Revenue for the year was on par with 2023, data from national regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) showed. The published figures cover both online and land-based gambling, including casinos, sports betting and lotteries.

It was bad news for land-based casinos, which have been in steady decline since the Covid-19 pandemic. Revenue for the sector as a whole was 5.5% lower at €1.30 billion but still represented 30% of the total market.

Physical slot machine revenue dropped 5.4% to €654.4 million. However, machines placed in Holland Casino venues also posted a rise, with revenue edging up 0.5% to €396.1 million. Table games revenue, meanwhile, fell 9.3% to €247.6 million.

The KSA also reported a decline in the number of player positions in most land-based venues. Arcade machine player positions dropped 15% to 20,997, while Holland Casino places fell 0.3% to 6,233. There was, however, an uptick in machines in “catering” venues, with the total rising 17.35% to 7,992.

As was the case in 2023, lotteries drew the most revenue at €1.5 billion, a year-on-year rise of 3.%. This represented 34% of total gambling revenue for the year, while lottery turnover edged up 4.2% to €2.43 billion.

Dutch online casino revenue edges down

Elsewhere, the KSA reported a 1.1% drop in revenue from online casino in 2024. It did not publish a breakdown for the area but did note that the segment drew 26% of total market revenue for the year.

Turning to sports betting, growth was reported across both the online and land-based areas. Online sports betting revenue increased 17.7% to €352.6 million while land-based revenue was 27.4% higher at €77.1 million for the year.

Horse racing accounted for just €3.9 million of the online total, with the rest spread across other sports. It also generated €1.6 million worth of online revenue.

Land-based player losses continue to outweigh online

Player losses data was also released by the KSA in its update on Thursday. On average, players lost €197 each from land-based gambling during the year, only slightly lower than €198 in 2023. In contrast, online loss reached an average of €101, up from €99 in the previous year.

As for tax, the total collected for the year topped €1.03 billion. Despite a decline in revenue, land-based casinos generated the most income for the country. In total, tax from land-based casino activity in 2024 was €396.1 million, only slightly lower than 2023.

Online casino followed with a tax contribution of €342 million, up 2.2%, then lotteries with €156.3 million. Internet sports betting generated €107.5 million in tax and land-based betting €23.4 million.

Tax is very much a hot topic of discussion in the Netherlands at present, with another gambling tax rise on the horizon. From 1 January 2026, operators will be taxed at a rate of 37.8% of gross gaming revenue. Operators already faced an increase to 34.2%, which came into effect in January 2025.

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Revenue for the three months to the end of September was marginally higher than SEK6.68 billion in Q3 2024. However, the monthly total fell 4.4% short of the SEK7.02 billion posted in Q2 of this year.

Figures from regulator Spelinspektionen showed commercial online gambling remained the primary source of gambling revenue by some margin. Total revenue from the sector, which includes online casino, topped SEK4.51 billion in Q3, up 3.5% year-on-year.

This segment also covers online sports betting, with the increase coming despite a tough comparable period last year. Q3 of 2024 included the latter stages of football’s Euro 2024 tournament, as well as the 2024 summer Olympic Games.

Mixed news from the land-based sector in Sweden

Turning to land-based gambling, revenue from the state lottery and physical slot machines was 7.2% lower year-on-year at SEK1.26 billion.

Revenue from lotteries classified as “gaming for public benefit” edged up 0.5% to SEK822 million. Meanwhile, bingo games under the public benefit umbrella generated SEK48 million, which was level year-on-year.

Elsewhere, land-based commercial gaming, including restaurant casinos, drew SEK67 million in revenue, a rise of 3.1%.

Finally, Q3 was the first quarter in which the former Casino Cosmopol land-based operations did not generate any gambling revenue. Svenska Spel closed its final physical casino in April, just weeks after Sweden’s government voted to abolish land-based casinos. 

Land-based casinos will officially be banned in Sweden from 1 January 2026.

Extended credit gambling ban edges closer in Sweden

Also soon to be banned in Sweden will be gambling with credit. The Swedish Gambling Act already prevents players from using credit to gamble with licensed operators. However, a change in regulation will take this further.

From 1 April 2026, both licensees and gambling agents will be banned from processing transactions that involve any form of credit. This will extend to credit agreements with other actors, such as loan agreements and bank overdrafts, where they may be misappropriated for the purpose of gambling.

