Latest Gambling News: Dutch Lottery Completes Deal To Buy Lotify, and more

Catch up on some of the stories our gambling compliance analysts have covered lately, and stay up-to-date on the latest news.

Dutch Lottery Completes Deal To Buy Lotify

Nederlandse Loterij (the Dutch Lottery) has completed the acquisition of digital platform Lotify.

The Dutch Lottery has held a majority stake in the company since 2021.

The acquisition is said to strengthen the lottery’s position as an innovative and responsible gambling provider.

Lotify supports sports associations, sports clubs, charities, events and businesses in organising fundraising lotteries and competitions. The platform provides a solution to lotteries and competitions to comply with the necessary legal requirements such as permits, technology, participant communication, draws and payouts.

Arjan Blok, CEO of the Dutch Lottery, welcomed the integration of Lotify with the 300-year old organisation. “As a fully integrated part of the Dutch Lottery, Lotify can leverage our knowledge, network and impact even more effectively. This allows us to support even more sports federations, clubs and charities,” he said.

Also commenting on the integration, Guy van Iperen, co-founder of Lotify, said the deal had followed four years of “intensive collaboration” in line with the 2021 agreement when the Dutch Lottery acquired a majority share.

ECA Study Reveals €20bn In Lost EU Taxes From Illegal Gambling

A study commissioned by the European Casino Association (ECA) found illegal gambling operators make up 71 percent of the EU’s gambling market, equating to €80.6bn in GGR, more than double that of the legal market (€33.6bn).

Based on an assumed EU-wide gaming tax of 25 percent, the research, conducted by intelligence platform Yield Sec, estimates that illegal operators diverted €20bn in tax revenue away from European economies in 2024.

In addition, the report found over 6,200 illegal gambling operators actively targeted EU consumers online, a rise of 26 percent from 2023, with 81m people exposed to or interacting with illegal gambling services.

Erwin van Lambaart, chairman of the European Casino Association, said: “These findings confirm what the ECA has warned about for years: illegal online gambling is not a marginal issue; it is an economic and societal threat.

“Every euro lost to criminal operators is a euro stolen from European citizens, from legitimate and licensed businesses, and from our communities. As the ECA, we remain committed to working with European and national authorities to protect consumers, tackle such criminal activities, uphold our industry’s integrity and ensure that the benefits of a well-regulated industry are not undermined by illegal operators.”

On the regulatory challenges, the report stated that “regulation works best in a contained marketplace where crime has been actively identified and removed, with processes implemented to keep it out”.

William Hill Exits 13 Jurisdictions Across Africa, Asia And Latin America

William Hill has announced that it will no longer be active in 13 jurisdictions from December 2, 2025.

In an email sent out to customers on Thursday (November 20) and displayed on the operator’s help page, the evoke-owned operator announced it will cease operations in Angola, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Vietnam.

The email stated that customer balances would be safe and withdrawals can be made until January 5, 2026. It also detailed that open bets would be settled as normal until the closure date in early December. Any bets due to be settled after December 2 will be voided and refunded.

The latest exits follow William Hill’s earlier market closures of India, Botswana and Jamaica in September.

A spokesperson for parent company evoke said: “On a periodic basis, we review the products we provide in markets across the world. In this instance, we have made the decision to close the William Hill, MRG and 888 brands in a selection of markets across Africa and Asia. Customers can still enjoy evoke’s brand 888Africa across Africa, which is not affected and continues to perform positively, and via 888.com in other markets.”

DCMS Issues Voluntary Code Of Practice For Prize Draws

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has published the final version of its voluntary code of practice for operators running prize draws in Great Britain.

The Voluntary Code of Good Practice for Prize Draw Operators, published on November 20, was first discussed in the 2023 gambling white paper. Following the announcement of the final version of the code, a number of legal experts highlighted that if an insufficient number of operators sign up, it could lead to formal regulation of the sector further down the line.

The code aims to strengthen player protection, increase transparency and improve accountability.

Some of the measures detailed in the code include only allowing players aged 18 and over to participate, not accepting credit card payments over £250 per month and giving clear information on how prize draws are conducted. It also states that operators need to have processes in place to monitor and regularly review compliance with the code.

Prize draws do not require a licence under the Gambling Act 2005 due to the free entry element. However, the DCMS has set out that where an operator offers both a free entry and a competition that relies on skill, judgement or knowledge by the participants, the operator should sign up to the code to cover the free entry aspect.

Prize-draw operators that do sign up will be required to fully implement the code by May 2026. There is also an expectation for signatories to encourage adoption with those who are yet to participate.

The DCMS will have oversight of the code, with the government department able to delegate that oversight to an industry trade body as needed. It also said it will periodically review the effectiveness of the code and its implementation to ensure it is fit for purpose.

As things stand, 25 prize-draw operators have already signed up to the code, including Omaze, Raffle House and Dream Car Giveaways.

Michigan Senate Bills Seek Stricter Ad Limits

A bipartisan group of Michigan state senators has filed two bills to restrict the advertising of sports betting and internet gaming within the Wolverine State.

As introduced on November 13, Senate Bills 713 and 714 would allow Michigan municipalities to pass local ordinances to restrict physical advertisements for iGaming or sports betting within their jurisdictions, so long as those rules were not “unreasonably impracticable”.

Elsewhere, the companion bills would amend state laws to expressly prohibit iGaming and sports wagering ads through any TV or radio program, website or publication where 30 percent or more of the audience “is reasonably expected to be under the age of 21”. Sponsorship of television channels or of sports stadiums or arenas would continue to be allowed, however.

The two bills, sponsored by five Democrats and one Republican senator, have been referred to the Senate’s Regulatory Affairs Committee.

FanDuel, DraftKings Resign From AGA Over Prediction Markets

The American Gaming Association (AGA) confirmed that FanDuel, owned by Flutter Entertainment, and DraftKings have resigned from the trade association over their decision to expand into prediction markets.

“In discussion with DraftKings and FanDuel, the AGA has accepted their request to relinquish their membership, effective immediately,” an AGA spokesman said in a statement on Tuesday (November 18). “We wish them the best, and we expect to maintain close ties in our mission to promote and protect legal, regulated gaming.”

FanDuel next month will launch a standalone app called FanDuel Predicts to offer prediction markets in partnership with CME Group, and will primarily target states, such as California, Texas, and Georgia, where traditional online sports betting is not legal.

DraftKings has made a similar announcement after it acquired Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approved Railbird Exchange and has plans to launch DraftKings Predictions in the coming months. Both DraftKings and FanDuel have said they will geofence to not offer their products in Indian Country.

“FanDuel has built our business by maintaining strong industry partnerships. We value the spirit of collaboration that comes with these relationships,” the company said in a statement.

“But as we expand into prediction markets, we recognize this direction is not aligned with the American Gaming Association's current priorities for its member operators. After thoughtful consideration, we have decided to step back from our AGA membership at this time.”

FanDuel added that it has “always been the company that moves quickly, from daily fantasy to mobile sports betting to prediction markets,” and build what consumers want and we operate with an “unwavering commitment to integrity.”

CNBC reported that the AGA was set to introduce a resolution at a board meeting on Tuesday that would exclude any company that offers prediction markets.

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