New speakers announced for 2023 Gaming in Holland Conference
We are already looking forward to the 2023 Gaming in Holland Conference, which will take place June 8, 2023, at the KIT Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam!
We have now published a preliminary agenda for the event, which includes the following confirmed speakers:
René Jansen, Chair, Netherlands Gambling Authority
Pontus Lindwall, CEO, Betsson Group
Fedor Meerts, Department Head Integrity and Gambling, Ministry of Justice & Security
Floor van Bakkum, Manager Prevention, Jellinek – Arkin
Björn Fuchs, Chief Digital Officer, Janshen-Hahnraths Group
Maarten Haijer, Secretary General, European Gaming & Betting Association
We are particularly pleased with the presence of Van Bakkum, one of the leading voices in gambling addiction prevention in the Netherlands. We are already looking forward to a constructive discussion on the topics of prevention and duty of care!
Other conference topics include:
Advertising & marketing restrictions
Market data & expected market developments
Responsible gaming solutions & compliance
The future of land-based gambling
And much more!
The 2023 Gaming in Holland Conference will be THE place to meet key decision makers and to network with peers, policy experts, and other stakeholders.
Don't miss it! Register today: https://bit.ly/3KTZKA8
Betsson: Dutch remote license delay caused by changes to control database requirements
Betsson, in its recently released 2022 Annual and Sustainability report, briefly addressed its ongoing efforts to acquire a Dutch remote gambling license. So far, the license application process has taken more than a year, the operator acknowledged:
“Betsson's operational subsidiaries filed their licence applications with the Dutch regulator (KSA) in the first quarter [of 2022]. The application review period was expected to take up to six months but due to requests for additional information and the introduction of changes to the control database component (CDB), the review period has been delayed.”
Last month, Netherlands Gambling Authority Chair, René Jansen revealed that Betsson is not the only remote license applicant that is facing delays because of difficulties with setting up a compliant control database. “We see many applicants struggling with getting their control database set up correctly,” Jansen said. “In some cases, it has even proven to be a showstopper.”
More details will undoubtedly be revealed at the upcoming 2023 Gaming in Holland Conference, which will feature Betsson CEO, Pontus Lindwall as one of its keynote speakers.
Upcoming events
The following event(s) may be of interest to the GiH community.
The 2023 Gaming in Spain Conference, which will take place in Madrid on May 18, 2023. Confirmed speakers include both the current and former leadership of Spain's national regulator DGOJ. Registration is now open!
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!
VAN Kansspelen finds new chair in experienced public administrator
Trade association VAN Kansspelen, which represents the interests of Dutch land-based slot machine operators has appointed Henry Meijdam as its new chair.
Meijdam (61) previously served as Provincial Delegate on behalf of political group VVD, as mayor of Zaanstad and Lelystad, and as Director of Interprovinciaal Overleg (IPO) – which represents the joint interests of the Dutch provinces. Meijdam succeeded interim chair Aad Kobus.
Meijdam: “The sector is buzzing and its entrpreneurs are proud of their profession. I am looking forward to taking on the challenge of increasing the visibility of both the sector and the professional pride of its individual members. As Chair, I would like to listen to and work with the members of VAN Kansspelen. They face important issues and I would gladly commit to their cause. Many people enjoy what we have to offer. We would like to provide our customers with a modern product that combines fun with responsibility.”
Other news
The owners of betFIRST, Belgium's third largest betting operator, are reportedly looking to sell their company. BetFIRST is controlled by the privately-owned media group IPM.
Dutch advertising standards authority Reclame Code Commissie has upheld a complaint against lottery operator Postcode Loterij for being insufficiently clear in its advertising regarding the terms and conditions for receiving a welcome gift.
The Swedish government has increased the funding of the country's gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen as part of an ongoing clampdown on illegal gambling.
In addition, Swedish-licensed operators have expressed support for a levy increase to help fund the country's regulator, in the hope that this would facilitate communications between Spelinspektionen and individual operators.
Flutter Entertainment is reportedly looking to hire former Kellogg Company President and CEO John Bryant as its next chairman, as the FTSE100 gambling group finalizes its path towards a dual US listing.
Scott Benton, a Conservative MP, has been suspended by his party after he was offered a paid advisory role by undercover reporters posing as gambling industry investors.