Phoenix

How to play Phoenix

From July 2027, the company will lose exclusivity over betting and iCasino products, which will become licence-based, while retaining exclusive rights for lottery games, scratchcards, slot machines and physical table games. 

The company has committed to paying market-based compensation for exclusive operations, estimated at around €1 billion for a 10-year licence period, with a significant front-loaded payment scheduled for 2026.

In further preparations for the competitive market, Veikkaus this week joined the market’s trade body, the Finnish Gambling Association, which has long lobbied for market liberalisation.

What is Phoenix?

For poker collusion and bot use, recommended contractual provisions allow operators to redistribute illegitimate winnings to affected players. The guide noted that courts have validated such actions when supported by robust data.

The ANJ has called for operators to provide proof rather than act on suspicion alone. The guide outlined the types of evidence and “converging indicators” (faisceaux d’indices) that French courts have accepted in previous litigations, including IP addresses, device logs and connection timings.

Operators were encouraged to take several practical steps, including enhancing terms and conditions, maintaining robust evidence and uptaking technical standards.

What is Phoenix?

For now, the growth provides room for multiple market makers. Marantelli expects margins to “stay good during the growth period” before contracting as competition intensifies. The more complex RFQ and parlay markets may offer the best protection against that compression.

The result is an emerging ecosystem that looks less like millions of customers casually trading predictions with one another and more like an outsourced sportsbook trading room. Exchanges own the platform and recruit the customers; specialist firms price the risk and provide the money needed to make those markets function.

As Marantelli says: “Let’s call a spade a spade.”