By Yuliya Khrenova
Legal & Compliance Officer
The Spanish are a nation of brave, passionate, adventurous people. The Spanish gamble more than most of their European neighbours. According to recent research, in 2020-2021 the percentage of the Spanish population that participated in gambling activities was the highest in Europe, with a total of 65.9% of men and 61.2% of women. On the other hand, only 9.1% of the men surveyed gambled online and only 4.2% of women did.
The latest estimates show the Spanish gamble well over €1.9 billion a year, which divided by population is around €480 per person, or approximately 15% of the average net household income. Lotteries, football and racing pools, bingo, slot machines, online casino games and the big jai-alai games are among the most popular products the Spanish choose.
Spanish passion for gambling could easily grow into an unhealthy obsession on the national level, if not for the strict market regulation and problem gambling prevention measures. The gambling regulatory environment in Spain includes problem gambling prevention as a section of social responsibility for operators. One of the requirements for operators is to comply with all the?legal and technical requirements?established by the law, including Royal Decrees, Ministerial Orders and Resolutions of the Directorate General for the Regulation on Gambling, to guarantee?safe gambling.
Operators must offer all players responsible gaming tools to restrict their participation in games or self-exclude. Some of the tools are mandatory and consistent for all providers, while others are made available to all players but are not mandatory for a player to set. Additionally, the DGOJ has been developing?various advertising co-regulation agreements??and is working on the development of a future regulation on advertising and responsible gaming with the basic purpose of protecting customers, especially minors and other vulnerable people.
Apart from social responsibility, operators must comply with the Law on Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing and the Spanish Criminal Code to keep the financial crime out of gambling. Strong due diligence rules, transparent payment options and transaction monitoring procedures are the main measures of customer protection.
iGaming Academy is now offering Anti-Money Laundering and Responsible Gambling training tailored specifically for the Spanish market.
Contact us to find out more
The post Gambling In Spain – Passion or Obsession? appeared first on iGaming Academy.
]]>One of the leading gaming operators in Belgium, Napoleon Sports and Casino, is an international operator licenced by the Belgian Gaming Commission. The company offers a diverse range of exciting land and online based casino products along with Dice Games and Sports betting. Based in Belgium, Napoleon Sports and Casino is the market leader in the Belgian gaming world and hosts Napoleon Sports and Casino online, with a range of land-based establishments including Grande Casino Knokke, Grand Casino Middlekerke and gaming halls across Belgium.
Napoleon Sports and Casino Compliance Training Program
Compliance training is extremely important to Napoleon Sports and Casino, and they make every effort to ensure all staff are up to date with regulatory requirements. To that end Napoleon have been using iGaming Academy’s customisable training services since 2020, when they signed up 180 staff to train in Responsible Gaming.
Realising the pandemic friendly benefits of iGaming Academy’s eLearning training, the company opted to onboard our Anti-Money Laundering course to add to their training portfolio. This course was customised to specific audiences and will be made available companywide.
Compliance Culture: Above and beyond
“Everyone should get a bit of exciting entertainment occasionally! But we also want you to play safely and responsibly. Deal?” – This is our strong belief at Napoleon Sports and Casino.
Napoleon Sports and Casino co-founded the Belgian Association of Gaming Operators (BAGO) which aims to guarantee players are well-informed through ethical advertising. This is a step well beyond the responsibilities of the traditional operator, but the company has a true culture of compliance, and this is reflected in its attention to completion rates on their branded training platform, and proactive approach to customer safety.
“Our employees are our best ambassadors. Therefore, integrating a culture of Responsible Gaming and Compliance amongst all our employees is one of our top priorities” says Tim De Borle, CEO at Napoleon Sports & Casino. “We have a robust training program dedicated to these topics, which is incorporated in employee onboarding program. Our staff must lead by example and we’re happy that iGaming Academy is a reliable partner to fulfil this ambition.”??
Tim De Borle
CEO
Solutions: LMS Learning Management System
Total Trained:?198 users
Results: High quality training for the entire company across multiple locations
Interested in learning more about our bespoke LMS solutions?
Our iGaming LMS Solutions?delivers high-quality eLearning courses ideal for training regulatory compliance and key skills
The post Napoleon Sports & Casino: Above And Beyond Compliance appeared first on iGaming Academy.
