GiH webinar | Practical solutions for separating player funds
Dutch online gambling regulations stipulate that licensed operators must legally separate player funds from their own risk-bearing capital. Moreover, player funds must be deposited with a Netherlands-licensed bank or otherwise be subject to Dutch banking regulations. Unfortunately, banks in the Netherlands are currently generally uncooperative with regards to opening a bank account for online gambling companies, or to provide banking guarantees to such firms. However, alternative solutions are available. To learn more of these alternatives, join the GiH webinar Practical solutions for separating player funds on May 19 at 15:00 CET. This webinar is designed to provide you with an understanding of the relevant Dutch regulations and to offer practical solutions for managing player funds in accordance with the provisions set out by the Netherlands Gambling Authority.
Speakers:
Frank Tolboom, Partner, Kalff Katz & Franssen
Kees-Jan Avis, Director EM Group Netherlands
Karin Beumer, Business Development Manager EM Group Netherlands
Register today: https://bit.ly/2Sr7pxk
Betsson expects to enter the regulated Dutch online market in H2 2022
In its most recent quarterly report, Betsson indicated that it expects to be able to apply for a Dutch remote license in early 2022, which would allow the operator to enter the regulated market six months later (p.7):
“The Netherlands also continues to generate good revenue. The authorities have now eased the announced ban on using old customer databases when applying for a gaming license, which is positive. Betsson estimates to be able to apply for a license in the beginning of 2022, but will operate as usual in the meantime.”
Betsson is subject to the cooling-off period and currently ineligible to apply for a Dutch remote license due to having actively targeted Dutch consumers in the past.
In 2014, the operator acquired the Netherlands-facing brands Kroon Casino and Oranje Casino for €130m. In April 2019, the online casinos rebranded as Casino Winner and Loyal Casino in order to comply with the Netherlands Gambling Authority's prioritization criteria.
Upcoming events
Events
The following events may be of interest to the GiH community.
The third edition of CasinoBeats Summit will return to Malta from 13 – 15 July, 2021, as part of Summer iGaming Week organized in partnership with KPMG and Gaming Malta.
iGB Live and iGB Affiliate have also been moved to 28 September – 1 October, 2021, but will still take place in Amsterdam!
The 2021 Gaming in Holland Conference has been scheduled for 1 October, 2021 – the very day that the regulated Dutch online market finally opens. Netherlands Gambling Authority chairman René Jansen has agreed to deliver the keynote speech. Save the date!
SiGMA Europe has been rescheduled to 16 – 18 November, 2021.
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 postponed to 1 – 3 February, 2022.
Webinars and virtual events
This Friday at 15:00, OneTime will present a live broadcast on Twitch featuring former gambling addict Feite Hofman
On May 12, the Institute for Financial Crime (IFFC) will host an online session (in Dutch) on online gambling and money laundering.
Betting-related match-fixing comparatively rare, pan-European study finds
A new study conducted under the aegis of Ghent University found that almost 20% of its more than 5,000 survey participants (both athletes and support staff) reported (in)direct match-fixing proposals. Specifically, 18% of the participants in the study indicated that they personally knew one or more persons who had been approached to “fix” a match. 8% of the participants revealed that they had been approached themselves with a match-fixing proposal.
However, only 10% of the people that had been approached to fix a match indicated that the proposal was made solely for the purpose of making money by betting on the manipulated match during the last (or only) time they were approached. By contrast, almost 70% of the approached participants indicated that the last or only time they were approached, the proposal had a sporting-related purpose only, e.g., to prevent the relegation of another club.
Because of an (understandable) primary focus on betting-related match-fixing, sporting-related match-fixing is often underestimated and therefore neglected in prevention initiatives, the authors of the study note.
Other news
Holland Casino has signed a new, expanded long-term strategic software and services agreement with Playtech. Under the agreement Playtech will become Holland Casino's strategic technology supplier delivering its full turnkey multichannel technology as well as certain ancillary services.
Holland Casino has also selectedTruNarrative to deliver their strategy for ID verification, risk and transaction & behavioral monitoring.
Facebook has joined the Dutch Advertising Standards Authority (Reclame Code Commissie), which is expected to limit the number of false and misleading gambling advertisements on the social platform advertisements aimed at Dutch consumers.
A Belgian player on Napoleon Sports & Casino has become the biggest ever single spin online slot winner after landing a jackpot of more than €19.4 million.
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) believes that Germany’s proposed 5.3% turnover tax for online casino and poker would not only lead to low player channelization rates, but would also be in violation of EU law.
Betclic Everest-owned online operator Bet-at-home.com has reported a 5.3% decline in GGR during Q1 2021, citing Germany's transitional online casino regulations.
The online gambling market in Spain generated €850.7m in 2020, an increase of 13.7% on the previous year, as casino almost completely closed the gap on sports betting.
Affiliate Better Collective has reached an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares in US sports media platform Action Network for $240m.
Catena Media has announced it will be acquiring 100% of the shares in US sports affiliation company Lineups.com.