Central Europe

A Q&A session with Endorphina’s Head of Legal!

Published

5 years ago

June 11, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Recently, Jakub (Head of Legal at Endorphina) had an interview and dropped some professional insights and thoughts about Germany, their new regulations, the treaty, and more.

So, big things are happening in Germany, right?

Yes, Germany was always a rather complicated market. The need for new gambling legislation to fully legalize online gambling was very urgent. Finally, there is hope when the new legislation has been introduced in 2020. And in spring 2021, the number of states to approve the new gambling treaty was met and Germany’s State Treaty on Gambling aka “Der Glücksspielneuregulierungstaatsverag” will become effective from the 1^st of July 2021.

The Treaty on Gambling becomes effective in July, does that mean that starting from July all operators must have a respective gambling license issued by German regulator?

No, it does not mean that. Germany is not that far in the process and the new regulatory body must first be established. Work to establish this body is underway, and sources suggest it will be fully operational by the end of 2022.

When the regulatory body is not established yet, how will Germany apply or enforce new rules introduced in the Treaty on Gambling?

The transitional regime has been introduced and does stipulate guidelines that certain online gambling offerings, namely those of virtual slot machines and online poker, which are actually not yet permitted under the current Interstate Treaty on Gambling, will be exempt from enforcement if operators meet certain requirements that are recognized as technically feasible. Basically, it is some sort of “gentleman agreement” between operators and the government saying: “follow the rules and we will leave you alone”. However, such “guidelines” cannot be mistaken with an effective law!

What requirements must be met in order to comply with the guidelines of the transitional regime?

It is a set of various rules. For example, for virtual slot games, the maximum bet must be 1 euro, the spin duration must be at least 5 seconds, no jackpots or auto-spins are allowed, reality checks must be triggered after 60 minutes session of un-interrupted duration and after that, the player must take a 5-minute cool-down break, where they are unable to place a bet, etc. As you can see, the new Treaty on Gambling really focuses on player protection and preventing gambling addiction.

Are there any problematic parts of the new regulation?

There are always some problematic parts and challenges from the regulatory point of view. On one side, the regulator tries to protect players but on the other side, games still must remain attractive compared to other markets. So, we can see those lacking jackpots, spin duration, and EUR 1 maximal bets could potentially cause some issues with the attractiveness of games and that is even before we will get into taxes.

What is wrong with taxes?

There is a proposal of new taxation of poker and online slots in the amount of 5,3% from all stakes. Considering that the average RTP (return to player) rate from slot games is 96%, such taxation would mean that the operators would be losing money on slots. Actually, to make the revenue from slots equal as without the proposed tax, the RTP of the slots would have to be reduced. And here we come back to the attractivity of games for players. Why would you play a game with a lower RTP when, just a click away, you can play the very same game with a higher RTP, only in an unregulated casino? This is why many experts are afraid that such taxation would drive players to the black market, which is very risky, especially if the jurisdiction is just opening. This taxation is still not yet agreed upon, but unfortunately, there is a high probability that it will actually happen. Even with bet limits or spin durations, Germany is still a very interesting market so we can only hope that the German parliament will reconsider their tax proposal.

Casinò Portorož

SYNOT Games Enters Slovenian Market with Casino Portorož Partnership

Published

2 weeks ago

June 5, 2026

Wladimir P.

synot-games-enters-slovenian-market-with-casino-portoroz-partnership

SYNOT Games continues its European expansion by officially entering the Slovenian market through a strategic partnership with the renowned Casino Portorož and its platform Casino.SI. This marks the provider’s first collaboration in Slovenia and a significant milestone in strengthening its presence across regulated European jurisdictions.

As part of the launch, SYNOT Games has successfully certified an extensive portfolio of 190 games for the Slovenian market – effectively making its full suite of content available to local players. The offering includes a comprehensive range of products, from top-performing slots to popular alternatives such as crash games and roulette, enabling Casino Portorož to deliver a diverse and engaging gaming experience.

The go-live will be supported by the introduction of a SYNOT Progressive Bonus with a €10,000 jackpot pool, designed to keep player engagement from day one. Looking ahead, the partners aim to further expand the integration by fully leveraging SYNOT’s proprietary ecosystem of promotional and engagement tools. The long-term plan is to introduce the full portfolio, including PEAK, Feature Free Rounds and Free Round Bonuses, enabling Casino.SI to maximise player engagement, boost retention, and deliver highly personalised, dynamic bonus experiences.

