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Exclusive interview with Stuart Godfree, Managing Director and co-founder, mkodo

Published

5 years ago

July 11, 2019

Exclusive interview with Stuart Godfree, Managing Director and co-founder, mkodo Reading Time: 3 minutes

Stuart Godfree co-founded mkodo with Sue Yoxall in 2001, taking the opportunity to bring an innovative technology-based service to the rapidly developing gaming market. Recently, Stuart founded mkodo’s Evolve Scheme, a graduate scheme investing in the next generation of talented individuals who want to progress a career in the mobile applications technology field.

You offer apps and digital products to the betting, gaming and lottery sectors, what do you think is the most important thing operators need to consider in terms of their digital experience offering?

Having a strong digital offering is no longer an option but a necessity for all operators and suppliers in the gambling industry. We work with several lotteries and traditionally this has been a product popular with the older generation who would buy and check the outcome of the draw in a retail environment. But nowadays, people are using their mobile phones for everyday tasks and this includes leisure activities such as betting and gaming. People have got used to the convenience of having everything just one click away and expect an easy, effortless user experience. For the lottery industry, this could for example mean a fully transactable experience; an app that offers the functionality to log in, deposit funds, check lottery tickets and withdraw winnings without unnecessary friction.

You work with several National and State lotteries. Would you say they are falling behind in the fast-paced digital development?

Although it can be argued that lotteries were late to the party when it comes to adapting to the online environment, we’re now seeing a sizeable shift in attitudes. For lotteries to benefit from all the opportunities provided by the digital world, they must be bold in embracing new technologies and trends. This is particularly crucial to engage the mobile savvy younger generations. We have seen with our operating partners that with a slick and efficient online or mobile offering, no audience is unattainable. Of course, as with any industry, there is room for improvement and challenges remain. Regulators world-over are tightening up on legislation while Apple is following suit with its own restrictions on the App Store guidelines, troubling digitalisation. But the ambition is finally there, and that’s an important step in the right direction. We recently gained a membership to the World Lottery Association and are partnered with some of the biggest names in the industry such as the Atlantic Lottery Corporation and the British Columbia Lottery Corporation. It’s great to see that implementing an innovative digital strategy is a top priority for the lotteries we work with and operators have proven that they are able to keep up with rapidly changing consumer preferences in an online world.

You have recently worked on a project together with Teesside University, could you tell us a bit about that?

This was part of our “innovate together” competition that we launched to see if we could generate solutions to one of the biggest challenges that lotteries around the world are currently facing; attracting and retaining the younger generation. As mentioned, traditional lotteries are seen to be a preferred game of choice for older generations of 55-64, where 87% of lottery tickets are still bought in retail stores. So, who better to address the challenge of engaging a younger audience than millennials themselves? We asked students at Teesside University to come up with a solution that bridges the gap between traditional lotteries and the younger generations, in line with responsible gambling regulations and charitable beneficiary obligations. We heard four presentations packed with great ideas and well-developed arguments. We’re now developing these innovative ideas with the students and we’re excited to showcase them soon.

Apple has recently started enforcing their guidelines 4.2 and 4.7, could you tell us a bit more about the implications this could have for the betting and gaming industry?

Apple’s restrictions on nativity and real money games have served as a double blow to the industry. For a lot of operators, repacking a HTML website in a native container was standard practice for their mobile applications. But that approach will no longer work under the new guidelines and has the potential to impact the industry massively in terms of app re-development time and cost.

On top of that, the 4.7 restriction has potential to be even more damaging, particularly for operators that have a high level of native functionality but include third-party casino games. As Apple will no longer accept games that have been ‘side-loaded’, as we call it, operators are left with a difficult decision: either abandon their iOS application and move solely to website distribution channels, or work with game developers to embed top titles with the application code. Both options come with pitfalls, however, the full extent of how these restrictions will truly impact the industry is yet to be realised.

What can we expect from mkodo in 2019?

We’ve been helping our clients and partners understand their obligations and responsibilities with the revised Apple Guidelines, as well as developing strategies to minimise the impact amongst operators in the wider betting and gaming industry. We will continue to do this and will advise on what happens beyond the September 3^rd deadline. More widely, our business in Canada and North America continues to go from strength to strength and we’re looking forward to making valuable new partnerships in the region.

Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: Exclusive interview with Stuart Godfree, Managing Director and co-founder, mkodo

Related Topics:gambling industry in Europe

George Miller

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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Kore Digital Mining Ltd Announces Additional 14 PH/s Bitcoin Mining Capacity

Published

16 hours ago

April 25, 2024

George Miller

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Kore Digital Mining Ltd, a UK based Bitcoin mining company, announces that effective 1st May 2024, an additional 14 PH/s mining capacity will be added to its existing infrastructure.

This additional capacity will be provided by a major Bitcoin mining corporation and will be operational until 30th June 2024.

