UK Week 1 iGaming News Round Up – William Hill, Novomatic, & YGAM

Hot UK Topics! Our UK Week 1 iGaming News Round-Up covers the latest news from Ice London 2023 and William Hill! (Image from novomatic.com)

In our first UK iGaming news roundup of the year, you get a sneak peek at what has been happening in the country all in one place.

This report is designed to make it easier for online casino fans in the country to pick up the latest industry news from around the United Kingdom and Ireland. You can catch up on all the latest gossip coming out of the grapevine of the world’s largest online gambling market.

In this report, we have news of William Hill becoming the new official in-stadium betting partner of Aston Villa Football Club, the iGaming development brand Novomatic announcing its attendance at the upcoming 2023 ICE London exhibition, and YGAM (Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust) being announced as that exhibition’s charity partner.

Novomatic Announces Return to ICE London in 2023

After a hiatus in 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic and the logistical problems it caused, Novomatic has announced it will once again attend ICE London in 2023 as the exhibition’s biggest exhibitor. Revealed via a press release, this news is significant for one of the iGaming industry’s most prominent exhibitions. ICE London 2023 is one of the industry’s first events of the year and will take place between 7 and 9 February at the ExCeL in London.

As we reported at the time, Novomatic was one of many iGaming brands that had to pull out of attending ICE London in 2022. Other major names that could not attend included Merkur, Zitro, and TCSJOHNHUXLEY. Thankfully, with the pandemic settling down and the world returning to normalcy, this year’s event should persuade most to return.

Novomatic plans to showcase an array of new products, technologies, and solutions at the event which this year has the motto “Stronger Together”. Among the highlights includes new land-based casino cabinets and gaming content such as the Candelas De Los Muertos progressive jackpot slot machine. Senior employees of Novomatic and the firm’s subsidiaries will be on site ready to answer any questions from other attendees. Among the subsidiaries to join Novomatic include Greentube, Ainsworth, Apex, and Fazi.

Thomas Schmalzer, the Vice President of Global Sales at NOVOMATIC AG said in a statement:

We always look forward to ICE London but this year, in particular, is one that we cannot wait to attend. We’re especially looking forward to sharing the results of our development efforts.

YGAM Named as the Charity Partner at Ice London 2023

In other ICE London 2023 news, it has been revealed that the non-profit, Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) is the new official charity partner of the exhibition. The responsible gambling charity focuses on educating young people about the potential harm that gambling can cause and is widely respected among operators, suppliers, and stakeholders.

The charity hopes to use ICE London to help promote safer gambling throughout the industry, something that it believes has improved greatly over the years. YGAM believes the industry has shown a greater commitment to responsible gambling in recent years but still insists there is a lot more work to be done.

That commitment is matched by the ICE London exhibition. The responsible gambling area of the show has increased year on year and will now host 22 stands compared to the 14 in 2022.

As part of a statement, Ian Shanahan of YGAM said:

As one of the biggest events in iGaming, ICE London 2023 will provide our charity with a tier-one platform to raise awareness of the work we do to educate people on gambling harms.

William Hill Becomes Aston Villa’s In-Stadium Betting Partner

Wrapping up our UK Week 1 iGaming news round-up is news of William Hill becoming the new in-stadium betting partner of Aston Villa Football Club. The prominent UK sports betting and online casino brand has agreed to a two-year partnership with the midlands club that should lead to an enhanced matchday experience for all fans that attend. William Hill will offer various betting facilities within the club’s Villa Park stadium while also offering fans access to exclusive promotions.

Aston Villa becomes the second football club in recent months to partner with William Hill. Just last month, the betting brand inked a similar agreement with Celtic Football Club in Scotland.

Liam McKee, William Hill Director of Media & UK Creative, said:

“We’re delighted to partner with Aston Villa Football Club and offer our betting solutions to fans of the club”