Surf Zone

About Surf Zone

On Tuesday, the CCT held a public hearing to discuss the project. Government and betting sector representatives participated in the debate and presented divergent positions on the proposed measures.

The approved text includes a series of restrictions on advertising for online betting and gambling:

Advertising prohibited: Direct or indirect marketing communication regarding betting on radio and television, newspapers, magazines, outdoor media, streaming services, podcasts, social networks, video platforms, apps, websites, blogs, forums, search engines and other internet environments is prohibited.

About Surf Zone

The Netherlands online gambling market has been the subject of many column inches and much speculation thanks to regulation that has been largely described as heavy-handed and perhaps a little short-sighted – even by the country’s own regulator.

The triumvirate of Netherlands, Germany and Sweden is often held up as an example of how not to regulate, with all three countries haemorrhaging players to waiting illegal operators. So what is public sentiment like towards operators? “My feeling is that if you look at public sentiment, they don’t see really the difference between online and land-based,” says Petra. “If you look into what they’re saying, they’re primarily talking online. But for the general public, there is no difference [between the channels] in that respect.”

She believes the sentiment towards gambling among the Dutch public is comparable to the UK, Finland, Germany, France. “So, very tense,” she says.

What is Surf Zone?

In his new role, Konstakis will be responsible not only for OpenBet’s strategy, but also for its day-to-day business, growth initiatives, and tech priorities. At the same time, he will be tasked with “raising the bar” in how OpenBet serves its clients.

OpenBet emphasized that this change comes at a strong moment for the company and follows its incredibly successful delivery for customers through the World Cup. Throughout the tournament, OpenBet processed 175 million bets totaling $3 billion.

CEO Levin, who is set to transition to a chair role, commented on the shift, saying that he was very confident that Konstakis has what it takes to be CEO and drive OpenBet to new heights.