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The United Kingdom has unveiled a new round of sanctions targeting 90 entities in a move aimed at cutting off revenue streams that continue to fund Russia’s military operations in Ukraine. Announced on 15 October, the measures were introduced jointly by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the UK Treasury, with officials stating that the sanctions are intended to “strike at the heart of Putin’s war funding.” A key element of the new sanctions package is

Peru has introduced a comprehensive regulatory and supervisory framework governing online gambling and sports betting platforms, marking a significant evolution in the country’s approach to digital wagering oversight. Building upon prior legislation that established the legality of remote gaming and wagering, the new regime enforces strict mandates to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. Under these rules, online gambling and sports-betting operators are now form

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has dismissed the Netherlands’ appeal in the long-running case concerning its state-controlled lottery monopolies, confirming that the European Commission (EC) must open an investigation into the country’s licensing process. The decision marks the latest development in a legal dispute that dates back to 2016, centering on allegations that the Netherlands unfairly renewed monopoly lottery licences without conducting an open tender. In its la

Serbia’s Ministry of Finance has drawn the attention of compliance professionals across Europe as it moves forward with plans to develop a nationwide digital asset surveillance capability. The initiative centers on a central monitoring system designed to absorb public blockchain data, enrich it with intelligence on entities, and cross-reference it with reports from regulated institutions. This integrated approach could redefine how suspicious financial activity is detected an

A federal jury in New York has issued a verdict of nearly $21 million against France’s largest bank, BNP Paribas S.A., for providing the Sudanese government access to the U.S. financial system while it carried out atrocities two decades ago. The plaintiffs, a woman and two men who are U.S. citizens and were displaced from Sudan, losing their homes and property, were awarded amounts ranging between $6.7 million and $7.3 million each following about four hours of jury deliberat

A new study by international gaming consultancy Yield Sec has revealed that unlicensed gambling operators now control a majority share of Brazil’s online betting market, posing a growing threat to both revenue and sports integrity. According to the report, illegal platforms account for 51% of total market activity, generating an estimated BRL 18.1 billion ($3.17 billion), while licensed operators hold 49%, with around BRL 17.4 billion in revenue. The findings highlight a conc

The global anti-money laundering community has been shaken by one of the most consequential enforcement actions of 2025. The U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has officially named the Cambodia-based Huione Group a foreign financial institution of primary money laundering concern under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act. The designation effectively severs the group’s ties with the U.S. financial system, setting a new precedent in tackling cryptocurrency-enable

U.K. fintech giant Revolut has hit a new obstacle in its long-running effort to secure a full banking license in its home market, with the Bank of England reportedly delaying approval due to ongoing concerns about the company’s risk management capabilities amid rapid international expansion. The central bank has expressed doubts about whether Revolut can maintain robust risk management controls as it continues its aggressive global growth. Regulators are now insisting that th

Reports of a crisis within Curacao’s gambling regulation framework have been overstated, according to the country’s gaming authority, which insists it remains “fully operational” despite a wave of online speculation following a recent administrative reshuffle. Amid social media claims of “regulatory chaos” and a “power grab” after the resignation of the Supervisory Board of the Curacao Gaming Authority (CGA), the regulator has clarified that all licensing, compliance, and sup

A powerful bipartisan committee in the United States Congress has announced that it has opened an investigation into Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network over allegations that the service has been used to provide internet access to scam centres operating in Myanmar, which have been accused of swindling billions of dollars from victims around the world. The development follows revelations that a growing number of Starlink dishes began appearing on the rooftops of scam compou

The United States and the United Kingdom have jointly announced extensive sanctions targeting a powerful multinational crime network operating across Southeast Asia, accused of running a vast chain of “scam centres” in Cambodia, Myanmar, and neighbouring countries. The network allegedly trafficked workers and forced them to defraud victims worldwide through fake cryptocurrency investment schemes. In what officials described as the largest-ever enforcement action of its kind i

Abu Dhabi has marked a major advancement in its fight against financial crime by obtaining ISO 37001:2016 certification for its Anti-Bribery, Anti-Corruption, and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Management System. The certification, awarded to the Public Funds Prosecution under the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, represents more than a symbolic milestone—it formalizes a technical, auditable, and performance-based system that may redefine AML governance standards across the Middle

The United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, that two individuals who obtained citizenship through Cyprus’s former Investment Program have been added to the US sanctions list. Chen Zhi and Yang Jian were included in the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List under Executive Order 13581, meaning that any assets they hold under US jurisdiction are blocked and US persons or entities are prohibited from

In recent years, state-sponsored exporters under sanctions—most notably those from Iran, Russia, and North Korea—have constructed intricate maritime and logistics networks built to disguise and launder export revenues. These “shadow fleet” operations depend on a matrix of corporate layering, ship transfers, forged registries, falsified invoices, and laundering chains that stretch across jurisdictions. The outcome is staggering: billions in illicit revenue find their way into

FinCEN’s June 25, 2025 orders against three Mexico-based financial institutions have set off a chain of events that few anticipated would reach this magnitude. What began as targeted restrictions on certain fund transmittals has now evolved into a test of how signal-based supervisory actions, new statutory powers, cross-border risk appetites, and market confidence interact when pressure mounts. The twice-delayed effective dates and the subsequent voluntary revocation of CIBan

Despite being blacklisted in 2022 and repeatedly pursued by regulators and investigators, Garantex and its network of spin-offs have continued to move vast sums across borders. Between 2019 and 2025, blockchain analytics trace approximately $96 billion in transactions to entities linked to Garantex, with at least $1.3 billion directly associated with criminal activity. These flows were not isolated occurrences but part of a sophisticated, parallel payment ecosystem engineered

The recent $650,000 sanction imposed on EFG Capital International underscores one of the most persistent vulnerabilities in cross-border brokerage operations: the gap between automated anti-money laundering (AML) systems and effective human oversight. The Miami-based broker-dealer, known for its extensive dealings with international clients and intricate wealth structures, came under intense regulatory scrutiny after FINRA concluded that its AML program had failed to detect s

Vietnam’s anti-money laundering (AML) efforts have entered a decisive and highly scrutinized stage as the government moves to close the deficiencies highlighted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Since the country’s inclusion on the FATF grey list in 2023, international attention has focused sharply on its financial institutions, digital asset exchanges, and regulators, all of which are under pressure to prove that their compliance reforms go beyond symbolic measures.

A recent enforcement action has placed DMCL Chartered Professional Accountants squarely under the national spotlight, underscoring that...

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has published a report highlighting attempts within the crypto industry to circumvent newly...