]]>United Remote is a pioneering international aggregator based in Malta. United Remote provides user-friendly white label solutions for the iGaming industry, in addition to creating innovative, fun to play games. The company prides itself on a strong organisational culture focussed on self-development and value to operators. Compliance is a key part of this culture, with the company leaving no stone unturned on its quest for perfection.
United Remote Compliance Training Program
Compliance training is essential at United Remote, evident from their continued dedication to iGaming Academy’s training services since 2019. In addition to the extensive internal training United Remote staff receive, the company trained over 150 employees using our key compliance courses including AML, Responsible Gaming, GDPR, Information Security, Anti-Fraud & Payments courses.
This year, United Remote has continued to broaden it’s compliance efforts by adding our Cyber Security Awareness course to its training portfolio. Cyber security has become an extremely important issue in iGaming, so we are delighted that United Remote made the decision to present the training to the entire company.
Compliance Culture: Dedicated
United Remote actively practices a companywide culture of compliance, using our training hub to host a variety of their internal operational and compliance programs. Last year the company achieved an impressive 100% completion rate across all courses and expects 2021 to be no different.
After shoring up data security last year as part of it’s bid for ISO 27001 certification, achieving companywide cyber security awareness will be the next step in United Remote’s compliance crusade.
United Remote:
iGaming Academy’s training builds employee confidence, strengthens industry knowledge and teaches job responsibility. We believe this not only improves our compliance knowledge but also enhances our business performance as our teams use their newfound insight to excel.
The refresher training in particular has allowed us to stay on the cutting edge of industry development. Thanks to the iGaming Academy we own our future, continuing to create and host state of the art casino games with passion and perfection.
Christopher Grech Bonett
Head of HR
Solutions: LMS Learning Management System
Total Trained:?158 users
Results: High quality training for the entire company across multiple locations
Interested in learning more about our bespoke LMS solutions?
Our iGaming LMS Solutions?delivers high-quality eLearning courses ideal for training regulatory compliance and key skills
The post United Remote: Using A Training Hub Solution appeared first on iGaming Academy.
]]>Play North is an international operator licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority [MGA] and Estonian Tax and Customs Board [EMTA]. Play North are a relatively new company and offer popular brands such as Pikakasino in Finland, Kiirkasiino in Estonia and the newest brand launched in 2020 – Rocket Casino. The brands specialise in quick return games emphasising fast pay & play for their wide customer base whilst still providing a safe environment with high focus on Responsible Gaming, Play North are creating a name for themselves.
Play North’s compliance culture
Play North has been using iGaming Academy’s training services since 2019 and have been actively training all their staff on our elearning portal. Their compliance training portfolio covers Anti-Money Laundering, Responsible Gaming, GDPR and Information security.
The company highly values compliance training, which is reflected in Play North’s attention to completion rates and activity level. All new staff are set up on the learning portal and are given access to the compliance training package. All of Play North’s courses are updated regularly to reflect the latest regulatory updates.
“iGaming Academy?has been the foundation for us to meet our training requirements on time and with high quality. iGaming Academy’s professional and easy-to-use portal has ensured high completion rates for us. We have been especially happy with the communication between us and the iGaming Academy.”
Mika Vasara
COO
Solutions: LMS Learning Management System
Total Trained:?28 users
Results: High quality training for the entire company across multiple locations
Interested in learning more about our bespoke LMS solutions?
Our iGaming LMS Solutions?delivers high-quality eLearning courses ideal for training regulatory compliance and key skills
The post Play North: Safety Experts In Fast Pay & Play appeared first on iGaming Academy.
]]>Yggdrasil Gaming has been leading the way as one of the key innovators in the iGaming industry with their popular online slots, table games and pioneering promotional toolset, BOOST. They pride themselves on pushing boundaries, the pursuit of perfection and a hardcore dedication to the gaming community. Live in nearly twenty countries, Yggdrasil has the inside track on breaking into regulated markets across the globe.
In 2020 Yggdrasil introduced their Global Publishing vision – to become the Leading Global Publisher of Online Gambling Content – by building a global iGaming partner aggregation network with market leading operators, YG Masters partners and Franchisees. It is all powered by their pioneering GATI technology, a true game changer for the iGaming industry as it enables all network partners to build, add and share content.
