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Global Gaming Business Magazine GGB MARCH 2025 •Vol. 24 •No. 3 •$10 Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers IGA ’25 PREVIEW GIFTING SOLUTIONS RESPONSIBILITY PROBLEM ARISTOCRAT’S CRAIG TONER How compliance will radically change in the cyber world Focus on Free Play Will it ever go away? Ethical Marketing Why online gaming requires a light touch REGULATING BLOCKCHAINVol. 24 • No. 3 COLUMNS CONTENTS march 3 COVER STORY 28 RG versus PG Programs promoting responsible gaming are distinctly different than those treating problem gambling. Here are the views of the organizations currently dealing with the issues. 34 Scientific Approach Jonathan Aiwazian, head of idPair, brings an empirical approach to responsible gaming. 38 Loyalty Tech Gifting and other loyalty programs are getting a boost from new research, and new technology. MARCH 2025 www.ggbmagazine.com 10 Super Bowl: Betting on More Than Just the Game 12 The Stall of iGaming and Regional Gaming 4 6 8 13 32 41 42 44 46 49 50 DEPARTMENTS Blockchain Security Why blockchain as an information security protocol is critical to the casino industry’s future in a world of growing cybersecurity threats and other challenges. FEATURES Global Gaming Business Magazine 18 Free Play Rules Free slot play has been arguably the most successful promotional tool for casino marketers. Here are the benefits and potential pitfalls. 22 Responsible Marketing As the gambling industry grows, marketing efforts should follow a balanced approach to ensure that all forms of gambling remain an enjoyable and safe activity. 26 IGA 2025 The annual Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention will take place at the San Diego Convention Center March 31-April 3. The premier event in tribal gaming is in its 38th year. Here is a review of the event’s compelling conference program.4 Vol. 24 • No. 3 • MARCH 2025 Roger Gros, Publisher | rgros@ggbmagazine.com X: @GlobalGamingBiz Frank Legato, Editor |flegato@ggbmagazine.com X: @FranklySpeakn Jess Marquez, Managing Editor jmarquez@ggbmagazine.com Monica Cooley, Art Director mcooley@ggbmagazine.com Terri Brady, Sales & Marketing Director tbrady@ggbmagazine.com Lisa Johnson, Communications Advisor lisa@lisajohnsoncommunications.com X: @LisaJohnsonPR Columnists Frank Fantini |Joe Maloney Contributing Editors Earle G. Hall |Chris Irwin Marjorie Preston |Bill Sokolic X: @downbeachfilm Marla Royne Stafford, Ph.D. |Kathy Urban ______________ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Official Publication E veryone has at least one pivot point in their lives—one of those moments when you meet someone who will change your life, or you make a momentous decision, or some event impacts your life. I’ve thankfully had several pivot points in my life, but I want to talk about someone who I met early in my career who truly changed my life. Glenn Fine was a deeply flawed individual, and that contributed mightily to the end of his life. But when I met him, he was full of the entrepreneurial spirit that also lived inside of me. He had been a dealer, as I was at the time, at Resorts casino in Atlantic City. While there, he had an idea to start a publication that would be read by casino employees, and would help to teach them about the casino industry, as well as publicize things that they might enjoy, like bars and restaurants, special events… whatever the Atlantic City region had to offer. I was a dealer down the Boardwalk at Caesars at the time, and I saw Casino Journalfloating through the employee lounge, and I was intrigued. You see, I already knew that I wouldn’t remain dealing my entire life. I hated it, and the procedures that it forced me to follow. So I had signed up for a writing course at nearby Stockton College that was taught by Professor Bernie Sless. Bernie was a kindly old soul who saw some hope in my word salads. Glenn had already contacted him to inquire about writers for Casino Journalbecause Glenn couldn’t write himself out of a paper bag. So it was kind of a match made in heaven, and I began writing for him even when I was recruited to deal baccarat for Steve Wynn’s Golden Nugget, even further down the Boardwalk. Later, when Wynn exited Atlantic City, I fol- lowed some former Nugget executives to open the Showboat casino. That job was torture, and four months in, I decided to quit and work for Casino Journalfull-time as editor. But the casinos were a little leery of Casino Journal. They were worried it might become connected to a union and try to organize workers who weren’t already in a union. So our turning point came when the deal- ers at the Claridge casino were approached by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). Glenn insisted that we cover this, as it was a big story, but do it fairly. So I interviewed Claridge execs— Bob Renneisen, Roger Wagner and Glenn Lillie at that time—and I also talked to the leaders of the IBEW. We allowed each side to state their case, and when the deal- ers voted down the union, Casino Journalwas fully established. Then Glenn had another idea after meeting with the owners of Players Club, Ed and David Fishman, who later got into the casino business as Players International. Us older folks will remember commer- cials featuring Telly Savalas touting the club. So we started The Playermagazine, which we