Connect with us

Latest News

BOS op-ed: “Svenska Spel’s betting company must be sold by the state”

Published

on

Reading Time: 4 minutes

 

Dagens Nyheter – Sweden’s largest morning paper – today published an op-ed signed Gustaf Hoffstedt, Secretary General of The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling. Hoffstedt is urging the government to sell the betting and online casino part of the governmental gambling operator Svenska Spel.

We are pleased to bring you the English version of the editorial which you can read in full below:

Sell Svenska Spel

Since 2019, Sweden has had a licensing system for gambling companies. Anyone who wants to operate in the Swedish gambling market must have a state license. As of 2019, there are two types of gambling markets; partly a monopoly that mainly offers lotteries, for example, the popular Trisslotten. In this market, private profitmaking gambling companies are not allowed to operate. Partly a commercial competitive gambling market that mainly offers online casinos and betting, for example betting on horses and football. In this market, private commercial gambling companies can apply for and be awarded a license to operate in the Swedish gambling market.

Through Svenska Spel, the state is active in both of these markets, but now the time has come to divest Svenska Spel Sport & Casino, i.e. the part of the company that is active in the commercial, competitive gambling market.

Around 70 gambling companies are fighting for market share in the part of the gambling market that is open to competition and offers online casinos as well as betting on horses, football, other sports, and even who will win the next parliamentary election or Schlagerfestivalen. One of these companies is stateowned: Svenska Spel. It is difficult to find arguments for continued government commercial involvement in that market.

Normally, the state usually engages in business activities when the market itself has failed, above all in terms of competition. There may be too few players in a market and the few that exist may have too dominant a position for competition to function. Then the state steps in as a commercial actor with the ambition of countering that market failure. However, no one who has followed developments in the Swedish gambling market can claim that there is too little competition between the 70 companies that operate in competitive gambling. Competition is fierce and would remain so even in the absence of the state as a commercial casino operator and bookmaker in betting.

Another argument for conducting stateowned commercial gambling activities could be a desire to act as an example for all other companies on the market, for example in not producing as much gambling advertising as the competitors. Anyone who has followed Svenska Spel’s marketing since the reregulation knows, however, that the company is one of Sweden’s largest advertisers in all categories, i.e. including gambling but also other large advertising buyers such as grocers and car manufacturers. Svenska Spel’s extensive advertising purchases rather force the private gambling companies to make larger advertising purchases on their part than would otherwise have been the case.

“A stateowned gambling company that operates in direct competition with others is, in principle, like any other gambling company,” says the government investigation from 2017, which was the basis for the Swedish reregulation of the gambling market. That’s exactly how it is; Svenska Spel Sport & Casino has exactly the same license as other gambling companies. They follow exactly the same responsible gambling regulations, and they do it no better or worse than their competitors. They pay exactly the same gambling tax as all other gambling companies. Therefore, the logical consequence already became apparent to the Gambling License Investigation six years ago: “The conclusion is, according to the investigation, that the best alternative would be to divest the competition part.” [A reregulated gaming market, SOU 2017:30, p. 34]

So the only remaining question is why hasn’t the company been sold yet?

Perhaps an argument for keeping the company under state auspices could be its return to the state. But the idea is of course not for the company to be liquidated, but on the contrary to be sold to the highest bidder and then continue to be run, albeit privately. With the same requirement to pay gambling tax.

Not entirely surprisingly, there is a classic division here between political parties on the right and the left. Parties on the left view positively that the state owns companies and runs businesses, while parties on the right do not. This is also the case in this matter, and before the reregulation, the center-right parties had to waive stricter demands for the divestment of Svenska Spel Sport & Casino in order for the Social Democratled government to agree to introduce the gambling license system we have today.

Now that time is over and we have a new government, which together with the Sweden Democrats forms a majority in the Riksdag. The moderates have long advocated a divestment of Svenska Spel Sport & Casino, as have the Sweden Democrats. The voters who have given the center-right parties the power to rule Sweden have very reasonable expectations that the government will now move from words to action.

This is really nothing new for a center-right government. The last time Sweden had such a government, it concluded that the fact that the Swedish state had then become one of the world’s largest producers of alcohol was not in line with the government’s idea of what a state should do. Thus Vin & Sprit AB was sold in 2008, with the Absolut brand, for 55 billion kronor to France’s Pernod Ricard, which still runs the business for the benefit of Scanian grain farmers, among others.

It is now high time that our own contemporary anomaly, the state’s role as a casino operator and bookmaker, found an end. And unlike the longawaited introduction of gambling licenses, which took place at the initiative of the Social Democrats, it would be desirable for this to happen during a center-right wing government in power. What else should it have the power for, if not to implement what it said in opposition it wanted to do?

Gustaf Hoffstedt
Secretary General, The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling

[Gustaf Hoffstedt is among the speakers of the Prague Gaming & TECH Summit which will be held between 29-30 March 2023. More details about the summit can be found here.]

Latest News

FBMDS launches Top+Plus: the new generation of table games

Published

on

FBMDS launches Top+Plus: the new generation of table games
Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

A new generation of online casino games is right around the corner as FBMDS has just launched its latest Top+Plus collection featuring Banca Francesa, Baccarat and Blackjack Vegas Strip titles available worldwide. This new product line brings the atmosphere of physical casinos to any device by replicating real table game gestures on the online universe, in a fully customizable, mobile-friendly, and immersive gaming experience.

The updates made on the Banca Francesa, Baccarat and Blackjack Vegas Strip Top+Plus games show clear signs of deep market research, made with the help of useful inputs from partners. An easier-to-use gaming layout, that was intuitive and mobile-friendly but that could also combine the best rewarding features were all must-haves in this new product offer, showing FBMDS’ competitiveness and up-to-trends marketing approach.

