About this app
How to play Silver Stake
The factor that led some operators to drop out of the licensing race could be the “uncertainty” created by regulations that “didn’t seem set in stone”, says Leckert.
“Some of them [investors] that were looking at Japan were looking at a big IR licence or nothing. With Tokyo and Yokohama being out of the mix, maybe some weren’t as interested anymore and decided to sit back, and wait and see how regulation and licensing shake out.”
One concern for operators is “the short duration of licences and renewal of licences”, notes Leckert. For operators, the casino business licence is renewable every three years, while the IR development-plan authorisation runs for 10 years, in contrast to the 18-year IR licence term in the Philippines, for instance.
What is Silver Stake?
Holland Casino calls this Next Zone, and as Petra elaborates: “It’s an innovation we made a few years ago to see how we can develop a casino product because I think in the industry, we are very well known for what we have, but how do you innovate?”
Like most operators, slots make up the bulk of Holland Casino’s income, but it’s worth remembering that Holland Casino has a monopoly on table games, poker and bingo. “I would say those are also our hero products that make us attractive because in the Netherlands we are the only one offering land based live table games,” says Petra.
“Maybe they’re not so dominant in the results, but it is dominant in our identity. But figures-wise, slots are bigger than table games.”
How to play Silver Stake
The crackdown on illegal gambling sites coincided with a broader policy debate in The Hague. The Dutch House of Representatives is set to discuss gambling regulation reforms this week.
Nederlandse Loterij has welcomed government proposals aimed at expanding the Gambling Authority’s powers to combat illegal operators but has cautioned that comprehensive legislative changes could take years to become effective.
Blok called for more decisive immediate action, saying: “The government must act now through criminal prosecutions by the Public Prosecution Service, alongside measures taken by regulators and licensed operators.
