Playtech wins Holland Casino online contract
Deal comes ahead of Dutch online gambling regulation expected to come into force by 2015
Dutch casino monopoly Holland Casino has selected Playtech as its partner to launch online gambling products once the country’s regulation permits.
The deal represents a coup for Playtech given Holland Casino’s strong brand presence in the Netherlands and the likelihood it will be the first operator allowed to launch online gaming products.
Playtech will develop a platform for Holland Casino, which will include roulette, blackjack, slot machines, bingo and poker.
Regulation in the country is still to be confirmed, however the government has committed to discussing the finer details of the law in H1 2014 and claimed it remains on track for a 1 January 2015 market launch.
A draft bill was published earlier this year proposing a 20% tax on gross profit, privatisation of Holland Casino and the abolishment the existing sports betting monopoly.
Holland Casino first issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a gaming supplier back in February, however the RFP was discontinued in April as the operator blamed the bidders for failing to meet the criteria it set out.
“Holland Casino is a strong brand and coupled with Playtech’s expertise, we are confident about our competitive edge in the forthcoming regulated market,” Willem-Jan van den Dijssel, Holland Casino’s CEO, said.
“Playtech is very excited to secure its position in one of the most promising jurisdictions in Europe. We are confident that our industry experience based on our current work in many regulated markets will ensure Holland Casino will provide their players with an unparalleled offering in the online gaming arena,” Mor Weizer, Playtech CEO, said.
It was reported in October that Holland Casino was edging towards bankruptcy after being put under direct supervision of national banks amid mounting debts and falling revenues.
The organisation, which holds the exclusive right to operate casinos in the Netherlands, faces debts of around 60m which are spiralling towards 100m.