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Casino Guru Academy Launches a Highly Anticipated Course on Online Casino Complaints Handling Best Practices
Casino Guru, a renowned gambling resource dedicated to providing valuable information about online casinos, has recently unveiled a free online course dedicated to “Online Casino Complaints Handling Best Practices.” The course marks the sixth addition to the Casino Guru Academy and offers an in-depth look at Casino Guru’s tried-and-true methods for complaints handling. In addition to showcasing the leading examples of complaints from various areas, including delayed payments, verification, lost or misplaced deposits, blocked accounts, and more, the course uncovers best practices for operators when addressing them.
Casino Guru is no stranger to complaints handling – their very own Complaint Resolution Center has been playing a pivotal role in advocating for fair and transparent treatment of players since 2019. The Center has processed nearly 30,000 complaints since its inception, successfully resolving over 8,000 of them and returning an astounding $24,030,582 to online casino players. It is the expert knowledge of Casino Guru’s complaint specialists that powers the newest course, giving operators a unique opportunity to learn from the biggest and most prominent complaint resolution center of its kind.
In just 90 minutes, participants can now complete the free course and earn a certificate showcasing their commitment to enhancing player care. This opportunity not only provides them with the skills to effectively handle player complaints, but it also helps casinos prevent complaints in general. As a result, casinos can enjoy a bolstered reputation, as well as better player experience. Now available on the Academy website, the course is a must-do for every operator striving to improve their business and stay competitive in today’s player-centric world of online gambling.
Šimon Vincze, Sustainable & Safer Gambling Lead at Casino Guru, expressed his enthusiasm for the new course, stating, “The demand for the services of our Center has continuously been increasing, and this trend seems to show no signs of stopping. While it’s comforting that players continue to turn to us for assistance, the growing number of complaints signals potential issues on the operators’ end. This course is the culmination of the extensive experience gathered by our complaint resolution team over the years, and our hope is that it finds its audience and helps operators handle complaints in a more efficient way.“
Building upon their expertise, the complaint team at Casino Guru played a pivotal role in another triumphant venture – the prestigious Casino Guru Awards. The inaugural awarding ceremony, held earlier this year, revealed the winner of an important category, ‘The Most Effective Handling of Complaints,’ which gives recognition to the operator who is constantly going above and beyond in making sure player complaints receive the attention they deserve.
The team is also already working on an in-depth course centered around unfair rules in online casinos. This future addition, a follow-up to the complaints handling course, will showcase why some rules used by online casinos, although looking beneficial at first glance, may actually turn out to be more trouble than they’re worth.
2025 financial results
ZEAL Reports Strong Double-Digit Growth
ZEAL Network SE, Germany’s leading online lottery provider, closed 2025 with another year of robust double-digit growth.
Despite a weaker jackpot environment, the company significantly strengthened its core lottery business, accelerated diversification, and expanded its customer base—setting a solid foundation for long-term scalability.
The group delivered 16% revenue growth, reaching €218.5 million, while EBITDA rose 11% to €68.8 million. EBIT also climbed 12% to €60.1 million year over year. These results reinforce ZEAL’s strategic focus on building a multi-pillar digital entertainment ecosystem.
“At every level, our results confirm that our strategy works,” said Dr. Stefan Tweraser, CEO of ZEAL Network SE. “Expanding scalable products alongside our strong core lottery business increases resilience and positions us for ambitious future growth.”
CFO Andrea Behrendt highlighted continued investment in reducing jackpot dependence: “Our efforts create a sustainable and profitable growth structure.”
Core Lottery Business Continues to Lead Growth
ZEAL’s primary lottery brokerage remains its strongest revenue driver. Even with softer jackpot cycles:
- Monthly active users climbed 8% to a record 1.558 million.
- Lottery billings reached €1.1 billion, up 2%.
- Gross margin increased to 17.7%.
- Lottery-specific revenue surged 16% to €195.3 million.
These gains underline the brand’s ability to attract and retain large numbers of customers independent of jackpot volatility.
Dream House Raffle Becomes a Major Growth Pillar
The Traumhausverlosung (Dream House Raffle)—launched in 2024—has rapidly evolved into a strong secondary revenue stream. With guaranteed winners and high-appeal prize structures, the charity lottery generated:
- €38.9 million in billings across four draws in 2025.
This success demonstrates the value of proprietary lottery products that complement ZEAL’s core business and enhance market differentiation.
Games Segment Accelerates With Expanded Portfolio
ZEAL also posted substantial growth in its digital Games division. The company extended its catalog to 650+ games, adding 400 new titles and strengthening collaborations with leading game developers.
