The German association of sports betting providers, Deutsche Sportwettenverband (DSWV), released a new statement, criticizing media reports that misinterpreted results from a 2021 Gambling Survey. In particular, the DSWV was critical of the representation of the number of people, identified as problem gamblers. The announcement comes after multiple media outlets released reports related to the gambling probe, claiming that the number of people affected by problem gambling in Germany grew from 400,000 to 1.4 million with the entry of Germany’s Interstate Gambling Treaty in 2021. The DSWV rejected those claims, stating that such a conclusion is not possible.

Mathias Dahms, DSWV’s president, explained that the association welcomes discussions that are based on accurate facts and data, regarding gambling behavior in the country. However, he explained that comparisons and derivations can be made only when the used data can be verified. “The evaluation of the State Treaty planned for the end of 2026 must take into account the experience of all stakeholders,” explains Dahms.

“The DSWV welcomes a data- and fact-based discussion on gaming behavior in Germany. However, the derivations must be conclusive and based on verified facts.“

Mathias Dahms, president of the DSWV

The 2021 Gambling Study Marked a Starting Point

Citing data from prevalence studies from the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA), the DSWV explained that the “number of people with problem gambling behavior to be stable or slightly declining.” The association confirmed that in 2021, the methodology for collecting this data was changed and the Gambling Survey at the time, marked the first measurement by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Addiction and Drug Research (ISD).

“The 2021 Survey attempts to provide a starting point for recording the effects of the new legal regulations – in a sense, a zero measurement at the time the State Gambling Treaty 2021 comes into force. Therefore, reliable conclusions about the effects of the Interstate Treaty are not possible on the basis of this survey,“

explains the DSWV

Researchers at the time confirmed that this “methodology reboot” makes the newly collected data compatible with previous figures only to a limited extent. This, in other words, means that a like-for-like comparison between the aforementioned study with studies from previous years isn’t possible and if such assumptions were made by different media outlets, they would be misleading.

The DSWV acknowledged that the 2021 survey was rather a starting point. Finally, the association said that reliable conclusions on the effect of the 2021 Interstate Treaty on Gambling based on this survey in comparison to older surveys cannot be made.

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The leading software provider powering the gambling sector, Swintt, announced a new German-facing partnership by teaming up with ZEAL Network, the leading online provider of state-licensed lottery products in the country. Announced Monday, the new collaboration sees Swintt significantly expand the reach of its innovative and engaging games, by powering ZEAL Network’s operations.

Under the terms of the new content deal, ZEAL Network will be able to deliver a plethora of Swintt’s engaging games. The company agreed to supply its complete portfolio of slots, delivering unique and engaging experiences for German customers. As a result, ZEAL Network will deliver classic slot games, including state-of-the-art titles from Swintt’s Xtra series.

A collection of games from SwinttPremium are expected to become a major hit among players in Germany. Those games stand out with engaging gameplay mechanics and classic designs that replicate the experience of traditional land-based slots. Such games include the recent hit, Duolito Iceman, along with Cleopatras Pearls and Seven Seven Pots and Pearls, among other popular and engaging titles.

As noted, Swintt’s state-of-the-art games are expected to capture the attention of German players through ZEAL Network. The iGaming content provider agreed to deliver titles that bring innovative bonus mechanics, fused with thrilling gameplay and quality sounds and graphics that deliver elevated experiences.

Expected to debut soon on ZEAL Network, Swintt’s portfolio of games will include Cash Joker, the company’s first joker-themed game that delivers multipliers, free spins and cluster pays slots, granting a chance for significant payouts. Ultimately, the new deal is expected to provide a significant boost for ZEAL Network and at the same time, strengthen the presence of Swintt within the regulated market in Germany.

The Content Agreement Boosts ZEAL’s Brands Offering

Julian Tietz, ZEAL Instant Games’ managing director of games business, highlighted the growing popularity of online slots. He added that the company will be delighted to deliver Swintt’s extensive portfolio of games, powering the online operations of its brands, Tipp24 and LOTTO24. Finally, Tietz said that that the iGaming provider is renowned for the quality of its games and the thrilling experiences they deliver.

“While Swintt has been working in the German market for some time now, we’re always looking out for good opportunities to strengthen our presence by collaborating with quality online operators – and ZEAL Network certainly fit the bill in this respect.“

Lars Kollind, head of business development at Swintt

Lars Kollind, Swintt’s head of business development, acknowledged the importance of the German market for the company. At the same time, he praised the new opportunities created by the partnership with ZEAL Network. Kollind acknowledged the operator’s dedication within the Instant Games vertical. Finally, he said that Swintt will be excited to deliver new games to ZEAL’s growing customer base.

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Galaxy Gaming, Inc and Spirit Gaming have confirmed that Spielbank Hannover visitors will now have the opportunity to enjoy progressive blackjack on-site – the first time a game such as this has been introduced in Germany. The casino is established under Casinos Austria International – Lower Saxony Casinos – Spielbanken Niedersachsen.

Galaxy Gaming Delivers Progressive Blackjack Game

Galaxy Gaming is a distributor and developer of casino table games and technology, operating out of Nevada, the United States, and established as one of the most accomplished developers of land-based casino content.

