Finnplay, the Scandinavian platform provider for the iGaming industry, has announced the launch of two brand new mobile applications for online casinos in Hungary and the Netherlands.

The Dutch application was made for Kansino.nl, while the Hungarian mobile app was executed by Finnplay for Vegas.hu. The supplier has plenty of experience in multiple jurisdictions and possesses the technical expertise to perform such a simultaneous launch of two different mobile applications.

Finnplay prides itself on performing native application development both for Android and iOS platforms, allowing its online casino operator partners to capitalize on the accentuated growth of the mobile gaming market.

Both applications were soft-launched over the summer, allowing both Kansino.nl and Vegas.hu to leverage the advantages of the mobile platform while supporting their expansion goals on this segment of the market.

Game-Changing Launches

Speaking about the two application launches, Jaakko Soininen, Managing Director of Finnplay, described them as “game-changing” for the Dutch and Hungarian markets and added that the event also underlines “Finnplay’s stature as an iGaming powerhouse.”

The Finnplay executive also added that the double launch proves that his company is perfectly capable of operating “seamlessly across diverse markets and regulatory landscapes.”

Dr Egresits Csaba, Online Director at LVC Diamond, the company that operates Vegas.hu, described the mobile application delivered by Finnplay as “cutting-edge” and added that it gives the operator “the ideal platform” to launch its sportsbook offering “It’s been a pleasure working closely with Finnplay and we have the utmost confidence in the tech to ensure we continue to grow our business,” Dr Egresits Csaba also added.

Daphne Xerri, Product and CX Director at Playnorth, the company that operates Kansino.nl, underlined the importance of delivering players “the best possible experience” both on desktop computers and mobile devices. “Finnplay has created the perfect app that guarantees a seamless experience across all formats,” Daphne Xerri concluded.

Founded in 2008, Finnplay is an iGaming provider based in Finland, focusing on delivering platform technology and services for online casinos and sports betting websites. The company’s flagship product is the Titan casino and sportsbook platform, which includes integrations for online casino games and payment solutions from other third-party providers.

The platform is fully compliant with several regulated jurisdictions from all around the world, including Mexico, Sweden, Estonia, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Romania, Denmark, Belgium, Bulgaria, Malta, and Hungary.

Source: “Finnplay Simultaneously Releases Mobile Apps for Hungarian and Dutch Markets“. EuropeanGaming. November 30, 2023.

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Hungary’s Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities (SZTFH) announced today that the blocking of bank accounts linked to illegal gambling operators would begin from July 1.

Payments to Illegal Gambling Websites Will Be Refused

The SZTFH notified all interested parties that it would work in close cooperation with the banks to implement restrictions on deposits to and withdrawals from bank accounts held by unlicensed gambling websites, and effective tomorrow, the banks will refuse bank card payments to such businesses.

The Authority used the occasion to remind the public of the dangers of gambling with unlicensed websites as the operators utilizing these intellectual properties (IPs) have no obligation to comply with the strict regulation of Hungarian law covering the protection of minors and other vulnerable groups, as well as player personal and banking data.

The SZTFH also noted that once payment service providers implement the restrictions on payments to and from illegal operators, players gambling with unlicensed websites risk not getting their winnings.

To avoid having their funds in limbo, the regulator recommended to players to check on the SZTFH website whether a firm is authorized to offer gambling products and services, highlighting that cross-checking with the official operator register there is the only way they can guarantee the safety of their funds and personal data.

Surveillance and Enforcement Powers

The “Act of the Reorganization of Gambling” Hungary passed in 2022 not only dismantled the state monopoly but also gave the state regulator powers to continuously monitor the gambling space, as well as a set of enforcement measures.

The SZTFH can issue orders to internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to illegal gambling websites, order payment providers to refuse transactions linked to such IPs, and fine payment providers which do not comply.

Seeking to deliver on its primary goal of ensuring consumer safety and protection, the SZTFH recently imposed a fine of HUF30 million ($87,000) on an unnamed resident for running an illegal lottery operation.

The Authority also reminded the public that running illegal gambling operations in Hungary is subject to criminal prosecution bearing a penalty of up to three years of jail time, besides financial sanctions of up to HUF100 million ($290,000).

Under the gambling reform, operators seeking to obtain a license should have at least five years of operation in a licensed gambling jurisdiction within the European Economic Area (EEA) and have discontinued their illegal offering to Hungarian customers within five years of the application date.

