Online lottery broker Zeal Network SE announced today that its operation in Germany has expanded into iGaming following the launch of online games on the company’s websites.
Expanding Business Model, Revenue Base
The introduction of online games on the LOTTO24 and Tipp24 websites operated by ZEAL’s subsidiary, LOTTO24 AG, offers the German-based provider of lottery games an opportunity to expand its business model beyond a brokerage of lottery tickets and increase its revenue base. ZEAL acquired LOTTO24 AG in 2019.
Helmut Becker, chief executive officer of ZEAL, commented on the entry of the new market segment, pointing out that the German license that was acquired recently by ZEAL provides the business with an opportunity “to create entirely new gaming experiences” and reap the benefits of its investments in the business.
“ZEAL’s clear focus remains online lottery brokerage,” Becker said, explaining that the new launch into the iGaming segment gives the business “another product area that should quickly gain weight.”
ZEAL obtained a license to operate online games from the new federal gaming regulator in Germany, the Joint Authority of the Federal States (GGL), in April, and following its launch now, online players can benefit from the company’s international experience with online games and proven security standards.
Third-Party Games Provider
For a while, ZEAL’s portfolio of online games has been available via another of its subsidiaries, ZEAL Instant Games, to third parties such as LOTTO Hessen in Germany and Park Avenue Gaming in the US, and ZEAL is now planning to continue building its portfolio by reaching 200 games by the end of the year.
Besides seeing its attractive range of games helping the legal gaming market to channel German customers, ZEAL sees itself as a pioneer in player protection and addiction prevention, harnessing the power of some of the latest achievements in technology and artificial intelligence (AI).
“We are aware of the risk for players of addiction,” commented ZEAL Instant Games’ managing director, Julian Tietz, outlining that the company’s objective is “to offer the highest standard of legal and safe gambling and nothing else; whether in lotteries or online games.”
To achieve this goal, ZEAL goes “beyond regulatory requirements in online games [to] work with innovative AI applications, among other things, to maximize security” for its players, Tietz explained.
Founded in 1999 in Germany under the name Tipp24, ZEAL began operations as a national lottery broker. In 2014, the company changed its name to Zeal Network SE.
Currently, ZEAL’s products include LOTTO 6aus49, Spiel 77, Super 6, Eurojackpot, GlücksSpirale, lottery clubs, Keno, the Deutsche Fernsehlotterie, Scratch Games, the Deutsche Traumhauslotterie and freiheit+.