Central Europe
Responsible Gambling in the Czech Republic
The unceasing European trend in emphasizing the policy of reducing the harms of gambling and the principles of responsible gambling was also an inspiration for the Czech Republic, and it has been following this trend since last week.
The Institute for Gambling Regulation (IFGR), which represents 95% of the legal gambling market in the Czech Republic, with 35 members including both online and land-based operators, test laboratories as well as manufacturers, introduced last week a unique comprehensive project called “Responsible Gambling”.
As part of this project, the Institute prepared “Code of Responsible Conduct of Operators”. The gambling operators have undertaken to abide by its partial rules, which go beyond the already strict Czech regulation, which will contribute to a safer gambling environment, that is through responsible behaviour and conduct towards players. “Code of Responsible Advertising and Marketing” is also included.
The Code of Responsible Conduct of Operators contains very specific 26 obligations, which are divided into 4 areas:
- Raising Awareness of Responsible Gambling
- For example, there is the obligation to inform customers about responsible gambling immediately after registration on the website, by e-mail or by an annual notification of the possibility of setting limits
- Prevention Of High-Risk Behaviour
- Early detection of high-risk gambling using a mathematical algorithm for finding high-risk players and early targeted intervention and assistance to these players
- Training of Employees in The Field of Responsible Gambling
- Basic (so that everyone is aware of responsible gambling)
- Special (employees in selected positions, e.g., RG specialists, VIP marketing, employees in the premises)
- Responsible Marketing and Advertising
- Suspension of marketing to high-risk players, persons registered in the Register of Excluded Persons and persons under 18 years of age
As part of the Responsible Gambling project, the Institute, in cooperation with operators and the National Institute of Mental Health, is creating a predictive mathematical model that will evaluate real-time changes in the behaviour of a gambling game participant. The created software will be able to recognize the moment when a player starts betting risky and immediately alert the player to this fact. In cooperation with leading Czech scientific experts, the subsequent intervention and immediate assistance which shall help the player regain the lost control over their gambling is then provided.
The uniqueness of this project lies in the fact that it will not only be the implementation of the created software at the level of individual operators, but there is an agreement that in the future, a single “bar” will be set for all involved operators. Therefore, once the software indicates a player’s risky gambling with one of the operators, the others will perceive the player’s gambling the same.
In order to provide high-risk players with adequate help, we are building a training centre for employees and the professional assistance network consisting of addictologists, financial and legal advisers in cooperation with experts.
On Thursday, 16 September 2021, a ceremonial presentation of the Responsible Gambling project took place; participants included the director of the IFGR, Mgr. Jan Řehola, Ph.D., Simo Dragicevic (researcher dealing with player behaviour and predicting its riskiness, founder of Bet Buddy), PhDr. Ladislav Csémy (National Institute for Health Choking), doc. MUDr. Viktor Mravčík, Ph.D. (National Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Addictions (NMS) at the Secretariat of the Government Council for the Coordination of Drug Policy at the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic) and representatives of state administration and addictology organizations.
As part of the ceremonial presentation of the Responsible Gambling project, representatives of the four largest online operators in the Czech Republic, namely FORTUNA, CHANCE, TIPSPORT and SAZKA, signed the Code of Responsible Conduct of Operators.
Central Europe
SYNOT Games teams up with win2day to revolutionize Austria’s iGaming scene
SYNOT Games, a leading iGaming provider, has partnered with win2day, taking a major step in its Austrian market growth strategy.
The collaboration marks its debut with the launch of Resin Joker, a fan-favorite slot that combines the simplicity of a classic gaming experience with a fresh, modern twist. With its smooth gameplay, vibrant audio-visuals, and universal appeal, Respin Joker has become a standout title for players seeking both entertainment and nostalgia.
As this partnership progresses, players can look forward to a steady rollout of additional games from SYNOT Games’ extensive portfolio, further enriching win2day’s already robust catalog. This collaboration is designed to offer Austrian players a premium gaming experience, with a diverse selection of games that blend cutting-edge innovation and top-tier quality.
