Rabbit Entertainment

Gaming operator Rabbit Entertainment, recently awarded the Rising Star in Casino gong at this month’s SBC Awards, has appointed Tal Zamstein as chief executive with immediate effect.

Joining from German operator Löwen Play, Zamstein plans to invest in infrastructure, expand in key markets, and continue to focus on “achieving operational excellence in a regulated environment”.

Zamstein said: “I’m delighted to be taking over as CEO of Rabbit Entertainment and look forward to the challenge of helping build on the company’s strategy reshape to release further potential, including capitalising on the certification in Germany and as the winner of best Rising Star in Casino at the prestigious SBC Awards.

“The business is entering a new phase and I have identified a number of actions necessary to further strengthen the company’s position.

“Both Lapalingo and Lord Lucky have universal appeal that will help our business go from strength-to-strength and I look forward to building on that legacy further with a focused multi-brand strategy in our key markets.”

National Council on Problem Gambling

Lia Nower, JD, PhD, Rutgers University professor and director of its Center for Gambling Studies, has joined the board of directors of the National Council on Problem Gambling. She is currently chair of the NCPG Research Committee and has served on several other committees.

Nower has co-authored several policy initiatives, including models for self-exclusion, responsible gambling programs, and problem gambling treatment service integration into state systems. She co-authored the Pathways Model and the Gambling Pathways Questionnaire, which are used internationally in research and treatment and currently heads the team evaluating play-by-play data for internet gambling and sports wagering in the state of New Jersey.

“The National Council on Problem Gambling works closely with our board of directors to advance policies and programs that assist people and families affected by problem gambling,” noted Keith Whyte, executive director of NCPG.

“We are excited that Lia Nower will be joining our board. Her expertise will help NCPG be more effective in an environment where gambling is expanding rapidly throughout the country.”

Nuvei

Payment tech firm Nuvei has announced the addition of of Neil Erlick to the executive leadership team, who will join on January 5, 2021 and will report to Philip Fayer, Nuvei’s chairman and CEO.

Erlick will serve as chief corporate development officer, where he will focus on strategic business development in key industry verticals, corporate partnerships, as well as enhancing the company’s overall growth in the US regulated gaming market.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Neil to Nuvei. As a passionate and talented digital payments industry executive, he brings a tremendous level of depth and knowledge in numerous verticals including igaming, regulated gambling and sports betting,” stated Fayer.

“With over 20 years of experience serving complex markets, we believe that Neil’s expertise will provide incredible value as we continue to strengthen our leadership team.”

BMM Testlabs 

BMM Testlabs, a gaming testing laboratory and product certification consultancy, has confirmed the appointment of Navin Goel as its new chief operations officer.

Goel will join BMM’s executive leadership team from Aristocrat Technologies, where he formally led the firm’s global tech support operations for all casino management and distribution units as the company’s senior vice president of technology.

“Navin is uniquely qualified to evolve and guide our global operations going forward. His industry experience, breadth of knowledge, and proven leadership make him very well-suited to advance BMM’s strategic initiatives,” commented Martin Storm, BMM Testlabs CEO.

“I am pleased to welcome Navin to our growing executive management team, and I know that he will be a great fit in our values-driven culture and leadership team.”

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It’s an acquisition that enables Nuvei to offer payment experiences within the Brazilian market in a move that will have significant potential for the igaming payment journey within the newly regulated market. 

These include accepting payments, managing e-wallets and betting accounts and participating in all of Brazil’s local payment systems, including processing PIX transactions.

Philip Fayer, Nuvei Chair and CEO, commented: “Securing a Payment Institution licence in Brazil has been a top priority, and will mark another significant milestone in our global expansion strategy. The proposed transaction not only strengthens our presence in LATAM but also demonstrates our commitment to providing fully localised and modern payment solutions to businesses in Brazil. We’re excited to offer our full suite of services to help drive growth for the rapidly-growing ecommerce and igaming operators in this dynamic market.”

The importance of a payment institution licence can’t be understated in the Brazilian market, with it being essential to providing transactional services for operators in the region. Nuvei has emphasised that it views not just the Brazilian market, but LatAm as a whole, as a region that holds key potential for expansion. 

