Industry News
Fines from the Kansspelautoriteit
A few weeks ago we wrote about the evolution of the UK Gambling Comission. Now, let’s take a look at the Netherlands. So far, 2019 has been a lucrative year for the ‘Kansspelautoriteit’, the Dutch gaming authority. All fines were raised, and 11 casinos received such a fine. In 2018, a total of 1.9 million euros was collected in fines; this year, more than 3.5 million has been collected to date. It seems that the Dutch gaming authority is cleaning house before the legalization of online gaming takes off in January 2021. By the time the newly adopted gambling law is in effect, only casinos and gaming websites with a license from the Kansspelautoriteit can offer their services to Dutch citizens. This is good news for the Dutch: unreliable providers of online games are cracked down on and will later be excluded from the market altogether.
To maximize its effectiveness, the Kansspelautoriteit prioritizes websites that overtly offer their services to Dutch players. According to its own rules, the gaming authority watches for availability to Dutch players, offering the Dutch language on the website or appealing to Dutch players through imagery, and including the exclusively Dutch payment option iDeal. Although many other websites are still accessible to Dutch players, those websites that do not overtly cater to the Dutch market are not the priority for the Kansspelautoriteit.
Which online casinos were fined in 2019?
So far, 9 casinos were fined in 2019. The first fine this year came in February. Exinvest and 1X Corp were fined 400,000 euros. The gambling sites from these enterprises could be accessed from Dutch IP addresses, they offered the payment service iDeal, and used Dutch language on their websites. After a thorough research, it turned out these providers offered 83 other online casinos.
Well-known Casumo was fined in April. This provider, too, was available from Dutch IP addresses and offered the iDeal payment method. The terms and conditions explained that players from the Netherlands could not create a player account, which in practice proved to pose no problems at all. Casumo was fined 310,000 euros.
Casino.com also received a fine in April: this provider had to pay 200,000 euros for offering online games to the Dutch market. Because the company was fined before, the initial fine was doubled. Casino.com was also fined 50,000 euros for charging excessive administrative fees for inactive players. The total amount charged was 450,000 euros.
In June, the Kansspelautoriteit assessed provider Simbat and promotor Spinity. Simbat received a 270,000 euro fine for offering online gambling games. Spinity didn’t offer any such games itself, but was fined 100,000 euros for promoting these games.
BWin followed in August. Their fine totaled 350,000 euros and was based on offering online gambling opportunities to Dutch players, depositing money into a player account using iDeal, and offering live betting options.
The ‘award’ for highest fine goes to Unibet. Their website offered Dutch players the opportunity to place live sports bets and casino games. This provider, too, offered the iDeal payment method, and their customer support through live chat had a Dutch language option. The total fine was 470,000 euros.
The second to last fine to date went to The Stars Group, known for the online poker lobby Pokerstars. The Kansspelautoriteit fined TSG 400,000 euros for offering online games for real money. Although poker is seen as a game of skill rather than a game of chance, Dutch law does not make this distinction. The highest judicial power in the Netherlands ruled poker a game of chance in 1998.
In October, the Kansspelautoriteit announced fines for Royal Panda and LeoVegas. Both of these websites were available from Dutch IP addresses and offered the iDeal payment option. Royal Panda was fined 400,000 euros, whereas LeoVegas got off with a ‘mere’ 350,000 euros.
Raising the fines
To strengthen the efforts of the Kansspelautoriteit, fines were raised to further deter websites from offering their games to the Dutch market. The base payment went up from 150,000 euros to 200,000 euros. The final fine depends on a number of circumstances:
- The number of active websites
- The number of available games
- The presence of live betting options
- The amount in the jackpot or prize pool
- How much can be deposited or bet
- The size of a welcome bonus or other promotions and the presence of a VIP program
- Charging administrative fees to inactive players
- Providing false information to players about gambling licenses
When a casino offers live betting options (betting while a match is going on), the base fine is always raised by 75,000 euros. The same amount applies to providing false information about gambling licenses and charging administrative fees for inactive players. The current fine policy can be viewed here (Dutch).
The Kansspelautoriteit announced more measures going forward; the entire fining policy is projected to be overhauled.
Industry News
Pronet Gaming Appoints Alex Karaoulis as its New Commercial & Product Strategy Lead
Pronet Gaming, an award-winning platform provider of full turnkey solutions, announced the appointment of Alexandros Karaoulis as its new Commercial & Product Strategy Lead.
With over 14 years of experience in the iGaming industry, Karaoulis brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will be instrumental in driving the company’s strategic initiatives forward.
Throughout his iGaming career, Karaoulis has held various senior roles with B2B sportsbook and casino providers, as well as with B2C operators. His extensive background in marketing and sales within the iGaming sector positions him as a true industry expert, ensuring that Pronet Gaming remains at the forefront of innovation in a rapidly evolving market.
“I am thrilled to join Pronet Gaming and excited to fulfill my role in developing and executing sales strategies to drive the company’s revenue growth in key markets,” Karaoulis said.
With a track record in commercial strategies and driving product excellence, Karaoulis’ appointment is invaluable as Pronet Gaming now seeks to expand its footprint to Asia. His vision and deep understanding of the iGaming landscape equip him to navigate the unique challenges and opportunities that the dynamic region presents.
