Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1462497
5 NEWS 24.3.2022 IZI Group is looking to the future with great optimism as it plans to undertake a further investment of €135 million in its operations over the next 10 years. e Group has in fact committed an investment of €105 million payable to the Government of Malta for the 10-year exclusive concession for the National Lottery and a total capital expenditure of a further €35 million in- cluding the capital investment for the National Lottery, the upgrade of the Dragonara Casino and the modernisa- tion of the IZIBET retail network. What started as a small land-based gaming operator in 2002 under the name of Pinnacle Gaming Group, is today Malta's most established land- based gaming company, operating Malta's best-known brands such as the Dragonara Casino, IZIBET and in a few months' time the National Lottery of Malta, a national service that for the last 18 years has been operated by Malt- co Lotteries. IZI Group through its subsidiary Na- tional Lottery plc will be taking over the operation of the National Lottery of Malta from Maltco Lotteries Limit- ed on July 5th, 2022, the company that has been operating the National Lottery since privatisation of the same in 2004. is will make IZI Group the first pri- vately-owned local company to operate the National Lottery of Malta. e Na- tional Lottery operation provides the Group with an unparalleled opportuni- ty to distribute products such as Lotto (established in 1923) and Super 5 while bringing new and innovative products to market. IZI Group will be work- ing closely with the network of lottery agents that will serve as one of the pri- mary stakeholders of this project. In the past 20 years the IZI Group has grown from strength to strength, attain- ing market leadership position in all the land-based gaming verticals it has been actively engaged in, including casino, sports betting, and commercial bingo. e Group's first project of relevance came in 2006 when together with In- ternational Gaming Technology (IGT), formerly known as GTECH, IZI Group delivered a nation-wide Class II Elec- tronic Bingo product, which back then was the first-of-its-kind installation in Europe. is project was a clear sign of the Group's willingness to bring to mar- ket new products supported by inno- vative technologies. Over the years the Group further developed a retail gam- ing network until in 2015 it diversified further its product portfolio and started offering sports betting. e Group was the lead consortium member to actively participate in the concession to operate the Dragonara Casino. e casino, which was estab- lished in 1964, had been operated by the International Group – Casinos Bar- riere since 1999. e Group through its subsidiary Dragonara Gaming Limit- ed, embarked on a €20 million invest- ment programme over 10 years, in a bid to modernise the casino and create stronger affinity with the local casino market. e Dragonara Casino is rec- ognised nowadays as Malta's foremost casino, attracting the largest number of visitors in the market amongst all other casino operators. In 2015 it undertook one of the most remarkable branding initiatives in the local gaming market. e creation of the IZIBET brand and the introduction of sports betting through its network of retail outlets remains to this day a de- fining moment for Group. Further in- vestment was undertaken to facilitate the growth of the retail network, sup- ported by a strong focus on innovation crystallised through the introduction of Self-Service Betting Terminals (SSBTs) and mobile apps, through which, the local market gained easier and better access to the richest selection of retail gaming products. IZI Group looking at a €135 million investment in next 10 years Epic's 5G roaming now available in over 25 countries EPIC customers will benefit from 5G not only in Malta, but also when roam- ing in 25 different countries, with Eu- ropean countries such as Denmark, Finland, Sweden, France and Ireland as well as other countries such as ailand, the Philippines and Canada, included in the list. As of 15 March, Epic obtained 5G cer- tification for Apple devices that are 5G compatible, which include latest gener- ation iPhones and iPads. Android users may also experience Epic 5g when using Xiaomi and One- Plus devices, as Epic is working closely with Samsung to extend 5G services on these devices. Epic has embarked on a significant in- frastructural upgrade, overhauled from the ground up to make it faster, strong- er, reachable anywhere and more relia- ble. e new network will provide a better user experience to all customers, re- gardless of device, meaning more cus- tomers catered for in the same area, at the same time, without any loss of qual- ity in efficiency. "In practical terms, downloading speeds are superfast, independently from the traffic on the same network, with the possibility of reaching 1,500 Mbps," Epic said in a statement. Epic customers are already starting to experience substantial improvements on their tech devices, from mobile phones to tablets as part of Epic's ongo- ing €40 million investment. e new network is already available in parts of the island, namely Sliema, Gzira and St. Julian's. e rest is being rolled out all over the island in the com- ing months. In November of last year, Epic upgraded all customers on an un- limited plan and the new business plans to 5G speeds.