Industry News

European Lotteries Adapting to a Post-corona World

Published

6 years ago

April 28, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The lottery executives and industry experts in Europe have met together via an online webinar “Lotteries in COVID-19 Lockdown” to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the lottery sector, the consequences for a post-corona world and the importance of continuing to fund good causes during a pandemic.

The webinar was organised by VIXIO GamblingCompliance in association with The European Lotteries (EL), together with representatives of two of EL Members the SAZKA Group and Veikkaus Oy. The webinar has gathered over 250 participants.

During the webinar, EL Secretary General Arjan van ‘t Veer outlined the situation for lotteries during the lockdown. In their immediate response to the outbreak, the vast majority of EL Members have already taken a series of priority actions to protect players and lottery employees, retailers and providers’ staff. The most common steps included remote working, travel restrictions and regular communication with the players and relevant stakeholders.

On the operational side, Mr. van ‘t Veer noted: ‘‘I have seen many EL Members take necessary continuity measure to make sure operations can continue. In the first days of the lockdown, there was a tremendous drop in sales, as retailers closed their doors and draws were postponed or cancelled. Early on, Members that operate slot machines, EGMs or casinos took their responsibility to close, in order to reduce large public gatherings. As the lockdown spread across Europe, more POSs were closed (some up to 100%) and sports betting took a major hit.’’

However, it is not all bad news. Mr. van ‘t Veer added, ‘‘Over the last few weeks some EL members have reported stable sales. Online games are performing better than expected, scratch cards are doing well, and many lottery campaigns are now focused on good causes to support the health sector and vulnerable people, such as funding for medical equipment or the delivery of daily essential supplies to care homes. Since the Easter break, there has been a positive impact on the sales of (draw based) games. There is still a long way to go but light is at the end of the tunnel. Some POSs are re-opening and Members are reporting preparations to get back to (full) business when possible.’’

Moderated by Andrew Gellatly, Head of Global Research at VIXIO, the discussions moved on to national situations and how lotteries can learn to co-exist with the virus.

Robert Chvatal, CEO of the Sazka a.s. and Sazka Group highlighted the observed “north-south divide,” i.e. differences in impact on lottery business between southern and northern regions of Europe, where for example in the southern countries with very small share of on-line lottery sales and 100% POS closures, the business was hit very hard by the crisis and in opposite, in the northern and central European countries, where the on-line share is much higher and retail was closed only partly, the business impact was much smaller.

“Many lotteries have seen a significant increase in online sales share, due to the retail channel limitations and customers’ willingness to have a chance to continue to play. Fortunately, this is even supported by high jackpots of both, local Lotto games and Eurojackpot/ Euromillions, attracting even occasional players to participate. This is something that lotteries will need to adjust to support, for example, their elderly customers concerned about going to their usual retailer with advice on how to play online. Some of them will probably remain the online customers, benefiting from convenience of on-line channel, which will partially increase the future on-line channel share. Nevertheless, plenty of the players will revert back to play in retail, especially those needing the social contact connected with the play. I believe that the lotteries biggest challenge will be to re-open fully the retail channel, respecting all hygienic rules to protect both customers and retailers, and ramp-up the retail channel performance as soon as possible to start to generate good causes contributions on the pre-corona level,” Chvatal noted.

On monitoring changes in the behaviour of players, Sami Kauhanen, SVP of Betting at Veikkaus Oy highlighted that “in Finland casinos, VLTs and slot machines closed in March, while the retails network remained open and continued to operate more or less ‘normally.’ There has been a slight increase for online casinos, but not to the extent that they are seen as a replace to suspended games such as slot machines. On offshore operators, there are not major changes during the lockdown. There is a traditional loss of the market share for online casinos and betting from these operators, regardless of the crisis.”

On sports betting Mr. Kauhanen added, “Live sport betting is a big thing in our country and with the cancellation of sport events, many are turning towards betting on horse-racing, often with new players who cannot currently bet on their favourite live sport, like football. Virtual betting and e-sports are not so popular in Finland.”

An audience poll was conducted during the webinar on what changes there will be in lottery player behaviour in the post-corona era. Most participants said players would revert to their existing retail/online preferences, followed closely by players staying online and retail lotteries becoming less relevant.

Source:

ANESAR

ANESAR Holds its 43rd Ordinary General Assembly

Published

2 days ago

November 6, 2025

Niji Narayan

anesar-holds-its-43rd-ordinary-general-assembly

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Spanish Association of Gaming and Recreational Hall Entrepreneurs (ANESAR) has held its 43rd Ordinary General Assembly this Tuesday, November 4, in the Carlos Ferret Salat room of CEOE, in Madrid, where it once again brought together a large representation of members, in a meeting marked by reflection, collaboration and the firm will to continue working with data, arguments and responsibility.

Following the institutional opening by Javier Calderón, Director of Companies and Organisations of CEOE, aspects of mandatory statutory compliance were addressed, such as the approval of minutes, the explanation and approval of accounts and budgets, or the approval of the Annual Report of Activities.

Next, José Vall presented the president’s report, in which he emphasised that, although political decisions are often difficult to understand, “our duty is to continue providing arguments and evidence to defend the sector with rigor, knowledge, and sound judgment.” In this regard, he stressed the need to anticipate events, prepare information and coordinate common messages that reinforce the image of a sector committed to legality, prevention and responsible gaming.