Licensees and agents must also take measures to counteract gambling with credit. This could include blocking credit card payments and not promoting third-party lenders to customers.

However, the government said Spelinspektionen could make certain exceptions to the ban. This may cover licensed operators running gambling for public benefit, like charity lotteries.

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There are plenty of gaming podcasts discussing what’s going on in the industry. This isn’t more of the same. Instead, this iGB series, in partnership with RubyPlay, aims to dig into the philosophical, psychological, economic, technological and societal dimensions of the gambling industry. Hosted by Dr Eyal Loz, there’s no surface-level chatter here, Dr Eyal and his stellar list of guest speakers focus on answering the big questions, and embark on some serious taboo-orientated, myth-busting and thought-provoking conversations.

In our second episode, “To buy or not to buy, this is the question…” Dr Eyal chats to AGS VP Interactive Zoe Ebling about how gamification is all the rage. However, many tools that are created by suppliers and operators are there to maximise player’s matrices. For example, turbo mode, boost mode, buy feature, ante bet, opt in jackpots, and other such tools. How do these impact the size of a player wallet? Are they good or bad for players and operators? What are the incentives? Why do regulators and some operators have such a love hate relationship with these tools? 

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At present, the only Dutch licence for gaming machines applies to terminals in arcades and hospitality venues, as well as skill machines.

Now, a limited number of new licences will be made available to allow holders to exclusively run skill machines. KSA said this will make it easier for operators that only offer machines to apply for a licence.

KSA defines a skill machine as a terminal that offers games where progression depends on the player’s skill. Such machines should not pay out prizes that are anything other than additional or longer games. Examples of a skill machine include pinball machines where players can win extra balls by scoring more points.

The regulator explained further that any slot machine that is not a skill machine is automatically classed as a gambling machine.

Shorter review for skill machines licence

KSA said on Monday it would publish more information about the application procedure in the coming weeks. However, any companies interested in applying can make a submission immediately.

The new licences will likely have a shorter review process than others, making it easier for operators to begin running machines.

“With this limited operating licence, we’re meeting a need from the gaming machine market,” KSA said.

“Operators that only operate skill machines have indicated that they would like a separate licence, separate from the provision of gaming machines.

“This limited operating licence can have a shorter substantive review process and therefore be issued more quickly.”

Slot machines set for reform

Confirmation of the new licence comes amid possible changes to slot machine rules in the Netherlands. Earlier in October, Arno Rutte, secretary of state for legal protection, said that he will use recommendations from new research to shape new policies on land-based slots.

Rutte referenced five research reports on gambling, including the KSA’s recent piece on the impact of tax increases. The last of these, published in late September, set out a series of proposed changes to regulation on slots.

The report focused on player protection issues facing slots. It pointed out that many regulations related to land-based slots have not been updated since 2000. Areas of focus included user preferences for utilising cash to play and mixed feedback on new ID measures.

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According to a Sunday Times report, several sources at Evoke have confirmed closures could take place if taxes rise. The government is expected to set out new gambling tax plans during the upcoming budget on 26 November.

The report said the number of shop closures has not yet been decided. One source suggested 120 shops could shut, while another said as many as 200 could close. This could lead to up to 1,500 job losses across the William Hill network.

Evoke currently operates approximately 1,300 William Hill shops across the UK. Should the closures reach the upper end of estimations, this could see 15% of its total retail network shut.

“As part of our ongoing planning, we are assessing the potential impact of different overall tax scenarios on our UK operations,” an Evoke spokesperson said. “This includes the difficult but necessary consideration for shop closures.

“We are mindful of potential tax increases in the forthcoming budget which would impact investment in the UK and drive more customers to the black market.”

Incidentally, Evoke is not the first major operator to warn of possible shop closures amid the planned tax rise. In recent weeks, Stella David, CEO of Entain, which counts Ladbrokes among its brands, also said retail locations could close to help save on costs.

Tax rises almost nailed on

Talk of an increase in gambling tax has been rife for most of 2025. In April, the government initially proposed a single rate for remote gambling. This would replace the current, three-banded tax rate system.

The proposal has drawn strong criticism from the gambling industry. Concerns included how it would impact harmonisation on wider issues such as risk and harm and the potential demise of the horse racing sector, which relies heavily on the betting sector.

There has been no government confirmation on what a gambling tax restructuring might look like, but in September, a group of more than 100 MPs from the governing Labour Party called for an increase in the rate of gambling tax to tackle child poverty.

