SciPlay Raising Cash for Ukraine Humanitarian Efforts

Posted on: April 11, 2022, 08:26h. 

Last updated on: April 13, 2022, 09:25h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

Social casino developer SciPlay Corp. is aiming to raise $100,000 by Friday, April 14, for humanitarian aid in Ukraine.

SciPlay
SciPlay employees at the Nasdaq market site. The mobile casino company is raising money for Ukraine relief efforts. (Image: Investor Prism)

The gaming company is rolling out Spin4Good, an in-game effort to generate funds for Direct Relief. Proceeds will go to providing medical aid and supplies to Ukraine’s Ministry of Health. The Las Vegas-based gaming company will donate $1 per 100,000 spins across its various mobile games.

SciPlay stands with those who are surviving the war and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine,” said SciPlay CEO Josh Wilson.

Players accessing Jackpot Party, Bingo Showdown, 88 Fortunes Slots, Monopoly Slots, Gold Fish Casino Slots and 7 Hit Shot Casino can contribute to the relief effort.

Formerly the social gaming division of Scientific Games, SciPlay was spun off from that company in 2019. SciPlay’s well-known offerings are Jackpot Party, Quick Hit Slots, Gold Fish Casino Slots, Hot Shot Casino, 88 Fortunes, Bingo Showdown, and Monopoly Slots. The games are free to play but feature in-app purchases.

SciPlay Working with Direct Relief Again

This isn’t the first time SciPlay has teamed up with Direct Relief to provide aid during a crisis.

Just this month, Direct Relief shipped 220,000 vials of atropine to Ukraine as a precautionary measure in the event Russia engages in chemical warfare. The organization also delivered an eight-ton shipment of medical supplies to Moldova — a country to which many Ukrainians are fleeing.

In 2020, the gaming company unveiled a similar in-game effort to raise cash for the charity’s coronavirus relief efforts. Via in-app events, SciPlay donated $82,000 to Direct Relief’s COVID-19 work in August 2020.

At that time, Direct Relief “delivered 9,000 shipments to more than 1,700 health care facilities throughout the world. Since January, the organization has delivered more than 12 million N95 and surgical masks, more than 4 million gloves, more than 1 million face shields, tens of thousands of protective suits, and other items to help safeguard health care workers,” according to SciPlay.

Gaming Industry Rallies to Support Ukraine

The gaming industry is feeling the effects of Russia instigating war against neighboring Ukraine. For example, multiple sportsbook operators ceased accepting bets on Russian leagues because of the invasion.

Likewise, some analysts believe casinos in Cyprus, which are frequented by wealthy Russians, could be adversely affected by economic sanctions levied by the west against Russia. Additionally, there are fears Russia’s penchant for cyberattacks could harm the gaming industry.

On a more humanitarian level, multiple gaming operators, including several throughout Europe, are raising funds for relief work in Ukraine, with those tallies now in excess of millions of dollars.