With the goal of increasing the number of games it offers, Belgian online casino betFIRST joins forces with the iGaming provider Leap Gaming. betFIRST initially became a success thanks to its sports betting options. The site offers betting options on 30 different sports, including football, basketball, tennis, and golf.
On the other hand, Leap Gaming has the potential to increase the library of casino games compared to other key competitors in the market. The company was founded in 2014 and was acquired by sports data and technology supplier IMG Arena earlier in April 2023.
It is known as a Maltese software and game development studio that targets markets of Malta, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Sweden. In total, Leap Gaming collaborates with over 120 sportsbook operators across the world.
Leap Gaming is also well-known for its 3D sports and casino crypto games, making the company a good fit for betFIRST Casino as it expands its library of games.
The reasons why people choose cryptocurrencies while playing were outlined in a Yahoo article that also emphasized that, in 2021, the number of people who were betting with cryptos from the beginning to the end of the year almost doubled and reached 40.1%
| Percentage | Reason |
|---|---|
| 23% | Blockchain makes gambling more secure |
| 19% | Cryptos establish customer trust |
| 17% | Using digital coins in the gaming industry cuts costs |
| 15% | Cryptos are good for handling microtransactions |
| 12% | Blockchain protects IP |
Thanks to the partnership, players can now find Leap Gaming content available at betFIRST Casino, including Football Cup, Virtual Golf, and Football Penalty Duel.
‘We are excited to be working alongside Leap Gaming as we believe they can help us improve our offered games and expand our portfolio to cater to various customers,’ Marcus Pieck, Head of Inbound Marketing at betFIRST, stated. ‘We know our gamers will enjoy all that they have to offer, both now and in the future, because their commitment to growth is similar to ours,’ he added.
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AU bans credit cards for gambling
The Australian federal government is expected to draft new rules banning the use of credit cards for online betting. As suggested by an assembly body in 2021, the new rules will ban the use of credit cards that are responsible for as much as 20% of all funds deposited into betting accounts.
‘People should not be gambling with money they do not have,’ Australia’s Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said. The Australian government intends to employ Bank Identification Numbers (BINs) to identify and prevent credit card payments. Tracking BINs will help prevent credit card info from being used to fund gambling accounts.
‘Australian land-based casinos have achieved stopping credit card withdrawals from ATMs by gathering BINs and blocking. This tactic was also utilized by the United Kingdom to execute its credit card ban for internet gambling, making it also possible for Australia to implement the same rules’, Rowland and Rishworth said.
The government has promised to draft the law later in 2023 to give the Australian Communications and Media Authority more power to enforce the ban on online gambling. This will be done by amending the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
‘Reducing the problem with the use of credit cards is not a set-and-forget exercise. Bringing online gambling in line with the same rules that land-based casinos follow, wherein credit cards can’t be used to fund accounts, is a huge positive step,’ Rushworth noted.
An investigation on internet gambling is conducted by a law-making committee on social policy. This move is expected to provide suggestions to help better direct the government’s future actions with regard to online and casino crypto gambling.