Royal Gems

About Royal Gems

Last month the UK Gambling Commission agreed a regulatory settlement with Evolution of £4.75 million, after finding its games had been accessible via a handful of unlicensed operators in the UK.

In July the Commission said its investigation had discovered the supplier had failed to maintain adequate anti-money laundering and customer due diligence controls in the UK.

It considered suspending Evolution’s licence, but the supplier acted swiftly, carrying out ring-fencing controls across Europe to prevent its games from being used in grey markets.

What is Royal Gems?

Some analysts have questioned whether this deal marks the beginning of an M&A spree for GiG as it looks to re-enter the B2C space.

But that isn’t the case according to Richards: “We are not signalling plans to re-enter B2C elsewhere; Africa is a distinct case: a high-growth, underpenetrated region where owning a local operator makes strategic sense in a way it may not elsewhere.”

There’s also a financial constraint, with Ahlberg noting that GiG has used its available cash and is raising additional capital to fund the 888Africa transaction, meaning he doesn’t expect the company to pursue further B2C acquisitions in the short term.

How to play Royal Gems

The African iGaming Alliance (AiA) has launched the maiden Africa Safer Gambling Week, aimed at promoting player protection across the continent.

Starting on Monday, the initiative brings together stakeholders in Africa, including regulators and industry associations. The Africa Safer Gambling Week will be held annually.

The initiative is based around a core objective of ensuring the growth of the gambling sector in Africa runs alongside “effective consumer protection, responsible gambling practices and greater public awareness”.