soon changed to Casino Player. Using the list of Players Club and later of Lyle Berman’s Grand Casinos, Casino Playerquickly became the most important B2C publi- cation in the business. It still operates today under Lisa Robertson, who was our graphic artist in those days— the longest running B2C publication in gaming. While I loved talking to players, my true love at the time was spreading the word about gaming, which itself was spreading across the country and around the world. Our competing publication, International Gaming & Wagering Businessmagazine (IGWB), was truly more important than the upstart Casino Journal, and also ran the industry’s largest trade show, World Gaming Congress. They cut the newly formed American Gaming Association in for a sliver of equity, but as the show grew, the AGA wanted more and thus started their own trade show, which we all know today as G2E. At that point, IGWBbought Casino Journal—and me—from Glenn to prevent the AGA from promoting G2E in either magazine. I had some experience dealing with IGWBfolks and decided I didn’t want to work for them, so I quit before the sale was final with no job prospects—anoth- er pivot point. Frank Fahrenkopf, the AGA CEO at that time, later hired me to help produce the G2E conference pro- gram, and after the first year, asked me if I’d be interested in starting another magazine where they could promote G2E. And the rest, as they say, is history. From there, Glenn Fine started spiraling downward. I won’t go into specifics, but his entrepreneurial spirit evaporated and his final years were rough. But I will always be grateful to him for allowing me to become an entrepreneur and demonstrate that I could be successful as a publisher and an editor. RIP Glenn Fine. A FinePoint BY ROGER GROS, PUBLISHER Global Gaming Business MARCH 2025 THEAGENDA Winning isn’t just a result—it’s an art form. At Good Giant, we’ve spent decades working with premier gaming and hospitality brands that play to win. We’re here to blaze trails to new insights, to redefine best practices, and to come up with ideas that’ll leave your competitors saying, “Wish I’d thought of that.” MOBILE | RENO | TULSA | CHICAGO GOODGIANT.COM Advertising that wins.6 Global Gaming Business MARCH 2025 BYTHENUMBERS a s it turns out, the Philadelphia Eagles weren’t the only win- ners from Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans—legal online sportsbook operators also posted great numbers. According to the latest data report from geolocation specialists GeoComply, this year’s game showed a 14 percent increase in active users year- over-year across regulated markets. Additionally, there were ap- proximately 724,400 new accounts created between 12 a.m. Saturday (February 8) and the end of the game Sunday. The report also noted that the growth rate of active users in states that have taken enforcement actions against illegal books was “twice as high” as it was in states that have not, although no examples or figures were given. During the game, the period of time with the most activity came just before halftime, when Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver A.J. Brown to put the Eagles up 24-0. At that point, Geo- Comply said, there was a peak of 14,300 geolocation trans- actions per second. Each of the last three Super Bowls was held in legal sports betting states (Louisiana, Nevada, Arizona), but the next two will be in California, which has yet to legalize. what iS yOur preferred payMent MethOd fOr depOSiting intO an Online SpOrtS betting accOunt? Show Me the Money O nline payment provider Paysafe recently released a new report titled “All the Ways Players Pay” detailing the lat- est payment trends in the online gaming landscape. Fea- tured in the report is a breakdown of how 4,300 respondents from around the world prefer to fund their on- line sportsbook accounts. Overall, the debit card was the preferred method across all markets featured, at 42 percent. This was followed by digital wallets (38 percent) and a tie for third between credit cards and direct bank transfers (both 24 percent). Online cash and local payment methods were next, at 18 percent and 15 percent, respectively. Among most major markets, such as the U.S., U.K., and Ontario, Canada, the debit card was comfortably ahead in first place. Digital wallets were first for a few mid-size markets such as Spain and Italy, and the Latin American markets displayed the most parity of all. Argentina, Colom- bia and Ecuador, for instance, all had five different cate- gories garner at least 15 percent. 8 Global Gaming Business MARCH 2025 CALENDAR “TheyIt” 5QUESTIONS B etfred is one of the smaller sports betting operators and is having a difficult time entering the U.S. market. Kresimir Spajic, a highly experienced sports betting operator, was brought on to evaluate the company’s U.S. status in 2023, and explains what he found. His experience includes time with such com- panies as Great Canadian Entertainment, Apollo Global Management, Hard Rock International, Rush Street Interactive, Borgata Hotel Casino, Bwin and more. He spoke about where the sports betting market is headed in the U.S. and also discussed the possibility of more states entering the iGaming market. He sat down with GGBPublisher Roger Gros at the ICE conference and tradeshow in Barcelona in January. To hear and view a full version