The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Netherlands’ gambling authority, will investigate a bunch of operators that might have breached the social responsibility requirements by allowing players to lose a lot of money.

The KSA Is Investigating a Number of Operators

During a speech at the Amsterdam Gambling & Awareness Congress 2022 event, René Jansen, chairman of the Dutch regulator, confirmed that the KSA is investigating several operators who reportedly did not take sufficient care of their players. Because of that, the KSA will probe their businesses to see if that truly is the case.

Currently, the Netherlands requires all players to set deposit limits. However, there is no cap, allowing players to pick a limit that allows them to wager as much as they want. Previously, the Kansspelautoriteit warned its licensees not to abuse this system, lest there be consequences.

Jensen said that the KSA believes that some operators have allowed players to lose tens of thousands of euros in a short period of time. He noted that in some such cases, operators did not take decisive action to dissuade the players from their compulsive spending. The chair reaffirmed that the KSA will investigate whether operators truly protect their customers.

A Survey on Problem Gambling Rates Must Be Conducted

Jensen also spoke about the overall number of gamblers and said that it has increased since the Dutch iGaming market opened a year ago. He noted that there are currently around 563,000 active player accounts. Jensen pointed out that this number may not adequately represent the total number of players because some have numerous accounts.

As for gambling harm rates, unfortunately, Jensen didn’t have any information as, according to him, there are still no reliable statistics. However, this will soon change as the National Alcohol and Drugs Information System will publish the number of people being treated for addiction in the near future.

While this figure would help to understand the impact online gambling has had on the Dutch market, the results might, once again, not be fully reliable because not all problem gamblers seek help, Jensen said. According to him, a large-scale survey might be needed to explore the full extent of iGaming’s effect on problem gambling rates.

A Boom in Gambling Ads

Another important thing Jensen talked about was gambling ads and the vast quantity of gambling content Dutch people are being bombarded with. He noted that the legalization of online gambling definitely impacted the number of ads broadcast to Dutch citizens. He said that everyone who watches TV or uses the internet should have seen them.

Jensen attributed this to the novelty of online gambling in the Netherlands and companies’ desire to channel customers toward their platforms. The chair concluded that the government would intervene if it determines that it needs to. The Netherlands has already banned gambling ads featuring celebrities and is set to soon ban untargeted ads as well.

Gamification solution developer Low6 joined forces with Web 3.0 technology company Be Media and marketing agency SPORTFIVE to create a new NFT-based fantasy soccer game ahead of the upcoming 2022 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Championship. The companies will produce digital collectibles featuring highlights from the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup. The NFTs will seamlessly integrate with Low6’s UltimateFan app, driving player engagement and showcasing the untapped potential of Web 3.0 technology.

Fans Will Collect Their Own Game Highlights

Be Media’s experience with cutting-edge blockchain technology will allow the company to capture the upcoming game’s most exciting plays and mint them as NFTs on the Polygon blockchain. The novel content will make its way into the hands of fans via the AFF Championship’s official Onside digital collection, allowing them to own game-making plays.

Be Media CEO and founder Jordan Fogarty lauded the efforts of his partners in realizing this ambitious project, expressing his excitement to provide fans with a new level of engagement.

We are proud to have the opportunity to introduce… the new and evolving universe of Web 3.0 products while galvanizing football and blockchain enthusiasts.

Jordan Fogarty, Be Media founder and CEO

The Onside platform will reward users with NFTs throughout the Championship, running from 20 December to 16 January 2023. The collaboration marks a concerted effort to tap into the passionate ASEAN soccer community and promote this new form of engagement.

NFTs Allow Easy Collaborations

Onside NFTs will also integrate with Low6’s popular UltimateFan mobile app. The gamification company’s project features fantasy soccer contests with cards representing real-life soccer players. Each user assembles a team with their available cards. It is then rated based on their chosen players’ real-world performance.

Low6 users will be able to apply the newly announced NFTs to their collection, boosting their score and chance of victory. Company CEO Jamie Mitchell regarded the upcoming initiative with optimism, commenting that he was thrilled to be part of such an innovative project.

