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Russia’s Tigre de Cristal casino focuses more on working class gamblers
The Tigre de Cristal casino, located in Primorye gaming zone in Russia, is relying more on modest class customers for the majority of revenues than on VIP gamblers.
Summit Ascent Holdings, the Hong Kong-listed company that has a majority stake in Tigre de Cristal, reported a 2% increase year-on-year to HK$207.8m (US$26.5m) for the first quarter. But the adjusted earnings surged by 17% to HK$66.8m and overall profit increased to HK$2.6m from a loss of HK$5.4m in H1 2017.
The profit came even after the casino’s VIP gambling turnover decreased by 22.5% year-on-year to HK$6.5b in H1. The gross win was also down by 38.2% to HK$189m as win rate fell 0.74 points to 2.9%. After deducting VIP rebates, net VIP win was down 44.5% to HK$41m. It’s worth noting that the casino’s average number of VIP tables fell to 12 from 16 in H1 2017.
Summit Ascent Holdings said the slowdown in VIP revenues was anticipated. The casino had refused to succumb to the “increasing pressure” from VIP customers who demanded higher levels of rebates. The casino said no such requests and focused on developing its own ‘premium mass’ business.The casino’s mass market numbers appear to support this strategy, as mass table drop rose more than one-third to HK$348m and net win spiked 47.3% to HK$84m.
The slots business, which primarily caters to a local clientele, reported handle up 44.4% to HK$1.35b but a lower win rate kept slots revenue’s gain to 27% (HK$66m).
Tigre de Cristal’s average hotel occupancy was largely unchanged year-on-year at 76% on the weekends but just 45% on weekdays. Still, hotel revenue fell 22% to HK$17m due to fewer high-rolling clients.
Summit says it’s encouraged by the Primorye region’s rising foreign tourist visitation, which is growing at an annual rate of 33% over the past five years. At the end of H1, there were 50% more direct flights to the region than one year ago.
Summit says, it is currently refining the design and construction requirements of Tigre de Cristal’s Phase II, construction of which is expected to commence next spring with a targeted opening in “the latter half of 2020.” Phase II originally targeted a late-2019 opening but delays stemmed from alterations in financing and design options following “recent changes in substantial shareholders.”
Summit also says it is observed “an acceleration of building works” by other Primorye operators, including NagaCorp’s Naga Vladivostok and Diamond Fortune Holdings’ Selena project. Assuming these other operators continue at this accelerated pace, Summit says it may start to see the benefits of a “cluster effect” of casinos as early as 2021.
Source: calvinayre.com
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network

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Mars Attracts hits Early Access on September 16
The upcoming park management sim Mars Attracts will hit early access on Steam on September 16, 2025.
The release date announcement came with a new teaser trailer which highlights some of the never-before seen maps, missions, buildings and characters that have been crammed into the Early Access build.
Following a highly successful visit to Gamescom as part of the Indie Arena Booth, developers Outlier are keen to open up their twisted management sim to a wider audience. Visitors to the Gamescom booth praised the game’s deep management mechanics, gruesome experiment system and dark sense of humor.
Fans of the game will also have a chance to pick up a very special Supporter’s Edition of the game which includes an hour long behind the scenes featurette, the game’s soundtrack, and an 56 page artbook packed full of never-before seen concept art, illustrations and character design. Supporters will also have access to a bonus human enclosure and special character – the Space Age!
Early Access for Mars Attracts is expected to last about nine months, with development following a player-guided approach. Fans can have their say on new features and tweaks to existing elements through the studio’s Discord. This input will play a major role in shaping the development roadmap, with the Outlier team keen to let the community have their say in shaping the game they want to play.
The post Mars Attracts hits Early Access on September 16 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Elizabeth Varley, solicitor at licensing law firm Poppleston Allen, shares a handy refresher on the UK’s statutory levy, including the who, how much, why and how to pay
Invoices are now available for payment on eServices
Invoices for the Statutory Levy are now available on the Gambling Commission’s eServices. Payment must be made by 30 September 2025.
Licensees should have been contacted to make payment via the ‘Invoices and Payments’ tab of their eServices account. For anyone who has not received any correspondence, primary contact details on your eServices account should be checked to ensure these are up to date.
As a reminder, we have outlined the basics of the levy below.
What is the levy?
Following a public consultation led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which ran from 17 October to 14 December 2023 the Government introduced a statutory levy to be charged to all licensed gambling operators, with rates set per sector/activity provided
The levy replaces the previous requirement for licensees to make annual financial contributions to a list of research, prevention and treatment organisations.
Where the total billable statutory levy value for a licensee is £10 or less for a relevant period, the licensee will not be required to pay.
