The Gambling Industry Monthly Review - August 2023

Summer is winding down and although August is one of the slowest months in the iGaming industry (besides January), that doesn’t mean there were no events taking place in the last 30 days that have made an impact on the gambling community locally and/or globally. Let’s take a look at what are industry’s most important and most memorable moments in August 2023. 

New Slots on The Market 

Pragmatic Play, one of the top iGaming providers, had an explosive beginning of the month with Rocket Blast Megaways slot and ended it on the sugary reels of Candy Blitz slot. The famous studio has also added another title to the legendary Big Bass series. Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways is a fresh addition to the fishing-themed set of releases that players love to gamble on. Mustang Trail and Pub Kings slots have also landed on the iGaming market and provided players with thrill-induced gameplays with more than a decent winning potential.    

Hacksaw has released 2 new games in August 2023 - Ronin Stackways and Le Bandit. Although Ronin Stackways has shown improvements in the implementation of the Stackways mechanics, Le Bandit is the slot that conquered hearts of players, including casino streamers. The unusual theme, superb graphics, and outstanding set of bonus features is what made Le Bandit one of the most played slots at the end of August 2023.  

Casino Streaming Scene in August 2023 

After amazing Barn Festival and Gladiator Legends cosplays in July, Roshtein did Sugar Rush cosplay in August and blew everyone away once again. Dressed in a pink suit with a top hat and a cane, the atmosphere of the Roshtein’s costume stream was reminiscent of the one from the movie Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. The whole streaming experience was extremely fun and exciting for both Rosh and all the viewers on Kick.com. 

When it comes to big wins, the ones that stand out are Roshtein’s $1.6 million hit while spinning reels on Drop’Em slot by Hacksaw Gaming. This is the 3rd installment in the series of slots produced by the popular software provider where the main characters are Canny The Can and Mona The Mouse. The latest addition to the series comes with big winning potential and unique and thrilling bonus features that will catch the eye of any player looking for a dynamic and action-packed casino game.  

At the end of August Roshtein was lucky enough to land 2 amazing wins while playing another Hacksaw Gaming release - Le Bandit. The first hit was $1.3 million during the intro of the stream and the second one happened just a few minutes later and produced a breathtaking $3 million jackpot! Thanks to these hits in the first 30 minutes of the stream, his balance skyrocketed to over $4 million and he was able to recuperate bonus hunt money even before he started opening. 

FrankDimes and Adam were also active during the month of August, doing their own thing. While Frank was heavily focused on spinning slots, Adam also had streams dedicated to the UFC fights, making his own predictions who the winner will be and discussing the fight with people in the chat. Overall, it was a pretty exciting month for both streamers with Adam having a great series of wins on Drop’Em slot.      

Gambling Legislations Changes 

When it comes to the legal aspect of the gambling industry in the month of August 2023, there were no major shifts but it was far from quiet. Malta’s controversial Bill 55 came under fire in August for being “incompatible” with the EU law, as stated by the German regulator GGL. They argue that the Bill gives Maltese courts the power to reject decisions made by overseas authorities and protect iGaming companies based on this Mediterranean island.   

However, the MGA was not without response to this and highlighted the section of the Brussels Recast Regulation which is allowing member states to adhere to a legal judgment if it doesn’t align with the principles of its legal system. MGA’s statement is that the bill was made to “enshrine into law the long-standing public policy of Malta in relation to the gaming sector.” 

In the meantime in Italy, the Parliament has officially authorized the approval of the Tax Delegation Law. This will be the Government's 4th attempt at overhauling gambling sector and trying to update the laws which have not been significantly changed for a really long time due to the country's unstable political situation.       

US Gambling Market in August 2023

Based on the situation in August 2023, it seems that the only state launching sports betting by the end of 2023 will be Kentucky with Maine still as a possibility. If everything goes according to plan, the sports betting scene in Kentucky will kick off at the end of September. The projections show that Kentucky will generate more than $2 billion in bets during the first year, paying $30 million in state taxes.

What has also become obvious during the summer is the slowing down of the online sports betting expansion. With only several possible legalizations in 2024, it seems logical that the online casino sphere is going to be the next area expanding in the US. Although it certainly is not going to be a fast process, it is also inevitable in the long run when you look at the broader picture of the gambling industry in the US.     

The event that shook up the US gambling scene is certainly the business deal made between PENN Entertainment and ESPN to launch ESPN Bet at the end of the year. How will this combo affect the US sports betting landscape remains to be seen but there is no doubt PENN will take bettors from DraftKings and FanDuel, dominating gambling forces in the US.