According to recent projections, revenue in the Brazilian igaming market is set for a trajectory of continued growth once it opens up and regulatory frameworks evolve. 

Earlier in the year, Nuvei detailed its commitment to the LatAm market by launching direct local acquiring capabilities in Colombia.

At the heart of that deal was enabling the ability for companies to scale at an accelerated rate, including through expansion into new markets. 

Fayer emphasised after this that it “augments our presence in LATAM and reinforces our commitment to growth in the region”. 

He added that the group is “already active in more than eleven markets in LATAM through direct integration into local acquirers and networks, and adding direct local acquiring capabilities in Colombia strengthens our ability to provide best-in-class services to our customers across the region”.

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The operator will be able to provide an array of payment options to its customer thanks to the deal with the Canadian fintech company, improving the player experience as a result, as well as optimising risk management.

Noam Klivitzky, VP of US Marketing at 888, commented: “Enabling players to deposit and withdraw funds from their igaming accounts seamlessly and securely is critical to the overall platform experience. 

“At 888 we’re committed to offering the most comprehensive igaming experience in the market, so we’re excited to add Nuvei’s card-acquiring capabilities alongside its Instant Bank Transfer solution. Nuvei has a rich heritage of enabling igaming operators to maximise their payments’ performance in regulated markets across the globe.”

With Nuvei’s technology platform, 888 customers will be able to instantly withdraw funds from their accounts directly to their bank card or via Nuvei Instant Bank Transfer, an instant account-to-account deposits and payouts payment method. 

Nuvei has been the payments partner for 888 in Europe since 2017. The two parties have also been collaborating in Ontario, Canada since April last year.

“We’re thrilled to continue to grow our relationship with 888 and support its global expansion in the US and beyond,” added Philip Fayer, CEO and Chair of Nuvei.

“Instant, convenient, and secure deposits and payouts are critical to winning players in the rapidly expanding US igaming landscape. Optimising card payment acceptance is a key component of the cashier experience, and Nuvei has decades of experience supporting operators to maximise their revenue growth.”

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Through the deal, the igaming operator will feature the Nuvei Instant Bank Transfer solution across all brands, including ResortsCasino.com and MoheganSunCasino.com.

The fintech company’s instant payment solution will allow the operator’s players to deposit directly into their gaming account from their bank account.

Ed Andrewes, CEO of Resorts Digital Gaming, commented: “We’re dedicated to offering the best user experience in New Jersey to our players, and Nuvei Instant Bank Transfer is one of the most popular and convenient deposit and payout payment methods in the US igaming market.

“Integrating Nuvei into our cashier supports our mission to provide all the relevant payment methods our players demand. We’re looking forward to working closely with Nuvei and expanding our partnership where we see opportunities to accelerate our growth.”

Nuvei’s collaboration with Plaid will simplify the instant payments process further for Resorts Digital Gaming customers, as following an initial deposit verification, funds can be transferred to a gaming account “seamlessly through a single click”.

Thanks to an integration with The Clearing House’s real time payments network, if a player’s bank is connected to the network, their payout request can be settled instantly as well.

“US igaming operators understand the importance of seamless and relevant payments options for player acquisition and revenue growth,” added Philip Fayer, CEO and Chair of Nuvei. 

“Nuvei instant bank transfer was the first payment method to bring truly instant payouts to the US igaming market. This enhanced user experience has eliminated the need for players to wait hours or even days when they request to withdraw funds from their gaming accounts.

“RDG is a pillar of the igaming industry in New Jersey, so we are looking forward to working together to maximise the benefits that our market-leading platform and deep knowledge of the industry will bring to their player experience, and ultimately revenues.”

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Following the agreement expansion, Dutch players will now be able to access funds within their account when a request for payout is made via an instant bank transfer.

Yuval Ziv, Nuvei’s President, said: “Giving players instant access to their funds once they request a payout is a critical element of a market-leading payments experience in the igaming industry. 

“Enabling Holland Casino Online to customise its cashier to offer this to its players demonstrates yet again why Nuvei is the leading payments provider for the global igaming industry.”

Nuvei partnered with Holland Casino Online earlier this year as the operator’s principal payments provider, and supported the operator as it launched as the first live platform in the newly regulated Dutch igaming market.

