Online gambling is on the rise. You no longer have to get in the car to a gaming arcade. You simply open your laptop or smartphone, choose a casino and start playing. Sounds easy, right?
You have probably seen them passing by: blackjack, roulette or a slot machine with flashing lights. Casino games have been wildly popular for years, and nowadays you play them on your phone at home just as easily as in a real casino.
Roel Veltmeijer, the entrepreneur behind Gamestate, is expanding his family-friendly arcade empire to Denmark with the opening of his fiftieth arcade at the new Center Parcs Nordborg Resort. This marks Gamestate’s first venture in Denmark, making it the eighth country the Veltmeijer Group operates in.
Lucky 7 Casino was recently criticised by the Ksa for serious breaches of its duty of care, including a customer service that was unavailable in Dutch and flaws in the protection of self-excluded players. After being warned, the operator quickly corrected certain problems, but remains under scrutiny.
Holland Casino Online has announced the appointment of Jan Paul van Heemskerck van Beest as its new director from 1ᵉʳ April 2025, succeeding Jeroen Verkroost, whose position has been axed as part of a restructuring.
Cybersecurity expert Lilith Wittmann has discovered a critical flaw in Merkur’s GraphQL interface, exposing the data of 800,000 players. This vulnerability allowed illegal casinos in Germany to exploit insecure software supplied by The Mill Adventure. After alerting the company, Wittmann found that it had cut off access to unregulated platforms, leading to the sudden closure of at least 12 gaming sites.
Finland wants to ban affiliate marketing in their new online gambling legislation. According to the Finnish government, affiliate marketing carries risks. They cite misinformation, unclear boundaries between legal and illegal providers, and the lack of consumer protection. They also see tax avoidance as a problem because many affiliates are based outside Finland.
You would think a school website is safe. Yet gambling adverts suddenly pop up. Illegal casinos use hackers to hide their ads on ordinary websites. And no one notices, until it is too late.
The Dutch authorities, via the Ksa, have warned newspapers about the illegal promotion of unauthorised gambling sites. Following an in-depth investigation, several media outlets have been singled out for carrying advertisements or links to unregistered platforms, putting gamblers at risk.
Since the regulation of the Dutch online gaming market in 2021, licensed operators have had to comply with strict rules. However, unauthorised platforms continue to attract Dutch players with promises of quick winnings. This is particularly true of Lalabet, an online gaming platform based in Costa Rica and operating for Dutch players without a legal licence.
In the shadow of legal casinos and large gaming halls, a worrying phenomenon is growing in Oakland, California: illegal casinos set up in RVs. This booming illegal market often escapes the attention of the authorities.
With more than a decade of experience in the iGaming industry, Henk Wolff has gained extensive knowledge. He has successfully supported online casinos in their go-to-market strategy with a focus on retention marketing and has been active in the B2B sector, both as an affiliate and platform owner.
Texas Hold’em is without doubt the most popular poker variant in the world. Whether in casinos, at international tournaments or on online poker platforms, this game has won over millions of players thanks to its perfect balance between strategy and chance.
Eric Konings has taken a new step in his career. From 1 March, he has left NOGA and is now working at VNLOK. He will continue to do what he does best: influence the gambling industry as a senior policy advisor.
Ireland has just taken a decisive step in the regulation of its gambling market. With the entry into force of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), a supervisory body with expanded powers, the country is stepping up its fight against the risks associated with betting and gambling.
