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Exclusive Q&A with Alex Morgan-Moodie, Senior Director, Worldpay

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We talk here with a passionate gaming industry professional, mainly about the risks of fraud.

Alex Morgan-Moodie, who currently holds the position of Senior Director, Vertical Growth focusing on Gaming Vertical at Worldpay, offers insightful and precise answers about various facets of fraud.

 

Q. We usually start with a quick bio. Our readers love it. Could you briefly narrate how you landed in the gaming industry and progressed?

A. I started in the gaming industry back in 2009 when I joined PokerStars as an analyst in the payments team. I was soon learning about payment trends and regulatory complexity from Europe to the US, Latin America and other emerging markets. From there I was hooked and after roles in product delivery and corporate development (including working on the integration of Sky Betting & Gaming into the group in 2018 and preparation for the company’s subsequent acquisition by Flutter) I moved to Worldpay to lead our global Gaming vertical strategy.  The role felt made for me and I haven’t looked back. My role may have expanded since I joined, but the gaming industry remains my passion.

Q. You joined Worldpay Gaming in September 2020. Could you describe your role and responsibilities?

A. As I mentioned, my role entails defining the strategy for Worldpay’s presence in the Gaming industry together with my team. We support the commercial teams by defining our value proposition, keeping them abreast of trends and developments, and partner with our account managers to support our tier-1 customers in mid to long-range planning. We also work with Legal and Risk to explore new markets and help Product to define the gaming-specific product roadmap. Finally, we are the team that ensure Worldpay shows up at key events – ICE, G2E or our own merchant workshops for example. As you can see, it’s pretty varied but the vertical itself is hugely important to Worldpay – we’ve been supporting customers here for over 20 years and have masses of experience working within operators themselves as well as being payments partners.

Q. You are talking about global digital fraud in London ICE – especially about how digital fraud in the gaming sector increasing even while the incidence of overall global fraud shows signs of decline. What do you think are the reasons why the gaming sector seems particularly vulnerable to fraud?

A. I think the story around fraud is an interesting one because we see fraud attempts in ecommerce increasing generally across the globe, driven in part by the shift online as people have reduced their in-person spending and usage of cash, so with more transactions online, there is more data. With that said, the increase of fraud in the gaming sector appears to be driven by the competitive nature of new, emerging markets and the types of bonus offers we’ve seen, such as in the US in order to gain market share. This leads to ‘friendly fraud’ or ‘bonus abuse’ where opportunists will attempt to create several accounts in order to take advantage of multiple offers. Thankfully, operators in general manage large teams and develop bespoke tools that go some way to managing that risk – but it is certainly a drag on growth.

Q. What are the challenges and opportunities in front of gaming entrepreneurs in balancing the risk of fraud versus the need to provide an amazingly seamless end-user experience?

A. Gaming consumers are savvy and demanding, and this means their expectations around user experience are high. Seamless and real-time are the key tenets and any additional checks – whether they are regulatory requirements, for fraud or in order to protect players for safer gambling purposes – need to fit into that seamless experience as far as possible. This means identifying tools that can operate in real-time whilst minimising the need for manual intervention. Thankfully payment solutions have come a long way since I first joined the industry and we are now able to offer solutions to ensure how a player pays or withdraws winnings is seamless and real-time wherever possible – something our research tells us drives loyalty for customers, which is essential when the marketplace is as competitive as it is.

Q. Now, tell us about the recent Worldpay FIS Global Gaming Payments Report. What are the key insights from that report that explores payments habits in over 40 markets and real-time payment trends?

A. The GGPR is a much-anticipated round up of industry trends and payments information. So it’s a pleasure to be responsible for its delivery after years as an avid reader. This year, as well as the usual country profiles on key established and emerging markets in the industry, we’ve also done deep dives into trends such as the emergent fraud challenges mentioned above, as well as the opportunity presented by omnichannel gaming as users have returned to physical stores and suddenly operators want a single view of their customers across all of their physical and online stores. We also tackle the opportunities presented by improvements in virtual reality technology that will potentially give rise to gaming metaverses of the future, and our thoughts on how the industry is adapting to cryptocurrency/blockchain technology.

