A Romanian company has launched Bob Concierge, the first fully automatic smart system of delivery stations that gets goods and services right to the lobby.

The system is intended to work as an electronic doorman which provides customers, through the online platform and the mobile application, food and refreshments, cleaning and repair services and many other services. It revolves around the Super Convenience vision by which everything you need is in your hand within 60 seconds.

The system built as a hybrid between a smart locker and a refrigerated cabinet for various foods was launched in 2019 in Bucharest and is present now in over 70 residential and office buildings across the city.

“A few years ago, we realized that there is a need for a system that gets closer than ever to the customer’s doorstep without the customer ever being required to be present when delivery takes place. That’s how the idea of a personal valet came to us, a device that will fulfil all the needs of users, everything from food, cleaning and personal care services” Mihai Girnet, CEO of Bob Concierge told EU Reporter.

Bob Concierge is built to work as a mini-shop, incorporating a refrigerator that maintains a cold temperature for products such as ready meals, desserts, water, milk, juice, beer, wine, snacks delivery compartments, where couriers can leave or pick up a package, and laundry compartments, where service users can leave laundry for cleaning services.

Bob Concierge has implemented "Grab and Go" technology allowing users to open the digital valet refrigerator by scanning the QR code and taking what they need. The product is identified by a multitude of sensors, and the amount charged is withdrawn from the user's account.                             

Bob Concierge app also includes access to house maintenance services ready at your disposal such as plumbers, electricians, painters and various other handymen. You can even request various beauty and body care services using the app.

The name “concierge” comes from precisely what this service is intended to do for you – an electronic doorman standing at the entre of residential and office buildings ready to provide you with whatever you need.

“Our goal at Bob Concierge has been to integrate as many services as possible in one single device. That’s why we fitted the machine with compartments where couriers can leave or pick up parcels as well as a laundry compartment where users can leave clothes for the cleaning company to be delivered back washed and ironed” Mr. Girnet told EU Reporter.

Looking forward, the plan is to have over 5000 smart lockers installed across the country, in Romania’s major cities, and then expand on a regional and international level.

Bob Concierge also made an impact on the local real estate market as these digital valets add increase value and comfort to newly developed office and residential buildings.

“It worth to say that demand for Bob Concierge is organically and constantly coming from real estate developers, many of them believe that the presence of our delivery station provides an evident competitive advantage to the apartment building and can help sale process. There are tens of devices that are to be installed in several large residential complexes under construction in the close future.” Mr. Girnet told EU Reporter.

The overall need for goods and services delivered right at your doorstep without even requiring you to be home is a necessity that can only expand. The classic means of delivering goods, requiring you to both be present and assign time to interact with the person making the delivery isn’t feasible from a logistical point of view and will surely become obsolete.

Bob Concierge is the future people are ready to embrace!

According to the European Gaming & Betting Association, online gambling has had steady growth over the last several years. From a market share of €22.2 billion in 2018, it’s set to reach €29 billion in 2022.

It won’t be a surprise if that growth turns out to be even bigger. The pandemic caused people to spend more time at home, and online gambling turned out to be a fun leisure activity. Although the industry increased its revenue, that wasn’t the case with some European countries. It’s why they announced they would change laws applicable to playing over the web.

Germany Loses Money Despite the Industry Generating More Revenue

If you look at the online gambling options in South Africa, you’ll see players can choose from a long list of available casinos. It’s not much different in Germany. Players are allowed to gamble online in that country. However, most platforms that are accessible acquire a general license for doing business in the European Union. As a result, all the money casino visitors invest leaves Germany and heads to Gibraltar and Malta.

The German legislators realized this and decided to respond. Their idea is to implement a general national license for providing online gambling in this country. It’s something Germany will implement in July 2021 since everything is ready to go.

Presenting the German Interstate Treaty on Gambling

Schleswig-Holstein is the only state that providers can operate from in entire Germany. However, the national government managed to get all states on board to sign the German Interstate Treaty on Gambling – ISTG 2021.

According to details, ISTG will offer a licensing regime that operators can acquire for providing online poker, slot machines, and sports betting. This will lift all bans on playing web-based poker and slot games in this country.

Here is an overview of what ISTG will change:

• Advertising – internet gaming platforms can advertise from 9 PM to 6 AM. Other conditions include that no ads can target minors or claim to resolve someone’s financial problems.
• Slots – each spin will have to last at least five seconds. The maximum wager per spin is €1, which could lead to jackpot restrictions.
• Accounts – operators should confirm the identity of every player. That means ensuring they are of legal age and allowed to play online casino games.
• Sports betting – you can wager on events in session, but also before a match begins.

