Affiliate Announcements
Better Collective acquires Soccernews.nl and Voetbalwedden.net to gain leading position in the Dutch online sports betting market
The acquisitions
Global sports betting media group, Better Collective, today announces that it has acquired Soccernews.nl, one of the most visited Dutch online sports media, and Voetbalwedden.net, a well-established Dutch online sports betting community, in separate transactions for total upfront payments of 5.9 mEUR, with maximum deferred and earnout payments of 3.75mEUR.
The two acquisitions form a strategic move that will establish Better Collective with a leading position in the Dutch online sports betting market. It is expected that revenue in Better Collective Netherlands will exceed 3 mEUR in 2022, which will be the first full fiscal year in that market. As a new market, the Netherlands is expected to produce high growth for several years.
A new market for on-line gambling
The Dutch ‘Remote Gambling Act’ will come into effect on October 1, 2021, fully regulating online gambling, which until now has been operated as a state monopoly. With the act, iGaming operators will be given the opportunity to apply for a license to operate in the market and more than 20 operators are expected to be licensed by 2022. According to the international betting and gaming consultancy firm, H2 Gambling Capital, Dutch onshore iGaming is projected to increase from 22% of the country’s total iGaming in 2015 to 81% in 2024. As a result, the Dutch iGaming gross gaming revenue (GGR) for online casino and sports betting combined is expected to reach more than 800 mEUR in 2024, making it the fifth largest iGaming market in Europe.
Together, Soccernews.nl and Voetbalwedden.net attract more than 2.5M monthly visitors. The two media platforms will enable Better Collective to take advantage of the Dutch market opportunity from day one and be well positioned to gain from the expected arrival of larger international sports betting operators in the market in 2022.
Financial targets for 2021 remain unchanged
It is expected that the two acquisitions will have a positive impact on Better Collective’s revenue and earnings for 2021 and onwards. The financial impact in 2021 is however expected to be limited due to the time of incorporation and the time needed for the new Dutch market to establish itself. The financial targets for 2021, therefore, remain unchanged.
Better Collective Netherlands
Better Collective has recently incorporated Better Collective Netherlands B.V and the acquisitions add an experienced team to the Dutch business unit. To manage its Dutch operations, Better Collective has hired Joris Dekkers as Managing Director from August 1, 2021. Dekkers knows Better Collective’s business well as he has supported the company’s preparations for the market opening as an external consultant. He brings a strong background and close to ten years of experience from the iGaming industry, where he has worked on both the media and the operator side.
Jesper Søgaard, Co-Founder & CEO of Better Collective, says:
“We are excited about the regulatory opening of the Dutch iGaming market, welcoming licensed operators and laying the foundation for stronger player protection. The Dutch market has high potential and is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. To be able to capitalize on these opportunities, we are pleased to have added two strong Dutch brands to our portfolio and welcomed Joris Dekkers and a new team to Better Collective. These moves will help us establish a leading position in the Dutch sports betting media landscape.”
Affiliate Announcements
4ThePlayer and Slots Launch: Lifting Off to Greater Affiliate Engagement!
4ThePlayer is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Slots Launch. This collaboration will allow us to reach more affiliates and, in turn, even more players.
Slots Launch is a trusted and responsible platform for affiliates, providing 4ThePlayer with an excellent space to showcase our demo games to a broader audience.
Affiliates working with Slots Launch will have full access to our demo games, with 34 titles already available and more exciting titles to be added soon.
Henry McLean, Co-founder and Commercial & Marketing Director at 4ThePlayer, shared his excitement: “We’re thrilled to partner with Slots Launch to boost our content and drive more engagement with affiliates. It’s the perfect platform to help our games take off!”
By collaborating with 4ThePlayer, Slots Launch continues to provide affiliates with access to the best demo games on the market. Our innovative games enhance their platform, offering a fresh and engaging experience for players globally.
Affiliate Announcements
Stase Blitz: ‘For PIN-UP Partners, iGB L!VE is a trove of opportunities and sets the tone for the rest of the year’
PIN-UP Partners will be attending iGB LIVE 2024 with a mission to be at the vanguard of the affiliate sector and a pledge to set new trends as the industry prepares to bid farewell to Amsterdam ahead of iGB L!VE’s relocation to London in July 2025.
PIN-UP Partners will be using its iGB L!VE presence to build new partnerships and find affiliates as CMO Stase Blitz confirmed: “For PIN-UP Partners, iGB L!VE is a trove of opportunities, as the event brings together the best and the brightest of the iGaming industry. Every year, iGB L!VE delivers for the business, and our team leaves the event with hundreds of new contacts that have the potential to really propel our business forward.”
Looking ahead to what she believes the industry will experience at the show she noted: “We can expect to be part of what will be the biggest edition of iGB L!VE there has ever been which would be the best possible way to say a big thanks to Amsterdam in advance of the move to London in 2025.
“Like everyone in our field we are always looking to identify new affiliates and iGB L!VE provides us with the perfect platform to do exactly that. For our part we will be using our presence on booth 11-D50 to launch amazing terms for our offers alongside some catwalk-worthy merch!”
She added: “One of our goals is to build a strong community: harnessing the power of people who are the greatest influence on any industry – but in particular ours! At iGB L!VE we are planning to host a grand event where we can gather our friends and partners for networking and so much more, so don’t forget to stop by our booth!
“The PIN-UP Partners team is delighted to be a part of the iGaming industry’s greatest event.”
Affiliate Announcements
3 New Websites Approved by QMRA
QMRA was launched as a quality mark for iGaming affiliates at the beginning of February.
QMRA is the international follow up of KVA (https://kva.nl/), a successful Dutch iGaming Quality Mark (over 85 Dutch member websites, 10 connected operators among which bet365, LeoVegas, 711, tombola and more).
QMRA is available for the following markets:
Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, USA Michigan, UK, Poland and Estonia
Various well known international affiliate companies joined QMRA already:
- Game Lounge, Gaming Innovation Group and Leadstar Media
Now, Applied Digital Media is part of our initiative as well: Casino.dk, OnlineCasino.be and OnlinePoker.se have been found compliant.
The above websites have been checked by our compliance team, following the applicable law (relevant for affiliates) in the respective jurisdictions. All websites received a report on how they comply with our QMRA codes:
https://qmra.eu/active-markets/belgium/, https://qmra.eu/active-markets/sweden/, https://qmra.eu/active-markets/denmark/
We expect to add more members in the coming weeks and invite anyone, active within one of the QMRA jurisdictions, to join us!