Save the date | GiH webinar: “The Dutch online market opening & beyond”
Join us on Wednesday, January 12 at 15:00 CET, for a comprehensive look at the first three months of operations of the regulated Dutch online market.
Topics:
· Licenses granted & denied
· Start-up problems & issues
· Advertising impact & consequences
· License applications: Lessons learned
· Practicalities: Tips & tricks
· Next steps
The webinar will feature the Netherlands’ leading gaming lawyer Justin Franssen, Head of the Gaming & Gaming Practice Group at Kalff Katz & Franssen. Other speakers TBA shortly.
Register today: [LINK]
Holland Casino CEO Erwin van Lambaart appointed as General Director of Casinos Austria AG
Current Holland Casino CEO Erwin van Lambaart has been appointed as the new General Director of Casinos Austria, starting April 1, 2022. Prior to becoming General Director, Van Lambaart will join the management board of the Austrian casino operator from March 14, 2022.
Casinos Austria currently operates 25 venues in nine countries and is majority-owned by lottery and gaming investment group Sazka. Sazka Group is currently pursuing a bid for the concession to operate the UK National Lottery.
Van Lambaart has led Holland Casino since 2016 and has overseen its expansion into online gambling from October this year.
Out of a total of three applications "of excellent quality," Van Lambaart was unanimously voted as the best candidate to succeed current Casinos Austria General Director Bettina Glatz-Kremsner.
Van Lambaart: “It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye, but I am leaving Holland Casino having enormous confidence in both company and team. Your commitment and trust have made Holland Casino what it is today; a responsible, pioneering, and pleasant company, where guests feel welcome and valued.”
Holland Casino announced it has started the search for a successor to Van Lambaart.
Dutch Lower House Finance Committee re-raises prospect of Nederlandse Loterij and Holland Casino privatization
In a written consultation on Dutch state holdings, Members of the Permanent Committee for Finance of the Lower House appear to have reignited the discussion on the eventual privatization of Nederlandse Loterij and Holland Casino.
After stopping the proposed privatization of Holland Casino in the Senate in February 2019, MPs representing the PVV political group now demand privatization of both Holland Casino and Nederlandse Loterij.
MPs representing CDA say they are becoming “increasingly uncomfortable” with the continued state ownership of Nederlandse Loterij.
If both PVV and CDA continue to be supportive of privatizing Nederlandse Loterij and Holland Casino, there will be a clear Parliamentary majority for privatizing both state-owned operators.
Dutch government considers making match-fixing a separate criminal offense
In response to Parliamentary questions, Minister Dekker for Legal Protection revealed that the Dutch government is considering to make match-fixing a separate criminal offense. Currently, match-fixing can be prosecuted under various fraud, corruption and money laundering statutes. However, these statutes fail to cover certain match-fixing-related actions.
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has released a report which notes the existence of several lacunas in Dutch penal law related to match-fixing, but also finds that several foreign examples of anti-match-fixing legislation continue to have similar shortcomings.
Upcoming events
The following events may be of interest to the GiH community.
The Betting on Sports America conference and expo has been scheduled for 30 November – 2 December, 2021 and will bring together all the major players in the fast-growing North American sports betting industry.
The World Gaming Executive Summit is returning live on 6 – 8 December, 2021 at the W Hotel, Barcelona.
ICE London and iGB Affiliate London have been scheduled to take place 1 – 3 February, 2022.
JVH receives 11th Dutch remote gaming license
JVH has received a Dutch remote gaming license, the eleventh such license issued by the Netherlands Gambling Authority.
The license, which came into effect on November 20, was granted to JOI gaming Ltd. (JVH Online International), a subsidiary of the JVH gaming & entertainment group (JVH). With 85 casinos, JVH is the market leader in private land-based casinos in the Netherlands.
JOI will offer its services via Jacks.nl, which is expected to go live shortly, and has partnered with platform provider Oryx, sportsbook provider Kambi, and live gaming provider Evolution.
Eric Olders, CEO JVH gaming & entertainment group, commented: "We are extremely pleased that we can finally launch our online presence. We have been working toward this goal for more than ten years. We are enormously proud of our colleagues who have made this possible. We look forward to welcoming our players to our top-class online casino."
Other news
Yet another MP, Rudmer Heerema (VVD), has submitted Parliamentary questions regarding the initial technical malfunction of the Dutch national exclusion register CRUKS at the opening of the regulated online market.
Bas de Laat has won the main event of the 29th Master Classics of Poker at Holland Casino Amsterdam.
Game developer Stakelogic is constructing a live casino studio in Eindhoven specifically aimed at Dutch customers.
The public prosecutor requested a four-year prison sentence for the founder of Stichting Loterijverlies for fraud and tax evasion.
Betsimpel.nl has received a quality mark from Keurmerk Verantwoorde Affiliates (KVA).
Entain has allegedly made a $1bn buy-out offer for Estonian operator Olympic Entertainment Group (OEG).