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The Netherlands Newly Regulated Gambling Market Launches

Published 04.10.2021 Author: Jake Category: Affiliate Industry News

The Netherlands have finally seen the launch of the newly regulated online gambling market, following a couple of unfortunate delays. The newly licensed operators were due to be accepting players on the 1st of the month, but due to a technical fault with the self-exclusion system (Centraal Register Uitsluiting Kansspelen) they were only able to begin operation on October 2nd.

On Friday, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the local regulator said: “Due to a technical malfunction of Cruks, it is not possible for online providers, such as Holland Casino and Toto, to allow players on their websites. The cause of the malfunction has been identified. We are working hard to fix it.”

The following day, the regulator was pleased to announce the problem had been resolve and operators could begin the process of accepting players.

Regulating a gambling market usually comes with some delays and this is not the first the Netherlands have experienced. When the new Remote Gambling Act was being implemented, there were a number of hold ups where alterations had to be made before it would finally be accepted. Additionally at the start of April, there were some further technical problems which delayed operators from being able to apply for a license.

However, through all these problems – the KSA have finally launched and with them, 10 legal operators in the country who are eager for new players and will be the perfect targeting ground for keen affiliates.

Facebook Launches Short-Form Video Reels

Published 04.10.2021 Author: Stephen Category: Affiliate Industry News

As of September 29, one of the top social media platforms, Facebook, have launched their short-form video reels after seeing success from the launch of reels via Instagram.

Facebooks competitors, TikTok, have designed their entire platform around the short-video content system, and after seeing such incredible success, Instagram very quickly followed suit. Facebook actually own Instagram and since Instagram has gained more traction due to the reels release, this content creation system has now been released on Facebook.

With Reels, creators are able to access a wide variety of creative video editing tools, such as music from the Facebook music library, your own filmed audio, and add any audio from your device. There are also augmented reality effects to take advantage of, a time and countdown to help your filming, you can alter the speed of your recording and stitch together multiple clips for use.

Regarding payment, they have launched a creator Reels Play “bonus”. The bonus will only pay creators who have been invited to the program based on the performance of their reels, which will be available on both Facebook and Instagram. However, this is only available in the US at the moment.

BOS takes on Swedish Government regarding New Advertising Restrictions

Published 01.10.2021 Author: Jake Category: Affiliate Industry News

The Swedish government have recently proposed to put gambling advertisement under “special moderation” which would change the treatment to be more inline with those in place for alcohol adverts. The local iGaming association, named Branscheforenigen för Onlinespel or BOS have responded calling for this consideration to be withdrawn.

The association argued that licensed gaming operators play an important role in making themselves known, in order to encourage players who already want to gamble, to choose a regulated operator. They insinuated that if licensed operators cannot advertise their products, players will end up going to offshore casinos.

Gustaf Hoffstedt, the secretary general at BOS said: “The reason why it is important that gambling takes place on the designated licence market is only there do Swedish legislators and authorities have command of consumer protection. The state has a goal that channelisation in the Swedish gaming market should amount to at least 90 per cent as of January 1, 2022. The most recently estimated channelisation is 85 per cent and thus below the target of 90 per cent.”

“BOS cannot come to any other conclusion than that the government’s both formal and public opinion outcomes against this form of gambling since the Swedish re-regulation in 2019 is reflected in the catastrophically low channelling of online casinos today.”

He additionally warned that both sport and journalism could suffer as a result, due to the amount of funding that gambling generates in sponsorships. “The same applies to the sports movement, which, thanks to sponsorship agreements, receives multi-million sums from gaming companies, in some cases multi-billion sums.”

Swedish Gambling Regulator Responds to EU Credit Rules Proposal

Published 01.10.2021 Author: Stephen Category: Affiliate Industry News

The Swedish gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, have said that the European Commission’s proposals to reform its Consumer Credit Direct would help reduce gambling harm. The new proposal aims to ensure credit information is displayed to consumers in a clear way.

In addition to this, they seek to improve assessments of creditworthiness, while EU member states will also be required to promote financial education and to ensure debt advice is readily available.

Camilla Rosenberg, Spelinspektionen director general, said: "Strengthened consumer protection when granting credit, in particular a strengthened and expanded credit review, can contribute to a reduction in gambling on credit and thus promote the protection of players with problematic gambling behaviour."

KSA Approve 10 Gambling Licenses Ready for Dutch Market Launch

Published 30.09.2021 Author: Jake Category: Affiliate Industry News

The fast approaching launch of the newly regulated Dutch market is just around the corner, going live on the 1st of October. De Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the local regulator, has announced that they have approved a total of 10 online gaming licenses for day 1. Although they have not confirmed which operators they have given the green light, they have said we will find out very soon.

Since the license application period opened in April of this year, the KSA reported that they had received 28 applications, meaning only a third have been approved ahead of the market’s launch. The number of applicants was actually lower than originally estimated, with the KSA anticipating around 40.

The regulators chairman, René Jansen has said that further licenses will be approved in the near future, with more applications still expected once they go live. He clarified that their market will not properly reach its final shape until July 2022, allowing for plenty of time for them to tweak regulations.

René Jansen continued to say: “High requirements are imposed on a license, including in the field of addiction prevention and consumer protection, and the KSA tests rigorously.

Once the regulated market has been launched, the KSA has announced that they will be increasing their fines for unlicensed operators, following the governments instructions. The regulator recently fined Tipico a sum of €531,000 for offering illegal gambling in the country.

