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Finnish Minister Says State Should Treat Gambling Monopoly Revenues like Alcohol Profits
Antti Kurvinen, Finland’s minister of science and culture, has proposed that revenues from the state-owned gambling monopoly, Veikkaus, be transferred to the state budget.
On Saturday Kurvinen said that the betting agency’s income is declining, and without a change so will the income of charities and other groups that benefit from its profits. Veikkaus revenues are distributed to organisations in the fields of culture, sports, science, and youth work as well as social welfare and health.
Kurvinen proposed making the change from the beginning of 2024.
“My view is that from the beginning of 2024, Veikkaus’ income should be transferred to the state budget in the same way as, for example, Alko transfers its own dividends and income to the state budget, from which they are used for good purposes,” Kurvinen said.
Kurvinen said that he has reached the same position on the matter as a working group chaired by former Bank of Finland Governor Erkki Liikanen, which last spring proposed a comprehensive reform to divert gambling revenues to general government revenue and transfer current beneficiaries to the budget framework procedure.
The need for reform is due to Veikkaus’ declining income. This is due to a drop in slot machine revenues because of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as measures taken to tackle gambling addiction.
“Without a clear change and reform, we will find ourselves in a situation where the income of Veikkaus’ beneficiaries is constantly falling. This is about the income of Finnish science, culture, youth organisations and especially sports and exercise,” Kurvinen said.
According to Kurvinen, the distribution of Veikkaus revenues through the budget would bring predictability to cash flows, which is essential for beneficiaries.
“Recent years have shown that we are in a strange situation here: the success of a Finnish gaming company determines what kind of resources there are, for example, for top Finnish sports and youth sports or for high-level Finnish research. This creates a strange, uncertain situation,” Kurvinen said.
The problem with the new way of distributing Veikkaus, revenues has been that it would make the funding of beneficiaries dependent on political decision-making.
Kurvinen does not deny that the change would increase the role of political decision-making, but said he considers that a lesser evil than the uncertainty and funding cuts that lie ahead if no reforms are made.
“In the long run, however, it would be clearer and less problematic to make political value decisions than for the success of Veikkaus’ business to be the determining factor in how many opportunities there are for young researchers in Finland or how much art is funded in Finland,” Kurvinen said.
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PAGCOR net income up 49% to Php14.32B in first nine months of 2025
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The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) today announced that its net income in the first three quarters of the year has reached Php14.32 billion, a 49% increase from the Php9.63 billion in the same period last year.
Total revenues from January to September was at Php84.09 billion, rising 5.87% year-on-year from Php79.43 billion. Gaming operations accounted for Php75.93 billion of the total revenues while other related services and other income contributed Php8.16 billion.
PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco said the strong revenue performance highlights the positive impact of the agency’s governance and modernization initiatives.
“Our financial performance is a clear reflection of PAGCOR’s renewed focus on governance, digital transformation, as well as sustainable and responsible gaming,” Mr. Tengco said.
The agency’s total contributions to nation-building (CNB) likewise rose 11% to Php54.26 billion from Php48.88 billion during the period in review.
Out of the total CNB, two-thirds or Php36.06 billion went to the National Government as mandated by Presidential Decree 1869. This share, which accounts for 50% of PAGCOR’s gaming revenues minus 5% franchise tax, also covers allocations for the Dangerous Drugs Board and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
PAGCOR also paid Php3.79 billion in franchise taxes and Php609.87 million in corporate income taxes to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
The agency likewise allocated Php11 billion for its socio-civic projects, including remittances to the President’s Social Fund.
The Philippine Sports Commission received its mandated 5% share worth Php1.80 billion, an 8.66% increase from the same period last year, while athletes and coaches who won in international sports competitions received Php26.54 million under the Sports Incentives and Benefits Act.
Other mandated PAGCOR beneficiaries include the Board of Claims, which received Php142.42 million, and the Renewable Energy Trust Fund which got Php201.47 million.
Cities hosting Casino Filipino branches also received a total of Php508.20 million in revenue shares.
Mr. Tengco said PAGCOR remains committed to aligning its growth with public service goals.
“Every peso that PAGCOR earns goes back to the people through classrooms, health facilities, disaster response programs, and other community projects,” he said. “Our focus is to sustain this momentum while ensuring that the gaming industry continues to operate responsibly and contribute to national development.”
The post PAGCOR net income up 49% to Php14.32B in first nine months of 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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QGBet partners with Aviatrix via InPlaySoft integration
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Award-winning crash game Aviatrix has continued its rapid expansion in Brazil by launching with QGBet, one of the market’s most dynamic operators.
The new partnership will bring Aviatrix’s award-winning crash gaming experience to QGBet’s players for the first time.