Q. Could you talk about the innovations and strategies Worldpay has adopted or planning to adopt to curb the growing fraud in the gaming sector?

A. At Worldpay, our role is to develop tools that augment operators’ in-house solutions and provide yet more data points to help them identify and prevent fraud. We have seen huge success in the sector with our new Fraudsight tool, which uses machine learning to review the billions of transactions Worldpay is processing per annum and continuously update a set of configurable fraud rules for operators to help flag and prevent fraud, providing yet another layer of protection. This is already in the market with significant adoption in the gambling industry, and we’re continuing to find innovative ways of curbing fraud in the gaming sector.

Q. New Neural Language Models (NLM) applications are emerging after the news-making launch of OpenAi’s ChatGPT. How do you view such developments in the machine-learning sector with respect to the risk of fraud in the gaming sector?

A. As mentioned above, Fraudsight is already harnessing machine learning to improve how it identifies fraud. Beyond that, I think the possibility to harness AI technology advancements to refine existing tools and identify new ones is almost limitless. We invest in product innovation teams that are focused on identifying exactly that; so there are lots more to come!

 

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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Win tickets to the BLAST Premier Fall Final: GG.BET is running a MEGA BLAST Competition for fans of СS2

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From 26 July, all GG.BET users can get involved in the new MEGA BLAST Competition with a €10,000 prize fund. The winner will receive two tickets to the BLAST Premier Fall Final CS2 tournament, taking place from 27-29 September in Copenhagen. To enter, you need to place bets on Counter-Strike 2 matches.

BLAST Premier Fall is a major series of Counter-Strike 2 tournaments which draws in millions of viewers from all over the world every year. The series consists of three stages: Groups, Showdown, and Finals. The Groups stage sees 16 Tier-1 teams duke it out. Only 6 of these can go on to compete in the final, while the rest will battle it out in the Fall Showdown for two additional spots in the final. BLAST Premier Fall Finals will be the concluding stage of the Fall series, and fans can look forward to electrifying action, heart-stopping twists and turns, and an epic $425,000 prize fund.

From 26 July to 4 August, as the Groups stage rages on, GG.BET will be holding its MEGA BLAST Competition. The winner will get their hands on two tickets to attend every day of the BLAST Premier Fall Finals. As well as these tickets, the bookmaker is also giving away a whopping €10,000 prize fund to the top 40 participants in the MEGA BLAST Competition.

How to take part in the MEGA BLAST Competition:

  1. Register an account with GG.BET or log in to an existing account.
  2. Go to the tournament page and press “Participate”.
  3. Place bets on Counter-Strike 2 matches. Every bet you place will earn you a certain number of points, based on the odds.
  4. Rack up points, keep an eye on the leaderboard, and wait for your winnings to roll in.

Bet on your favorites and get ready for some unforgettable fun! Head over to GG.BET right now so you don’t miss your chance to enjoy a festival of Counter-Strike action in Copenhagen.

 

The post Win tickets to the BLAST Premier Fall Final: GG.BET is running a MEGA BLAST Competition for fans of СS2 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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MANCHESTER CITY TO MARK GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP WITH SUPER GROUP-OWNED BETWAY AT THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE

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Manchester City has today announced a new multi-year partnership with leading global online betting and gaming brand, Betway.

As part of the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, and to mark this significant deal, leading figures from Manchester City and Super Group will be on-site for the iconic NYSE bell-ringing ceremony later today. Ferran Soriano, CEO of City Football Group, along with Neal Menashe, Super Group CEO, will ring The Opening Bell at 9:30am EDT.

The agreement will see Betway become the club’s Official Global Betting Partner from the start of the 2024/25 season, as Manchester City joins the brand’s extensive sports sponsorship portfolio which includes teams from across the Premier League, La Liga, NBA and more.

