Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with its Portuguese sister organisation, Associaço Portuguesa de Apostas e Jogos Online (APAJO).

According to the provisions of the agreement, the two organisations will work together to facilitate channelling and responsible online gaming in both nations.

Peter-Paul de Goei, managing director of NOGA, said: “We are excited about our new partnership with APAJO. The Portuguese market is comparable to the Dutch market but lies years ahead with the regulation of the online market.

“We intend to frequently exchange market information and learn from best practices. Our cooperation with APAJO will benefit us hugely in jointly developing the Dutch online gambling market with all local stakeholders.

“We are confident that this step will eventually also add to an organic regulatory growth towards harmonisation of gambling regulation in the EU.”

According to NOGA and APAJO, such collaboration and knowledge sharing are necessary for countries to benefit from each other’s experiences and, as a result, avoid traditional pitfalls.

The partnership will also provide a shared exchange of knowledge and the sharing of local best practices in order to help the two countries develop a stable, safe, and stable online gambling market.

Gabino Oliveira, president of APAJO, said: “We very much welcome the initiative taken by NOGA to lift the so far unofficial exchange of data and facts to the next level and launch an institutionalised regular cooperation.

“Although we see the social, economic and historical specificities of each EU Member State reflected in local gambling regulations, we are nonetheless all Europeans, and as such, there is an extensive common ground when it comes to online gambling-related topics like consumer protection, sports integrity, or advertising and data protection standards.”

The licenses will enable FansUnite to serve as a B2C gambling operator and a B2B technology provider in the U.K. marketplace

FansUnite Entertainment Inc. announced that its subsidiaries, Askott Entertainment (Malta) Limited and E.G.G. Ltd., have filed applications for both Business-toBusiness (“B2B”) and Business-to-Consumer (“B2C”) gambling licenses, respectively with the U.K. Gambling Commission (“Gambling Commission”).

The U.K. Gambling Commission was set up under the Gambling Act 2005 to regulate commercial gambling in Great Britain in partnership with licensing authorities.

As part of FansUnite’s expansion strategy, the Company has applied for a remote gambling software license, which will unlock its suite of betting products to operators in the U.K. online gambling market. In addition, EGG Ltd. has applied for a remote betting license which will permit it to deploy its B2C wagering platforms in the United Kingdom.

These applications represent a critical step for FansUnite to expand its operations to the U.K., a jurisdiction that is considered to be one of the largest gambling markets in the world.

“The U.K. gambling licenses are widely regarded as the gold standard for lawful gaming operations and we are pleased to have formally submitted our application with the commission,” said Scott Burton, Chief Executive Officer of FansUnite. “The first step to our expansion in the U.K. is to obtain the relevant licenses from the country’s Gambling Commission, which will allow us to license our betting solutions as well as operate our B2C betting platforms in the United Kingdom. By doing so, we will be in a position to advance our operations to capture market share in one of the most lucrative online betting markets in the world.”

After signing a law on the legalization of gambling, Ukraine moved closer to regulation’s European gambling market standards. Parimatch received the first official Ukrainian permission for a license for betting activities in Ukraine.

On August 13, the law on the legalization of the gambling market came into force – one of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s promises to the people of Ukraine. After 11 years, the gambling business emerged from the shadows, and the state finally brought the country’s betting industry regulations in line with those of Europe.

Parimatch became the first licensed operator in Ukraine. The license allows the company to legally provide betting services, casinos, and poker, which will generate tax revenues to the state budget. The Ukrainian license became the 5th for the international holding Parimatch.

Restarting the gambling market according to European standards will catalyze the inflow of international investments into the country. Parliamentarians have already stated that in 2021 alone, the budget of Ukraine expects about 255 million euros in revenues from the gambling industry. The state will direct the money received from the sale of licenses to support socially significant areas such as medicine, culture, and sports. The influx of foreign investors also contributes to developing of technologies that will give Ukraine the impetus to compete in the international entertainment market.

“Work still remains to be done on reforming tax legislation before the Ukrainian market becomes attractive to foreign investors. Taxation should be transparent and logical so that it doesn’t create additional obstacles for foreign investors. At this stage, the cost of licenses for various types of gambling activities is so high that, together with taxation, it does not make investments in the nascent Ukrainian market attractive. So Ukraine could lose the competition in terms of investment to other countries. Under favorable legal conditions, specialist market capacity and qualifications will allow Ukraine to become a gaming hub for the Eastern Europe region. Like Malta and Manila, Ukraine now has the potential to become a center of expertise for gambling entertainment.” – Managing Partner of Parimatch Holding Maksym Liashko