Central Europe
Slovakia plans on adopting a new gambling law

Slovakia has recently submitted a new draft legislation to the European Commission that aims to introduce some major changes in the way the country regulates the gambling industry. Joining the recent trend that has swept throughout Europe, Slovakia aims to liberalize the gambling market with the new draft and effectively make it easier for international companies to offer their services to the Slovakian market. The draft Act on Gambling was submitted to EC by the Slovak Ministry of Finance on July 25, 2018. EC has three months to review the proposal, during which time the draft will be in a standstill, meaning it will not be able to take effect.
The new draft lets the state keep monopoly over some gambling activities while allowing international companies to enter the market in others
As reported by Casinopånett.eu, similarly to what Sweden is planning, Slovakia will allow the national provider – Tipos, to maintain its monopoly in certain parts of the industry, like the provision of online lottery and bingo. On the other hand, international companies will be able to offer the customers online casino games but to do so they will have to obtain licenses from the regulators. The authorities have been open about the fact that they are actively studying the experience of other European countries with similar matters to base their decisions on. Representatives from the government commented that the regulators want to take “the technological progress and the findings of regulatory authorities in other European countries into account more fully.”
Some of the other changes considered in the draft include allowing Slovak municipalities more authority when it comes to regulating gambling activities. It will be up to the judgment of local authorities to determine whether to allow land-based gambling activity on their territories or not. This piece of legislation might appease the critics of the gambling industry. Furthermore, the draft proposes establishing a separate regulatory body to oversee the gambling industry. The Regulatory Office of Gambling will be tasked with this as well as issuing the licenses to the companies.
The authorities see the deregulation as a second wave after the country cracked down on illegal gambling providers. Peter Papanek, who is the head of the Association of Betting Companies of the Slovak Republic commented: “The state began blocking illegal companies. But that was only the first step. Now comes the second, clear rules for everyone – anyone who wants to offer online casino games will be able to do so if they meet the prescribed conditions.” Furthermore, he emphasized the need of liberalization as a means to stifle the illegal activities saying: “Experience from abroad shows that, if the state wants to intervene against tax evasion and illegal gambling, it must go through the liberalisation of the market and the setting of fair conditions, inter alia, to motivate operators to operate legally.”
The Remote Gaming Association criticizes the new draft
RGA has openly expressed that the new draft will attract more international operators, which is good for the industry. On the other hand, the organization would have liked the draft to go even further with its liberal approach. For example, RGA commented that the proposed licensing fees would be almost ten times higher than those of the neighboring countries, which would put Slovakia at a competitive disadvantage and discourage many international operators from entering the market. Furthermore, the organization criticized the fact that the issue of sports betting licenses is delayed for a year after the rest of the market is deregulated. “We argue that this provision is discriminatory against European companies, is not based on sound public-policy objectives, and is effectively aimed to protect local sports betting licensees from competition,” – Pierre Tournier, the RGA’s director of government relations commented on the issue.
Full article available here: https://casinopånett.eu/nyheter/slovakia-planlegger-ny-gamblinglov/
Central Europe
FeedConstruct Extends Partnership with Czech Handball and Expands Content Portfolio

FeedConstruct, a noted real-time data and digital content provider, is excited to announce the extension of its partnership with the Czech Handball Men’s Extraleague. This updated partnership comes with a significant expansion of content offerings, enriching the handball experience for fans worldwide.
According to the partnership, besides Czech Handball Men’s Extraleague, FeedConstruct will now also cover Czech Handball Men’s Cup and Women’s Cup matches, starting from the quarter-final stage of these prestigious tournaments. This promises to bring more thrilling handball action and insights.
Here’s a quick overview of the key details:
- Tournament Schedule: The Czech Handball Men’s Extraleague runs from August 31 to May, while the Czech Handball Men’s Cup and Women’s Cup take place from September to March.
- Exclusive Coverage: FeedConstruct will hold the exclusive data coverage rights for the Czech Handball Men’s Extraleague and both video and data rights for the Czech Handball Men’s Cup and Women’s Cup.
- Number of Teams: The Men’s Extraleague features 13 teams, while the Men’s and Women’s Cups include 8 teams each from the quarter-final round.
- Extensive Match Coverage: The upcoming season will witness an impressive lineup of over 200 matches for the Men’s Extraleague and a total of 14 exciting matches for the Men’s and Women’s Cups.
Czech Handball is getting ready for the 2023/24 season, which promises some intense competitions. Teams are not only trying to win local championships but also looking to qualify for international tournaments like the EHF Europa League and European Cup. In the men’s competitions, watch out for Talent Plzen, the current champion, and HCB Karviná, who have won 12 times. In the women’s matches, Slavia Prague is ready to challenge Banik Most, the three-time CZ Handball Women’s Cup winner. It’s going to be an exciting season with lots of competition!
With this partnership prolongation and expanded content, FeedConstruct looks forward to delivering an enhanced and immersive handball experience.
Central Europe
STS Gains Advertising Rights for UEFA Europa League

STS, the Polish sports betting company that was acquired by Entain in August, will be able to activate advertising rights for the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League in Poland.
The acquisition was announced on 13 June, with a £750m ($946.3m) proposed fee to purchase the sportsbook operator.
As Entain is already partnered with UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League, the rights can subsequently be activated by STS.
These will include localised marketing activities and services that can be used from the first round of matches.
Paweł Rabantek, CMO of STS, said: “STS has for years been the best-known and most recognisable brand among bookmaker companies in Poland.
“The possibility of synergy in marketing activities after the takeover by Entain brings a number of benefits for us, which will allow, among other things, to strengthen this position.
“I am glad that we have been able to implement all the advertising benefits possible for both the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League from the first match day.”
STS is also the largest private entity in the domestic sponsorship market, being the official sponsor of the Polish national football team, Raków Częstochowa, Korona Kielce, GKS Katowice, Jagiellonia Białystok, Zagłębie Lubin, Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała and Widzew Łódź, as well as the Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle volleyball team.
Rabantek added: “At the same time, I can already announce that the benefits of the partnership will also be perceivable to fans and our customers, including through the opportunity to win tickets through attractive promotional campaigns we plan.”
Central Europe
Edict eGaming Celebrates 25th Anniversary

The Hamburg-based company edict egaming GmbH (edict) has celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Founded in 1998 and thus launched as one of the pioneers in online gaming, the developer of casino solutions is today one of the world’s leading industry aggregators. On 7 September, around 100 guests gathered in Hamburg’s Altona district to celebrate the 25th anniversary together. During a harbour tour and dinner, employees, friends and long-standing partners looked back on the company’s history.
Edict egaming GmbH’s CEO Dominic-Daniel Liénard said: “To celebrate this anniversary with so many of you who have been part of this journey is a very special moment for me. Our 25th anniversary is not only a special opportunity to acknowledge our enduring presence in the market and our extensive network of reliable partners, but also to thank our employees who have made this success possible in the first place.”
Since its foundation, edict egaming GmbH has set a number of milestones, starting in 2002 with the development of the first online casino systems in Germany for the casinos in Wiesbaden and Hamburg, edict became the first licensed provider worldwide to stream roulette from a landbased casino on the internet. 2014 saw the introduction of the Game Solution, which enables customers worldwide to integrate the broad games portfolio. In addition, edict has been part of the Gauselmann Group since 2008. Since then, the company has licensed the popular Merkur games in the individual jurisdictions and delivered them via its proprietary Aggregator Solutions to a variety of casino and sports betting platforms.
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