Hosted on an interactive platform, the virtual mini-conference delved into key areas of debate with a focus on Nordics & the Netherlands as leading gaming marketplaces
Yanni Collins, reporter for SiGMA Group welcomed our audience to SiGMA roadshow Nordics and Netherlands edition. Viewers had a chance to meet a great selection of panels and speakers and get a total of over 2 hours of insightful content. Along with great speakers, the Roadshow welcomed 2k registrations a total of 5k+ booth entries and the number of concurrent users surpassed the 1.6k mark.
Where does the Netherlands go from here?
The opening topic of discussion was the ongoing current situation of the launch of regulated online gambling in the Netherlands. Having been involved in projects in the space for 3 decades since 1989, Pieter Remmers who is the Owner & CEO of Assissa Consultancy in Europe brought in his industry experience into the debate.
Remmers is a veteran in the area of responsible gaming, consultancy and training of gaming industry professionals worldwide. He’s worked with big names in the industry such as the IGT, Holland Casino, Kindred, Lottomatica, Unibet and more.
Evidently, there have been multiple delays for the full launch of the online gaming market in the Netherlands and from September 2021, Remmers says that the launch has now been postponed to October. Some of the largest operators are not even allowed to apply for a licence yet he says. From the home-based market predictions, the national lottery including the lotto, all sports betting and Holland Casino will probably be leading in market operations. He predicts a bright future for this market. So far at least 38 companies have already applied for a licence he comments.
Remmers also touches base on responsible gambling saying that in the late ’80s the Netherlands was one of the few countries that took notice of problem gambling and took responsible gambling seriously, now other countries follow.
The Dutch technical regulations
The next panel interview was entitled the Dutch Technical Regulations and Wesley Kock, Key Account Manager of Internet Vikings takes on this discussion. Online gaming trends during the pandemic surged according to Kock. This upward trend has been attributed to COVID.
Sportsbetting has been taking up quite a significant piece of the pie with operators in the sector reporting close to a 156% growth. The more operators go in the market to operate, the more opportunities to wager there will be available he says.
When asked to give top tips for operators going into the market his reply was summed up in one word: “Research, all of it goes gown to research. You need to know the market. You need to know what you can market and how you can market yourself.”
It’s a well-established fact that regulations with regards to marketing in the Netherlands are going tough as rules forbidding gambling advertising such as the prohibition of gambling ads before 9 pm are already in place. If operators market themselves correctly, they have a really good chance of obtaining the connections they’re aiming to get.
Taking Nordic tech to the next level
Anna Dobrovolskaya CMO of Internet Vikings joins our lead reporter Yanni Collins to discuss the future of iGaming in the Nordics. Here they discussed IT infrastructure, data protection, regulations, sustainability and more.
Having started off as a junior sales representative, she flourished to the point of being entrusted with the role of sales manager. Despite the difference in markets, the speaker said that IT systems are fundamental for any operation especially in iGaming where the focus is all online.
Challenges are pretty much the same for the globe but some of them are crucially special for the operations of the iGaming industry. IT infrastructure in gaming is all about the quality of the services, customer satisfaction and retention. Dobrovolskaya stresses the fact that when it comes to online casinos, video sports, esports and more, customers would want it fast and without any disruptions making tech of vital importance for the future of iGaming in the Nordics.
How to best target the Nordic market
Three very experienced panellists coming from different fields in regulatory, affiliation and sports join Ruben Portanier, Partner & Director of Gaming Advisory Afilexion Alliance for the next topic tabled.
During this discussion, we had Tuomas Kanervala CEO of Accuscore; Svetlana Kaltenegger, Head of Affiliates at Ellmount Group and Charmaine Hogan, Head of Regulatory Affairs of Playtech.
Various topics of debate such as advertising, marketing, responsible gambling and licence requirements safeguarding players were all mentioned in best practices operators should look out for when targetting the Nordic market.
Although the Netherlands has taken a different political approach when it comes to gambling, what has worked in Denmark and Sweden will definitely have space to work in the Netherlands as well.
It pays to stay ahead
Two industry specialists in the world of payments and tech come together to share perspectives by taking a look at some of the innovations driving the major growths in the Nordics and the Netherlands. Daniel Buttigieg, Chief Commercial Officer of Apcopay, and Marius Galdikas CEO at ConnectPay discuss online payment methods and security.
Some of the few topics that the panelists touched base on were ID verification, screening, fiat-based payments, bitcoin payments, and smart contracts.
They also discussed an important aspect of payment which is security. Where are transactions originating from and where are they going? The experience for different countries is expected to be different. You can’t expect it to be seamless and the same.
This was a roundup of our SiGMA Roadshow Nordics and Netherlands edition, watch the full discussions here. Tune in next month for the SiGMA Americas Virtual Show which will take place from the 13th to the 14th of September and visit our website sigma.world for further information.
SiGMA Americas Virtual 2021:
The SiGMA Americas Virtual show will run from the 13th to the 14th of September, 2021. Features include a fully interactive expo floor, networking chat rooms, and a high-profile lineup of panelists. Beautifully designed booths come equipped with state-of-the-art product displays and chatbox features, while attendees can visit the virtual stage, where a series of panels and keynotes will discuss key topics during the live 2-day conference. Explore the agenda and register here.