The company distributes innovative games, bonusing systems and technological solutions to both online and land-based companies around the world, and this latest entry has allowed it to further strengthen its position in Europe.

Commenting on this new opportunity, Casino Hannover Christoph Clauditz said that his company was happy to see the installations take place and called the results “convincing.” Galaxy Gaming was similarly pleased with the development.

Company’s Europe sales consultant Gavin Wright was pleased with the development and he said that Galaxy Gaming was thrilled to see Spielbank Hannover and Lower Saxony Casinos handpick the studio’s games.

This has all been facilitated with Spirit Gaming, which is Galaxy Gaming’s exclusive distribution partner for Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and Austria, and the non-exclusive distribution partner for Lichtenstein and Switzerland.

Spirit Gaming’s robust knowledge of the market paired with Galaxy’s demonstrated success with tailor-made table game solutions and progressive configurations has resulted in another success for both the casino operator and their players.

Company’s Europe sales consultant Gavin Wright

Companies Welcome the New Opportunity

Spirit Gaming founder and managing director Frank Ziegler was similarly pleased with this development. He said that the company was delighted with the successful start of what was described as a long-term partnership with the Nevada-based manufacturer of games.

Galaxy Gaming has not been sitting idly as well, as the company has had a string of important developments take place over the past weeks. The company expanded its partnership with Evolution Gaming, signing a ten-year contract with the company, bringing more excellent content to partners.

Galaxy Gaming has been similarly strengthening its own operational capacity with the addition of the Galaxy Operating System (GOS) designed as an impactful solution that benefits Galaxy’s efforts to provide a more resilient and robust product across the board as well as meet its customers’ needs in full.

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Online lottery broker Zeal Network SE announced today that its operation in Germany has expanded into iGaming following the launch of online games on the company’s websites.

Expanding Business Model, Revenue Base

The introduction of online games on the LOTTO24 and Tipp24 websites operated by ZEAL’s subsidiary, LOTTO24 AG, offers the German-based provider of lottery games an opportunity to expand its business model beyond a brokerage of lottery tickets and increase its revenue base. ZEAL acquired LOTTO24 AG in 2019.

Helmut Becker, chief executive officer of ZEAL, commented on the entry of the new market segment, pointing out that the German license that was acquired recently by ZEAL provides the business with an opportunity “to create entirely new gaming experiences” and reap the benefits of its investments in the business.

“ZEAL’s clear focus remains online lottery brokerage,” Becker said, explaining that the new launch into the iGaming segment gives the business “another product area that should quickly gain weight.”

ZEAL obtained a license to operate online games from the new federal gaming regulator in Germany, the Joint Authority of the Federal States (GGL), in April, and following its launch now, online players can benefit from the company’s international experience with online games and proven security standards.

Third-Party Games Provider

For a while, ZEAL’s portfolio of online games has been available via another of its subsidiaries, ZEAL Instant Games, to third parties such as LOTTO Hessen in Germany and Park Avenue Gaming in the US, and ZEAL is now planning to continue building its portfolio by reaching 200 games by the end of the year.

Besides seeing its attractive range of games helping the legal gaming market to channel German customers, ZEAL sees itself as a pioneer in player protection and addiction prevention, harnessing the power of some of the latest achievements in technology and artificial intelligence (AI).

“We are aware of the risk for players of addiction,” commented ZEAL Instant Games’ managing director, Julian Tietz, outlining that the company’s objective is “to offer the highest standard of legal and safe gambling and nothing else; whether in lotteries or online games.”

To achieve this goal, ZEAL goes “beyond regulatory requirements in online games [to] work with innovative AI applications, among other things, to maximize security” for its players, Tietz explained.

Founded in 1999 in Germany under the name Tipp24, ZEAL began operations as a national lottery broker. In 2014, the company changed its name to Zeal Network SE.

Currently, ZEAL’s products include LOTTO 6aus49, Spiel 77, Super 6, Eurojackpot, GlücksSpirale, lottery clubs, Keno, the Deutsche Fernsehlotterie, Scratch Games, the Deutsche Traumhauslotterie and freiheit+.

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Rizk is powered by GiG’s award-winning platform and it is fully compliant with the newly-regulated market, which expects companies to meet new and arguably tougher gambling laws and regimes.

Rizk Returns to Germany with Strong Platform Partner

GIG’s status as a company focused on meeting fast-evolving regulatory prerequisites has helped it establish a firm foothold in the German market and other regulated jurisdictions. As a result, companies such as Rizk, a company owned by Betsson Group’s Zecure Ltd, have been able to deploy their product locally and focus on consumer acquisition in the most sustainable and business-oriented way possible.  

GiG presently operates in 29 regulated gambling markets and plans to add another eight. In markets where the platform already holds a license to operate, it has been partnering up with the likes of Betsson Group, and other trusted entities in the industry. The company has also extended and strengthened its partnership with bet365, a prominent sports betting and gaming operator in May.

Commenting on this opportunity, GiG CCO Marcel Elfersy said that the company was excited to be embarking on this partnership with the website.