Candidates should also maintain capital reserves of no less than HUF1 billion ($2.9 million), pay a 15% tax on gross gambling revenue (GGR), as well as a supervision fee of 2.5% of GGR capped at HUF10 million ($29,000).

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With a ruling party super-majority in the Parliament of Hungary, simply pulling the levers of powers should be enough to move any desired legislation through the political process in a normal and legal manner. However, for well over 2,500 days now the government has used that absolute majority to do some things without transparent debate or utilizing other hallmarks of liberal democracy – instead relying on simple decrees to accomplish the State’s business.

That’s not to say that the emergency powers completely constipate the government, as can be seen in the online gambling industry through the lens of the country’s Gambling Act – something Hungary has been “trying to get right” since the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued rulings in 2016 and in 2017 which should encourage the government to come into compliance not to infringe the freedom to provide services (Article 56 TFEU) or grant non-competitive concessions.

The Supervisory Authority for Regulatory Affairs (SZTFH) has recently issued a decree implementing minor changes to allow amendments to the country’s Gambling Act to function more fairly or efficiently.

Technical Clarifications, Fees

Operators who wish to offer online sportsbetting there must meet certain financial requirements and prove up at least five years of experience offering licensed online gambling services in a European Economic Area state. Any operator who has offered unlicensed gaming within five years of the dated application will be rejected from consideration for a license.

In an attempt to protect bettors from harm, operators will be able to offer early cashouts on sports betting wins but the operator must warn the player about the immediate gratification of such an action as it could contribute to gambling addiction.

The decree reads: “The gambling operator is obliged to expressly draw the player’s attention to the fact that the use of this function entails an increased risk of excessive gambling and addiction and this information shall appear in the text of promotion in the same font size as the text.”

It continues: “The gambling operator shall also make available to the player on the gambling website the information that the use of that function entails an increased risk of excessive gambling and addiction.”

In order to facilitate early cashouts bettors will now be allowed to have segmented account balances rather than one master balance.

Early cashouts are subject to any regular terms and conditions of other withdrawals.

Recent History of Changes

Early last year, legislation was introduced to help Hungary come into compliance with anti-monopoly measures that should promote a more free and open market as many nearby EU states have done. At the dawn of 2023, several conditions or technical changes were made that could apply to casino operators as well as sports betting providers.

However, none of the changes loosen the hold on remote casino licenses that are still tethered directly to the three main land-based operators. While the CJEU ruled in Unibet’s favor in 2016, ostensibly opening the door to other European online casino operators, the land-based casinos can be declared a priority of national economic interest. This allowed budget items in the 2021 work sessions to grant 35-year extensions to the casino licensees without a public tender process.

The workaround used, according to local democracy watchdogs was to re-allocate the concessions as at least half of the original concession period had come to pass. This was purported to assure the state continuity in revenues for the long term.

A government-connected stakeholder in Las Vegas Casino group is operated by Diamond Játékaszinó Üzemeltető Kft. (LVC Diamond), the most important urban casino operator was originally granted a concession in 2015 that was set to expire in 2024 but now extends to 2056.

Our research does not find any mechanism in legislative accomplishments or decrees that would untether online casino licenses in Hungary from land-based operator licenses so it would appear as if at least one operator is locked in.

The LVC Diamond properties include The Atlantis, Atrium Eurocenter, Corvin Promenade, Sofitel, and Tropicana casinos.

Tax Authority Retaliated Against Operator for Lawsuit

One thing the Unibet lawsuit did accomplish was to tease out a CJEU ruling that recognizes Hungary’s online gambling rules did not allow the taxing authority to take retaliatory actions against other EU-licensed operators as it did in response to Unibet filing suit. Those actions included ordering ISPs to block access to the site and the levying of fines against the operator and its parent company, Kindred Group.

In short, while the process for licensing land-based casinos and thus their tethered counterparts online may not be in line with EU standards, there isn’t much, if anything standing in the way of a Malta Gaming Authority-licensed casino offering services there.

So far, SZTFH has not authorized any foreign operators to offer sports betting with all regulated consumer traffic still flowing through Tippmixpro.hu – operated by the former and still a de facto monopoly of Szerencsejáték Zrt.

Source: Hungary regulator implements new Gambling Act amendments, iGaming Business, March 29, 2023

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