WEBMASTER NEWS
BGO TO REMOVE BONUS WAGERING REQUIREMENTS
ONLINE CASINO OPERATOR BGO
has removed minimum wagering
requirements on bonuses from 15 October,
citing player feedback and the changing
regulatory environment in the UK for
online casinos.
Any bonuses offered by bgo.com and its
sister site powerspins.com from this date
will be in the form of real cash only or
‘wagerless’ free spins.
The operator called it a "bold move"
that puts bgo at odds with its peers
who continue to tie customers in with
minimum wagering conditions that
prevent them from cashing out any
wins until they have bet the minimum,
which can be 50x or 60x the original
bonus amount.
BGO Entertainment CMO Allan
Turner admitted the decision had been
driven by the increased regulatory pressure
online casinos are finding themselves
under in the UK.
In May, the operator was fined
£300,000 by the UK Gambling
Commission for misleading advertising.
BGO's announcement also follows
Nisha Arora, the Senior Director for
Consumer Enforcement at the
Competition and Markets Authority
which has launched enforcement action
against several online gambling operators
suspected of breaking consumer law,
questioning the fairness of signup
bonuses across the industry, stating
that: “Players should be able to walk
away with their money when they want.
"We’ve not taken this decision lightly",
said Turner. "The recent changes to the
regulatory environment in the UK means
we are spending time with various parties,
be it the UKGC, the CMA, ASA and then
of course the players themselves.
"The bonus issue is something that
is continually discussed and we are at a
crossroads where we need to make the
right decision for both the company
and the consumer.
“If we have evidence players find
wagering conditions confusing or
unfair, then that’s enough for us to take
a decision. We have always run a safe,
trusted and fair online casino and player
enjoyment is and always will be our
number one priority.
He added that: "Hopefully bgo can
demonstrate to the industry that restrictive
bonus wagering conditions are not the
way to go and we can make them a thing
of the past.”
BETTER COLLECTIVE ACQUIRES PULL MEDIA,
APPOINTS EX-MICROSOFT EXEC
BETTER COLLECTIVE has completed
the acquisition of French digital company
Pull Media.
A developer of digital platforms for
betting tips, Better Collective said that
the deal represents a “substantial step”
in its growing acquisition strategy.
The firm added Pull Media to allow
the firm to become a “market leader”
in the French market, as well as
enhance its presence in the UK,
Italy and Germany.
The acquisition includes more than
200 sites, the majority of which are
related to sportsbooks.
Jesper Søgaard, founder and
chief executive of Better Collective,
the owner of customisable odds
comparison site Smartbets, said:
“Better Collective is really excited
to acquire Pull Media and we see it as
a great fit for both companies.
“Pull Media showed some impressive
growth in the last few years and now
we are looking forward to drive it
even further.
John Samson, chief executive of
Pull Media, added: “Following seven
years of steady growth internationally,
Pull Media needed to go to the
next level.
“With the help of Blueprint Partners
we looked for consolidation partners
and Better Collective came as the perfect
fit for us, notably in terms of working
synergies and company cultures.”
Better Collective has also
appointed the former president of
Microsoft for Western Europe,
Klaus Holse, to its board. Holse
joins from SimCorp, the investment
management software solutions
provider, where he is CEO.
The SmartBets owner said Holse,
who serves as chairman of two other
companies, would bring an “unmatched
level of experience that will help drive
the tech company forward”.
NETHERLANDS SET FOR TAX HIKE
A TEMPORARY GAMBLING TAX HIKE
is to be introduced in the Netherlands next
year, taking rates to above 30% of gross
gaming revenue.
Under plans issued by the government,
the rate will rise from 29% to 30.1% from
July 2018 to January 2019.
However, the tax rate will be reduced
back to 29% six months after the
country's new gambling legislation is
6
iGB Affiliate Issue 65 OCT/NOV 2017
signed into law, with the period to be used
to implement legislation.
The tax change will apply to revenue
from slots, casino gambling and all forms
of remote gambling.
The long-awaited Dutch gambling bill
will open the country’s online gambling
market to international operators.
Recently, the Netherlands’ gaming
authority’s right to fine unlicensed
operators was confirmed by the country’s
top court.
The District Court in The Hague in
July found that Kansspelautoriteit was
within its rights to hand out six-figure
fines to Co-Gaming Limited (f