GVC Holdings

Global gaming and sports betting organisation GVC Holdings has announced the appointment of two new directors to its board.

David Satz will join as an independent non-executive director on October 22, 2020, and Robert Hoskin will be promoted to the board as an executive director on January 1, 2021 in the role of chief governance officer.

Barry Gibson, Chairman of GVC, said: “I am delighted to be welcoming two such high calibre individuals to our board. David has unrivalled regulatory and legislative expertise in the all-important US gaming market.

“His knowledge and insight will be hugely additive in helping us to achieve our ambition of being the leading operator in the US through BetMGM, our fast-growing joint venture with MGM Resorts.

“Robert has made an outstanding contribution to GVC in his 15 years at the group, and his promotion is richly deserved. The fact that regulation, legal and governance are now represented at board level will give us even greater oversight of these critically important areas, all of which are central to our long-term growth plans.”

Buzz Bingo

Buzz Bingo has confirmed the appointment of Harry Lang as its new marketing director, leading the brand development and customer acquisition campaigns of the UK’s biggest bingo operator.

A 15-year industry executive, Lang has led the marketing strategy and delivery for numerous igaming brands including WMS Interactive, bwin.party, Mecca Bingo, Foxy Bingo and Pinnacle Sports.

Lang joins Buzz Bingo’s senior management team from Brand Architects, his personal marketing agency which saw him advise igaming and esports clients such as Genting Bet, PandaScore, Leon House/ AnonyMind, Rightlander and Puntt.gg.

Jamie Queen, CCO of Buzz Bingo, stated: “Buzz Bingo is at an exciting stage in its evolution, so we’re delighted to welcome someone of Harry’s calibre and enthusiasm to the business. He brings with him a wealth of marketing leadership experience and is highly capable of steering the Buzz Bingo brand through the next stage of our growth.”

Wynn Resorts 

Wynn Resorts has confirmed the appointment of Darnell Strom as a member of the company’s board of directors. He takes up the role as an independent director and class I member of the board in a move that became effective on October 14.

Strom is currently a partner and head of the culture and leadership division at global talent and entertainment company United Talent Agency, where he leads efforts to expand the cultural and business influence across platforms for its top clients in media, sports, entertainment, music, fashion, the arts, branding and thought leadership.

His decades of experience in entertainment, media and sports, along with the relationships he has established will, said Wynn, be a significant benefit to the company.

Triggy 

Triggy has strengthened its senior leadership team after confirming that Martina Åkerlund will lead the company as its new CEO.

Confirming Åkerlund’s appointment, Triggy lauded her wealth of experience in leadership positions, having amassed more than 20 years of leadership experience from predominantly the banking and finance industries.

“We are more than excited that Martina chose to join us at Triggy.” noted Björn Nilsson, co-founder of Triggy. “She will lead the company’s endeavors to grow rapidly geographically as well as product-wise.

“Her experience from successful leadership within another highly regulated industry (banking) along with dedication and an entrepreneurial mindset made the decision to offer Martina the top position in the company easy.”

Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has announced the appointment of Duncan Hannay as president and chief executive officer effective October 26, 2020.

Hannay will take over from outgoing president and CEO Stephen Rigby, who had agreed to stay on at OLG until a successor was identified and to assist with a seamless transition of the business.

“Following an extensive recruitment effort, we are pleased to welcome OLG’s new president and CEO, Duncan Hannay,” said Peter Deeb, chair of OLG. “Duncan is a seasoned executive leader and CEO with global expertise transforming and growing organizations through a disciplined strategic approach, a deep understanding of digital innovation and a progressive leadership style.

“The board of directors and I are delighted to have Duncan join our very capable team at OLG. He has the skills and experience to lead the organisation through the next phase of growth and community contributions across Ontario.”

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Broadcasted out of the Buzz Group brand’s dedicated studio in Derby, Big Money Live sessions will take place twice a day, seven days a week. Live bingo presenters will call the numbers with both online and retail players in the UK able to take part in the action. 

The UK bingo operator has joined forces with Playtech to bring Big Money Live to players, leveraging the igaming supplier’s retail bingo technology subsidiary ECM Systems to merge legacy systems with online platforms. 

