Industry News

Assessing the Dutch market

Published

3 years ago

October 18, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

It is a full year since the regulated online market opened in the Netherlands. In this round-table feature, we ask Matej Filipančič, Head of Turnkey Solutions at Bragg Gaming, for his view on how the market has performed to date and what lies around the corner.

Having opened up online gambling in October 2021, the Dutch regulator De Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) implemented a cooling-off period affecting many major operators. Has this affected the growth potential of the Dutch market?

It’s hard to say and with a year since the new legislation entered into force, it is now easier to focus on the positives and how the market has evolved in the last 12 months. First mover advantage has been crucial in the Netherlands and the initial 10 licensees have really carved out a big market share. It’s great to see that players have been channelled towards new operators rather than staying with incumbent ones as it means wider choice, exciting new products and better promotions through various acquisition channels. Consequently, this should attract more players, leading to healthy market growth. We think the Dutch lawmakers and regulators have done a great job with the new legislation benefiting both operators and players and we have great expectations for the potential in the country.

Will restrictions on advertising make it difficult for new entrants to the market to gain market share? If so, what part can suppliers play in attracting and retaining Dutch players?

It is very important to distinguish between online operators and those with a land-based presence here as there will be a relative advantage for the latter who will still be able to use some methods of advertising to retain players. All operators will need to be innovative and creative in coming up with ways to reach customers while also making sure their campaigns are fully compliant. For newcomers, it will become more difficult to gain a player base compared with those that were present at the time of market opening. The new restrictions are not at all in favour of newly licensed operators in that sense, but suppliers can make a big difference here. At ORYX, we offer a wide range of retention tools, which became even more important to operators after the marketing ban announcement. The new licensees on our platform have already come up with very exciting and successful strategies on how to utilise our state-of-the-art Fuze™ player engagement platform and other products to stay ahead of the competition.

What appetite have you seen among Dutch players for content types that are popular in other regulated European markets? Are they out-performing classic games that originate from the Dutch land-based heritage?

We have seen that top-performing content from world-leading providers such as Evolution, GAMOMAT and Pragmatic Play has outperformed the rest of the competition. This includes localised traditional studios like Greentube, Edict (Merkur) and Stakelogic, who still remain very popular with players. The result is a relatively healthy mix between the traditional games which have been present in the land-based machines for decades in the Netherlands and internationally recognised brands which perform well in all markets. Live casino has also been very strong and seems to have a great appeal to Dutch players.

What are your hopes for the Dutch market across the next 12 months?

Hopefully the restrictions will be applied equally on all operator websites, including the state-owned companies that were already in the market before the new regulation entered into force. There is of course potential for growth for all licensees, old or new, but it is crucial for recent entrants to be innovative to acquire and retain players. ORYX was the first external platform to launch in the Dutch market and we hope to maintain the position as a leading supplier there with the help of the exceptional track record of our operator partners.

We hope our platform partners can make use of all our tools to continue to grow and operate successfully in the Netherlands, gaining market share while making sure they are fully compliant and continue to excel in terms of Responsible Gaming and player protection. We are also in a great position to offer our proprietary products to new clients in the market and can guarantee a safe and exciting experience for the players, along with a profitable business for our partners.

Carmen Alexander

Entain’s Pitching In Initiative Crowned Grassroots Sports Initiative of the Year

Published

14 hours ago

November 25, 2025

Niji Narayan

entain’s-pitching-in-initiative-crowned-grassroots-sports-initiative-of-the-year

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Entain’s Pitching In initiative has beaten off fierce competition to be named Grassroots Initiative of the Year at the Global Football Industry Awards. Launched by Entain in 2020, the trailblazing initiative has made a huge impact at the non-league level of England’s national game.

Pitching In is the title sponsor of the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues – collectively known as the Trident Leagues – that comprise 264 clubs at Steps three and four of the non-league pyramid.

Pitching In, however, has always been about more than a flagship sponsorship. At the heart of the initiative is the ambition to enhance engagement between football clubs and their local communities. This led to Entain being the founding partner of the Trident Community Fund (TCF).

The TCF was launched to help clubs establish and expand community initiatives, maximising the remarkable impact that grassroots football clubs have on their local area. Every club in the Trident Leagues is encouraged to apply for a grant of up to £5000 annually to support community initiatives. The TCF has now supported more than 150 such projects, helping to expand youth, women’s and walking football, as well as supporting initiatives focusing on local upskilling, tackling anti-social behaviour and supporting local veterans and food banks.

In 2022, Pitching In launched the Volunteer Hub to provide a one-stop online portal for clubs to post volunteering vacancies and for local people to sign up and get involved.

Pitching In’s contribution to the grassroots game has now been recognised at the Global Football Industry Awards, a landmark global ceremony which brings together industry giants and trailblazers from every corner of the football ecosystem.

Pitching In was up against the likes of McDonalds, Barclays, Adidas, Nike and Coca-Cola, who were among the other shortlisted nominees for the Grassroots Initiative of the Year prize. Hosted by football royalty – Jamie Carragher and Peter Crouch – the awards celebrate the visionaries, pioneers and change-makers powering world football from behind the scenes.