Georg Wawer, Managing Director of win2day, said: „As the sole licensed operator in Austria, our goal is to host all leading iGaming providers on our platform. Synot, being a major player on the international stage, makes us proud to feature their content. We regard SYNOT Games as a skilled and trustworthy partner for win2day, and we are confident that this collaboration will yield great success.„
Martina Krajčí, CCO at SYNOT Games, commented: “We are excited to partner with win2day and bring our games to Austrian players. At SYNOT Games, our focus has always been on providing quality entertainment, and this partnership highlights our commitment to delivering an outstanding gaming experience.”
The post SYNOT Games teams up with win2day to revolutionize Austria’s iGaming scene appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Central Europe
25 years of ZEAL: A quarter century of online lottery in Germany
- From living room start-up to online market leader
- Ambitious growth targets and innovative product ideas
ZEAL Network SE, the market leader for online lotteries in Germany, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Founded in 1999 as Tipp24, the company was one of the first on the German market to bring lotteries to the internet. Since then, ZEAL has had a lasting impact on the German online lottery business.
“We are very proud of a quarter century of ZEAL,” says Helmut Becker, CEO of ZEAL. “What began 25 years ago as a two-man start-up in Hamburg has now developed into a group of companies with more than 250 employees. We are more successful than ever in our core business of lottery brokerage and are continuously expanding our market share and our business model. In doing so, we are staying true to our motto: we define the future of lottery.”
From start-up to international group
ZEAL was founded as Tipp24 in Hamburg in 1999. The company was one of the first providers to enable participation in state lotteries in Germany via the Internet – with great success. The IPO followed in 2005. This was followed by the temporary relocation of the company headquarters to London, the change of name to ZEAL Network SE and the development of new business abroad. In 2019, the company returned to Hamburg and took over LOTTO24 AG. This made ZEAL the largest lottery broker in Germany. Today, more than 1.3 million customers play with ZEAL’s brands every month.
“As one of the founders, I am particularly happy about ZEAL’s success story,” says Jens Schumann, co-founder of ZEAL 25 years ago and now a member of the Supervisory Board. “When we founded the company, we printed out the lottery tickets that our customers played online and handed them in at the kiosk around the corner. A lot has happened since then. Today, ZEAL is one of Germany’s leading e-commerce companies. It gives me great pleasure to have been so closely involved in its development to date.”
Continuing to grow in the core business, developing new business areas
Today, ZEAL is the market leader for online lotteries in Germany. The brokerage of participation in state and charity lotteries remains the company’s core business, which it intends to expand in the future. In addition, ZEAL is continuously developing its portfolio: in the summer, for example, the company launched the first raffle of an existing property in Germany with Traumhausverlosung (English name: Dream House Raffle). ZEAL also appeals to younger target groups in particular with the freiheit+ charity lottery. Last year, ZEAL also launched an online games offering, which has been continuously expanded since then. ZEAL also operates the online presence of the ONCE charity lottery in Spain, a public organization for the blind, and invests in industry-specific start-ups via its ventures department ZEAL Ventures.
The post 25 years of ZEAL: A quarter century of online lottery in Germany appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Central Europe
NOVOMATIC once again honored with the “Business Superbrands Austria Award”
The world’s largest independent brand evaluation organization, Business Superbrands Brand Council, has once again recognized NOVOMATIC as one of Austria’s strongest brands for the year 2024/2025.
The prestigious award is given to brands that have built up an outstanding image in their market segment and clearly stand out from their competitors. After a pre-selection by the credit rating service provider Bisnode D&B, an independent panel of experts decides on the awarding of the title. NOVOMATIC’s exceptional brand strength and innovative power were convincing and underlined our success on both the domestic and international markets.
Stefan Krenn, Executive Board Member of NOVOMATIC AG, accepted the award from András Wiszkidenszky, Superbrands Regional Director, and emphasized: “This award underlines our strong market position and the continuous pursuit of innovation and excellence in the international gaming industry. At the same time, it is a sign of appreciation for the extraordinary commitment of our employees, who contribute to the success of the NOVOMATIC brand every day.”
András Wiszkidenszky added: “The Superbrand award underlines the economic appeal of the NOVOMATIC brand. Congratulations on the outstanding brand management and strong positioning that have made NOVOMATIC one of the strongest brands in Austria.”
The post NOVOMATIC once again honored with the “Business Superbrands Austria Award” appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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