CTO: 2018 Year of Wellness and Rejuvenation
Secretary General of the Barbados based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Hugh Riley says the organization has declared 2018 the Year of Wellness and Rejuvenation in the Caribbean.Riley announced the theme for next year at a news conference in Toronto on Monday as part of the program for Caribbean Week Canada 2017.Plan and organize around themeWith wellness and rejuvenation being important aspects of the Caribbean tourism product offering, the CTO is encouraging member countries and private sector partners to plan and organize events and activities around the theme that will appeal to consumers, travel agents and tour operators.“For those who focus on renewing body and spirit, the options are virtually endless; from beachfront workouts and yoga retreats, to wellness resorts and spa treatments, the notion of being rejuvenated in the Caribbean is one more reason to let us pamper you in 2018,” the secretary general said.“The region’s diverse tropical landscape with mountain ranges, valleys and volcanoes, provide excellent opportunities for a variety of ages and physical abilities. Individual trekking, group hiking, health walks, fun-runs, marathons and a range of water-based health-related activities are held throughout the year in our CTO member-countries.”Global wellness industry is a trillion dollar industryThe global wellness sector is a US$3.72 trillion industry, according to the Global Wellness Institute, a Miami, Florida-based non-profit-making organization that provides global research and insight into the wellness industry.The 2018 Caribbean Year of Wellness and Rejuvenation will be promoted through social media and traditional media channels and will create opportunities for travelers and holiday planners to share their experiences and ideas of how to welcome visitors to the region for wellness and rejuvenation.Caribbean to be highlighted Through the campaign, CTO, its member countries and private sector partners will highlight the Caribbean as the leading choice for wellness and rejuvenation.At the briefing, Riley also announced that the Canadian market was a strong performer during the first half of 2017, with arrivals up by 6.4 per cent over the corresponding period last year, and is expected to continue to register growth this year despite the hurricanes which impacted about 25 per cent of CTO member countries.“The Conference Board of Canada is predicting that decent capacity and relative value will support growth and expects a transfer of demand from affected destinations to unaffected countries, with the overall impact likely to be minimal,” he said.In addition, the Conference Board of Canada predicts that Caribbean air lift from Canada will be stable, with capacity up by double digits to about a dozen Caribbean countries through to July, while several others showed strong growth of between five per cent and ten per cent.For recent article on the CTO, click the link: Caribbean Tourism Organization calls for US/Caribbean alliance
Bolt said fatherhood was “harder than breaking a world record”. The world 100m and 200m record holder and eight-time Olympic champion told Variety magazine he had no plans to resurrect his sprinting career. “If my coach came back and told me, ‘Let’s do this,’ I will, because I believe so much in my coach,” Bolt said. Olympia Lightning Bolt (Jamaica Observer) Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt has hinted he could be tempted out of retirement if former Coach Glen Mills asked him. Bolt, who last competed internationally at the World Championships in London in 2017 where he won bronze in the 100m, said he does not visit the track any more. “I got sick that first week as I was scared to fall asleep, so I stayed up at nights just watching her,” he said.
“So I know if he says we’re going to do this, I know it’s possible. Give Glen Mills a call, and I’ll be back.” Bolt, meanwhile, said he is adjusting to life as a father after he and partner Kasi Bennett welcomed a baby girl in May. “My coach gets too excited when I come to the track, so I stay away,” he said. However, the 33-year-old told the magazine in a video interview he would at least consider a comeback if veteran Coach Mills asked him. “I am a heavy sleeper but I have learned that I am going to wake up, I am going to get up no matter what; I am getting better and I am learning.”