For his part, Juan Lacarra, technical general secretary of ANESAR, reviewed the main current issues from a regulatory and operational perspective, addressing relevant aspects such as sanctioning procedures, opening hours, biometrics and hiring difficulties.

During the Assembly, the “Key Data and Sector Dynamics” were also presented, highlighting that there are currently 3600 gaming arcades (more than 240 have closed in the last four years) and 30,060 slot machines. It was also specified that the average spend per visit is €16, that 85% of people are accompanied by family and friends, and that 60% are men around 30 years old. Regarding employment data, it was explained that the sector supports more than 47,000 jobs, including both direct and indirect workers, making it a significant driver of employment. The ANESAR Training Plan was also emphasised, with 8725 students and 16,539 formal enrollments (data as of October 15, 2025). Furthermore, it was noted that, with a real estate investment of €260 million, gaming arcades represent one of the largest private investments in the leisure sector. A sector that, as was recalled, collects more than 320 million euros in taxes annually, which benefit hundreds of thousands of people, as well as society as a whole.

The Assembly also included the participation of experts in politics and institutional relations, such as Jaime Criado, from the firm ACENTO, who provided insights into the current political situation and its potential impact on the sector. ANESAR Vice Presidents Enric Sanahuja, Raúl Rubio and Antonio Fornés also offered their perspectives on current issues affecting the sector. Finally, Ramón Cubián, Director General of Land and Delegate for Gaming Regulation and Management of the Community of Madrid, accompanied by Gracia Martín Duarte, Deputy Director of Gaming Management and Regulation, and their team, officially closed the 43rd ANESAR Assembly.

The post ANESAR Holds its 43rd Ordinary General Assembly appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

CreedRoomz

CreedRoomz Launches New Game Show: Mr. First Live

Published

2 days ago

November 6, 2025

Niji Narayan

creedroomz-launches-new-game-show:-mr.-first-live

Reading Time: < 1 minute

CreedRoomz, a leading provider of live casino content, has officially launched its new game show, Mr. First Live. This thrilling, fast-paced bouncing ball game show takes place in a vibrant, adventure-themed studio, blending the excitement of gumball machines with an innovative, endless-runner-style bonus game.

In the main game, players match numbers on up to eight game cards, which are randomly enhanced to one of three types: Normal, Safe or Risk. Players can also choose from three bonus ticket levels Sprint, Trailblaze and Marathon, each offering a different path to the bonus round and a bigger potential win. What truly sets this game apart is its unique bonus round, where players are launched into an exhilarating, interactive adventure, collecting coins to boost their prize with up to a 10,000x multiplier.

This launch is a significant milestone that validates the provider’s strategy to create a new generation of game shows. Mr. First Live is designed to not only captivate players but also serve as a powerful new tool for the partners to drive acquisition and retention in a competitive market.

The post CreedRoomz Launches New Game Show: Mr. First Live appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

EU gambling policy

Romania Proposes Raising Gambling Age to 21 and Restricting Online Advertising

Published

3 days ago

November 5, 2025

Zoltan Tundik

romania-proposes-raising-gambling-age-to-21-and-restricting-online-advertising

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Romanian lawmakers have introduced new legislative proposals aimed at tightening gambling access and advertising rules, particularly to protect young people. The bills, submitted by MPs Raluca Turcan (PNL) and Diana Stoica (USR), would raise the minimum legal gambling age from 18 to 21 and restrict online gambling advertising between 06:00 and 24:00.

Under the proposals, individuals under the age of 21 would be prohibited from participating in gambling activities, while gambling ads would be banned across online platforms during daytime hours. The legislation also seeks to outlaw the use of influencers, athletes and public figures in gambling promotions.

Protecting young audiences

“We have an obligation to protect our children from the threat of gambling,” said USR deputy Diana Stoica, citing studies showing early exposure to slot machines and online betting among Romanian minors. According to Stoica, brain development, particularly in areas linked to impulse control and decision-making, continues until around the age of 21, making younger individuals more vulnerable to gambling addiction.

“One in four adolescents has played on these so-called ‘machines of death’ before turning 18,” she added, arguing that the legislation is a necessary step to reduce risks.

Aligning with European trends

PNL deputy Raluca Turcan called the proposed age increase a “simple change with deep effects,” noting that countries including Portugal, Greece and Moldova have adopted similar measures. She highlighted that individuals aged 18 to 21 often face increased financial pressure and impulsivity as they enter adulthood, making them a key target group for gambling marketing.

“By raising the age threshold, we protect young people during a vulnerable stage,” Turcan stated, referencing international examples where similar policies reportedly reduced early-age indebtedness and problem gambling cases.

Tighter ad rules and warning messages

The draft legislation further proposes:

A complete ban on online gambling advertising between 06:00 and 24:00
A ban on influencer and public-figure participation in gambling promotions
Mandatory visible harm-prevention warnings across digital and physical gambling environments, modeled after tobacco and alcohol regulation

The measures would amend Romania’s existing legal framework under Emergency Ordinance 77/2009.

What comes next

The bills will now proceed through the legislative process, including debate and committee review. If adopted, the changes would introduce some of the most restrictive gambling-advertising and access rules in the region.

The initiatives reflect an ongoing trend across Europe, where regulators are increasing focus on consumer protection, youth safeguards, and advertising limitations in the gambling sector.

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