribute, manage, and report upon a proprietary game product portfolio.
This ‘out of the box’ remote gaming server was built on an open architecture and caters for outstanding player experience, consistent deployment, and quicker content integration.
Mathias Larsson, Managing Director of RGS Matrix, says: “This is our second RGS Matrix agreement and it brings me a lot of joy to know that our solution starts gaining momentum in the market. Our remote gaming server aims to help the new generation of game builders by providing all the means to create, design, distribute and manage games.
“The team of Wild Boars is experienced, skilled and highly creative. I am looking forward to seeing their games live and appreciated by players in many countries.”
Oleksandr Yermolaiev, Managing Director of Wild Boars, comments: “We truly believe that choosing a right partner is crucial for success. For us, RGS Matrix and its remarkable team is just that partner. We are excited to use EveryMatrix solution, focus on what we do best and bring our innovative games to a wide range of operators, territories and players. RGS Matrix is dashing ahead and we are happy to join the ride.”
RGS Matrix powers slots and table games, and is currently certified for Malta, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, Romania, and Colombia, with many jurisdictions to come in the upcoming years.
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