Latest News
Merkur Increases Stake in Betcenter Group
Merkur Sportwetten GmbH, a subsidiary of the Gauselmann Group, has increased its holding in the Belgian sports betting company Betcenter Group from 50.1% to 74.9%.
Business relations have existed between Merkur Sportwetten and Betcenter for approximately four years. Merkur purchased a share of 50.1% of Betcenter at the beginning of 2018. This holding has now been increased by 24.8%. After the partial sale, Seydi Tekin will remain the managing partner of Betcenter for the long term; Carsten Schaudienst will continue to be active as a board member.
“In 2018, we decided to sell part of our business in order to be able to further expand our business activities in Belgium and grow more strongly as a company. We found an ideal partner in Merkur Sportwetten, which supports us as a technology partner for system bets as well as financially. The partnership quickly brought benefits and we were able to double our turnover in the past two years,” Seydi Tekin said.
“Together, we want to increase the already large footprint of Merkur Sportwetten under the Betcenter brand in Belgium. In line with this, we will further extend the omnichannel product offering (physical as well as online) in the coming months,” Markus Ettlin, Managing Director of Merkur Sportwetten, said.
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Compliance
eGaming Integrity shortlisted for EGR B2B Awards 2026
eGaming Integrity has been shortlisted for the EGR B2B Awards 2026 in the Services Rising Star category.
The company, which describes itself as an Isle of Man-based compliance specialist, is among the firms in contention in the supplier-focused awards programme.
The EGR B2B Awards recognise companies providing products and services to the iGaming industry, spanning suppliers, technology providers and service firms. The awards are judged by a panel of independent industry professionals.
The EGR B2B Awards 2026 ceremony date and the wider shortlist were not included in the announcement.
The post eGaming Integrity shortlisted for EGR B2B Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Central Europe
ZEAL launches Dream Car Raffle charity lottery in Germany
ZEAL has launched Dream Car Raffle (Traumautoverlosung), a new charity lottery offering in the regulated German gambling market. The company said the product is developed in-house and adds to its portfolio alongside its lottery brokerage business.
Traumautoverlosung is operated by Dreamify gGmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of ZEAL, while marketing and sales is handled by Lotto24 AG, also part of the group. ZEAL said the launch follows the Dream House Raffle (Traumhausverlosung) introduced in 2024 and freiheit+, making Traumautoverlosung its third charity lottery in Germany.
“With Traumautoverlosung, ZEAL continues its strategy of complementing its traditional lottery brokerage business with proprietary products, targeting new customer segments and reducing its dependence on jackpot-driven cycles of state lotteries,” the company said. Stefan Tweraser, CEO of ZEAL Group, added: “We are pleased to further expand our core business with attractive new products. Traumautoverlosung is another step towards diversifying our portfolio and reaching new target groups.”
ZEAL said Traumautoverlosung is structured with a limited number of tickets and a guaranteed winner. At launch, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS will be raffled, with a total of 250,000 tickets available. “With Traumautoverlosung, we are focusing on cars that are otherwise out of reach for many people – highly desirable models that are often difficult to obtain on the market,” said Michael Lee, founder of Traumautoverlosung. “Our goal is to translate this demand into a transparent, digital product with clearly defined mechanics.”
As a charity lottery, the product allocates at least 20 percent of ticket revenue to charitable causes, according to ZEAL. The company said the initiative will partner with Johanniter in 2026.
The post ZEAL launches Dream Car Raffle charity lottery in Germany appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Allwyn
Allwyn revamps National Lottery Lotto and brings Powerball to the UK
Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, will introduce a new two-round Lotto format from 7 June and plans to launch a UK-specific version of Powerball later this summer, subject to final regulatory approval.
From 7 June, each £2 Lotto line will include two rounds per draw, giving players “two chances to win” from a single line. Allwyn said the change improves the odds of winning any prize from 1-in-9.3 to 1-in-4.9. Tickets go on sale on Sunday 7 June, with the first draw on Wednesday 10 June, continuing on Wednesdays and Saturdays at around 8pm. Two sets of six main balls and a Bonus Ball will be drawn using two separate draw machines.
Allwyn said the updated format is expected to increase the number of Lotto millionaires from around 140 a year to around 345. Lotto jackpots will continue to start at £2m and can roll over up to five times before a must-be-won event on the sixth consecutive draw. The £1m fixed prize for matching five main numbers plus the Bonus Ball remains, while the jackpot for matching six main numbers is shared across both rounds. The Lotto HotPicks add-on will also move to the two-round format and will remain priced at £1.
Powerball will be introduced in the UK in partnership with the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). Allwyn said the UK version will be priced at £4 per line and will offer access to a “shared jackpot” with US participants, with UK jackpot winners paid out over 30 years. UK draws will align with the existing Powerball schedule, with ticket sales closing at 11.55pm the night before draws on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and draw results produced from the Powerball studio in Florida at around 4am on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
Allwyn CEO, Andria Vidler, said, “We are delivering on our promise to bring more games, more entertainment and more innovation to The National Lottery. With extensive upgrades to our digital and retail channels now complete, we have a fantastic summer lined up, as we are now able to bring these exciting new games to our players.” She added that Allwyn’s goal is “doubling weekly returns to Good Causes from £30m to £60m by 2034, with £33m a week currently raised.”
The post Allwyn revamps National Lottery Lotto and brings Powerball to the UK appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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