The MPs said gambling in the UK is “lightly taxed” at 21% of gross gaming yield (GGY).

The letter referenced an earlier suggestion by the Social Market Foundation (SMF). In July, the SMF proposed raising Remote Gaming Duty from 21% to 50%. This, it said, would bring the UK more in line with other jurisdictions in Europe and the US, where online gambling tax rates reach 50% or more.

Increases in tax would be in addition to the new statutory levy, which came into effect on 6 April this year.

UK retail struggles for Evoke

Evoke addressed the potential tax increases in its H1 results announcement, published in mid-August. At the time, Evoke CFO Sean Wilkins told the government to tread carefully in terms of how it approaches a potential tax rise.

“If you increase tax beyond a certain point, this leads to black market growth,” Wilkins said. “This would then lead to lower tax take and zero player protection, which is against the objective of government. This has been evidenced in the Netherlands

“Our expectation is to see a balanced approach between the requirement to get more cash and protecting the regulated market.”

In the same announcement, Evoke reported a 2.4% drop in revenue from its UK and Ireland retail business.

This was partly due to tough year-on-year comps due to last year’s Euro 2024 football tournament, while Evoke also made reference to “challenging conditions on the high street”. The total number of William Hill shops fell 2.2% to 1,302 by the end of the half.

However, the group did make improvements to its retail estate in the UK&I. This included the completion of the rollout of 5,000 gaming machines in March.

Speaking at the time, Evoke CEO Per Widerström said gross win per machine was 15% more than in Q3 last year, with the new rollout drawing in more customers. He added that further machine enhancements are planned, with additional legacy machines to be replaced.

“We are confident that our retail stores can continue to survive tough high street conditions in the UK and Ireland,” he said. “We will monitor profitability closely across our network.”

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In a letter to the Dutch House of Representatives on Tuesday, Rutte highlighted five recent research reports on gambling, including the KSA’s recent piece on the impact of tax increases. The latter of these, published in late September, set out a series of proposed changes to regulation on Dutch slots.

Commissioned by the Dutch Scientific Research and Data Centre, the report looks at certain player protection issues facing slots. It points out that many regulations related to land-based slots have not been updated since the year 2000.

Cash remains king on slot machines

Among its key findings was that cash remains the preferred method of payment for physical slots players. This was more apparent among older players, with younger players leaning more towards contactless and card-based play.

The report noted the risks associated with cash gambling — primarily money laundering and robberies. However, it also highlighted barriers to cashless gaming, including how health experts said this could actually negatively impact users.

“Health experts indicated seeing and feeling cash, especially during the exchange process, can provide a moment of realisation for the player,” the report said.

“Introducing [personalised] player cards in the hospitality industry is also seen as difficult and expensive. From an addiction prevention perspective, cashless play only offers benefits if the player card is personalised so the player’s playing behaviour can be monitored and options such as personal playing limits are possible.”

Mixed response to ID checks for slots

The report also considered issues surrounding player identification. At present, only casinos and gaming halls require a full ID check, with hospitality venues only checking age. With this, researchers said industry stakeholders had identified a gap in current policy.

However, there was a somewhat mixed response to how this issue could be addressed in the long term. Those from a harm prevention background backed full player identification at all locations. Other respondents raised concerns over the cost of implementing such a system, as well as noting that this could drive players towards illegal gambling.

“Based on the results of the choice experiment it has become clear that the possible, the introduction of player accounts on physical slot machines could pose a barrier to entry for players,” the report said.

Spending limits still up for debate

Another primary focus area for researchers was playing limits, which the report said were already “strict” in the Netherlands. Stake limits are pre-set at each location and are not adjusted in line with inflation.

Researchers questioned whether this approach should be adjusted, given that limits have been the same since 2022, when the Netherlands first adopted the euro. At present, users can only wager a €0.20 stake and incur a maximum hourly loss of €40, with some calling for this to rise to €0.50 and €100, respectively.

There was a high level of support among respondents for a system that allowed players to set their own limits. However, again, some raised concerns about the costs associated with making such changes.

Finally, respondents were asked for their opinion on expanding the content available to slots players. At present, each machine is limited to only running a certain number of games, but there have been some calls to extend this.

However, for operators of casinos and gaming arcades, there was only limited demand for a wider range of slots. Again, respondents said the high level of investment would deter them from adding more content.

