Public Gaming Magazine September-October 2016

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September/October 2016 // PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL // 79
(Tech.): Senior Vice President,
Business Operations, RAY 2013–
2016, Distribution Director, RAY
2010–2013, Vice President, Busi-
ness Operations, Digita Oy 2007–
2010, Entrepreneur 2005–2006,
Vice President, MTV Interactive
iTV Business Operations Unit
2003–2005.
• Senior Vice President, Customer
Relations and Digital Sales Ari
Aarnihuhta, responsible for cus-
tomer relations management, digital
channels and services, business and
customer intelligence (CI), and
customer service. CV: Economics
Student, Sanoma WSOY Executive
Program: Vice President, CRM,
Veikkaus 2015–2016, Vice President
Business Operations Group, Veik-
kaus 2013–2014, Director, Veik-
kaus 2008–2013, Head of CRM,
Veikkaus 2003–2007, Commercial
Director, Lottex Oy 2003.
• Senior Vice President, Sales Pertti
Koskenniemi, responsible for
partnership and sales network,
and the Casino. CV: Diploma in
Business and Marketing: CEO of
Suomen Hippos ry (The Finnish
Trotting and Breeding Association)
2015–2016, CEO of Fintoto Oy
2014–2016, Tote Director, Fintoto
Oy 2001–2014.
• Senior Vice President, Finance Mai-
ja Hjelt, responsible for finance,
Business Intelligence (BI), real
estates, and service and logistics.
• Senior Vice President, Legal
Affairs Mari Mustakoski, respon-
sible for legal and contract affairs,
and procurement.
• Senior Vice President, CSR Pekka
Ilmivalta, responsible for corporate
social responsibility and security,
risk management, Board of Direc-
tors and Supervisory Board, compli-
ance, and internal audit.
• Senior Vice President, Human Re-
sources Sirpa Ontronen, responsible
for human resources and
HR development.
• Senior Vice President, Strategy and
Planning Heidi Ioannidou, respon-
sible for strategy, operational plan-
ning and steering, and indicators.
china suspends online
lottery sales
As a result, did not gener-
ate net revenue from sports lottery,
its core business, during the second
quarter of 2016. The temporary
suspension of online lottery prod-
ucts sales followed the issuance of
a Self-Inspection and Self-Remedy
of Unauthorized Online Lottery
Sales notice by the Chinese General
Administration of Sports, Ministry
of Finance, and Ministry of Civil
Affairs. China’s regulated lottery in-
dustry started in the late 1980s and
has became one of the world’s largest
lottery markets by sales volume.
Growth came to a halt last year when
the government banned online lot-
tery sales as it investigates the state-
run industry amid a broader crack-
down on government corruption.
uk approves virtual
currency for
online gambling
The United Kingdom Gambling
Commission has elected to allow
licensed online gambling companies
to begin accepting virtual currencies
(like Bitcoin) as a payment me-
dium as of October 31, 2016. This
new policy allows operators a wide
latitude in deciding which digital
currencies can be accepted all while
staying within regulations. The UK
Gambling Commission is the first
significant regulatory force to grant
approval for digital currencies. Oth-
ers around the world are expected
follow suit in the near future.
report from the world
lottery association (wla)
on global performance
of lotteries
Lotteries worldwide experienced
a generally positive start to 2016.
First-quarter on first-quarter sales
were up sharply in North America,
thanks mostly to the record-breaking
Powerball draw of January 2016, and
were also up moderately in Europe.
However, these results were offset by a
contraction in sales in the Asia Pacific
region. Overall, first-quarter on first-
quarter sales grew by 3.1% globally.
The North American market enjoyed
the most auspicious start to 2016,
with participating North American
lotteries reporting an aggregate first-
quarter on first-quarter increase in
sales of 15.7%. The African market
also performed robustly in Q1 2016.
Participating African lotteries reported
an aggregate increase in sales of 13%
for Q1 2016, as against Q1 2015,
with the main contribution coming
from the strong showing of the South
African National Lottery and Mo-
rocco’s La Marocaine des Jeux. Collec-
tively, participating European lotteries
registered an aggregate increase in
sales of 4.9% for Q1 2016, versus the
corresponding quarter of 2015. Norsk
Tipping reported an increase in sales
of 9% for the first three months of
2016, as against the first three months
of the year prior, while Francaise
des Jeux sales increases 8.2%, anmd
Europe’s largest lottery, Italy’s Lot-
tomatica, recorded a rise in sales of
6.6%. Participating Latin American
lotteries reported an aggregate increase
in sales of 3.5%. In the Asia Pacific
region, positive results from Australia’s
Lotterywest and Hong Kong’s HKJC
were not enough to compensate for a
contraction in sales at the mainland
Chinese lotteries, with the result that
participating Asia Pacific lotteries saw