Dave Evans, Chief Product Officer at Buzz Group, stated: “The quality of our omnichannel offering across clubs and online is what makes Buzz unique. Players can now enjoy a game of bingo with regular six-figure prizes, from one of our clubs, or the comfort of their sofa. 

“Big Money Live is an industry-first that joins up Buzz communities in a single exciting game through the seamless integration of our digital bingo platform and our retail bingo systems.

“Over the years we have invested in innovation and new technology to establish Buzz Bingo as the nation’s number one choice for bingo. The launch of Big Money Live marks the beginning of a new and exciting phase in bingo, with the game reaching more players, and bringing bigger prizes to the table.”  

The Derbyshire-based studio uses 3D environments to “capture the essence of ‘old school’ bingo”, which the Buzz brand suggested is “becoming increasingly popular with new demographics”. 

The unified bingo experience will use lottery-style and prize-draw mechanics to offer players the chance to win prizes of up to six figures. Big Money Live is set to launch on 24 October with a prize pool worth £100,000. 

Richard Kearns, Head of Bingo Product at Buzz Bingo, added: “The launch of Big Money Live marks the culmination of a huge amount of collaboration between our partners, presenters, engineers, IT, marketing and operations. This new concept represents what Buzz does best and that’s innovating to bring the most cutting-edge bingo experience to as many people as possible.”

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As a result of the collaboration, Buzz Bingo will tap into advanced personalisation by using Anthem’s deep artificial intelligence models that drive automation of the player experience.

David Swaine, Head of Product, Slots & Games at Buzz Bingo, said: “Real-time personalisation is a game-changing innovation that will materially improve the way we interact with our players and help improve retention. 

“We are thrilled to be working alongside Future Anthem – true leaders in the field when it comes to leveraging data using technology and AI.”

Buzz Bingo’s integration includes an advanced game lobby recommendation system that personalises content suggestions for players in every category, whilst also able to differentiate between the multiple stages of the player lifecycle on a 1-to-1 basis. 

The online bingo firm will also employ Anthem’s real-time decision models to accurately predict the likelihood of player exits, before triggering bonuses and recommending appropriate interactions to ensure players remain entertained with improved gaming experiences. 

Chris Conroy, Chief Data Officer of Future Anthem, added: “Integrating Amplifier AI into Buzz Bingo’s day-to-day operations not only emphasises the importance of real-time personalisation but shows that if operators are to succeed and grow in a hyper-competitive market, they must embrace AI and its ever-growing capabilities.”

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The advert in question was published on Buzz Bingo’s Facebook page on October 20, 2023, promoting Halloween offers on the operator’s platform in a cartoon manner, which has been labelled by the ASA as “irresponsible” and breaching advertising code.

Buzz Bingo’s post featured “animated footage of a large full moon above a scene which featured grinning pumpkin heads, a lit church with towers whose roofs resembled pointed witches’ hats, bats flying around, a spider in a web and a graveyard with a tombstone and a cross. Text in a font which resembled slime stated “MONSTER MONDAYS – £50,000 MUST BE WON EVERY MONDAY IN OCTOBER”.

The ASA added that the logos for Buzz Bingo and “18+ – BeGambleAware.org” appeared at the bottom of the screen as well.

A complainant has challenged the ad as they believe it has breached the advertising code, noting that “the cartoon Halloween imagery was likely to appeal to children”.

In response, Buzz Bingo’s parent company Buzz Group stated that the ad was featured on their social media page that is restricted to Facebook users aged 18 or older and was part of a focused campaign targeting users aged 25 who had confirmed bingo interest.

In addition, Buzz noted that the advert being on Facebook was “evidence for the accuracy of their targeting” and therefore “had acted and had taken precautions to prevent children and young people being exposed to the ad”.

However, the operator did acknowledge that the Halloween imagery within the ad could appeal to children, resulting in them removing the ad after receiving notification of the complaint. They also said they were “making changes to their internal marketing approval procedures”.

Assessing the advert, the ASA ruled that “Halloween and the traditions surrounding it were likely to have strong appeal for children”. The style of cartoon imagery used and the term “monster” were determined to likely appeal to children.

The authority noted that the advert would have been acceptable if the advert only appeared on a medium where under-18s could be excluded entirely from its audience. 

However, Facebook wasn’t deemed by the ASA as such an environment as it does not use “robust age-verification”, as users self-verify on sign-up rather than through “marketing lists which had been validated by payment data or credit checking”.