We’re confident that our leading sports game will provide a hugely engaging experience for fans…, showcasing the value of NFTs within the gaming space.

Jamie Mitchell, Low6 CEO

As evidenced by Low6’s integration of Onside NFTs, the blockchain-based system allows an easy transition to other similar platforms. While the technology had a rocky start and continues to draw controversy, this latest collaborative project is evidence that NFTs are here to stay. The AFF Championship will serve as another meaningful benchmark to determine whether the new technology will engage sports fans or whether the majority will stick to familiar ways of enjoying the content.

BtoBet, a sportsbook solutions provider owned by NeoGames, has expanded its team with a new addition. Malte Hegeler, an experienced sports betting worker, will join the company as its new vice president of product.

Malte Hegeler Becomes BtoBet VP of Product

Hegeler has over 15 years of experience in sports betting and is well familiar with the sector. Thanks to this, he will be able to help BtoBet improve its offering. In his new position at the sports betting supplier, the appointee will be responsible for the company’s product strategy. He will also oversee the BtoBet roadmap and the development of new products.

Hegeler’s experience made him a perfect pick for the position. He will leverage his expertise in sports betting to help BtoBet produce more and better products for leading sportsbooks.

The new hire joins the NeoGames subsidiary from OddsMatrix, EveryMatrix’s sports data platform, where he served as an interim chief executive officer and head of product development. Prior to that, Hegeler worked as head of sportsbook at RSF Management. His earlier experiences include four years with Primebet, as well as four years with Sportigo, among other roles.

MD Reiderman Welcomed Hegeler to the Company

BtoBet’s managing director, Dima Reiderman, welcomed Hegeler on board, saying that the supplier is happy to have him around. Reiderman said that BtoBet should secure strong product vision and leadership if it is to further evolve and develop best-in-class sports betting products for its partnering operators around the world. The MD concluded that Hegeler’s knowledge and skill will be crucial to realizing the company’s vision and cementing BtoBet as a leading sportsbook supplier.

Hegeler also spoke about his new position. He lauded BtoBet as a company that has been continuously meeting the requests of influential companies within the sports betting industry. He praised BtoBet’s knack for devising market-leading sports wagering solutions and said that he is excited to be a part of the company.

Coupled with BtoBet’s commitment to deliver flexible and superior sportsbook solutions and services, I’m thrilled to join this talented team and build on their momentum.

Malte Hegeler, VP of product, BtoBet

BtoBet has been steadily expanding its global presence. In 2022, one of the company’s focuses was the budding African gaming industry. Earlier this year, the supplier agreed to provide its solutions to Ngnatat Sarl Trading’s Bet237 brand in Cameroon. In August, the supplier also launched in Mozambique with SOJOGO and in Ethiopia with UtopBet.

Loto-Québec, а Canadian lottery operator, has posted a new report, detailing the benefits of online casino and lottery. The digital vertical significantly contributed to the company’s revenues during the first half of the 2022-23 financial year, the company announced.

Loto-Québec Posted Its FT 2022-23 Results

As reported by the Canadian lottery giant, the company’s total revenue for the April-September period had a remarkable increase of 35.4%. In just six months, Loto-Québec reported record-breaking revenue of $1.07 billion (in USD, current conversion rates). The lottery company also announced that its consolidated net income reached $589.3 million for the period, representing an impressive 37.9% year-on-year increase.

Loto-Québec pointed out that the dramatic year-on-year difference is in part because the previous financial year saw the company halt its activities a few times because of COVID-19. When comparing the lottery corporation’s revenue and net income to the pre-pandemic levels, we see that these metrics increased by 3.5% and 9.4% respectively. In short, Loto-Québec not only recovered from the pandemic but surpassed the pre-pandemic results.

Despite everything, the overall lottery revenue actually declined by 5.8% over the same period during FY 2021-22 because of of lower Lotto 6/49 and Lotto Max sales.