As a result:
- Games revenue increased 46%, reaching €14.4 million.
- Active user numbers rose sharply.
- Player protection remained a top priority, supported by AI-driven safeguards.
Customer Base Expansion Remains a Strategic Priority
ZEAL made targeted investments to grow its user base, acquiring 1.171 million new customers in 2025. As expected with aggressive acquisition:
- Customer acquisition cost (CPL) increased to €46.47.
- Marketing spending rose 20% to €68.6 million.
This investment is key to sustaining ZEAL’s long-term market position and unlocking additional cross-sell opportunities in games and charity lotteries.
2026 Outlook: Continued Growth and Diversification
Looking ahead to 2026, ZEAL aims to expand its German market leadership and scale its charitable lotteries freiheit+ and Traumhausverlosung, while continuing to strengthen its Games offering.
Forecasts for 2026 include:
- Revenue between €250–260 million
- EBITDA between €70–75 million
These projections already factor in increased investment to accelerate diversification and future-proof the business.
The post ZEAL Reports Strong Double-Digit Growth appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
GamingTECH CEE Awards 2026
WinSpirit wins Best Online Casino in CEE at the GamingTECH CEE Awards 2026
Online casino brand WinSpirit has been announced as the winner in the Best Online Casino in CEE category at the GamingTECH CEE Awards 2026 — a respected industry event celebrating excellence across the iGaming sector.
Since launching in mid-2022, WinSpirit has rapidly gained recognition for its dynamic approach to product development, creative marketing, and a genuine player-first philosophy. The brand stands out by successfully combining innovative features, high-quality entertainment, and strong focus on player experience.
Over the past year, WinSpirit has demonstrated impressive growth across key metrics, significantly expanding its loyal player base, VIP segment, and overall betting activity. The brand has also introduced unique interactive formats, enhanced its loyalty system with the real-time Gift Shop, and continued to invest in smart personalisation across the platform.
This award adds to WinSpirit’s growing list of international recognitions. The brand also maintains excellent player ratings across major review platforms, consistently receiving high marks for service quality and user experience.
With this latest victory, WinSpirit continues to solidify its reputation as one of the most dynamic and player-oriented online casinos in the industry — combining rapid growth with innovation and a clear focus on player satisfaction.
The post WinSpirit wins Best Online Casino in CEE at the GamingTECH CEE Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Denmark
Stake.dk Offers Money Back on Denmark’s World Cup Playoff Match Against North Macedonia
Stake.dk, Denmark’s leading online casino and sportsbook, today announces the launch of an exclusive campaign in connection with Denmark’s decisive World Cup playoff match against North Macedonia on March 26, 2026 in Parken.
Stake Sportsbook offers Danish football enthusiasts a unique opportunity to support the national team without risk: Players can place a single bet on Denmark to win on the 1×2 market before the match starts, and if Denmark does not win in regular time, the player will get their stake back in cash – up to DKK 1,000.
The campaign is created to celebrate one of the most important moments in Danish football in 2026. With a direct entry ticket to the World Cup at stake, the atmosphere is high, and Stake.dk wants to give its customers the opportunity to experience the match with full support and minimal risk.
To qualify for the promotion, players must place a single bet of at least DKK 25 on the 1×2 market with Denmark as the winner before the scheduled match kick-off. The offer only applies to the first qualifying bet per player, and the refund will be paid as pure cash directly to the player’s Stake account within 48 hours if Denmark does not win in regular time.
Denmark will meet North Macedonia on Thursday, March 26 at 20:45 CET in Parken as part of the World Cup playoff.
The campaign emphasizes Stake.dk’s dedication to delivering relevant and engaging experiences to its Danish customers in connection with major sporting events.
The promotion is available to all Stake customers with an active betting account at stake.dk. Full list of terms and conditions is available on the promotion page.
About Stake
Stake is the world’s most popular online casino and sportsbook. Founded in 2017, Stake attracts over 80 million monthly visitors – more than any other iGaming platform – and handles over 100 billion bets per year. Stake is recognized for its innovation in crypto gaming, as well as its growing expansion into regulated local currency markets in Italy, Denmark, Brazil, Colombia and Peru. Stake also has an impressive portfolio of global sponsorships, including Canadian superstar Drake, X Games, Everton Football Club and UFC.
Contact
Stake
The post Stake.dk Offers Money Back on Denmark’s World Cup Playoff Match Against North Macedonia appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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