Guilherme Graziani, Account Manager at FBM Digital Systems, has high expectations for this gaming collection and shares his confidence in this new generation of table games based on client’s insights and receptiveness to this innovative offer. “In this new product launch, we made sure we listened to players’ and casino operator’s feedback, we refreshed the graphics and ambience surrounding these games and brought better responsiveness to our products making them more entertaining and playable than ever”, completes Graziani.

The new Top+Plus family titles are adaptable to any device and compatible with all dimensions and operating systems. These three products increase playability regardless of gaming type, as they provide intuitive tips to improve players’ experience and share common graphic and gameplay guidelines, establishing the real concept of a product family.

Apart from the user-friendly strength, Top+Plus games will also provide longer gaming sessions. Besides the memory storage improvements, as this table games fans occupy less space on any device, they bring a power-saving approach in periods of players inactivity optimizing the use of devices’ resources.

Moreover, not only did FBMDS bring a twist to good old classic fun of table games, replicating its land-based playing gestures on the online segment and engaging atmosphere as if players were in a real casino, but FBMDS was also able to provide a fully customizable product for operators and players.

The Top+Plus family offers operators the possibility of personalizing the games with their branding guidelines including logos, colours, background, assets and much more. In the players side, these three products offer additional control to the players in terms of colors, sounds and everything that matters concerning the gaming experience.

This new much anticipated addition to the Top+Plus family perfectly sets the table for casino enthusiasts around the globe, as it combines the best prizes and intuitive user experience in on single offer, making FBMDS a go-to provider of online casino games for top-ranking online gaming platforms across borders.

Once again, FBMDS played its cards right making a brand-new bet on an immersive table games selection that online casino users can play on any device, whenever they wish. This product refreshment comes to prove the commitment that the online casino gaming brand has been advocating regarding this year’s goal to improve players’ gaming experience, ultimately aiming for clients’ satisfaction and profitability.

Continue Reading

Gaming

FAVBET apps receive ‘Lite Mode’ for slower networks

Published

on

Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

The newly revealed ‘Lite Mode’ setting is now available in both the FAVBET’s Android and iOS apps and lets users have quality gaming experience on weaker connections.

The company said that the new mode allows its apps to be used even with minimal internet connectivity during the massive blackouts or power outages.

“We have thoroughly reviewed traffic consumption, turned off everything that wasn’t important for gaming, optimized app performance, and reduced the number of autoloads. That is, we only left the things you need to continue to comfortably use the app and enjoy the game,” the company said in a statement.

‘Lite Mode’ can be activated in the user settings. Once it’s on, the app will not automatically download advertising images and game covers, and will limit the frequency of updates to reduce traffic. That said, the app’s functionality will remain unchanged. Users are also advised to switch to a dark theme for additional charge savings.

According to FAVBET, they continue to work on improving the apps and optimizing the ‘Lite Mode’ for better user experience and comfort.

Continue Reading

Asia

12BET Integrates Betradar as a New Sportsbook Provider to Mark 15 Years in the Online Gaming Industry

Published

on

12BET Integrates Betradar as a New Sportsbook Provider to Mark 15 Years in the Online Gaming Industry
Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

12BET, an online gaming and sports betting platform, announced the integration of Betradar as its new sportsbook provider in celebration of its 15th anniversary. This move aims to enhance the user experience for sports betting enthusiasts by providing a more comprehensive range of options and exciting features.

As the sports betting data division of Sportradar, Betradar offers a broad range of services, including live odds, virtual sports, live streaming, and statistics. This partnership allows 12BET members to access Betradar’s extensive range of sportsbook services, enabling an immersive sports betting experience that is supported by real-time decision-making data.

In addition to the integration, 12BET also announced exciting IPL offers for cricket enthusiasts, including a range of prizes such as a Mahindra XUV 700, Royal Enfield Meteor 650, Samsung galaxy fold4, and more. These promotions are available throughout the duration of the event and customer support is provided in multiple languages such as English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam for their Indian audience.

“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Betradar as our new sportsbook provider. Our aim has always been to provide the best possible experience to our beloved members. With Betradar’s expertise, we have enhanced our offerings and are positive to provide an unparalleled experience to end-users. We are excited to celebrate our 15th anniversary and have loads of offers ongoing, especially for the IPL.” said a spokesperson from 12BET.

12BET, a prominent iGaming brand that offers multiple gaming products, including Sportsbook, online casino, Keno, Lottery, and other games, all under one roof. Licensed and regulated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and is currently ranked as 17th EGaming operator in the industry.

12BET’s partnership with Betradar marks a significant milestone in the company’s history as it celebrates its 15th anniversary. The integration of Betradar as a sportsbook provider enables 12BET to expand its offerings and provide its members with an enhanced sports betting experience. With additional promotions such as the IPL offer and customer support in multiple languages, 12BET demonstrates its commitment to providing its members with the best possible gaming experience.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Royal Partners

Advertisement

NUXGAME

Advertisement

GambleDex

Trending

Get it on Google Play

European Gaming Media and Events is a leading media and boutique event organizer in the European Union with a monthly reach of +110,000 readers. The official company (PROSHIRT SRL), has been listed for 4 years in a row among the top 3 Advertising and market research agencies in the local Top Business Romania Microcompanies based on the Financial Reports.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2022 European Gaming Media and Events. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania

We are constantly showing banners about important news regarding events and product launches. Please turn AdBlock off in order to see these areas.