The Nigeria-Ghana rivalry took a new turn on Matchday 5 at the ongoing 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup when Nigerian-born US forward Ayo Akinola scored with 15 minutes remaining to hand his team 1-0 win over Ghana in Group A.His strike was enough to send the United States of America (USA) into the Round of 16 alongside Group B leaders Paraguay, who came from behind to beat New Zealand 4-2.Another African representative in Mali got their campaign back on track with the 3-0 thrashing of Turkey. They had lost their first game 3-2 to the aforementioned Paraguay.Group A:Ghana 0-1 USAIndia 1-2 ColombiaStandings:USA 6 pointsGhana 3 pointsColombia 3 pointsIndia 0 pointGroup B:Paraguay 4-2 New ZealandTurkey 0-3 MaliStandings:Paraguay 6 pointsMali 3 pointsNew Zealand 3 pointsTurkey 0 pointToday’s Matches (Matchday 6):Group CCosta Rica vs. GuineaIran vs. GermanyGroup DSpain vs. Niger RepublicNorth Korea vs. BrazilRelated
StumbleUpon GVC hires ‘comms pro’ Tessa Curtis to re-energise media profile August 25, 2020 Submit Senet Australia appoints Paul Newsom as new client advisory lead August 27, 2020 Share The City of London has registered speculation that newly merged Ladbrokes Coral Plc is a potential takeover target of FTSE rival GVC Holdings.Last Friday the Financial Times reported that Ladbrokes Coral shares had gained circa 5% value on the speculation that GVC governance were considering an ambitious reverse takeover of the betting giant valued at a reported £3.2 billion (representing 30% premium).GVC governance are reported to have asked its advisors to put together a proposal for the reverse takeover of Ladbrokes Coral assets, similar to the firm’s successful £1.1 billion takeover of bwin.party Entertainment (deal completed December 2015).The governances of both Ladbrokes Coral and GVC have made no comment on the takeover rumours. However, industry commentators appear to be cold on the prospects of yet more industry consolidation as both operators enter periods of corporate restructuring and integration following their respective mergers.Furthermore, last week the Financial Times reported that GVC Chief Executive Kenneth Alexander had turned down a leadership approach by a desperate William Hill, stating that the CEO had rejected Hill’s approach as he was committed to successfully merging GVC and bwin.party assets.Pouring more cold water on the takeover speculation is Ladbrokes Coral’s known interest in expanding its footprint internationally. Last month the operator was at the centre of speculation relating to a potential acquisition approach for leading Australian gambling operator Tabcorp for a reported £2 billion. Related Articles Tabcorp raises $371m through institutional entitlement offer August 24, 2020 Share
Related Articles All-in Global: ‘Fantastyc’ markets around the world July 16, 2020 BtoBet integrates Incentive Games content July 29, 2020 Share Share Submit StumbleUpon FES and Incentive Games launch esports prediction game June 2, 2020 Aberdeen based DFS operator Premier Punt is on the verge of completing its crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs with 99% of its £200,000 successfully raised. John Gordon, Premier PuntThe company, which launched in 2013, is offering 6.67% equity for the funding with an overall valuation of £2.8m. Premier Punt Founder John Gordon commented: “Crowd funding has been a fantastic experience. It really fits into our company ethos: Made for the Fans, by the Fans. We are now letting the fans own it too. We feel that Crowdfunding is a fantastic thing to do, and a successful round of public crowdfunding is another form of certification for the company.”The past 12 months for DFS in the United Kingdom has been and has led to Oulala and Mondogoal moving away from the B2C element and focusing on strictly B2B activities. Other companies have left the space entirely, whilst the big two of DraftKings and FanDuel merged.Gordon added: “So we find ourselves in a good position for 2017. We have the single game that FD and DK do not have, which is eloquently suited to our app, you can choose a line-up in seconds (as opposed to the FD and DK 11-a-side format).“We will use the funds to move into overseas markets and make more proprietary gambling software. We are fortunate to have a digital marketing company invest in us so marketing is gratis for us!”Premier Punt, which is the Official Fantasy Partner of Southampton FC, took home the ‘Highly Commended’ award in the SBC Awards category of Best Fantasy Sports Product last year and late last month it was announced that the company is in the process of adding a sportsbook element to both their site and app which should go live in February.
