The Dutch government has published key regulations of the Remote Gaming Act as online casino and sports betting edges closer to legalisation.

Part of the Remote Gaming Decree, the regulations set out how gambling operators should conduct themselves, and what standards need to be met in order to qualify for a license – which will be valid for up to five years.

As the regulator responsible for processing license applications, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has said it will approve or disapprove applications within six months of being submitted.

The Netherlands will be issuing licenses for online betting, including peer-to-peer casino games like poker, casino games in which players bet against the house, horse racing, and sports betting. However, betting on youth and amateur sports will be prohibited, as will betting on specified events that the KSA considers easy to manipulate.

Gambling advertising will only be permitted after 9pm, but Sander Dekker, the Justice Minister, has written to parliament advising against tighter advertising restrictions.

However, Dekker did also say he would consider adding six months to the two-year ‘cooling off period’ – this is a period during which gambling operators who have previously targeted Dutch players while being unlicensed, would not be allowed to enter the market.

Members of Parliament will now consider the regulations and give their feedback. If everything continues on course, online gambling is now expected to go live in the Netherlands on 1^st July 2021.

AYO.NEWS says:

Though it seems like things are now on track, it wouldn’t surprise us if Dutch politicians find some way to delay things yet again! The additional six months to the cooling off period, proposed by Dekker, could be frustrating for several operators who’ve felt the KSA’s wrath over recent years for targeting Dutch players. But, on the bright side, it looks like advertising restrictions may not be as draconian as feared. 

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

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According to the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA), operators licensed in the country generated a total turnover of SEK 24.8bn (€2.34bn) in 2019.

Based on preliminary figures provided by the Swedish Tax Agency, the SGA gave a brief outline of the year.

Online gaming and betting, and games on ships, generated the highest turnover, contributing SEK 14.03bn for the year, while state lottery and vending machines added SEK 5.9bn to the total.

For Swedish-licensed operators, Q4 saw the highest turnover generated, at SEK 6.7bn, up 12% on Q3. Meanwhile, estimates from H2 Gambling Capital suggest around SEK 580m – 690m was bet with unlicensed operators during the quarter.

By the end of the year, over 48K people in Sweden had self-excluded through the SGA’s Spelpaus scheme – up 16% in the final quarter alone.

AYO.NEWS says:

Of course, the SGA is saying that the regulated Swedish market (which now has 96 active license holders) performed significantly better in its first full year of regulation than in 2018. But, given that no official figures exist for the unlicensed operators prior to regulation, and the obvious agenda the SGA has in promoting Swedish licenses, it’s difficult to take this claim too seriously!

Staying in Sweden, last month we reported the regulator had rejected the latest attempt to revive the Ninja Casino brand in the country.

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

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GVC Holdings, one of the world’s largest sports betting and gaming groups, saw revenue grow 2% in 2019 to £3.66bn ($4.73bn), but posted a £140.7m loss, with more than 96% of group revenue coming from regulated or regulating markets.

Pro forma underlying EBITDA dropped 10% to £678.3m, but after adjusting for the estimated impact of the Triennial Review, which included the much-reported 98% reduction in fixed-odds betting terminal (FOBT) stake limits in the UK, and incremental taxes, it was up 14%. Online underlying EBITDA was up 20% after adjustment.

Underlying operating profit fell a significant 20% to £490.1m, and on a reported basis, though the group’s net gaming revenue of £3.66bn represented a 23% rise, and underlying EBITDA was up 19%, group loss after tax came in at £140.7m.

The loss was explained by £630.1m in costs related to the group’s acquisition of Ladbrokes Coral and Bwin, and a non-cash impairment of the group’s Australian online business.

Reflecting on the results CEO of GVC, Kenny Alexander, said:

“Our first full year since the Ladbrokes Coral acquisition has been a good one and the performance has continued to be underpinned by our unique and highly effective operating model.

“We are delighted with the progress being made on the Ladbrokes Coral integration. In the US, the launch of BetMGM on the GVC platform in New Jersey was an important milestone for our business and enables us to remain on track to deliver on our ambitions in this exciting market.”

Staying with GVC, last month we reported that following a vote at an Extraordinary General Meeting held in Gibraltar on 6^th February, the group is set to relocate from the Isle of Man to the United Kingdom. While, in December 2019, the company consolidated all of its Italian operations to a new Rome office.

