Regulation

Licensing updates, compliance requirements, regulatory changes, and enforcement actions worldwide.

151 articles

Germany Is Losing to the Black Market. Can Austria Avoid the Same Mistake?
RegulationTrending

Germany Is Losing to the Black Market. Can Austria Avoid the Same Mistake?

Germany's regulated iGaming market is structurally failing to compete with offshore alternatives — not because players prefer illegal operators, but because they prefer the product. Austria is now approaching a historic multi-licence reform that could either repeat Germany's errors or define a new standard for DACH regulation.

Alex Bilyi·
41
Dutch KSA Fines 711 B.V. €886K for Duty of Care Failures and Warns TOTO Over Role Model Advertising Violation
RegulationTrending

Dutch KSA Fines 711 B.V. €886K for Duty of Care Failures and Warns TOTO Over Role Model Advertising Violation

The Dutch gambling regulator KSA has issued an €886,000 fine to 711 B.V. for failing to meet duty of care player protection obligations, while issuing a formal warning to Nederlandse Loterij's TOTO platform for breaching advertising restrictions on using role models — dual enforcement actions that sharpen compliance expectations across the Dutch market.

Alex Bilyi·
24
CFTC Publishes First Prediction Markets Rulemaking Proposal, Establishing Federal Licensing and Contract Review Framework
RegulationTrending

CFTC Publishes First Prediction Markets Rulemaking Proposal, Establishing Federal Licensing and Contract Review Framework

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has published its inaugural prediction market rulemaking proposal — covering operator licensing requirements, contract review processes, and surveillance obligations — the first comprehensive federal framework for a sector that has operated in regulatory ambiguity since its inception.

James Whitfield·
24
Nigeria's States Navigate Fragmented Gambling Regulation as 2024 Supreme Court Ruling Meets Religious and Cultural Divisions
Regulation

Nigeria's States Navigate Fragmented Gambling Regulation as 2024 Supreme Court Ruling Meets Religious and Cultural Divisions

Following a landmark 2024 Supreme Court ruling, Nigerian states are pursuing divergent gambling regulatory frameworks — with northern states maintaining restrictive frameworks grounded in Islamic law principles while southern states move to formalise licensing regimes — creating a complex patchwork market for international operators.

Marcus De Luca·
22
Federal Court Dismisses Most Claims in MGM National Harbor High-Heels Lawsuit — One Disability Promotion Claim Survives to Trial
Regulation

Federal Court Dismisses Most Claims in MGM National Harbor High-Heels Lawsuit — One Disability Promotion Claim Survives to Trial

A federal judge dismissed most claims in a discrimination lawsuit brought by a former MGM National Harbor cocktail server over the casino's mandatory high-heel dress code, validating the policy as legally permissible — but allowed a disability-related promotion claim to proceed, signalling that courts will continue scrutinising how accommodation needs are handled in advancement decisions.

Illia Lisovskyy·
21
Illinois SB 1705 Advances: Criminal Felony Classification for Sweepstakes Casinos Moves Forward as 97% of Operators Ignore Civil Cease-and-Desist Orders
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Illinois SB 1705 Advances: Criminal Felony Classification for Sweepstakes Casinos Moves Forward as 97% of Operators Ignore Civil Cease-and-Desist Orders

Illinois Senate Bill 1705 — which would make operating a sweepstakes casino for Illinois residents a Class 4 felony carrying up to three years imprisonment — is advancing through the legislature after civil cease-and-desist orders achieved only 3% compliance from 65 targeted operators, with Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Pulsz still serving Illinois players.

Illia Lisovskyy·
47
CFTC Secures Federal Injunction Against Arizona, Establishing First Court Win in Prediction Markets Preemption Fight — Five States Now Facing Federal Lawsuits
RegulationTrending

CFTC Secures Federal Injunction Against Arizona, Establishing First Court Win in Prediction Markets Preemption Fight — Five States Now Facing Federal Lawsuits

A US District Court in Arizona granted the CFTC a preliminary injunction blocking Arizona from enforcing gambling laws against prediction markets — the commission's first court victory in its five-state legal campaign to establish federal exclusive jurisdiction over Kalshi, Polymarket, and Robinhood's event contract products.

James Whitfield·
119
SAFE Bet Act Gains Senate Momentum: Federal Minimum Standards for Sports Betting Would Cover Advertising, Deposit Caps, AI Marketing, and Prop Bet Restrictions
RegulationTrending

SAFE Bet Act Gains Senate Momentum: Federal Minimum Standards for Sports Betting Would Cover Advertising, Deposit Caps, AI Marketing, and Prop Bet Restrictions

The SAFE Bet Act — which would ban gambling ads during live sports broadcasts, cap deposits, require affordability checks, and prohibit AI-driven personalised betting products — received its highest-profile Senate hearing platform yet on May 20, with bipartisan support suggesting federal minimum standards for US sports betting are moving from proposal to credible near-term legislation.

