It took some time: it was announced back in 2022 that Lotto Baden-Württemberg was planning an online casino with slot machines. Another year passed before the matter became more concrete with the issue of a licence for corresponding offers by the GGL. In April 2024, the time had finally come: Lotto BW's online casino called "erwin" went online. What is there to discover?
The betting provider Neo.bet is quite active when it comes to sponsorship and promotion. Most of the promotions clearly relate to the game of football. However, the bookmaker is now expanding its portfolio to include a sport that has experienced a strong boom in recent years. As the main sponsor of the PDC European Darts Tour, the company promises to create added value for spectators and fans. What does that mean?
During the coronavirus pandemic, a Swiss man is said to have invited several friends to his hobby room. The problem: there were two functioning gaming machines in the room. Due to the contact restrictions in force at the time, the police checked the event and broke it up. The organiser was not only charged with a violation of the coronavirus regulations, but also with making the gaming machines available to third parties.
The French sports betting group Winamax has gone on the offensive on the German market in recent weeks and months. At the beginning of the year, the company joined the German Sports Betting Association and now wants to bring its services to local customers with a new campaign for fair, legal gaming conditions and community.
In February last year, we reported on a penalty order totalling almost half a million euros that had been issued against the controversial influencer Ron Bielecki. After Bielecki lodged an appeal, the case has now gone to trial. The 25-year-old is accused of operating and advertising illegal gambling in streams. But will an IT forensic expert now be called in and can he avert a conviction?
A software glitch at the renowned The Star Casino in Sydney has caused millions in damages in just a few days. A high double-digit number of guests took advantage of the system error and had their winnings paid out illegally. The casino is now taking action against the players affected. But how was it possible to defraud the casino of a seven-figure sum?
The famous German-Turkish livestreamer MontanaBlack has apparently discovered a new form of gambling for himself. In one of his latest streams, the 36-year-old showed how he opened a total of 25 abandoned suitcases, which he had previously bought at auction for several thousand euros. Has this "investment" paid off for MontanaBlack?
Politicians in Romania want to take tougher action against illegal gambling and decided around a fortnight ago to introduce a comprehensive ban on gaming arcades in villages and small towns. Specifically, in future it will be illegal to operate a stationary gaming centre in villages and towns with fewer than 15,000 inhabitants. But how will the "gaming centre ban" in rural areas help to combat illegal gambling?
Does the current regulation of gambling in Germany make sense? Will the State Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV) of 2021 achieve its objectives? Do changes need to be made? These and similar questions will have to be answered in the official evaluation of the GlüStV in 2026 at the latest. The interim report, which is likely to be published soon, could already provide some direction.
The police crime statistics (PKS) for the past year were published just under a fortnight ago. According to these statistics, the overall crime rate continued to rise in 2023. A total of almost six million offences were recorded, which represents an increase of 5.5% compared to the previous year. Among other things, the development of recorded cases in the area of unauthorised gambling is striking.
The Thai government has had more than 25,000 websites with illegal gambling content blocked in recent months. A further 35,000 websites with other prohibited content have also been blocked. In Germany, the instrument of IP blocking has so far been used much more cautiously by the Joint Gambling Authority of the federal states (GGL).
Last year, the Slovakians turned over a double-digit billion amount in sports betting. Although only around 5.5 million people live in the Slovak Republic, around 21.4 billion euros were invested in sports betting in 2023. Statistically speaking, this means that every Slovakian placed bets totalling just under 4,000 euros.
The German Online Casino Association made some very critical statements as part of the so-called ‘Regulator Update’ at this year's ICE in London, which is regarded as the top trade fair for the gaming and entertainment industry. The focus was on the current regulatory measures in Germany. In addition, the orientation of the GGL was heavily questioned.
The Eurojackpot is the biggest lottery in Europe. Top prizes of up to 120 million euros are regularly played out here. Now the community of participating nations and lottery companies continues to grow: Greece was recently accepted as the 19th member.
888 Holdings plc is to be called Evoke plc in future. This was announced by the billion-dollar gambling company a few weeks ago when discussing the past financial year. But why does the company want to change its name at all?