A new online gaming market is always exciting for affiliates, as it offers a number of brand new opportunities that have been untapped. Especially with the iGB Live affiliate event being hosted in Amsterdam this week, offering the first major event since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analyst Increases Revenue Predictions for US Online Gambling Market

Published 30.09.2021 Author: Stephen Category: Affiliate Industry News

Joseph Greff, a JP Morgan analyst has predicted a higher than expected revenue for the US igaming and sports wagering market. Joseph Greff now predicts revenue of $19.3bn for 2025, up from previous projections of $12.2bn. His predictions for sports betting revenue have risen from $7.6bn to $11.5bn. In regard to igaming revenue, this could rise from an originally projected $4.6bn to $7.8bn.

Currently, 27 states have legalised sports betting, but it’s expected for a total of 35 states to have legalised sports betting by 2025.

As for sports betting and igaming revenue in 2021, Joseph Greff has estimated a revenue total of $8.3bn, up from $6.6bn. Sports betting is to account for £4.4bn of the revenue total and igaming will contribute £3.9bn.

With the pace of which the online betting and iGaming market within the US is rising, the prediction changes were more than necessary, according to Greff. He also said that the overall view is favorable, given the recent positive trends related to the NFL and college football, as well as the continued consolidation that may involve much more land-based operators with digital strategies and business models originating from daily fantasy sports.

Finland Proposes Ban on Advertising Slots

Published 29.09.2021 Author: Jake Category: Affiliate Industry News

The Finnish Lottery Act looks to have a new overhaul, with the government submitting a number of new rules to better control gambling in the country. The bill proposes a complete ban on advertising slots and would require players to verify their identity for all types of gambling products. The second rule expands on the already existing requirement to verify age.

In addition to the above, they will also be enforcing some payment blocking measures, which would prevent payments to all gambling operators, other than the regulated state monopoly. The police will be provided with a list of blocked gambling companies which they will pass onto banks and other providers to add to a blacklist.

The Finnish Ministry of the Interior said that these changes would “reduce the disadvantages of gambling”. It is unclear on how these changes will effect the online market as potentially over regulating casinos can sometimes push players to gamble elsewhere.

The state owned operator, Veikkaus, has already introduced mandatory verification of identity for their slot games, however adaptations will need to be made to extend this to cover all forms of gambling. Currently the operator is advertising various slot games, but they must reframe if the new laws get passed.

Texas Lottery Hits New Record Sales

Published 29.09.2021 Author: Stephen Category: Affiliate Industry News

The Texas Lottery have reportedly generated $8.107b in sales for the 2021 fiscal year, up by 20.9% from 2020. The Lottery are currently in their 30th anniversary year and have contributed $1.998bn to public schools and veterans within the state.

Gary Grief, Executive director of the Texas Lottery, said: "When then-Gov. Ann Richards purchased the first Texas Lottery scratch ticket in May 1992, no one dreamed of reaching $8b in sales or contributing nearly $2b in one year to our great state from the sale of lottery products."

Robert G. Rivera, Chairman of the Texas Lottery Commission, added: "We are thrilled to announce the Texas Lottery once again generated record revenue for Texas education and veterans during fiscal year 2021. We want to thank all the players for supporting the Texas Lottery and for their participation in providing these much-needed funds for the Foundation School Fund and the Fund for Veterans’ Assistance."

Sports Betting in Tennessee generates $144.5m in Bets for August

Published 28.09.2021 Author: Stephen Category: Affiliate Industry News

According to the Tennessee Education Lottery and Sports Wagering Advisory Council, Tennessee’s sports betting handle reached $144.5m in August, which was the same in July.

The pace of betting remained at $4.7m per day, however gross gaming revenue is down from $15.2m in July, to $13.2m.

Nicole Russo, analyst for PlayTenn.com said: "After an up and down summer, it would’ve been encouraging to see some growth in handle ahead of what is a crucial period in the industry. No sport motivates bettors like football, though and a surge in betting this fall will put an end to the slower summer months."

Eric Ramsey, analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network, which includes PlayTenn.com commented: "This is the most important time for the industry, but we still don’t know for certain how bettors in Tennessee will engage over a full football season. It seems like a safe bet that wagering on football will likely represent a greater share of Tennessee’s annual handle than the national average."

Lithuania to Approve Creation of Online-Only Gambling Licenses

Published 28.09.2021 Author: Jake Category: Affiliate Industry News

The Lithuania legislator, Seimas, have approved the first reading of new amendments to the gambling act which would allow for online-only gaming licenses in the country. Currently, for an operator to offer online gambling, they must be partnered with a land-based casino which has a valid license. These new changes would allow for online specific licenses that would not require such a partnership.

Operators who are interested in one of these new licenses would need to hold at least €1.2 million to open a casino, €289,000 for sports betting and finally €144,000 for horse racing betting.

Additionally, a new fee will be introduced to all kinds of gambling licenses. All operators must pay €1 million to receive their license and there will be additional charges based on the types of games that they will be offering. The most expensive being remote gambling at €500,000, followed by slots at €300,000 and bingo at €100,000.

These amendments were approved in the first reading, with 74 votes in favour, 7 against and 39 declining to make their decision at this time. As a result of this, a second reading will be required before proposals can become law.

A member of the Lithuanian Legislature, Mykola Majauskas, said that these changes will generate an estimated €8 million per year for the state and this money could be spent on addiction prevention.

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