Stakelogic to be acquired by Japan's SEGA Sammy
Japanese video gaming giant Sega Sammy has announced the €130m acquisition of Netherlands-based game developer Stakelogic.
SEGA Sammy said it intends to use Stakelogic’s in-house live casino and slots technologies to enhance its GAN platform and expand its US iGaming presence.
Stakelogic CEO Stephan van den Oetelaar will continue his leadership role after the acquisition.
Van den Oetelaar commented: “Together with Sega Sammy, Stakelogic will be able to grow its international operations much faster. The regulated iGaming market will double in size in the upcoming years. As part of Sega Sammy, we will have the execution power to become one of the leading players in the iGaming B2B industry.”
The acquisition is expected to be completed in Q1 2026, at which point Sega Sammy will own 100% of Stakelogic’s shares.
Netherlands Gambling Authority awards 30th remote license to New Future Games
The Netherlands Gambling Authority has awarded a remote license to New Future Games.
In an interview with Meneer Casino, New Future Games CEO, Paul van Dun explains that the operator intends to offer a unique experience, including “games from all kinds of cultures, from different generations of people living in the Netherlands.”
Besides offering unique games, New Future Games also developed its own platform.
At present, it is unclear when or under which brand name New Future Games will launch in the Dutch market.
Netherlands Gambling Authority warns regulated operators over payout breaches
The Netherlands Gambling Authority has warned 13 iGaming operators – half of the regulated market – to remove restrictions on player payouts. According to the regulator, nine online operators were obstructing payouts to customers, with another four suspected of doing so.
Earlier, the Dutch regulator warned four operators to improve their risk analysis processes in the fight against match-fixing.
The regulator also warned an unnamed operator that one of its executives – due to their prior involvement in illegal gambling – failed to pass a mandatory integrity test. As a result, the operator was requested to terminate the employment of said executive or risk a binding direction from the regulator.
Also noteworthy is that the Dutch regulator launched a special webpage clarifying its recently adopted policy rule on responsible gambling.
Finally, the Dutch regulator summoned the organizers of the Dutch Grand Prix and the one of its participating teams to refrain from promoting illegal games of chance during this weekend's race. Stake F1 Team is sponsored by online operator Stake, which is not licensed to operate in the Netherlands.
VAN Kansspelen agrees partnership with SME organization ONL voor Ondernemers
VAN Kansspelen, the trade association of land-based slots arcade operators, has agreed a partnership with ONL voor Ondernemers, the leading Dutch lobbying organization of small and medium-sized enterprises.
The immediate cause of this new cooperation is the proposed gambling tax rate increase from 30.5% to 37.8% of GGR. The proposed tax increase is expected to have a severely negative impact on the arcade sector.
Dutch district courts rule in favor of players against unlicensed operators
The District Court of the Hague has ordered (previously) unlicensed online operators to reimburse players for their losses in four separate cases (I, II, II, IV).
Earlier, the District Court of Overijssel also sided with the claimants in two similar cases (I, II) – although in these two case the defendant (Trannel Ltd) failed to mount a defense.
The rulings of the District Court of The Hague are particularly noteworthy because the court decided not to await the guidance requested from the Dutch Supreme Court.
Earlier, the District Courts of Amsterdam and Noord-Holland requested this guidance due to a previous (and conflicting) ruling by the District Court of Zeeland-West-Brabant finding that the ban on online gambling (prior to October 2021) had lost any real meaning due to societal developments and inconsistent enforcement.
Flutter in talks over potential £2bn bid on Snaitech
Flutter Entertainment is negotiating to acquire Snaitech, a deal that would leave current owner Playtech as a pureplay B2B operation.
Snaitech, which trades under the brand Snai, saw revenues grow by 5% to €946.6m in the last financial year, and maintained its market-leading position across Italian sports betting brands.
A formal agreement is unlikely to be reached until at least next month.
Upcoming events
The following event(s) may be of interest to the GiH community.
The 14th European Conference on Gambling Studies and Policy Issues, organized by the European Association for the Study of Gambling (EASG), will be held September 10-13, 2024, in Rome, Italy.
Over 5,000 operators are expected to attend this year's SBC Summit in Lisbon from September 24-26.
The 2024 Gaming in Germany Conference returns to Berlin on November 5, 2024. Save the date!
Holland Casino calls proposed gambling tax increase “irresponsible”
Holland Casino CEO, Petra de Ruiter has called the proposed gambling tax increase from 30.5% to 37.8% of GGR “irresponsible:”
“Our total tax burden will amount to almost 50% of total revenues. This means that profitability is not possible and substantial losses will be incurred. Unlike supermarkets, we are unable to easily pass on price increases to our customers. The only available alternative will be to take politically undesirable measures, such as aggressive marketing campaigns to increase the number of players, encouraging current players to spend more, or to significantly reduce the payout ratio. Such measures are unacceptable to Holland Casino and, based on the aims of existing gambling policy, clearly irresponsible. Moreover, planned investments in our prevention policy will could become impossible.”
De Ruiter made her comments as the state-owned casino operator reported its H1 figures. Despite a small increase in the number of visitors, revenues were down 2.4% to €395.4m as costs increased. As a result of these developments, the operator reported losses of €3.5m.
Other news
Netherlands Gambling Authority Chair, Michel Groothuizen has published his first public blog post.
The Netherlands’ Advertising Code Committee has upheld a complaint against online operator Circus Sport and Casino.
Since launching in February 2024, over 90 European affiliates have adopted the compliance standards of the Quality Mark Regulatory Assurance (QMRA) initiative.
Despite tighter regulatory controls, Belgium's regulated gambling market grew 16.7% in 2023.
Swedish regulator Spelinspektionen has raised concerns over how the proposed closure of the state-owned operator Svenska Spel’s Casino Cosmopol business could lead to a rise in illegal gambling.
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