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Dutch-language online casinos topping the agenda as key regulatory date arrives
The Netherlands has always been one of gambling’s European heartlands, but it has been pushed right to the top of the iGaming agenda in recent weeks. The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Netherlands regulatory body, officially started processing applications for online gambling licenses 01 April, as the six-month countdown began to the online casino market officially opening on 01 October for operators granted a license. René Jansen is the KSA Chairman, and he anticipates that the body will issue approximately 35 licenses in readiness for the official opening.
A blossoming market
Of course, this is welcome news for would-be operators in the Netherlands. But it also has broader implications for the European casino industry. Research by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) shows that online gambling activity in the Netherlands has escalated dramatically, increasing by 150 percent from less than 500,000 people in 2015 to around 1.2 million in 2019. Revenue has increased even more dramatically, showing more than a tenfold rise, from less than €300 million to more than €3 billion over the same timeframe.
Bringing order out of chaos
The new licensing regulations will seek to bring order to what is currently a chaotic online gambling market. Until now, Holland Casino has held a monopoly on gambling within The Netherlands – at least in theory. The problem has always been that overseas operators have welcomed Dutch players to their online platforms with open arms, and attempting to prevent them has been as fruitful as nailing jelly to a wall – and also as messy.
Since 2019, however, with the new roadmap agreed, the KSA has stepped up compliance monitoring and has not been shy about fining big-name operators. In fact, in 2019 alone, it issued 10 such fines for a total amount of €3.5 million. The message could not be clearer – get in line and apply for a license or stay away from the Netherlands! The KSA has even gone so far as to say that operators who have tried to circumvent the rules in the past, for example by offering Dutch language versions of their platforms, will be pushed to the back of the queue.
Broader market opportunities
Yet therein lies an important distinction. Dutch gamblers and gamblers in the Netherlands are not necessarily the same thing. In fact, of the 23 million Dutch-speakers in the world, approximately one in four live outside the Netherlands. Even the most conservative estimates would place that at more than a million Dutch-speaking casino players living outside the Netherlands, and possibly as many as two million.
The implications are clear – with the average player spending €190 per year, there’s a market worth something in the order of a quarter of a billion Euros per year in revenue just ready and waiting for quick-thinking affiliates. Already, we are seeing early movers like Casino Senpai aiming to fill this gap with content and casino listings aimed specifically at this market.
Opportunities for all
Unlike the situation in some emerging markets, gamblers in the Netherlands are not heavily biased towards any one type of gambling. Sports betting is expected to be the larger part of the market, but not by a significant margin. Casino games are also popular, with roulette attracting the most players, and blackjack close behind it.
These are exciting times for the gambling market in the Netherlands, and the new regulations bring a world of opportunity to operators in all niches. The newly licensed operators will also bring a world of choice to Dutch speaking gamblers, so when 01 October comes around, it should be a day of celebration for all.
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NetBet Extends Its Danish Reach with Multiple Gaming Partnerships
The famous European gambling brand NetBet attained a Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden) license in late February 2024, expanding its global reach in one of Europe’s most developed Internet gaming markets. For its Danish launch, the NetBet platform partnered with top-name provider Pragmatic Play and Push Gaming, bringing titles like Razor Returns, Sweet Bonanza, and Gates of Olympus to Denmark-based game-of-chance aficionados.
While NetBet’s entry into this region got met with a positive reception, the operator headquartered in Malta quickly sought to build on the established momentum by striking multiple gaming partnerships with quality game suppliers with excellent industry standing.
In late March 2024, one of the world’s fastest-growing digital entertainment suppliers, Playson, revealed that it had teamed up with NetBet Denmark to supply the operator’s growth via its varied selection of titles, boasting famed mechanics like Hold and Win.
A week after the Playson agreement, NetBet Denmark’s PR manager, Claudia Georgevici, announced that the company is now in business with 1X2 Network. A day later (April 5th), two new NetBet provider deals became public between Amusnet Gaming and G Games. The first is the former digital arm of brick-and-mortar equipment supplier EGT, which boasts a catalog of over two hundred games, and the latter is the creator of successful slots like El Diablo, Thor’s Egg Hunt, and Cheeky Fruits 6 Deluxe.
The online casino, sports betting, and poker operator closed off an immensely fruitful April, noted by also landing deals with Sweden’s Nolimit City and Malta’s Play’n GO, Stakelogic, and Wazdan.
The Danish Online Gambling Market
In 2012, Denmark chose to regulate interactive gaming and sports betting over the Internet through its Gambling Act, establishing a state-owned monopoly over this sector by the Danish National Lottery – Danske Spil. When that happened, the Danish Gambling Authority, known as Spillemyndigheden, got born.
Post-2012, Denmark quickly became one of the most booming European gaming regions, and the Danish Gambling Authority notes that in the first decade of the existence of this Danish industry, gambling rates have increased by 7%, with much of this rise occurring in the Internet vertical. The country’s remote gambling market gets projected to now produce revenues of $1.16 billion in 2024, displaying a 3.23% yearly rise over the next five years, when it gets projected to hit a market size of $1.36 billion. In 2024, half ($570 million) of the generated revenues should come in from online casinos, with user penetration tallying to 15.5%. Sports betting should bring in $360 million in 2024, and Internet lotteries in Denmark get guessed to rake in $230 million this year.
While these figures are impressive, they represent a slight drop off (per user) compared to this market in 2022 and 2023. Estimates are that the online casino vertical will gradually continue to fall from year to year, but the remote sports betting sphere should hold steady.
Research by the Danish Gaming Authority shows that Danes most participate in lotteries and scratch card gambling, with 13.4% of the population playing these games, compared to 8.6% betting on sports and 4.1% on online casino-style products.
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Zillion Games launches Storm Fruits slot
Zillion Games introduces Storm Fruits, a popular theme among players worldwide, brought to life as a vibrant fruit-themed slot packed with eye-catching animations of lightning and fireworks.
Storm Fruits combines high-volatility excitement with 25 paylines, ensuring thrilling gameplay that appeals to both seasoned players and newcomers. Key features include stacked wilds for increased win potential, giant symbols in free spins mode, and the Hold & Respin feature, where diamonds lock in place for even bigger rewards. Additionally, the Bonus Buy option allows players to jump straight into the action, making for an unforgettable gaming experience.
Add this game to your portfolio and delight your players with Storm Fruits today!
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Soft2Bet celebrates 8th Anniversary with 2-day Gala Dinner and Party in Budapest
To mark this event, Soft2Bet also rewarded three lucky winners with a total prize of €88,888, split into three amounts: €55,555 for first place, €22,222 for second place, and €11,111 for third place.
In his speech, Soft2Bet CEO and Founder Uri Poliavich emphasised that Soft2Bet keeps the spirit of entrepreneurship with which it started in 2016 and, as the group launches the Soft2Bet Invest iGaming Innovation Fund, that “startups are the future” of the iGaming industry.
“We were all at the beginning of our journey once,” Uri added, “and that is why we launched Soft2Bet Invest: only startups can energise an industry that is demanding growth and innovation.”.
Oksana Tsyhankova, Chief Marketing Officer at Soft2Bet, commented: “Today more than ever the entrepreneurial spirit needs support and to be believed in and as we bring together more than 300 of our partners, we celebrate innovation, visionary thinking and new perspectives on the industry!”
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