The ‘100% up to €711’ bonus offered by online casino 711 is causing a stir in the Netherlands. Deemed misleading by certain supervisory bodies, it has triggered an official complaint to the Gaming Authority.
Why does Belgium continue to authorise online gambling when some people are becoming addicted to it? This question has given rise to an in-depth RTBF investigation that reveals the political choices, the limits of protective measures and the paradoxes of a sector that is both lucrative and dangerous.
In the Rue de l’Université in Liège, a shop window belonging to the sports betting chain Ladbrokes catches everyone’s eye. On the facade, dummy capsules enclose footballs. The slogan says it all: “A dose of football? No prescription required, 90-minute dose, to be repeated every week”.
Digitain, a provider of online gaming technology, has taken a significant step forward in its European expansion plan: the company has been granted a Category E licence for its technology services in Belgium.
German online betting group Bet-at-home is going through a period of turbulence. With revenues stagnating in the first half of 2025, the company is warning of the growing burden of regulation in Germany and Austria.
In an unprecedented move, GGPoker has decided to open a new path for its former banned players. The operator, one of the giants of online poker, has just launched the Olive Branch initiative, offering permanently banned players the opportunity to request reinstatement.
Esports is growing every year. Millions of people watch live matches between professional gamers. Platforms such as Twitch and YouTube attract young viewers who follow the game and the excitement as if it were a sport. This popularity has also caught the attention of betting companies.
A Lotto ticket that won €3.5 million in the 14 June draw is still missing. The National Lottery is urgently appealing to the owner to come forward before the deadline for claiming the prize, set for 1 November 2025. Who will be the lucky winner?
The company Bonnetje, known from TikTok and regularly promoted by the famous rapper Boef, helps young people with legal problems. They offer assistance with issues such as getting driver’s licenses back, contesting fines, and resolving conflicts.
With its biting humor, South Park takes on a new phenomenon: prediction market apps. In its latest episode, the series mocks Kalshi and Polymarket, while unleashing a tidal wave of online searches.
In the United Kingdom, a simple promotional voucher was enough to put William Hill in the regulators’ crosshairs. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that a voucher offering £5 worth of gambling exerted undue pressure on players by imposing too short a time limit to take advantage of it.
The Advertising Code Committee in the Netherlands has rejected CasinoZorgplicht’s complaint against gambling advertisements from online casino 711. According to the commission, the expressions were meant to be humorous and absurdist, and therefore did not violate the rules.
Imagine playing a slot machine with a 20-pence bet and winning guaranteed every spin. That’s exactly what happened with Playtech’s Fire Blaze Red Wizard game. Due to a software error, no one could lose. Within a few hours, 7,500 accounts collectively won a whopping €30 million at the Superbet online casino in Romania.
In recent years, the issue of behavioural influence in the gambling sector has been gaining visibility. And the Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) has just taken a major step forward: it has published an investigation report on how gaming operators subtly manipulate the behaviour of online players.
The challenges associated with money laundering are now entering new territory: Web3 and digital gaming. After tightening controls on traditional gaming establishments, the French authorities are now turning their attention to games involving monetisable digital items (JONUM). The National Gaming Authority (ANJ), the Treasury Department and Tracfin have launched a joint initiative to prepare this emerging sector for the application of anti-money laundering measures.
In Belgium, the website 711.be recently obtained a B+ licence. But this success has also attracted unwanted attention. For some time now, a sophisticated strategy has been observed: cybercriminals are exploiting the brand’s reputation to redirect internet users to illegal platforms.
In the fight against illegal online casinos, VNLOK believes it’s important to inform the public about reports received by Meld Vals Spel. They also believe politicians should be aware of how illegal casinos operate in the Dutch market.