Stella David, CEO of Entain, said: “We are delighted to see Pitching In recognised in this manner. Football is central to our business, which is why we feel it is so important to invest in the sport at the grassroots level, playing our part in bringing clubs and their communities closer together.

“When we started this project back in 2020, non-league clubs – and English football more generally – were staring into an uncertain future amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The grants Pitching In provided at that time proved crucial and we have continued to grow our relationship with the more than 260 clubs, who are the backbone of the English game, over the time since. We love supporting grassroots football and are excited by how this partnership can grow and evolve further.

“We would like to thank the Northern Premier League, Isthmian League and Southern League for their continued support, along with every single volunteer who gives up their time for their local football club. The game at this level could not run without you and Pitching In will continue to do what we can to highlight your invaluable contributions.”

Carmen Alexander from the Global Football Industry Awards added: “Congratulations to Entain and all 2025 Global Football Industry Award winners.

“Our judges were impressed by the commitment Entain has shown to grassroots football over a prolonged period of time and particularly the Trident Community Fund, which continues to make a tangible difference to non-league clubs across the country. Entain is very worthy of this recognition.”

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Industry News

Sky Bet Relocates Headquarters to Malta

Published

5 days ago

November 21, 2025

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Sky Bet has relocated its headquarters to Malta, a move that could cut its UK tax bill by tens of millions of pounds a year. The change will mean less money for the government at a time when the public finances are under strain.

The chancellor needs to increase tax revenues and is under pressure to levy higher duties on the betting industry – something the industry is aggressively campaigning against. Sky Bet, which describes itself as “the UK’s No. 1 betting app,” has moved its sportsbetting business to the Maltese branch of a new UK company, SBG Sports Limited.

Flutter Entertainment PLC, Sky Bet’s parent company, first told staff about the move in June, alongside a plan to make around 250 people in the UK redundant. At a meeting which was live-streamed across Flutter’s “UK and Ireland” business, workers in Leeds, Sunderland, London, Dublin, Gibraltar, Porto and Cluj were told the relocation of Sky Bet to Malta was driven by a “need to operate more efficiently” and to reduce costs.

Steve Birch, chief commercial officer of Sky Betting and Gaming, said that from November 1, “day-to-day commercial and marketing decision making will take place in Malta,” although Sky Bet’s Leeds office would continue to be one of Flutter’s largest.

The post Sky Bet Relocates Headquarters to Malta appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

financial results

GiG Software PLC Q3 Trading Results

Published

5 days ago

November 21, 2025

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

GiG Software Plc, a leading B2B iGaming technology company, has announced its financial results for the third quarter ended 30 September 2025 (Q3 2025).

Key Operational Highlights

• Delivered three launches across Q3 2025, including GiG’s market-leading sportsbook in the UK, with two additional launches released following the end of the quarter

• Ongoing new business momentum continued, with five commercial agreements signed, including an agreement to supply the technology to a European Lottery alongside new business wins targeting the Brazilian market

• Continued progress against the Company’s key strategic growth priorities, in particular leveraging AI across the iGaming vertical

• Post quarter end, the Company entered into a commercial agreement with a European Operator to provide platform and sportsbook services to the French market.

Financial Summary of Q3 2025

• Q3 2025 revenue of €9.7 million (Q3 2024: €7.4 million), up 31% YoY

• Q3 2025 Adjusted EBITDA for the third quarter of 2025 increased €2.3 million to €1.2 million (Q3 2024: loss of €1.1 million) at a margin of 13% (Q3 2024: -15%)

• Q3 2025 operating loss reduced to €3.5 million (Q3 2024: underlying loss of €9.7 million)

• Cash and cash equivalents balance of €4.7 million as at 30 September 2025 (30 September 2024: €10.0 million; 31 December 2024: €6.4 million).

At the end of Q3 2025, GiG received €11m in relation to the Company’s directed share issue. In light of this, the Board is satisfied with the current strength of the Company’s Balance Sheet and, in the interest of all shareholders, do not currently envisage the need for additional funds.

Results for the First Nine Months of 2025

Revenue for the first nine months of 2025 (9M 2025) was up 22% YoY to €28.0 million (9M 2024: €23.0 million)

Adjusted EBITDA for 9M 2025 amounted to €2.6 million (9M 2024: underlying loss of €3.1 million), at a margin of 9% (9M 2024: -13%)

Operating loss for 9M 2025 reduced to €11.6 million (9M 2024: underlying loss of €22.1 million)

Richard Carter, Chief Executive Officer of GiG, said: “We continue to be encouraged with our ongoing financial and operational progress across the business. Our new business momentum has been supported by a number of key strategic new business wins, including recent gains targeting the Brazilian market and GiG securing a major European Lottery, marking our first entry into the lottery vertical.

“Q3 represented another period of progress for GiG and further evolution of the business. We continue to refine our go-to-market strategy and evolve our highly scalable technology platform complemented by an increasingly data-driven, AI-empowered operating model.”

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