The Netherlands Online Gaming Association (NOGA) has welcomed LeoVegas as its latest member. 

Established ahead of the launch of the Dutch online gaming market on 1 October, NOGA is aiming to represent the majority of gambling providers operating in the country. Other NOGA members include bet365, Betsson, Betway, Dazzletag, Entain, Flutter, and Kindred.

Peter-Paul de Goeij, NOGA Managing Director, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with this news. LeoVegas is a well-recognised and appreciated brand, it has a great track record and brings swathes of knowledge and experience to NOGA, which it in turn can offer to and share with the local gambling industry. Like the other members of NOGA, LeoVegas takes consumer protection and responsible gambling extremely seriously, and leads the way with initiatives like LeoCare. We look forward to closely working together with them to the greater good of the Dutch gambling market.”

Daniel Valiollahi, LeoVegas Director of Communications and Public Affairs, added: “We are looking forward to the Dutch market, finally, introducing local licences that will ensure fair competition and high consumer protection. LeoVegas’ corporate strategy is to grow in locally regulated markets, and as such we believe in well-represented and well-respected trade organisations such as NOGA to be a constructive speaking partner, ensuring Dutch re-regulation is successful.”

AYO.NEWS:

Given the history of online gambling in the Netherlands, and the way the regulated market framework has been put together, it’s clear the Dutch online gaming market is going to be both highly competitive and extremely tightly regulated. Given this, it’s great to see NOGA establishing an industry body ahead of the launch date – it may prove critical in keeping potentially overzealous regulators in-check, and in helping ensure a level playing field, consumer protection, and overall industry integrity. 

Staying with LeoVegas, last month the operator relaunched its recently acquired Expekt brand in Sweden. 

The European Commission has intervened in the German gambling tax debate, potentially delaying the final Bundesrat (federal council) vote on the proposed 5.3% tax on player stakes. 

With the Fourth Interstate Treaty on Gambling (GlüNeuRStV) scheduled to come into force on 1 July, Germany’s Bundesländer (state governments) need to resolve the tax issue by 7 June if the Bundestag (parliament) is going to draft the legislation and add it to the treaty as a federal condition. 

However, as previously reported, the online gambling industry associations DSWV (sports betting) and DOCV (online casino), and European Betting and Gaming Association (EGBA) have argued that the tax would equate to ‘differentiated tax treatment’ for slots and poker, and give Germany state-owned casino operators an unfair advantage. 

The European Commission has now demanded that the Bundesrat explain exactly how the tax proposals differ from a state aid action prohibited under European Union rules. 

Despite the fact that the European Commission intervention could well delay the Bundesrat vote on the tax proposals by up to a year, the Bundestag is insisting that Germany’s new regulated online gambling regime will still go live on 1 July. 

Popular streaming platform Twitch has notified content creators of an incoming tsunami of Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notices. 

Though Twitch says it has so far received a batch of “about 1,000 individual claims”, it has said it expects many more to follow in subsequent waves. 

Unsurprisingly, most of the DMCA notices are thought to relate to streamers playing copyrighted music in the background while streaming – something that is extremely commonplace on the Amazon-owned platform (and others). 

Twitch has advised streamers not to play music they haven’t got explicit permission to use, and to permanently delete any content featuring copyrighted material used without a license. Failure to comply can result in account termination. 

AYO.NEWS says:

The perennial conflict continues. Though, on the one hand, it’s perfectly understandable and right for copyright holders to protect their rights and businesses, on the other, it’s also incredibly difficult for small creators to fight their corner in the event of an unjustified claim. Hopefully, at some point in the not too distant future, blockchain tech will make rights management extremely quick, efficient, and fair for all parties. 

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has amended its Player Protection Directive, lowering the minimum return to player (RTP) from 92% to 85%. 

Return to Player (RTP) percentage is the theoretical amount that a slot pays back to a player, on average, over a large number of spins (usually in the millions). For example, a slot with a 96% RTP can be expected to return €96 for every €100 a player spends. It must be stressed, that RTP is a very rough guide, and variability over smaller numbers of spins, will still result in some players making big wins.

Applicable to both land-based and online gambling operators, the new RTP requirements follow closed consultations with industry stakeholders, including consultants, business-to-consumer operators, and business-to-business providers. 

According to the MGA, the consultations discussed issues including the implications of a change to RTP on products, operations, and competitiveness, and followed a comparative analysis of RTP in other EU jurisdictions. 

The MGA says it will be publishing a policy paper summarising the points of the discussions and competitive analysis, and that further amendments to its Player Protection Directive, focused on protecting minors and vulnerable people, will be following.

AYO.NEWS says:

While this move is bound to be welcomed by the industry, we’re pretty sure the all important online slot reviewers aren’t going to look favourably on any slots with an 85% RTP – so it’s going to be a brave operator indeed that takes advantage of the change! 

Staying with the MGA, last month the regulator stoked yet more controversy by promoting former Deputy Chairman, Ryan Pace, to the position of Chairman. Pace is a close associate of current Maltese Prime Minister, Robert Abela, but several industry figures have expressed reservations about his lack of industry experience and knowledge. 

International gambling operator Betsson has been granted licenses for online gaming and betting in Greece, and will soon be launching its flagship Betsson brand in the country. 

Securing the licenses from the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) means the operator can launch Betsson.gr, offering sports betting, casino, live casino, and virtual sports products to Greek consumers. Both the game of chance license, and the sports betting license are valid for an initial period of seven years. 

Betsson Greece will launch with a localised product offering, specifically developed for Greek players, and will provide dedicated Greek language customer support. 

Pontus Lindwall, President and CEO for Betsson AB, commented: “We are really pleased to receive these licenses and to welcome Greece as Betsson’s 18th locally regulated market. As in other markets, our vision for Greece is to offer the best customer experience possible and we have partnered with some great gaming suppliers and payment providers to augment our offering. The Greek gaming market has experienced significant growth over the past years, and we see a lot of potential.”

Loteria do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Loterj) has begun the process of selecting operators to offer new gambling products in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

As the organisation responsible for managing gambling in the state, Loterj has now invited expressions of interest from sports betting and lottery operators interested in handling the new gambling products. The license, which is worth around $50M USD, will be valid for 60 months. 

It seems Loterj is looking for companies that provide a mix of online and retail betting and lottery products, with proven distribution and marketing capabilities. Loterj will be defining the development of the technology platform, including lottery control, and payment functions, both physical and digital.

Any international companies interested in the contract must be partnered with a Brazilian entity to be considered, with each member of any consortium required to submit their own supporting evidence to show they meet the requirements. The public tender process is slated to begin, based on a lowest overall price modality, on 5 July. 

Pressure to introduce a legal online gambling market has been building in Brazil over recent years, with states increasingly exasperated that offshore gambling sites are attracting Brazilian customers, which means state coffers are losing vast amounts in potential tax revenues. Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais are among the first Brazilian states to make real progress in terms of rolling out legal sports betting and expanded gambling products.