“Modernisation is simply not urgent for them because they can easily handle the existing technical regulations,” the report said.

Rutte set to oversee Dutch gambling reform

Rutte is new to the role of secretary of state for legal protection in the Netherlands. He recently took over from Teun Struycken, who stepped down over the decision to block sanctions against Israel due to the ongoing conflict in Palestine. Struycken was one of several ministers to exit over the matter.

Struycken’s departure came at a time of change for the Dutch gambling market. In February, he said a new gambling bill was expected by the end of the year. At the time, he said this could include measures such as increasing the age limit for higher-risk products like online slots.

With Struycken’s resignation, the status of the new bill is still very much up in the air. However, Rutte’s letter to the government suggests that work on potential changes to regulations remains ongoing.

That said, Dutch politics faces a decisive month, with a snap election having been called for 29 October. This follows the collapse of the government in June when Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right Party for Freedom, withdrew from a four-party coalition.

One change that is almost certain to happen is a further increase in gambling tax. This will rise to 37.8% of gross gaming revenue from 1 January 2026, subject to any late changes. It follows a rise from 30.5% to 34.2%, which came into effect on 1 January 2025.

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Revenue for the three months to the end of June amounted to SEK7.02 billion ($744 million). This edged ahead of Q1 last year and was 5.9% above Q1 this year, according to figures from the regulator.

Commercial online gaming, covering areas such as internet-based casino and sports betting, drew the most revenue. In total, revenue from online gaming topped SEK4.63 billion, a year-on-year rise of 1.4%.

The increase in online gaming revenue came despite the sports betting market having been impacted by a tough comparable period in 2024. Q2 included the early stages of football’s Euro 2024, which led to increased betting activity in Sweden.

Double-digit growth for state-owned lottery and slots in Sweden

Away from online gambling, revenue from state-owned lottery and physical slot machines also increased. The SEK1.42 billion was 10.2% ahead of the previous year, with this sector seeing more growth than any other segment.

Meanwhile, revenue from lotteries classed as “gaming for public benefit” was 5.3% lower at SEK846 million. However, bingo games under the public benefit umbrella reported SEK49 million in revenue, level with last year. A further SEK63 million came from land-based commercial gaming, including restaurant casinos.

Finally, the remaining SEK8 million was generated from the final few weeks of activity at the last Casino Cosmopol land-based venue. Svenska Spel closed its final physical casino in April, just a few weeks after Sweden’s government voted to abolish land-based casinos. 

Casinos are set to be banned from 1 January 2026. Technically, Svenska Spel could have kept the venue open until the end of 2025. However, it closed ahead of time following a change in ownership instruction in Stockholm.

Rosenberg exits as director general of Spelinspektionen

In other news, Spelinspektionen announced that Camilla Rosenberg is to step down as its director general.

Rosenberg will exit the regulator on 31 October, ahead of her becoming director and head of the Swedish Real Estate Agents’ Inspection Authority. She has led Spelinspektionen as its director general since 2017.

“I would like to thank Camilla for her meritorious work at Spelinspektionen during a time of profound changes in the gambling market,” Spelinspektionen Chairman Claes Norgren said. “I congratulate her on her new position.

“Operations will continue as planned and at an unabated pace while waiting for a new director general to be appointed.”

Total revenue for the month hit DKK585 million ($91.3 million), data from national regulator Spillemyndigheden revealed. This was behind DKK703 million in June 2024 and also 14.4% less than May this year.

Once again, online casino drew the most revenue at DKK333 million, a year-on-year increase of 10%. Slots drew DKK273 million of all revenue in this segment, equating to 82% of the total figure.

Blackjack generated DKK21 million in revenue, roulette DKK20 million, poker DKK8 million, bingo DKK8 million and other games DKK4 million.

However, sports betting revenue plummeted 53.5% to DKK126 million in June. This was due to the same month last year including the opening stages of Euro 2024, which featured the Danish national team. Mobile accounted for 70.4% of all betting revenue during the month.

Land-based revenue also falls in Denmark

Turning to land-based gambling, regulator data showed further declines. Revenue from physical slot machines fell 6.5% to DKK92 million, the lowest monthly total since September last year.

Of this, 79.7% came from machines placed in gaming halls across Denmark. The other 20.3% was drawn from terminals inside restaurants.

Meanwhile, land-based casino revenue declined 2.2% to DKK32 million, while bingo revenue topped DKK2 million, with no year-on-year comparison available.

