Nederlandse Loterij pauses affiliate program ...and more!
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Nederlandse Loterij pauses affiliate program ...and more!

VIDEO | 2023 GiH Conference: Advertising restrictions & day-to-day operations in the Dutch market

In case you missed the 2023 Gaming in Holland Conference earlier this month, we have released another batch of video recordings of the event.

Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks!


Dutch Minister: “Talks more effective than fines”

Dutch minister for legal protection, Franc Weerwind, said that the Dutch gambling regulator's approach of having “norm-setting discussions” with licensed operators in case of rule violations has proven to be an effective approach to ensure compliance.


Weerwind made his remarks in response to parliamentary questioning related to the keynote speech delivered by Netherlands Gambling Authority Chair, René Jansen at the 2023 Gaming in Holland Conference.


Jansen had said that the regulator would not enforce the Dutch untargeted online gambling advertising ban with immediate and uncompromising strictness.


Weerwind concluded his response by stating that Jansen's comments at the Gaming in Holland Conference did not give rise to further action by the Ministry, as demanded by the MPs who submitted the original questions.


Netherlands Gambling Authority issues 24th remote license to SCGO Ltd

Malta-based SCGO Limited has become the 24th operator to secure a remote gambling license in the Netherlands.


Under the terms of the license, SCGO will be allowed to offer online sports betting in the country.


SCGO Ltd is owned by SoftConstruct, which also owns software supplier BetConstruct. SoftConstruct also operates the VBet B2C brand in Armenia, Malta, and the UK.


German court upholds GGL's advertising restrictions

The Higher Administrative Court of the State of Saxony-Anhalt has ruled that adverising restrictions imposed by German gaming regulator, Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), appear to be legal and must therefore be complied with.


Specifically, the court upheld several ancillary license provisions that ban gambling infomercials, influencer marketing, and affiliate advertising with partners that also promote illegal gambling.


According to the GGL, the restrictions are necessary to protect vulnerable players and minors.


Finland to end gambling monopoly by 2026

The newly formed Finnish government has announced it is committed to ending the current monopoly system for gambling in favor of a licensing model, “no later than 2026.”


The government said that current gambling policy “has not been successful.” It cited the continued issue of problem gambling amid a close to 50% market channelization rate.


Of the Scandinavian countries Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway, only the latter has not yet abandoned (or announced to abandon) the once prevalent state-monopoly model.


Upcoming events

The following event(s) may be of interest to the GiH community.

  • Don't miss the virtual event “Using Gamification, Metaverse and AI in Gaming,” brought to you by the Gaming Operations Academy and Gamanza Group. The event has been scheduled to take place Thursday, July 6, 16:00-17:00 CET.

  • Trade show and conference iGB Live! will take place July 11-14 at RAI Amsterdam.

  • The 2023 Gaming in Germany Conference has been scheduled to take place October 16, 2023, in Berlin. Additional details will follow soon. Don't miss it. Save the date!

Nederlandse Loterij pauses affiliate program

In response to the ban on all untargeted online gambling advertising that will enter into force from July 1, TOTO Online, Nederlandse Loterij's iGaming division, has decided to pause its affiliate program for at least one month.


In an email sent to its affiliate partners, the company said that the lack of guidance from the Netherlands Gambling Authority contributed to the operator's decision:


“Although it was expected that the Netherlands Gambling Authority would provide further guidelines on the implementation of these conditions, these have not yet been issued. Over the past few weeks, TOTO, along with its digital partners, has explored possible measures that can be taken. TOTO has also reviewed the proposals from several united affiliates and the Responsible Affiliates Certification (KVA). While there are good proposals, it is still unclear whether these, as specifically proposed by KVA, can be effectively implemented in practice and whether these demonstrably meet the legal requirements.


“For these reasons, TOTO has decided to pause its affiliation program from July 1, 2023. This period will last for at least one month. During this time, TOTO will monitor whether and how its affiliates will comply with the conditions set out in the Decree ORKA and evaluate their efforts. If, in the opinion of TOTO, an affiliate is able to demonstrably meet the strict conditions of the Decree, TOTO may decide to resume the collaboration.


Earlier, Holland Casino Online reached a similar decision, while Entain-owned BetCity decided to permanently end its affiliate program.


Although TOTO explicitly stated that it aims to resume its cooperation with affiliate partners as soon as possible, the possibility cannot be excluded that the decision becomes permanent, which would be another major blow to the Dutch affiliate sector.


Other news

Unibet has agreed a deal to become an official partner of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Amsterdam and the 3x3 Pro League Men.


Bo Hoebe has won Holland Casino's Enschede Poker Series Main Event.


Nederlandse Loterij's Staatsloterij has won yet another award for its latest marketing campaign.


Land-based slots venue Merkur Casino Emmen has closed, less than eighteen months after opening its doors.


A Dutch teenager successfully developed and launched an online crypto casino.


Affiliate group KaFe Rocks has rebranded as Time2Play Media.


Betsson has announced a sponsorship partnership with Argentine football team, Club Atletico Boca Juniors that will run until the end of 2024.

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