The Gambling Industry Monthly Review - December 2023

As the curtains fell in 2023, the gambling industry experienced a thrilling crescendo of excitement and innovation. December proved to be a month of remarkable releases, unprecedented wins, and some notable regulatory changes, setting the stage for a dynamic year ahead. Let’s delve into the highlights of December 2023 that not only bid farewell to the old year but also paved the way for new adventures in the ever-evolving world of gambling.

In preparation for the holiday season, Pragmatic Play launched the Ding Dong Christmas Bells slot. This adorable festive game came with a nice winning potential of up to 2,100x the bet and an array of thrilling features including free spins, transforming Wilds and Wild multipliers. 

Another memorable title by this provider in anticipation of the upcoming new year was Floating Dragon New Year Festival Ultra Megaways Hold & Spin. Packed with Fish Money Symbols, Mystery Symbols, free spins, respins and other goodies, the winning potential of this slot rises up to an incredible 20,000x the bet!

Besides the festive slots honoring the holidays, Pragmatic Play launched many more exciting games in December. These include Candy Jar Clusters, Fire Stampede with the popular Connect & Collect feature, finishing the year strongly with a release of two slots on the same day - Juicy Fruits Multihold and Gates Of Olympus 1000.

Popiplay also put its glove into the Christmas-themed games ring with the release of Xmas Smash slot. But instead of the winter wonderland, this title has a major theme-wist, depicting Santa and his helpers on a tropical vacation. The highly interesting game offers a massive max prize of 15,000x the stake, up to 30 free spins, cascading reels, a refilling feature, multiplier symbols and a lot more surprises. 

Another great release from this provider that has marked December was a fishing-themed Arctic Fish and Cash slot. Coming with a huge 10,200x the stake maximum win, this game features a free spins round, refilling mechanism, multiplier of up to 100x and Chance X Booster option, guaranteeing a fun playing experience. 

December is always an eventful month for the iGaming industry, especially for the online casino streaming scene. Streamers are preparing various surprises for their viewers and nobody does it better than one-and-only Roshtein. On the first day of the month, Roshtein's Holiday Streaming Bonanza started bringing all kinds of gifts to his followers. 

Members of his community could enjoy Xmas Tournament each day in the month where the winner got to either claim a $500 cash reward or choose a Bonus Buy. For this special month-long celebration, the streamer revived the daily Plink My Tree event where a lucky raffle winner gets 100 Plinko ball drops. The ball that hit the highest multiplier decided the size of the cash prize a winner was getting.

Daily Raffles with Kick points, crypto coins and other prizes were also available on Roshtein’s website. But the grand finale of Roshtein’s Holiday Streaming Bonanza took place on December 25th as a part of the Christmas Special stream - revealing of the Mystery Box. 

The suspense was high as viewers were trying to guess what was in it. As it turned out, the main prize was an astonishing $20,000 cash prize! He let the community decide how many winners will be and the majority agreed that 20 lucky winners get to split this amazing reward.

A big part of the month Roshtein spent on Turk and Caicos islands where he streamed the last year’s New Year’s Eve special. Back on the sunny island, he showed the viewers around the house he was staying, including the studio. 

After the tour, a surprising guest crashed Roshtein’s stream right in the middle of the Xmas Tournament - the grand Drake himself! While the rapper wrote in the chat he’ll be dropping by, Roshtein didn’t take it seriously and was genuinely surprised and happy to see him. 

Streams where Roshtein and Drake play slots together on Kick are the ones that viewers love the most as their energies fit perfectly. Sharing the love of iGaming, it seemed like the two have become really good friends off-screen as well. 

They did one more stream together in the beautiful Caribbean island and presented viewers with a $1 million giveaway and an exclusive premier of 2 Wild 2 Die slot by Hacksaw Gaming. Just days later, in this sequel of the provider’s legendary Wanted Dead or a Wild slot, Roshtein hit a massive $2.5 million win! What a perfect ending to the end of the year and a month full of rewards and gifts. 

When it comes to regulations and legislation in the gambling industry, December usually isn’t a very eventful month. Most of the decisions were already made or have been postponed for the next year. In Europe, it was a calm sea in this matter, without any changes with immediate effect. 

The citation is similar in the USA with the exception of North Carolina which approved online sports betting license applications, allowing operators to begin applying for licenses in the state. This approval takes the state a step closer to launching its legal sports betting market. To recall, House Bill 347 was signed into law in June, but the launch date for the market has not yet been confirmed.

Things were heating up in Brazil, as the country’s chamber of deputies voted on 21 December to approve Bill 3,626/2023 which will regulate sports betting. After removal by the senate, iGaming has also been added back to the bill on this occasion. It seems likely that Brazil will see a regulated market operating in the second half of 2024. 

The good news for lovers of iGaming are also coming from Chile, where the chamber of deputies has passed a bill that would regulate online gambling in the country. Approved by a large majority of the chamber, the bill that is aims to carve out a competitive online gaming market will be sent to the country's senate for a second legislative process. 

While some countries are struggling to get legalized iGaming markets, others are tightening their rules in this industry. In Australia, the legislation seeking to ban credit cards and other credit-related products, as well as digital currencies was approved by the Senat, clearing the way for it to pass into law. As the country already has a ban in place on gambling with credit cards at land-based venues, this means the bill effectively places a blanket ban on credit card gambling across all of Australia.

In conclusion, December 2023 was a month of excitement and festive atmosphere, with new slots adding thrill to gameplay, online casino streamers achieving remarkable victories and organizing amazing Christmas streaming events, as well as legislative shifting slightly shaping the future of gambling in some countries. As we usher in a new year, the online gambling industry remains dynamic and full of possibilities.