Self-exclusion list reaches 62,400 in June

Also in the latest dataset was information about self-exclusions via the national ROFUS scheme. At the end of the month, 62,400 individuals had blocked themselves from gambling with licensed operators.

Men accounted for 78.4% of all self-excluded players and women 21.6%. Some 64.4% of registrants opted for permanent exclusion from gambling in Denmark.

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Market revenue for the six months to 30 June amounted to €131.5 million ($153.1 million), up from €116.0 million last year. Players spent a total of €2.30 billion during the period.

Online wagers surpass €2.0 billion

Breaking this down, figures from the Lithuania Gaming Control Authority showed online gambling revenue hit €96.1 million, up 18.2%. Online gambling wagers amounted to €2.08 billion, a rise of 16.8%.

Category A online slots – games with unlimited winnings – drew the most revenue in H1 at €64.4 million, up 20.4%. Player spending on these machines also increased 21.4% to €1.51 billion.

However, revenue from Category B online slots slipped 34.0% to €1.2 million during the half. Category B slots have a maximum stake of €0.3 with wins limited to 200 times the user’s bet.

Elsewhere, remote sports betting revenue increased 10.5% to €21.3 million, with wagers up 4.3% to €301.3 million, In addition, online table games saw the most growth, with revenue rising 36.4% to €9.2 million and player spend 11.6% to €257.4 million.

Land-based revenue edged up in Lithuania

Turning to land-based gambling, revenue here in H1 was 2.2% higher year-on-year at €35.4 million. This was despite an operator exiting the market, taking the total number active to nine.

Category B slot machines generated the most revenue at €14.8 million, a rise of 2.8%, with wagers up 4.8%. Revenue from Category A terminals also edged up by 2.5% to €8.1 million after spending increased marginally.

Land-based table games revenue dipped 5.0% to €7.6 million after a drop in player spend. Finally, sports betting revenue jumped 11.6% to €4.8 million, despite reduced spend among consumers.

Lottery revenue climbs to €36.7 million in H1

The regulator also published data on the country’s lottery market in H1, with revenue rising 10.6% to €36.7 million.

Ticket sales increased 8.2% to 54.5 million, with total ticket turnover also up 14.1% to €80.8 million for the period. It was noted that players won €44.6 million from lottery gaming, a rise of 17.1%.

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Watch the video above to hear from Arnaud Mandret, manager of Kasino Vannes (in French). Full translated transcript below:

Interview transcript:

Arnaud Mandret, General Manager, Kasino Vannes

“Hello, my name is Arnaud Mandret. I have been managing Kasino Vannes since it was established in 2015 by Kasino Bretagne group. In my career, I have managed four gaming establishments, and I’ve been running casinos in France for over 20 years.

“The game Money Mansion has this slightly cartoonish side, which reminds us a bit of our childhood. And in terms of gameplay, there are several free games, a fairly elaborate design, which makes this machine attractive to players, also because of its payout rate, since, for example, the major jackpot tends to drop almost every day.

“There are several customers who come specifically since we installed these machines, because they find the payout suits them, they enjoy the fun aspect and the game’s design is quite fascinating.

“The graphics on these machines are quite impressive, because there’s a whole mechanism based on the story of the Three Little Pigs. It has a playful aspect and the visuals are very well done.

“The appearance of the wolf blowing on the houses. It’s something that catches the eye and has a very entertaining side for the player.

“So, if I had to describe the gaming experience on this machine in just one word, I think the most appropriate term would really be ‘playful’, because this machine is playful in every aspect and in how it works.”

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Watch the video above to hear from Jean-Marc Laperrousaz, slot manager, Circus Casino Resort Namur (in French). Full translated transcript below:

“Hi! I am the slot department director at Casino Resort Namur.

“In my day-to-day role, I manage daily operations, floor optimisation, game selection, performance analysis and fidelity programmes at the casino.

“I have over 20 years of experience in the gaming industry across Europe.

“Lion Link is truly a successful game for us.

“What makes it so attractive is its bonus games, which feature a very strong Hold & Spin mechanic.

“It also stands out for its design and immersive themes, offering players a rich visual and sound experience.

“Indeed, we’re seeing today that players are truly seeking a more immersive and interactive experience.

“Graphics and sound effects certainly contribute to that engagement, but we’re also introducing new game mechanics – such as multi-level jackpots, triple bonuses and real or virtual persistence features – that add real depth to the gameplay and significantly increase player engagement. That’s what players are looking for.

