Technical documentation on future-licensed operators’ IT systems
In recent weeks, the Netherlands Gambling Authority has published technical documentation on the criteria that the IT systems of future-licensed remote operators must meet.
This includes the draft framework for the inspection and certification of the gaming systems of future-licensed online operators, as well as the technical specifications of the Control Database.
We have gathered the English-language versions of these documents and published them here.
Finns Europe’s biggest gamblers, Danish regulator says
According to new data released by Danish regulator Spillemyndigheden, inhabitants of Finland are Europe’s biggest spenders on gambling products, followed by Italians and Irish.
Of ten European nations sampled, Denmark achieved only eighth place – just ahead of the UK – with an average annual spend of DKK2,101 (€282) per adult.
Norway, Iceland, and Sweden rank fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively, while Switzerland and Greece conclude the top ten.
Other European countries, however, were not included in the sample. The rankings were not adjusted to take GDP per capita into account.
Upcoming events
The following events may be of interest to the GiH community.
Events
The World Gaming Executive Summit will return as a virtual event from 7 – 9 December. Erwin van Lambaart, CEO of Holland Casino, will discuss the challenges of operating a casino during a global pandemic, while Peter-Paul de Goeij, MD of Dutch trade association NOGA, will participate in the session “The changing regulatory markets across Europe, the US & Canada.” Don’t miss it!
ICE London 2021 will now take place 29 June – July 1, 2021, with the co-located iGB Affiliate London taking place 1 – 2 July.
iGB Live 2021 has also been moved to 28 September – 1 October, 2021, but will still take place in Amsterdam!
Webinars
VIXIO GamblingCompliance and EGBA have teamed up for the webinar “Anti-Money Laundering: New Challenges and Realities for Europe’s Gambling Sector” on 9 December at 15:00 CET.
Mindway AI has published an on-demand webinar on player profiling and efficient responsible gaming interventions.
Join the iGaming Next Power Hour every Friday @3pm CET for a short, compact, educational and social weekly digital gathering with some of the brightest and most connected minds of the industry.
VIDEO | GiH webinar “Creating a compliant tech infrastructure”
Yesterday, another successful Gaming in Holland webinar took place. The webinar focused on the steps future-licensed operators must take to create a tech environment that is compliant with Dutch regulations.
The webinar was recorded and is available here: https://bit.ly/3lzzWti
The following speakers participated in the discussion:
Geraldine Huijssoon, Head of Licensing, Netherlands Gambling Authority
Pieter de Boer, Advisor Inspections, Netherlands Gambling Authority
Frank Tolboom, partner at Kalff Katz & Franssen
Martin Prantner, CEO of Finnplay
According to the current regulatory proposals, prospective licensees must fully test and certify their gaming system before they can submit their license applications from March 1, 2021.
However, following feedback from the industry, the Netherlands Gambling Authority might consider introducing a more phased approach to auditing and certification. Additional information will probably be made available toward the end January.
Meanwhile, Frank Tolboom (Kalff Katz & Franssen) outlined some of the steps interested operators can take right now to prepare for their license applications, while Martin Prantner (Finnplay) provided useful information on making an existing gaming system compliant with Dutch regulations.
Watch the full webinar here: https://bit.ly/3lzzWti
More information on the licensing procedure in general was revealed by Netherlands Gambling Chairman René Jansen during the 2020 Gaming in Holland Conference. Watch his full keynote speech here.
Other news
In an extensive interview with Het Parool, Novamedia CEO Sigrid van Aken discusses her new role at the lottery operator.
Reinier Schutte has been appointed as the new CEO of Novomatic Services NL.
Spanish gaming revenue for the first ten months of 2020 fell to €4.4bn, a 50% drop compared to the same period in 2019.
The Swedish government is set to launch a new investigation into unlicensed gambling and match-fixing in the country.
Several Gibraltar-licensed operators have agreed to pay £2.5m to the Gibraltar Gambling Care Foundation after the peninsula’s regulator identified “historic control weaknesses” in AML policies.
Malta’s Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) has revealed the number of suspicious transaction reports (STRs) received from remote gambling operators more than doubled year-on-year in 2019.
The Danish Gaming Authority Spillemyndigheden has reprimanded LeoVegas for failings in its customer verification checks.
Ireland’s new interim Gaming and Lotteries Act has come into force ahead of wholesale regulatory reform of the Irish gambling market in 2021.
Kindred Group Plc has informed investors that company founder Anders Ström will not seek re-election as Non-Executive Chairman.
Playtech is planning to migrate its tax residency to the UK from the Isle of Man in early 2021.
Betsson AB has launched its first African market sportsbook property “Betsafe Kenya.”