All Articles

Japan’s governing coalition has once again confirmed its intention to exempt overseas casino patrons from paying taxes on gambling winnings, reinforcing a long-standing policy designed to boost inbound tourism and attract international investment.   The commitment was reiterated in December during fiscal policy discussions between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Innovation Party, reviving measures that were first put forward several years ago.   The exemption for non-res

Spain’s online gambling sector maintained its strong upward trajectory in 2025, with online casino activity once again acting as the primary engine of growth, alongside rising betting revenues and increased marketing spend.   According to figures released by the General Directorate for Gambling Regulation (DGOJ) covering the three months ending 30 September 2025, gross gaming revenue (GGR) across Spain’s regulated online gambling market reached €405.36 million. This represent

Turkey’s sweeping investigation into illegal betting and alleged match-fixing within professional football has intensified further, with authorities expanding the scope of enforcement to include additional players, referees and football officials.   On Friday, prosecutors issued detention orders for 29 more individuals as part of the widening probe into unlicensed gambling activities and integrity breaches. Turkish media outlets, including broadcaster NTV, reported that those

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has stepped up its enforcement of anti-money laundering rules in the online gambling sector, issuing a formal warning to TOTO Online after identifying multiple shortcomings in the operator’s compliance with national AML legislation.   The regulator said TOTO Online failed to fully comply with obligations under the Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing (Prevention) Act, particularly in relation to the ongoing monitoring of customer r

Poland’s president has vetoed legislation that would have increased the tax on gambling winnings, a move that has been welcomed by industry stakeholders who argue it preserves competitiveness and stability in the regulated market.   President Karol Nawrocki rejected amendments to the Public Health Act and the Personal Income Tax Act that had been approved by Parliament earlier this month. The changes would have raised the tax on winnings from competitions, games and mutual be

Finland’s Parliament has approved a new Gambling Act that will fundamentally reshape the country’s gambling framework, bringing an end to Veikkaus’ long-standing monopoly over betting and online casino games and opening the market to licensed competition.   Under the new legislation, which represents one of the most significant regulatory shifts in Finland’s gambling history, Veikkaus will lose its exclusive rights to offer betting and online casino products from summer 2027.

Legislation intended to overhaul and modernise South Africa’s gambling regulatory framework has reached a critical impasse, caught in a web of procedural delays and escalating tensions between national and provincial authorities.   The National Gambling Amendment Bill, first tabled in 2018, has now lapsed on two occasions and is once again facing firm resistance from provinces, which argue that the proposed reforms threaten constitutional powers, undermine provincial revenues

India’s online gaming industry remains mired in legal limbo after the Supreme Court deferred hearing challenges to the country’s sweeping real-money gaming (RMG) ban until January 2026, prolonging a crisis that has already brought much of the sector to a halt. Gaming companies had pressed the judiciary for urgent relief against legislation that has effectively frozen their operations nationwide. However, their petitions will not be taken up in the near term. On December 11, a

The United Arab Emirates has taken a historic step by permitting legal online betting through licensed platforms, signaling a significant shift in the nation’s long-standing stance on gambling. For the first time, residents and visitors can place real-money bets online within a federal regulatory framework designed to control access and protect consumers. At the center of this change is Play971, the UAE’s first approved internet gaming and sports betting website. The platform

Uganda’s National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) has intensified its crackdown on illegal gambling operations, netting scores of Chinese nationals and their Ugandan accomplices in a nationwide operation targeting unlicensed slot machines and gaming equipment that have deprived the government of significant revenue.   The enforcement drive, code-named Operation Mashine Haramu —Swahili for “illegal machines”—is part of a broader effort by the regulator to stem th

After almost a year of operating under a 19% value-added tax, Colombia’s gambling industry appears to be just days away from relief, following a decisive vote in Congress to reject legislation that would have permanently enshrined the levy.   Colombia’s Congress has voted down the proposed Financing Law, which sought to make permanent a 19% VAT on online gambling activities. The measure was defeated last Tuesday in the Senate’s Fourth Committee, where lawmakers voted 9–4 agai

Poland has entered what is shaping up to be its most forceful phase yet in the battle against illegal online gambling, as authorities expand enforcement well beyond traditional tools and into the promotional and financial ecosystems that sustain the grey market.   Marek Plota, managing partner at RM Legal, points to a level of coordination between law enforcement, the Ministry of Finance and the Financial Supervision Authority that has not previously been seen in the country’

Macau recorded a significant rise in gaming-related crime during the first three quarters of 2025, with police logging 1,737 cases, a year-on-year increase of 70.1 percent from the 1,021 cases reported over the same period in 2024. The figures were announced on December 12 by Secretary for Security Chan Tsz King.   Chan said the steep increase was mainly the result of changes in how gaming-related crimes are counted following the introduction of new anti-illegal gambling legi

South Africa’s exploding online gambling crisis is being fuelled by a convergence of greedy domestic financial institutions and opportunistic offshore betting operators, creating not only a social catastrophe but a growing threat of large-scale money laundering. The sector’s rapid expansion, now approaching disastrous proportions, is not occurring in isolation. It is enabled by permissive regulatory and tax environments, exactly the kind produced by South Africa’s outdated an

Italy’s far-reaching redesign of its online gambling framework is finally taking shape, and the results point toward a future where dominant incumbents thrive while smaller operators are pushed out of the market.   When the country implemented its long-anticipated overhaul in November 2025, it did so with the precision of a government intent on restructuring — not merely regulating — its digital gambling sector.   What had been discussed and delayed for nearly five years arri

Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance has issued an impact assessment for a draft decree intended to replace Decree 03/2017 on casino operations, a move that local outlet VietnamNet reports is aimed at clearing long-standing regulatory hurdles and bringing the legal framework into alignment with current national laws. The release comes shortly after two landmark decisions: the government’s approval of permanent locals gaming at Phu Quoc’s Corona Resort & Casino and the authorisation

Finland is preparing for one of the most significant shifts in its gambling landscape, as the country transitions from its long-standing state-controlled model to a fully regulated, licensed framework.   The Administrative Committee of the Finnish Parliament has now completed its report detailing the backbone of this reform — a reform that lawmakers expect to pass through Parliament without any further modifications.   The roadmap outlines several major milestones relevant fo

Gaming Corps has confirmed a new content partnership with UK operator MrQ, bringing its portfolio of slot and instant-win titles to the platform as the Swedish supplier continues to expand its footprint among licensed British brands. MrQ, which entered the UK market in 2018, now offers a catalogue of more than 1,000 games and has positioned its platform around simplified play conditions, distinguishing itself as one of the few UK casinos that do not impose wagering requiremen

Gustaf Hoffstedt, secretary general of the Sweden Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS), has sharply criticised AB Trav och Galopp (ATG) CEO Hasse Lord Skarplöth’s call for Sweden to raise taxes on online gambling operators. Hoffstedt characterised the proposal as an act of “self-harm” that would damage the country’s regulated market.   Skarplöth’s suggestion, made earlier this week, urged Sweden to mirror the UK’s recent decision to increase tax levels on licensed onli

Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court has placed all municipal lotteries across the country on immediate hold, casting significant uncertainty over their future.   The precautionary suspension follows a filing from the Solidarity Party, which argued that these locally run lotteries were violating national betting regulations.   The decision, issued on Wednesday by Minister Nunes Marques, freezes every municipal law and decree that establishes, authorises, or governs lottery and spor