MAR APR 2023

Editor's Letter

Every March/April issue of Gambling Insider magazine fills me with pride as Editor, because we get to report on the winners at the Global Gaming Awards London. This year's ceremony, once again taking place at the Hippodrome Casino, saw regular winners bet365, Kambi, LeoVegas and Trustly triumph once again.
But there were new winners, too: Pragmatic Play and BetConstruct were delighted with their Online Casino of the year and Platform Provider of the year Awards respectively (while Pragmatic Play also won Online Slot of the year). Being voted for by their industry peers, everyone who took an Award home from our West End venue knew they truly deserved it. From page 28 onward, we have a full section dedicated to these winners, while our Product Reviews from page 72 showcase some of the Awards' winning products.
Once again, I'd like to extend my personal thanks to all of our sponsors, not least Lead Partner BetConstruct. But also to Mariya Savova, our Marketing & Events Manager, who makes the Awards what they are with her tireless work ethic and who hosted the Awards so wonderfully well on the day.
We have two more Global Gaming Awards ceremonies coming up in 2023: Las Vegas and Asia, the latter of which we preview on page 44.
Beyond the Awards, our cover feature this issue centres on a theme I can't help but notice is becoming more and more prevalent within gambling: the rebrand. Whether it's a slight repositioning, like that of Grosvenor Casinos, or a full rebrand like that of Flutter and Entain in recent years, a change in name, marketing or messaging can have a massive impact on customers, employees and investors alike. I explore more, using a number of case studies, on page 46.
Elsewhere in our March/April issue, we speak exclusively to Evolution Group's Europe CEO Gionata La Torre on page 52, which is the executive's first interview since taking on his new role at the company. Our Big Question feature, meanwhile, provides some meaty responses (page 56) on a key question: how can slots innovate from here?
In our Roundtable, we bring you five pages on the increasingly hot topic of Latin American betting markets (page 62), while Gustaf Hoffstedt provides his brand of thought-provoking analysis to our Final Word feature (page 82) on Swedish gambling advertising.
Finally, we have just released a new app that combines all our digital and print publications in one place. Search for Gambling Insider on the App Store & Google Play.

In the Magazine

Global Gaming Awards Asia: What to expect in 2023

Gambling Insider looks ahead to the Global Gaming Awards Asia 2023 on 29 May, while also looking back at the Awards' inaugural ceremony in 2022.

The power of the rebrand

With the help of industry experts, Gambling Insider Editor Tim Poole evaluates the process of changing a gambling company’s corporate identity, whether via a subtle brand repositioning or full-scale transformation.

Evolution Europe CEO Gionata La Torre: The Italian job

Evolution Group’s new CEO Europe, sits down with Gambling Insider over Zoom to discuss his new role, his goals moving forward and the wise words his grandparents left him with.

Big Question: How can slots innovate from here?

Simon Hammon, CEO of Relax Gaming, Erkki Nikunen, Partner & CBDO at Air Dice, Victoria Vashukevich, Head of Account Management at 3 Oaks Gaming and Stuart McCarthy, Head of Product and Programs at Yggdrasil discuss potential slot innovations.

Review: Fire & Ice 2023

Fire & Ice returned for its 20th year during ICE London 2023, celebrating the history of iGaming since the first bet was placed online in 1994 to the present day.

Roundtable: What does the future of gaming look like in Latin America?

Industry leaders from Play’n Go, PayRetailers, Evoplay and Sportingtech discuss all things Latin America, from growing markets to attaining licences.

Online casino: Gaming Corps COO discusses adapting to changing player trends

Alex Lorimer, describes how player preferences are developing across different regions and the importance of a varied games portfolio to accommodate this.

Keeping up with trends: WorldMatch CEO discusses 2022 and year ahead

Andrea Boratto reviews a successful year and predicts what 2023 has in store, along with key issues such as new partnerships and responsible gaming.

Bombay Live: VIP luxury with Jose’ Micallef

Bombay Online Managing Director discusses the latest trends in live casino, the benefits of offering a luxury, VIP experience and other topics.

Habanero expansion Q&A: Arcangelo Lonoce on roadmap for 2023

Arcangelo Lonoce, Habanero’s Head of Business Development, speaks to Gambling Insider about plans, products and partnerships.

Final Word: The Swedish Trade Association and the assassination of Olof Palme

Regular Gambling Insider contributor Gustaf Hoffstedt, General Secretary for the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS), discusses how the assassination of a Prime Minister once exposed Sweden’s covert gambling ads…