Latest News
Slovakia cracks down illegal gambling
Slovakia’s Financial Administration has carried out the biggest illegal gambling crackdown ever in the country.
The process resulted in the seizing of five so-called quiz machines seised and 75 gaming machines. Subsequently, tax officers confiscated the accounting documents of 14 companies that ran the businesses.
The combing operation was held last month on June 28–29. In the move, 180 comptrollers and custom officers combed approximately 100 gambling facilities across Slovakia.
“It wasn’t an easy action,” said Ľudovít Makó, head of the Financial Administration’s criminal department, as quoted in a press release.
First, the comptrollers had to visit the facilities and try the machines to ascertain whether their use could be deemed as gambling or not.
“In some facilities the gambling machine was turned off during the investigation, while in the others there were missing internet connections and power supplies,” Makó added.
Customs officers subsequently sealed dozens of facilities, while others were secured for further analysis. The Financial Administration will continue with the inspections.
Quiz machines will be checked
Playing the quiz machines is also considered to be a form of gambling as the players need to answer a simple question, according to Imrecze. However, to prove that they are gambling machines the Financial Administration sent them to the Technical Testing Institute for examination.
If it is proven that the quiz machines were used for gambling, the Financial Administration will adopt further steps. The operators of the machines and the facilities where they are placed would be faced with high fines, the SITA newswire reported.
Moreover, there is a suspicion that the operators did not prevent people under the age of 18 or those drawing material need benefits from gambling.
In addition, the quiz machines often have servers situated outside Slovakia. The law on gambling, however, stipulates that the servers need to be located in Slovakia.
Currently, there are about 800 quiz machines. Most are registered in Bratislava, Trnava and Žilina Regions, Makó said, as reported by SITA.
Accounting seised
As part of the operation, the Financial Administration confiscated the accounting books for 2017 and 2018 of four companies operating the quiz machines and the accounting books from 2018 of companies that run the facilities where the machines were located.
Tax officers will now check whether the documents correspond with the data from the servers of the quiz machines’ operators and whether they tried to evade paying VAT and corporate income taxes.
If the Financial Administration reveals any flaws, the operators would face criminal consequences, SITA reported.
More fines issued
The number of fines for gambling operators who violate the law, as well as their amount, increased in 2017 compared with the previous years.
A total of 210 fines amounting to €378,660 in total were imposed in 2017, which is 153 more than in 2016 and 200 more than the year before. As for the amount, the sum increased by €13,680 (or 3.75 per cent) in 2017 compared with 2016, and by €245,460 (or 184 per cent) compared with 2015, the TASR newswire reported.
“We welcome the fact that the state has the ambition to fight illegal gambling but we have to realise that it cannot erase the legal concerns,” said Dominika Lukáčová, spokesperson for the Association of Entertainment and Gambling, as quoted by TASR.
She continued, saying that the illegal market is a result of excessive regulation and prohibition, with the criminal groups one step ahead of the comptrollers. They can even erase the software used in the machines from a distance to avoid fines.
However, legal gambling operators in Slovakia have never used such practices, Lukáčová added.
Source: spectator.sme.sk
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
Latest News
Ho-Ho-Hold onto Your Wins! Booming Games Takes Festive Fun to the Next Level with Santa in Vegas!
Reading Time: < 1 minute
This holiday season, Santa’s traded in his sleigh for a private jet and touched down on the Vegas Strip! Santa in Vegas delivers festive fun and flashy riches in a vibrant 5×4 slot packed with luxurious symbols, glittering lights and that famous Booming Games excitement. Spin through jets, limos, watches and shimmering gifts as you chase down wild wins in the city that never sleeps.
Look out for the Santa Collect feature in the base game: Red Santa collects Coin symbols to trigger the Coin Collection bonus, while Golden Santa gathers Scatter symbols to randomly trigger the coveted Free Spins feature.
Trigger the Free Spins bonus and experience the exciting symbol upgrade feature. With every spin, low-paying symbols can be eliminated and high-paying symbols can be upgraded, boosting your chances for bigger and brighter wins!
The excitement peaks in the Gift Spin, a guaranteed spin at the end of Free Spins where every Wild you’ve collected during Free Spins is dropped onto the reels in a powerful finale, with up to 20 Wilds unleashed for explosive win potential.
With seasonal cheer, golden glamour and a sleigh-full of win potential, Santa in Vegas brings you the ultimate Christmas party on the Strip. Time to jingle all the way to jackpot city!
Play Santa in Vegas now!
“Santa in Vegas is all about turning up the holiday cheer with a Vegas twist,” said Craig Asling, Director of Games at Booming Games.
“We’ve mixed bright visuals, exciting features and plenty of win potential to deliver a game that’s both festive and full of fun, it’s Christmas with a touch of Vegas sparkle.”
The post Ho-Ho-Hold onto Your Wins! Booming Games Takes Festive Fun to the Next Level with Santa in Vegas! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Vixio, a leading provider of regulatory intelligence solutions, unveiled its 2025 Global Regulatory Awards (GRAs) winners last night during an event in London.
More than 300 industry leaders, regulatory experts, and esteemed professionals of the global gambling industry attended the prestigious event. The independently judged GRAs recognise and celebrate the achievements of individuals, teams, and organisations in the gambling industry who have excelled in compliance, corporate social responsibility, and safer gambling.
The ninth annual awards ceremony recognised winners across 22 categories.