The advertising authority added that it had acknowledged the actions taken by Buzz in response to the complaint, but concluded that the ad was “irresponsible and breached the code” and therefore must not appear on its channels again.

Buzz Group have also been told by the ASA “not to include themes or imagery that were likely to have strong appeal to those under 18 years of age in their ads in future”.

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However, with rises in online revenue and underlying EBITDA as well, CEO Dominic Mansour believes the operator has “the right scale and shape and also has the right protections in place for customers” that align with proposals recently made in the UK government’s gambling white paper.

Retail revenues for Buzz Bingo improved by 47.2 per cent year-over-year, coinciding with weekly growth in the number of new customers with half of those aged between 18 and 35.

The improvement goes hand-in-hand with the operator’s strategy of introducing bingo to a younger audience with several initiatives to ‘improve the customer proposition and deliver fun entertainment’.

Buzz Bingo’s online operations saw their revenues rise by 8.2 per cent YoY thanks to a ‘refocus on attracting recreational customers and enhancing player protections’ in line with what was recommended in the gambling white paper.

The operator added that early indications suggest online revenue will continue growing, as recent figures are 30 per cent higher than the previous year.

In April, Buzz Bingo also launched a new dedicated online casino website called Buzz Casino in collaboration with long-term partner Playtech.

Mansour commented: “We’ve come out of an extremely challenging period and while rising inflation and the ongoing cost of living crisis remains a concern for the entire industry, we have been heartened by the growth in new, younger customers with an ongoing interest in exploring different forms of leisure and entertainment, both online and across our retail clubs.”

From total revenues of £195m, Buzz Bingo’s gross profit came in at £137m. However, the operator suffered a net loss after tax of £53m, which is up on the previous year’s £52m after it ‘was impacted by costs of restructuring and other one-off costs including a non-cash goodwill impairment charge’.

Buzz Bingo noted that it has ‘focused strongly on driving efficiencies across the business and will continue to do so through to the end of 2023’.

It has restructured its head office operations for ‘a leaner operational cost base’, permanently closed nine retail locations, and begun an energy reduction programme that has already reduced energy consumption by 30 per cent.

“In common with the entire leisure and hospitality sector, we have had to accept the economic headwinds of inflation and rising costs,” added Mansour.

“We have met those challenges head-on, moving quickly to reduce and control costs so we can secure a sustainable and successful long-term future for our business. Having completed our efficiency drive ahead of schedule, our focus is now moving onto growing our omni channel business and we’re beginning to realise that growth across the business.”

Buzz Bingo also highlighted the investment it has made into improving player protections through its Athena proprietary framework, focusing on ‘the core bingo customer base of recreational, social, low-stake gamblers who prefer safe and low-risk gambling products’. 

Customer vulnerability protections, affordability measures, enhanced risk protections and a £10 maximum online slots stake cap were all implemented.

Mansour concluded: “We now have a business that is the right scale and shape and also has the right protections in place for customers. This is the perfect springboard to continue our push to be the nation’s number-one choice for Bingo.

“We are committed to creating a fun, entertaining but also safe experience for our customers – both online and in retail – building on our many years of experience at the heart of local communities across the UK.”

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The UK bingo operator is now offering a place for casino customers to play slots, live casino and tables including Rainbow Richies and Live Roulette.

Buzz Casino was designed in-house and built in partnership with Playtech and is the first sister brand of Buzz Bingo to launch since the operator rebranded from Gala Bingo Clubs in 2018.

“We’re really proud to announce the launch of our newest Buzz Brand that strengthens our position as the UK’s best omni-channel venue for playing slots, games, casino and bingo,” commented Dave Evans, Digital Operations Director at Buzz Group.

“Casino is an important part of our product mix, and whilst bingo is still at the heart of our business, our players love to experience new content and spend their leisure time playing in different ways.

“Buzz Casino is the latest part of our journey and we continue to use our brand spirit and over 50 years of hosting players in our clubs to build our product with the community at the heart.”

Buzz Casino launches on the back of Buzz Bingo’s live bingo streaming service as part of the operator’s commitment to improving product offerings.

New members will receive 200 free spins on Fishin’ Frenzy The Big Catch, while existing Buzz Bingo users can enter slots prize draws simply by depositing and playing.

