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Athens has announced that all options are being considered in the fight against black market gambling, including prison sentences and consumer fines for repeated participation on illegal websites. Greece is moving forward with plans to become the first EU country to introduce a “comprehensive framework” specifically targeting illegal gambling activities and associated crimes. The initiative comes from Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Minister of National Economy and Finance, who is adva

Wynn Resorts Ltd. has become the latest major Las Vegas casino operator to face a cyberattack, with hackers demanding a $1.5 million ransom and threatening to release sensitive data. The extortionists have set a Monday deadline for payment and claim to have obtained approximately 800,000 records from the company’s systems. A hacking group calling itself ShinyHunters reportedly contacted Wynn Resorts on Friday, demanding the ransom while warning that they would make public “fu

The Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) has implemented a five percent withholding tax on the net winnings of online bettors, a measure that takes immediate effect across the state’s regulated gaming market. The announcement was made on Thursday by LSLGA Chief Executive Officer Bashir Are, who confirmed that the deduction will apply to all gaming platforms licensed in Lagos, regardless of whether the player resides in the state. According to the public notice i

South Africans who access unlicensed offshore gambling websites face serious legal and financial consequences, including the possible loss of both their deposits and any winnings. Financial institutions are obligated under the law to seize funds connected to illegal betting activities, meaning users may never recover money earned through these platforms. According to the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA), national legislation forbids residents from participat

The Dutch gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has issued a penalty order against Polymarket, instructing the cryptocurrency-based prediction platform to halt its operations in the Netherlands or face fines that could reach as much as €840,000 ($994,147). The regulator determined that the platform had violated national regulations by making its services available to Dutch users without the required gambling licence. According to the KSA, the company responsible f

The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission has issued a warning about the increasing risks associated with the use of cryptocurrencies in the gambling industry, pointing to growing concerns over financial crime, including money laundering and sanctions evasion. The regulator also stressed the need for closer international cooperation and stronger enforcement measures to address these emerging threats. The Commission highlighted the expanding role of virtual assets wi

Ben Cove, chief marketing officer of Logifuture, has urged policymakers to adopt a pragmatic approach as tensions continue between state and federal gambling authorities in Nigeria. The country’s regulatory trajectory remains unsettled amid ongoing jurisdictional disputes between different layers of government. In December, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rejected the proposed Central Gaming Bill, legislation that would have shifted oversight of the gambling sector to a

In a step that has ignited widespread debate across Tunisia, 23 members of parliament have introduced a legislative proposal aimed at tightening restrictions on gambling and games of chance, with a particular focus on electronic gambling. The draft law has been referred to the General Legislation Committee, where it will be examined in detail to assess its legal implications and its potential impact on Tunisian society. For years, online gambling remained a relatively lim

The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission has released a public enforcement statement detailing serious regulatory violations committed by Shelgeyr Limited, the company behind the Maverick Games brand. The action followed a comprehensive regulatory inspection that uncovered numerous breaches of the Gambling Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Code 2019. Investigators determined that the operator did not sustain adequate safeguards against fin

Sweden’s gambling authority, Spelinspektionen, has confirmed that a revised structure for supervisory fees will take effect on March 1, 2026. The updated framework is set out in regulation SIFS 2026:1, which will replace the previous SIFS 2024:4. Under the new rules, operators holding an online casino licence or a betting licence will be required to pay SEK 240,000 (€22,680) per licence for each fee period. Companies that hold both an online casino and a betting licence w

Estonia has acted quickly to correct a legislative error that inadvertently exempted online gambling operators from taxation, following the discovery of a drafting mistake in recent amendments to the country’s Gambling Tax Act. In December, the Riigikogu (Parliament) approved changes to the Gambling Tax Act introduced by Eesti 200 MP Tanel Tein. However, an oversight in the wording of the amendments resulted in remote gaming activities being excluded from the updated legisl

Brazil’s federal government is in the final stages of preparing a decree that would formally require digital age verification for online betting operators and pornographic websites, marking a significant expansion of child protection rules into the country’s digital sphere. The measure is tied to the rollout of the ECA Digital law and would oblige platforms to confirm users’ ages using officially recognized credentials rather than relying on simple self-declaration mechanis

Tunisia is preparing to modernise its gambling legislation through a newly proposed draft Bill designed to overhaul a regulatory framework that has remained largely unchanged for more than five decades. The initiative comes in response to the rapid expansion of online and mobile gambling, sectors that have outpaced the scope of the country’s existing laws. The proposal, put forward by 23 members of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People, seeks to amend Decree L

Authorities in Egypt are moving forward with plans to implement a nationwide shutdown targeting online betting applications, as part of new legislation expected to permanently disable illegal gambling services while introducing stricter sanctions for companies that advertise or promote betting activities within the country. The proposed regulatory changes represent a major expansion of enforcement efforts aimed at curbing unauthorized digital gambling operations. Reports indi

Brazil’s president has indicated that the government is preparing to introduce what he described as “very serious” measures aimed at slowing the rapid expansion of online betting platforms across the country. The announcement reflects increasing concern among policymakers regarding the broader social and economic consequences linked to the surge in mobile gambling. The issue has gained political and public attention as online betting services continue to experience widespread

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has launched a consultation on whether the destination of regulatory settlement payments made by licensed betting operators should be revised, potentially marking a significant shift in how such funds are handled. The consultation, which is open until 2 April, focuses on a proposed amendment to section 2.39 of the UKGC’s Statement of principles for determining financial penalties. At present, money paid by operators as part of regulatory se

Google has revealed plans to introduce more rigorous standards for gambling advertisers operating across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, significantly raising the bar for companies seeking access to its advertising platforms. The policy shift was announced by Google’s Dublin-based advertising unit and centers on expanded verification and eligibility requirements for businesses in the gambling sector. The updated framework is set to take effect on March 23, 2026. From

The legalization of betting in 2026 is less about dramatic first-time openings and more about careful regulatory evolution that reshapes how betting functions in practice. While only a limited number of countries move from prohibition to legality, several influential jurisdictions are rolling out expanded licensing regimes, dismantling monopolies, or activating legal frameworks that were approved in earlier years. Rather than triggering a single, sweeping global shift, 20

A senior Russian law enforcement officer tasked with combating corruption has himself come under investigation for allegedly accepting bribes from operators of illegal casinos and gambling dens. According to Russia’s state-run news agency RIA Novosti, the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ branch in the Omsk Oblast is probing one of its own officers, Dmitry Nagibin, who serves as a police colonel within the ministry’s Economic Security and Anti-Corruption Department. The minis

The Greek government is moving forward with sweeping reforms to its legislation targeting illegal gambling, introducing stricter criminal sanctions aimed not only at operators but also at repeat participants. Authorities say the measures are necessary to combat what they describe as a fast-growing underground market that is reducing public revenue streams while exposing younger individuals to unregulated and potentially harmful gambling environments. Athens has confirmed that