Europe

A further 16 websites have been blocked by the Danish Gambling Authority, Spillemyndigheden, after it was found that they were offering betting and gaming without a licence. The ruling was issued in March 2020, and marks the sixth time that the regulator has gone to court to have unlicensed betting, casino and skin betting websites blocked, having now blocked a …

Stats Perform has significantly expanded its betting-related content to help bookmaker clients navigate lockdown complexities, facing the global downturn in live sports content.  The sports-tech innovation studio detailed that it will amplify its Watch&Bet service for bookmakers by adding new esports and PDC Darts programming.   Securing a partnership with leading pro-esports organisation BLAST, Watch&Bet will showcase the popular BLAST CS:GO …

Swedish trade association Branschföreningen för Onlinespel (BOS) has published a report revealing that channelisation rates for both online casino and sports betting are tracking significantly below government expectations. Since the market reopened on 1 January 2019, it is estimated that between 80% and 85% of players have been channelled to licensed sports betting sites. This dropped for online casino sites …

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has transferred £9 million in industry penalties to help its problem gambling, support, research and treatment charities cope with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.  The UKGC has directly allocated £9 million to lead gambling-harm prevention charity GambleAware, who will be tasked with distributing funds to its partner network. The UKGC and GambleAware have prioritised ensuring that …

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has publicly defended the decision to allow Cheltenham Festival to take place, reiterating that the government ‘took the right measures at the right time’. Speaking on a phone-in on LBC Radio, Hancock was asked by a Cheltenham resident whether the festival should have taken place and whether the government would be committing to a future inquiry …

Asian betting operator Mansion88 has integrated popular draw-based games Lucky Six, Lucky X and Next Six from NSoft to its online website, as well as virtual greyhound races, horse races, motorcycle races and slot car races from the same provider. “After the presentation of the NSoft’s products and services, the mutual conclusion was that our potential for further web expansion …

Achieving product differentiation is arguably more important now than ever as sportsbook and casino operators face the challenge of staying relevant, writes Will Whitehead (pictured), Associate Director – Accounts at mkodo. This remarkable period triggered by the outbreak of COVID-19 has stressed the importance of having dynamic and agile digital products and has likely rang alarm bells for many over …

More than 85% of sports bettors in Germany have stopped placing bets, according to a survey conducted by bookmaker comparison portal MySportwetten.de – part of Leadstar Media group. The unrepresentative survey, conducted as a poll amongst members of the MySportwetten.de community, was set up to show how much the betting world in Germany has changed as a result of COVID-19. …

Catena Media said it has been able to navigate first-stage COVID-19 business complexities, as the company recorded a strong opening to year trading.  Reporting top-line growth across all core metrics, Stockholm-listed Catena recorded a 2% increase in corporate revenues to €26.7 million (Q12019: €26.1m).  Revenue performance was maintained by its casino segment, which contributed 61% of revenues during first quarter …

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has released its first pan-European Code of Conduct for responsible advertising for online gambling, which places a particular emphasis upon protection of minors. The “Code of Conduct on Responsible Advertising for Online Gambling” will ‘complement and strengthen’ regulations already in place. It includes specific measures that focus upon content moderation, minor protection, responsible …