Derek Nisbet, Kore’s Founder & CEO, said – “We are pleased to work with a leading Bitcoin Miner in securing a large amount of mining capacity, for a 2 month trial period. We look forward to hopefully extending this period and engaging more with major mining corporations offering Bitcoin hashing opportunities, in the future.”

This additional 14PH/s Bitcoin mining capacity adds to the existing 2 PH/s currently operational with Kore’s own infrastructure and an additional 4 PH/s is due to be added over the next quarter, totalling 20 PH/s.

The post Kore Digital Mining Ltd Announces Additional 14 PH/s Bitcoin Mining Capacity appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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William Hill Announced as Official Betting Partner of Qipco Guineas Festival

Published

18 hours ago

April 25, 2024

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Leading bookmaker becomes official betting partner of first UK Classic meeting of 2024

William Hill has been announced as the new official betting partner of the Qipco Guineas Festival, the first UK Classic meeting of the season.

It’s the latest addition to William Hill’s spring racing roster, following sponsorship of The Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster, the Punchestown Champion Chase and its status as official betting partner of the Randox Grand National Festival.

The 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas headline the three-day meeting and the leading bookmaker will sponsor 15 races across the weekend with the Jockey Club Stakes, Palace House and Dahlia Stakes among the races now featuring the William Hill title.

Aidan O’Brien’s unbeaten superstar City of Troy is still all the rage for the 2,000 Guineas at 4/6 whereas Karl Burke’s Fallen Angel heads a competitive looking 1,000 Guineas market at 7/2.

“We’re delighted to become the official betting partner of the Qipco Guineas Festival, strengthening our relationship with The Jockey Club on the back of a fantastic Grand National Festival,” a spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said. “It’s brilliant for William Hill to be associated directly with such a prestigious event at Newmarket, the home of the thoroughbred, for this season’s first two Classics. The company has a close connection with the history of the 2,000 Guineas as William Hill himself bred the 1949 winner, Nimbus, who then went on to win the Derby.

“We’re excited to be involved at racing’s key meetings and see the Qipco Guineas Festival as the perfect sponsorship as the British flat season kicks into gear.”

Newmarket – 2,000 Guineas: May 4, 2024

City Of Troy	4/6
Rosallion	4/1
Notable Speech	12/1
Henry Longfellow	12/1
Night Raider	16/1
Alyanaabi	16/1
Ancient Wisdom	16/1
Task Force	16/1
Ghostwriter	16/1
Iberian	20/1
BAR	25/1

Newmarket – 1,000 Guineas: May 5, 2024

Fallen Angel	7/2
Ylang Ylang	4/1
Dance Sequence	5/1
Ramatuelle	10/1
See The Fire	12/1
Content	12/1
One Look	14/1
Pretty Crystal	14/1
Buttons	20/1
Purple Lily	20/1
Porta Fortuna	20/1
Star Style	20/1
BAR	25/1

The post William Hill Announced as Official Betting Partner of Qipco Guineas Festival appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Midjiwan Supports Reforestation Efforts With New Elyrion Tribe Skin In The Battle Of Polytopia

Published

18 hours ago

April 25, 2024

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Midjiwan, the award-winning independent studio behind The Battle of Polytopia, is celebrating Elyrion (∑∫ỹriȱŋ) Tribe Week with a brand-new Midnight (₼idŋighţ) skin and donations to support reforestation.

Tapping into the Elyrion Tribe’s nature magic abilities, every purchase of an Elyrion item in the game will plant one real-world tree from April 22-28 2024. Midjiwan has teamed up with The Canopy Project, an organisation that works with global partners to reforest areas in urgent need of rehabilitation, combining The Battle Of Polytopia’s themes with a desire to make real change in the world. Previous years of Elyrion Tribe Week have resulted in the planting of over 12,000 trees.

The Elyrion Tribe is a mysterious group of elves, dedicated to defending their woodland home with their unique magic and connection with nature. Players using the Elyrion tribe have the ability to enchant animals into Polytaurs and summon powerful Fire Dragons.

Christian Lövstedt, General Manager at Midjiwan, commented:

“This is a hugely exciting partnership, allowing players to support the planet and contribute to reforestation whilst also accessing brilliant new content to use in The Battle Of Polytopia.”

Alongside donating to The Canopy Project, The Battle Of Polytopia also boasts a brand-new skin for the Elyrion Tribe! The Midnight skin allows players to create graves, build crypts, and summon demons in dark forests, all in service of the mysterious Shard of D’Naeh.

The Midnight skin re-skins the entire Elyrion Tribe as the Midnight Cult. Everything the Elyrion Tribe is all about – nature, enchantment, and sanctuary – is turned on its head, corrupted into a dark, twisted dystopia of itself.

Midjiwan has already invested €250,000 in solar power projects in rural areas around Africa, and other charitable projects. The studio continues to seek opportunities to combine its in-game creativity with real-world benefits. The Battle of Polytopia is available on Nintendo Switch, the App Store, Google Play, PC, and Tesla cars.

The post Midjiwan Supports Reforestation Efforts With New Elyrion Tribe Skin In The Battle Of Polytopia appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.