He argued that the expansion with Betsson demonstrated GiG’s own quality of technology and managed services. “We’ve positioned ourselves to be able to support our partners’ growth aspirations, understanding where those opportunities are and ensuring we not only meet those expectations but exceed them,” Elfersy added.

The executive explained that his company has been developing a strong product that can offer both a localized and personalized product while ensuring that it toes the regulatory line in every market it operates.

GiG Proves a Valuable Partner to Companies Operating in Regulated Markets

The opportunity to partner with GiG and further strengthen Rizk was also an exciting milestone for Betsson whose commercial director Andrew Valenzia was very happy to see Rizk return to the German market with a strong platform provider.

“Our main focus is to provide our German customers the best player experience in the industry, that is safe and sustainable,” Valenzia explained. Germany continues to be an important market for Betsson and the ongoing relationship with GiG allows the company to truly establish its footprint there and deliver better results than expected.

GiG has been working to actively consolidate its footprint in regulated gaming markets, having secured a license in Sweden.

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Online gaming group 888 Holdings, the parent behind 888, William Hill, SI Sportsbook and Mr Green brands, announced today the launch of Mr Green in Germany.

Building German Presence

The launch of Mr Green in Germany represents the first time when the online gaming brand is available to play on the 888 proprietary technology platform following the acquisition of William Hill by the Gibraltar-based gaming group in July last year.

Commenting on the launch of Mr Green in Germany, Amit Berkovich, vice president of poker and managing director, ROW, outlined the important role the online gaming brand is expected to play for the wider group in the country.

Mr Green will be the Group’s spearhead brand in the German market, alongside our 888 brands,” Berkovich said, hailing the launch of the brand as “a great example of what focus, collaboration, and dedication can deliver.

Amit Berkovich, VP of poker & MD ROW, 888

“We’ve been live since late March, thanks to the existing 888 platform in Germany and the powerful collaboration of all teams across the business who have enabled a totally new set-up in record time,” he added.

The gaming group sees Germany as one of the markets offering strategic growth opportunities and is planning to build a strong presence in the country by enticing local players with a customer-focused approach and best-in-class products and brands.

We are excited to introduce thousands more players in the market to our enhanced offer, and look forward to bringing other Mr Green markets onto our single technology platform in the coming months.

Amit Berkovich, VP of poker & MD ROW, 888

Following the acquisition of a gaming license in early 2023, 888 Holdings moved quickly to launch its Mr Green brand, leveraging the group’s in-house proprietary technology platform and the strong existing brand awareness across European gaming jurisdictions.

Mr Green’s Regulatory Woes

It was not all smooth sailing for Mr Green in European regulatory waters, though, after the brand faced some headwinds in the Netherlands, where the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) sanctioned it in 2018 for taking bets from Ditch citizens without a license in 2017, and last year Mr Green lost the legal battle.

Another market where Mr Green faced significant challenges was the UK and in August last year, the brand announced the end of Mr Green Sportsbook in the country, while keeping its sportsbook offering in Ireland operational.

The flagship brand acquired by 888 Holdings from Caesars Entertainment, William Hill, was also subjected to regulatory enforcement actions after being slapped recently with a record £19.2 million ($23.67 million), of which £3.7 million was allocated to Mr Green.

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Jokerstar has welcomed the opportunity to expand its local market clout through the addition of a number of premium games by Swintt. The operator is a prominent name in the regulated market and has a strong pull with local audiences.

This is only going to improve over the next weeks and months as Swintt is introducing a variety of titles that will be incorporated into the core gameplay. Among those are the company’s Book slot series, including Master of Books Unlimited and Seven Books Unlimited, which come chockful of excellent features such as free spins, mystery symbols and more.

Swintt will also be delivering a range of additional games as well, including the Secret Spellbook Respin, which offers players a chance to activate optional respin features, bonuses and more. The integration will also feature the Swintt Select portfolio of games that will be added to Jokerstar’s portfolio.

Swintt will further be adding prominent games that have achieved critical acclaim and success with players, such as The Crown slot game which features Vinnie Jones, Aloha Spirit XtraLock, and many others. Swintt head of business development Lars Kollind welcomed the opportunity and said that the company has long been interested in the German market, adding:

We’re thrilled to now have the chance to share all of these exciting titles with German players through our new partnership with Jokerstar.

Swintt head of business development Lars Kollind

In particular, Kollind was happy to see the company’s premium slot games reach players through the operator and bring both excellent features and aesthetics that German players are bound to enjoy. Jokerstar DE CEO Juergen Kling was of a similarly positive mind commenting on the partnership.

Jokerstar Players Set to Benefit from Excellent Gameplay

“At Jokerstar, our goal has always been to provide all the excitement of an in-person casino experience to players from the comfort of their own homes – and partnering with Swintt will certainly enable us to further enhance our slot offering,” Kling explained. The quick-fire gameplay provided by Swintt will definitely strike home with German players at Jokerstar, the executive said.

Swintt has been staying busy all the while. The company released a new Native American-themed game early in March with Takutiki hitting regulated markets.

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