ESG Watch (June 2022)

Malta-based firms volunteer at the iGEN beach cleanup

To honour this year’s World Ocean Day, iGEN members came together to collect over 25 bags of waste, trash and recyclable materials from Majjistral Park, Golden Bay and the surrounding areas in Malta.

Teams from iGEN members Aspire Global, Betsson Group, ComeOn Group, Genesis Group, Internet Vikings, Kindred Group, Microgaming, Tipico and William Hill international all took part in the initiative.

GiG also helped out in this effort by cleaning up other areas of the island and with underwater clean-ups.

Majjistral Park ranger Cami Appelgren commented: “It is great to have so many volunteers coming to help us look after this park; not only is the park cleaned, but team members also get to experience firsthand how important the ecology of the park is, and how we have to work so hard to maintain the biodiversity balance.”

Igaming companies establish a wellbeing week

Entain has launched its own Wellbeing Week. The London-listed operator has said it will devote five full days to encouraging people to start taking their own wellbeing seriously.

The firm kicked off its Wellbeing Week by asking its team what wellbeing meant to them. This has continued through a post on LinkedIn, with a prompt card to find out what people do after work to try to unwind. This will continue for the rest of this week as we head into July.

Slot developer Microgaming also begun its annual Wellness Week at its campus on the Isle of Man.

The developer has said that the week will include everything from art workshops to dips in the sea to try and improve its teams’ physical and mental wellbeing.

Peter Coates Foundation launches a new business course at Staffordshire University

The co-founder of Stoke-on-Trent-headquartered gambling company bet365 has donated £20m to Staffordshire University to support the launch of a new programme aimed at inspiring the next generation of business leaders.

The Peter Coates MSc in Entrepreneurship will offer students the skills, funding and support they need to start new companies.

Up to 30 teams of graduates will have the opportunity to pitch their business ideas at the course’s conclusion in hopes of receiving up to £200,000 in funding as well as continuous mentoring and startup assistance.

Peter Coates said: “With this programme, we want to help our city and region by accelerating its entrepreneurial success. We want to give everyone who has ambitions to start a business the necessary practical business skills, funding and support in order to give them the best chance of succeeding.

“I want to create a legacy of a thriving and growing ecosystem of new businesses to drive the economy and the region forward. Educating and empowering our next generation of local entrepreneurs is the key to the regeneration of our city.”

Parimatch Foundation assist 55,000 people in Ukraine through humanitarian aid efforts

The Parimatch Foundation has reported that it has provided aid to more than 55,000 people in Ukraine and delivered 50 tonnes of humanitarian help.

The foundation organised evacuations in the early days of the Russian invasion and has since set up hubs for Ukrainians across the country and purchased products and hygienic sets.

Parimatch has also continued to increase its financial assistance, dedicating it to three main areas: psychological rehabilitation of children, sports programmes renewal, continuation of work with medical projects and facilities and financial, logistical and humanitarian aid to hospitals.

Over the course of the four months of full-scale conflict in Ukraine, the Parimatch Foundation spent UAH8.5m (£234,848.22) buying and distributing more than 50 tonnes of aid. Over 60,000 Ukrainians are recipients of the assistance.

Katerina Biloruska, president of Parimatch Foundation, said: “Supporting children and creating quality sports, education and social initiatives was always Parimatch Foundation’s big mission. After the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, we immediately saw the critical necessity of directing our resources toward providing psychological help, supplying medical facilities and aiding internally displaced persons.

“We are dedicated to helping everyone impacted by the war, searching for international donors, engaging our partners and urging them to help Ukraine. We are also returning to our sports and education programmes. Being helpful and useful to Ukrainians at all times is a great honour and pride for us.”

Scientific Games and Loto-Québec scoop sustainability accolade

Scientific Games and its Canadian lottery partner Loto-Québec won the Gutenberg Award for the Folie des Plantes (Plant Madness) game which was produced on 100% recyclable paper.

The Gutenberg Awards are the Québec printing industry’s premier event, highlighting the talent, creativity and know-how of printing craftsmen.

Marc-Andre Doyon, VP of Canada for Scientific Games, said: “We are honoured to receive an award for this meaningful sustainability innovation with our partner Loto-Québec, and together lead the global lottery industry in instant game sustainability efforts.”

Isabelle Jean, executive VP and COO of lottery games for Loto-Québec, added: “Our scratch games printed on 100% recycled paper stock are a world first that were made possible through dedicated collaboration between Loto-Québec, Sustana Group and Scientific Games. I’d like to thank and congratulate the teams who worked on this innovative project, as it’s helped to reduce the environmental footprint of our games.”

Vita Media Group to fund demining in Ukraine

Danish firm Vita Media Group has announced that it will be funding a demining project in Ukraine.

Vita Group CEO Jimmi Meilstrup and the Danish Support Group Ukraine, have started working on the idea of creating a safer life by helping to clear mine-polluted fields in Ukraine as well as demining ammunition.

Meilstrup said: “I have seen the list of mines and bombs left in Ukraine and it’s just devastating and horrible to think of the consequences for the civilians. I, as a person, and we, as a company, felt we needed to do something about the war in Ukraine. The horrors of war have never brought anything good.

“The sights of Ukrainian roads, schools, hospitals, and cities polluted with mines and ammunition remnants are not a sight we want to see in the world. And that is why we sent a crew to Ukraine to demine ammunition and mines.”

The collaboration between Meilstrup and the Danish Support Group Ukraine, has secured the partnership with Damasec Global Group, who have expertise in this kind of work.

The team in Ukraine will be headed up by Andy Gleeson who has more than 18 years of experience in the field.