GiH Newsletter: Arjan Blok to succeed Niels Onkenhout as CEO of Nederlandse Loterij ...and more!
Especially selected for you: the latest in Dutch and international gaming news.
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TOTO loses suit over improperly cancelled bet
Recently, four Dutch punters sued sports betting operator TOTO over its refusal to pay out on a bet for which it had originally set wrong odds.
In response to the suit, a Dutch court ruled that although operators may cancel such bets, TOTO failed to do so in a timely manner.
Ironically, by offering to pay out the players’ (limited) winnings in accordance with the corrected odds instead of cancelling the bet outright, TOTO did not meet its obligations to follow a clear and transparent process, which – if allowed to stand – would introduce the risk of arbitrary decision-making on behalf of betting operators, the court ruled.
It is currently unclear whether TOTO will appeal the ruling.
Netherlands Gambling Authority rules against Novamedia in dispute over online games
Earlier this year, the Dutch gambling regulator imposed conditional penalty payments on Dutch charity lottery operator POSTCODELOTTERY for offering online games that would automatically enroll players in participating in (offline) lottery draws.
The regulator claimed that the online games and the lottery draws were part of a single game of chance that partially takes place online. As Novamedia does not hold a remote gaming license and online lotteries are not permitted, the games violate the Dutch Gaming Act, the Gambling Authority said.
Although Novamedia took its online games offline, it still appealed the conditional penalty payments. These appeals have now been denied.
A Novamedia spokesperson said that the company is “studying” the regulator's rulings, thus indicating that further judicial appeal may follow.
DraftKings abandoned bid for 888 may be sign of future US-led iGaming consolidation
US betting group DraftKings discussed a bid for 888 over the summer with some of the struggling UK betting operator’s top shareholders, the Financial Times reports.
Although the negotiations never went beyond the exploratory phase, they are nonetheless significant, the FT claims, because these “are a sign of the increasing dominance of US operators in the betting industry, and how their financial firepower may yet drive a further wave of consolidation in the sector.”
Register now! Post-election networking drinks with special guest Fred Teeven – November 23
With the Dutch parliamentary elections taking place in just two weeks’ time, join us on Thursday, November 23 from 17:30 until 19:30 to discuss the election outcome.
With several political parties eager to further restrict the regulated gambling market and an uncertain election outcome, there will be plenty to discuss.
The informal gathering will feature Fred Teeven, former state secretary and architect of the Dutch online gambling legislation, as our special guest.
The meet-up will take place in Amsterdam.
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If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP by emailing: RSVP@Gaminginholland.com .
Upcoming events
The following event(s) may be of interest to the GiH community.
· The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) invites you to join us on Thursday 16 November (11-12 CET) for a webinar discussion about safer gambling interactions, organized as part of the upcoming European Safer Gambling Week on 13-19 November.
· Registrations for ICE and ICE VOX 2024 are now open! Join 45,000 industry peers and attend the industry’s largest B2B event between February 6-8 in London.
· IGB Affiliate 2024 takes place February 6-9 alongside ICE London and aims to connect affiliates with iGaming operator affiliate programs and tech vendors.
· Kindred's annual Sustainable Gambling Conference will be held March 20, 2024, at the Kia Oval in London.
· The 2024 Casino Operations Summit, which focuses on land-based casino operations, will take place April 23-25 in Amsterdam.
Arjan Blok to succeed Niels Onkenhout as CEO of Nederlandse Loterij
Nederlandse Loterij has announced that Arjan Blok , currently CFO of the Dutch national lottery operator Nederlandse Loterij , will succeed current CEO Niels Onkenhout no later than September 1, 2024, when the latter's term ends.
Before joining Nederlandse Loterij in 2015, Blok served as CFO of RWE Retail.
Together with Onkenhout, Blok oversaw the merger between the Dutch State Lottery and De Lotto in 2016, which combined to form Nederlandse Loterij.
Alexander Pechtold, Chair of the Supervisory Board, commented: “Under the leadership of Arjan, the company has seen continuous positive financial results after the merger in 2016. He has also made an important contribution to accelerating the company's digital transformation.
“We are confident that in the long term, with this new board of directors – supplemented by a new CFO to be recruited – we will have a strong team to take the Dutch Lottery forward.”
Other news
The municipal council of Almere wants to ban advertising for gambling and alcohol throughout the city.
A study on gambling in Germany has revealed that four out of ten of those gambling on (online) slot machines are at high risk of suffering from gambling harm.
Brazil's long-awaited sports betting bill will contain significant advertising and sponsorship restrictions.
Six leading US affiliate marketing companies, including Better Collective and Catena Media, have joined forces under the umbrella of the Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association (RGAA).
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