Balkans
Albania to Re-legalise Sports Betting from January 1
Albania is going to reintroduce legal sports betting as of 1 January 2023, four years after it, along with casinos and online gambling, was made illegal.
The decision, which has been on the cards since the summer, will bring much-needed revenue to the government, which faces a debt of over 90%, increasing pressure to subsidise rising energy costs, and calls to support the vulnerable amid the global crisis.
Effective as of the start of next year, sports betting games will now be legal, and it is estimated that some €17 million will be collected in tax each year.
All gambling, except a handful of licensed casinos, was prohibited as of 31 December 2018. Hundreds of betting shops and gambling sites were shut down, and efforts were made to block online sites.
However, gambling continued throughout the country in illegal betting and gambling shops, with arrests occurring almost weekly.
Momentum to legalise sports betting has been growing since August when a coalition of sporting stakeholders petitioned the government to ask for the reinstitution of regulated and supervised sports betting, arguing it can bring much-needed revenue to one of Europe’s poorest countries.
“We are not proposing to open the entire range of gambling, including electronic casinos or bingo halls. Our proposal includes total fiscal transparency, league-regulated online sports betting,” the petition states.
Stakeholders suggest that revenue generated from sports betting be used to support the country’s athletes. The petition specifies that betting should be allowed via certified operators, including local and international brands. In addition, they suggest an age limit and a maximum bet limit.
“The regulation of sports betting by law is a practice followed by many Western countries. In these countries, the income from sports betting is used to develop sports and sports infrastructure and to support the youth,” they argued.
Prime Minister Edi Rama commented on the push stating that if the decision goes ahead, extreme conditions will be imposed, and all revenue will go to sports, culture and youth.
“We will look at this very positively; we will set extreme conditions…these are guaranteed by large international companies, which operate worldwide and operate in the European Union area.”
He added: “I have been obvious that these revenues, which we calculate to be many times more than what we contribute every year, go to sports, culture and youth, but very clearly and dedicatedly, the lion’s share, the sport will take it.”
Wazdan, the gain-focused developer behind some of the world’s most rewarding casino game experiences, has entered the Croatian market after signing with PSK, a leading operator in the country.
The provider is taking some of its most acclaimed slots live with the operator, including player-favourites such as 9 Coins™ 1000 Edition, Hot Slot™: Magic Bombs, Burning Stars 3™, which will become available to Croatian players for the very first time.
A prominent operator in the country since 1998, PSK is part of the internationally-known Fortuna Entertainment Group. With over 900 employees and a constantly growing player base, the brand is set to enrich its content offering with Wazdan’s titles.
Croatia marks the newest market entry for Wazdan, which further boosts its impressive European performance as a result of this deal. More partnerships in the country are expected to be announced in due course.
Radka Bacheva, Sales and Business Development at Wazdan: “Croatia is a country that boasts a fantastic amount of potential, so we’re delighted to be entering the market for the very first time with PSK, a top-tier operator.
“We’re bringing a range of our top-performing titles to its platform, and are excited to see the reception from Croatian players towards our mechanics. We’re confident this will be the start of a successful collaboration.”
Martina Pehar, Group Product Specialist at PSK said: “It’s an honour to welcome Wazdan to the Croatian market for the first time as part of this deal – we’ve seen the reception to their dynamic slots across the world, and we’re thrilled to be bringing them to our players.
“Wazdan bring a fantastic collection of their titles to our platform, including standouts such as Power of Gods: Hades and Clover Lady, that we’re sure our customers are going to embrace. We look forward to seeing the results!”
The post Wazdan marks Croatian market entry with PSK partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Anakatech, a developer of platforms and comprehensive solutions for the iGaming sector, has entered into a partnership with GameArt, a developer of high-quality HTML5 slot games for both online and land-based casino operators. As per the deal, GameArt’s games are now integrated on Anakatech’s gaming platform.
Anakatech offers complete casino solutions with a portfolio of innovative online and mobile games. Through this collaboration, Anakatech enhances its platform by integrating GameArt’s exceptional games, further enriching the gaming experience for its partners and players alike.
Yauheni Charniuk, Account Manager at GameArt, said: “We are delighted to partner with Anakatech as this collaboration enables us to bring our high-quality online slot games to Anakatech’s partners and clients. We look forward to many years of working together!”
The post Anakatech Incorporates GameArt’s High-Quality Slot Titles into Cutting-Edge Platform appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Hacksaw Gaming and the swiftly up and coming Alphawin solidify their new partnership with the launch of 12 of Hacksaw’s top picks on their site.
As of the 10th of April, Alphawin’s players will be able to enjoy the likes of Chaos Crew, Wanted Dead or a Wild, RIP City and many others. Set to be a hit amongst Alphawin users in Bulgaria, we are anticipating the launch of even more of our fan favourite games in the near future. In a market that has been dominated by local well-known brands for a while, we look forward to seeing how Hacksaw games make waves with Alphawin’s players.
Founded in 2007, Alphabet Gaming now has a sizable network of over 10 land-based casinos and has easily been named one of the region’s industry leaders with its growth. Moving and adapting with the evolution of online gaming, they established Alphawin in 2021. They currently boast one of the largest online casino portfolios in the region, featuring 27 slots and 6 live casino providers. With hopes to add more before the close of 2024, the future is looking like a bright one for Alphawin.
“We are very excited to start our partnership with Hacksaw Gaming.” Alphawin’s spokesperson stated that “the company offers an innovative and unique take on the concept of casino gaming and is an excellent fit for us!”
Set for star positioning, Hacksaw Gaming’s games will see the spotlight in the initial launch with banners, targeted ads and top lobby positions. CEO Marcus Cordes shares Alphawin’s positive outlook on the partnership – “Another strong collaboration under our belts! We’re absolutely sure that the avid Alphawin players will enjoy our artistic visuals and enticing bonus features of our most loved games. With of course plans to expand the Hacksaw portfolio in the future”
As both parties broaden their horizons and look onwards, what do we foresee? Well, we see Hacksaw Gaming and Alphawin, a truly prime pairing.
The post Making a Bang in Bulgaria! Hacksaw Gaming goes live with Alphawin appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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