Gambling in Singapore drops to record low, but spending sees a rise

Gambling participation among Singapore residents dropped to its lowest since 2005, but spending and illegal online gambling increased.

Australia gambling ad ban delayed: What’s next?

Australia delays gambling ad reforms until 2025, sparking criticism. Advocates and MPs demand urgent action to address gambling-related harm.

Indonesia steps up crackdown on online gambling

Indonesia is stepping up its fight against online gambling, with President Prabowo Subianto making it a top priority. The government is blocking gambling sites, investigating officials, and working with financial institutions to stop illegal transactions.

Industry leaders reflect on 2024 special for SiGMA News

The SiGMA Europe 2024 10th Anniversary Conference, which took place in Malta from 11-14 November, brought together over 27,000 representatives from the iGaming industry, including those who lead and guide the industry. As it was the last summit of the year, SiGMA News collected comments on the challenges and successes of the past year from the leaders of the companies that have managed to make a loud statement and present something new to the industry.

The first online wager

In the second article of SiGMA's series, "The Online Gambling Industry: Tales from the Past," we delve into the origins of online gambling. The focus is on the first wager placed online over 30 years ago, exploring the visionaries behind this innovation and the technical challenges they overcame. Learn how Antigua and Barbuda emerged as a key jurisdiction for early operators in the 1990s. Discover how the internet revolution enabled the creation of a new industry by reducing technical barriers and costs, paving the way for the modern online gambling landscape.

Andreas Constantinou’s game-changing vision for poker’s future

From late nights in London’s poker rooms to the frustration of fruitless journeys and his academic background in engineering and robotics from UK’s top tier universities, UCL and Edinburgh, his path has reshaped the way players connect, compete, and thrive. In 2019, he quit his job as an IT consultant from Getronics Ltd. to pursue his MBA and venture full-time with a mission to turn an unforeseen land-based poker experience for the poker players - as never seen before!

BetHarmony’s AI assistant debuts at SiGMA Europe

SiGMA News caught up with Valentina Synen'ka to discuss the idea and challenges of the new product right after her presentation to the investors at the Startup Pitch jury. The conversation covered other important topics such as multinational team culture in product development, services of the future and social responsibility. Here is what Valentina had to say. 

Greg Flor, THNDR co-founder, about Lightning Network underestimation

At THNDR, financial technology platform with a gaming core, they combine the best of old-school simplicity with cutting-edge technology. Their games draw inspiration from classic games like blocks or solitaire, which are easy to learn and play. But beneath this nostalgic exterior, they implement the power of Bitcoin and the Lightning Network – and that’s where things get really interesting. Thanks to this technology, players can compete with each other in skill-based wagering PvP matches, free from time pressure, in asynchronous games, without needing to make deposits, and with automatic payouts after every win.

How CEO Dexter Cutajar keeps NetRefer in pole position

In a recent interview, NetRefer CEO Dexter Cutajar shared insights on the company’s commitment to data, AI, and transformative automation, aiming to lead the affiliate marketing industry into a new era of agility and innovation.

Harmen Brenninkmeijer on harmonising the future of land-based, online gaming 

In an exclusive interview with SiGMA News, Harmen Brenninkmeijer, Managing Partner of NYCE International, explained that land based and online gaming are two formats that are not necessarily in competition. Instead, they are beginning to coexist harmoniously, potentially setting a benchmark for regulatory frameworks and industry practices, particularly across Asia.