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DSWV Urges GGL to Immediately Safeguard Germany’s Online Gambling Marketplace Against “Unlicensed Threats”
German sports betting trade association Der Deutsche Sportwettenverband (DSWV) has urged the new federal gambling regulator Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) to immediately safeguard Germany’s online gambling marketplace against “unlicensed threats”.
Last week, the GGL formally took charge of the regulatory supervision of GlüNeuRStv, Germany’s Fourth Interstate Gambling Regime, replacing the executive of Saxony Anhalt, who had as the market’s interim governing authority.
Established six months ahead of schedule, the GGL faces a raft of complex challenges to fix Germany’s unloved GlüNeuRStv regime. The market’s licensed incumbents have been vocal about operating challenges and commercial shortcomings related to the regime’s- licensing application, product restrictions, advertising rules, compliance demands/costs and terms of competition against land-based incumbents.
The leadership duo of Ronald Benter and Benjamin Schwanke will serve as joint chief executives of the GGL.
The DSWV welcomed the GGL’s formation, wishing “the new state gaming authority a successful start into a new era of regulation for German online gambling”.
Outlined as the most pressing of matters, the DSWV has urged the GGL to “effectively combat illegal online gambling”, as a key criterion for Bundesländer’s compromise of the regulator mandate of the GlüNeuRStv regime, back in 2021.
“The assumption of the task of combating the illegal market by the GGL is a milestone for the German gaming market,” – remarked DSWV President Mathias Dahms.
“The Authority is now facing major challenges, and we hope that they will also overcome them. The unregulated black market has been able to take on gigantic proportions practically unhindered in recent years. It must therefore intervene now and create a fair market as quickly as possible.”
The DSWV noted “worrying feedback” from the GlüNeuRStv’s 36 licensed sports betting operators who have observed an ‘unprotected marketplace’ in which unlicensed competitors “romp around without a care for necessary player protections”.
Monitoring Germany’s new online gambling marketplace, the DSWV has identified 507 illegal websites that are actively targeting German consumers as “registration from Germany is possible without any problems”.
The ease of engagement with German consumers has escalated licensed incumbents’ fear that “the volume of the black market can hardly be estimated” and that illegal operators have significantly increased their market share since the GlüNeuRStv’s launch.
The GGL has outlined that it will counteract black market threats by using its regulatory controls of IP and payment blocking on unlicensed operators.
The DSWV welcomed IP and payment blocking as short-term measures and advised the GGL to focus on creating a better-licensed offering as the effective solution to safeguard German consumers.
The DSWV deemed that the success of the GGL as regulatory authority will be measured by achieving a high channelisation rate, ensuring the consumers engage and play with licensed operators.
Dahms concluded: “The goal of everyone involved should be to create a secure market that is interesting for customers.”
“Effective action against illegal providers and an attractive range of products on the legal market can actually stop the increasing migration of players to the unregulated black market.”
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Eagerly anticipated release now confirmed following a highly successful exclusivity period with Rush Street Interactive
Play’n GO has today announced the official US release of its hit title Colt Lightning Firestorm, following a three-week period of exclusivity with Rush Street Interactive brands BetRivers and SugarHouse.
Colt Lightning Firestorm was released in Europe and other jurisdictions in May 2024, and its release in the US comes with much fanfare following the game’s rave reviews in its short exclusivity period. The game is a sequel to the wildly popular Colt Lightning game which was released early last year, and indications at this stage suggest that this sequel may prove even more successful.
This announcement sees Colt Lightning Firestorm available to players in each state and operator with whom Play’n GO is licensed. Play’n GO first entered the online casino market in the US in 2022, and has reiterated its commitment to becoming active in every regulated market around the world.
Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer at Play’n GO said: “We’re excited to unveil Colt Lightning Firestorm to the wider online casino gaming community in the US, and have been very pleased to see its strong performance during its exclusivity period with Rush Street Interactive. We had high hopes for the game following the success of its predecessor, and we’re confident that these robust results will continue now that the game is available to an even bigger audience.”
Esports entertainment company BLAST has announced plans to host two popular esports events in Singapore in 2024 and 2025.
BLAST will bring both world-class Counter-Strike and Dota 2 tournaments to the heart of Southeast Asia, marking a major step in Singapore’s emergence as an esports and gaming hub. Supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), these high-profile events will bring the world’s best esports teams and players from all across the world to compete in Singapore.
BLAST has teamed up with AEG Presents Asia, one of the world’s largest live entertainment entities to bring these events to Singapore. The partnership forms part of BLAST’s ambition to create the best esports experiences by working closely with premier destinations and the biggest and best live entertainment partners.
More than half of global esports views (57%) are estimated to come from the Asia Pacific region, 47% more than any other region in the world with the global market valued at $1.6 billion.
By bringing the top-tier Counter-Strike and Dota 2 tournaments to Singapore, BLAST aims
to attract global esports talent, foster local growth, and elevate Singapore’s status as a destination for world-class esports entertainment.
James Woollard, Director of Market Development at BLAST, said: “We are incredibly excited to bring two of the biggest esports titles to this vibrant destination. Over the coming 18 months, Singapore will become a major hub for esports in Southeast Asia, and with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board, we look forward to delivering unforgettable experiences for fans while helping to build a thriving esports ecosystem in the region. Bringing the first BLAST arena event to Singapore is an exciting first step in this journey. The World Final will see the world’s best Counter-Strike players and teams fighting for a $1,000,000 total prize pool.”
Ms Ong Ling Lee, Executive Director, Sports and Wellness, Singapore Tourism Board, said, “We are excited to host the BLAST Premier World Final and the BLAST Dota Slam in Singapore. The Counter-Strike event marks the first BLAST-branded event in Southeast Asia and the inaugural Counter-Strike tournament series in the region, solidifying Singapore’s position as a world-class esports destination. We are confident that the international participants and their legions of fans will have a memorable experience in Singapore, immersing themselves in the diverse and dynamic offerings of our city.”
The World Final 2024 will take place from 30th October – 3rd November and will be the first BLAST event to take place in Singapore, followed by the BLAST Dota Slam in 2025. The World Final will be the biggest Counter-Strike event to take place in Singapore, where the world’s best eight Counter-Strike teams will compete for a massive prize pool of $1,000,000 and the chance to claim bragging rights as the best team around.
Qualified World Final teams: NAVI, Team Spirit, Team Vitality, FaZe Clan and G2 Esports.
Fans can sign-up for the pre-sale window by registering with BLAST.tv, where they will also receive updates and information on tickets.
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