Australia-based Jumbo Interactive has announced a 10.5 percent drop in revenue from operations in the second half of 2024, totaling AU$66.13 million ($42.34 million).
According to the group’s most recent financial results, group profit after tax also fell, by some 9.3 percent yearly, to AU$19.11 million ($12.23 million).
The group notes that its Lottery Retailing segment continued to be the largest contributor to Group revenue and profits, however the group noted that the half-year period ‘was characterized by a relatively subdued jackpot environment’.
Lottery retailing total transaction value (TTV) fell by 15.3 percent yearly, while revenue from the segment was down by 12.7 percent.
‘While the financial results remain subject to the volatility of jackpots in the short term, over the long term, lotteries have delivered consistent growth and have proven to be highly resilient to economic downturns and cycles,’ notes the group.
Jumbo furthered that ‘digital penetration has steadily increased over time and Jumbo remains well placed to capitalize on this trend’.
Online ticket sales of lottery tickets accounted for 40.4 percent of overall Australian lottery sales in the period.
New Zealand and Australian gaming operator SkyCity has announced that it will be rolling out mandatory carded play across its properties in New Zealand in July of this year, and is planning to introduce carded play at SkyCity Adelaide in 2026.
According to the group’s financial results published on Thursday, the group notes that ‘this is expected to impact revenue in the first few years from implementation but is a critical component of SkyCity’s transformation program’.
SkyCity Adelaide, Australia
According to the group’s Chief Executive Officer, Jason Walbridge, “100 percent carded play represents a step change in host responsibility and customer care. […] All customers will need to use a SkyCity card that contains their identity and other important information to play anywhere in our casinos. This will enable them to know how long they’ve played, how much they’ve spent, and when to take a break.”
The group saw a stark drop in net profit for 2H24 due to lower visitor spend, with Walbridge noting that “we expect the challenging economic conditions to continue to impact discretionary spend into the 2025 calendar year”.
The group anticipates that FY25 underlying group EBITDA will “likely fall within a range of NZ$225 million ($130 million) to NZ$245 million ($141.3 million).
Macau saw a strong increase in visitor arrivals in January, with over 3.64 million entering the gaming hub, a yearly rise of 27.4 percent.
According to official statistics, same-day visitation rose by 45.6 percent yearly, to 2.15 million, while overnight visitors totaled 1.49 million, up by 7.9 percent year-on-year.
The average length of stay – something the government has actively been trying to increase to boost non-gaming spend – decreased by 0.2 day ‘due to the growth in the proportion of same day visitors’.
Mainland China contributed some 2.75 million tourists during the month, up by 33.8 percent yearly. Those traveling under the Individual Visit Scheme amounted to 1.6 million, up by 44 percent year-on-year.
Those using the “one trip per week” measure amounted to 11,698, while those using the “multiple-entry measure” amounted to 25,933.
International visitation also increased, by 21 percent yearly to 241,131. Visitation from the Philippines increased by 42.2 percent, to 48,499 – while that of Indonesia rose by 54.6 percent to 21,579.
Visitation from South Korea totaled 65,659 – a rise of 29.9 percent, while that from Japan totaled 12,029, up by 13 percent yearly.
Galaxy Gaming, a developer and distributor of innovative games, has announced an agreement in principle with leading content provider Pragmatic Play to extend their strategic licensing agreement for an additional five years.
This agreement extension will permit expanding the integration of Galaxy Gaming’s table game content across Pragmatic Play’s Live Casino and RNG gaming portfolio.
“We are excited to strengthen and expand our partnership with Pragmatic Play,” said Jason McCulloch, Vice President of iGaming at Galaxy Gaming. “Their exceptional Live and RNG casino experiences, enhanced by our renowned side bets, set a high standard in the industry. This five-year extension reflects the strength of our collaboration while advancing our long-term strategy of delivering premium table game content to operators and their players worldwide.”
Irina Cornides, Chief Operating Officer at Pragmatic Play, added: “Our partnership with Galaxy Gaming has been a successful one to date, and this new agreement will enable us to further enhance select products in Pragmatic Play’s award-winning live portfolio with their popular side bets.”
Soft2Bet, a leading global iGaming platform provider, has announced its participation in SBC Summit Rio 2025, taking place on 26-27 February at Riocentro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The company will host an exclusive workshop focused on its cutting-edge casino gamification solution at Stand B960, designed for operators seeking data-driven gamification insights for casino and sportsbook brands.
Soft2Bet’s MEGA workshop, presented by Nicolas Campano, Sales Director LATAM, will provide in-depth insights into how MEGA enhances the player retention loop through motivational engineering and personalized experiences. Users play and bet for real money, collecting additional loyalty points. They spend these points to play bonus games (e.g. Bonus Crab, City Builder, etc) to get extra rewards, including free spins, free bets, bonus money, and real money, which they utilize to play more. This hands-on session will feature live demonstrations, showcasing how the solution boosts engagement and drives business performance for operators in regulated markets.