“Lion Link truly reflects current market trends. It features an immersive theme and design, along with dynamic gameplay mechanics.

“Lion Link is an exciting game. It delivers adrenaline and excitement in every session, offering a consistently thrilling experience.

“If I had to describe Lion Link in one word, I would say: captivating.”

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Speaking to iGB’s Ella Williamson at iGB L!VE 2025 in London, Amnon Liebermann, head of distribution channels at Elantil, explains how the company is achieving that goal through its bespoke platform tech.

Liebermann also touches on what we can expect from 2025 and beyond, both from a company and industry perspective.

Watch the video above to see the interview.

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Published this week, the performance audit considers the current initiatives in place in NSW. This includes the effectiveness of efforts from the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) and the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport.

While the report acknowledged that the entities regulate gaming machines in a “structured and consistent manner”, it added they are not supporting harm minimisation outcomes effectively.

Concerns over venue staff not acting on gambling harm

Key points highlighted include the department’s regulatory strategy not having a sufficient focus on areas considered high risk for gambling harm. It also does not set any targets for reducing harm associated with gaming machines

The report also noted compliance and enforcement activities have largely focused on recent legislative changes relating to the layout and signage for gaming machine rooms. However, it said the department does “relatively little” to assess actions from venue staff to identify and prevent harmful activities.

“The department assesses the knowledge venue staff have of mandatory training courses they have completed,” the report said. “However, it does not test whether staff apply this in practice.”

The Audit Office also raised concerns over licensing in NSW. It said while there are processes for assessing applications, the ILGA does not proactively review licence conditions after issue. This, the report said, means some venues may not have had a licence review for some time, noting how only two of the 20 largest clubs in NSW have applied to change operations since 2019-20.

Gaming machine numbers increase in NSW

Finally, the report made reference to efforts to reduce the number of gaming machines in the state. While a tradeable machine entitlement scheme in The Gaming Machines Act 2001 (the Act) has contributed to a fall in entitlements, this reduction was “gradual”.

In addition, it was noted that the number of machines in NSW since 2021–22 has increased. The report placed the current machine total in NSW at 87,749, the highest of any state in Australia by some margin.

“ILGA only reviews licence conditions for venues with gaming machines when a venue makes an application to change its gaming machine operations,” the report said. “ILGA has the power to impose conditions on venues with a licence to operate machines.

“However, most of the venues that have the largest number of machines have not had licence conditions reviewed for at least the past five years because they have not applied for changes to their gaming machine operations.”

What can NSW do to address concerns?

In its analysis, the Audit Office set out several recommendations to address concerns flagged within the report. First, it recommended the department increase the focus of its regulatory strategy on improving harm minimisation outcomes. The deadline for this is June 2026.

This includes establishing baselines and targets for improvements relating to gambling harm minimisation. The department should also focus on regulatory requirements with the most direct impact on these outcomes, such as staff compliance with these rules.

The Audit Office also urged the department to review the gaming machine forfeiture scheme to ensure it helps reduce machine numbers. According to the report, this should include removing certain exemptions and proposing additional measures for venues to forfeit entitlements voluntarily.

As for the ILGA, the report also set a deadline of June 2026 for it to implement changes to its measures. Recommendations include commencing reviews of licence conditions of machine venues in the highest risk locations.

The ILGA is also recommended to increase the clarity about its decision-making for gaming machine applications. This, the report said, may include ensuring statements of reasons for decisions are published in a timely manner, and providing venues whose applications are refused with rationale for the decision.

“Many factors can contribute to gambling harm levels, including policy settings and social and economic factors,” the report said. “While effective regulation alone cannot deliver harm minimisation outcomes, the department and ILGA have a clear responsibility for implementing legislative objectives relating to harm minimisation.”

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Bouncing back from Brexit, Stake launched an industry first last month: Stake Engine, an operator-driven publisher service, whereby studios can create and launch games directly to site via Stake’s GDK/RGS (model no 6 above).

The traditional publisher model (no 2 above) is nothing new and was first adopted in our sector by Yggdrasil with their Masters Academy. It was followed successfully by the likes of Relax, Pariplay, Light & Wonder and Swintt. Stakelogic, WAC, Tequity, Qtech and Blueprint have all had a dabble too, while the latest suppliers to espouse the model are Million Games, Barbara Bang and Hacksaw Gaming. A summary of supplier-run publisher programmes is given below.