Notable winners on the evening included Playtech, Casino Guru, and Kambi.
Vixio also recognised outstanding individuals, such as Bill Curtis of DraftKings, named Compliance Professional of the Year, Corinne Valletta of Betsson Group, awarded Chief Compliance Officer of the Year, and Wes Himes, who was recognised with the Special Award for Compliance Lifetime Achievement.
“Thank you to everyone who joined us at last night’s Global Regulatory Awards in London,” stated Mike Woolfrey, CEO of Vixio. “This year has seen significant regulatory change across the industry, making the quality of entries even more impressive. Our independent judges did a fantastic job in selecting the winners, who truly represent the highest standards in regulatory compliance. Congratulations to all, and we look forward to welcoming you to the 10th annual Global Regulatory Awards next year!”
Awards were presented by category sponsors: Docaposte, DraftKings, eCOGRA, Gaming Associates and White Bullet.
The award evening was associate-sponsored by: Greentube, San Manuel Tribal Gaming Commission, Scientific Games, and Soft2Bet.
The 2026 Global Regulatory Awards presentation will celebrate the 10th annual GRA event and is set to take place on November 18th, returning to the historic Grand Connaught Rooms in Central London.
The official 2025 winners are as follows:
AML or MLR Professional of the Year
Eleni Panagiotopoulou, SOFTSWISS
Award for Commitment to Compliance by a Supplier
GeoComply
Award for Commitment to Compliance by an Operator
Tipico Games
Chief Compliance Officer of the Year
Corinne Valletta, Betsson Group
Compliance Innovator of the Year
Sharp Vision
Compliance Lifetime Achievement Special Award
Wes Himes
Compliance Professional of the Year
Bill Curtis, DraftKings
Compliance Rising Star Special Award
Medisha Moodley, Games Global
Compliance Team of the Year
Playtech
Head of Regulatory Affairs or Government Relations of the Year
Devon Dalbock, GLI
Legal Team of the Year
Kambi
Marketing Compliance Team of the Year
Catena Media
Outstanding Contribution to Safer Gambling
Casino Guru
Outstanding Contribution to Sports Betting Integrity
ALTENAR
Outstanding Individual Contribution to Safer Gambling
Dr. Michael Auer, Neccton
Payment Service or Solution Provider of the Year
Paysafe
RegTech Provider of the Year
Mindway AI
Regulatory Initiative of the Year
Gambling Regulatory Authority (URHH SK)
Regulatory Law Firm of the Year
Bird & Bird
Regulatory Lawyer or In-House Counsel of the Year
Behnam Dayanim, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Responsible Gambling Service or Solution Provider of the Year
BetBlocker
Testing Service or Solution Provider of the Year
BMM Innovation Group
The post Vixio Announces Winners for the 2025 Global Regulatory Awards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Rapidly expanding content provider puts you in the presence of royalty in Divine Queen: Heart of Ice
Popular iGaming content provider BGaming invites players to wrap up warm and explore an icy kingdom in Divine Queen: Heart of Ice. Watch the wins snowball in this Olympus-genre pay-anywhere game.
Divine Queen: Heart of Ice pulls inspiration from the iconic Bonanza gameplay mechanics, repackaging them in a winter retro style. The game’s cinematic visuals, combined with a mesmerising soundtrack, help immerse players in this frosty, beautiful world.
The Ice Queen herself also graces players with her presence. This stunning character stands to the right of the game grid, watching over the reels as they spin. She appears as the game’s Scatter symbol and is the key to the Free Spins bonus.
Her carefully curated design should appeal to European and US audiences, while the game’s winter theme makes it accessible year-round.
Players will find the Multiplier Reel on the right of the grid in Divine Queen: Heart of Ice. This starts at x1 and progresses by one with each winning cascade. The multiplier does not reset during the free spins bonus, helping the wins to pile up. Players can also use the Buy Bonus feature to enter the Free Spins round and gain instant access to the action.
The bonus features are not the only magic conjured up in Divine Queen: Heart of Ice. The slot serves up a tantalising maximum win of x5,000, and rounds out an impressive maths model with an attractive 97% RTP.
Ruslan Shakhlovich, Game Designer at BGaming, said, The game has been designed to be highly engaging, with progressive mechanics and a proven math model that will keep players returning. Divine Queen: Heart of Ice arrives just in time for the winter months, and we are confident it will do an excellent job of distracting players from the cold.”
The post Feel the Chill in BGaming’s Divine Queen: Heart of Ice appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Latest News3 months ago
Duels for Friends in Trophy Hunter. Invite your friends and create a shared space for fun and competition.
-
Latest News2 months ago
Announcement: 25th September 2025
-
Latest News3 months ago
Flamez – A Fiery New Online Casino Contender from Ganadu
-
Latest News2 months ago
GR8 Tech’s Bet It Drives Wraps Season 1 with Stephen Crystal—From Las Vegas Legends to Global Gaming Leadership
-
Latest News2 months ago
AI-Powered Gamification Arrives on Vegangster Platform via Smartico
-
Latest News2 months ago
The Countdown is On: Less Than 3 Months to Go Until The Games of The Future 2025 Kicks Off in Abu Dhabi
-
Latest News2 weeks ago
JioBLAST Launches All Stars vs India powered by Campa Energy: A New Era of Creator-Driven Esports Entertainment
-
Latest News2 months ago
Adidas Arena Set to Welcome the 2026 Six Invitational
You must be logged in to post a comment Login