The Americas
Two teams are left to fight out Super Bowl LV in 2021, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers set to take on the Kansas City Chiefs; Former U.S. Presidential candidate Andrew Yang remains the favourite to win the New York City Mayoral elections. Yang has taken an early lead in the race thanks to name recognition and door-to-door campaigning; Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal has signed a deal to become an ambassador for Australian sportsbook PointsBet in the U.S. O’Neal will be the face of the company as it continues to expand its presence in the U.S.; Massachusetts is set to remove curfews in a move welcomed by the casino industry; Winamax Pro Ivan Deyra has been dismissed as an ambassador and forced to pay back winnings after being exposed as a multi-accounting cheat. The French player was busted using multiple accounts during a World Series of Poker event; Casino operator Bally’s Corporation has further diversified its offering by acquiring daily fantasy sports operator Monkey Knife Fight (MKF), while rival Caesars Entertainment has made its own DFS play; Great Canadian Gaming Corp CEO Rodney Baker has been forced to resign in the wake of growing scandal. The CGC CEO and his wife were caught out breaking health protocols in a bid to receive the COVID-19 vaccine; Google is set to permit real -money gaming on a host of apps on its Google Play marketplace. The internet giant will relax its stance from March 1 and expand their policies to include real-money gambling apps in several new territories; BetMGM have continued their campaign of exclusive media partnerships. The company announced a new deal that will see it partner with The Athletic on a new betting content collaboration.
Europe
Spanish gaming company Codere continues to work with creditors to avoid bankruptcy. The casino operator has struggled under the weight of COVID restrictions and huge changes in currency conversion rates; Swedish authorities have come down hard on online casino licensee Videoslots. The slots operators received a fine for their conduct over customer deposit limits; The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) have found their new CEO. The MGA announced that Dr Carl Brincat has been appointed to take on the top role; U.K. sportsbook William Hill has made the decision to embrace renewable energy. The company has made a commitment to reduce its carbon footprint in the U.K. over the next 24 months; U.K. gambling regulators have reached a £1.3m settlement with licensee White Hat Gaming. The U.K. operator was found to have inadequate policies towards anti-money laundering and social responsibility
Asia and Australia
Silver Heritage has been working hard to avoid bankruptcy in Australia. The firm partnered with KPMG to streamline their operations and assist a new board of directors in 2021; Philippine gambling operators continue to face tough government restrictions. The changes to the anti-money laundering (AML) come as the country looks to avoid being gray-listed by financial watchdogs; Crown Resorts Australia faces a new financial challenge in the first quarter of 2021. The casino operator could be forced to repay a $135 million debt if financial agencies continue to downgrade the casino’s credit rating; China continues to crack down on overseas gambling. Chinese authorities have created a travel blacklist of overseas gambling jurisdictions, but refused to disclose which countries are on it.
