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Inflation across the euro area has largely been reined in following one of the most intense price surges in recent decades, with the European Central Bank now moving into what it sees as a delicate transition period, according to ECB executive board member Philip Lane. In an interview first published by Italian newspaper La Stampa , Lane said the dramatic rise in inflation during 2021 and 2022 led the ECB to implement an aggressive tightening of monetary policy, a strategy th

More than ten illegal Chinese-made coin-slot gambling machines were seized and destroyed on Friday at the Nyando Deputy County Commissioner’s offices, as authorities stepped up efforts to eliminate unlawful gambling activities in the area.   Nyando Deputy County Commissioner Elijah Maranga said the machines were recovered during coordinated security operations carried out in Ahero and Awasi towns. He stressed that the operation of coin-slot gambling machines is prohibited und

Nicola Brown, a 37-year-old resident of St John’s Park, Waterford, has pleaded guilty to committing money-laundering during the period of February 3 to 5, 2024. Brown made her plea at Waterford Circuit Court before Judge Eugene O’Kelly. She admitted to a charge of money-laundering contrary to Section 7.1.a and 7.1.b, having laundered €5,600 through a Revolut account. During the hearing, defence counsel Gareth Hayden BL requested that a probation report be prepared ahead of se

The European Union is preparing a sweeping package of retaliatory measures against the United States, including tariffs worth up to €93 billion ($107.71 billion), in response to threats by US President Donald Trump to annex Greenland, according to a Financial Times report published on Sunday evening.   Brussels is also examining the possibility of limiting access for US companies to the European market as part of a broader response. The measures were discussed during a meetin

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has levied a $1.1 million fine and issued a censure against three Cetera entities after uncovering systemic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering (AML) controls and oversight of low-priced securities. The regulatory body determined that from March 2019 through August 2021, Cetera Advisors, Cetera Wealth Services, and Cetera Investment Services “operated a compliance program that was not reasonably designed to detect or

Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) has directed the country’s banks to block and shut down 31,382 accounts suspected of being connected to illegal online gambling activities, an increase from the 30,392 accounts previously flagged by regulators.   Authorities have repeatedly warned that online gambling poses serious risks to financial stability, disrupts household finances and undermines the wider economy. Although many gambling platforms are operated from outside

Swedish law enforcement has stepped up its offensive against unauthorized financial intermediaries, warning that anyone acting as an illegal money transmitter risks long prison terms and the seizure of their assets. Criminal networks are increasingly leaning on loose, decentralized webs of willing or coerced individuals to move dirty money across borders while steering clear of regulated banks. The funds being shuffled through these channels often bankroll major criminal acti

Spanish regulators have confirmed a massive fine of 17,601,000 euros against CaixaBank following serious breaches of anti-money laundering obligations. The administrative decision was officially published in the Official State Gazette under resolution BOE-A-2025-26201 on December 11, 2025, and stems from failures in monitoring high-value property transactions that took place years ago. The penalty, one of the largest ever levied against a Spanish bank for non-compliance with

Ukrainian authorities have ordered internet providers to block access to Polymarket, a decentralised prediction market platform, after concluding that its services amount to unlicensed gambling under the country’s laws. The decision was issued in December 2025 by the National Commission for the Regulation of Electronic Communications, which instructed internet service providers to restrict access to online platforms that facilitate wagering without holding a Ukrainian licence

Austria’s Ministry of Finance is drawing up a draft law to underpin a new casino tender process in the coming months, pledging “uniform player protection standards” even as gambling operators renew their calls for the country’s long-standing monopoly model to be scrapped. The ministry has confirmed it is preparing the legislative framework ahead of the renewal of the current monopoly tender in 2027, a moment many in the sector see as pivotal for the future of Austria’s gambli

The Federal Trade Commission has asked a federal court in Nevada to hold the operators of payment processor Cliq, Inc. in contempt, alleging they violated a standing 2015 FTC order and seeking at least $52.9 million in compensation for affected consumers. The request, submitted in January 2026, is aimed at former Cardflex, Inc. and two of its top executives, Andrew Phillips and John Blaugrund, whom the agency accuses of systematically disregarding fraud-prevention duties whil