As for the current providers who don’t operate from Germany, they will have to adjust their platforms to new regulations. The experts believe they can continue operating as long as they accommodate fresh rules.

According to lawmakers, ISTG will motivate opening online casinos based in Germany, which will benefit their economy. The effects this will have on the Euro currency at domestic and international levels are still unknown. However, the latest news indicates that the European Union hopes the issuance of green bonds will help to strengthen Euro’s international role.

Norway Takes a Different Path

While Germany tries to maximize its national benefit from this growth of online gambling, Norway seems to go down a different road. Some reports indicate an increase in online gambling of 62% in this country. Their government doesn’t see that as a good thing.

Norwegian gambling laws are already strict, and they plan to continue tightening them. Despite that, more than 50% of the total income leaves this country. Norway plans to act by putting the gaming industry under control. According to reports, they’ll adopt a licensing model to increase the revenue portion that stays in this country. The national government will also continue running campaigns that demotivate gambling.

UKGC Is Also Making Some Changes

Although Great Britain has left the European Union, it’s still interesting to see how they are changing gaming regulations.

The UK Gambling Commission announced they’d make these adjustments from October 31, 2021:

• Banning all “immediate stop” or “turbo play” features that accelerate play on slot machines or provide an illusion of control to a player.
• Putting a restriction for a single spin to a minimum of 2.5 seconds.
• Banning an automatic play option – players have to press the “Start” button to initiate each spin.
• No images or sounds that present as a win the sum that is below or equal to the wagered amount.
• Banning option to play multiple slot machines simultaneously.

These have some similarities with the EU’s ideas to protect players while assuming control over the market and promoting responsible gambling.

Final Thoughts

It seems that players can only look forward to the new laws changing the online gambling world. Although it will bring certain limitations, this also means adding new playing options. Implementing national licenses and tightening the entire licensing regime is good news for fans of online gaming. It indicates platforms will be under more control to meet all required regulations. That will contribute to the overall safety and transparency provided by internet gambling platforms. 

PFA's five-year plan to increase the Asian footballers' participation in United Kingdom football is backed up by names like Stoke City's Danny Batth and Aston Villa's defender Neil Taylor. These two footballers are keen on inspiring youngsters while educating families.  

The novel scheme of Professional Football's Association's (PFA) fresh monitoring scheme is getting partaken by some mentionable footballers, including Danny Batth from Stoke City and Aston Villa's Neil Taylor.

The number of South Asians dwelling in the UK is close to eight percent of the country's population. Despite the fact, only 0.3 percent of them are involved with elite class football.

Thirty years old, Danny Batth started playing football for Wolves. According to him, it was the thought of playing in Premier Leagues that have always inspired him, and now he wants to pass that motivation to the younger generation.

During an interview, the Stoke City defender asserted that UK footballers from Asian backgrounds could collectively help young generations create better chances of starting a football career.

He also mentioned that this program's main motto is to put young footballers in development and academic squads so that they can acquire the best opportunities to rise successfully. He stated it's a tiny thing they can give them.

While highlighting the need to educate families about football, Batth walked down to his memory lane, telling him that football was also unknown to his family when he spent his academy days. As a result, he also had to face difficulties. Cause without having any experience in football, his parents were not the right persons to take guidance from. Therefore, he believes that qualifying families about football would be another crucial step towards young footballers' success.

He believes that looking up to a successful person at the thing youngsters want to accomplish in their life endows faith in them. It brings more significant promise when players' role model shares the same background. In this regard, he mentioned the names of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand as his role models. However, he was also a bit saddened by the fact that at that time, there were no Asian players he could look up to and follow his path of success.

As England football has some Asian players who have reached success in their means, young guns have some faces they can keep as their motivation. Hence, the more Asian players partake in elite-level football, the more it's good for young generation footballers to come up.

Suppose this five-year representation plan of the Professional Football Association becomes successful. In that case, expectedly, more new Asian faces will join different UK football clubs, strengthening them with their zealous football abilities. Hence, it can't go without being enticing news for avid sports bettors as well. However, the action UK football encompasses right now is all the way sufficient for quenching the needs of betting enthusiasts. Bettors wagering through reputable UKGC regulated sportsbooks like NetBet sport can recognize it while enjoying betting opportunities on numerous sports events close to every popular sport spanning the world.

In this season, English football fans witness the highest representation of Asian players in elite-class football since nine scholars and fifteen players are active in the system. Still, the scarcity of Asian players in English football is regarded as the highest single incongruity in UK football.

The initiatives launched by PFA also encompass Asian coaches' engagement and including women players for the upcoming Woman's Super League matches. Besides, it's too focused on identifying and supporting the organizations investing efforts in increasing Asian participation in the game.