Visit the Gaming in Holland Expo on TUESDAY for land-based product presentations & free beer!
The 2022 Gaming Holland Conference & Expo is fast approaching. This year's event will take place at Jaarbeurs Utrecht, right next to Utrecht CS, the Netherlands’ central rail hub and only 30 minutes away from Schiphol Airport.
On Monday, June 20, at our annual Conference, we have a strong speaker lineup, including René Jansen, Chair of the Netherlands Gambling Authority; Fedor Meerts, Head of Department, Ministry of Justice and Security; Ed Birkin, Senior Analyst, H2 Gambling Capital; and many more!
We will conclude the day with business drinks at the newly opened Holland Casino Utrecht. (Please note that places are limited, and access will be granted based on the order in which registrations for the Conference or Expo were received.)
The 2022 Gaming in Holland Conference will be accompanied by a free-to-attend, two-day product exhibition on June 20-21.
Apart from stands, there will also be interactive product presentations. Please note that on Tuesday, June 21, Einar Waegemaekers, Managing Partner at REAC Solutions, will present his firm's unique cash in/cash out solution for land-based casinos and gaming arcades.
If you are a decision maker in the Dutch land-based gaming sector, this presentation is not to be missed. To further sweeten the deal, free beer and other drinks will be available during the conclusion of Tuesday's proceedings.
As many land-based gaming professionals have already confirmed their attendance on Tuesday, this will be an excellent opportunity to network with your colleagues and peers. Don't miss it!
If you would like to attend the GiH Conference or free-to-attend Expo, please click here to register: https://bit.ly/3LLoTeC
Parliamentary roundtable discussion reveals appetite for additional gambling restrictions
Last week's roundtable discussion on the Dutch Remote Gambling Act further revealed that several parliamentary groups are using the increased visibility of online gambling and the resulting public backlash to impose far-reaching restrictions on the regulated Dutch gambling market.
A notable point of contention in these political maneuverings is (and will be) whether the number of gambling addicts has increased because of the opening of the regulated online market.
Although a suspiciously well-timed article contended that there has been a significant increase (which would have been remarkable as gambling addiction usually takes much longer than a few months to develop), some addiction experts participating in the roundtable discussion, including Prof. Anneke Goudriaan of the University of Amsterdam, expressed doubts whether such an increase had indeed materialized.
At present, no reliable figures on the number of gambling addicts in the Netherlands are available. The number of individuals seeking help for gambling-related disorders is also unclear as the central register that is meant to keep track of addiction treatments in the Netherlands (Landelijk Alcohol en Drugs Informatie Systeem – LADIS) has been temporarily offline due to recent changes in privacy regulations.
However, a legislative amendment will allow LADIS to again collect data from July 1, 2022. Starting in the fall, a reliable (retrospective) overview of the demand for help for gambling-related disorders will once again be available.
Minister Weerwind not in favor of full gambling advertising ban
Despite the unfavorable political climate, Minister Franc Weerwind for Legal Protection has said in response to recent parliamentary questions that he does not intend to move beyond a ban on untargeted gambling advertising and introduce a full ban.
Such a decision would be detrimental to the market channelization target, the Minister said.
Netherlands Gambling Authority publishes new inspection scheme for gaming systems
The Netherlands Gambling Authority has published a new version (2.0) of its inspection scheme for online gaming systems. The new inspection scheme replaces the current version 1.4.
Operators may use the current inspection scheme until October 1, 2022.
Kansino to become main sponsor of AZ Alkmaar
From July 1, 2022, Netherlands-licensed online casino operator Kansino will be the new main sponsor of professional football club AZ Alkmaar. For the next four seasons, the Kansino brand will be visible on the shirt of the first team.
Kansino is owned by Play North Ltd, which is based in Estonia and Malta.
Entain to acquire BetCity for at least €300m
Entain has agreed to acquire Netherlands-licensed operator BetCity for an initial consideration of €300m and an added deferred contingent consideration of up to €550m.
The initial consideration of €300m is payable in cash at completion, with the deferred consideration dependent on future performance. Total consideration will be capped at €850m.
“We are delighted that BetCity is joining Entain and are excited by the significant opportunities in the newly regulated Dutch market,” said Entain CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen. “This acquisition will provide customers with an even better experience as we combine BetCity’s local expertise and brand alongside Entain’s market leading, customer focused platform.”
Following the opening of the regulated Dutch online market, BetCity grew rapidly, reaching an estimated 20% market share during the fourth quarter of 2021.
Entain further said that BetCity’s offering would be highly complementary to its Bwin and Party brands, which are awaiting approval for a license to operate in the Netherlands. This is expected later this year, with the KSA having requested additional documentation as part of the application process
The acquisition is expected to be completed during H2 2022. Melvin Bostelaar, BetCity’s CEO, along with other key members of the leadership team, will remain with the business.
Other news
Several Belgian newspapers have reported that the country's National Lottery has agreed to up its annual remittances to the state by €30m in exchange for a nationwide ban on gambling advertising. Belgium's federal minister of Justice, Vincent Van Quickenborne, has denied the allegations.
The UK Gambling Commission has announced plans to ramp up enforcement if the industry continues to fail to live up to the Commission’s standards.
Bucking international trends, Sweden’s largest opposition party has called for an end to the country’s bonus restrictions and for the breakup of lottery monopoly Svenska Spel.