Press Releases
Swedish online casino shutter would cause instant ‘black-market boom’, says BonusFinder MD
Government considers ‘extreme measures’ as activity rises amid COVID-19 restrictions but closures would drive more players to unlicensed sites instead of protecting them
9th April, 2020 – The Swedish government’s threat to temporarily shut down licensed online casinos would have a disastrous effect on the industry and drive thousands more players to the black market, BonusFinder.com has warned.
The minister in charge of gambling policy, Ardalan Shekarabi, this week warned that “extraordinary measures” would be implemented if operators do not take action to slow the increase in igaming activity seen in the last two weeks, as people are told to stay at home because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
According to new data from Sweden’s gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, there has been a 33% increase in registrations and logins to play online casino games with 17 of the 60 licensed operators in the country in the last 14 days.
Last month, Swedish market research carried out by BonusFinder.com found that almost a third of Swedish online casino players are searching for ‘unlicensed casinos’, with growing numbers turning to black-market brands due to the market’s restrictive gaming regulations, introduced in January 2019.
Instead of protecting players, a shutdown of online casino brands, however, is likely to lead to thousands more players searching for and depositing funds on unlicensed sites, as well as causing further financial damage to licensed operators, according to BonusFinder.com.
Fintan Costello, Managing Director, Bonusfinder.com, said: “The Swedish government will make a colossal mistake if it chooses to temporarily close down online casino sites in an attempt to protect players. As our research has shown, almost a third of online casino players are already looking to the black market for a more attractive offering since restrictive rules were imposed in January 2019. These latest plans would create an immediate black-market boom.
“Swedish legislation requires operators to have strict responsible gambling procedures in place, therefore the right measures are already there. The focus should instead be on ensuring these are adhered to rather than taking a knee jerk reaction to close down all legitimate brands and forcing even more players to unprotected sites.”
Latest News
Bagelmania Backroom Comedy night lineup announced for Thursday, Feb. 26
The iconic Jewish delicatessen Siegel’s Bagelmania has announced the comedic line up that will leave guests “laughing their bagels off” at the next Bagelmania Backroom Comedy night on Thursday, Feb. 26.
Hosted monthly by Las Vegas-based and nationally touring comedian couple Noah Gardenswartz and Ester Steinberg, the event Thursday night will welcome Chris Clarke as the headliner along with acclaimed comics Kristeen Von Hagen, Gabe Quire and Lauren Rochelle.
Clarke, known as a high-energy and imaginative comedian, now tours the country with veteran comedian Rob Schneider. He also has amassed more than 40 million views on his popular YouTube channel “Csnacks,” where he tastes food and snacks from the front seat of his car. His hilarious and unique way of describing different flavors led to national commercials for Checkers and Rally’s, a one-hour special on the Cooking Channel titled Baby Got Snack, and an appearance as a food critic judge on Beat Bobby Flay.
Siegel’s Bagelmania will offer a special Backroom Comedy menu of its signature delicatessen cuisine as well as a full bar so guests can enjoy great comedy, dinner, and drinks in a unique, relaxed setting.
The Bagelmania Backroom is open to attendees 18 and older. Doors open for drinks and dinner at 7 p.m. Show time is 8 p.m. Tickets for Bagelmania Backroom are on sale for $20 online at https://siegelsbagelmania.com/backroomcomedy/ and will be sold at the door while supply lasts.
The post Bagelmania Backroom Comedy night lineup announced for Thursday, Feb. 26 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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GGBET UA hosts Media Game – an open FC Dynamo Kyiv training session with journalists from sports publications
On 17 February in Kyiv, GGBET UA organized a media event for players of the legendary Ukrainian club and representatives of Ukraine’s top sports media. Journalists trained with footballers in Dynamo’s first team under the guidance of the team’s coaches, played a short match in mixed squads, and took part in a Q&A session.
As the team’s title sponsor, GGBET UA took a creative approach to the organization of the event and went beyond a regular media briefing. A joint training session for the journalists and star players, and a practice match in mixed squads, put both the journalists and players in good spirits, and created a cool, informal atmosphere. After the game, a Q&A session took place, where FC Dynamo’s winter training camp and preparation for the second half of the season in the Ukrainian Premier League, led by the team’s new coach, Ihor Kostyuk, were discussed.
In Ukraine, where football is one of the most popular sports, playing with the players of renowned clubs is a chance to go through your own unique experience: to live out your childhood dream, remember your sporting background, get up close to legends, and more. This is part of the cultural code that is close to GGBET UA and a reference to one of the brand’s values: creating events that blur the lines between beloved teams and their audiences.
The collaboration between GGBET UA and Dynamo started in 2024, when the Ukrainian bookmaker became the club’s official partner in European cup matches and the official sponsor of its winter training camp. In 2025, GGBET UA became the club’s title sponsor for three years.
The post GGBET UA hosts Media Game – an open FC Dynamo Kyiv training session with journalists from sports publications appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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Slots dominate Brazil’s casino catalog, but crash games capture outsized player demand,Blask data reveals
Slots account for 85% of online casino titles in Brazil, with more than 11,700 games competing for visibility across 500+ platforms, according to a new report from Blask. While slots dominate lobby space, player attention is far more concentrated.
Measured by Share of Interest, which tracks organic search demand, a small number of games capture the majority of attention. Fortune Tiger alone generates nearly 30% of total player interest across all categories.
Crash games remain limited in supply, with just 225 titles in the ecosystem, yet they consistently rank among the most searched and prominently placed games. Demand within the category is uneven, however. JetX leads crash-game search interest despite appearing less frequently in prime lobby positions, suggesting player familiarity and peer influence outweigh operator promotion.
Live casino games maintain steady but modest demand, led by Blackjack and Crazy Time, while instant win titles show minimal traction, with only three games registering measurable interest.
Across the market, the top 10 games capture nearly two-thirds of total player attention, leaving hundreds of titles to compete for the remainder. The findings highlight a defining trend in Brazil’s iGaming sector: understanding player attention is becoming more important than expanding game inventories.
The analysis is based on Blask Games technology, which tracks lobby placement through computer vision and maps player search behaviour across regulated and offshore operators. A full report is available here.
The post Slots dominate Brazil’s casino catalog, but crash games capture outsized player demand,Blask data reveals appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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