Gaming at BetMGM

According to owner MGM Resorts, this move is part of BetMGM's ongoing goal for expanding internationally.

Launched in the UK last year, this is the second European launch using LeoVegas Group's patented technology and infrastructure. In 2022, MGM Resorts paid $604 million to acquire LeoVegas.

The new BetMGM service in the Netherlands will reportedly have all the same great features as the one in the UK, including regular jackpots and loyalty benefits, among many others. Exclusive slot machines and fresh sports incentives are also available to players.

Newest BetMGM international expansion by MGM Resorts
President Gary Fritz of MGM Resorts International Interactive views the move as crucial to the company's global expansion.

We are ecstatic to continue BetMGM's phenomenal growth in international markets with its launch in the Netherlands. Exciting opportunities exist in the Dutch market. In our pursuit of becoming the preeminent gaming company in the world, it will play a significant role in our worldwide expansion plans.

The BetMGM Netherlands sportsbook will be powered by Kambi, as the company has also announced. The arrangement with LeoVegas dates all the way back to 2016, and this is the outcome of that agreement. In June of last year, the two entities reaffirmed their most recent partnership.

Following the acquisition of LeoVegas in 2022, MGM is expanding its interactive capabilities and planning a 2023 launch in the United Kingdom.

It also bought out Push Gaming, a game developer and aggregator, in May of 2023. An in-house slot studio was added to its portfolio as part of the deal. According to LeoVegas CEO Gustaf Hagman's statement to iGB, the move is in line with the company's objective of controlling "a large part of the value chain in this industry."

While speaking about the launch in the Netherlands, Gustaf Hagman also mentioned that their launch in the UK was incredibly successful. We can't wait to offer the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas to the Dutch people. We have a lot more planned for our worldwide expansion, but this launch in the Dutch market is a big deal.

Would the Netherlands follow suit with BetMGM's UK launch?
There is a lot of room for growth in the Dutch market. An overview of the Dutch market was provided by the recently issued Spring 2024 online gaming report by the Netherlands regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).

Euros 1.39 billion (£1.19 billion/€1.49 billion) were earned from gaming in 2023. From €1.08bn in 2022, this was a 28% rise.

In 2023, there was a notable increase in the overall number of player accounts. About 1.1 million accounts are currently active in the kingdom, according to the KSA. About 726,000 players are actively engaging with legitimate providers, according to the report.

It was earlier this year that BetMGM's UK director, Sam Behar, discussed the company's early achievements in Europe in an interview. Undoubtedly, the business will seek to repeat this.

With deep roots in Sin City and the enduring success of the MGM Grand and the Bellagio, BetMGM boasts an incredibly recognisable brand in the United States.

"Considering how we entered the UK, it's been an unbelievable first five months," Behar stated in January 2024. Our singular goal was to achieve success, and we've unquestionably had a significant impact, which is outstanding. We've introduced the Las Vegas experience to the UK, and it's safe to say that the punters are really enjoying it.

The entrance of BetMGM into the UK was heralded by an extravagant advertisement, which featured comedian Chris Rock beside a lion atop a golden speedboat cruising the River Thames.

Netherlands crisis on the rise
However, advertising campaigns in the Netherlands will most certainly provide BetMGM with a bigger hurdle.

The advertisement of gambling was recently outlawed by a majority in parliament. The ban on untargeted advertising in the Netherlands will take effect on July 1, 2023, and this follows suit. Therefore, it was illegal to run commercials on multiple channels at once, including radio, television, billboards, and newspapers. The prohibition also applies to sports sponsorships.

Even though BetMGM has already secured sponsorship arrangements with Premier League clubs such as Manchester City, Wolves, Brighton, Aston Villa, and Newcastle—and launched with a strong emphasis on sponsorship—the Dutch market is sure to present higher competition.

Even more perilous than earlier this month's vote to outlaw all types of advertising is a larger initiative by the Dutch house of representatives. A total prohibition of slot machines and other games of chance was also approved in the 16 April ballot. Legislator Derk Boswijk proposed the measure.

Even while there is support for such a restriction in the House of Representatives, getting it codified into law will require a separate case. Franc Weerwind, the Dutch minister of justice, will now take over. The law will need to be reviewed and approved by him.

The NOGA, which stands for the Netherlands Online Gambling Association, has responded to the vote by drawing attention to the dangers posed by the underground market.

The actions were described by NOGA as "thoughtless and irresponsible," and the organisation warned Weerwind against making decisions that could not be changed thereafter. "The house is trying to force a decision based on wrong figures, assumptions and unrealistic fears," stated NOGA director Peter-Paul de Goeij.

Ninety percent of Dutch gamers, according to NOGA's calculations, wager with legitimate suppliers. But the group is worried that people would turn to the black market again because of the new restrictions.