Central Europe

Germany: Sales revenues from paid online services for games rises significantly once again

Published

6 years ago

May 29, 2020

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

• 461 million euros generated by fees from online services

• More than 5 million people in Germany pay for online services

• German games industry tops 6-billion-euro mark

Sales revenue generated by fees from online services in Germany rose significantly once again. The segment grossed approximately 461 million euros in 2019, which is an increase of 30 per cent compared to 2018 (353 million euros) – and even that year, the segment had nearly doubled, with growth of 97 per cent. These are the figures released today by game – the German Games Industry Association, based on data collected by the market research company GfK. Fee-based online services are currently available in multiple versions and for a range of different gaming platforms. For example, services on consoles including Nintendo Switch Online, PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold offer options such as playing online with and against other players, saving games in the cloud and receiving discounts on games and expansions. Subscription services for PC such as Origin Access Premier (EA) and Uplay+ (Ubisoft) allow players to pay a fixed monthly fee to access a huge rotating library of games and to play some new games before the release date. With cloud gaming services such as Google Stadia Pro and PlayStation Now, on the other hand, gamers no longer need high-performance hardware to play titles with their full range of graphics, as the computing power to run the games is provided in the cloud. Monthly fees for online services can range from 4 to 10 euros, depending on the provider. Last year, a total of approximately 5.1 million gamers paid for these fee-based services, which is around 300,000 people more than in 2018 (4.8 million).

In Germany, growing numbers of gamers are discovering fee-based online services that give them access to an enormous selection of the latest hot titles, offers and discounts for a monthly fee. The strong growth in this segment also indicates how much the games market is currently changing: long-term access and usage rights for games are becoming much more important than purchasing individual titles,’ says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game. ‘Cloud gaming services are an interesting option for many gamers, particularly if we consider future trends and blockbuster titles that require a lot of processing power. All the heavy processing takes place in data centres, so the players themselves no longer need particularly high-performance hardware. There’s a lot going on in this budding market segment at the moment, and we expect to hear much more about it in future.’

German games market grows by 6 per cent

As already reported by game, the German games market grew by 6 per cent in 2019, to around 6.2 billion euros. Sales of games hardware, including consoles, gaming PCs and accessories, dropped by 2 per cent from the previous year, to 2.4 billion euros. In contrast, the market for games software showed a gain of 11 per cent: in 2019, a total of about 3.9 billion euros was spent on computer and video games and the charges for the respective online services.

About the market data

The current data takes into account further dedicated games hardware like gaming PCs and the corresponding accessories, resulting in a larger market size than previously reported. This is true also of the adjusted data for 2018, which accordingly differs from that reported last year.

The market data is based on statistics compiled by GfK, the GfK Consumer Panel and App Annie. The methods used by GfK to collect data on Germany’s digital games market are unique in terms of both their quality and their global use. They include an ongoing survey of 25,000 consumers who are representative of the German population as a whole regarding their digital game purchasing and usage habits, as well as a retail panel. The data collection methods provide a unique insight into the German market for computer and video games.

game – the German Games Industry Association

We are the association of the German games industry. Our members include developers, publishers and many other games industry actors such as esports event organisers, educational establishments and service providers. As a joint organiser of gamescom, we are responsible for the world’s biggest event for computer and video games. We are an expert partner for media and for political and social institutions, and answer questions relating to market development, games culture and media literacy. Our mission is to make Germany the best games location.

Casinò Portorož

SYNOT Games Enters Slovenian Market with Casino Portorož Partnership

Published

13 hours 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

3 weeks 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.

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Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation

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

Published

3 weeks 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.