Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1514336
5 NEWS 11.01.2024 Groove's latest technology and aggregation enhancements power B2B high-performance IGAMING casino platform provider and aggregator Groove has been stay- ing close to their vision of establishing a new standard of service by bringing the joy and excitement of iGaming to operators through a multitude of initi- atives during 2023 culminating in the introduction of new technology in the aggregator's Back-Office that drives ad- ditional accessibility and performance. During 2023, rebranded Groove intro- duced a new logo, website, and technol- ogy upgrades which are more consist- ent with the platform's mission to help player-focused iGaming operators find their groove by putting trailblazing end- to-end platforms, expertise, and per- sonalised support at their fingertips so they can create engaging and valuable user experiences. With their promise of adding over 100 new games per month the aggregator was busy signing 18 new game pro- viders including Playtech and Spribe thereby broadening the game portfolio available with a single-API integration to over 15,000 games, from a roster of more than 100 top content partners. Push-API was developed and intro- duced during the year so that all game information is now included automati- cally in the API with no need for opera- tors to take information manually from Groove's market-leading Back-Office. 16 new operators were on-boarded as part of the Groove collaboration with tier-1 operators and beyond to deliver high performance and sustainable reve- nue around slots, online casino and live casino, poker and table games, as well as crash games. e company also significantly ex- panded their lottery offerings which resulted in a partnership with leading lottery provider Sisal. Of course, Groove kept upping-the-an- te on marketing by attending the indus- try's biggest shows with a whirlwind of appearances and exhibits of the new brand at ICE London, iGB Amsterdam, SBC Barcelona as well as branching out to SBC Tbilisi for the first time. Groove's award-winning technology development continued unabated in order to fulfil operator needs and intro- duced a raft of new technical tools in- cluding the ability to set RTP by brand; the introduction of frbs for a number of game providers; launch of the data-driv- en flagship Recommender tool that sug- gests the best and most relevant content for operators; upgrades, enhancements and improvements to the UI and UX; and, a key enhancement of a new Demo Mode in the Back-Office. Amidst the flurry of 2023 announce- ments was the news that Groove is now supporting sweepstakes casinos. Yahale Meltzer, COO and co-founder at Groove, said: "We are busy building infrastructure ready to implement new and exciting tools for 2024, which we will be delighted to discuss at ICE next February in London; or the industry can catch-up with us at any number of global shows including Brazil, Lisbon, Prague, Miami, G2E or at SiGMA Eu- rope at the end of next year. We look forward to 2024 and showcasing our ground-breaking technology amongst the world's biggest iGaming contend- ers." IN November 2023, the seasonally ad- justed volume of retail trade decreased by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.2% in the EU, compared with October 2023, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In October 2023, the retail trade volume increased by 0.4% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU. In November 2023 compared with November 2022, the calendar ad- justed retail sales index decreased by 1.1% in the euro area and by 1.0% in the EU. Monthly comparison In the euro area in November 2023, compared with October 2023, the volume of retail trade decreased by 0.4% for non-food products and by 0.1% for food, drinks and tobac- co, while it increased by 1.4% for au- tomotive fuels. In the EU, the volume of retail trade decreased by 0.3% for non-food products and by 0.1% for food, drinks and tobacco, while it increased by 0.4% for automotive fuels. Among Member States for which data are available, the largest month- ly decreases in the total retail trade volume were registered in the Ger- many (-2.5%), Luxembourg (-1.4%) and Austria (-0.7%). e highest in- creases were observed in Portugal (+3.1%), Croatia and Slovenia (both +3.0%), Malta and Romania (both +1.7%). Annual comparison In the euro area in November 2023, compared with November 2022, the volume of retail trade decreased by 4.5% for automotive fuels, by 0.7% for food, drinks and tobacco and by 0.2% for non-food products. In the EU, the retail trade volume decreased by 5.0% for automotive fuels, by 0.5% for food, drinks and tobacco and by 0.2% for non-food products. Among Member States for which data are available, the largest year- ly decreases in the total retail trade volume were registered in Slovenia (-11.1%), Estonia (-8.8%) and Hun- gary (-5.4%). e highest increas- es were observed in Spain (+6.8%), Croatia (+6.4%) and Denmark (+6.3%). Volume of retail trade down by 0.3% in the euro area in November 2023 EMBARGO: Monday 8 January 2024 - 11:00 CET 003/2024 – 8 January 2024 November 2023 compared with October 2023 Volume of retail trade down by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.2% in the EU Down by 1.1% in the euro area and by 1.0% in the EU compared with November 2022 In November 2023, the seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade decreased by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.2% in the EU, compared with October 2023, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In October 2023, the retail trade volume increased by 0.4% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU. In November 2023 compared with November 2022, the calendar adjusted retail sales index decreased by 1.1% in the euro area and by 1.0% in the EU.