Law and Regulations

Spelinspektionen, the Swedish gambling regulator, has cleared four operators from any wrongdoings following an investigation into the availability of bets on matches involving players under the age of 18. ATG, Betsson, Hillside Sports, the operating subsidiary of bet365, and Kindred Group-owned Spooniker all had cases cleared by Spelinspektionen after it …

Google has updated its gambling and games policy, authorizing advertising for sports betting services in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Montana, Iowa and Indiana. Search-giant also looks set to soften stance on casino advertising. These five states join New Jersey, Nevada and West Virginia who all permit sports betting via Google’s “limited …

Addressing national media, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has underlined confidence in delivering comprehensive regulatory frameworks, which will “remove gambling’s history from the streets”. In late September, Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers has approved the government’s new Action Program, which includes a draft law that would legalise gambling in the country. Zelensky …

Patrik Hofbauer, the president and CEO of state-owned sports betting operator Svenska Spel, has issued his support to Swedish government proposals that further clamps on selected sports betting markets as suggested by the Swedish Government. The proposals were discussed on Monday (October 14) during a meeting between Swedish Social Security …

Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has handed fines to LeoVegas and its Royal Panda brand for offering online games of chance in the Netherlands without a gaming license. The KSA emphasised that “online gambling is currently prohibited”, and subsequently handed Royal Panda a €400,000 while its parent company LeoVegas was …

Switzerland’s online gambling blacklist has added 16 new domains. Also, recent research found that number of frequent gamblers in Switzerland have declined again. Italian bet365’s dot.it site is among the latest additions to the Swiss blacklist, which was first published last month following implementation of the country’s Federal Act on …

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has imposed a fine of £322,000 (€357,588) on online gaming operator Petfre, owner of the Betfred brand, for money laundering failures. UKGC investigation was launched following information passed to the Commission regarding a customer that had been convicted of a £2m fraud, who it was …

Paschal Donohoe, the Finance Minister of Ireland, has confirmed that in 2020 bookmakers across the country are set to receive a €50,000 a year relief from the 2 per cent tax levied on betting in the Republic which is hoped will support the country’s independent bookmaking sector. Ireland’s gambling sector …

The gambling regulatory body in New Zealand is considering a ban on gambling online with credit cards. The aim of the ban would be to try to reduce losses and debt for individuals and to improve the fight against gambling addiction. The move comes ahead of major online casino Skycity …

The French government has introduced new gambling regulations ahead of the planned privatisation next month of state-owned gaming and lottery operator FDJ. Changes include the creation of a new national gambling authority, ‘L’autorité nationale des jeux’ (ANJ). ANJ will replace the current regulator, ‘L’autorité nationale de régulation des jeux en …

At least eight areas have revealed their interest in getting a chunk of the newly legalized gambling sector in Japan. The candidates will compete for permission to host one of the three integrated casino resorts in the country. Japan Tourism Agency’s survey has shown that Hokkaido, the city of Chiba, …

Intending to educate German gamblers about the importance of responsible gambling, the country’s Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) hosted a day dedicated to raising awareness of problem gambling. The Aktionstag Glucksspielsucht 2019 took place on Wednesday (25 September), and is expected to reoccur annually, on the final Wednesday every …

Athens-listed gambling group OPAP SA is facing disruption in its home market of Greece following the decision taken by the State Council to revoke the operator’s online sports betting licence. The decision comes after Austrian operator Goalbet successfully appealed the decision from the Hellenic Gaming Commission’s (EEEP). It argued that …

Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has directed the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to shut down Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) that fail or refuse to pay the tax liabilities of their foreign workers. Dominguez issued the order after discovering that POGOs had largely failed to pay workers’ income …

The Swedish Gaming Authority (Spelinspektionen) has written to payment service providers (PSPs) warning them not to do business with unlicensed gambling operators targeting the country’s regulated igaming market. In the letter, the regulator warned that facilitating payments to and from unlicensed operators puts Swedish consumers at risk by allowing them …

New York Senator Chuck Schumer and Utah Senator Mitt Romney are collaborating on a federal sports betting legislation. They are supported by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the collegiate sports body. According to media reports, the legislation would be similar to the Sports Wagering Market Integrity Act, which was …

bet-at-home, Betclic Everest Group-owned sports betting operator, has revealed that it expects to receive an €11.9m ($13.1m) bill from the Austrian tax authorities, relating to the activities of its Linz-based subsidiary. Austria is conducting a tax assessment on bet-at-home.com Entertainment through the Ministry of Finance. According to bet-at-home, auditors have …

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has suspended with immediate effect the online casino and betting operator license of EveryMatrix as part of a review of the company’s customer interaction framework. Throughout the commission’s review, EveryMatrix would not be able to provide B2C services, including offering real event betting or betting …

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has announced that he will not ban online gambling in the country despite strong pressure from China. Duterte announced it at a news conference upon his return from a five-day official visit to China, during which he met the country’s President Xi Jinping. “We decide to …

Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia, has ordered a complete shutdown of all online gambling activities in the country. The decision has sparked a massive exodus of Chinese workers. The 67-year-old Prime Minister used an official government statement to declare that his nation must not rely on such iGaming licensing …