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A deal has been finalized between Tom Horne Gaming and the online Estonian gaming platform SuperCasino. Tom Horne Gaming is an igaming content provider. They have been providing powerful casino and slot software in the Baltic region since they first tied up with Betsson Group in Lithuania in 2016 at the latter’s Betsafe Casino. The partnership continued to Bettson’s Latvian operation. This is their first Estonian deal
New online gambling options for Estonian citizens. ©Angelo Giordano from Pixabay
Distinctive Casino Content
Tom Horn Gaming describes itself as an omnichannel software provider that offers an extensive portfolio of casino games that can be played across mobile, desktop, and terminal. They are licensed in Malta and the UK. Their video slots feature high definition, engaging gameplay and titles include PenWins and Frutopia.
Their remote game server solutions mean that platform providers can integrate the entire portfolio onto their platform. Gameplay is localized in terms of currency and language. They offer both land-based and mobile solutions.
SuperCasino launched in 2020
Estonia’s SuperCasino brand, SuperCasino.ee, has been around since 2020. SuperCasino is part of the Betsson group and offers Sportsbook and Live Casino betting as well as over 500 video slot games. It is what is known as a Pay and Play Casino.
This means that players can play instantly without having to create an account or go through a verification process. They simply register by linking up to their bank account. When they launched, they said that they would be adding exciting new providers in the future and this latest partnership with Tom Horn is part of this overall strategy.
h2>Relatively small markets are important
Estonia may only have a population of 1.13 million people, but it has a distinct character and has a proud cultural heritage. The vast majority of the population speak Estonian which is closely related to Finnish. Gambling was prohibited here when it was subsumed by the USSR but despite prohibition was always a popular pastime. At launchBettson Group’s Commercial Director, Kaido Ulejev, said
“We understood that even in a relatively small market such as Estonia, our consumers form part of different segments. These segments are unique, and we needed to launch a new brand in order to address a different segment group. The idea behind SuperCasino is to provide simple, accessible entertainment in the best way possible”
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243 Crystal Fruits, Spacejammers or Wolf Sierra
Regarding the latest development, Ulejev says that he believes the partnership will be mutually beneficial, for both parties. Ondrej Lapides, CEO at Tom Horn Gaming is quoted as saying,
“Since its launch in 2020, SuperCasino has been providing the finest gaming experience to different player segments in the country. We’re positive that our local know-how, coupled with unique and localized content and SuperCasino’s forward-looking vision of casino entertainment will create new value to Estonian players. We’re incredibly pleased to have partnered with SuperCasino as we continue our mission to delight players and reinvent casino entertainment for a new age of gaming.”
Continued European expansion
This partnership comes close on the heels of an announcement by Tom Horn earlier in the year regarding its online debut in the Czech Republic. It had already laid down its foundations in the country when it supplied its VLT product lines to the country’s land-based casinos. Tom Horn localizes their products and games to the particular region or territory that the casino is operating in. This ensures that the experience is relevant to the individual market and is not a homogenized offering.
Last year the software provider partnered up with Romanian casino Maxbet. They now have a firm foothold in many of the regulated European markets including Malta , UK, Portugal, Sweden, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, and Serbia as well as the aforementioned Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Czech Republic, and Romania.
Online Gambling Act 2008
Estonia is a relative newcomer to the world of regulated gambling as it was a banned activity under USSR laws. While gambling in Estonia was first legalized shortly after independence it was the 2008 Gambling Act that provided the legal basis and regulation of the online gambling industry which was developing rapidly in the country.
Before this act came into power the two main pieces of legislation that were being used had proved insufficient. The Gambling Act of 1995 and The Lotteries Act of 1994 had not taken account of the rapid developments that technology would bring to online gambling and for a while, many services remained unregulated.
Successful regulation
In 2010 online gambling became legal in Estonia. After the 2008 – 9 world economic crash, Estonia’s economy was struggling. Online gambling was seen as a way of generating revenues and boosting the country’s coffers.
Initially, only local sites were allowed to provide online services. Then in 2011, Estonia’s gambling market was opened up to offshore operators on the condition that they would obtain licenses from the Estonian authorities. This led to the legalization of the market and the blocking of unlicensed gambling sites that were targeting Estonian citizens.
Creating possibilities
The partnership between Horn and Bettson has come about due to the progressive attitudes of legislators in Estonia towards gambling. The country was quick to see the opportunities that regulation would present. Under the Gambling Tax Act, a fixed percentage of the revenue goes to the Cultural Endowment Department of Estonia. Currently, 47.8% of the department’s expenditure is financed by Gambling Taxes raised.
In 2021 Ministers in Tallin set about changing the way the proceeds of gambling could be used. While the funding to the department remains the same, the stated aim of the law is to allow more flexibility for using Gambling Tax Revenues.
