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Compliance Updates

Dutch Government Approves Online Gambling Ad Ban

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The Dutch government has published the full draft of its ban on “untargeted” advertising and recruitment by licensed betting companies in the Netherlands, setting a start date of July 1.

From that date, operators in the Netherlands will have to adhere to a much stricter advertising policy. Measures include a ban on televised advertisements and marketing in public places, such as via billiards and on printed media.

Bookmakers will have a little more leeway with online and social media advertising. Companies can continue to do so, but must be able to prove that any material is targeted to audiences aged 24 and older.

The document was submitted to the Hague on April 5 by Franc Weerwind, Minister for Legal Protection at the Ministry of Justice and Security, the long-term architect of the legislation.

Following the regulation of the Dutch online market on 1 October 2021, political observers in the Netherlands have voiced concern about the increase in advertising after the first licences were issued.

Explaining the rationale behind the new restrictions on the Dutch online betting sector less than three years into maturity, Weerwind outlined that “the amount of advertising for remote games of chance has increased sharply”.

“Addiction care and people who have experience with addiction problems have indicated that they have difficulty with the large amount of untargeted advertising,” the Minister wrote.

“Research also shows that advertising for remote games of chance is often seen through channels with a very wide reach. As a result, people with addiction problems for games of chance can hardly escape a confrontation with games of chance advertising in their daily lives.”

Weerwind did acknowledge that advertising fulfils a core function of the KOA Act legislation which regulated the market back in 2021, that being promotion of the regulated offering.

“It should be noted that it is difficult to quantify the exact consequences of the large amount of untargeted advertising and its broad and untargeted reach,” Weerwind continued.

“This is primarily because it is not yet clear how large the number of players that play on the illegal market are and have played in the past.

“It is clear that many Dutch people already played with illegal providers before the market opened, but it is unclear how large this number is exactly, how many players have since switched from illegal to legal providers and what growth of new players there has been.”

Both the government and KSA have observed that marketing by licensed bookmakers directs punters to legal operators that adhere to the player protection standards enforced by the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) gambling authority.

However, legislators and addiction treatment specialists’ main concerns are that advertising may be too far-reaching, potentially exposing young people – meaning those aged 18-24 – and under-age consumers to age-restricted betting products.

By confirming the July 1 launch date for the advertising clampdown, Weerwind remains on track with his most recent legislative objectives, having said in March that the ban would come into force no later than this day.

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Aviatrix receives certifications in Brazil

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The award-winning crash game Aviatrix has received certification for Brazil’s online gaming market, ensuring full compliance in the market.

Aviatrix has been granted full Federal Certification to offer its games via licensed operators in the country. Meanwhile, Aviatrix has also acquired a dedicated certification for the state of Paraná.

This means Brazilian players can now enjoy the most innovative crash game on the market –  one that has already gained a loyal following across Latin America.

Anastasia Rimskaya, Chief Account Officer at Aviatrix, said: “This is a huge milestone for Aviatrix. Brazil is one of the most exciting, newly-regulated markets in the world. There is massive demand for high-quality content, and that’s why we know Aviatrix is going to thrive. We’re looking forward to bringing the game to the country via some world-class partners. Get ready for takeoff.”

Aviatrix has been rapidly expanding in Latin America over recent months, including in Peru and Colombia.

The company was also named ‘Rising Star in Casino’ at last year’s SBC Awards Latinoamérica.

The post Aviatrix receives certifications in Brazil appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Readen Holding Corp Finalises Acquisition of Morrich Lottery Limited

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Readen Holding Corporation, a venture capital specialising in Fintech, Digital Payments and E-commerce, has announced the successful signing of the final agreement to acquire an 80% controlling stake in Morrich Lottery Limited, a fully licensed lottery operator in Nigeria. This milestone marks RHCO’s official entry into the African gaming market — one of the fastest-growing and most promising sectors globally.

With the closing of this acquisition, RHCO now holds active licenses in Nigeria for lottery, sportsbook and casino operations, unlocking access to an estimated $2.5 billion gaming market projected to grow over 9% annually through 2030. This move positions RHCO to become a major international force in regulated gaming, entertainment and fintech infrastructure.

Ridzky Berg, CEO of RHCO, said: “This is more than an acquisition — it’s a strategic launchpad into one of the most dynamic gaming markets in the world. Nigeria’s youthful population, expanding internet access, and growing appetite for digital gaming make this a prime market. With our proven fintech backbone and seasoned leadership, we’re ready to set a new standard for integrated, secure, and user-friendly gaming platforms across the region.”

The post Readen Holding Corp Finalises Acquisition of Morrich Lottery Limited appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Compliance Updates

Swedish Regulator Imposes Fine of SEK12M on Videoslots

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The Swedish gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, has fined Videoslots SEK12m (£937,016) for failing to help customers better manage their gambling behaviour when it had reason to do so.

The regulator said that the company did not take sufficiently effective measures to intervene on excessive gaming and “did not act promptly enough.”

The fine, along with a formal warning, comes after a Spelinspektionen investigation into Videoslots’ customer activity in spring last year. The regulator found that the company breached its duty of care obligations.

Twelve customers’ gaming behaviour was analysed, with the regulator concluding that their gambling patterns, deposit behaviours and “significant losses” were among the “multiple indicators” that the customers engaged in excessive gaming.

A number of the 12 customers returned to Videoslots’ platform to play “multiple times” during the day or play “continuously for many hours.”

The regulator said all of the customers had “very high deposit limits.” Three had limits of SEK1m (£78,164), one had a limit of SEK4.5m (£351,912) and another player’s limit was SEK300m (£23.5m).

All customers deposited “large amounts” during the review period, Spelinspektionen said, including one who deposited SEK1.8m (£140,785) and another who deposited SEK1.3m (£101,721).

“Several customers exhibited a deposit pattern where withdrawn amounts were deposited again shortly after being withdrawn,” the regulator said.

“For several customers, there were also a large number of deposits in a short period. Some customers regularly made multiple deposits per gambling day… and one customer had days with up to 28 deposits.”

“In light of the above, Spelinspektionen assesses that all the customers have engaged in excessive gambling during the review period,” the regulator concluded.

“The company has pointed out that individual indicators, on their own, may not necessarily be signs of excessive gambling. According to Spelinspektionen, all the above-mentioned indicators are signs of excessive gambling, and the overall assessment of all indicators forms the basis for the conclusion.”

The post Swedish Regulator Imposes Fine of SEK12M on Videoslots appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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