Finally, Loto-Québec reported that the cost-to-revenue ratio improved from 31% to 27.9% which shows that the crown corporation is now better at managing its resources. The company attributed this improvement to its robust efforts to control its costs.

Online Sales Skyrocketed

While Loto-Québec’s post-COVID recovery is nothing short of impressive, the aforementioned metrics would not have been possible without the company’s online vertical. Online lottery sales accounted for 12.7% of the total lottery revenue, the corporation reported. While this may seem rather low compared to other more online-oriented brands, it represents a whopping 273% increase from the pre-pandemic period when only 3.4% of the lottery revenue came from the digital segment.

Likewise, online casino sales now accounted for 23.8% of the total casino revenue, representing a huge increase from the 8.9% recorded before COVID-19 hit.

Loto-Québec – Enthusiastic yet Cautious

Loto-Québec’s chief executive officer, Jean-François Bergeron, applauded the results, praising the company for meeting and exceeding its budget target. He praised everyone at the company for their efforts, saying that the record-breaking results would not have been possible without the Loto-Québec team’s excellent work. Bergeron emphasized that personally, he is very satisfied with the company’s performance.

Despite the favorable metrics, the CEO noted that Loto-Québec remains wary of the economic headwinds. The company acknowledges that many of its peers are struggling because of the macroeconomic situation and the rising costs of energy. While Loto-Québec is very enthusiastic about its success, the company will remain cautious moving forward.

Bergeron concluded that the crown corporation will continue to reposition its brand in order to maintain its success.

The scene is growing in Pennsylvania but that doesn’t mean it should come with relaxed regulations. When rules are broken, eventually it all comes up.

$7.5K Fine Over Illegal Sports Betting on Boxing

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) jointly fined casino operator BetMGM and sports wagering operator Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association (MTRA) over illegal wagers. The fine was the result of a Board’s Office of Enforcement Counsel (OEC) consent agreement that PGCB approved during its Wednesday meeting. The infringement in question concerned accepting an unauthorized wager on a boxing match between Evander Holyfield and Vitor Belfort that took place on September 11, 2021.

The approved consent agreement resulted in a $7,500 fine, following negotiations between OEC and MTRA, as well as BetMGM, agreeing to pay out the wagers on the Holyfield vs Belfort match. BetMGM has reportedly accepted 76 wagers in total, despite the PGCB specifically informing operators that the match was off-limits for wagering activities.

This is especially important as details surrounding the match were also making headlines during that time. Belfort was supposed to be matched up against Oscar De La Hoya, who wasn’t able to step on the ring following a positive COVID test. This eventually led to Holyfield accepting the match on very short notice, increasing speculation, especially in gambling circles.

Minors Exposed to Gambling a Growing Issue

Aside from the fine, PGCB also moved with moving five adults into the Involuntary Exclusion List – effectively banning them from all PA casinos – over leaving children unattended at or near casino venues. A report by PennWATCH has provided more information on the individuals, citing that so far in 2022, the PGCB has identified a total of 285 incidents of adults leaving children unattended in order to gamble. These incidents involved 464 minors.

It was less than a month ago when the PGCB launched its “Don’t Gamble with Kids” campaign. It was aimed at warning patrons visiting casinos during the busy Thanksgiving weekend to not bring their children along, or at least to not leave them alone while gambling. PGCB’s information from back before that weekend stated 269 cases regarding 441 minors left unattended by adults gambling. The campaign also contained a few public service announcements.

BetMGM’s $7,500 fine is only slightly lower than the $10,000 fine that Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment – the operator of Parx Casino – received over an incident involving an 18-year-old male being able to enter the establishment and play at a casino table. The minimum gambling age in Pennsylvania is 21.
The topic of underage gambling has been gaining popularity lately, with both the UK, as well as Australia appearing in headlines over issues with it. In the case of Australia, this was especially shocking, as a recent report by the Alliance for Gambling Reform said that more than 430,000 kids under 16 were gambling in the country, with 40,000 categorized as at-risk gamblers, and 14,400 already identified as problem gamblers.