IDnow a leading provider of Identity Verification-as-a-Service solutions, today announced that it has agreed to acquire identity Trust Management AG, a leading international provider of digital and offline identification solutions from Germany. This is IDnow’s second acquisition in the last six months and marks a significant milestone on IDnow’s path to becoming one of the leading identity platforms in Europe.

identity Trust Management AG has established itself as a key player in the German identity market over the last decade, with a particularly strong reputation and portfolio of clients across the telecommunications and insurance verticals. This transaction will further expand the portfolio of verification methods offered via the IDnow platform. The combined product portfolio will offer one of the broadest sets of identity verification methods available in the European market, ranging from automated to human-assisted and from purely online to point-of-sale. All these methods will be made available via the unified IDnow platform.

For the last few years, IDnow’s success has been fueled by strong organic growth and an increasing demand for digital solutions in the market. The acquisition of identity Trust Management AG will allow IDnow to expand into new industry verticals and provide its services to a broader customer base throughout Germany and beyond.

“identity Trust Management AG has built an impressive company both in terms of product portfolio and client relationships,” said Andreas Bodczek, CEO at IDnow. “We have known the leadership team for years and have established a partnership rooted in deep loyalty and mutual understanding. We are excited to welcome identity Trust Management AG’s talented team to the IDnow family and look forward to combining the strengths of both companies to create a unified, market-leading brand.”

“This combination unites the power of IDnow’s innovative technology with identity Trust Management AG’s diverse set of capabilities to create a differentiated identity verification platform,” said Uwe Stelzig, CEO at identity Trust Management AG. “Together, we will be well-positioned to achieve our joint vision of providing clients with a unique, one-stop solution for identity verification.”

IDnow will retain identity Trust Management AG’s Düsseldorf location as well as its employees.

Gernot Blümel, the Finance Minister of Austria, has announced a wide-ranging overhaul of the country’s gambling regulatory framework, that will see player protection controls ramped up, new transparency requirements introduced, and a new supervisory authority formed.

The Austrian Treasury is currently responsible for licensing and enforcement of gambling regulations, but the new authority will take charge of these duties.

Blümel said that the key focus of this new regulator will be player protection, necessitating a series of new controls on legal and illegal gambling.

“Player protection is of particular importance, as gambling is a very sensitive area for players, their families and for society, which also carries considerable risks,” he explained.

“Players are often affected by addiction and as a consequence confronted with financial, psychological and existential issues.”

As a result, the regulator will be tasked with establishing a national self-exclusion system covering online and land-based gambling.

It will also be expected to step up enforcement activity against unlicensed operators and will have the power to order internet service providers to block access to these sites.

paysafecard, part of leading integrated payments platform Paysafe, has become the Premium Partner of A1 esports League Austria, the country’s largest esports league.

The A1 League now has more than 15,000 participants and offers esports challenges across several top titles such as League of Legends, Brawl Stars, Clash Royale and VALORANT. 2021 sees the launch of a Pro Series and Amateur Series with a separate stage for up-and-coming players and talents.

The focus of the collaboration between paysafecard and the A1 esports League Austria is on promoting the local esports scene and fan activations in living rooms across the country. The first 200 participants of the A1 esports League Austria will receive a paysafecard voucher to the value of EUR 5 to get started with training right away.

Additionally, paysafecard and A1 esports will regularly organise gaming quizzes via social media during the group phase and provide all fans at home with engaging content. Previous champions of the A1 esports League Austria will be honoured in a dedicated virtual Hall of Fame. The “A1 esports Hall of Fame presented by paysafecard” will be launched and shared on A1esports.at in the coming weeks.

For the league broadcasts, paysafecard and A1 are launching a new second screen offer: the A1 esports paysafecard Challenge. With the challenge, viewers can participate virtually and test their skills online. All participants will be able to take part in weekly gaming and esports quizzes, challenges, raffles and team votes.

“We are very pleased to have partnered with paysafecard, which has long played a part in the global esports industry, for the A1 esports League Austria. With this commitment, we are once again strengthening the focus on the local esports scene and creating additional entertainment for all viewers and fans of the league with the A1 esports paysafecard Challenge,” Marco Harfmann, Director of Marketing Communications at A1, said.

“paysafecard is committed to providing gamers with a quick, convenient and secure payment solution. We are proud of our active contributions to the community over many years. As a market leader in our industry, we enthusiastically support the largest esports league in Austria – bringing two big players together to offer the perfect gaming and payment experience,” Udo Mueller, CEO at paysafecard, said.