A key component of this launch is the seamless integration via platform provider InPlaySoft, a collaboration which has become a cornerstone of the game’s ongoing growth in Brazil, enabling operators like QGBet to onboard cutting-edge crash content with minimal time-to-market.
Matheus Cota, COO at QGBet, said: “We’re thrilled to add Aviatrix to our portfolio. It’s a product that sets a new standard in the crash category and offers exactly the kind of engaging, customisable experience our players are looking for. Working with InPlaySoft made the integration process seamless from start to finish.”
Anastasia Rimskaya, Chief Account Officer at Aviatrix, said: “Partnering with QGBet represents another exciting step forward for Aviatrix in Brazil. Thanks to our close collaboration with InPlaySoft, we’re able to deliver premium crash content quickly and efficiently, helping operators like QGBet enhance their offering and stand out in a competitive market.”
Aviatrix has rapidly established itself as one of the most in-demand crash titles in Brazil since receiving full certification to supply the regulated market earlier this year.
To find out more about adding Aviatrix to your regulated online casino in Brazil or elsewhere, please visit: aviatrix.bet/
The post QGBet partners with Aviatrix via InPlaySoft integration appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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BITKRAFT Report: India’s Gaming and Interactive Media Market Set to Triple by FY2030 to almost $8 Billion
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BITKRAFT Ventures, a leading global investment platform for gaming and interactive entertainment, today announced the release of a report powered by Redseer Strategy Consultants, forecasting high growth in India’s gaming and interactive media sector, despite the ban on real money gaming.
The study reveals that the segment, already a key engine in India’s digital media & entertainment space, is projected to triple in size, reaching $7.7 Billion by FY2030
The report, “The Gaming and Interactive Media Opportunity in India,” highlights that these segments are growing approximately 1.5 times faster than the overall digital media and entertainment market, fueled by India’s massive, young user base, nano-transactions, high smartphone engagement, and shifting consumer behavior toward interactive and personalized content.
Key Market Projections: A Structural Shift Towards Casual and Interactive Content
The analysis underscores a pivotal moment for the Indian digital ecosystem, driven by regulatory changes that have cleared the path for mainstream casual gaming and esports:
Gaming Market Resilience: Despite regulatory intervention concerning online money gaming (RMG), the digital gaming sector is set to thrive. This market alone is projected to nearly double, reaching approximately $4.5 Billion by FY2030 and esports is expected to triple at $120 million by 2030.
- Hybrid Casual, the new format with similar Mid-core game-like progression and deeper meta systems is emerging as a key segment
- The Battle Royale genre continues to enable most monetisation.
- While the market is nearly equally split between ads and IAPs (In-App Purchases), the balance is expected to heavily tip towards IAPs in the next 5 years with ~6X growth.
Interactive Media Surge: Disruptor segments within interactive media are poised for exponential growth, expanding from an estimated $440 Million in FY2025 to $3.2 Billion by FY2030. Fastest-growing sectors include:
- Astro & Devotional Tech: Projected to grow 8x to $1.3 Billion by FY2030, digitizing a massive offline market through 1:1 consultations.
- Micro Drama: A nascent but high-potential segment mirroring successful models in China, expected to reach $1.1 Billion by FY2030 by capitalizing on short, serialized mobile-first video content.
- Audio Streaming: Expected to quadruple to $300 Million by FY2030, driven by high user engagement and localized content strategies.
The India Opportunity: Vernacularization and Social Connection
The report emphasizes that growth is increasingly driven by the ‘Bharat’ audience (Tier 2+ segments), who seek vernacular content, social identity through gaming communities, and new avenues for social connection. AI is also emerging as a key enabler, significantly lowering content creation costs and accelerating local game development.
Jens Hilgers, Founding General Partner at BITKRAFT Ventures: “India represents perhaps the most compelling greenfield opportunity globally. The confluence of a digitally native youth demographic, established mobile infrastructure, and massive scale is creating what we believe to be a hyper-growth environment. In our view, this is an inflection point, positioning India as a true global powerhouse for interactive entertainment.”
Anuj Tandon, Partner, India & UAE at BITKRAFT Ventures: “It’s exciting to see India’s gaming sector entering a phase of durable growth, with local developers creating innovative and monetizable experiences that are beginning to resonate globally. We’re witnessing strong momentum across casual and hybrid-core titles, fueled by rising player engagement, new IP creation, and increasingly accessible payment ecosystems. Together, these factors are helping define the next chapter of India’s gaming and interactive media industry.”
The post BITKRAFT Report: India’s Gaming and Interactive Media Market Set to Triple by FY2030 to almost $8 Billion appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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