eGaming Review August 2014 - 123 | Page 3

F E AT U R E / B I G D ATA ISSUE 123 ISSUE 118 EDITORIAL TEAM Editor Tom Washington T: [phone] E: [email protected] Senior reporter Gerard Starkey T: [phone] E: [email protected] Reporter Andy Roocroft T: [phone] E: [email protected] Reporter Liam Stoker T: [phone] E: [email protected] Head of Content, Pageant Gaming Media Alun Bowden T: [phone] E: [email protected] PRODUCTION Head of production Claudia Honerjager E: [email protected] Art Director, eGR Toni Giddings E: [email protected] Sub-editors Rachel Kurzfield Eleanor Stanley Luke Tuchscherer COMMERCIAL Group commercial manager Sam Compagnoni T: [phone] E: [email protected] Publishing account manager Debbie Robson T: [phone] E: [email protected] Publishing account manager Charlie Robson T: [phone] E: [email protected] Director of business information Ben Robinson T: [phone] E: [email protected] Group head of content Gwyn Roberts CEO Charlie Kerr Circulation manager Fay Muddle Content sales T: [phone] E: [email protected] eGaming Review is published monthly by Pageant Media, Thavies Inn House, 3-4 Holborn Circus, London, EC1N 2HA ISSN 1742-2450 Printed by The Manson Group © 2014 all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used without the prior permission from the publisher W W W. E G R M A G A Z I N E . C O M EDITOR'S LETTER W ell, how was it for you? World Cup fever swept the world last month and it felt like much of the industry was caught up in it too. There was some serious action outside of sports betting, however, as news broke of what could be the biggest deal in this sector’s history. There’s plenty of analysis and expert opinion on what Amaya Gaming’s proposed $4.9bn acquisition of PokerStars and Full Tilt could mean starting on page 19. Now that the World Cup is behind us, it is time to focus on the challenges ahead. We’re straight back into the action and this month delve into the single biggest trend affecting the sector – the shift away from desktop to smartphone and tablet devices. Calling it the death of desktop might sound a little over the top. PCs and laptops have a place in every operator’s product and marketing strategy and will do so for years to come. But as we learned writing the cover story (see p24), changes in consumer behaviour and how they interact with online brands are changing quicker than ever. By next year, tablet sales will surpass desktop. And that spells trouble for any firm not prepared to invest in its mobile strategy. Our company profile this month features Malta-based online casino Vera&John. Founded by egaming veterans of Maria Bingo fame, the firm is one of a handful managing to challenge giants such as Unibet and Betsson in the European and specifically Scandinavian casino market. Theirs is a fascinating story and demonstrates how a strong brand identity goes a long way. I met with its director Nicolas Lund last month to hear about Vera&John’s plans for expansion, and you can expect to see a big push into the UK very soon, so watch this space. In case you’re wondering, all the photos and winner details from eGaming Review’s B2B Awards and Innovation and Marketing Awards will appear in next month’s issue. Congratulations to all the winners in the meantine. EDITOR Tom Washington T: [phone] E: [email protected] 3