Archives December 2024

Riga City Council closes another six slot halls

An additional six slot halls in Riga are being forced to close up shop after the City Council decided to cancel the facilities operating licenses. The venues are in violation of the new urban planning rules of the city. Unfortunately, the gaming sites are located in housing areas or close to the protection zone of the historic center.

Revoking Licensing

Gambling legislation in Latvia gives local government the right to revoke gambling licensing. This includes betting shops, gambling facilities, casinos, and bingo halls. The license can be taken away if officials feel the facility will harm residents of the local area or the nation in general.

This recent order was issued by the Security, Public Order and Corruption Prevention Committee. With this move, it brings the number of closures in Riga to 43. Any operator with licensing currently will see the option expire in five years.

New Gaming Experience

Politicians in the city want to see a new gaming experience offered in Riga. They only want facilities operating in four or five-star hotels. If this were to happen, then around 200 gambling facilities would shut down in the region.

Only a select few casinos would be allowed to stay in businessVenir de Tragamonedas Gratis Online. This would include the Olympic Voodoo Casino which is located at the Radisson Blu and the Shangri La Casino in Kempinski Hotel.Venir de Tragamonedas Gratis Online

Riga began its fight against gambling back in 2011. The City Council decided to stop awarding new casino licenses at that time. By 2017, the first portion of gambling venue closures took place. A total of 42 facilities were shut down at that time.

Shape Games Signs BetCity To Launch New Mobile Apps to Dutch Market

A front-end technologies specialist, Shape Games, has entered a strategic partnership with BetCity, a leading Dutch online sports book and casino operator. The partnership anticipates the award-winning technology provider’s development of new mobile gaming apps to be rolled out on the reputable operator’s platform.

August 2023 Launch:

As reported by European Gaming, the knowledge of the industry and the experience of both Shape Games and Bet City helped the partners to quickly grasp the details of the product requirements. For this reason, the product reportedly went live in a split second already in August 2023 to elevate the player experience and represent a significant milestone in the Dutch gaming industry.

BetCity, as a vertical of Entain Group, is one of the leading online gaming platforms in the jurisdiction. The company boasts of its pioneering role in the market since it launched its online sports betting and casino gaming products immediately after the online gaming was legalized in the Netherlands in October 2021.Venir de Tragamonedas Gratis Online

Mobile App Supply and Advanced Technology:

The operator has maintained a leading market position ever since, reportedly boosting its sports betting offerings by powerful technology features supplied by Kambi, as well as its casino catalog and Player Account Management (PAM) offerings provided by OryxVenir de Tragamonedas Gratis Online. BetCity has now entered another partnership with Shape Games to have new mobile gaming apps developed and launched on its gaming platform.

As reported, the studio will use its advanced technology for the development of these mobile apps to make them compatible with iOS and Android operating systems. In this way, the requirements of the sports betting and casino gaming community for the dynamic and convenient player experience will be efficiently met.

Common Commitment:

The partners to the deal are reportedly committed to responsible gaming. This policy is in line with the Dutch gaming regulations that banned advertising on online gambling platforms from July 1, 2023. Aware of the challenges thus imposed to Dutch operators, the two partners remain focused on a safe gambling environment and the quality of their respective offerings.

Léon Voogt, Product Director at BetCity, reportedly said:  “We are excited to finally launch our app into the wider world. An app has been on our wishlist at BetCity right from the start, and we’re thrilled that it’s now complete! It was important for us to be able to offer our entire product portfolio in one app, including a sportsbook, casino, and live casino – all in one place.

Voogt added: ‘This made the development process a challenge, but with Shape Games, we found an excellent partner who helped us bring this vision to life. We are confident that with this app, we can provide an even better experience for our players and have faith in a successful partnership between Shape Games and BetCity.”