In-house studios (model 5 at the top) are nothing new either and most of the larger groups tend to develop some content in-house. Stake itself produces a range of Stake Originals, for example, mostly covering crypto games such as Mines, Crash, Limbo and similar.

As Yggdrasil, Pariplay and Relax now belong to operator/supplier groups, it could even be argued that the operator-publisher model de facto exists already. The difference here is that this new Stake programme is an operator-first initiative, not an aggregator one.

It is designed to grant smaller studios immediate access to some real estate they would otherwise struggle to access – and the 10% rate on offer is decent. In return, Stake acquires exclusive independent content with no intermediary costs (unlike models 1 and 2 at the top, for example).

Early participants in the Stake Engine include the brands Massive, Titan and Twist. These new studios may or may not be wholly ‘independent’ as such, yet they serve to prime the model. As a result, it is not only the 10+ new studios that we add to our database each month that will take notice, but some of Stake’s competitors too.

For the operator, it is certainly a faster route to producing high volumes of exclusive content than acquiring or building out studios inhouse, Stake Originals aside. Moreover, Stake does have some catching up to do on the homegrown front, especially when compared to some of their peers.

In this context, it is worth sharing a bit of free data extracted from our platform, which compares in-house content provision across some of the larger operators. You can see from the chart below how far Stake is from achieving the same in-house content share as certain rivals.

* Note that the number of in-house games divided by the number of unique games will not be the same as the percentage share of in-house content for a couple of reasons. First, in-house games can be repeated across multiple pages and, at times, multiple times on one page. Also, the percentage share of in-house content is based on the frequency of finding in-house game tiles across all pages in the first two weeks of May. During that same period, for example, some third-party games may have featured briefly and later disappeared. In-house content tends to be more permanent and more pervasive.

Note also that this chart excludes exclusive content that is produced and delivered by studios via the normal integration routes.

In summary, we are not actually saying that this new operator-led publisher model is going to take off. After all, it is only an option for the largest operators out there. It is, however, an interesting variation to existing distribution models and one to monitor. Note that in model 3 at the top, collaborations and mechanic licensing were covered in a previous article.

The casino charts

Gates of Olympus took the top two spots last month, and Pragmatic’s 1000 editions have demonstrated godlike ubiquity and longevity. Big Bass Bonanza 1000 is a new entry to the charts this month, beaten only by another new launch from the same stable, Gates Of Olympus Super Scatter. This latest game turns up the volatility dial again with multipliers reaching 50,000x.

Top 20 games by distribution

While we do not publish an Easter chart as such, we can reveal which came first, the bunny or the egg. Four of the top five best new Easter performers clucked this year:

Industry deals and game distribution

Turning back finally to the classic studio → aggregator model (no 1 at the top), we also track the dealmaker movers and shakers. Barbara Bang is the studio to watch, having recently signed up several new aggregators, such as St8, Notix, Betfounders and BlueOcean.

Biggest aggregator dealmakers

Meanwhile, Reevo (Lucky) are giving EveryMatrix a run for their money on the aggregation front, having penned 15 studio deals in the last six months.

On this topic, why not one last free nugget of info? The average studio partners with 12 aggregators, while the average aggregator offers 21 studios in its portfolio. Get in touch if you’d like to know more.

Biggest studio dealmakers

* Please note that some charts above are populated with live data so please ensure the month of April 2025 is selected in the dropdowns to match the analysis.

** The interactive games chart excludes live games and table games. Game rankings are determined by the number of game appearances on the casino homepages of more than 4,000 casino sites. To access many other charts including game rankings, live and table games, positions on subpages or to filter game performance by game theme, game feature, market or operator, please get in touch with our partner, Egamingmonitor.com. Egamingmonitor covers 80,000 games, 1,900 suppliers and 4,000+ operators. 

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Data from the commission, released Wednesday, placed GGY at £1.45 billion ($1.93 billion) for the three months to 31 March. This beat £1.34 billion in the same period last year but fell 5.8% short of £1.54 billion in Q4.

The rise in GGY was accompanied by a 5% increase in the total number of bets and spins to 25.2 billion. In addition, the number of average monthly active accounts was 2% higher at 13.5 million.

The commission publishes data on Britain’s regulated market each quarter. This primarily covers online gambling but also includes insight into the land-based betting sector.

