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IndustryUpdate

RESEARCH digital gifting, a trend that is
poised to continue. The report's
findings come as gift cards look
Blackhawk: 2020 holiday digital gift sales soar to provide a needed boost for
As retailers consider how to build on the digital momentum in 2020, a new retailers to kick off the new year.
holiday spending report shows a more than 80 percent increase in digital gift Ocean Tomo releases canna-
card sales and a nearly 40 percent increase in overall ecommerce gift card sales
during the holiday season. Blackhawk Network's BrandedPay™ Post-Holiday bis industry report
Report, based on consumer research and Blackhawk's own U.S. sales data, Ocean Tomo LLC released its
found consumer spending exceeded holiday projections from the organiza- Cannabis Industry Report examin-
tion's earlier BrandedPay™ Holiday Shopping Preview for both ecommerce and ing the components of market
value, challenges and changes in
the cannabis marketplace, and
the increasingly critical role of
intangible asset protection in the
industry. "[C]ontrary to most
industries, the cannabis indus-
try saw record growth in 2020
despite COVID-19," stated Ocean
Tomo analyst Daniel Fang.

"Because many retail outlets
and dispensaries are 'essential
businesses,' they stayed open
throughout the pandemic." Key
topics addressed in the report
include recent state legislative
support, new ways competi-
tors are capturing market share,
M&A activity and intellectual
property protection.
Paysafe studies streamlined,
alternative payments

Quickly and easily receiving
payouts of winnings is the most
important factor for U.S. sports
bettors when selecting an online
sportsbook and is prioritized by
37 percent of players, according
to research released by integrat-
ed payments platform Paysafe.
Paysafe's latest All the Ways
Players Pay report also suggest-
ed that offering digital wallets
and other alternative payment
methods allows sportsbooks to
overcome the challenge of card
declines.

Findings were based on a con-
sumer survey commissioned
by Paysafe in December 2020 in
eight regulated iGaming mar-
kets: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Nevada, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

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