Illia Lisovskyy·
83
US Senate Commerce Hearing Grills Sportsbook and Prediction Market Officials on Integrity, Youth Exposure, and Whether Federal Oversight Is Inevitable
RegulationTrending

US Senate Commerce Hearing Grills Sportsbook and Prediction Market Officials on Integrity, Youth Exposure, and Whether Federal Oversight Is Inevitable

The US Senate Commerce Subcommittee convened its most pointed hearing yet on sports betting and prediction markets on May 20, with bipartisan senators questioning executives from both industries on integrity failures, AI marketing, and youth exposure — signalling that federal oversight of gambling is moving from a fringe position to a mainstream legislative agenda.

James Whitfield·
98
Stake.us Exits Illinois on May 19 as Only 3% of 65 Sweepstakes Operators Comply With Illinois Gaming Board Cease-and-Desist Orders
RegulationTrending

Stake.us Exits Illinois on May 19 as Only 3% of 65 Sweepstakes Operators Comply With Illinois Gaming Board Cease-and-Desist Orders

The Illinois Gaming Board's February crackdown on 65 sweepstakes casino operators achieved only 3% compliance by mid-May, with Stake.us becoming the most notable exit after blocking Illinois players on May 19 — while Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, Pulsz, and Fliff continue to operate in defiance of cease-and-desist orders.

Illia Lisovskyy·
71
Brazil Federal Police Launch Dedicated Sports Integrity Task Force — Centralising All Match-Fixing and Betting Crime Investigations
Regulation

Brazil Federal Police Launch Dedicated Sports Integrity Task Force — Centralising All Match-Fixing and Betting Crime Investigations

Brazil's Federal Police established a dedicated sports integrity and betting crime task force on May 12, centralising match-fixing investigations under one specialised unit — signalling that Brazil is treating betting-related corruption as organised crime and creating the enforcement infrastructure that will define compliance expectations for all 78 licensed operators in the market.

James Whitfield·
28
UKGC Sets Q3 2026 Deadline for Stage 1 Affordability Check Compliance — Every Licensed UK Operator Must Run Frictionless Credit Checks by September
RegulationTrending

UKGC Sets Q3 2026 Deadline for Stage 1 Affordability Check Compliance — Every Licensed UK Operator Must Run Frictionless Credit Checks by September

The UKGC has confirmed a Q3 2026 hard deadline for Stage 1 affordability check compliance — frictionless credit-reference checks at defined deposit thresholds — with Stage 2 enhanced checks following in Q1 2027, and gross deposit limits under new Remote Technical Standards creating structural constraints on high-frequency player revenue for every UK-licensed remote operator.

Illia Lisovskyy·
43
Pragmatic Play Exits All US Sweepstakes Casinos as Evolution Pulls Games from Stake.us — California AB 831 Triggers Supply Chain Collapse in Unregulated Sector
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Pragmatic Play Exits All US Sweepstakes Casinos as Evolution Pulls Games from Stake.us — California AB 831 Triggers Supply Chain Collapse in Unregulated Sector

Pragmatic Play's decision to pull games from all US sweepstakes casinos — triggered by the City of Los Angeles civil action against Stake.us and California's AB 831 criminal-penalty bill — removes the most distributed slot studio from the entire unregulated sector simultaneously, while Evolution's withdrawal of NetEnt, Red Tiger, Big Time Gaming, and NoLimit City from Stake.us marks the fastest supply chain implosion the sweepstakes vertical has seen.

James Whitfield·
97
Maine Becomes the 8th US State to Legalise Online Casino as Tribal Nations Ink Deals with Caesars Digital and DraftKings
RegulationTrending

Maine Becomes the 8th US State to Legalise Online Casino as Tribal Nations Ink Deals with Caesars Digital and DraftKings

Maine becomes the 8th US state to legalise online casino gambling under LD 1164 — but with a structure unlike any other market: exclusive rights granted to the state's four tribal nations, with Penobscot Nation partnering with Caesars Digital and the Passamaquoddy Tribe signing with DraftKings, creating the first US iGaming market built entirely around tribal economic sovereignty.