StumbleUpon Share Share Optimised communications help Wiraya deliver 15% reactivation boost June 3, 2020 Just two months after launching its 2,000th game, Videoslots.com has initiated a two-week campaign in partnership with Core Gaming with a two-person MotoGP experience up for grabs.Players spinning the reels on Core Gaming’s featured slots from 28 July to 13 August can claim the prize, which includes two VIP passes to this year’s Silverstone MotoGP (26-28 August).Entry to the draw is reserved to those who complete at least one of the 17 daily achievements, while more daily achievements grant access to more tickets in the final draw.The winner will be provided with 5* accommodation, free flights from anywhere in Europe, and the chance to meet Team Aprilia’s Sam Lowes and complete a tour of his garage.Alexander Stevendahl, CEO at Videoslots.com, said: “Our promotional campaigns are a huge part of giving back to our legions of slots fans, and this latest one in partnership with Core Gaming is our biggest and most exciting to date.“I wish all our players the best in their quest to complete the daily achievements, winning various generous reward bonuses along the way, and ultimately increasing their chance of scooping the fantastic VIP MotoGP experience.”Just last month, Videoslots closed a deal to integrate online content from Realistic Games via NYX Gaming Group’s OGS distribution platform. Swedish CEOs challenge ‘unrealistic demands’ against threat of igaming becoming obsolete June 8, 2020 SBC Magazine Issue 9: Esports future, online shift and Brazil betting soap opera June 4, 2020 Submit Related Articles
Related Articles Share IMGL brings prestigious Masterclass to Betting on Sports 2017 July 21, 2017 Share StumbleUpon Sky Bet’s Affiliate Hub closure due to ‘increasingly tough enforcement stances’ September 8, 2017 At this year’s Betting On Sports conference, which takes place at London’s Olympia on September 13-15, a prestige panel of legal experts will pull focus on the latest regulatory trends affecting the industry in 2017.During the event, lawyer and notary Tal Itzhak Ron, Chairman and CEO of Tal Ron, Drihem & Co. law firm, will discuss Europe’s evolving regulatory landscape, along with the growing importance of liability management.“Online betting continues to grow at an explosive rate without any territorial borders,” Ron told SBC News, on his way to London from Tel Aviv. “The trend today is towards regulation, even for affiliates and platform providers. Nowadays, many jurisdictions are trying to keep unlicensed operators out of their market by restricting gaming offering.According to Ron, gaming regulators are using “every imaginable measure” to enforce local gaming regulation by blacklisting operators, penalising players, ISP blocking, payment blocking and affiliate blocking measures.“Gaming platform providers have been asked to monitor the traffic on their platforms and block unlicensed gaming operators,” he said. “There have even been talks that gaming suppliers could be held liable for offences committed by unlicensed gaming operators using the suppliers’ platform.”Ron, a general member of International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL), will be attending this year’s BOS 2017 with two senior members from his team, Maayan M. Dana and Stephanie Attias, all of whom will be on hand to answer delegates’ questions from their booth in the exhibition floor.“At Tal Ron, Drihem & Co, we focus specifically on legal, regulatory and banking consultancy, for gaming companies, financial websites and affiliates, providing all-inclusive ongoing services,” stated Attias and Dana.“Tal Ron, Drihem &Co. has always been at the tip of the latest regulatory updates. We pride ourselves in being the only gaming law firm in the jurisdiction recommended by Dun and Bradstreet and BDI and the one having the largest market share.”______________________ Submit Safer Gambling Forum: Educating to prevent problem gambling November 14, 2019