AYO.NEWS says:

Despite the dramatic impact the reduction of FOBT stake limits from £100 to £2 has clearly had on the UK retail betting space, causing GVC itself to announce plans to close around 900 betting shops, the group has been moving to an online dominated business model for some time now. However, the group’s online business in the UK market could also be adversely impacted if the UKGC implements a proposed £2 stake limit for online casino games.   

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Game developer Yggdrasil has extended its content distribution deal with Betsson Group to the Betsafe brand in Lithuania.

Betsson’s Lithuanian brand will get access to Yggrasil’s content portfolio from April and enjoy a six month period of exclusivity in the market, offering customers titles including the second Splitz jackpot game, Neon Rush.

The operator will also gain access to Yggdrasil’s range of proprietary in-game promotional tools, BOOST, to drive player engagement and retention.

Betsson and Yggdrasil have a long relationship, dating back to 2014 when the operator became one of the developer’s first clients. The partnership has since grown to cover multiple jurisdictions, including Denmark, Italy, Latvia, and Spain.

Commenting on the Lithuanian deal Head of Nordics at Yggdrasil, Patrick Nordwall, said:

“Betsson is one of our key customers and we are thrilled to extend our long-lasting partnership and partner with them in a new market. We continue to implement our growth strategy in regulated markets, and we are looking forward to offering our games to local players in Lithuania, especially titles featuring our new mechanics Splitz™ and upcoming Gigablox™.”

While Product Director at Betsson Group, Ciara Nic Liam, added:

“Yggdrasil’s games have been very popular among our customers across all markets since day one of our partnership and we know Lithuania will be no different. Their ever-growing portfolio of innovative and engaging games will be a great addition to our existing offering.”

AYO.NEWS says:

The Baltic countries may be relatively small, but are emerging as valuable markets for operators struggling to maintain growth in an increasingly saturated and restrictive Europe.

Staying with Yggdrasil, in February we reported the company had teamed up with open architecture specialists Black Cow, to integrate the GDK platform into its new GATI solution.

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Gaming software company Playtech has confirmed a four-year extension to its agreement with betting operator Betfred.

The Isle of Man-based company will now supply Betfred with casino, live casino, bingo, and poker services through 2024.

Commenting on the news COO of Playtech, Shimon Akad, said:

“We are delighted that Betfred, the world’s largest independent bookmaker and a key long-term partner for Playtech, has chosen to commit to an exclusive agreement across four key verticals.

“Betfred’s decision to invest in an exclusive Live Casino space in 2018 was a significant step in developing our working relationship, and has seen Betfred develop a highly compelling live offering.

“We’re very much looking forward to working together over the next four years to continue delivering innovative content backed by industry-leading technology.”

While Managing Director of Betfred, Rakesh Chablani, added:

“Having had a strong and successful partnership with Playtech for over ten years now, the extension of our exclusive agreement for another four years represents an exciting opportunity to continue growing our business.”

Playtech enjoyed strong performance in 2019, reporting revenue of €1.5 billion, up 22% year-on-year, and adjusted EBITDA of €383.1 million, up 11%, despite the company issuing a warning about a “highly challenging September and October.” In December, the firm also launched a new iGaming global compliance platform in partnership with TruNarrative.

Meanwhile Betfred has been establishing a foothold in the United States, with operations in Iowa and Pennsylvania.

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Valencia-based slot developer Triple Cherry has confirmed its games portfolio is being integrated with the Alira platform from Tecnalis.

Madrid-based Tecnalis has been active in the global gaming sector for over fifteen years, and its Alira platform is a leader in Spain, meaning Triple Cherry’s products will gain a valuable foothold in one of Europe’s most promising iGaming markets.

Commenting on the news CEO of Triple Cherry, Juan Antonio Galindo, said:

“We are very happy to have achieved this collaboration with Tecnalis. Our main objective is to create the best online slot games, each one always different from the previous one. We truly believe that Tecnalis customers will enjoy our games.”

While Director of Operations at Tecnalis, Alejandro Serrano, added:

“We believe that Triple Cherry has some very attractive and high quality games, which will be a valuable addition for operators working with Tecnalis.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Spain has seen some of the most impressive growth out of all European markets over the last year, but the future is looking uncertain, with sweeping new gambling advertising restrictions likely to come into force soon.

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.