Novomatic Netherlands appoints new CEO
Dr. Alexander Legat, formerly Head of Legal at the group's Austrian headquarters, has been appointed as the new CEO of Novomatic Netherlands. Henceforth, the enlarged management team of Novomatic Netherlands will consist of Alexander Legat, Robert Meijer, Reinier Schutte and Karin den Dunnen.
“The appointment of industry expert Alexander Legat as CEO of Novomatic Netherlands demonstrates the Novomatic AG Group’s commitment to enhancing the position of Novomatic Netherlands and its strategic direction in the future,” the company said in a statement.
Attorney General: “Curaçao master license holders liable for sublicensee failings”
The Attorney General of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands has advised the Court that Curaçao-based online casino master license holders can be held legally liable for the failings of its sublicensees.
The Attorney General found that there were no grounds for a cassation appeal against a previous ruling by the Joint Appeals Court of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba that ordered Curaçao-based master license holder Cyberluck to reimburse two players after two of its sublicensees failed to pay out these players’ winnings.
The Supreme Court of the Netherlands is the highest court in all constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, including Curaçao. The Court usually follows the advisory opinions of its Attorney General.
Belgium under-21 gambling ban enters into force
Belgium's previously announced ban on under-21 gambling has entered into force on September 1. The ban includes all forms of gambling and betting, excluding the country's National Lottery.
The increased age limit follows an almost complete ban on all gambling advertising and a strict €200 weekly deposit limit.
Although BAGO, the Belgian Association of Gaming Operators, said that it welcomed the increased age limit, the association also warned of the risk of under-21 players turning to the illegal market and called for a thorough evaluation of the impact of the new age limits, as well as an intensification of the fight against illegal gambling.
Save the date: The Las Vegas Book launch party
Years in the making, The Las Vegas Book, a 450-page luxury coffee table book illustrating the fascinating history of Las Vegas with more than 300 impressive photographs, will soon start rolling off the press.
The book's author, Joris Dekkers cordially invites Gaming in Holland members to the Las Vegas Book launch party on Monday, December 9. Location and time TBA.
Get your signed copy and enjoy a festive glass of champagne!
Other events
The following event(s) may be of interest to the GiH community.
The 14th European Conference on Gambling Studies and Policy Issues, organized by the European Association for the Study of Gambling (EASG), will be held September 10-13, 2024, in Rome, Italy.
Over 5,000 operators are expected to attend this year's SBC Summit in Lisbon from September 24-26.
The 2024 Gaming in Germany Conference returns to Berlin on November 5, 2024. Save the date!
State Secretary Struycken: “Gambling should be well-regulated, not prohibited”
When the new Dutch government took office on July 2, Teun Struycken, State Secretary for Legal Protection, became responsible for, among other things, gambling policy.
As Struycken is representing a party in favor of undoing the legalization of online gambling, his appointment caused obvious concerns among industry insiders.
Although Struycken will certainly not be a strong supporter of gambling, calling the activity “dangerous” and “addictive” in a recent radio interview, he also said that gambling “should not be prohibited, but rather well-regulated.”
A similar statement can be found in his response to recent parliamentary questions:
“This [necessary] protection cannot be achieved when young adults are enticed to play with illegal online gambling operators. This is an important reason why online gambling has been legalized. This means that the online market can be regulated and properly supervised.”
Although it is too early to tell whether this position will translate into sensible policies that also recognize the need for economic and regulatory sustainability, it is at least hopeful to see an acknowledgment that prohibition is not a realistic solution to problematic gambling behaviors.
Other news
Tax increases and growing regulatory pressure is causing a growing number of land-based slots arcades to shut down.
Supplier BetGames has announced a new collaborative effort with online operator Circus, which will see its online casino options now available to players in the Netherlands for the first time.
Google is updating its German gambling and games policy later this month so that only offerings licensed by the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) can be promoted through Google Ads.
Betsson Group has confirmed that it is set to discontinue its B2C operations in the US at the end of September 2024.
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