Alongside MEGA, Soft2Bet will present powerful turnkey solutions with new updates and strong PAM, front-end and sportsbook solutions tailored for LATAM operators. With extensive experience in localization and personalization, Soft2Bet has successfully launched B2C brands across multiple highly competitive markets. As one of Soft2Bet’s leading brands, Campobet MX, officially launched in Q4 of 2024, is a prime example of how the company’s platform delivers high-performance, localized gaming experiences for operators looking to expand in the region. Soft2Bet’s products personalize the casino and sports betting experience, delivering an engaging user experience.
“Through this exclusive workshop, we aim to highlight how our API-based, standalone product can enhance the player experience and drive retention in the rapidly growing LATAM market. We look forward to connecting with industry professionals and showcasing the power of innovation in iGaming,” said Campano.
Soft2Bet invites all SBC Summit Rio attendees to Stand B960, where operators can meet with the team, explore Soft2Bet’s full suite of products, and learn more about the company’s strategic growth plans for the Latin American market.
Macau gaming operator MGM continues its commitment to enhancing Macau’s appeal as a leading travel destination, this time collaborating with Air Macau to elevate the airline’s in-flight dining experience.
This partnership highlights MGM’s culinary expertise from two of its acclaimed restaurants: “Black Pearl One-Diamond Restaurant” Imperial Court featuring Lingnan cuisine and the French brasserie Aux Beaux Arts.
MGM’s professional culinary team from these two signature restaurants has provided comprehensive support to Air Macau’s catering team for almost a year, offering technical guidance on menu design, recipe development, and culinary training. The result is a sophisticated new menu for business-class passengers on key Asian routes with Air Macau, featuring an extensive selection of Chinese and Western dishes and desserts, launching on March 1.
Hubert Wang, President & COO of MGM China Holdings Limited, said, “This partnership serves as a key gateway connecting Macau with international visitors. Through Air Macau’s extensive route network, we can showcase our city’s rich gastronomic culture, allowing travelers to experience Macau’s culinary excellence even at sky-high. This initiative strengthens Macau’s position as a ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’ while advancing the city’s status as a ‘World Center of Tourism and Leisure’. By weaving together gastronomy and tourism, we are promoting our city’s cultural diversity and innovation, alluring more visitors to explore Macau.”
Mr. Hubert Wang, President and COO of MGM China Holdings shared his thoughts on the collaboration with Air Macau
Starting March 1, business-class passengers on flights to over 10 major destinations—including Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul and more—will enjoy specially curated menus for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea. Drawing on MGM’s expertise in both Chinese and Western cuisines, this initiative enables passengers to discover Macau’s hospitality and culinary mastery during their journey, reinforcing the city’s reputation as a “Creative City of Gastronomy”.
Pragmatic Play, a leading content supplier to the iGaming industry, has released John Hunter and Galileo’s Secrets, the latest addition to its popular John Hunter series that combines mystery symbols with money respins to deliver 5,000x win potential.
The 5×3 grid is filled with telescopes, globes and maps in this astronomical adventure, where mystery symbols can cover entire reels, transforming into matching symbols to boost payouts or money symbols to help trigger the respin feature.
Six or more money symbols on the grid activate the respin feature with three respins. Whenever a new money symbol lands, the number of available respins resets to three. When no respins remain, or the entire grid is filled with money symbols, the value of all cash prizes is collected and paid out.
Landing three book scatters triggers the bonus game with eight free spins initially awarded. Before the feature begins, a random symbol is selected as the mystery symbol, determining whether the bonus game begins at the Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Super level. A gamble option is also available for the chance to upgrade to a higher-paying mystery symbol.
During free spins, full mystery symbols always expand to cover the entire reel and additional scatters are collected in a meter. After every four scatters collected, the bonus game level is upgraded, a new mystery symbol is selected at random, and two extra free spins are awarded.
Super level free spins can be triggered via upgrades during the feature or by landing at least one super scatter in a bonus-triggering spin in the base game. In Super level free spins, the mystery symbol is always the money symbol, meaning players have an increased chance of hitting the respin feature.
Irina Cornides, Chief Operating Officer at Pragmatic Play, said: “John Hunter is one of Pragmatic Play’s most popular game series. This latest adventure features upgrading mystery symbols that enhance the bonus round, offering wins of up to 5,000x.”
Push Gaming has launched Mad Blast, a volatile, multiplier-focused, pay-anywhere game that builds crazy robots along with wild winnings.
Set in the workshop of the Mad Tinkerer, quirky, colourful bomb symbols populate the reels, with eight or more required to award a win. Winning symbols are removed from play, and the cascade of replacement icons allows subsequent wins to be formed.
