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Outcry over gambling industry's involvement in discussions on advertising restrictions

Jacks.nl signs sponsorship deal with Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix

Jacks.nl, the online brand of JVH gaming & entertainment Group, has signed a sponsorship agreement with the Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix. Starting with the 2024 edition, Jacks.nl will be included among the “event supporters” of the Netherlands’ premier racing event.


Currently, JVH Group is already the main sponsor of the annual Racing Day event at the TT Assen racetrack.


Jan Lammers, Sporting Director of the Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix, commented: “With Jacks.nl, we welcome a great Event Supporter with a passion for motorsports. The company will be a more than fitting addition to the Dutch Grand Prix family, whose sponsorship will certainly give a new dimension to our visitors' experience during the week-long event in Zandvoort.”


Because of the ban of online gambling sponsorships from July 1, 2025, it appears likely that JVH's land-based brand, Jack's Casino, will assume responsibility for the sponsorship deal after 2024.


Mindway AI announces partnership with BetCity

Mindway AI, a leading provider of responsible gambling solutions, announced a new partnership with Netherlands-licensed operator BetCity.nl.


Through this partnership, BetCity.nl will gain access to Mindway AI's GameScanner early detection system. By utilizing real-time data and behavioral insights, BetCity.nl can proactively intervene and provide personalized support to at-risk players, fostering a greater culture of responsible gambling.


BetCity's Head of Responsible Gaming Development & Research, Iris den Boer said: "We are excited to partner with Mindway AI. By being able to detect problematic behavior in an early stage, we can now contribute to our responsible gaming mission even better.”


Sweden's National Audit Office to review effectiveness of Spelinspektionen

The Swedish National Audit Office has announced it intends to review the effectiveness of gambling regulator Spelinspektionen’s supervision of the gaming market.


The audit office said it intends to do so due to the changing regulatory conditions in the Swedish gambling market that have followed the introduction of new regulation into the sector.


The announced audit of Spelinspektionen appears to have been previously unscheduled and may be related to falling market channelization rates.


Upcoming events

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

  • The 2023 Gaming in Germany Conference has been scheduled to take place October 16, 2023, in Berlin. Benjamin Schwanke, Co-Chair of Germany federal gambling regulator, GGL, will be the event's keynote speaker.

  • An estimated 15,000 visitors will attend the SBC Summit Barcelona, which is scheduled to take place September 19-21. The event will feature 450 speakers and over 350 exhibitors.

Outcry over gambling industry's involvement in discussions on advertising restrictions

An investigation by Dutch public broadcaster NOS revealed that four licensed gambling operators and three trade associations were involved in the Ministry of Justice and Security's deliberations on new gambling advertising restrictions “until the last minute.” By contrast, only a single knowledge center specialized in addiction issues was involved to a somewhat similar degree.


The apparent imbalance led to a wave of predictable criticism, including the remarkable accusation that the financial interests of gambling operators had trumped the interests of vulnerable and at-risk players. Curiously, this accusation assumes that the Ministry of Justice and Security would be somehow in thrall to commercial enterprises that together make up only a relatively small part of the overall Dutch economy.


Obviously, it is far likelier that civil servants at the Ministry sincerely believed that some degree of advertising is necessary to maintain the conditions for a well-regulated legal market in the absence of effective tools to shut down overseas illegal operators.


In this regard, it should also be noted that the recent ban on untargeted advertising for online gambling services almost completely met the demands of player protection advocates. It does not necessarily appear reasonable to have 90% of your demands met, and then demand a 50-50 compromise on the remaining 10%. Under these circumstances, an overrepresentation of the gambling industry in the final stages of the discussion does not seem out of place. No nefarious intent needs to be assumed.


What this episode predominantly illustrates, however, is the extent to which the public debate on gambling policy in the Netherlands is being dominated by arguments that veer dangerously close to conspiracy-theory territory.


Other news

Novomatic Netherlands has announced that Karin den Dunnen will succeed Jos van den Borne as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer (CFO).


The 2023 FIFA World Cup has led to a remarkable rise in betting activity by female gamblers, data from Entain show.


According to German gambling regulator GGL, Malta's Bill 55, which protects MGA-licensed operators against German player claims, is incompatible with EU law.

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