Slots GGY hits £689 million

Breaking down the online performance, slots accounted for 47% of total online GGY in Q1. The £689 million in slots revenue is 11% more than in the same period in the previous year.

Consumers played a total of 23.4 billion spins during the quarter, a 6% increase on last year, while average accounts also climbed 6% to 4.5 million. The latter was a new quarterly high for the slots segment.

Users also spent more time playing slots in Q1. The number of online slots sessions lasting longer than an hour increased by 5% to 10.1 million. Average session length was consistent at 17 minutes, while approximately 6% of all sessions lasted more than one hour, the same as last year.

Real event betting GGY up 5%

Elsewhere in the market, online real event betting GGY was 5% higher year-on-year at £596 million. This was despite the total number of bets falling 1% and average monthly active accounts dropping 2%. The vertical made up 41% of the overall online GGY.

As for other areas of the market, other gaming, including online casino games, generated £138.3 million in GGY. This fell just short of the £138.7 million reported in the previous year, with total bets down 9%.

Online poker GGR was down by 19.9%, while virtual betting GGY also declined 12% to £9.2 million. In addition, esports betting GGY slipped 26% to £3.2 million.

Declines in land-based betting

A small section of the quarterly report also offered insight in the performance of licensed betting offices (LBOs) in Q1. GGY for this market fell 3% to £554 million, with total bets and spins down 5% to 3.1 billion.

Retail gaming machines drew the most GGY at £275.7 million, but this was 5% short of the previous year. Over-the-counter GGY was marginally higher at £152.5 million, although self-service betting terminals GGY edged down 1% to £125.4 million.

Total machine sessions in Q1 were 5% lower at 22.6 million, although the number of sessions that lasted more than one hour climbed 4% to 613,062.

Retail decline mirrors operator performances in Q1

This continued decline in UK retail betting and gaming mirrors tier one omnichannel operator Q1 earnings. In April Entain reported NGR for its UK&I retail business dipped 1% year-on-year due to “lighter volume”.

Entain CFO Rob Wood said he expected the “softer results” in retail were due to changes to consumer behaviours.  

He said in terms of gaming, double-digit online gaming growth across the UK suggested players were largely shifting to online. 

Evoke also reported a decline within its UK&I retail segment in Q1, with revenue down 6% to £123.1 million.

Mapping out retail performance, Evoke said that the decline was mainly tied to a 9% drop in sports betting revenue due to lower stakes.

Ainsworth is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). Its headquarters are in Newington, Sydney and has operations worldwide. The company provides gaming machines in Australia, Asia and the Americas.

The scheme implementation deed between the two companies will see shareholders receive AU$1 (£0.48/€0.56/US$0.64) per Ainsworth share. This represents a 35% premium on the last closing price of shares in Ainsworth on 24 April.

As such, Ainsworth said this places a total enterprise value of $336.5 million on the business. The supplier’s independent board committee (IBC) is recommending that shareholders vote in favour of the scheme. Novomatic said it will not increase the offer.

“The proposal put forward by Novomatic, already the majority shareholder, represents a significant premium to long term trading value and is compelling for minority shareholders,” Ainsworth Chairman Daniel Gladstone said.

“The IBC has carefully evaluated the proposed consideration against the company’s medium-and long-term growth prospects and alternative opportunities. We unanimously formed the view that the proposal represents attractive and certain value for minority shareholders.”

A meeting for Ainsworth shareholders to vote on the proposal is due to take place after July. This will happen after an shareholders receive an independent expert report on the deal.

If the deed is approved, the deal will be submitted for final court approval. Ainsworth expects this in August.

Novomatic talks up international growth

Should shareholders vote in favour of the scheme, it would, however, still be subject to several other approvals. These include sign-off from the Australian Securities Exchange, Australian Securities Investments Commission and the Federal Court of Australia.

If Novomatic secures these approvals, it expects to complete the acquisition in the second half of 2025. Novomatic confirmed this in a statement of its own, also published today.

Novomatic executive board member Stefan Krenn said the acquisition fits with the company’s international growth plans.

“The acquisition of Ainsworth is consistent with our international growth strategy and the expansion of our presence across the Asia-Pacific and the US region,” Krenn said. “As a long-term shareholder we are familiar with the business and believe that integrating Ainsworth into our operations is in the best interest of this strategy.

“We look forward to welcoming the highly qualified and experienced Ainsworth employees into the Novomatic family to become part of our international growth and success.”

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