Martina Krajčí, Chief Commercial Officer at SYNOT Games, said: “We are very pleased to enter the Slovenian market through our partnership with Casino Portorož, a respected and established operator with a strong local presence. Bringing nearly our entire portfolio to Slovenian players demonstrates our commitment to delivering premium content tailored to regulated environments.”

Ksenija Bezek, Head of Online Operations at Casino Portorož, said: “We are delighted to partner with SYNOT Games and introduce their rich and diverse portfolio to our players. Their proven performance across regulated markets, combined with engaging features such as the SPB jackpot, aligns perfectly with our strategy to continuously enhance our offering and deliver innovative entertainment experiences to our customers.”

The post SYNOT Games Enters Slovenian Market with Casino Portorož Partnership appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Central Europe

Habanero goes live on Favbet Romania

Published

1 month ago

May 19, 2026

Wladimir P.

Deal adds Habanero’s slots and table games to Favbet.ro as the supplier targets further growth in CEE regulated markets.

Habanero has gone live with Favbet Romania, rolling out its slots and table games portfolio on the operator’s locally focused platform in Romania’s regulated online market.

Under the agreement, Favbet Romania players gain access to Habanero’s full catalogue. The companies positioned the launch as part of Habanero’s wider push to add regulated operator partners across Central and Eastern Europe.

Toni Karapetrov, Head of Corporate Communications at Habanero, said: “Favbet Romania is a well-respected brand in Europe and exactly the kind of partner we look to work with as we deepen our presence in the market. Romania players have a strong appetite for our content and we are confident our games will resonate well with their audience.

“Romania is an important market for us, and going live with this operator is another strong step in our continued European expansion across high-growth regulated markets.”

Cristian Sapovici, Head of Casino, Favbet Romania, said: “The collaboration between Favbet Romania and Habanero has been strong from the very beginning, and this co-branded collaboration agreement marks an important step in strengthening our strategic partnership.

“Our shared objective is to deliver a more integrated gaming experience for players in Romania, supported by consistent visibility, dedicated campaigns, and a stronger presence of Habanero content within the Favbet.ro ecosystem.”

Habanero said it is now live in 22 European regulated markets, and counts operators including Entain, Sisal and Betway among its partners.

The post Habanero goes live on Favbet Romania appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation

Brightstar Lottery Signs 3-Year Contract Extension with TIPOS, Slovakia’s National Lottery

Published

1 month ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

brightstar-lottery-signs-3-year-contract-extension-with-tipos,-slovakia’s-national-lottery

Brightstar Lottery PLC announced that its subsidiary, Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation, has signed a three-year contract extension with TIPOS, the government-owned lottery in Slovakia, to continue providing best-in-class lottery technology and lottery-related services.

TIPOS has been a valued Brightstar customer for more than 30 years. Under its most recent contract with TIPOS, signed in 2019 and which this agreement extends to 2032, Brightstar implemented in Slovakia a new lottery central system, next-generation retailer terminals, and related support services. Brightstar will further support TIPOS’ business expansion by delivering up to 2500 new mobile lottery terminals, handheld devices that provide lotteries expanded reach and enhanced convenience.

“Brightstar continues to deliver important services and innovative solutions to help us grow lottery in Slovakia. The success of our partnership funds a variety of good causes in Slovakia, including education and sports, and we are pleased to extend our agreement,” said Štefan Vyletel, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO of TIPOS.

“We are honored that TIPOS has entrusted us to serve Slovakia’s lottery for three decades. The handheld terminals we are deploying will enable TIPOS to convert offline instant ticket sales activities to online sales at the individual ticket level, while expanding the number of points of sale locations that players can purchase draw-based lottery games. We remain firmly committed to providing TIPOS and its players with exciting and innovative lottery solutions to help drive funding for good causes in Slovakia,” said Marco Tasso, Brightstar Chief Operating Officer International and Italy Operations.

The post Brightstar Lottery Signs 3-Year Contract Extension with TIPOS, Slovakia’s National Lottery appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.