NEWS ROUNDUP - The Drop

Australian operator PointsBet fined $20K for illegal gambling ad

PointsBet has been fined A$20,000 ($14,300) for posting an illegal gambling advertisement in New South Wales, Australia. The operator pleaded guilty, as its advertising stated: “All 40+ metro races – run 2^nd, up to A$100 back,” if players opened a PointsBet betting account.

The NSW Betting and Racing Act states it is an offence to publish “a gambling advertisement that offers any inducement to participate frequently, in any gambling activity.”

Ainsworth appoints new CEO

Australian slot machine developer Ainsworth Game Technology has announced former Novomatic executive Lawrence Levy as its new CEO, replacing the outgoing Danny Gladstone. Levy, who recently held the position of Vice President Global Sales at Novomatic AG Austria, will step into the top job at Ainsworth on 1 July.

Konami drives data in deal

A partnership has been agreed between Konami Gaming and GamingAnalytics.AI for the delivery of the latter company’s platform to Konami customers internationally. This will provide data through Konami’s Synkros casino management system through the GamingAnalytics.AI computing platform so that users can seek answers to questions using a search bar or voice commands and receive instant responses.

The GamingAnalytics.AI self-learning platform constantly improves with use, providing slots recommendations, predicting player behaviour and identifying actions to improve player experience and operational profitability.

Scientific Games and Wynn in sports betting deal

Casino operator Wynn Resorts and gaming technology provider Scientific Games Corp (SGC) have announced a partnership for US-facing sports betting and online gambling operations. Wynn and SGC announced a plan to under which SGC will support Wynn’s launch of “unique digital sports betting and iGaming applications in the US.” The first fruit of this union will debut in New Jersey

Melco Resorts to add facial recognition tech in Macau

Asian casino promoter Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd says it is “preparing to install the latest generation” of facial recognition technology in its venues in Macau and Manila this year. In 2016, Melco became the first operator in Asia to deploy real-time facial recognition security systems at every entrance to their gaming areas in Macau. It has since been refining the technology and is preparing to install the latest generation in its properties in both Macau and Manila in 2019.

EML shares surge on bet365 card contract

Shares in Aussie payment tech company EML Payments are trading more than 12 per cent higher after it announced a deal to provide a reloadable betting card to bet365’s US customers. Under the agreement, EML will give bet365 customers a reloadable card to both remit funds into their gaming account, alongside the existing ability to access winnings.