Industry News

Assessing the Dutch market

Published

4 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.

ESG

Play’n GO publishes 2025 Sustainability Report with emissions and governance updates

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

play’n-go-publishes-2025-sustainability-report-with-emissions-and-governance-updates

Play’n GO has published its 2025 Sustainability Report, framing the year as a milestone as the supplier marks 20 years in the gaming industry. The report covers performance across four pillars—Players, Partners, People and Planet—and positions sustainability as tied to product design, operations, and partner expectations.

On climate reporting, the company said it has “achieved and exceeded” its long-term 90% reduction target for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and reported a 69% absolute reduction in Scope 3 emissions versus its 2023 base year. Play’n GO also said its total material emissions for 2025 were kept below 500 MTCO2e.

The report also points to a move into land-based delivery. In 2025, Play’n GO said it launched its first land-based gaming solution in partnership with Genting UK, positioning the rollout as part of a “player-first, low-footprint approach” for regulated venues.

On responsible entertainment, the company said it continues to reject game mechanics it believes “compromise player trust or wellbeing,” and highlighted participation in discussions on digital wellbeing and cognitive health, including at the United Nations and G7. “We have always believed that great entertainment should be fun, safe and fair,” said Vanessa Björkbacka, Director of CSR at Play’n GO.

The report also outlines internal development and reporting infrastructure. Play’n GO said 43% of employees engaged in AI-related learning during 2025 and that average training time exceeded seven hours per employee globally. It added that reporting was further aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and World Economic Forum Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics, alongside investment in “secure, AI-supported carbon data management.” “As expectations on transparency and accountability continue to rise, we see it as our responsibility to lead,” Björkbacka added.

The post Play’n GO publishes 2025 Sustainability Report with emissions and governance updates appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

complaint resolution

Casino Guru CRC returns $5.3m to players in Q1 2026

Published

6 days ago

April 21, 2026

Wladimir P.

casino-guru-crc-returns-$5.3m-to-players-in-q1-2026

Casino Guru’s Complaint Resolution Center (CRC) published 3,986 complaints in Q1 2026 and says it resolved 1,321 cases, returning $5,304,894 to players during the quarter.

Casino Guru said March was one of the CRC’s most active months on record, with the second-highest number of published complaints to date. The company added that ongoing cases exceeded 1,300, pointing to rising demand for third-party dispute mediation.

By volume, the most active complaint markets were Germany (657), the United Kingdom (270), Canada (240), Italy (207) and Australia (194), according to the CRC update.

Delayed payments remained the most common player-reported issue. Casino Guru also reported a March shift in complaint mix, with self-exclusion-related complaints rising to the second most frequent category for the first time in CRC history. KYC-related issues and blocked accounts were also among the most common complaint types, often linked to withdrawal delays.

Casino Guru said the quarter’s results reflect the increasing role of independent mediation as players look to third-party platforms to resolve disputes.

The post Casino Guru CRC returns $5.3m to players in Q1 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

branded content

RubyPlay launches Firerose studio for operator-specific casino games

Published

7 days ago

April 20, 2026

Wladimir P.

rubyplay-launches-firerose-studio-for-operator-specific-casino-games

RubyPlay has launched Firerose, a new studio aimed at building operator-specific casino game experiences, as suppliers and operators push for more branded content to stand out in crowded markets.

The company said Firerose is designed to let operators combine RubyPlay’s existing game catalogue with the studio’s technology and creative resources, using operator-led insight to shape games around an operator’s brand identity rather than standardised supplier content.

RubyPlay said Superbet is among the first operators to launch Firerose-powered titles. The supplier did not disclose game names or specific performance figures, but said early results showed “strong engagement metrics”.

Firerose becomes part of RubyPlay’s multi-studio structure alongside Koala Games, Mad Hat Games, Ruby Studio, and Xslots, which the company said share technology, infrastructure and distribution.

Dima Reiderman , Chief Commercial Officer at RubyPlay, said: ”Firerose represents a deliberate shift in how we think about content creation and partnership. The market is no longer driven solely by volume, but by identity. Operators want experiences that feel native to their brand and help them clearly differentiate in increasingly competitive casino environments.”

Dr. Eyal Loz, CPO at RubyPlay, added: “Firerose was created to put the operator’s voice at the centre of the creative process. Every game starts with their brand, their audience and their story, and our role is to bring that to life through the full weight of RubyPlay’s creative capabilities.

“We’re shaping experiences that players immediately associate with the operator itself. That level of ownership is what allows operators to stand out in increasingly crowded casino environments.”

The post RubyPlay launches Firerose studio for operator-specific casino games appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.