Sports make political point for Belarus amid virus outbreak Associated Press · March 31, 2020 at 7:23 am MINSK, Belarus (AP) – With most sports around the world shutting down because of the coronavirus pandemic, longtime Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko is proudly keeping soccer and hockey arenas open. The Eastern European nation of nearly 9.5 million even started a whole new soccer season this month as coronavirus cases rose. The move has the full support of Lukashenko, who took to the ice in an amateur hockey tournament on Saturday with a few hundred spectators in the stands. “It’s better to die standing than to live on your knees,” he said, defending Belarus’ refusal to introduce isolation measures and border restrictions like its neighbors, such as Russia. With foreign sports networks having little to show and few other options for sports betting, Lukashenko says the pandemic is a perfect opportunity to put the country’s soccer league on display. “I look at Russia and some people there are winning a… [continue reading]
France: FDJ pitches impact of COVID-19’s first month at over €192m Phil, G3 Newswire · March 31, 2020 at 7:12 am French betting operator La Française des Jeux believes the Covid-19 coronavirus epidemic will slash at least half of its revenues with turnover for sports betting being hit by €120m in the first month. The first month would also see revenues for lottery games down by €72m. So far, nearly 80 per cent of FDJ outlets are ‘allowed to stay open at this point, as part of clearances given to tobacconists and newsagents. The Group works alongside its retailers to help them enforce health precautions.’ For the lottery, which accounted for around 80 per cent of the company’s activity in 2019, the Amigo game was suspended with the impact over a month estimated at around €17m on turnover and around €10m on EBITDA.
Betting in face of COVID-19: Join the online event dedicated to operating a betting business during the pandemic March 30, 2020 at 8:33 pm The high speed of COVID-19 coronavirus spreading has led to initiation of the restricting measures in many countries. Quarantine, closing of entertainment events and rescheduling of public events are causing the immense influence on the economy and business. The crisis affected the betting market as well. Betting providers need to adapt to the situation and change their focus. Betting in the face of COVID-19 online conference dedicated to operating a betting business on the EU market during the coronavirus pandemic will take place on April 23. The event will be organized in a unique format. In the online mode, speakers will discuss the latest trends and cases of successful crisis overcoming and provide their forecasts for the industry development, also answering the questions of the audience. It will also feature presentations from the owners of betting companies, gambling operators, developers and providers of solutions for betting, members of the international… [continue reading]
BHA outlines ‘emergency financial plan’ to tackle COVID-19 costs Erin-Marie Gallagher, SBC News · March 30, 2020 at 6:17 pm The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has committed to supporting the racing industry during the UK lockdown, after agreeing an ‘emergency financial plan to cut its costs to the industry by up to a million pounds a month’. Under the plan, agreed by the BHA Board, nearly 80% of staff will be temporarily stood down from work using the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Meanwhile, the remaining staff are collaborating with racing bodies to try resume racing by 1 May, if possible. All BHA staff and Board members will also face a reduction in salary, which will ‘apply equally to those working or not working’.
Norway extends online-only bingo window to 13 April iGaming Business · March 30, 2020 at 6:14 pm Norway’s gambling regulator Lotteri-og stiftelsestilsynet (Lotteritilsynet) has announced that bingo hall operators will be able to offer their games online with no accompanying land-based draw until 13 April. The requirement stating online bingo could only be offered when attached to a game taking place in a physical venue was first suspended on 16 March, and was originally to be lifted until 29 March. The measure is designed to help bingo halls survive the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. As part of this relaxation of regulations, in-person registration requirements for online bingo was suspended, with players able to sign up using the BankID electronic verification solution.
Osaka abandons plan to open IR before 2025 World Expo amid COVID-19 delays Tomo Yamamoto, Inside Asian Gaming · March 30, 2020 at 7:02 am Osaka city and prefecture have abandoned plans to open an integrated resort in time for the 2025 World Expo after being forced to postpone the operator selection process and transfer of land by up to six months due to the impact of COVID-19. Officials announced on Friday that the delay was primarily due to current restrictions on international travel, including between Japan and the United States – home of Osaka’s only current operator candidate, MGM Resorts. MGM and its local partner ORIX were the only consortium to submit an application to bid for an Osaka IR earlier this year following the withdrawal of Galaxy Entertainment Group and Genting Singapore.
Children more likely to become gamblers due to high volume of betting ads Rob Davies, The Guardian · March 30, 2020 at 6:56 am Gambling has become part of every day life for children due to a constant stream of advertising that makes them more likely to bet in later life, according to major new research. The groundbreaking report cited TV advertising, social media and the influence of family among factors likely to lead young people to gamble, prompting renewed concern about increased exposure during the Covid-19 lockdown. Researchers at Ipsos Mori and the University of Stirling found that 96% of people aged 11-24 had seen gambling marketing messages in the last month and were more likely to bet as a result.
France: SFC won’t issue dividends following coronavirus closures Phil, G3 Newswire · March 30, 2020 at 6:02 am The Board of Directors of the Société fermière du casino municipal de Cannes (SFCMC), said it had decided, due to the crisis linked to the coronavirus Covid-19 not to issue any dividends to shareholders. It said: “We have decided to adopt a prudent and responsible approach and to modify, unanimously, the draft text of the resolutions [of the next general meeting] relating to the second resolution, in order to propose not to proceed to the distribution of dividends and to allocate the entire profit for the year carried forward.’ “The Majestic Hotel and the Gray d’Albion Hotel have recorded in the last two weeks numerous cancellations following the rescheduling or postponement of flagship events at the start of the season in Cannes, such as in particular, the Mipim and Cannes Séries which have been shifted and MIPTV, which has been cancelled,” the operator added.
Belgium introduces changes in lottery and gambling rules The Brussels Times · March 29, 2020 at 8:04 pm Belgium’s National Lottery has seen a drop in sales of 30% since the beginning of the coronavirus epidemic, here, according to a spokesperson. The loss of sales is attributed to the fact that people go out less and so play less, in an atmosphere of anxiety and uncertainty. Newspaper shops remain open, but sales are down nonetheless. The Lottery has decided to make some changes for the duration of the crisis. Winning tickets will now be valid for a period of 30 weeks instead of 20 weeks at present, to take account, among other factors, of the possibility that a winner is unable to go outside or is even hospitalised.
Veikkaus extends land-based shutdown iGaming Business · March 29, 2020 at 7:57 pm Finnish gambling monopoly Veikkaus has decided to extend the shut-down of its arcades and slot machines hosted in retail outlets prompted by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic indefinitely. The operator first shuttered its arcades and took its retail slots offline on 13 March, originally until 31 March. With that date fast approaching, it has opted to continue the shut-down until further notice. This, it said, aimed to mitigate the risk of its customers, partners and employees being infected with the virus. “The coronavirus has changed rapidly every day in Finland and around the world,” Veikkaus chief executive Olli Sarekoski said. “People’s health is an issue that must always be prioritised over anything else.