of this GGB Podcast, visit GGBMagazine.com. GGB: You were a professional soccer player for a while before getting into gaming. How did that work out? Spajic: Many years ago, I started a career as a professional soccer player and I was pretty good when I was young, so I signed my first professional contract. But at some point I realized that I would never be- come an international star. I decided to weigh between two opportunities and decided that I should pur- sue my academic career rather than my professional career. And it seems to me that it proved to be a solid decision. What’s going on with Bedfred in the U.S. market right now? In 2000, Betfred had a very, very ambitious plan, and they managed to get licensed and open in 10 states. But with everybody that was coming at that point in the market, it was more about rushing into the market without thinking through what this really means. This usually resulted in commercial agree- ments, which were probably not sustainable long-term. Deals were made with some of the suppliers with- out really understanding how the U.S. market works and how much extra capital investment you needed. So what now? We decided to close all our markets in states in which we operate in the U.S. beside Pennsylvania. We have a very good partnership with Poarch Creek Indians and with the Wind Creek casino there. We want to keep this as our foothold in the U.S. for now. And we still have a plan for growth in the U.S. We’re working on a very unique deal which we believe will provide certain competitive advantages, which will allow us to reach sustainability in the U.S. Why is it so tough for smaller sports betting operations to get traction in the U.S.? I think it’s a combination of things. Remember, DFS companies spent a fortune to build not only a database but also the brand awareness. I believe that they spent around $500 million or $600 mil- lion in 2018 on just advertising the brand and their product. So when real-money gaming happened, it was an easy transition for them into that vertical. And if you have economies of scale, everything else is easier. Brazil just legalized online sports betting, and though it seemed to be somewhat of a convoluted process, they’re up and running. What’s your evaluation of that market right now? It’s very different than the U.S. In the United States, you had a virgin market. Nothing had been happen- ing for a long, long time. But Brazil never stopped. Brazil is a market that has been developing for the last two-and-a-half decades. The key players have been already established. This is just basically converting an already-existing market into a taxable market. I think it will be an extremely competitive market. More than 60 licenses were approved. Many of these companies will be out of business in two or three years. But, look, it’s very exciting because it’s a humongous population that live in that country. There is a huge culture of sports betting there as well. So it’ll be a great market, but it’s definitely not an easy market. 1 2 3 4 5 Kresimir Spajic March 10-12: SiGMA Africa , GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World, Cape Town, South Africa. Produced by SiGMA Group. For more information, visit sigma.world/africa. March 12-13: NEXT Summit New York 2025 , Convene, New York City, New York. Produced by NEXT.io. For more information, visit next.io/ summits/newyork. March 31-April 3: Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention , San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California. Produced by the Indian Gaming Association. For more information, visit indiangamingtradeshow.com. April 15-16: East Coast Gaming Congress, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Produced by Spectrum Gaming Group. For more information, visit eastcoastgamingcongress.com. May 7-9: Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia, the Venetian Macao, Macau, China. Produced by RX. For more information, visit g2easia.com. May 13-15: SBC Summit Americas, Broward County Convention Center, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Produced by SBC Events. For more information, visit sbcevents.com. June 1-5: SiGMA Asia Summit,SMX Convention Center, Manila, Philippines. Produced by SiGMA. For more information, visit sigma.world/asia. June 10-12: SBC Summit Malta,InterContinen- tal Hotel, Malta. Produced by SBC Events. For more information, visit sbcevents.com/sbc- summit-malta. June 17-19: Canadian Gaming Summit ,Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada. Produced by SBC Events. For more information, visit sbcevents.com/canadian-gaming-summit.Think you know jumbo? *Pig shown for scale only. Not included. ©2025 PlayAGS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All ® notices signify marks registered in the United States. All ™ and ℠ notices signify unregistered trademarks. The Spectra SL75+ ™ isn’t a jumbo, it’s a chandelier in the middle of a dance floor. The 75” Ultra HD 4K curved screens—they’re not just screens, they’re show-stealing machines wrapped in thematic ring lighting and sharp, bright wedges. The power of three together is a flex. They avoid middle-seat territory wars. Why settle for one when you can have it all? Lease the Spectra SL75+™ and unlock access to the full spectrum of AGS’ Spectra game library. 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