Each cascade in the base game doubles the multiplier value, creating suspense and explosive potential. Symbols such as an extra life and multiplier boost help players climb the progressive multiplier ladder and unlock more wins.
Unlocking the free spins round requires at least three Mad Head symbols. Once triggered, every three consecutive cascades clear a multiplier value from the progressive meter, setting the stage for more explosive wins.
The popular Push Bet mechanic allows players easier access to the bonus, increasing the likelihood of scatters landing, whilst players in jurisdictions that allow bonus buys can jump straight to the free spins round with two different options available.
Mad Blast enhances popular pay-anywhere mechanics and cascading wins with a progressive multiplier meter that naturally keeps the pace and the thrills high in both the base game and free spins round.
Ihor Lozinskiy, Head of Studio at Push Gaming, said: “Mad Blast creates explosive potential every spin, with wins allowing for the creation of more wins and each increasing the titles multiplier. The slot quickly expands the value of wins on offer, and we are confident this is something players will gravitate toward.
“Features like extra life and multiplier boost mean that players can jumpstart the intense action the slot provides, and with a free spins round that builds in suspense throughout the bonus, we are excited to see players’ reception to this highly volatile and explosive release.”
Macau gaming operator Wynn Resorts (Macau) has recently been invited by LinkedIn, the leading global social platform for professional talent, to join its Future Ready Program launched in Hong Kong, being the only Macau enterprise invited to join the program.
Wynn is dedicated to qualifying the team members with the skills and knowledge required for achieving success in the era of artificial intelligence and digital transformation. Through this collaboration, Wynn seeks to understand the latest learning trends in the job market, innovative concepts, and technology to upskill team members and promote the innovation and sustainable development of talent in Macau.
The Future Ready Program is being launched by LinkedIn in collaboration with 14 leading organizations from core industries in Hong Kong and Macau. Utilizing the talent pool of over 1 billion members from all around the world, the program will equip enterprises with necessary tools and resources through data-driven insights analysis, targeted upskill initiatives and knowledge exchange, thus navigating workforce transformation, driving a culture of innovation, and equipping professionals in Hong Kong and Macau with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing job market.
As a partner of the Future Ready Program and the only Macau enterprise invited to join the initiative, Wynn will enjoy assistance from LinkedIn in formulating talent plans and long-term retention strategies through tailored analysis reports provided by the platform. LinkedIn will also hold exclusive events and quarterly executive roundtables, empowering organizations to stay ahead of workforce shifts by facilitating them to jointly explore job transformation and skill demands.
Wynn believes that participating in the Future Ready Program in collaboration with LinkedIn, will not only help to attract and retain top talent and equip team members with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the future but also enhance the soft power of the company, thus contributing to the transformation, innovation, and sustainable development of talent in Hong Kong and Macau.
Continent 8 Technologies, the leading provider of global managed hosting, connectivity, cloud, and cybersecurity solutions to the iGaming and online sports betting industry, has announced its participation at SBC Summit Rio 2025 at Stand B220.
At SBC Summit Rio, Continent 8 technical and industry experts will be sharing insights on complying with Brazil’s Ordinance No. 722, which outlines the specific and essential technical and cybersecurity standard for licensees launching in the Brazilian market. Operators must comply within six months of obtaining their gaming licenses in the Latin American (LATAM) market.
To support Brazil’s launch, Continent 8 offers a state-of-the-art data centre facility in São Paulo, along with a complete suite of services to address rigorous data residency, backup, disaster recovery and cybersecurity requirements. Furthermore, the specific utilization of submarine cable capacity from Brazil to Portugal minimizes latency between Europe and LATAM.
By taking this route, rather than via North America as other in-region cloud providers, Continent 8 provides the best support to European operations targeting the region by improving latency by over 40%. This unique, localised support, combined with global planning, enables the regulated Brazilian gaming market to rapidly deploy secure, compliant and ultra-low-latency gaming platforms and operations.
The LATAM market is of considerable strategic importance to Continent 8. The trusted infrastructure and cybersecurity services provider in the region, Continent 8 first launched LATAM and Caribbean operations in Colombia in 2020 and has since expanded its data centre locations and best-in-class managed and professional services to Brazil, Curaçao, Peru and Puerto Rico, with further expansion plans underway.
Luana Monje, Sales Executive at Continent 8
Luana Monje, Sales Executive at Continent 8 said, “Continent 8 continues its deep investment and commitment to the LATAM market, with the newly established regulated Brazilian jurisdiction being a top priority. We have invested in a new data centre and the provision of customised services to address a comprehensive range of local mandated requirements, including latency, cybersecurity, public/private cloud, AWS hybrid cloud, and more – all with the goal of providing the best regulated iGaming launch and support experience.
“We’re excited to continue this conversation at SBC Summit Rio and explore how we can support your gaming initiatives. Stop by our stand to learn why are the go-to infrastructure and cybersecurity partner, powering and protecting the industry for over 25 years.”
