TOTO to launch online casino offering
Unsurprisingly, current Dutch sports betting monopolist TOTO, part of Nederlandse Loterij, has announced the launch of a proprietary casino online casino brand: TOTO Casino. The operator expects to go live on October 1, as soon as the regulated Dutch online market opens.
From October 1, TOTO expects to operate three separate brands: TOTO Sport (online sports betting), TOTO Casino (online casino), and TOTO Winkel (retail betting).
Even after October 1, TOTO will remain the only operator that is allowed to offer land-based sports betting services in the Netherlands.
Current players must also update their accounts, in accordance with the new online regulations, in order to be able to continue to play online with the operator.
“Italy's gambling advertising ban did not affect market performance”
Italy's gambling advertising ban, which entered into force on January 1, 2019, does not appear to have affected market performance, Gambling Insider writes:
“[B]etting volumes remained constant until February 2020, with online gaming even rising still. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, betting dropped but later soared, while online gaming continued its steady rise. The pandemic demonstrated an immediate impact on the data, whereas the advertising ban did not – nor even did the cut-off point for gambling companies' existing advertising deals at the time.”
However, while overall market performance may have been unaffected, new market entrants may have been shut out to the benefit of established incumbents.
Upcoming events
The following events may be of interest to the GiH community.
Don't miss the 2021 Gaming in Holland Conference on 28 September – only three days before the regulated online market opens!
Kindred Group will host the 6th annual Sustainable Gambling Conference on 5 October. The event will take place online and is free to attend.
Get ready for the 2021 Gaming in Germany Conference, which will take place 25 October at the Grand Hyatt Berlin.
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 scheduled to take place 1 – 3 February, 2022.
Holland Casino strikes four-year sponsorship deal with Dutch professional football leagues
In anticipation of the imminent opening of the Dutch regulated online market, state-owned operator Holland Casino has struck a four-year deal with the country's top-tier football leagues Eredivisie and Keuken Kampioen Divisie to become the leagues’ “responsible betting partner.”
The deal was signed in partnership with broadcast partner ESPN and will begin in time for the 2021-22 season. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.
“This deal gives Holland Casino an enormous reach to interest a wide audience in an attractive, exciting, and, above all, safe and responsible game offering,” said Holland Casino CEO Erwin van Lambaart.
“Regarding responsibility, we want to set an example in the Netherlands, as well as the rest of Europe,” Van Lambaart added.
Holland Casino previously sponsored the Eredivisie between 2002 and 2005.
Other news
Following the earlier appointment of Esther Ballart as Managing Director, Netherlands-based testing outfit Trisigma has now also appointed John van Schaijk as its new Business Development Manager.
Flutter-owned betting exchange Betfair will no longer serve Dutch residents from September 30.
The UK government is currently considering a ban on sports shirt sponsorship and VIP programs for gambling operators.
Bwin has extended its sponsorship arrangements with five German Bundesliga clubs, maintaining a strong foothold in the country’s sports betting sector.
DraftKings has agreed a $1.56bn all-stock deal to acquire Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG). The new deal will see DraftKings expand meaningfully into the online casino segment.
Flutter Entertainment has reported a 30% year-on-year pro forma revenue rise in constant currency to £3bn for the first half of 2021.
US broadcaster NBC Sports has established a new division to streamline its development efforts in betting, gaming, and other areas.
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