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For much of the past year, Europe’s gambling watchdogs have been fixated on two familiar adversaries: rising taxes and the black market. The higher levies introduced across several jurisdictions in 2025 were designed to raise public revenues and curb excessive gambling, while tougher enforcement was meant to drive illegal operators out of the shadows. Yet the headlines that followed painted a far more complicated picture. Licensed companies complained that their margins were

The Colombian government has revised its taxation framework for online gambling, changing the application of the 19 per cent value-added tax (VAT) from player deposits to gross gaming revenue (GGR).   The revised policy came into force on January 1, marking a significant shift in how the sector is taxed by focusing on the actual income generated by operators rather than the total amounts deposited by players.   The original deposit-based 19 per cent VAT was introduced in Febr

Opap shareholders have approved the company’s split and cross-border transformation plan in January 2026, clearing the path for the merger between Allwyn and Opap during the group’s 13th extraordinary general meeting, which saw participation from shareholders representing 80.12 per cent of the company’s paid-up share capital. All agenda items presented at the meeting were approved, with the required majorities secured, according to information provided to shareholders during

The Colombian government has revamped its approach to taxing online gambling, moving the 19% value-added tax from player deposits to gross gaming revenue (GGR). The new policy, which came into effect on January 1, focuses on the actual revenue generated by operators rather than taxing all funds deposited by players. The deposit-based 19% VAT was initially introduced in February 2025 as a temporary measure amid internal unrest. Throughout 2025, this tax structure faced widespr

Prosecutors in Taipei have concluded one of the most sweeping financial crime indictments in recent regional history, charging thirty-five people for their roles in an elaborate underground banking and gambling operation that funneled more than 30.6 billion New Taiwan dollars, roughly equivalent to $970 million USD, through sophisticated digital channels. At the center of the case is a man who publicly appeared to be running a well-known Hong Kong–style restaurant while cover

Sri Lanka has moved swiftly to tighten its regulatory and fiscal approach to casino gaming, introducing higher costs for both players and operators effective from the start of 2026. From January 1, the government doubled the entry fee for Sri Lankan citizens at casinos from US$50 to US$100. In addition, the betting and gaming gross collection levy was raised from 15% to 18%, according to a notice issued by the Inland Revenue Department. These changes apply to all licensed bet

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