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Dutch Gambling Regulator Imposes €600,000 Fine on Virtual Coin Gaming

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Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has issued a fine of EUR 500,000 against the Curacao-licensed operator Virtual Coin Gaming (VCG) and a separate EUR 100,000 fine against an unnamed employee of the company for creating online games that the authority deemed to be games of chance.

VCG offered games via the websites www.futgalaxy.nl and nl.futgamer.com, which included online betting for football, hockey, and US sports, a FUT jackpot and game packs. Its online games were based on FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT), a card game that is part of the EA Sports FIFA video game franchise, in which players earned credits in the FUT video game either by purchasing these credits directly on www.futgalaxy.nl and nl.futgamer.com or by exchanging virtual currency earned in the EA Sports video game FIFA.

These game packs were a simulation of loot boxes found in the FUT-based FIFA video games in which players had the option to purchase six different packs with values ranging from 5000 to 100,000 credits. Highly rated soccer players were randomly added to the packs. Since the Dutch Betting and Gaming Act does not issue licenses for internet gaming, online games of chance are forbidden in the Netherlands.

Since 2018, in response to research that revealed a link between loot box games and gambling addiction, the KSA has focused on loot boxes, particularly in-game packs in FIFA video games.

The KSA pointed out that online games of chance violate the Betting and Gaming Act. According to the KSA, it was clear that this was a case of an unlicensed operator that specifically target Dutch consumers through the use of the Dutch language, the .nl domain extension and the use of the Dutch payment system iDEAL.

The KSA deemed the VCG game packs to be games of chance. Research carried out by the KSA in January 2019, bolstered by announcements on the websites themselves, revealed that participants generally are not able to predominantly influence their chances of receiving prizes from VCG loot boxes. The KSA also referred to a decision of the court The Hague of 15 October 2020 regarding Electronic Arts, which ruled that in-game packs (i.e. loot boxes) inside FIFA video games constituted games of chance.

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Behind The Gloves forms Advisory Board to scale beyond event activations

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Behind The Gloves has formed an official Advisory Board as it moves from event-led activations to what it describes as a scalable, long-term business and community.

The board includes Michael Brady, Founder and Chairman of Bede Gaming and Chairman of Connexus Group; Rob Fell, CEO of RiskCherry; and Katie Byers, former SVP of People and Capability at Light & Wonder.

According to the organisation, the appointments are intended to support expansion into new verticals including corporate wellness programmes, brand partnerships and future digital products.

Behind The Gloves said it plans to continue operating as a “business for good” by reinvesting a portion of profits into community initiatives and charitable causes.

Lee McFarland, Founder of Behind The Gloves, said: “The foundation of our Advisory Board reflects Behind The Gloves’ commitment to building a strong business that can expand globally and reach more people than ever.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Katie, Rob and Michael to the Board and look forward to leveraging our industry’s unmistakable energy to support good causes and deliver accessible activities for all fitness levels on a larger scale.”

The post Behind The Gloves forms Advisory Board to scale beyond event activations appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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LuckyCasino launches in Spain as LCKY Group expands B2C footprint

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LuckyCasino has gone live in Spain, LCKY Group confirmed, marking the brand’s entry into the regulated market.

The operator said LuckyCasino is the second brand in the LCKY Group portfolio to operate in Spain, following OneCasino. The company positioned the launch as part of its long-term growth plans and noted the brand has previously operated in Sweden.

LCKY Group said the Spanish-facing offering includes more than 2,000 games, alongside localised offers and payment methods. It also claimed the catalogue includes “many LuckyCasino exclusives.”

Mark Schram, MD B2C Central & South Europe at LCKY Group, said: “Everyone at LuckyCasino is looking forward to showing off the mix of variety and innovation that’s made our platform such a huge hit elsewhere.

“With Spain being a key market for us going forward, we’re excited to build on the success LCKY Group has already enjoyed in the country with OneCasino, and we expect our vast selection of content will prove hugely appealing for Spanish customers.”

The post LuckyCasino launches in Spain as LCKY Group expands B2C footprint appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Evoplay rolls out Season of Legends campaign with €512,000 spring prize pool

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Evoplay has launched Season of Legends, a year-long network campaign built around four seasonal phases, starting with a spring edition carrying a €512,000 prize pool. The spring phase launched in March and runs across March, April and May.

The studio said the new format follows its previous Big Adventures network campaign and is designed to drive sustained engagement through a more structured seasonal approach. Each season runs for three months with new mechanics and prize pools.

A new mechanic, Infinity Prize Drops, will run daily throughout each month and is not tied to tournament windows. The spring edition also includes a Tournament and Wheel of Fortune, each operating in four monthly phases: 1st- 5th, 9th- 13th, 17th- 21st, and 25th- 29th.

Evoplay said the €512,000 spring prize pool will be distributed across the three-month period via a consolidated leaderboard spanning participating operators. Players earn points through qualifying spins on selected Evoplay titles including Hot Triple Sevens, Piggy Bank: 3 Pots Bonanza, and the Penalty Shoot-out series.

Diana Larina, Head of Marketing at Evoplay, said: “Season of Legends marks the next evolution of our network campaigns. With Big Adventures, we saw just how effective long-term engagement can be, and this new format takes that even further.

“By introducing seasonal structure and mechanics like Infinity Drops, we’re giving operators the tools to maintain consistent player activity, rather than relying on short-term spikes. This is just the beginning, and we’re excited to build momentum throughout the year.”

The post Evoplay rolls out Season of Legends campaign with €512,000 spring prize pool appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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