UKGC launches fourth National Lottery licence competition August 28, 2020 * Excludes Wales RateRangeRateRange Related Articles The UK gambling industry has faced some heavy criticism in the media in the past few months. Most of it began when 888 was rightly castigated for its failure in its social responsibility with no-one in the industry, or at 888, dissenting at the Gambling Commission’s judgment. But a good deal of criticism has been sown longer-term by anti-FOBTs campaigners and a media willing to regurgitate negative claims.Regardless of the strength of the stories printed, the clear narrative in the media is that there has been an explosion of problem gambling.This has been reflected at a political level, with Labour deputy Tom Watson announcing his own review into gambling citing a ‘hidden epidemic of problem gambling’ and it is these kind of claims that the DCMS is having to look at in its bloated Triennial Review of Stakes and Prizes (and advertising) which is due to be published any day now. So SBC took a look at what official figures are out there on the problem gambling rate. The method used to measure problem gambling is constantly evolving, but the one constant in the last 20 years has been using the DSM-IV scale. While earlier studies (and some international measures) used SOGS and there is a general trend towards PGSI, DSM-IV at least allows us to compare like for like over a long period.Some of the original Prevalence studies are difficult to find online, so we have located the official ones and have made them available to download at the foot of the page to allow stakeholders to discover and investigate themselves without viewing things through the lens of the media.1999According to the 1999 Gambling Prevalence Survey, the prevalence of problem gambling using DSM-IV was 0.6% – the rate being higher among men (0.9%) than women (0.3%). Statistics being what they are the confidence interval around this estimate is 0.4% to 0.8% – this means we are 95% sure that the figure lies between these two values. This may not sound too accurate, but it is a byproduct of there being quite a low number of problem gamblers identified from the study’s sample size. 2007Despite the fact that a major review of gambling took place in 2001 which eventually became the 2005 Gambling Act, the next national Gambling Prevalence Survey was not until 2007.The prevalence of problem gambling in the population, based on the DSM IV was 1.0% for men and 0.2% for women (0.6% overall). The confidence interval around this estimate is 0.5% to 0.8% (meaning that we can be 95% confident that the true value lies between these two figures).This suggests very little movement from the figures from 1999, even though FOBTs started to emerge in 2001 and the online betting industry was beginning to make its presence felt.The 2007 Survey also included a new measure for identifying problem gambling – the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), which is not directly compatible with DSM-IV but a different indicator. The prevalence of problem gambling in the population, based on the PGSI was 1.0% for men and 0.1% for women (0.5% overall). The confidence interval around this estimate is 0.4% to 0.8% (meaning that we can be 95% confident that the true value lies between these two figures).2010Things change for the 2010 (and last) Gambling Prevalence Survey with figures seemingly on the rise. DSM-IV problem gambling prevalence rates for the whole population were 1.5% for men, 0.3% for women and 0.9% overall. The confidence interval around the total estimate is 0.7% to 1.2%, meaning we can be 95% confident that the true estimate falls between these two values.This range overlaps with the range from 2007 (0.5% to 0.8%) but is obviously on the upper end of the scale. It was at the time described as being on the ‘fringes of statistical significance’. It was a similar story for problem gambling prevalence estimates for the whole population according to the PGSI were 1.3% for men, 0.2% for women and 0.7% overall. The confidence interval for the total estimate was 0.5% to 1.0%, meaning we can be 95% certain that the true estimate lies between these values. In 2007 the range was 0.4% to 0.8%.The report itself suggested that we need to be cautious with comparisons. It said: “Differences between surveys may appear statistically significant but could be the result of some other underlying difference rather than demonstrate actual change in behaviour. For example, changes in the age profile of the population, in the profile of the responding population for each survey and sampling error between each survey year all have the potential to affect the observed estimates.”This is why the DCMS’ slashing of the budget for the Prevalence Study also came at a particularly bad time given that many figures for the 2010 study were on the fringes of being significantly different from those in 2007, including the all-important problem gambling rate, and a further study would have thrown fresh light on whether the changes were a trend or a blip.This left the regulator settling for a ‘decoupled approach’ through national health surveys, which separated gambling activity levels from problem gambling data. While not directly comparable to the Prevalence Study, it’s the best data available. 