Lucky Bells

What is Lucky Bells?

Thanks to the “rapid growth of crypto currencies” and globally recognisable branding through marketing and sponsorships, this handful of operators are generating the majority of illegal gambling traffic across Europe.

The report also cites brands targeting a specifically banned vertical or product within a jurisdiction as driving black market activity. While markets across Europe have many examples, one such flagged in the report is that iGaming remains illegal for licensed operators in France.

“The largest black market operators have scaled to create recognisable brands with traffic that can compare to domestically licensed operators,” the report’s authors wrote. “The top group of sites by common owner has a 12% share of traffic, while the largest single brand has 10%.”

What is Lucky Bells?

With the addition of OmniLogic, the supplier expects to “add proven technology, specialist expertise and established customer partnerships that complement our existing capabilities and strengthen our global business”. 

OpenBet describes OmniLogic as “the partner of choice for lotteries worldwide”.

Nikos Konstakis (pictured above), president of OpenBet, described the acquisition as “a natural extension” of the company’s ongoing strategy to serve operators in the most regulated and demanding markets. 

What is Lucky Bells?

In addition to illegal gambling, investigators suspect extensive tax evasion, with a projected tax shortfall of about €77.6 million for 2024.

The DSWV, representing licensed sports-betting operators, broadly welcomed the law enforcement action as a necessary response to the illegal market’s growth and associated risks. 

“This successful investigation clearly demonstrates the scale that the illegal gambling market has now reached,” said Mathias Dahms, president of the DSWV.