Ferran Soriano, City Football Group CEO, said: “We are pleased to announce Betway as our Official Global Betting Partner today. As a globally recognised brand, Betway has a strong pedigree and history of working with high-profile brands within the sports space and we’re excited to work together throughout the partnership.”

Super Group CEO, Neal Menashe, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to become Manchester City’s Official Global Betting Partner. This agreement cements our place in the top tier of Premier League partners, ensuring that our Betway brand reaches fans in all corners of the globe.”

Throughout the duration of the partnership, Manchester City and Betway will collaborate on a number of activations and exclusive content opportunities, in addition to the brand featuring across digital and in-stadia assets.

Manchester City and Betway will also work together to provide all players, coaches, management and staff in-depth, industry leading training on all relevant codes of conduct relating to betting integrity and responsible gambling. This is in addition to the work Manchester City already does to support players and staff in this area.

The Opening Bell ceremony can be viewed live.

 

The post MANCHESTER CITY TO MARK GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP WITH SUPER GROUP-OWNED BETWAY AT THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Acquiring a Curacao Online Gaming License in 2024: Comprehensive Analysis of Financial & Procedural Aspects with Costs & Timelines Detailed

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The “Acquiring a Curacao Online Gaming License, 2024: Comprehensive Analysis of Financial & Procedural Aspects with Costs & Timelines Detailed” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

This report includes valuable insights into the financial and procedural aspects, including detailed information on costs and timelines associated with acquiring a Curacao license.

In 2023, Curacao introduced the “Landsverordening op de kansspelen” (Ordinance on Games of Chance) to modernize and regulate gambling legislation. Since March 2020, the Gambling Control Board (GCB) has been authorized to regulate offshore gambling games and oversee the issuance of Curacao licenses. As of 2023, there are 16 companies providing legal services for registration and licensing in the territory of Curacao. The license fee, as per GCB regulations, is 36,000 ANG or 19,800 USD, payable upon license issuance.

Research Timeline and Data Relevance

The research was conducted in two stages. The first stage, studying the regulator and Open Data Search, took place in December 2023. The second stage, writing the report and partially updating the data from the first stage, took place from the end of April to the end of May 2024.

Goals and Objectives

  • Describe the information about the Curacao license and the issuing regulator.
  • Describe the requirements and conditions for obtaining a Curacao license.
  • Describe the costs and timelines for obtaining a Curacao license.
  • Briefly study the market, find and suggest the following lists:
    • Legal companies offering services for company registration and obtaining a Curacao license;
    • Communication agents and integrators working with the Curacao license;
    • Suppliers and vendors working with the Curacao license;
    • Payment systems working with the Curacao license.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Goals and Objectives

2. Research Timeline and Data Relevance

  • Document Markup
  • Raw and Combined Data
  • Terms & Glossary

3. General Information

  • The Regulator
    • Registration of Operators With Sublicense
    • Application for an Online Gaming License

4. Requirements and Conditions for Obtaining a License

License Conditions

  • General Prohibitions
  • Safe and Secure Environment
  • Equipment and Application Software
  • Player Registration
  • Payment Transactions
  • Games
  • Terms of Use
  • Resolution of Complaints
  • Administrative Responsibilities
  • Publicly Available Information
  • Reports
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Suspension and Revocation of License
  • Additional Conditions
  • Supervision

Recommendations or Minimum Requirements for the Business Plan

5. The Cost of the License

6. Decision Term and the Validity of the License

7. Application Method and Forms

8. Contact Information

9. Companies for Registration and Licensing

10. Integration Companies

11. Suppliers and Vendors

12. Payment Systems

13. META

14. Appendix: Terms & Glossary

For more information about this report visit researchandmarkets.com/r/izeo6g

 

The post Acquiring a Curacao Online Gaming License in 2024: Comprehensive Analysis of Financial & Procedural Aspects with Costs & Timelines Detailed appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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