The levy period
The first statutory levy period is defined in the Gambling Levy Regulations. For lottery operating (society) licences the first statutory levy period began on 1 April 2024, for all other operating licenses the first statutory levy period began on 1 July 2024. For all licensees, except society lottery operating licences, the calculation of the statutory levy will be based on Regulatory Returns data from July 2024 to March 2025 multiplied by one and one-third. For society lottery operating licences the calculation will be based on data reported to the Gambling Commission relating to 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
The statutory levy will then be invoiced on an annual basis, on 1 September, and will be based on the activity from the previous financial year. For example an invoice issued on 1 September 2026, would be the levy payable for 2026 to 2027, but would be based on regulatory return data relating to 2025 to 2026 (April 2025 to March 2026).
Payment
Invoices for the statutory levy this financial year (2024 to 2025) are now available online through eServices with full payment required before 1 October 2025, meaning payment must be made by midnight on 30 September 2025.
Payment of the statutory levy is a licence requirement, and therefore non-payment, or late payment of the statutory levy could result in operating licence revocation, unless the Gambling Commission is satisfied that this is due to administrative error.
How is the levy calculated?
The rate of the levy varies depending on the licensed activity provided, ranging from 0.1 percent to 1.1 percent:
Type |
Percentage of leviable amount |
Gambling Software |
1.1% |
Remote Betting intermediary (not trading room only) |
1.1% |
Remote Bingo |
1.1% |
Remote Casino |
1.1% |
Remote General Betting |
1.1% |
Betting intermediary (trading room only) |
0.5% |
Non remote betting intermediary |
0.5% |
Non remote casino |
0.5% |
Non remote General Betting (not on-track or on-course) |
0.5% |
AGC |
0.2% |
Non remote Bingo |
0.2% |
Non remote General Betting (on-track or on-course) |
0.2% |
FEC |
0.1% |
Gaming Machine Technical |
0.1% |
Lottery |
0.1% |
Pool Betting |
0.1% |
The post Elizabeth Varley, solicitor at licensing law firm Poppleston Allen, shares a handy refresher on the UK’s statutory levy, including the who, how much, why and how to pay appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Boomerang Partners will showcase a unique ‘Boomerang Arena’ concept, along with its brand portfolio at SBC Summit 2025
Boomerang Partners is set to participate in SBC Summit 2025 — one of the iGaming industry’s flagship events — taking place in Lisbon from September 16–18, with over 30,000 delegates expected. Boomerang will be represented at the exhibition with booth F1.
As an official exhibitor, Boomerang Partners will present its signature booth concept — the Boomerang Arena — a dynamic, immersive space where creativity meets performance.
Located at booth F1, the Boomerang Arena will feature interactive sports-themed activities, live performances, product showcases, and engagements designed to spark conversation and collaboration.. Additionally, on the 2nd day of the summit, there will be two performances featuring actors, starting at 4:00 PM. Don’t miss it. Furthermore, the Boomerang Partners booth will feature a unique visual gallery and a raffle for exclusive prizes. Details will be announced later.
New sports tournament: Golden Boomerang League
Boomerang Partners will also present its new affiliate tournament — the Golden Boomerang League. Visitors can learn the rules and register directly at booth F1.
From September 1 to October 31, affiliates who generate 20+ FTDs for sports brands from Boomerang’s portfolio will enter a prize draw.
The winner will earn:
- Guaranteed entry into the Golden Boomerang Awards 2026
- A 2x AC Milan Experience — including flights, accommodation, and matchday access
Anton Eshtokin, Chief Marketing Officer of Boomerang Partners, said: “Boomerang Partners continues the series of projects in the lineup of sports-oriented activities. For the SBC, we have prepared content for our booth and programs that align with our strategy, designed to further emphasize our confident sports course. We always aim to surprise our partners with creativity and relevance — even when addressing serious business objectives. We invite current and potential partners, as well as everyone we have managed to interest, to our booth.”
Come to booth F1, check out the ‘Boomerang Arena’ concept, and have an unforgettable experience.
About Boomerang
Boomerang Partners is a rapidly growing global brand offering a wide range of services. Boomerang is the Official Regional Partner of AC Milan. In 2024, it launched the inaugural Golden Boomerang Awards — a global tournament for affiliate teams. More than 400 affiliate teams participated in the second season of the tournament in 2025. Boomerang launched six new products in 2024, contributing to a nearly 1.5-fold increase in product users.
Boomerang’s portfolio contains 18+ brands offering affiliate and entertainment services across 40+ markets in compliance with local regulations. These products provide personalized bonuses and 24/7 multilingual support.
The post Boomerang Partners will showcase a unique ‘Boomerang Arena’ concept, along with its brand portfolio at SBC Summit 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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