2012According to the DSM-IV, problem gambling prevalence among adults living in private households in England and Scotland was 0.5%. Men were more likely than women to be classified as a problem gambler according to the DSM-IV (0.8% and 0.1% respectively). The confidence interval around the total estimate is 0.3% to 0.7%.According to the PGSI, problem gambling prevalence among adults in England and Scotland was 0.4%, with men again being more likely than women to be classified as a problem gambler (0.7% and 0.1% respectively). The confidence interval around the estimate for all adults was 0.2% to 0.6%.Now these figures are much more comparable to the figures in 1999 and 2007, which initially suggests that the 2010 figures may have been an outlier and unnaturally high. However this data was just for England and Scotland and didn’t take Wales into account the report also warns that the change in methodology could end up in under reporting issues. It concluded: “Overall, based on this evidence, it appears that problem gambling rates in England and Scotland are broadly stable.”2015NatCen’s report into the three national Health Studies in 2015 found that problem gambling prevalence among adults was 0.7% according to the DSM-IV. The confidence interval around this estimate is 0.5% to 1.0%, meaning that taking into account sampling error we can be 95% confident that the true estimate falls between these two values.Again men were more likely than women to be classified as problem gamblers according to the DSM-IV (1.3% and 0.2% respectively). According to the PGSI, problem gambling prevalence among adults was 0.6%. The confidence interval around the estimate for all adults is 0.4% to 0.9%. As with the DSM-IV, men were more likely than women to be classified as problem gamblers (1.1% and 0.1% respectively).2016In the Gambling Commission’s 2016 report, its section covering problem gambling, unfortunately, made no mention of DSM-IV and relied completely on PGSI. The report said that overall 0.7% of respondents identified as problem gamblers, with men more likely than women to be categorised as such (1.2% compared to 0.1%). The report also lays out the problem gambling rate for 2013 (0.5%), 2014 (0.5%), 2015 (0.5%) and 2016 (0.7%), albeit with no real detail in the data other than it used the PGSI screen. In fact the figures for 2013-2015 are lower than those reported in the Health Surveys for that period. It added: “Again, despite percentage changes in the observed rates of problem gambling, trend data should be treated with caution as none of the changes in the problem gambling are significant at the 95% level.”ConclusionIt’s hard to disagree with the Gambling Commission which said in August that ‘overall problem gambling rates in Britain have remained statistically stable’. When considering the huge increase in gambling participation during the time period, it is almost counter-intuitive that the recorded levels of problem gambling have remained more or less the same. However the figures produced in 2010, while looking like an outlier at the moment, should be a warning signal to the industry and given the advances in problem gambling screening, the industry should be striving to actually lower this rate over a long period of time. What it also highlights is what a poor decision it was from the Conservative-Lib Dem Coalition Government to pull the funding for the regular Gambling Prevalence Surveys. The idea to save £500,000 across three years by pulling the funding for these impartial studies means that the decision making around the industry is compromised by having to compare studies with different methodologies. The best thing the government could do now is to reintroduce the Prevalence Studies to make sure that the industry trends are properly and independently measured. Share DSM-IVPSGI 1999 Prevalence Study0.60.4-0.8n/an/a 2012* Health Surveys0.50.3-0.70.40.2-0.6 Submit Cross-party think-tank calls for £100 monthly limit on gambling August 5, 2020 RecoverMe: Using mHealth to support problem gambling treatment August 5, 2020 DownloadsGAMBLING BEHAVIOUR IN BRITAIN: Results from the British Gambling2007 British Gambling Prevalence Survey2010 British Gambling Prevalence Survey2012 Gambling behaviour in England and Scotland,Gambling behaviour in Great Britain in 2015Gambling Participation in 2016 Share StumbleUpon 2010 Prevalence Study0.90.7-1.20.70.5-1.0 2015 Health Surveys0.70.5-1.00.60.4-0.9 2016 Gambling Commission Surveyn/an/a0.7n/a 2007 Prevalence Study0.60.5-0.80.50.4-0.8