“I want Pronet Gaming to lead the iGaming revolution by providing innovative, culturally tailored solutions that cater to the diverse and rapidly growing demands of the region. Through strategic partnerships, cutting-edge technology, and a deep understanding of local markets, we aim to empower operators to offer world-class gaming experiences that engage players and drive sustainable growth,” he added.
According to Karaoulis, Pronet Gaming is poised to make a splash in Asia by leveraging its advanced technology, flexible platform solutions and deep market expertise while adapting to the unique characteristics of the region.
“The key differentiation point of Pronet Gaming is that we have B2C experience, which greatly aids in understanding the needs of operators and helping them to improve and execute their strategy according to the market. I have worked in B2C roles for more than seven years in my iGaming Career and managed campaigns across various channels, optimised conversion funnels, and learned to use data to improve player acquisition and retention,” said Karaoulis.
Karaoulis acknowledges that the marketing skills he has acquired from B2C experience are valuable in every B2B environment. As he dives into his new role at Pronet Gaming, Karaoulis aims to guide his operator clients on how to better market their own sites, including providing them with advice on effective acquisition strategies, content marketing and campaign structures that appeal to iGaming audiences.
“I also focus heavily on engagement strategies, loyalty programs, bonuses, and personalised offers to keep players active and returning. In my new B2B role, I will advise clients on best practices for player engagement, helping them adopt effective loyalty programs, personalised marketing, and retention tactics that drive player lifetime value to improve the end-player experience for our clients’ sites,” Karaoulis added.
Industry News
Vbet Wins Best Online Casino Operator 2024 at SiGMA Europe 2024
Vbet has been crowned the Best Online Casino Operator 2024 at the highly coveted SiGMA Europe event, cementing its position as a leader in the online gaming industry.
This achievement highlights Vbet’s commitment to providing an exceptional user experience by combining cutting-edge technology with a vast range of options and a secure process. The dedication to creating a responsible, enjoyable environment for players was recognised with this award, making this accolade even more significant. As Vbet continue to expand into new markets, the list of strategic partnerships grows alongside our constant drive to expand its offering. This award serves as a stepping stone on its path to reach more players and set new standards in the industry.
Arman Khachatryan, VBET’s Managing Director, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive the Best Online Casino Operator award at SiGMA Europe 2024. This recognition is a testament to the hard work, passion, and effort of our entire team. Our mission has always been to deliver the highest quality experience in the safest environment possible to our users. This award not only recognizes our dedication to this mission but also motivates us to continue expanding into new markets and territories.”
Industry News
ICE Barcelona to deliver razor-sharp focus on LatAm and evolving Brazilian Market
January’s first edition of ICE Barcelona will feature a programme of content, discussions and C-suite networking curated specifically to meet the needs of the new regulated market in Brazil and the broader opportunities which exist in Latin America.
Living up to its reputation for being the business-to-business event which is at the forefront of industry developments across both regulation and emerging technologies ICE 2025 will feature a three day program which is dedicated to all aspects of the market in Brazil including regulation, compliance and the adoption of new technologies including the use of biometric recognition in relation to age verification and consumer protection.
Announcing the program and confirming ICE Barcelona’s role as the meeting place for international decision-makers and stakeholders, Clarion Gaming Managing Director Stuart Hunter said: “ICE was recently described in trade media as being the most important gaming event on the ‘planet’ and I believe that the show will live-up to that accolade when we welcome the world industry to our new Barcelona home in January.
“Some industry events place a strong emphasis on the past but for ICE our focus is unashamedly on the future. To this end we have been working closely with colleagues and stakeholders in Latin America to ensure that ICE is on the front foot bringing together the lawmakers, regulatory bodies, thought leaders, operators, innovators and technology providers all of whom have an important role to play in developing the market infrastructure.”
He added: “The importance of LatAm will be evident from the very start of ICE Barcelona when Vicente Fox, the former President of Mexicoheadlines the World Regulatory Briefing taking place Monday 20 January when he will address the topic of ‘Regulation and Revitalisation’ and the requirements needed to balance economic growth with community protection.
“A critic of the populist movements sweeping the region, he will outline his business-centric approach to the development of Mexico, and why he favours casinos as a tax benefit to reduce Mexico’s dependence on unpredictable oil income, and for heling to grow the local tourism industry. The keynote reflects the importance of Latin America as a leading voice in the global gambling industry and represents a major coup for ICE Barcelona.”
“The following day we will be staging a seminar which will cover the very latest business-critical information on the market in Brazil which will be supplemented by sessions focussed on Latin America. On the closing day the LatAm sessions will address the key issue of responsible gambling including the ground-breaking use of biometrics which will be of huge interest to regulators and operators from throughout the world.”
He concluded: “In all of the extensive research that we undertake in order to identify the most important issues impacting the business Brazil and Latin America consistently top the list. By attending ICE Barcelona gaming industry professionals will be able to connect with the main players, learn everything they need to know about doing business in Latin America and find the right organisations to collaborate with. For anyone with an interest in Latin America and in particular the Brazilian iGaming market ICE Barcelona is undoubtedly the place to be.”
For more information on the world’s greatest gathering of gaming professionals and to register: icegaming.com
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