Nicolas Fleiderman, Manager of Holland Casino Online, commented: “We’re thrilled to launch SEPA Instant Credit Transfer, a significant upgrade for our players who want direct access to their funds when they request a withdrawal from their igaming account at Holland Casino Online.

“We have always been determined to offer Dutch players the best igaming experience in the market, including superior deposit and payout experiences, which is why we chose to partner with Nuvei to launch our igaming platform. 

“Being able to offer our players SEPA instant payouts via the same single integration with Nuvei strengthens our cashier proposition even further.”.

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As the payment platform eyes further growth across Europe and beyond, this latest alliance comes as the Italy-facing online sports betting, casino and poker operator re-platforms its digital services.

Philip Fayer, Nuvei Chair and CEO, commented: “Lottomatica is one of the premier igaming brands in the regulated Italian gaming market. We’re pleased to be offering a complete payments solution to support the growth of another leading European iGaming operator.

“We continue to demonstrate why Nuvei is the leading payments provider for the igaming industry in Italy, Europe, and the globe. 

“Our fully customizable technology, dedication to superior customer service, and deep knowledge of regulated markets set us apart from the rest of the industry.”

As a result of the deal, Lottomatica is to gain Nuvei’s integrated cashier technology and local acquiring solutions, including smart transaction routing in a bid to minimise costs and boost card acceptance rates.

In addition to card payments, Lottomatica players can also complete transactions using all the most relevant alternative payment methods players demand. 

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Nuvei to provide our players with the payments experience we know they demand,” said Alessandro Fiumara, Lottomatica Managing Director Betting and Digital Italy. 

“Payments are fundamental to delivering a superior product in igaming, which is why they are key to winning and retaining players and maximising revenue.”

Lottomatica boasts approximately one million of online customers, as well as network of roughly 3,000 points of sale in sports betting, 1,400 gaming halls, 12,000 tobacconists/bars and 130 gaming venues.

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Casino Association of New Jersey

Mark Giannantonio has been elected to serve as President of the Casino Association of New Jersey after Joe Lupo vacated the position to take up the role of President of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.

Giannantonio, the current President and CEO of Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, boasts more than 35 years of experience within the gaming industry. 

“I am honoured to succeed Joe Lupo as the next president of the Casino Association of New Jersey. Joe has been a tremendous leader of this organisation, and a tireless advocate for Atlantic City,” said Giannantonio. 

“I have deep roots in this community, and I am ready to work together with the city and the state to continue to advance Atlantic City and elevate its status as a leading entertainment hub and destination resort.”

Future Anthem

Future Anthem has detailed a double hire, with Julie Haddon and Ian Tibot brought on board to reaffirm a commitment to North American expansion.

Haddon joins as a non-executive member of the board of directors, while Tibot, who is lauded as arriving with “notable pedigree, moves into the role of Chief Product Officer.

Leigh Nissim, Future Anthem CEO, explained: “Bringing Julie and Ian into the business is a real statement of intent. They are transformational appointments that will enhance our ways of working and are key to realising our expansion plans following our recent investment.

 “Julie’s invaluable Brand and Marketing leadership experience at blue-chip international technology, media and sports organisations will significantly accelerate our roll-out in North America and we now a have a fantastic, well-balanced board with hugely relevant knowledge in a number of key areas. 

“Ian’s background fuels our momentum in sports betting – with his addition allowing Future Anthem to lead the charge in personalisation in this area, as we make additional R&D investment to capitalise on the opportunity in sport. 

“We continue to proactively identify and bring in the best talent across the business. We have several hires planned, including a General Manager, Americas, and multiple roles in our product team. Meanwhile, our rolling intern programme goes from strength to strength.”

Checked Group

Will Tyrrell has been promoted to Director of UK Media at Checkd Group, as the Manchester-based igaming business eyes up growth in its domestic market. 

Specific aspects of his new role will involve facilitation of ‘innovative partnerships’ with both operators and media organisations in pursuit of UK expansion. 

Having joined Checked Group in 2017 after the Oddschanger online betting hub was acquired by the firm, Tyrrell has held the positions of Head of Content and Head of Commercial.