Laura Craddock, Head of Product Management at Buzz Group, added: “It’s very exciting to be bringing a new Casino product to market, especially one that brings all the fun of Buzz Bingo to the casino world, whilst adopting different principles in its design.

“Inspiration from the streaming video world has helped make content the focus of the UI, making it easy for players to find the games they love, in a fun and trusted environment they know they’ll get from a Buzz venue.”

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The UK bingo operator noted that 151 of its 2,456 colleagues across its businesses will potentially be affected by the closures, whom it is “committed to supporting at this difficult time”.

The locations that have been identified for potential closure include:

• Surrey Quays
• Dumfries
• Grantham
• Slough
• Belle Vue
• Bromborough
• Carlisle
• Keighley
• Cumbernauld

Buzz Bingo highlighted several factors that have contributed towards the decision to close several locations, including customer behaviour changes following the pandemic, the rising cost of living, the threat of recession, as well as increased energy and operational costs. 

The operator’s management team believe the proposed closures “provides the best possible outcome for all of Buzz Bingo’s stakeholders as it looks to secure a sustainable and successful long-term future for the business and its remaining c. 2300 employees”.

Commenting on the proposed closures, Dominic Mansour, CEO of Buzz Bingo, said: “In common with the entire leisure and hospitality sector, Buzz Bingo has failed to see customers return to the high street in the same numbers as before the pandemic.

“This, coupled with a squeeze on family finances brought about by rising inflation and energy prices alongside a jump in our own operating costs means we have no real option other than to cease trading in nine of our locations.

“These closures will, very sadly, impact a number of our colleagues and so our priority is to support all those affected and to do everything we can to minimise job losses. I personally want to thank them for their commitment and service to Buzz.”

Mansour concluded: “Believe me, no one wants to make the call to close clubs. However, it is my belief that it’s these decisions that will allow us to restructure the business for long-term growth and to protect the livelihoods of our colleagues for the long run.”

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As a result of the three-year partnership, the two organisations are aiming to help more stroke survivors rebuild their lives by tackling isolation and loneliness.

The charity reported that there are around 100,000 strokes each year and around 1.3 million stroke survivors in the UK, with almost three quarters (73 per cent) of survivors said to spend less or no time socialising with their families and friends since their stroke.

Furthermore, four out of five (83 per cent)) stroke survivors spend less or no time on their hobbies and four in five (79 per cent) have given up a hobby altogether.

Saul Heselden, Head of Corporate Partnerships Stroke Association, explained: “Stroke strikes every 5 minutes in the UK and changes lives in an instant. Stroke has many impacts, some are visible whilst others are hidden, but the effects are equally devastating and can become obstacles to recovery.  

“Many stroke survivors stop seeing family and friends or are forced to give up their hobbies, this may be as a result of struggling with their confidence or mental health or due to fatigue. 

“Socialising and enjoying previously loved hobbies are really important to mental health after a stroke. Without this stroke survivors can lose their confidence, hampering their well-being and potentially leaving them without a sense of purpose and identity.

“We are excited to announce our new partnership with Buzz Bingo which will help to raise vital funds for much-needed specialist support, research and campaigning and will go a long way in supporting more stroke survivors to live the best possible life after a stroke.”

As part of the partnership launch, father and son duo, Chris and Toby Tarrant hosted an exclusive Bingo event for stroke survivors. The Loaded bingo event took place on Tuesday 6 December, Buzz Bingo, Stratford, London. 

Mark Fletcher, Head of Brand Communications, Buzz Bingo, commented: “We are delighted to be partnering with the Stroke Association and to help raise awareness of the isolation and loneliness many stroke survivors experience.  

“Socialising with family and friends or in the community can be daunting following a stroke so we’re pleased that Buzz Bingo clubs can offer a welcoming, friendly and accessible environment for stroke survivors to take that first step to feeling part of a community, regaining confidence and helping rebuild their lives.

“Over the next three years we aim to raise £200,000 for the Stroke Association, through special events and fundraising initiatives, like our specially hosted event with Chris and Toby Tarrant. 

“As part of the partnership, we will also be working closely with the charity to provide volunteering opportunities for our colleagues and train them to better understand stroke and its impact.”

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Buzz Bingo

Chris Matthews has disclosed an impending departure as Chief Executive Officer of Buzz Bingo, with Dominic Mansour, COO, set to be promoted.

