Happy New Year! Wishing all the best to you as we head into 2022.
Ksa to join Jan. 19 GiH webinar “The Dutch online market opening & beyond”
Join us on Wednesday, January 19 at 15:00 CET, for a comprehensive look at the current state of the regulated Dutch online market.
The webinar will feature Geraldine Huijssoon, Head of the Supervision and Operator Department at the Netherlands Gambling Authority, and Justin Franssen, Head of the Gaming & Gaming Practice Group at Kalff Katz & Franssen.
Register today: https://bit.ly/3pjVtu3
Franc Weerwind to succeed Sander Dekker as Minister for Legal Protection
Franc Weerwind (D66) will succeed Sander Dekker (VVD) as Minister for Legal Protection in the newly formed Cabinet Rutte IV. The new government will officially take up its duties on January 10. Under the previous government, the Minister for Legal Protection was responsible for overseeing gambling policy.
The new government will be made up of the same four parties that constituted the previous one: VVD, D66, CDA, and CU. A large degree of continuity is therefore to be expected.
Netherlands Gambling Authority renews land-based monopoly licenses
The Netherlands Gambling Authority has renewed the existing monopoly licenses for the operation of scratch card games, lotto draws, and land-based sports betting for another five-year period. All these games are being operated by Nederlandse Loterij (NLO).
The new updated licenses took effect on January 1, 2022 and will run until December 31, 2026.
The Dutch regulator also updated the permanent license for the Dutch State Lottery, which is also operated by NLO.
EU27 + UK gambling revenue grew 7.5% in 2021
Europe’s total gambling revenue has increased an estimated 7.5% in 2021 to €87.2bn gross gaming revenue (GGR), according to figures released by the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) in cooperation with H2 Gambling Capital.
Despite significant growth in 2021, this figure represents a 13% decrease compared to 2019 levels, as Europe’s land-based gambling sector continues to feel the impact of COVID-19 restrictions.
The growth in Europe’s online gambling market is expected to continue and be accelerated by the pandemic, with online GGR expected to grow approximately 9% yearly and reach 41% of Europe’s total gambling revenue by 2026, up from a 26% share in 2019.
Another trend expected to continue is the increasing use of mobile devices (phones and tablets) for online gambling, with the share of bets from mobile devices this year set to account for the majority (50.5%) of Europe’s online bets for the first time, and expected to reach 61.5% of all online bets by 2026.
Netherlands Gambling Authority imposes penalty payments on Netherlands-facing affiliates
In the last month, the Netherlands Gambling Authority has imposed incremental penalty payments on three Netherlands-facing affiliates for advertising unlicensed online gambling offerings. Additional administrative penalties are likely to be announced soon.
Two other affiliates were similarly penalized in September 2021.
The new Remote Gambling Act, which entered into force on April 1, 2021, has provided the Dutch regulator with additional powers to engage in enforcement action against third-party facilitators in addition to the illegal operators themselves. This includes payment service providers and marketing partners.
Since then, leading international payment service providers Skrill, Neteller, and Trustly, have decided to no longer act as an intermediary between Dutch consumers and unlicensed gambling operators. Earlier, popular Dutch payment method iDEAL also ceased servicing unlicensed operators.
Other news
Stakelogic’s live casino product, Stakelogic Live, has received ISO 27001 accreditation.
Sweden's gaming regulator Spelinspektionen has given its support to proposals to expand its jurisdiction over operators not targeting local customers – but not blocking them from playing.
The Swedish government is set to reintroduce Covid-19-related online casino restrictions with a new weekly loss limit to be implemented.
Playtech has postponed a planned shareholder meeting to approve a takeover offer from Aristocrat to hold discussions about a potential rival bid.
Morocco’s State Lottery has put out an international call for tenders as it seeks a new operator.
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