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German Sports Betting Association Calls for Rethinking of Regulation to Combat the Black Market

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The German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) will report on the current development of the sports betting market in Germany at its 2023 annual press conference.

Although millions of people in Germany show great interest in sports betting, it is becoming increasingly difficult for legal providers to meet the high demand with attractive products due to overly strict regulation and a rampant black market. As a result, there was also a noticeable decline in the market in 2022. The latest figures and data are cause for great concern, because the undesirable development feared a year ago has been confirmed and is obviously intensifying.

After the German sports betting market stabilised again at pre-Corona levels in 2021 with stakes of EUR 9.4 billion, there was a massive decline in the permitted market in 2022. Despite the World Cup year, gaming stakes fell to around €8.2bn last year. State revenues from sports betting tax were also correspondingly lower than in the previous year, at €433m.

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However, the rather disappointing World Cup, partly due to Germany’s early exit and the resulting up to 80% drop in betting, is only contributing to a small extent to this development. The main reason for the market decline has to do with the extremely restrictive German regulation and the rampant black market.

Legal providers are only allowed to operate within a very narrow regulatory framework and are therefore unable to offer sufficiently attractive products. In a European comparison, Germany’s legal gambling market is one of the most restrictive in this respect. At the same time, the black market continues to expand unhindered. Customers are not gambling less than before, but elsewhere.

“Unfortunately, in 2022, exactly the scenario we have warned about time and again has come to pass: The legal market has to hold its own against the countless black market providers who do not adhere to any specifications or rules. For most customers, whether a provider has a permit from Germany is secondary. They are looking for the most comprehensive offer, the best odds, uncomplicated payment processes and interesting bonuses. That’s where the legal offers have a hard time,” DSWV President Mathias Dahms said.

And customers are finding it. In February 2023, the DSWV repeated its market study from the previous year and found an increase of at least 65% in active illegal gambling and sports betting offers. Out of a total of around 1500 websites without a German license that were checked, players from Germany can access 840 illegal websites and open a gaming account on 723 sites. This contrasts with only 46 permitted providers – 31 of which are sports betting providers – which have little room for maneuver due to the excessive regulation. In the area of betting shops, too, there are still too many unauthorised betting opportunities. In some cases, providers whose applications for permission have been rejected are still operating on the web and locally with betting stores. Here, too, the local authorities must step up controls and take action.

The previous enforcement measures of the Joint Gambling Authority of the Federal States (GGL) are visibly reaching their limits in the fight against the black market. The fact that the authority’s push for IP blocking, i.e., the blocking of illegal websites by Internet providers, has now also been curbed by three court rulings should give cause to focus on alternative approaches in the fight against illegal offerings. This includes, in particular, the consistent strengthening of the legal market: In order to be competitive, the permitted sports betting providers need as attractive and broad a range of offers as possible. The extremely strict restrictions on offerings and advertising urgently need to be put to the test.

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“Advertising serves to steer all those who are already interested in sports betting into the state-supervised, and thus safe, market. In order to obtain a sports betting license in Germany, providers must meet numerous player protection criteria. The illegal providers from third countries do not care about the German regulations. Many advertise even in the Internet purposefully thereby to let also blocked players play. This type of advertising must be urgently prevented, and the advertising possibilities of legal providers must be strengthened,” DSWV Chief Executive Luka Andric said.

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Million Games Launches Million Mine – A Strategic Grid Game Inspired by a Classic

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Million Games is pleased to announce the release of Million Mine, a strategic, grid-based casino game inspired by the beloved mechanics of minesweeper. Offering a modern update to the classic format, Million Mine lets players select their difficulty, uncover hidden diamonds, and cash out before disaster strikes.

The game features:

  • Customisable grid sizes from 3×3 to 7×7

  • Mines selection from 3 to 24 for adjustable volatility

  • Instant cashout after any successful pick

  • A 96.3% RTP and a high multiplier ceiling

Each tile revealed adds tension and reward, making Million Mine a fast-paced, strategic game of choice and nerve.

“Million Mine is deceptively simple—but a great player experience,” said Thomas Nimstad, CEO of Million Games. “It’s familiar, clean, and highly customisable. We see it becoming a favourite for both casual players and high-stakes explorers.”

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Million Mine is now available across all Million Games partner platforms.

The post Million Games Launches Million Mine – A Strategic Grid Game Inspired by a Classic appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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ReferOn Shortlisted for Acquisition & Retention Partner of the Year at SBC Lisbon 2025

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ReferOn, a next-gen affiliate management platform, has officially been nominated for the “Acquisition & Retention Partner (Supplier)” category at SBC Lisbon 2025, cementing its position as a key partner for operators and affiliate teams.

This shortlisting highlights the platform’s rapid growth in 2025 due to its developments that address real problems affiliate managers face, a passionate product-minded team, and ambitious plans to empower users in the affiliate marketing industry.

ReferOn challenges legacy platforms by creating a simple and accessible system built for modern needs and placing affiliate marketing at the forefront of growth strategy. Key features such as full-cycle automation, customisable dashboards and reports in pivot-style format, instant postbacks, and real-time data visibility reduce chaos and bring clarity to operations, ultimately boosting performance. Additionally, powerful tools like the Sub-Affiliate System, No Bundling Model, and dynamic variables provide managers with increased control.

Vlad Bondarenko, ReferOn’s Head of Product, commented on the nomination, “Acquisition and retention aren’t just buzzwords to keep affiliates happy. They’re real benchmarks that help our users drive growth and scale. The ReferOn team has proudly built a platform that gives affiliate managers real control, clarity, and speed over their operations to help achieve their

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goals. This nomination reflects our efforts and how far we’ve come regarding pushing the industry forward and challenging the status quo.”

The nomination for the “Acquisition & Retention Partner (Supplier)” category bolsters ReferOn’s roadmap and growth trajectory. Going forward, the team will continue to invest in impactful product developments and customer-facing services to become the leading platform for affiliate managers.

Key ReferOn members will be in attendance at the SBC Lisbon Awards 2025 ceremony on September 18 for a night celebrating excellence and innovation.

The post ReferOn Shortlisted for Acquisition & Retention Partner of the Year at SBC Lisbon 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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SHINE ON DRAGON’S DIAMONDS

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This text contains puns. Reader discretion is advised.

“Dragon’s Diamonds” is now live, a fang-tastic 6×5 new scatter-pays slot from the Berlin-based developer Hölle Games with wins of up to 12,000x.

Unlike the miserly reputation they’re known for (a tall tail), the Hölle Dragon is a generous beast (with a fiery personality). With every matching cluster that lands, the Dragon will breathe flames onto the reels – removing winning symbols and allowing more to fall into place. There is no limit to the number of potential cascades that can occur here, so lucky players can quickly scale-up their hoard of wins.

Plus, hitting 4 or more scatters to enter the Free Spins will unlock the Feature Multiplier, which cumulates all Multiplier wins across the entirety of the Free Spins. Re-triggers can be clawed out too, with only 3 scatters needed.

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For any players who find the base game is dragon-on, there is the Stake Boost feature, which increases the chances of hitting the Feature for a slightly higher stake, or also the option of directly entering Free Spins via the Feature Buy. That’s no fire-drill!

The game is now available for MGA with other territories winging it this way soon.

The post SHINE ON DRAGON’S DIAMONDS appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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