Matthews has led the group for the past five years and is hailed as overseeing a company-wide rebrand as well as online growth and the navigation of a COVID shutdown and subsequent reopening.

Mansour joined Buzz Bingo at the beginning of 2021 and has been credited with growing its digital business, and will take on the new position from December 9. He has previously held senior leadership positions at Bragg Gaming, PokerStars and IGT.

John Kelly OBE, Buzz Bingo’s chair, said: “Chris has successfully led the business through a change of ownership, two years of pandemic disruption, and a reorganisation of the company’s property portfolio.

“Under his excellent stewardship, the Buzz brand was born, as was buzzbingo.com, both of which have grown from strength to strength. We want to thank Chris for his leadership and wish him the best of good fortune for the future.”

GAN

GAN has disclosed the resignation of Chief Financial Officer Karen Flores, with the departure including an exit from the group’s board of directors, effective November 25, 2022.

Subsequently, the company has appointed Brian Chang, Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller, to assume the duties of CFO in the interim. GAN’s search process for a successor is underway amid hopes to provide an update on that process in the near future.

“Karen’s leadership and financial acumen have been critical parts of GAN’s evolution to a US listed public company as well as our, at times, complex acquisition of Coolbet in early 2021,” said Dermot Smurfit CEO. 

“I am deeply appreciative of Karen’s dedication to GAN and wish her all the best for the future.”

Future Anthem

Emma Ferguson has been appointed as Head of People at Future Anthem as the firm looks to execute on ambitious expansion plans in Europe and North America following what is billed as “a hugely successful twelve months”.

In the role, Ferguson will lead all people operations within the company. Key responsibilities will include supporting recruitment efforts across all departments and owning the employee experience for new and existing staff.

Leigh Nissim, Future Anthem CEO, stated: “I am absolutely delighted to welcome Emma to the team, we have been fortunate enough to enjoy impressive commercial and staff growth over the last year and it’s incredibly important that we now further invest into ensuring our team is the very best it can be.

“Emma has extensive and impressive experience of building teams as well as developing and maintaining a strong company culture. She will help us take Future Anthem to the next level as we continue our expansion into new markets worldwide.”

MGM Resorts International

MGM Resorts has confirmed the appointment of Allison Smith Mitchell to Vice President of Regional Human Resources Business Partnerships, where she will oversee regional human resource operations while providing strategic direction and leadership.

As a key member of the group’s HR leadership team and operating committee, Smith Mitchell will partner with the human resources centre of excellence to establish short and long-term people strategies and goals for the regional properties, while also championing company culture and employee value proposition.

“As a mission-driven leader with a successful track record of comprehensive human capital management in the Southeast region, I am enthusiastic about this new chapter and the expansion of my scope,” noted Smith Mitchell. 

“I look forward to applying my capabilities and driving key HR results across the eight MGM Resorts International regional properties.”

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Powered by the gambling tech firm’s IMS platform, the solution provides full connectivity across the Buzz Bingo retail and online environments and is said to represents “a significant long-term project supporting the Playtech One vision”

Through this, Playtech stresses that it looking to drive omni-channel gambling technology through its integrated platform across online and retail gambling channels, with an aim of delivering a seamless customer experience

“Playtech has been a vital partner in the Buzz Bingo journey from day one, and the achievement of delivering a single wallet instance across our entire retail estate and online presence cannot be overstated,” noted David Evans, Digital Operations Director at Buzz Bingo.

“Against a backdrop of highly challenging times with long-term club closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, our partnership has created something truly ground-breaking.”

The wallet enables players to access bingo, slots and other verticals using a single account for both retail and online play, with the flexibility to deposit funds online and use them in a physical club and vice versa, or withdraw winnings in any location. 

Furthermore, the offering will also allow for cross-channel CRM activities using the Playtech engagement centre toolset. 

“This is a major milestone for Buzz Bingo and Playtech and our long-term partnership,” commented Marat Koss, VP of Interactive Gaming at Playtech. 

“An incredible amount of work has gone into achieving a seamless single wallet connectivity across all retail and online operations, both from our team and everyone at Buzz Bingo. 

“We are very proud to be part of delivering an enhanced experience for players across every Buzz club and Buzz Bingo online.”

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