Interest rates set by the Bank of England are likely to keep moving lower as inflation appears on track to return to the central bank’s 2 per cent goal sooner than previously expected, according to comments made by policymaker Alan Taylor on Wednesday.   Speaking in prepared remarks for an event at the National University of Singapore, Taylor said the inflation outlook had improved notably compared with earlier projections. “We can now see inflation at target in mid-2026, rat

Denmark has formally submitted proposed new controls on gambling advertising to the European Commission for scrutiny, as part of an effort to expand the regulatory and enforcement powers of the country’s gambling watchdog.   On 13 January, Spillemyndigheden, Denmark’s Gambling Authority, filed a notification with the European Commission’s Technical Regulation Information System (TRIS), triggering the EU’s mandatory review procedure for draft technical regulations. The process

On the 9th of January, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday moved to dismiss its lawsuit against Guy Elliott, the former chief financial officer of Rio Tinto, bringing to a close a lengthy fraud case tied to a troubled investment in a coal project in Mozambique by one of the world’s biggest mining groups. In a filing submitted to federal court in Manhattan, the SEC said it was ending its civil action against Elliott “in the exercise of its discretion,” withou

Cambodian authorities arrested Prince TCO founder Chen Zhi in January 2026 after the United States Department of Justice connected him to what it described as a vast worldwide fraud empire, a dramatic enforcement move that followed an indictment for wire fraud and the laundering of digital assets valued at 15 billion dollars. Investigators have portrayed Chen as the chief strategist behind an enormous criminal enterprise that relied on forced labor to swindle victims across m

The European Union has acknowledged the substantial progress achieved by South African institutions in closing long-standing gaps within the country’s financial and regulatory framework, following a period of close international scrutiny in which the jurisdiction worked to bring its domestic laws into line with the global standards set by the Financial Action Task Force. Through the introduction of stronger oversight structures and greater transparency around beneficial owner

The Finnish Parliament has approved the Government’s proposal for a new Gambling Act, marking a significant shift in the country’s gaming landscape. Under the reform, Veikkaus’ exclusive right to offer gambling services will end for betting games as well as online slot machine and casino games in the summer of 2027. The company will, however, retain its monopoly on lottery games, scratch cards, and physical slot machines and casino games. Gambling companies will be able to ap

U.S. financial stocks and UK-listed lenders fell sharply on Monday after President Donald Trump proposed a one-year cap on credit card interest rates, threatening a significant revenue stream for the sector. Investors are now weighing the impact of the proposal amid ongoing interest-rate uncertainty, a development that may undercut the potential boost from a rotation into value stocks. On Friday, Trump called for a 10 per cent cap on credit card interest rates starting Januar

Cyprus’ betting market continued its expansion in the third quarter of 2025, with total gross revenue from Class A and Class B operators rising 7 per cent year-on-year to €312.5 million, according to data released by the National Betting Authority (NBA). The figure also marks a 20 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2023. The authority reported that online betting maintained its dominant role during the July to September period. Class B operators generated €235

Nigeria has embarked on a sweeping overhaul of how digital assets are monitored, embedding national identification numbers directly into crypto systems to strip away the anonymity that once protected bad actors. The push arrives alongside the Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025, which compels every virtual-asset transaction to be tied to a verified, real-world identity. By synchronizing its domestic rules with the global crypto-asset reporting framework, the government intend

A federal jury in Texas has found LaShonda and Marlon Moore guilty of running an enormous pyramid scheme that caused losses exceeding 25 million dollars, bringing a dramatic end to the couple’s operation known as Blessings in No Time. Prosecutors showed that during the global pandemic the Moores preyed on thousands of people through a web of deceptive recruitment practices, pulling in funds that were then laundered to finance their own enrichment. The verdict covers multiple