Share StumbleUpon SG OpenMarket approval sees SportCaller expand FTP distribution capacity August 18, 2020 Submit Share Scientific Games bolsters virtuals portfolio with Legends Racing addition July 29, 2020 Related Articles John O’Reilly – Erratic orders have placed UK casinos on life support August 4, 2020 Scientific Games Corporation has announced that the Company’s SG Gaming UK division has partnered with Mecca Bingo to supply its terminals to a number of their new Luda venues.Luda brings a brand-new concept to the arcade and bingo sector, providing players with the opportunity to enjoy bingo and slots in a relaxed and sociable environment with a café-style food menu.SG Gaming has installed T8 terminals, the state-of-the-art Riviera and the Rainbow Riches Community Cash 3-player terminal in Luda’s Walsall, Weston-Super-Mare and Leeds venues, working closely with Mecca Bingo to provide staff training and a joint promotional plan which optimises the capabilities of the server-based gaming platform. All terminals come complete with a range of engaging content developed under the Barcrest, Bally, and WMS gaming brands. SG Gaming’s T8 terminals also feature multi-player community game options – a popular proposition for players who are looking to add variety to their gaming experience. Phil Horne, Chief Executive Officer of SG Gaming commented: “We’re delighted to be extending our partnership with Mecca and supporting their innovative new Luda venues. This is an incredibly exciting high street proposition, and we have worked closely with them to provide what we feel to be the most complementary gaming mix from our terminal range and content library. “We have specifically selected the Riviera terminal due to its impressive performance to date, and we feel that by providing the T8 alongside it, we can offer Luda players not only a varied range of terminals, but also a mixed content proposition on both terminal types, such as the popular Rainbow Riches series. We very much look forward to developing this partnership and continuing to support Mecca in this exciting new venture.” Alan Morgan, Managing Director of Luda added: “With the growth in popularity of online gaming, land-based gaming has to find innovative ways to encourage customers to take advantage of its offerings and remain competitive. Building on our existing partnership with SG Gaming through the launch of our exciting new Luda venture has been a great way for us to realise this, enabling our customers to enjoy state-of-the-art terminals and popular content in a new, convenient high street concept.”
Sky News has this morning reported that FTSE-listed gambling group GVC Holdings is set to unveil it’s $/£ multi-million US strategic partnership with MGM Resorts International next week.According to city insiders, GVC governance is finalising plans on a long-term 50-50 joint venture with MGM Resorts, considered the US’ largest casino operator.Both parties will commit an initial $100 million (£77 million) investment, in creating the joint venture which will seek to dominate the radically changed US gambling market post PASPA.The alliance will see GVC act as the lead sports betting and online gambling services provider for MGM Grand, SkyLoft, Mandalay Bay and Bellagio casino properties.Furthermore, GVC and MGM will work together to create new gambling/betting ventures within newly sanctioned US states, seeking to deliver consumers the best land-based and digital gambling proposition.In its report, Sky News details that a successful MGM-GVC partnership ‘could pave the way to a $20 billion merger’ as the two enterprises have agreed to buy-out commitments should the joint-venture succeed in dominating the liberalised US betting market.The MGM agreement will pole-vault GVC’s position within the US market, which to date has been limited to the FTSE enterprise servicing MGM New Jersey resorts ‘PlayMGM’ online casino and poker brands, alongside Ladbrokes’ legacy parlay technology subsidiary ‘Stadium Tech’.Following the Supreme Court’s repeal of PASPA’s federal mandate last May, city analysts have been eyeing GVC Holdings US movements, amid frenzied activity by its FTSE counterparts, Paddy Power Betfair and William Hill.City insiders have praised GVC Holdings Chief Executive Kenneth Alexander, stating that a successful MGM joint-venture could prove to be ‘a masterstroke’ for the firm’s future value, as all gambling incumbents look to develop their US identities. Share StumbleUpon Share Jason Ader – No Boogeyman… Activism will play a vital part in reshaping gambling August 20, 2020 GVC hires ‘comms pro’ Tessa Curtis to re-energise media profile August 25, 2020 Submit GVC absorbs retail shocks as business recalibrates for critical H2 trading August 13, 2020 Related Articles