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In Austria, the authorities are winning the war against illegal land-based gambling, according to the Austrian Finance Ministry and its financial police. Data from the first half of the year indicates a marked improvement compared to previous years.

During the first six months of 2024, Austria’s financial police imposed fines totalling €962,000 for illegal gambling activities. This represents a significant decrease from the €2.75 million in fines issued during the same period in 2023. According to the financial police, this decline in penalties reflects the ongoing reduction in illegal gambling operations across the country.

The number of illegal gambling machines confiscated also saw a sharp decline. In 2024, authorities seized 51 machines from 70 establishments, a consequent drop from the 274 machines confiscated from similar operations in 2023.

However, “the hotspots of illegal gambling remain Upper Austria, Salzburg and Vienna,” explained the ministry.
Despite the overall improvement, certain regions in Austria continue to struggle with illegal gambling. These areas have remained stubbornly resistant to the complete eradication of unlawful activities, requiring ongoing vigilance from authorities.

Last March, law enforcement agencies carried out “Operation IKARUS” which involved 19 house searches in Austria and Greece, targeting an organised crime group engaged in illegal gambling, tax fraud, and other criminal activities.

165 emergency personnel from various Austrian law enforcement agencies were deployed in the operation, which also included international cooperation with the Greek financial police. The raids resulted in the confiscation of several hundred gambling machines, computers, documents, and large sums of cash. Accounts linked to the illegal activities were frozen, and numerous suspects were interrogated.

The operation was a major blow to the criminal network, operating through a complex system of front companies and fake residences. These entities managed numerous illegal gambling establishments in Upper Austria, with operations being monitored and controlled from Greece.

Finance Minister Magnus Brunner explained that the cooperation between various authorities has been instrumental in achieving?the overall decrease in illegal gambling activity.

“The close networking and good cooperation between the different authorities is a guarantee for the successful fight against illegal gambling. This success shows that the persistence of the investigators is bearing fruit. Illegal gambling knows no player protection and can destroy livelihoods. Every illegal machine that is taken out of circulation is an important building block in the fight against illegal gambling, which we will continue unabated. I would like to thank all the emergency services involved. Because no matter what uniform they wear, their common goal is the security of Austria,” Brunner declared.

BetGames, a leading provider of content that seamlessly integrates sports betting and casino gaming, has renewed its exclusive partnership with the STS Group, a top-tier operator in Poland. This successful collaboration, which has been extended until 2026, underscores STS’ exclusive rights to offer BetGames’ wide choice of games in its domestic market. This includes the unique STS Polish Poker product, tailor-made exclusively for STS.

BetGames’ offerings constitute a substantial part of STS player engagement, with a portfolio that features high-performing card games like War of Bets, Bet on Baccarat, Bet on Poker, and 6+ Poker, all available to Polish players.

Dr Andreas Koeberl, (pictured above), BetGames’ CEO, expressed his delight at the continuation of this fruitful partnership with STS. Reflecting on the past five years of exclusive collaboration, he expressed optimism about elevating the partnership to new heights in the coming years, attributing their success to STS’ commitment to excellence and quality. “We are delighted to continue the brilliant partnership with STS. As we look back to already 5 successful years as exclusive partners, we are more than happy to boost it to the next level in the coming years. STS’ approach to excellence and quality is a success warranty!” he said.

?ukasz ?wierk, COO at STS, praised BetGames’ products for their consistent performance since their launch. He attributed the players’ loyalty to the innovative and intuitive play styles offered by these games. He expressed his excitement about continuing to provide their players with beloved games, including the unique Polish Poker. Swierk added “BetGames products have been proving themselves ever since we launched them. Players continue to return to them thanks to the innovation and intuitive play styles they offer. We’re thrilled that we can continue to bring our players the games like the absolutely unique Polish Poker that they love.”

Last year in its strategic expansion into Eastern Europe, London-listed Entain acquired STS Holdings. The deal, offered a 35 percent premium on STS’s six-month average share price and included ￡450 million in cash plus a 10 percent stake in the Entain CEE subsidiary.

GGPoker, one of the world’s largest online poker networks, has recently secured two new licences in the Philippines and Lithuania.

Jean-Christophe Antas, Head of GGPoker, commented on the new ventures: “We are thrilled to announce our expansion into Lithuania and the Philippines. These new licences will allow us to reach more players and offer them a world-class online poker experience. We are committed to providing our players with the best possible gaming experience, and we look forward to welcoming players from these new markets to the GGPoker community.”

In addition to its new venture into the Philippine market, GGPoker has also extended its reach into the Baltic region through a partnership with OlyBet.

This partnership allows GGPoker to offer its services in Lithuania under the OlyBet brand, complementing its existing presence in Estonia, Latvia, and one Nordic country, Finland.

OlyBet is?owned by an Estonian company, Olympic Entertainment Group, one of the largest casino operators in the Baltic region.

GGPoker’s entry into the Philippine market marks the launch of the country’s very first legal real-money online poker platform. The license was granted by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), a state-owned entity responsible for regulating gaming activities in the country.

Paul Burke, Head of PR at GGPoker, expressed enthusiasm about the launch: “GGPoker is proud to confirm that we’ve secured a license from PAGCOR and have launched the country’s very first legal real-money online poker platform.”

The platform offers a wide variety of poker games, including Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Short Deck. In 2022, GGPoker was awarded the Online Poker Operator of the Year Award at the SiGMA Americas Awards.  

The company recently acquired the intellectual property rights of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) from Caesars Entertainment, Inc., a deal valued at $500 million.

Ahead of SiGMA East Europe, SiGMA has published its latest Market Report, focused on East Europe, with insights into the most active operators, affiliates, and their performance on various platforms. The report includes data collected from the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Romania.

In affiliate marketing, leading operators vary by country. Betting-specific affiliate benchmarking data places Tipsport, Betclic, and Unibet at the top of the rankings. Casino-specific affiliate benchmarking reveals different operators in each country:

Ranking in search engines is a crucial success factor in iGaming. The SiGMA Market Report looked at which online gambling operators are doing the best job in SEO in Romania and Poland:

Flutter leads the market capitalisation rankings with GBP 27.6 billion, emphasising the financial strength required to lead in this competitive market. It is followed by Evolution (GBP 18.0 billion) and Entain (GBP 4.3 billion). The average market capitalisation of the companies analysed is GBP 3.7 billion.

Mergers and acquisitions, such as EveryMatrix’s acquisition of FSB Technology and Gambling.com’s purchase of Freebets.com, indicate a trend towards consolidation and market expansion.

The East Europe Market Report offers a concise overview of the industry’s current status within the region. The industry is poised for growth due to technological progress and evolving consumer preferences, yet it must navigate a complex regulatory landscape. The outlook for online gambling in Eastern Europe is optimistic, with prospects for market expansion and innovation. However, achieving success hinges on operators’ capacity to handle regulatory hurdles, sustain a robust online presence, and foster consumer trust. The full report (available here) is the result of a partnership between SiGMA Group and MECN’s Online Gambling Quarterly (OGQ).

Disclaimer: The facts provided are believed to be correct at the time of publication but cannot be guaranteed. Data, findings, and recommendations are based on the best available information at the time of publication and are subject to change over time.