James Whitfield·
91
Brazil Blocks 27 Prediction Market Platforms Including Kalshi and Polymarket — Effective May 4, Central Bank Deadline of May 25 for Bank Enforcement Norms
RegulationTrending

Brazil Blocks 27 Prediction Market Platforms Including Kalshi and Polymarket — Effective May 4, Central Bank Deadline of May 25 for Bank Enforcement Norms

Brazil blocked 27 prediction market platforms including Kalshi and Polymarket effective May 4, with the Central Bank facing a May 25 deadline to publish the financial norms that will force banks and fintechs to execute payment blocks — making Brazil the first major regulated gambling market to comprehensively close off prediction market access through both law and payment infrastructure.

James Whitfield·
74
New Jersey Proposes 10% Sports Betting Surcharge on All World Cup Wagers — First US State to Target a Single Tournament with an Additional Gambling Tax
RegulationTrending

New Jersey Proposes 10% Sports Betting Surcharge on All World Cup Wagers — First US State to Target a Single Tournament with an Additional Gambling Tax

New Jersey Assembly Bill 4838 would impose a 10% surcharge on sportsbook revenues from World Cup wagers — on top of the existing 19.75% tax — making New Jersey the first US state to apply a tournament-specific gambling tax rate, with all proceeds earmarked for the state's estimated $300M+ World Cup hosting costs.

James Whitfield·
67
US Senate Unanimously Bans Members and Staff from Prediction Market Trading — Bipartisan Bill Would Extend Ban Across Government
RegulationTrending

US Senate Unanimously Bans Members and Staff from Prediction Market Trading — Bipartisan Bill Would Extend Ban Across Government

The US Senate passed a unanimous resolution on April 30 banning senators and staff from prediction market trading — with a bipartisan bill immediately introduced to extend the prohibition across the executive branch — as Washington's self-imposed restraint removes the political complexity from the licensed gambling industry's campaign to restrict sports event contracts.

James Whitfield·
96
New York iGaming Bill Returns to Albany with 30.5% Tax Rate as Resorts World NYC Casino Opening Sharpens the Political Case
RegulationTrending

New York iGaming Bill Returns to Albany with 30.5% Tax Rate as Resorts World NYC Casino Opening Sharpens the Political Case

New York's parallel Senate and Assembly iGaming bills — proposing a 30.5% tax on online casino revenue — are in committee as the 2026 session progresses, with Resorts World NYC's April 28 table games opening providing legislators the most powerful new argument yet for treating online gambling access as an extension of existing licensed casino activity.

James Whitfield·
68
Finland's Gambling Advertising Market to Become Europe's Second Largest After 2027 Market Opening — Under Some of the Continent's Strictest Ad Rules
RegulationTrending

Finland's Gambling Advertising Market to Become Europe's Second Largest After 2027 Market Opening — Under Some of the Continent's Strictest Ad Rules

Finland's private gambling market won't open until July 2027, but analysts project its advertising spend could reach €100 million in year one — placing it second in Europe — under regulatory constraints that ban game-level advertising, restrict direct marketing to opted-in players, and cap bonuses at 5x wagering.

Illia Lisovskyy·
38
British Columbia Launches Independent Gambling Control Office — New Regulator Has Expanded Powers and Ends GPEB Era
Regulation

British Columbia Launches Independent Gambling Control Office — New Regulator Has Expanded Powers and Ends GPEB Era

British Columbia's gambling regulator has been structurally reformed: the government-subordinate Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch has been replaced by the Independent Gambling Control Office (IGCO), which operates at arm's length from government, holds binding authority over BC Lottery Corp, and introduces the first licensing fee increases in over 15 years.

Illia Lisovskyy·
19
AGA and IGA Escalate Congressional Offensive Against Prediction Markets — House Agriculture Hearing Draws 16 Members
RegulationTrending

AGA and IGA Escalate Congressional Offensive Against Prediction Markets — House Agriculture Hearing Draws 16 Members

The AGA and IGA appeared before the House Agriculture Committee — which oversees the CFTC — in a closed session attended by 16 members, as 40 state attorneys general signed onto an amicus brief opposing prediction market sports contracts that could force the first Congressional intervention in the regulated sportsbook vs. prediction market standoff.

James Whitfield·
56
Brazil Enforces Full Credit Card Ban for Online Gambling as SPA Moves from Guidance to Active Enforcement
RegulationTrending

Brazil Enforces Full Credit Card Ban for Online Gambling as SPA Moves from Guidance to Active Enforcement

Brazil's SPA has shifted from guidance to active enforcement of its online gambling framework, issuing its first fines under Ordinance 722 for KYC failures and enforcing the full ban on credit card gambling payments — a move that directly affects the payments and onboarding architecture of the 78 licensed operators running 138 brands in the market.

Marcus De Luca·
29
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