Yggdrasil’s compliance training program
Yggdrasil acknowledges that gambling may be addictive if it is not provided in a fair and secure environment. Consequently, they take responsibility that their products comply with the strict requirements upheld by relevant authorities across the jurisdictions and market environments they operate in.
Yggdrasil takes compliance very seriously, ensuring that all staff are up to date with the necessary regulatory requirements. Their compliance training covers Anti-money laundering, Responsible Gaming and GDPR. The company also puts a strong emphasis on information security ensuring all staff are trained up to the standard required of their role.
Playing Yggdrasil games should be entertaining but also be done in a responsible manner. Yggdrasil closely monitors that they comply with all necessary and relevant industry best practices and regulatory requirements to provide their gaming solutions in a safe and healthy environment for the end player. Even though Yggdrasil is a B2B supplier, and they don’t hold a direct relationship with the end player, they always aim to offer gaming solutions in a safe and fun end-user environment. Yggdrasil’s game-client includes software to enable players to gamble responsibly and to support their licensees with responsible gaming controls.
In pursuit of perfection
Since partnering up with iGaming Academy back in 2018, Yggdrasil has always strived to achieve a 100% completion rate for all of their compliance training.
So far Yggdrasil has trained nearly 400 staff members across Malta, Sweden, Gibraltar, Spain, Poland and the UK. On their branded portal, Yggdrasil particularly enjoys the accessibility and in addition to their own courses, uses the extra resources to complement their training.
“iGaming Academy was the natural partner for us when it comes to fulfilling our compliance training obligations. IGA’s bespoke e-learning portal have suited our ways of working – being efficient, user-friendly and a highly adaptable online tool. Having staff in many different locations we rely heavily on easily integrated solutions with a trackable reporting functionality that meets audit demands for ISO 27001 standard purposes.”
Milena Karlsson
Deputy HR Director
Solutions: LMS Learning Management System; Custom Course Content
Total Trained:?400+ users
Results: High quality training across multiple locations
Interested in learning more about our bespoke LMS solutions?
Our iGaming LMS Solutions?delivers high-quality eLearning courses ideal for training regulatory compliance and key skills
The post Yggdrasil Gaming: The Frontrunner In iGaming Innovation appeared first on iGaming Academy.
]]>Originally published in iGaming Business
“Continuity” was only phase 1. The iGaming industry now faces a new challenge – to maintain strong levels of innovation in a wholly new working world.
In challenging economic times, employers who can motivate teams to solve big problems, rather than just tick over with ‘tactical work’, are surely the ones who will thrive. As was proven in the 2008 financial crisis, treading water is not a long term solution.
“Improvise, adapt and overcome” – the US Marine Corps mantra is more fitting than ever for today’s iGaming leaders. Distanced workforces, remote working, major commercial risks and economic uncertainty… and that was only in the past 3 months! The iGaming industry has already weathered a significant storm.
So, now that the immediate continuity plans have been enacted, the big question iGaming leaders should be asking themselves is:
“How do we inspire our workforce to innovate and solve the big problems in a post COVID-19 world?”
Focusing on the answer to this question will be the key to triumph in these uncertain times.
Digital Essentials = Continuity
The first priority since March 2020 has been ensuring “continuity” wherever possible. Achieving this in itself has taken gargantuan feats of effort and imagination, both within and beyond the iGaming Sector.
Companies whose digital transformation efforts had dragged on for decades have jet-propelled plans into reality in the last few months. In fact, 70% of those organisations surveyed by dmexco in the DACH region “expect the coronavirus pandemic to accelerate the pace of the digital transformation.”
Practically every aspect of business has had to adapt for a post COVID-19 world:
Slack, Teams and Zoom are the new… everything! (500%+ user growth is not uncommon.) Although the iGaming industry was already better digitally prepared than most, iGaming Academy has seen a marked increase in enquiries for our online training services suggesting that companies are actively expanding their digital communication toolset further still.
In the mid-1990’s, “the death of distance” became a much-discussed topic. “The thinking was that new web-based and telecom technologies had made it possible to communicate and work in new ways that dramatically reduced the value of physical proximity.” (Sneader & Singhal, McKinsey.) There was, however, no ‘big bang’ change in business culture and offices stayed full.
