Central Europe
A Q&A session with Endorphina’s Head of Legal!
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 1st 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.
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Central Europe
Playtech Expands iPoker Network into the Czech Republic in Partnership with Fortuna Entertainment Group
Playtech announced the expansion of its iPoker network into the Czech Republic, in partnership with Fortuna Entertainment Group (Fortuna), marking the first introduction of Playtech’s iPoker network in the Czech market.
This launch represents a significant milestone for both Playtech and Fortuna, as it introduces poker into the Fortuna Entertainment Group for the first time. Through Playtech’s iPoker network, Fortuna’s players in the Czech Republic will now have access to a diverse range of poker games, benefitting from a strong international liquidity pool of players from all around the world, plus a high-quality player experience and state-of-the-art poker product.
The iPoker network has experienced explosive growth over the past few years, and the addition of Fortuna will contribute to the continuation of this trend. The Czech Republic is a prominent hub for live poker tournaments in Europe, with prestigious events held year-round in cities like Prague and Rozvadov. By joining forces with Fortuna, Playtech aims to tap into the potential of this vibrant market, bringing an unmatched online poker experience to the Czech audience.
Marat Koss, VP of Interactive Gaming at Playtech, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Fortuna to expand our iPoker network into the Czech market. Playtech is committed to providing a high-quality player experience through its cutting-edge poker product and continuous innovation and together with Fortuna’s continued success and significant growth trajectory as the leading betting and gaming operator in Central and Eastern Europe, this partnership will offer a modern, seamless, and engaging user experience for Fortuna’s players.”
Myke Foster, Group Head of Gaming & Commercial Strategy at Fortuna Entertainment Group, said: “Poker has a significant presence in the Czech market with an established player base and we are impressed by the quality of Playtech’s poker product. We see tremendous potential in this product and are confident it will deliver an exceptional and modern user experience to our customer base. We have had a very successful partnership with Playtech over the years and we look forward to watching this partnership continue to grow from strength to strength.”
The post Playtech Expands iPoker Network into the Czech Republic in Partnership with Fortuna Entertainment Group appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
BF Games, the dynamic game development studio, has entered a new market through a collaboration with Apollo Games, a major licensed online casino operator in the Czech Republic. The content deal provides Apollo Games customers with the supplier’s most engaging releases, including titles like Stunning Hot Remastered and Cave of Fortune, which are now available.
ApolloGames.cz has been entertaining Czech players since 2021 and is part of the globally known Apollo Game Group, which boasts more than 17 years of experience in online games as well as land-based operations. The commercial partnership is part of the supplier’s plans to expand across Europe and supply thrilling games to operator partners worldwide.
Rok Hribar, Head of Sales and Account Management at BF Games, said, “Our new partnership with Apollo Games is a huge milestone for us as we make a significant entrance into the growing Czech market.
“We look forward to providing some of our most popular games to Apollo Games player base and bringing our creative content to their screens.”
Stanislav Jurecka, Casino Manager at Apollo Games, said, “We are watching the rapid development of BF Games’ offerings and are thrilled to sign this deal with the studio.”
“Adding BF Games’ slots to our online casino is a great win for us and our players, providing fantastic entertainment through a great mix of classic and innovative content. We look forward to introducing further games throughout the year and growing our successful partnership.”
The post BF Games Enters Czech Market with Apollo Games appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Leading German software provider teams up with Hamburg-born aggregator to make full suite of slots available to customers in regulated markets worldwide
With immediate effect, German iGaming-business Apparat Gaming is teaming up with fellow Hamburg-founded company edict egaming. The former, having forged a reputation for providing premium casino content with a German accent, has thus joined forces with one of the country’s top aggregators in edict, one of the Merkur Group’s subsidiaries.
As a result of the deal, Apparat Gaming’s ever-expanding portfolio of 30+ quality slots, including recent releases like the high-octane Autobahn Alarm and the hotly-anticipated Fishin’ the Biggest, will be joining edict’s already widespread line-up of over 200 titles – making them now available to all operators who choose edict for their game aggregation needs.
This collaboration will give customers access to an even more diverse selection of games, all of which are fully compliant with the latest German regulation and certified for release in multiple markets.
Founded in 1998, edict was one of the industry’s pioneering online casino service providers before it was acquired by the Merkur Group a decade later. In 2021, the company added an aggregator solution to its offering, and it has been steadily developing this product ever since to a point where it now supplies content to over 150 operators and starts 8.5+ billion games per year.
Specialising in engaging titles that are supplied by some of Germany’s most popular studios, Apparat Gaming’s releases will certainly look right at home among the aggregator’s prestigious game portfolio – and both parties are already looking forward to a highly successful collaboration.
Martin Frindt, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Apparat Gaming, said: “Given Apparat Gaming’s German roots, we’re delighted to be teaming up with a Hamburg-born business-like edict. Adding our titles to their line-up will give operators access to our over 30 top slots that all come with our signature German accent, and we can’t wait to hear how they’re received by customers.”
Dominic-Daniel Lienard CEO at edict, said: “Since launching our aggregator solution, edict has compiled a stellar portfolio of releases from some of the top developers in Germany and beyond – and adding Apparat Gaming titles will strengthen this roster further. With great graphics, unique themes, and innovative bonus features, we’re sure their slots will be a huge hit with our operators.”
The post Apparat Gaming and edict egaming announce partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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