“While we have made great strides already in the United States, the UK market remains a clear focus of ours as we aim to build on a series of successes in recent months and years,” said Alex Beecham, Checked Group Managing Director.

“The Director of UK Media role is a key one as we aim to enhance our existing partnerships while also expanding to take advantage of exciting new possibilities domestically.

“Will has proven to be a major asset of ours in the five years he has been with us across, leading our teams within several important roles. His industry know-how and innovative approach will serve us well as we prepare to roll out our strategy ahead of a unique new football season.”

AstroPay

Payment solution provider AstroPay has announced the appointment of Sofía Lanza as Chief Banking Officer. 

In her new role, Lanza will be responsible for developing and managing AstroPay’s relationships with global banking and payment service providers, falling in line with the payment firm’s expansion ambitions into new markets. 

Mikael Lijtenstein, AstroPay CEO, commented: “Sofía is the perfect professional to assume this new position as she has a deep knowledge of the company’s expansion strategy to become the number one payments provider globally. 

“She brings tremendous experience to a dynamic company like AstroPay and her leadership and expertise continue to be an asset to the business. Her passion for innovation and growth is closely aligned to our mission and I am excited to be working with her in driving the adoption of our solutions to financial institutions around the world.” 

Nuvei

Nuvei Corporation is continuing to nurture its own growth strategy by announcing the expansion of its board of directors with two new members, for a total of eight.  

The news was shared with the Toronto Stock Exchange and Global Nasdaq, with Maren Lau and Tim Dent listed as the company’s new independent directors.

Philip Fayer, CEO of Nuvei, stated: “Both Maren and Tim are proven leaders who bring extensive knowledge and experience that is beneficial to our business and highly relevant to our growing industry verticals and geographies. 

“They are outstanding additions to our board and we look forward to working with and learning from them.”

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By integrating the payments platform’s full suite of solutions with GAN’s software-as-a-service gaming platform technology, players will be able to instantly deposit and request instant payouts using its cashier technology. 

“We’re pleased to be partnering with Nuvei to bring such an exciting solution to the North American gaming industry,” said Don Ryan, President of Enterprise Solutions for GAN. 

“GAN and Nuvei have strong reputations for delivering best-in-class solutions for operators. This strategic partnership takes our combined proposition to the next level.”

Including multiple regional and alternative payment methods in addition to cards – such as Interac and digital wallets – the partnership follows the launch of the regulated gaming market in Ontario earlier this year, and is now being extended to support operators across the US and Canada. 

“Offering gaming operators a fully customisable payments platform, including local acquiring solutions and a full suite of payment methods through a single integration, is at the heart of our vision for the future of payments in both gaming and broader verticals,” added Philip Fayer, CEO & Chair of Nuvei.

“Being able to partner with GAN to bring this vision to North American operators is a great step forward for an industry poised for further significant growth in the next few years. GAN is renowned throughout gaming for its market-leading software, which is why we believe this is such an exciting partnership.”

The announcement is the latest from Nuvei as it aims to continue to solidify its position as the payment technology partner of choice for gaming, fantasy sports, and sports betting brands in regulated markets across the globe.

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The winners of the 27 operator, supplier, and affiliate categories will be announced in front of an audience of 600 senior executives during a lavish ceremony at Pier Sixty, Manhattan on July 14. 

In the headline operator categories, Circa Resort & Casino, DraftKings, FanDuel, Penn Interactive, and PointsBet will contest the Sportsbook of the Year honor, while BetMGM, Resorts Digital Gaming, and Rush Street Interactive are in the running for the Casino Operator of the Year prize. 

A number of those high-profile brands have also been recognized for their commitment to responsible gambling and player safety, as the shortlist for Socially Responsible Operator of the Year features Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, Entain, PointsBet, and Rush Street Interactive.

While there are plenty of household names among the operator brands shortlisted, the Awards also celebrate the industry’s challenger brands and the outstanding performance of BettorEdge, Fubo Gaming, Low6, MaximBet, PrizePicks, Rootz, and Sporttrade is celebrated with places on the shortlist for the Rising Star of the Year trophy. 

Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC, said: “Everyone in the international industry has been impressed by the phenomenal growth of the North American sports betting and igaming markets, and it’s great to see so many of the operators that have been driving that success represented on the shortlists. With such strong competition among the Awards entrants, just making it on to the shortlists is a real mark of quality, so it will be fascinating to learn who our expert judges select as the big winners on the night.” 

The race for the 13 supplier and three payments & compliance honors is also set to be keenly contested, with BetConstruct, Betting Hero, Delasport, GAN, IGT, Inspired Entertainment, Nuvei, OpenBet, Pariplay, PayNearMe, Paysafe, PXP Financial, Sportradar, Sports IQ Analytics, Spotlight Sports Group, and White Hat Gaming, among those to have secured places on multiple shortlists. 

In the affiliate categories, Catena North America, Gambling.com Group, and MediaTroopers make the shortlists in both the casino and sports affiliate sections. The new Sports Media Company of the Year award, which reflects the crucial role of publishers and podcasters in enhancing the player experience, has a shortlist that includes American Affiliate, Better Collective, Catena North America, MediaTroopers, NBC Sports Next, Playmaker Capital, SGPN, The Game Day, and XLMedia.

Sojmark added: “The standard of the products and services developed for North American markets is exceptional and that was reflected in the quality of the entries for the supplier and affiliate categories. Our independent judging panels faced a really tough task to draw up the shortlists, and now have an even more difficult one in deciding the winners.”

Meanwhile, the shortlist for the prestigious industry-wide Leader of the Year award features FanDuel’s Amy Howe, OneComply’s Cameron Conn, Sportradar’s Carsten Koerl, Gambling.com Group’s Charles Gillespie, Penn Interactive’s Jon Kaplowitz, Rush Street Interactive’s Richard Schwartz, and Boom Entertainment’s Stephen A. Murphy. 

The Employer of the Year shortlist comprises Better Collective, Boom Entertainment, DraftKings, Gambling.com Group, GoldenRace, Inspired Entertainment, Penn Interactive, Rush Street Interactive, and VBET. 

Sojmark said: “While we focus a lot on high-tech innovations and commercial performance when assessing the progress made by the industry in North America, the key factor in its success is people. That is why the employer and leader categories are so important, and I’m looking forward to meeting many of those on the shortlists at the ceremony in July.” 

The SBC Awards North America ceremony will be the culmination of a week of events in New Jersey and New York, where professionals from the international gambling industry can also take in the SBC Summit North America conference and tradeshow, the Player Protection Symposium, and the Sports Betting Hall of Fame induction ceremony. 

To view the shortlists for all 27 of the awards, please click here.

For information about sponsorship opportunities at the SBC Awards North America ceremony or to book a table, please contact sales@sbcgaming.com. 

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Under the terms of the strategic partnership with the global payment technology firm, EveryMatrix now offers its customers the ability to create a “compliant, secure and seamless payment experience”.

Erik Nyman, president Americas at EveryMatrix, said: “We are delighted to be a B2B platform provider of choice for Nuvei given their product strength and capabilities across multiple other industries. 

“Smart payment methods are a critical component in gaming platform technology and in the extension of player experience. The deal with Nuvei will further strengthen EveryMatrix position as the most comprehensive technology partner in the US.”

A publicly-traded company, Nuvei’s platform will enable EveryMatric to accept a wide range of cards and alternative payment methods, and to make instant payouts via a number of methods including instant and real-time payments, digital wallets, ACH, Mastercard Send, and Diners Club.

Furthermore, the partnership will support EveryMatrix as the company looks to provide igaming operators with the necessary technology to create a “smooth and frictionless” payment experience. 

Through Nuvei’s technology, players will be able to make instant deposits, along with withdrawals in compliance with local regulations. In addition, the grou also offers transaction optimisation features to achieve higher acceptance, ensuring that valid transactions go through seamlessly.

Philip Fayer, Nuvei’s chair and CEO, noted on the company’s latest link-up: “We are excited to partner with EveryMatrix, to enable our mutual growth into the American igaming market.

“Higher acceptance rates and a seamless checkout experience, combined with instant payouts are a core focus for operators that are looking to remain competitive. This partnership further solidifies our position in the igaming space and we look forward to continuing the journey.”

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