As rapid adoption of remote working models has become essential, “these practices could well stick, making for better management and more flexible workforces.” If it’s here to stay then, how do we make it work?
How Do You Keep Remote Teams Innovative?
Two factors raise concerns when considering a long-term ‘remote working’ business future:
First, individuals who’ve recently moved to remote working (as an estimated 16 million ‘knowledge workers’ in the US did this March) may feel less motivated; according to this Slack survey on remote working, “45% of newly remote workers report that their sense of belonging suffers at home”.
Second, whilst ‘tactical’ type work – procedural, repetitive, formulaic – is adaptable to remote working, ‘problem solving’ and ‘innovation’ type work may be more challenging. The Economist’s “90% Economy” cover story notes that “studies suggest the benefits of working from home only materialise if employees can frequently check in at an office in order to solve problems… Anyone who has tried to bounce ideas around on Zoom or Skype knows that spontaneity is hard.”
Innovation is absolutely critical in iGaming. Ours is a fast-paced industry that adapts rapidly to changing market conditions, providing products and services for customers whose expectations are always evolving. The most successful iGaming companies have earned their position by fostering truly exceptional teams of talented professionals and motivating them to achieve high goals.
To look outside of iGaming, during the 2008 financial crisis, for example, Starbucks set up an innovation programme called My Starbucks Idea. In its first year, the initiative gathered over 70,000 ‘innovative’ contributions from staff and customers and led the business to exciting new ventures (and revenue streams.)
A new HBR study has identified three positive motivators – play, purpose and potential – that provide some focus for those wishing to prioritise innovation. All three traits are in jeopardy in today’s working situation:
“Play, the motive that most boosts performance, could decrease if it continues to become harder for people to get things done from home. For example, people may miss the joy of problem-solving with a colleague, or the ease of making a decision when everyone is in one room. Purpose could also decline with teams’ decreasing visibility into their impact on clients or colleagues, especially if no one is there to remind them. Lastly, potential could decline if people can’t gain access to colleagues that teach and develop them.”
Fostering an environment (be it, office-based or digital) where problem solving and innovation can thrive should be one of iGaming leaders’ highest priorities at the current time.
The HBR article offers some excellent action points for managers, including:
- “What you measure is the single strongest signal to your people of what you care about. If you want to show them that you care about their motivation, you can measure it…”
- ?“Make sure your weekly routines are not focused only on the tactical work… Half of your week should also be focused on adaptive performance… experimentation and problem solving.”
- ?“Focus on reflection. Showcase and gather input on the experiments of the week. Where did they struggle with their motivation, and where did they thrive?”
The New Wave: Keep Training & Upskilling
According to an April 2020 Gartner survey of CFO’s, 74% of businesses intend to shift some employees to remote work permanently. In part, COVID-19 has simply sped up an already-existing trend that’s been moving in this direction slowly for some time. But businesses are also keenly aware of potential cost reductions. The post COVID-19 working world will undeniably be radically different to the one we left.
iGaming’s road to full recovery is long, but those businesses that adapt will assuredly bounce back. To do so, however, they will need talented individuals both from within and outside the organisation to help them carry this vision forward and will need people with the motivation and the skillsets to solve the challenges that lie ahead.
Creating a sense of belonging, shared purpose and drive will likely be more challenging now. Changes will have to be made to onboarding processes and innovative ideas will be needed to instil a sense of company culture remotely, for example. There will also be fewer opportunities for mid-level staff to receive the training or mentorship needed to progress up the organisation.
Distance learning is undoubtedly a powerful solution in both these cases. Google Trends shows a 3x increase in searches for “eLearning” from January to March 2020, a level that was held throughout April, indicating sustained appetite.
Together with Totally Gaming Academy, we are already providing comprehensive training services for businesses operating online, aimed at every level of professional and available in multiple formats to optimise distance learning.
Innovation has long been heralded as the trait that sets apart high-performing organisations from laggards. Are you ready for the challenge ahead?
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Rebeka Mizzi is Head of Sales at iGaming Academy, the industry’s leading provider of specialist online training services. [email protected]
The post The Next Phase: Achieving Innovation In iGaming Post COVID-19 appeared first on iGaming Academy.
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