Dutch lottery brands Staatsloterij and Sichting Nationale Sporttotlisator (SNS), owner of De Lotto, are set to go ahead with a proposed merger after securing approval from the country’s Authority for Consumer and Market (ACM).
The approval comes following a lengthy investigation by the ACM, during which it considered the various services offer by the operators and the impact that the merger could have on consumers in the country.
Chris Fonteijn, chief executive of the ACM, said the organisation concluded that the move would only have a “limited” impact on the country’s gambling market.
“It appears that the Staatsloterij and De Lotto in practice and in competition, including through the strict regulation around gambling,” Fonteijn said.
“Our research shows that this merger has only a limited effect on the gaming market.”
The news comes after the two operators in October were granted approval by the country’s Council of Ministers to proceed with the merger.
Both operators have announced plans to make cost savings due to a decline in ticket sales, with a number of strategies rolled out this year.
While SNS focuses on its De Lotto single lottery service, Staatsloterij operates the Dutch State Lotto and the Nederlands Sports TOTO products.
source : www.igamingbusiness.com
